HELD CAPTIVE BY A ROGUE

Chapter Fourteen

It was a warm, sunny day for February when Kathryn finally dragged herself out of bed and donned her black mourning dress. She sat down at her dressing table and began brushing out the mass of tangles that were there due to another restless night. The baby had dropped and was now sitting very low in her belly, causing her to be very uncomfortable for the last few days. When she had finished her toiletries and took a final look at her appearance, she went downstairs to join her husband and brother-in-law for breakfast.

Christopher noticed her unusual slowness this morning and quickly got up and helped her to her place at the table. "Are you feeling alright, Kathryn?" He asked with concern in his voice.

"Yes, Christopher I'm just a little tired today. Don't worry about it, I'll be fine."

Christopher sat back down in his place again but still wasn't convinced that Kathryn was telling him the truth for the frown that had crossed his brow remained throughout their entire meal together.

Suddenly, a familiar voice was heard from the foyer and Christopher looked at Jeffrey, cursing under his breath before stomping out of the dining room.

"Christopher, darling! How nice to see you again," Cassandra cooed, wanting to throw her arms around him but refrained, knowing it would only anger him. She needed to bide her time with him, allowing her charms to have their effect on him and then she would have him. It shouldn't be too difficult to coax him to her bed. A man of Christopher's vitality would need relief after being deprived so long, with that bitch of a wife of his so heavy with child, she thought cunningly. Once she won him back, it would simply be a task of getting rid of Kathryn and that shouldn't prove too difficult to do.

"What the hell are you doing here, Cassandra?" Christopher demanded with a sneer, not trusting her motives.

"Why Christopher, you wound me so, I came here to visit my only living relative. My late-husband's dearly-beloved daughter, Kathryn. He would want me to be with her in her time of need. The child is going to have her own child anytime, isn't she?"

Christopher let his anger pass and thought about what Cassandra said. Maybe she was right, the child was due anytime and Kathryn's father would have wanted his wife to be here at the birthing. He told his butler to have her things brought in from the carriage and taken up to one of the guest rooms before he escorted Cassandra into the parlor, where Kathryn and Jeffrey were having their tea.

Kathryn's eyes narrowed when she saw who was on the arm of her husband and cringed when Cassandra came over and gave her a motherly hug.

"My darling, Kathryn you look so... huge," she said, looking at Kathryn's enlarged figure repulsively. Seeing her wince, she knew her jab hit home and smiled venomously. Whirling around, she faced Christopher again. "And you, my dear Christopher look like you could use a drink."

"It's a little early in the morning to be drinking, don't you think, Cassandra?" He said, annoyed by her being here.

"If you think so, Christopher," her lips forming into a pout.

Taking in her step-mother's pink and white, low-cut day dress, Kathryn sarcastically asked her why she wasn't honoring her father's death by wearing the customary mourning color."

"Darling, I just simply refuse to wear mourning clothes, it's ridiculous to be forced into wearing black for an entire year, I have never done it," she said, curtly.

Jeffrey, who had been quietly observing his brother's ex-lover, rolled his eyes at her total disregard for tradition.

"I am absolutely starving, Christopher. Would you kindly join me for a small bite to eat," she pleaded, sliding her arm through his.