One More Chance

Chapter 7

Chapter 7

"You are a girl!" he exclaimed. 

"Why?"

She didn't know how she was supposed to answer that question. Just then there was a timely intervention. A young boy entered the crowd and addressed Sir Ashford. "The duchess requests your presence immediately sir," he panted as though he had ran all the way from the castle.

"Later," Sir Ashford replied without breaking eye contact with her.

"Urgent sir. It's the Duke. He has passed away," the boy answered urgently.

That line pierced through her veil of subconsciousness and she gave out a startled cry and ran towards the castle. She heard someone calling after her. But she ignored it and continued running. Tears were streaming down her face. Her father was dead!

*************

Christain was tempted to run after the girl. Indeed, he wanted to find out the mystery about the girl. But that would have to wait. There were more urgent matters to be dealt with. He followed his squire back to the castle. This was unexpected news. He would have to move faster now and marry quickly. Newbridge couldn't be without a lord for too long. Kingford and Frederick towed behind him as he made his way to the castle.

*************

Cathy was crying badly now. Tears had blurred her vision and she couldn't see where she was going. She bumped into someone. It was Maggie. Cathy hugged her with all her might and cried her heart out.

"Be brave girl, no crying now. Be glad that his pains are no more. He is now happy with your mother," she soothed.

Cathy controlled her tears a bit and released herself from the embrace. She wanted to see her father and moved, ready to run to his room.

"Go change first, Cathy! What if the duchess sees you like this?" Maggie advised.

Cathy did as she was told and ran into her fathers room. Cecelia was there with her daughters. But Cathy had eyes only for her father. He seemed so peaceful on the bed. The tears threatened to break out again. 

"Catherine, out of this room now. Sir Ashford would be coming in any minute." Cecelia warned urgently. Catherine didn't heed the warning. She did not care about anything. She just wanted to be with her dear father. 

"Catherine," Cecelia started again. Cathy was so angry that she grabbed the vase and threw it, aiming it at Cecelia. She quickly ducked it. Her face seethed with anger. "How dare you? Ungrateful wench. Out of the room now or I swear we will bury Lydia along with your father," she threatened.

Cathy stared at her mutely in shock. How could she threaten her at such a time like this? Oh, she was beyond cruel. Cathy did not doubt for a single minute that what she would make her threat true. Cathy hurriedly left the room. She heard the order from Cecelia to the knight who was standing on guard. "Keep her locked in her room until the funeral is over!"

Cathy ran to her chamber and collapsed onto her bed, crying harder. She then heard the click sound that indicated she had been locked in. Wouldn't she be able to attend her father's funeral and say her last good byes?

*************

Christian was taking the flight of the stairs to the duke's chambers when he heard a loud crash. It was followed by some loud voices. He couldn't make out the words but he could guess that someone was screaming. It was followed by doors banging.

He quickened his pace to reach the chambers. He feared that something was out of control. As he entered the chambers, he saw shards of broken glass on the floor. The duchess's face was red and her daughters started at him dumbly.

"What happened? What was that noise about?" Christian asked.

"Oh...it's nothing. The..er..maid was here. She couldn't bear to see her lord gone and broke down completely. I had to order her to get out and compose herself," Cecelia replied with a tinge of breathlessness and anxiety. Had he been mistaken about her? Did she really care for her husband?

"The vase," he questioned politely.

"Oh, she dropped it. She had brought it out earlier for cleaning and was returning it when she heard the news." Cecelia answered. She was slowly gaining her composure. Her two daughters nodded their heads to concur with her.

"I am sorry of your loss, my ladies," Christian sympathized. "It's time for me to take control. Things have to move on quickly. If it agrees with you, we'll have the funeral tomorrow morning," Christian went on.

The duchess nodded her head.

Christian removed himself from their room and ordered Fred and Kingston to make arrangements for the funeral the following morning.

*************

"Click," Cathy heard some sound that woke her from her nap. She had been crying and sleeping on and off from last evening till this morning. No one had come to her. She had been locked away. Who was this she wondered? She wiped her eyes dry and slowly got up, staring at her room door.

It was Maggie. She quietly let herself in. Fresh tears began forming in her Cathy's eyes as she saw Maggie. "Ssh Cathy listen! Your father's funeral is today. I have come to bring you down," Maggie whispered urgently, enveloping her in a hug.

"But how did you get in? Cecelia would be mad if she knew I was going," Cathy sobbed.

"The knight who locked you in. I convinced him to let me have the key after I promised that his role in this would not be discovered. He was adamant at first. But later he relented when I told him he should be the one keeping you away from your fathers funeral. As for Cecelia, dress up in your boys clothes. She won't notice you if you keep away. You can get back into the room later," Maggie explained.

Cathy nodded her thanks and went to get her tunics and breeches as Maggie suggested.

*************

The late Duke of Newbridge was well loved it seemed. A lot if people had congregated to witness his funeral and many seemed to really mourn his death. Although Christian did not know him personally, it raised the esteem of the man in his eyes. 

The duchess and her daughters were in black to mourn the loss of their lord. But they were completely composed and hardly any sadness could be discerned from them. They were not close as he had initially presumed. That did not bode very well. If the villagers and the knights mourned one man and the ladies didn't, it went on logically that the ladies were not well liked by the rest of the people. 

Christian sighed. He did not want to deal with issues within the nobles and the people. He had more pressing matters with the rebels to worry about. He brought his mind away from those thoughts to the funeral. A vicar seemed to be saying a few good words about Lord David Wolverstone, the late Duke of Newbridge. He paused and turned to the ladies. "Does anyone from his family want to say something?" he inquired.

Cecelia just shook her head. Her daughters followed suit.

Suddenly, a voice from the crowd said, "I want to say something!" The lad, no, the girl in a boy's clothes from yesterday came forward. His, no, her eyes were puffy and swollen from what he presumed was non-stop crying. 

He heard the duchess gasp in shock.

What was going on?

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