Winchester Abbey

Chapter Thirty-Two

Chapter Thirty-Two

The evening was quite relaxing. Jack's parents were possibly the sweetest folks in the entire world, and treated each girl like long lost daughters, which was a good thing. They had a very filling dinner and then headed back to the car that was to take them back to the Abbey for another two weeks before they went home.

Just two weeks. MCat sighed. Why, oh why couldn't it be longer?

"I was born in the wrong time period." she announced as Madi slid into the car next to her. "Where's Han?"

Charlotte pointed as Jack gave their friend a goodbye kiss and then she herself got into the car.

"See you back at the Abbey!" she yelled.

The door closed and the car started and Madi leaned her head on MCat's shoulder.

"So, Char, gonna tell us what's eating you?"

The blonde's head perked up swiftly. "What do you mean?"

MCat raised an eyebrow. "You've been acting weird all day."

"Oh - nothing. It's - just nothing. I think I forgot something at home, that's all."

"Well, if you haven't missed it by now, I don't think you should worry about it, dear." MCat said with a snicker. She propped her legs up on the headrest of the driver's seat but he didn't seem to mind. "I'm actually quite looking forward to getting back into my dress."

Madi's head popped up as she jabbed MCat in the rib. "Loser."

"You know it."

They sat in silence until the car finally pulled up to the Abbey, all getting very sleepy. MCat stumbled out first. There were maids with candles at the door to take them to their rooms.

"Goodnight all." she yawned. Charlotte waved a hand, barely awake on the way to her own room. Madi didn't even respond. By now it was around eleven o'clock. None of them had realized how much time they had spent with Jack's parents.

The corridor was echoey and empty when MCat made it to her room.

"Need anything before I take my leave, miss?" the maid said.

"No, that's alright, thank you." she stepped into her vintage nightgown that felt oh-so-comfortable. Can I PLEASE just live in this time period? Madi was right, though. It was sad.

It was only after she had gotten into bed that she realized how ravenously thirsty she was, and naturally, there was no water in her room.

"Shoot."

She had only been to the kitchen once, on their grand tour of the house, but she figured that she could find her way there without much trouble. She grabbed the candle off of her nightstand and crept out to the corridor.

Down the stairs, through the dining room, to the left... I think.

There wasn't a sound as she reached the top of the stairs, and her bare feet were getting cold. Too late to go back for slippers now. Creak. The top stair voiced it's complaints as she made her way down. Upon reaching the foyer, she took a right to the dining room, then looked around for the servant's door to the kitchen. Finally locating it, she stepped through with a few more creaks, and used the sink (the only modern contraption in the building was plumbing) to fill a glass with water. She didn't want to bother taking the glass to her room, so she figured that she'd stay where she was to finish it. There was only one window in the kitchen, and through it, the countertop was illuminated by moonlight.

Suddenly, a footstep pierced the silence and MCat's eyes widened. Would she get in trouble for being about in the house so late? They couldn't hold it against her to be thirsty, could they?

Nevertheless, she put the glass on the counter hurriedly and crept towards the door, intending to peek out.

Too late. Just as she had gotten to it, a looming figure opened it and stepped in. MCat stifled her shout and froze, trying to tell who it was.

"Ms. Loftis?"

She breathed a sigh of relief. At least it wasn't Ms. Binley, who probably would have had a thing or two to say about ladies staying in bed after dark.

"Water." was all she could muster in a whisper. "Look, I'm sorry... I just was really thirsty and there was no... um."

Timothy snickered, which was the closest he ever got to full-on laughter. "Are you an insomniac as well?"

"What? No. I mean - yes. Kind of. I have selective insomnia." she blurted, although it was a term she had made up herself years ago.

"Selective? Hm."

"You have it?"

"I rarely sleep."

"Oh. What are you doing down here?"

He gestured out of the doorway. "Ms. Binley is surprisingly okay with my use of the library in wee hours of the morning. I start a fire. It's lovely, really." he said softly.

The cold had now crept from MCat's feet to her shoulders and she crossed her arms. "Does the woman even keep the heat on at night?"

"I, uh - made some hot tea." Timothy continued. "Would you like some?"

She only hesitated for a moment before nodding. She didn't much feel like sleeping now anyway.  Without hesitation, he put a hand on her shoulder and led her through the dining room and across the house to the library. There was, indeed, a sizable fire in the grate, crackling merrily. There was a book open on the couch, and he moved it so that she could sit down as he poured the tea. Mary Catherine sighed.

"Wanna know something?" she said, taking the teacup between her fingers.

"Hm."

"Literally fifty percent of my time is spent wondering why I wasn't born British." she sat back on the couch.

"Really? I must say I do enjoy it."

"I like this." she said suddenly.

"What."

"Us getting along." she felt her eyelids getting heavy.