The Finding

Part 12 Surprise Guest

Five hours. Five freaking hours she spent in that room.  Well maybe not five considering their was no way of knowing how long.  But it at least felt like five hours.  So she explored.   She was a nosy and if Eli was going to be rude and keep her locked in his room then she felt it was justifiable to go through all his things; a watch, a book written in a language that she could not comprehend, a pencil, a small, dull dagger, and some sort of chocolate.  She got hungry.  So hungry she thought she would starve.  So, as a last resort, she ate his chocolate, and damn that was good. Katherine was usually one to just wait random candies that didn't have labels that she found in other's drawers but she was starving.  It was excellent.  Katherine also went through his clothing, to which she found very weird. Every outfit looked almost identical.  Waistcoat upon waistcoat.  Trousers upon trousers.  The only thing different was that he had about five different colored vests.  They were all dark and made of silk.  Katherine ran her hand along the silk vest.  So soft.  There was a bang.

The door rustled from the outside, so she derived a plan.  She grabbed a nearby book and hid behind the door.  Her plan was to wack Eli upside the head with it, hopefully hard enough to knock him out, then she would steal a horse and sneak out.  The plan failed. Miserably.

When she swung the book she has greeted with a pained yelp. "Ow! What in God's name!"  It wasn't Eli.  It was Thomas.

"Oh my gosh Thomas I am so sorry.  I thought you were Eli. I didn't mean to hit you. Here."  Katherine pulled him to the kitchen and searched for an ice back.  

"Why were you in Eli's room anyway," Katherine asked.

"I was looking to borrow a book.  Specifically, the one you so ungracefully thwarted me with. Why were you in Eli's room?  I thought he left hours ago."

"He tricked me and told me he was taking me with him and then locked me in his room.  And I didn't thwart you.  I merely tapped your head."

"You attacked me!"

"Attacked is a strong word."

"Your enchanted me since day one, then you wait for the perfect time to attack. "

"I did not!"

"You did. And now you must pay." Hmm, he thought quizzically.  "Make me lunch."

Eli arrived another two hours later.  He looked furious when he saw me alone.

"Thomas!" He yelled so loud the house surely had shook.

"You let her out!  She could have escaped!"

Thomas stood up and began to push Eli back slightly.  "You need to calm down.  We aren't having this conversation now."

"Oh really I think we will.  Do you even know what kind of danger that was."

"No! Do YOU even realize what you could have done." Thomas's face began to redden and he appeared angry too.

Eli strode over to her. He leveled his face down to Katherine's and spoke softly.  "Katherine.  Could yo please excuse us for a moment and head upstairs to your room while we discuss something.  I will call you for dinner later."

Katherine nodded and proceeded to head upstairs.  However instead of continuing on to her room like she was supposed to, she hid around the corner and listened in on the conversation.

Eli's voice was gruff. "What would have happened if you didn't stay with her.  She would be gone, for good."

"Well what of she had gotten hurt locked in your room, ever think of that?  She didn't have any food or water.  She could have died!"

"If she escaped we would all be dead!  She would be out of our lives gone completely for good!  This is about the safety of the future."  Eli was obviously furious.  She thought steam would soon escape from his ears."

"Oh don't play that game.  It isn't and you and I both know it.  Instead of just leaving her with me, you were to jealous headed and had to go and lock her IN YOUR ROOM!"

"She wouldn't have been safe with you."

"Oh she can handle herself fine."

"What if she had escaped.  I can't let that happen. I won't let it happen again. "  Eli's eyes were now classy and filled with sorrow.  It was until then did Katherine notice the small blood stains on the right shoulder of his collared shirt.