A Chance Meeting in Glasgow

Chapter 59

Forrester stood quite close to Mrs. MacVail and lowered his voice to a whisper.  “You won’t believe what I saw.”

“Forrester, you won’t believe what I heard.  The butcher told me there’s a story about that our Miss Cameron and Mr. Spears had a tiff in front of everyone last Friday night.  They say he's knapped her but refused to do right.”

Forrester’s mouth hung open.  He got his jaw working again.  “I went up to the morning room to get a spot of cash to pay the dustman, and there was a paper on Miss Cameron’s desk that said he’s already married.”

They looked at each other.

“I’ve seen my share of good and bad men in my long years, Forrester.  I don’t believe that paper.”

“I’ve been with them and I’m not blind.  The man cares for her and respects her.  He even kisses her gentle, like he might break her.  I don’t believe your story, old gal.  Let me talk to little Becky this coming Sunday – if anyone knows the truth about Mr. Spears, it’s her.”

They stood quietly.  “You shouldn’t have watched ‘em kiss, Forrester.”

Forrester looked sheepish.  “I want to do a good job of kissing my wife once I’m married.  Mr. Spears seemed to know what he was about.”

“Was it in the carriage?”

Forrester nodded.  Mrs. MacVail pumped the material of her blouse in and out, fanning her chest and face as she exhaled.  “What do we do in the meantime?”

“I don’t know.”

And then the yelling stared upstairs.

The women sat reading and sipping their tea while Ceana finished the trim on an embarrassingly fancy pair of drawers she was making for Fiona.  Ceana had secretly patterned them after a particularly memorable pair she’d seen deployed professionally some years before, and when Fiona first saw them she turned bright red.  Katherine said only “Those go in your trousseau,” and there was much giggling.

Katherine sat her book aside.  She had something in her eye.  With all the crying she’d done over the past week, she was surprised she still had any eyelashes left.  Her tiny pocket mirror was on the table next to her chair.  She opened it and held it up to her eye.

And there was Andrew’s eye looking back at her.

Katherine jumped to her feet in a fury and flung the mirror the length of the parlor, breaking it against the far wall.  “Bastard!  Do I have to see you looking back at me for the rest of my life?”

Fiona sat in stunned silence, staring at Katherine. 

Ceana began to shake.  Despite how well she’d been treated at the Tower, she had nine years of conditioning.  When the yelling started, being beaten almost always followed.

Katherine collapsed back into her chair, sobbing.  Ceana summoned up every last bit of her courage, crossed to her mistress, knelt and placed her hands on top of Katherine’s. 

Katherine opened her eyes and saw the girl.  “All the time he was laughing and smiling and he was being so cruelly deceitful.”

Ceana looked in confusion to Fiona, who explained, “Mr. Spears, dear.”

Ceana slowly pulled her hands back from Katherine and leaned away.

Katherine needed to resolve the scene she’d created.  She took a deep breath.  “Mr. Spears is not the man we thought he was, darling.  He’s evil, and…and I hope his ship sinks and he’s eaten by whales.  I hope he burns in hell.”