A Chance Meeting in Glasgow

Chapter 42

Anne found Katherine in the garden behind Torrington Hall that beautiful Saturday.  “Good morning, little sister.”  Anne gave her a hug.  “And what are you doing this fine day?”

“I’m pretending to look at the garden while I think about him.”

“What do you suppose he’s doing now?”

“Oh, since he left his great beast here I imagine Andrew is buying a new animal to amuse himself with this morning.  Then he’ll probably go down to Clydebank to inspect his precious ship.”

“He kisses you, and it’s ‘Andrew’ now?”

Katherine blushed.  “When we were on our trip and telling people that we were cousins, we called each other by our Christian names as a part of that, the way cousins sometimes do.  I’ll be honest with you, Anne – I liked it.  I liked calling him by a special, personal name that no one else uses.”

“He went back to Glasgow.  Don’t you wish you were with him?”

“I don’t know.”

“What does that mean?”

“Anne, we ultimately have no future together.  But there’s the quandary:  I can’t stand the thought of loosing him, but I don’t dare get closer to him”

“You told me once he causes madness – I believe that now, listening to you.”

“Anne, maybe I should just stay here until he goes home to America.”

“I’ll give you a few more days, then I’m throwing you off the estate, Katie.”

“Good morning, Forrester.”

“Good morning, Mr. Spears. If I might offer, sir, that’s a very handsome animal.”

“I will pass your praise along.  I borrowed the horse and gig from my friend Mr. Ayson.  The mare is a goer.  She paced me all the way out from Glasgow center.”  Andrew removed a bundle from the gig.  “I’d better get up to the house.”

“Yes, sir.  I’ll take the horse out of the traces and turn her into the pasturage.”

Andrew walked up the slope to the rear entrance of the Tower, carrying a bundle in his arms.  He knocked at the door but went directly in without waiting.  “Mrs. MacVail!”

“Here, sir,” came the answer from the kitchen.  “Good morning, sir.  This is a surprise.” 

He cast his eyes upward.  “You don’t know the half of it. Back down in a bit.”  Andrew winked at a puzzled Mrs. MacVail and bounded up the stairs.

Five flights of stairs - it was a long climb.  Andrew at last reached the attic and knocked at the door of the little room.  “Ceana?”

There was no answer, so he opened the door slowly to find the girl sitting there in the dark, still and quiet on the edge of the carefully made bed with her hands folded in her lap.  She saw it was him.  She had the most curious expression on her face; Andrew thought it was if she had forgotten how to cry. 

Andrew took in the way she was seated so serenely with that the horrible red mark on her face and didn’t think he’d ever seen anything so pathetic.  He had a brief flash of the little pig-faced man and the oily woman he’d spoken to earlier that morning roasting in hell.

“I have some things for you.”  He opened the bundle.  “Here’s a hair brush for you, and some hair pins.  Oh, and a toothbrush, and I expect you to use it after every meal.  I got you two dresses and, uh, the things that go under, that is, with them.  Here are some new shoes – they’re just a bit larger than your old ones so they should do.  As soon as you get dressed I’ll brush your hair back and put it up as we’ll talk.”