by Jack Dey
Regardless of what her father’s name was.
By now, the duke would have noticed their absence and Tess could hear his rage-filled ranting in her imagination. It would be certain his trade mission was of more consequence than a bored, spoilt brat and it was doubtful he would sacrifice his precious schedule to find his daughter. Tess could practically recite his words. 'If she chooses to be among the commoners and soil her reputation, then let her live like a commoner.'
Katrina’s lady-in-waiting glanced once more at her young employer, almost feeling sorry for her naive charge. Her education would be swift and brutal, yet she wasn’t sure why her concern for Katrina was so strong now that she had little more standing than her maid, but even so Tess’ loyalty remained keen. Tess considered, if she was wise, she should just walk away and leave Katrina to her ill-fated lessons, but if she stayed, she would most certainly share in the consequences of Katrina’s folly. However, if she did walk away, Katrina would be thrust into a vicious world and her chances of survival, for someone so pampered, would be slim indeed. She sighed heavily, caught between good sense and duty.
Katrina’s voice unexpectedly broke into Tess’ thoughts. “Good morning, Tess. I will be ready for breakfast as soon as you have washed and dressed me. You can advise the servants to bring in the food at any time.”
“Good morning, Lady Katrina. I am afraid there are no servants and if we require breakfast then we will have to join the rest of the patrons in the dining hall.”
Katrina’s face took on a puzzled expression, with Tess almost able to hear the conversation going on in Katrina’s mind. No servants? Surely we cannot be expected to rub shoulders with the common people! But then a stubborn look chased away Katrina’s puzzlement, taking Tess off guard by Katrina’s reply.
“Very well, if our adventure requires us to enter the common world, then we must follow our adventure.”
Staring incredulously at her charge’s determined and extremely attractive features, Tess admired Lady Katrina’s resolve, but living in the common world and working in the aristocratic world, Tess wondered how long Lady Katrina could take being trapped in Tess’ realm before she broke down.
Lady Katrina’s finery seemed out of place as she walked into the hotel dining room. Tess recognised the lustful leer of businessmen eating breakfast on their own, seated at tables close by and following the elegant walk. However Katrina’s innocence and noble birth had blinded her to their improper attention and hadn’t noticed the stares, while she waited by her table for Tess to pull out her chair. After Lady Katrina settled awkwardly into a seat, Tess took the chair directly across from her and picked up a menu, placed deliberately within her reach. The breakfast table had a circle of condiments neatly placed in the centre and stains were visible on the tablecloth from a previous occupant. Tess could see a battle raging in Lady Katrina’s mind and was certain she was about to faint at the thought of eating on a filthy tablecloth. Katrina swallowed hard and redoubled her resolve, flinching when a waiter startled her, wanting to take their order.
“What’ll it be, ladies?” the waiter pressed.
Tess eyed Katrina over the top of the menu and giggled as she watched the astonished lady move away slightly from the man and then swallow hard.
“Can you give us a few more minutes, please?” Tess requested.
“Suit yourself, lady, but the kitchen will be closing in fifteen minutes.”
With the waiter suitably delayed, he turned and proceeded to collect dirty dishes from a nearby table that had just been abandoned.
“Would you like to see the menu, Lady Katrina?” Tess offered brightly.
Katrina’s eyes were big and round at Tess’ suggestion; this was proving to be a greater ordeal than she was expecting. “Uh... no, Tess, can you order for me this time? I don’t think I’m that hungry after all,” her voice was shaky and low, while her eyes cautiously followed the waiter, mentally preparing herself for his inevitable return.
Katrina scrutinised Tess as she caught the waiter’s eye and then nodded. The waiter returned and started scratching on a notepad as Tess read from the menu.
“I don’t think I could do what you just did,” Katrina trembled.
“Catch the eye of the waiter?” Tess puzzled. “That’s the way you place an order in the common world, my lady. You aren’t asking him for a marriage proposal,” Tess chided.
Katrina was shocked at Tess’ vulgar turn of phrase. ”I should certainly hope not, Tess! I see I have a lot to learn if I am to survive my adventure.”
When the waiter returned and placed the meals on the table, Katrina leaned back as if the man was carrying some kind of plague, with her peculiar actions making Tess giggle softly.
Gawking at the fresh knife and fork supplied with the meal, Katrina noticed immediately the implements were of poor quality stainless steel with imitation bone china handles. Shuddering, Katrina baulked at the thought of common people eating from the same implements she was about to use and the image contorted her pretty features into a grimace. Grasping a suspect napkin precariously between elegant fingers, Katrina rubbed the cutlery vigorously with the intention of polishing away her disgust, but the circus was attracting attention from other parts of the diner.
Then as if Katrina had committed to a task of great repulsion, she picked at the food with a disdainful sigh, loading a suspect fork with a genteel portion and tried to force herself to aim the common cuisine to her dainty tastebuds. Glancing at Tess and obviously distressed by the humiliating situation, Katrina closed her eyes and brought the fork to her lips. Teasing the food from the filthy implement with brilliant white and shapely teeth, Katrina held the fare between her delicate incisors, hoping that somehow this would insulate her from being contaminated by the vileness of an indecent experience and protect her fragile taste buds and stomach from common food.
Watching her lady-in-waiting enjoying the meal, Tess hadn’t displayed any distasteful side effects, but then again she was raised on this type of dining. Feeling hungry and encouraged by Tess’ enjoyment, Katrina forced herself to swallow a bite, but then waited for an unpleasant reaction. When none immediately came, she waited even longer, listening for signs that her body was suffering under the effects of common cuisine. Glancing across at Tess again, she could see the meal had flushed her cheeks with a healthy glow, tempting Katrina to consider another bite. This time, she purposefully tasted the food and allowed her taste buds to enjoy the flavour, then swallowed deliberately. After dabbing her lips with her handkerchief, Katrina astounded herself with a surprising confession.
“This is actually quite good, Tess.”
Tess smiled at Katrina’s childlike analysis and the fact her charge had conquered a particularly stressful situation. “Maybe you will survive after all, Lady Katrina,” Tess encouraged.
“Oh, I do hope so, Tess,” but a sudden cloud passed across Katrina’s face. “I wonder what my father would say about all this?”
“We’re on an adventure remember, Lady Katrina. So you’ll have to put him out of your mind and deal with that consequence later,” Tess encouraged firmly, but worried about the ramifications for herself when she had to confront the duke, too.
A new confidence lifted Katrina’s spirit. “You’re right, Tess, and I dare say if I am to continue with my education, we will have to forget about Lady Katrina, also. From now on, you are to call me Katie.”
*~*~*~*
Chapter 19
Balancing a hot cup of black coffee, Jacqueline Morris arrived at her desk fifteen minutes early, a routine she had adopted and maintained since she had started at the Mainline Times fifteen years ago. Her shoulder bag in one hand, she carefully placed the coffee on her work station then slipped her bag next to her chair and removed the cover from her computer. Pushing the start button, the familiar sounds of her work machine whirred into to life after a weekend sitting idle. Glancing over her shoulder, she noticed the boss’ door was already closed, guessing he had alre
ady done three hours work and would probably appreciate a hot coffee, too. Tapping on the wooden barrier, Jacqui heard Brett’s voice muffled through the door.
”Come in.”
At the invitation, she pushed the door open and smiled, “You look like you could use a coffee, Brett.”
Brett glanced up from his desk. “Good morning, Jacqui. Yes, that would be fantastic.”
“Be right back,” Jacqui responded and turned to leave.
“Oh, Jacqui, while you’re here...” Brett called after her.
“Yes?” she responded, returning to the door.
“I have a lunch appointment today at noon. Can you rearrange my schedule to accommodate it, please?”
“Consider it done. Is that it?”
Brett nodded. ”Thanks.”
Jacqui turned and headed for the coffee machine and then to rearrange Brett’s schedule.
*~*~*~*
Jacqui had seen a constant stream of people coming and going from Brett’s office since she’d arrived this morning at 9am. Brett’s final appointment for the morning had just left, right on schedule and it was now ten minutes to midday, leaving Brett clear for his lunchtime appointment. Jacqui was preparing to take a break herself when she saw Smiley Williams walking up to her desk.
“The boss is unavailable,” she cut him off before he could speak.
Smiley approached Jacqui’s desk, looking as if he’d slept in his clothes and smelt like he’d spilt a cologne bottle over himself. “Are you still upset about me standing you up, Jacqui? I told you, I had an iron clad alibi doing some research for Brett and the time got away from me.”
“Mmm, I heard your research laughing in the background when you called,” Jacqui’s hurt eyes avoided his.
“How many times do I have to tell you? That was the librarian!” Smiley pleaded.
“Anyway, you can’t see the boss. He has a lunch appointment,” Jacqui’s eyes flashed as she attempted to punish Smiley for his behaviour.
“Yeah, I know. I’m it,” Smiley grinned. “Won’t you at least consider thinking about... thinking about giving me another chance, Jack? You can take me out for dinner.”
“Don’t call me Jack. You know I hate that!” Jacqui replied, miffed that Smiley had spoilt her attempt at punishing him.
“Sorry... Jacqui,” Smiley turned on his Labrador dumb dog look, the look that worked so well with all the ladies.
“Are you in pain, Smiley?” Brett chuckled, suddenly appearing from behind Jacqui.
Jacqui laughed. “No, he was trying his pleading look on me, wanting me to take him out for dinner. Do you think I should, Brett?”
“It’s up to you, Jacqui, but I think I would make him pay though.”
Jacqui eyed Smiley expectantly, tapping her foot and with her arms folded across her chest her expression said... 'Well?!'
“All right! I’ll pay. Pick you up at eight okay, Jack?!”
“Don’t call me that, Smiley!”
As Brett and Smiley walked out of the office together, Smiley had the expression of victory glued to his face.
“You certainly give poor Jacqui occasion to be annoyed, Smiley. She really loves you, you know that, don’t you?”
“Yeah, I know, Boss, and I’m nuts about her, too. I guess I’m just a bit scared of intimacy and I’m not sure what sort of a catch I would be.”
“Well, I’m no expert, but I would say that girl would take a lot of upsetting. Don’t leave it too long, Smiley. You might turn around one day and she may have married someone else.”
Smiley drew in a breath and exhaled noisily, staring down at the sidewalk as they approached the diner. Brett’s encouragement had stirred up a mass of insecurities inside Smiley and he desperately wanted to capture Jacqui’s heart permanently, but he just couldn’t work up the courage to ask, fearing a refusal.
When they arrived, the lunchtime rush was in full swing and people were starting to crowd the small restaurant. It was unusually busy for a Monday and as Brett and Smiley scanned the tables, they found one that had just been vacated. Taking their seats, the waitress cleared the dirty plates and wiped the table over with her cloth.
“I’ll be right back to take your order,” she assured as the two men completed a coordinated squeeze into the bench seats.
After a few moments of awkward silence, Smiley’s curiosity got the better of him. “Well, Boss, what did you decide? Do I destroy the photocopy I have or are you going to plunge in?” Smiley eyed Brett, unsure how his revelation would be taken.
Brett sighed. “As I said on the phone on Saturday, Smiley, Becky’s nightmares are getting worse and these dreams are wearing her out. Poor love nearly screamed the house down on Friday night and I get the impression this Katie—who or whatever she is—may be trying to destroy her mind.”
Smiley was silent, pausing and measuring his thoughts before committing his ruminations to the public arena. “Like I said, this information may not have anything to do with the nightmares, but I am sure it will impact your family life,” Smiley warned. A rogue image struck Smiley and he absentmindedly placed it on the table before he could think it through. “You don’t suppose this could be a demon, do you?”
“What?!” Brett nearly burst.
“I... It may not be as weird as it sounds,” Smiley tried to cover his line of thinking.
“Smiley, you have been reading too much Charles Kraft and no, I don’t think it is a demon.”
The waitress returned to take their order, obviously overhearing parts of the strange conversation and gazing at the two men with suspicion. Quickly scribbling down the order, the woman strode for the safety of the serving counter where she would be secure in a desperate need to gossip.
“Okay, Smiley, I’ve had time to think about your terms and I need something other than demon possession to go on. I have to get to the bottom of this for Becky’s sake.”
“So... you want the information?”
“Yes, Smiley. Isn’t that what I just said?!”
“O..kay!" From a pocket, Smiley pulled out a photocopied piece of A4 paper and unfolded it. "I got this, at somewhat of a risk to myself, from the courthouse records," he handed it across to Brett and watched his face as he read.
Brett’s expression contorted in shock and his mouth hung open. “Are you sure of this, Smiley? There’s no mistake?”
Smiley shook his head. “No mistake.”
Brett stared at the document and then swallowed hard in disbelief, suspecting Smiley was right and that this small piece of paper would change the dynamic of his stable family life.
*~*~*~*
Chapter 20
Desapo removed his watch from his breeches pocket, untangling the delicate chain as he flipped open the hinged cover. The dial showed 11:45 and as expected when he held the watch to his ear, the tiny heart had stopped beating. Aggressively winding the small thumbscrew mechanism with his big fingers until the spring was tight and the mechanism refused any further manipulation, the steady heartbeat returned, bursting back into life. To Desapo’s great displeasure, he had no idea whether Pike was late and paced momentarily, pounding the pavement in front of the Lightning Strike Hotel. With Desapo’s luggage resting compliantly parked on the sidewalk next to him, Desapo fumed as the minutes scurried by, finally deciding Pike was late... again. Added to the fact that he had been accommodated in this known flea bag hotel, the combination of evidence was making his stonemason blood boil and another thousand had inadvertently been added to the estimate.
Soon, the sound of an automobile engine drifted into Desapo’s hearing and then Pike’s Cadillac Sixteen came into view. As the vehicle pulled up alongside Desapo, Pike threw a questioning look at his bags.
“You’re late!” Desapo’s husky voice condemned.
Pike’s expression seemed slightly miffed and he reached into his jacket, withdrawing his pocket watch. “In fact, I am right on time, Mr Desapo. It is bang on 1 pm.”
Desapo reached for his pocket wa
tch and manipulated the dial, resetting the mechanism to 1 pm and then threw Pike a threatening look. “Your timepiece had better be right, sir. Tardiness is not a coveted act of a sound businessman.”
“I can assure you, Mr Desapo, my timepiece is accurate. A sound businessman does not allow his chronometer to run down.” Before Desapo could engage Pike in yet another attack, Pike asked with some concern, “Are you intending leaving Lightning Harbour, sir?” nodding toward his baggage.
“No, I’m leaving this flea bag that you so irreverently installed me into. I can tell you, this stunt has not bid well with me and has cast a negative shadow on my dealings with your... association.”
Pike sighed heavily. “I can only apologise for your discomfort, Mr Desapo. In my defence, I did make overtures to the powers-that-be, stating the accommodation was substandard for a man of your calibre. I was, however, overruled and told to deposit you in this location. I will take you to see my good friend, Gustav at the Lightning Harbour Inn and requisition him to take care of you properly.” Pike thought for a second and then added, “I cannot lead you in your business dealings, Mr Desapo, but I would think your estimate should reflect the imposition you have suffered.”