“And now Charles… the emeralds.”
Charles leaned his frail form against a chair. “What o’ the emeralds,” he uttered.
“You know where they are, don’t you? Tell me.”
Charles had always been submissive to those above him, but looking upon Sir Robert’s son now and remembering Lady Edythe’s death, he grew obstinate. He replied sternly, his face hardened into a scrowl, “Lady Edythe confided where they be ta me, and I have ta be true ta m’Lady. She said I were ta tell no one.” In his mind, he clearly saw his mistress standing before him. Her satin hand on his as she spoke her orders, her voice like the fine soft ring of a crystal bell. “It will be our secret, Charles,” she whispered to him. “Swear on your life that you will not tell.” And he swore with his love.
Garth’s harsh voice cruelly shattered the old man’s memory. “I’m the master of this estate now, and you will tell me anything I want to know! How could you even think that my mother’s kindness to you was anything more than that? If she told you not to tell, she would have only meant not to divulge their whereabouts to Sir Robert. She wouldn’t have meant her son!”
His tone was harsh, too harsh for the old man. Memories of old mixed with the bitterness of Garth’s words, and they were too much for Charles. He sank into a nearby chair. “I loved her, an’ were it na for you, she would o’ gone away with me.” Bitterness leapt from his shriveled heart. “An’ there’ll be no legacy for ye from her except the blood that fills yer veins,” he snarled. “I’ll go ta me grave with the secret o’ the emeralds!”
Garth’s rage was evident as he yelled, “You crazy old man!” Grabbing Charles’ coat, he pulled him to his feet. “I can’t fire you or evict you, my father saw to that. But stay clear of me, old man! I’ll get those emeralds and, if I don’t, you’ll find yourself sitting in hell!” He pushed him away and stormed out.
* * *
Pinning the blue cloth together, Katherine repeated, “Just hold still. I’ll be finished in a minute.”
May-Jewel had returned and the women, as instructed, had locked themselves in Katherine’s room. With nothing else to do, Katherine decided it was a good time to start making her sister’s new dress.
An exasperated sigh came from May-Jewel.
“There, I’m done. You can move now.”
“Thank God! I thought my arms would drop off.” May-Jewel shook the blood back down to her hands and sought a chair. “How long do you think Garth will be?”
“I don’t know,” Katherine replied folding the cloth and putting it away in her sewing basket. “I don’t know what he expects to find. We didn’t find anyone or anything to even prove Selina is here.”
“You know men. They think they know and can do everything.” May-Jewel’s answer coincided with a yawn.
Smiling to herself, Katherine said softly, “Not all men.”
“What was that?” May-Jewel leaned forward to see her sister better and saw Katherine blushing. “What is this? Whom are we defending? Not Garth. Oh, Katherine, please remember your infatuation with him will come to nothing but ill.”
“It isn’t Garth,” Katherine said quickly. Then sorry to have spoken at all, she continued, “I mean, yes, I’ll remember that he’s my brother. Half-brother, that is.”
“Oh, no!” May-Jewel cried, turning Katherine around to face her fully. “You’re not talking about Garth, are you? Who is it?”
But Katherine refused to speak, and May-Jewel continued her barrage. “If it isn’t Garth, who can it be? It can’t Alex.” The look of utter contempt on Katherine’s face told her it wasn’t. “Then who can it be. No, wait. It couldn’t possibly be the vicar.” But the renewed blush on Katherine’s cheeks told her everything. “It is the vicar!” May-Jewel laughed. “Oh, that’s priceless!”
“I beg your pardon,” Katherine snipped. “Just what’s so funny?”
“Only you could be attracted to that milk toast-”
Katherine’s eyes widened in anger. “Milk toast! How dare you!”
But May-Jewel came up to her and hugged her tightly. “Oh, Katherine, that’s wonderful. He’s perfectly suited to you.”
Miffed but no longer angry, Katherine extricated herself from her sister’s embrace. “Well, I’m glad to know that you approve.”
Giggling, May-Jewel flounced back into the chair. “I should have guessed it when you said that you ran to the manse after your fight with Garth.”
Still defensive, Katherine quipped, “I didn’t fight with Garth, and I didn’t run to the manse. I… I had a disagreement with Garth, and to blow off steam, I went for a walk and simply ended up at the vicarage.”
Nodding, her sister replied, “Okay, but there must be more to the visit than you first told me.”
“Well,” Katherine hesitated, blushing again, “maybe a little.”
“See!” May-Jewel declared triumphantly. “I knew it! It is Vicar Hawes! So,” she said, patting the chair next to her, “sit and tell me all about it.”
Sitting, Katherine told her the truth about her visit to the manse.
“You are indeed a strange woman, Katherine St. Pierre. Did you even play hard to get? No, you wouldn’t do that. Coyness isn’t your style.”
An embarrassed smile lighted Katherine’s face. “I can’t help how I am,” she replied. “He’s so very sweet and gentle. It would be most difficult not to admire him.” With a sigh she sat back. “If only this awful business with Selina was over. With my consent, David was to summon the law. I hope they can put an end to this.”
“Yes, the law can’t get here too soon to please me,” May-Jewel responded. “However getting back to you and the vicar, I’m very happy for you both. For a while I was afraid you lost your senses and had fallen
