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BEHIND
THE SCENES SEASON
2
DO YOU DANCE? FIFTH
IN THE SERIES BY KATHY DE After the naming ceremony
of “She’s a beautiful baby,
Vincent.” Thinking of what Catherine
looked like holding the baby in her arms, he smiled. “Yes.” “I loved the naming
ceremony. What a beautiful way to welcome a child into the world. Did
Father think of it?” Vincent sighed as he shook
his head. “Paracelsus actually thought of it.” “You’re kidding me!” “That’s what Father told
me. Not many people know about it. Father claims that in his day, John
Pater used to be a very caring person.” Catherine frowned as she
recalled how Paracelsus held her prisoner. “Something made him change.” Vincent shrugged. “I only
know that Devin holds the honor of being the first baby ever to have a
Naming Ceremony.” Catherine smiled at the
mention of Devin’s name. “I wonder if he’ll come home for the holidays?” “I don’t know. I don’t
think Devin uses a calendar. But since you mentioned it ... I ... ” Vincent’s voice faltered as
he looked away. Catherine smiled at his sudden shyness. “What?” “I was wondering what you
do for Christmas?” Catherine thought about how
to answer and decided to be honest. “Well, normally I go skiing in Vincent lowered his head
and hid his face from her. “That sounds nice.” Catherine noticed his
demeanor but nonchalantly added. “But I told him this year I was too
busy and I planned on staying home.” Vincent looked up with
surprise. “You did?” Catherine sighed. He still
hadn’t said anything and she didn’t know where to go from here, so she
dove in headfirst. “I was hoping to spend the day with you ... ” His face showed more
surprise and a hint of relief. “You were?” She smiled. “Uh huh, unless
you have other plans ... ” “No! No, that’s ... ” he
chuckled. “Perfect. I ... was trying to find a way to ask if you wanted
to come Below to spend the day here, but I was afraid that you would be
busy and unable to come.” She grew serious and
squeezed his hand. “Vincent, I don’t ever want you to think that you
can’t ask me something.” “I’ll remember, Catherine.” They arrived at the
threshold and Vincent leaned back against the wall. Catherine came beside him
and stifled a yawn. “I can’t believe Christmas Eve is tomorrow.” “It did seem to come
quickly this year.” Catherine readily agreed.
“How do you normally spend your Christmas Eve?” Vincent’s mind traveled to
the endless chores he had to accomplish before Winterfest and sighed.
“I’ll be working during the day.” “Me too. Joe asked for
volunteers and I raised my hand. We’ll get out early, but I hope it’s an
easy day.” “Catherine, you’d be
welcome Below tomorrow. You could even spend the night if you wanted.” She thought about waking up
in his arms on Christmas morning and gasped in surprise. “Really?!” Vincent nodded.
“I could ask Mary to help me get a guest chamber ready. I’m sure
she wouldn’t mind.” Catherine hid her
disappointment as she smiled warmly. “Oh ... um ... sure ... if it’s not
too much trouble. I could always walk home and come back the next day,
too.” “It’s no trouble. I’ll see
that it gets done.” She smiled and opened her
arms for a hug. He pushed off the wall and his arms easily surrounded
her as she snuggled into his cloak and sighed. Minutes later, they pulled
apart. “Goodnight.” “Goodnight.” *************************** The next day at work,
Catherine walked in and blinked in surprise when she saw that Joe had on
an enormous red Santa hat. She looked down and saw that he also wore a
tie that had a cartoon reindeer with a blinking nose on it. She smiled widely. “Joe!
It’s too early to be hitting the punchbowl.” He raised his coffee cup to
her. “Just coffee for me and my indomitable Christmas spirit. Here,
these are for you.” Joe reached behind his back
and then held out his hand. Catherine looked at him doubtfully, took the
reindeer antlers headband he offered her, and continued to her desk. He
followed her and stopped to pour her a cup of coffee on the way to her
desk. “Oh, Joe ... I love you!”
She took it gratefully from him. He smirked at her as he
picked up the antlers she dropped on her desk and proceeded to put them
on her head. “Really? Enough to come with me to my grandmother’s house
tonight for an Italian Christmas?” Catherine shook her head
ruefully. “Nope, got plans, thanks for asking though.” Joe smiled at her newly
decorated head. “There, that looks good! You don’t know what you’re
missing, He stepped over to the
coffee machine and grabbed a tin of cookies and brought it back. “Here,
she sent some of these. Try one.” Catherine carefully chose
one and bit into it. She smiled as she rolled her eyes and moaned. “Oh,
my God! This is the best cookie I’ve ever had in my life!” Joe crossed his arms in
front of him and looked at her smugly. “Told you! You don’t know what
you’re missing!” Catherine looked at him
thoughtfully. “Won’t your whole family be there?” Joe grimaced. “Yeah! That’s
why I want to try to bring someone. They won’t be trying to marry me off
all night.” “Won’t they just try to
pressure me into marrying you?” He shrugged nonchalantly.
“I figured you could handle it and if not ... well a June wedding
wouldn’t be too bad, would it?” Catherine laughed dryly. “I
think I could fit it in. Can I bring my boyfriend?” “Sure, why not! The more
the merrier. Is this the same guy who took you to a concert not too long
ago?” Catherine’s brow furrowed
as she wondered how to steer this conversation away from Vincent and his
secret. “Um ... yeah ... why?” Joe pretended to be
indifferent. “Huh ... just curious. Must be pretty serious ... this one
has never been splattered all over the society page with you ... ” Catherine shrugged and
opened a file. “Are you done harassing me for the morning?” Joe started to walk away.
“Depends on how bored I get today.” Three hours later, it was
absolutely dead. The workers had partied most of the morning and finally
Joe sent them home. Catherine and he were the
only ones left as they were finishing up some last minute details on a
case. With a sigh of relief, she
sat back in her chair. “We’re done!” “We sure are!” He looked at
his watch. “Look Cathy, go see your boyfriend. I’m leaving soon too.” Catherine looked at him
curiously. “Why don’t we walk out together?” Joe shrugged. “I’m the
boss. I’ve got one more deposition to go through, then I can go.” “Whose is it?” “Matthew Anderson’s.” She pointed to his office.
“Go get it. We’ll do it together and get out of here within the hour.” Joe shot to his feet then
came back with the file and two filled glasses of punch. “You sure,
Radcliffe?” “Give me it ... before I
change my mind.” Catherine and he sipped at
their punch and each had another glass before they finished. “Thanks, Cath. I would have
still been working on it.” Catherine looked at the
clock and shrugged. “Not quite an hour but not too bad.” She finished her punch and
grabbed her purse and coat. “Let’s go.” Joe walked to his office,
grabbed his coat, and shut off the light. “Don’t need to tell me twice.” He held her coat as she put
it on, then the two headed for the elevator. On the way down, Joe turned
to her. “Hey, kiddo. Have a nice Christmas.” Catherine hugged him
warmly. “You too, Joe.” “Your boyfriend?” “Yeah?” Catherine asked
warily. “He’s one lucky guy.” Catherine thought of
Vincent and shook her head. “I’m the lucky one.” The elevator stopped and
they walked through the lobby. They said their goodbyes and headed
different ways.
*********************************** An hour later, Catherine
stood in the store and debated again about purchasing a shirt for
Vincent. She had only a few things for him and would love to see him
wearing this color but she was unsure of his response. She impulsively
added it to her pile anyway. She paid for the items then
headed home. Once there, she spread everything she purchased out on the
bed and looked at them ruefully. “I can’t give him clothes! What was
I thinking?” She carefully folded the
items and put them on the top shelf of her closet. She sat down heavily
on the bed. She thought again about whether or not he would feel
insulted by her gesture. Would he look gratefully at the gift or would
he be embarrassed and think that she felt his clothes were shabby? She fell back on the bed
and debated some more. With a shrug, she realized that she could keep
them there and, if he ever spent the night, he could use them then. Catherine let her mind
wander and it soon conjured up images of her and Vincent in bed. She
rolled over and groaned into the pillow. With a sigh, she got up and
looked around the room. Thinking of the world Below and things she
wished to give to them, a thought struck her and she grabbed her coat
and headed out to Stan’s Market. ************************* Stan had helped Catherine
at Halloween make up treat bags for the kids. She hoped he could give
her ideas for Christmas. The bell tinkled over the
door in the empty store. Catherine walked up and Stan and his wife Maria
were sorting through mail. Maria came around the
counter. “Hello, pretty girl! We haven’t seen you in a while.” Catherine rolled her eyes.
“I know, I’ve been so busy. I’ve been eating out a lot lately.” She
patted her lower stomach. “I need to come here more often and take off a
few pounds.” Stan grimaced. “What! Maybe
a few ounces but no more ... ” Catherine chuckled as she
leaned against the counter. “I came to ask you two for some help with
the world Below.” Maria nodded. “But of
course, what can we help you with?” Catherine frowned. “I guess
I should have asked Vincent, but ... well, I was wondering how to handle
the holidays. I know some of the kids really well and some of them I
haven’t been able to spend too much time with, but I know I definitely
want to treat them all equally. Should we just repeat what we did for
Halloween?” Stan shrugged. “The treat
bags you sent down were a hit even with the older children.” Catherine grinned. “Okay,
let’s do that again. Now, what do they do about Christmas dinner?” Maria looked at Stan, who
gave her a warning look and shook his head. She looked away as Catherine
wondered what was going on. Stan spoke first. “The
world Below keeps things pretty low key for Christmas. Ham and all the
usual fixings ... ” His voice drifted off evasively. Catherine frowned. “Oh ...
um ... okay. Well then, let’s just work on the kids.” Maria motioned her over.
“We’ll do the same thing. Treat bags for the kids and some fruit and
candy for the community.” Catherine spent the next
two hours helping stuff individual bags for each child. She even managed
to include special treats for each adult. She grimaced when she thought
of encountering the wrath of Father but she hoped she could soothe him
with a nice box of chocolate liquors. Like last time, Stan
offered to get the things delivered to William, and Catherine agreed.
She paid for everything and headed out again. She hopped into a cab and
headed over to the department store and ambled around the floors. She
finally decided on a beautiful desk set complete with a sterling silver
pen and pencil. Catherine had it wrapped
then headed for home. She looked at the clock and decided she had time
for a quick shower. She had everything ready and was just finished
packing an overnight case when the phone rang. She bent over and picked up
the receiver. “Hello.” “Hi, sweetie.” “Dad! How are you?” “Cold. Kay and I went
snowmobiling today.” “Snowmobiling? You’re
kidding me!” “Nope. These old bones are
getting too tired to be whizzing through the forest.” Catherine giggled. “You’re
not old, Daddy! How’s Kay?” She heard her Dad talking
to Kay in the background. “Kay sends her love and she’s cold too, honey!
We’ve got our warm pajamas on and we’re planning on sitting in front to
the fireplace for the rest of the night.” “Sounds great, Dad!” “I wish you would have come
with us ... ” Catherine snorted. “That
would have been fun! Nothing quite like a third wheel hanging around
with you to spoil a trip.” “Cathy!” She sighed. “Daddy, I’m
okay ... really. I’m actually heading out with some friends.” “You are?” “Uh huh, as soon as I hang
up I’m heading out.” “Well, honey, I won’t hold
you up ... you have fun. I love you, and have a Merry Christmas.” “I love you too, Daddy. You
and Kay have a Merry Christmas as well.” Catherine hung up the
phone, grabbed her overnight case, and was headed to the door when the
phone rang again. She sat on the arm of the
sofa and picked it up. “Hello.” “Hi, Cat.” “Hi, Jenny.” Catherine
could hear loud music and a ton of people talking in the background.
“Where are you?” “I’m still at the
publisher’s warehouse. He threw a party for all the suppliers.” Catherine laughed aloud.
She could tell Jenny was having a blast. “So why are you calling me,
Jen?” “Why don’t you come down
here? After this, I’m heading to my brother’s house, then off to Mom’s
tomorrow. You know you’re welcome to go to both places with me.” “I know, Jen, thanks
anyway, I made other plans.” The party grew louder and
Catherine suspected Jenny was in an office and a door had been opened.
“What about cans?” “Not cans ... plans!” “Vans?! Cathy, I can’t
hear, someone opened the door. If you change your mind, you know where
I’ll be! Love you, have a good Christmas.” “You too, Jen!” Catherine listened to the
line go dead. She smiled, thinking how nice it was that Jenny always
tried to include her in her activities. If it wasn’t for the world Below
she would be sitting home alone tonight, but instead she was going to be
with the man she loved. She headed out once again.
******************************* She started to climb down
the ladder. With her overnight case in her hand, things became awkward
and Catherine suddenly felt herself slipping. She dropped the bag and
tried to regain her balance when she felt a steadying hand on the small
of her back. “I’m here, Catherine.” She started to climb back
down and when she was two rungs from the bottom she turned around and
put her arms around Vincent’s neck. Her body slid down the front of his
as he gathered her close. “Just in time,” she
whispered into his neck. “I can see you decided to
stay.” “Yes, I did.” He bent over to pick up her
bag and was surprised by how heavy it was. “For a month?” She smiled at his joke.
“No! I just have a few things ... ” He smiled then reached for
her hand, and together they started to walk towards the home tunnels. “Vincent, does Santa Claus
find his way Below tonight?” He chuckled. “He does. We
post a special guard at the park entrance, one that Santa is familiar
with, and then he’s escorted through the tunnels to the library.” Catherine giggled. “Father
must love that!” “Oh, he does ... as long as
the presents aren’t discovered before 7:00 in the morning.” Catherine laughed aloud.
“That’s hard to do with so many kids. I remember waking up my parents
way before 6:00 ... then I would fall back asleep before 9:00. When it
was just my dad and I, he would make me wait until at least “Father tried that with
Devin and I but failed miserably. Devin would usually start picking on
me and I would retaliate in some way and soon we were involved in an all
out brawl. Father would stomp out of his room and Devin would stop
immediately and look at him innocently and ask if we woke him.” Catherine laughed. “Oh, no!
The two of you together must have been quite a force to reckon with.” “Father insists that’s why
he has all that gray hair.” Catherine nodded. “My dad
says the same thing, although I was pretty tame compared to you two. I
remember the first Christmas without my mom. My dad had a horrible time
trying to deal with everything. I did too, but I was young enough that I
worried if I didn’t believe in Santa anymore I wouldn’t get any
presents. I insisted we put up a tree and my poor dad tried so hard to
get me presents that I wanted. I found out later, he got my girlfriend
Jenny’s mom to shop for him. Anyway, I woke up early that morning and
went into his room. He smiled at me but I could tell he was crying. I
crawled into his bed and snuggled down under the covers and told him
stories about all my memories of past Christmases. We started to laugh
and pretty soon we headed down to the living room. I was so surprised by
the amount of gifts, but I insisted my dad open my gift to him first. I
gave him a framed picture of my mother. He cried but said he loved it,
and he still keeps it on his desk at work.” “You had a good heart even
then.” Catherine laughed and shook
her head. “Until I opened all my gifts and cried because I didn’t get
the one doll that was all the craze that year. I stomped up to my room
and refused to come out. I can’t believe I acted like such a brat!” Vincent squeezed her hand
reassuringly. “You acted like a child. I remember one Christmas, Devin
and I didn’t speak to Father for the entire day. He didn’t get us the
pirate swords we had so desperately wanted, because he said one of us
would get hurt. Devin and I took some old pipes we found and made our
own swords and that night we engaged in quite a battle. Devin gave me
eight stitches for Christmas that year. I guess Father knew what he was
talking about.” Catherine smiled. “The doll
I wanted was recalled because her hair, which was supposed to get longer
when you twisted a knob on her back, actually ended up falling out
entirely. You know it’s funny though, I never acted that way with my
grandfather. Up until the day he died, I loved everything he ever bought
me.” Vincent nodded in
understanding. “The children Below are always so thankful for everything
they get, but for some reason Devin and I were always hard on Father. I
think we acted that way because we knew we were loved unconditionally.” “Yes.” As they neared the home
tunnels, they stopped and visited with the people they encountered along
the way. They finally stood in front of Vincent’s chamber. Vincent raised her bag up.
“Catherine, I’ll set this in my chamber until later, unless you would
rather go to the guest chamber now and settle in.” Catherine waved her hand
dismissively. “No, just throw it anywhere. I’ll get to it later.” He stepped inside and
placed her bag on his table then quickly came back to the tunnel way.
“It’s getting late, we should head to dinner.” Catherine nodded. “Good,
I’m starved. The last time I ate was ... ” She paused as she thought
about what she had eaten today. She couldn’t think of one thing! She
realized she had skipped both breakfast and lunch. “Wow! No wonder I’m
hungry! The only thing I ate was a homemade cookie from Joe’s
grandmother.” Vincent frowned. “Then we
should hurry.” They walked into the dining
chamber and made their way slowly to the food table. Catherine stopped
and visited on her way and Vincent had to keep making excuses for her
and prompting her forward. She smiled as they reached
for their food trays. “Thanks, I’m hungry but I hate to cut people short
when it’s been a while since I’ve seen them.” He leaned in to her. “It’s
only been a few days.” Catherine shrugged. “Seems
like longer.” They took their usual seats
by Father and Mary. Father smiled as they sat
down. “Catherine, I’m glad you were able to join us.”
Mary smiled warmly. “I have
the guest chamber all ready for you, dear.” Catherine reached out and
touched her arm. “Thank you. It’s always so comfortable there.” They visited for the rest
of the meal and Catherine sat back and moaned. “Oh, I’m stuffed!” Mary giggled. “I didn’t
know someone as small as you could eat so much.” Father gasped. “Mary!” Catherine laughed, then
moaned as her stomach ached. “Oh, don’t make me laugh. I did eat too
much ... One of the hazards from skipping meals.” Father frowned at her. “One
should never skip meals if it can be helped. What else did you eat
today?” Catherine blushed and
looked down while Vincent answered for her. “A cookie.” “A cookie!” Father
sputtered. “Catherine, that’s ridiculous. You cannot keep up the kind of
pace that you do without the proper nutrition!” Catherine glanced
accusingly at Vincent who flinched. He had not realized Father would
make such a fuss over her skipping meals. He offered her an apologetic
look and she was immediately contrite and offered him a smile, letting
him know she wasn’t really angry. After Father quieted, Mary
patted her arm. “Believe it or not, he’s only hollering at you because
he cares.”
Father looked abashed as he
looked down, then peered at her with a small smile on his face. “Mary’s
right. I’m glad you enjoyed your meal, and I’ll try to reserve my
lectures for the children.” A group of children chose
that time to run over to their table. “Father, is it almost time
for the story hour?” asked Kipper. “Yeah, it’s getting late,
you know,” Samantha added. Eric nodded his head. “I’ve
been hearing all day about the readings tonight. It has to be soon!” Geoffrey stood silent but
looked on hopefully. Father stood and nodded.
“Okay, okay. We can start as soon as everyone gathers in the library.” The children took off and
ran from table to table encouraging those still sitting to head to the
library. They took off running through the tunnels to spread the word. Catherine looked over at
Vincent. “What’s going on?” He smiled and stood as he
reached for her hand. “Anyone who wishes to attend, meets in the library
tonight to hear the story of Ebenezer Scrooge and his ghostly meetings.
Later, we tell the usual stories and then the children are sent to bed.”
Suddenly unsure, he looked down as he spoke. “It seems tame compared to
skiing in Catherine squeezed his
hand. “Vincent, no! It sounds like a wonderful evening. It’s much more
enjoyable to be sitting with people you love then sitting in a pile of
snow and getting a frozen butt.” He blushed and looked away.
“We should try to get there early and get a seat.” They hurried through the
tunnels only to find the children had reserved seats for them in the
middle of the room and it wasn’t long before children surrounded them.
Catherine held Eric in her arms, and Amy stood in front of Vincent,
looking at him hopefully. Vincent reached out with
his hands, picked her up, and brought her to his lap. “Hello, Amy.” “Hi, Vincent.” He reached up and took her
thumb from her mouth. “I was hoping you were going to sit with me
tonight.” Amy smiled. “You were?” “Yes.” “You kept your lap open for
me?” Catherine giggled as
Vincent nodded solemnly. “Yes, just for you.” Amy scooted around and
leaned back against his chest. Soon enough, she popped her thumb back
into her mouth and she reached her hand up to caress Vincent’s cheek. Catherine caught his eye
and smiled at him, then turned her attention to Father, who stood in the
front of the room. Father raised his hand for
silence, then sat and opened the book. He began to read, and as he
spoke, the people remained silent. Within the hour, Amy turned in her
seat and fell asleep against Vincent’s chest. He held her closely as he
listened to the rest of the story. When Father finished,
Michael looked over at Vincent and offered him help. “Can I read for
you, Vincent?” Vincent looked down at
Amy then back at Michael and nodded. Michael stood up and began to read
Twas the Night Before Christmas. Mary noticed Amy asleep on
Vincent’s chest and came over to take her to bed. Michael finished and
handed Vincent the book. Vincent read through
Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer
and then passed the book to Rebecca who read three more Christmas
stories.
Father, Vincent, and
Catherine were soon left alone in the library. Catherine looked at Father
tentatively, hating to break the tranquil mood. “Father, I ... met with
Sam at the store ... ” Father interrupted her and
patted her hand. “Yes, yes. I know all about it. William showed me the
bags before dinner. Thank you, Catherine. As always, your generosity is
appreciated.” Catherine blinked in
surprise and Vincent looked at her, a question in his eyes. “Bags?” “Treat bags. Not unlike the
ones from Halloween.” She looked at Father. “I followed the rules and
candy is almost nonexistent.” Vincent smiled. “The
children were excited about the Halloween bags, I’m sure they will love
these as well.” Catherine stifled a yawn
but Father caught it and chuckled. “You’ve probably had a long day, and
with all the children Below tomorrow comes too soon!” Catherine nodded knowingly.
“How late will they sleep in?” Father sighed and blew out
his breath. “I hope Mary can put them off to at least 8:00.” Catherine groaned. “In the
morning!” Vincent chuckled, then they
all turned as adults and some of the older teens started to come in
laden down with boxes. He stood and walked to help as Catherine and
Father stood as well. Catherine turned to Father.
“What is all this?” Father waved his arm.
“This, my dear, is Santa Claus!” Catherine smiled and walked
over to see if she could help. They started unloading presents onto a
nearby table. Vincent explained things to
Catherine. “Each person in the community will receive at least one gift,
with each child receiving at least three gifts.” William brought in boxes
from the kitchen. “Four gifts if you include Catherine’s.” Father stepped up and
gasped in surprise at the huge treat bags for each child. “Catherine!” Vincent shook his head as
he warned him not to make a fuss. “Father, its Christmas!”
Catherine interrupted.
“Father, can the kids just believe they’re from Santa?” “Certainly, but are you
sure?” “Yes, I don’t want to make
a big fuss over it!” They took out all of
Catherine’s gifts and Father grumbled as he realized that she had also
included adults. When the work was
completed, ‘Santa’s elves’ left and Catherine turned to Vincent. “I
think I’ll head off to bed.” “I’ll take you there.
Goodnight, Father.” “Goodnight, Vincent.
Catherine, sleep well.” “I will. Goodnight,
Father.” They walked to Vincent’s
chamber, grabbed her bag, and then headed to the guest chamber. Vincent
walked in first and lit a few candles. Catherine followed and
glanced around the room. “This is perfect.” Vincent pointed to the huge
bureau against the wall. “There are extra blankets in there if you get
cold.” Catherine nodded and
yawned. She looked at Vincent and blushed. “Excuse me.” “You’re tired. You should
rest. Can I do anything for you?” Catherine thought for a
second about asking him to hold her while she fell asleep but thought
better of it. “No, go get some sleep.” She stepped forward and gave him
a hug. “See you in the morning.” Vincent held her tightly
then stepped back. “Goodnight, Catherine.” Catherine looked up at him
and smiled as he walked out of the room. She turned and dressed for bed
then climbed under the thick blankets and fell fast asleep. Vincent lay in his bed
thinking of how close she was and then willed himself to fall asleep.
*********************************** The next morning, Catherine
woke to find Amy staring at her. “Amy?” “I had a bad dream.” Catherine drew back the
covers. “Come tell me about it.” Amy crawled in and snuggled
against Catherine. “I don’t bemeber.” Catherine cuddled her
knowingly. “It’s okay. Maybe it’s a good not to remember the bad ones.” Catherine caressed Amy’s
hair and they both fell back asleep. About two hours later, Catherine frowned. “I’m
sorry, I should have realized. She came in here about a few hours ago. I
guess we both fell back asleep.” Catherine nodded. “How have
you been, “Good. Cathy is on a four
hour feeding schedule now so that helps a little bit. Mary says that she
should sleep through the night in a few more weeks so I’m looking
forward to that.” “I’m so happy for you, Catherine shook her head in
disagreement. “Your strength is what pulled you through.” Catherine sat up. “Is it
that late?” “7:30 or so ... ” Catherine scooted out of
bed. “I better get cleaned up and ready.” Catherine took out fresh
clothes and headed to the bathing chamber. She stripped down and climbed
into the hot spring. Catherine finished first
and got out to dry off. She wrapped her hair in a towel and dressed as Catherine towel dried her
hair then began to comb through the knots. Catherine laughed. “I don’t
know what I was thinking. I brought my curling iron down because I
wanted to look extra special today.” Catherine picked up her
dirty clothes from the floor. “Well, I hope he likes the drowned rat
look!” Catherine rolled her eyes.
“Thanks, but I think I’ll still put on some make-up and hide some of the
flaws. See you in the library?” *************************** Catherine made her way into
the library. She was surprised to see Father there alone. “Good morning, dear,” he
greeted. “Good morning.” He waved her over as he
poured liquid into a cup. “I had William make some coffee for you this
morning. Merry Christmas.” Catherine sat down and
reached for the mug gratefully. “Oh, thank you! Tea was not going to cut
it this morning!” She took a sip and sighed. “Merry Christmas, Father.” He chuckled and uncovered a
platter of muffins. “William sent these to hold us over until after the
gifts are opened.” Catherine wrinkled her
nose. “No, thank you.” Father raised his eyebrows
and looked at her sternly. She blushed and reached for the smallest
muffin. She held it up and looked at him for approval. He smiled and
nodded. Vincent strolled into the
room and headed towards them. His hair was still damp from his bath and
Catherine thought he looked wonderful. She wished she could look this
good in the mornings. She stood and offered him a
hug. “Merry Christmas.” He blushed and hugged her
back. “Merry Christmas, Catherine.” He stepped back and looked at
Father. “Merry Christmas, Father.” Father stood and clasped
Vincent’s hand. “Merry Christmas, son.”
Vincent chuckled as he took
one. “You should try one before you pass judgment. William makes these
special every Christmas.” He began to eat his and
Catherine looked down at hers, tore off a bite and popped it in her
mouth. She moaned loudly. “This is good.” Father chuckled as she
finished her muffin and Vincent handed her a second one. People began to filter in
and, soon enough, the room exploded with children. The noise level was
almost unbearable as they sorted through the presents from Santa. The
children had to sit in groups to open gifts. The younger ones went first
and opened their gifts with the help of the older teens. The middle aged
kids waited patiently for their turn but tore into their gifts as soon
as they were told they could do so. The teens opened their gifts, then
they each took over a child to keep them busy while the adults opened
their gifts. As the adults opened gifts
labeled to individuals instead of ‘community gifts’ that would be suited
for a man or a woman, curious glances were cast Catherine’s way. She
ignored them and managed to look surprised when people opened their
gifts. Everyone was done and
headed to the dining chamber to eat a light breakfast. Vincent and
Catherine sat with Kanin and Olivia and watched as Luke played with his
new toy train. Catherine took Luke from
Olivia so she and Kanin could eat. Luke showed her his train and they
played with it on the table in front of him. Amy came over and showed
them her new dolly. “Her name is Amy just like mine.”
Amy frowned at her doll.
“Vincent fix it?” Vincent took the doll but
could see nothing wrong with it. “Amy what’s wrong with her?” Amy rolled her eyes,
thinking anyone could clearly see the problem. “Her dress is unbuddoned!
See!” “Unbuttoned,” he said as he
flipped the doll over and saw that there was in fact one tiny button on
the back of the doll’s dress that was undone. He knew that with his
large hands he would never be able to work the button closed. “Amy, I
don’t think I can ... ” Amy pointed and began to
cry. “Fix it! Fix it!” Catherine looked over his
shoulder and passed Luke to him. “Here, Amy let me see if I can do it!” She took the doll and
struggled to work the button and finally succeeded in closing it. She
showed it to Amy. “Got it!” Amy smiled sweetly as she
took the doll. “Thank you, Catherine.” She skipped off and Vincent
looked at her gratefully. “Yes, thank you, Catherine.” Kanin laughed. “Catastrophe
avoided.” Olivia sniffed indignantly.
“You men just don’t know the importance of having the perfect doll.” She and Catherine shared a
laugh and the friends visited for another half an hour. Luke started to
get fussy and the young couple went back to their chamber. Catherine looked around at
the empty room. “Wow, it cleared out quickly.” Vincent nodded. “Yes, it’s
a free day for everyone. The children normally head back to their
chambers to play with their new toys and the families go and have their
own little celebrations. Everyone will meet again later on for dinner.” Catherine smiled. “So what
should we do?” Vincent looked down shyly.
“We could go to my chamber and read for awhile.” Catherine stood. “Okay,
I’ve got to get something from my bag. I’ll meet you there?” She took off, retrieved her
gift bag, then headed to Vincent’s chamber. He sat at his desk looking
at a wrapped gift in his hands. Catherine cleared her throat as she
entered and watched as he hid the gift behind his back. She walked over and set the
bag on the table and dug out a gift. She looked up at him as she held it
out. “For you.” Vincent smiled and handed
her a gift from behind his back. “And you.” Catherine nodded towards
the gift. “You first.” Vincent opened his gift and
marveled at the beauty of the desk set. He could tell by the quality
that it was quite expensive and he looked over at her. “It’s perfect.
The quality is ... something that I could never hoped to have, thank
you.” He set it on his desk and
Catherine watched as he caressed his thumb across it. She looked at her gift and
began to open it. It was a jewelry box engraved with intertwined roses.
“Vincent, it’s beautiful!” “I ... wanted to make you
something special ... ” Catherine gasped
incredulously. “You made this?!” He looked at her shyly.
“Yes.” She smiled at him. “Then
I’ll treasure it that much more. Thank you, Vincent.” “You’re welcome.” Catherine set the box down
on his desk then looked around his room trying to decide what to do. She
walked over to a ledge he had piled with various books. She pulled over
a small step stool to stand on as she carefully looked through the
titles. With a smile, she picked one from the bottom of the stack. As
she tried to pull it out, the books on top leaned precariously and she
thought they would come tumbling down on top of her. Vincent was watching and as
he stepped behind her, he reached over and steadied the books as she
pulled the bottom one out. She turned around, still surrounded by his
arms. The step stool put her face level with his and with his close
proximity their faces wear almost touching. Catherine looked into his
eyes, then her gaze slowly drifted to his lips. Her tongue came out to
unconsciously wet her lips. Vincent sucked in his breath and stepped
back quickly. Catherine blinked and
looked down shyly. “Um ... thanks. I saw this book and thought we might
enjoy reading it together. I probably haven’t read it since high
school.” Vincent, grateful for the
distraction, nodded in agreement. “I haven’t read it for a few years
either. Brooke brought it to me not too long ago and asked me to think
about approving it for reading in class. I haven’t had a chance to look
it over.” Catherine walked over to
the bed and sat down. “Well, maybe we could revisit it together and you
can decide then? I’ll read first?” Vincent nodded and walked
over to sit in a chair. Catherine quickly piled his
pillows behind her and reached for him with her hand. “You could sit
with me?” She scooted to the far side
of his bed, leaving him plenty of room. She opened the book and slowly
began to turn through the first few pages as she waited for him to
decide what to do. Nonchalantly, she looked up at him standing in the
same position. “Ready?” He looked one last time at
the chair, then at her sitting on the bed. In an instant, he walked over
and climbed onto the bed next to her. Once he was settled,
Catherine began the story. For over an hour she read with no break.
Vincent could tell by her voice her throat was getting dry. After she finished a
chapter, he reached for the book. “Would you like something to drink?
Tea or perhaps water?” Catherine thought for a
second. “Is there tea here?” “No, but I could get some.” She shrugged as she scooted
to the edge of the bed. “Water’s fine then.” Vincent looked amused. “I’d
have to go get that as well.” “Oh ... well then let’s
have tea.” He smiled as he walked to
the door. “I’ll be right back.” Five minutes later, he
returned with a pot of tea and two mugs. He poured their drinks and
Catherine carried hers over to the bed. He looked at her quizzically and
she smiled. “I can still read.” He shook his head as he
walked over. “I’ll take a turn.” He held her cup of tea as
she crawled across the bed. She settled herself, then reached up for it,
taking it from his hands. Vincent set his on the nearby table, then sat
and began to read where she left off. Catherine finished her tea
and he put her cup next to his on the stand, never breaking the flow of
the story. Catherine took the opportunity to snuggle against him and lay
her head on his shoulder. She grew cold and pulled his blanket up over
her shoulder and turned to lean into him fully. His soothing voice soon
had her fast asleep. Vincent read until his eyes
drifted closed. The book slipped from his hands and fell to his side. It
hit the bed and slid unnoticed to the floor. In his sleep, Vincent
scooted lower until his head rested comfortably on his pillows.
Catherine stirred but never woke and with a slight sigh, drifted deeper
into sleep. Two hours later, Vincent
was woken by a noise in the tunnel way. His eyes opened to find Father
beating a hasty retreat from his doorway. Disoriented, he frowned in
confusion then realized that Catherine was sound asleep next to him.
No wonder, Father left in a hurry,
Vincent thought. He eased from the bed,
straightened his clothes then headed for the library. He blushed as he
walked in and looked up. “Father.” Father grimaced as he
realized he had awakened Vincent. “Vincent. I’m sorry I woke you but ...
” He suddenly began to shake his head. “Well, I was going to say I’m
sorry I woke you but Vincent, damn it! What could you have been
thinking?!” Vincent sighed. “We were
reading and fell asleep ... that’s all!” “I’m not blind! I saw the
book on the floor ... what I meant was what could you have been thinking
to let Catherine in your bed!” “It wasn’t ... I ... ”
Vincent looked up again, clearly distressed. “We were only reading!” Father felt his anger fade.
“You must be careful! Catherine must not be ... well ... what I mean ...
Vincent! Your relationship with her is growing stronger and stronger. It
would be only natural to ... ” Vincent interrupted.
“Father! I know the risks and would never let it get that far! Not
again!” Father looked down again.
“Son, I am so sorry and if I could change anything ... ” Vincent reached over and
patted his hand. “I know. Don’t think about it.”
Father looked up and smiled
at her distress. “Vincent fell asleep as well. I’m afraid that I was the
one who woke him up.” “Father, I never asked.
What is it that you wanted?” Father laughed. “Well, I
thought I could persuade you to play a game of chess.” Vincent groaned and
Catherine sat down. “Father, would you like to play me?” Father’s eyebrows rose in
interest. “Do you play, Catherine?” She shrugged. “Well, my dad
taught me when I was younger. I know the basic moves. I know I’m not
very good but maybe you could teach me further.” Father nodded warmly. “Yes,
I would love to.” Catherine was a fast
learner and Father a patient teacher. Vincent leaned over Catherine’s
shoulder and pointed out various strategies as they played. She was soon
overwhelmed with information but with Vincent’s help gave Father a run
for his money. They laughed as Father
triumphed over her. Catherine pretended to be
upset over the loss. “Just wait until next time!” Vincent squeezed her hand
and whispered in her ear. “After the first few lessons the student
usually surpasses the teacher.” Father grimaced. “I heard
that!” Vincent shrugged then
looked over at a candle. “It’s almost time for dinner; shall we make our
way there?” Catherine giggled. “Only if
Father promises not to gloat over his victory.” Father smiled at her as the
three made their way to the dining hall. The room was abuzz with
activity and they visited along the way with everyone sitting down
already. William announced that
dinner was ready and Kanin offered up the Christmas prayer. Long lines
of people quickly made it through as everyone piled their trays with
food. Dinner was a boisterous affair and afterwards the community sat
around and talked of memories from previous Christmases. The hour grew late and the
children were sent to bed and families started to make their way back to
their chambers.
Vincent looked at him.
“I’ll be back after I see Catherine home.” The couple left and
Catherine stopped to pick up her overnight case in Vincent’s chamber. It
was noticeably lighter without the presents she brought and she easily
carried it on her shoulder. They held hands as they
quietly walked to her threshold. They got there in what seemed like
record time and she turned with a sigh. “That was too fast.” Vincent nodded. “Yes, but I
don’t think we could have walked any slower.” Catherine smiled and
stepped forward to hug him. “See you soon?” Vincent returned her
embrace then slowly released her. “Yes.” She turned and headed up
the ladder. ************************
A
few days later, the entire community was gathered in the library. Father stood and raised his
hand and everyone soon quieted. “We are here to discuss the list of
helpers that need to be invited to this year’s Winterfest.” He looked
over at Rebecca. “Rebecca has offered to act as secretary and will read
through the list from last year.” Rebecca stood and held the
paper up as she read aloud. “We started out with Peter Alcott, Lou,
Sebastian, Dr. Wong, Lin and Henry Pai, Eli, Laura, Sam, Maria, Narcissa
... ” Rebecca read through the
extensive list. Only a few names were crossed off to reflect deaths that
occurred during that year. Rebecca finished and sat once again. Father looked out into the
community. “Are there any names that anyone feels should be included on
the list that we have possibly missed?” Mary nodded. “Carmen is the
helper at the fabric store that Mrs. Lewis owns. She’s been helping
since early May to save all of the odds and ends off the fabric bolts.” Sarah nodded. “Yes, she’s
been a huge help in securing us usable fabric.” Father addressed the
community. “All in favor of adding Carmen to the list?” More than half of the hands
were raised, so he turned to Rebecca and nodded as she reached for her
pen and added Carmen to the list. A few other people offered
new helper’s names and the community voted for each one individually.
Soon Father could see people glancing over at Vincent then at others
around the room, the unasked question clearly showing on their faces.
Father knew people were wondering why Vincent wasn’t offering
Catherine’s name. Finally, Brooke whispered
into little Amy’s ear and pushed the girl forward. Father smiled at
Amy’s raised hand. “Yes, Amy. Do you have a name?” “Yes,” she giggled. Father motioned her to come
forward. He had seen Brook whisper in Amy’s ear and suspected what name
she would say. “Why don’t you say it loudly enough for everyone to
hear?” Amy turned, looked at the
crowd then shrugged her shoulders. “Cafferine!” People clasped their hands
and laughed like she was the smartest child in the room and comments
could be heard around the room. “Way to go, Amy!” “Yeah, we couldn’t have
Winterfest without Catherine!” “Is Catherine a helper? I
thought she lived here?” “Yeah, she’s one of us!” “How could we have almost
forgotten Catherine?” Amy whirled angrily on
Vincent and with one hand on her hip and pointed at him with the other.
“You should have membered!” Vincent touched her
shoulder as he stood. “Remembered! And yes, Amy, thank you for reminding
me about Catherine,” he said seriously. He looked out into the eyes
of his friends and family then looked down at the floor. “I want
everyone to vote as their heart truly feels.” Father nodded. “All in
favor of Catherine being added to the list?” Every person in the
community raised his or her hand. Mothers even held up the hands of
their infants. Vincent’s curiosity got the
better of him and he looked up and blinked as tears came to his eyes. Amy poked his arm and hid
her face behind her hand as if to tell a secret then loudly proclaimed.
“Told you!” Vincent smiled and picked
her up and hugged her warmly. He looked out into the community and
nodded shyly. “Thank you, you all know how much Catherine means to me,
and I’m grateful that she has come to mean so much to you as well.” Father smiled. “Okay, you
may go about your day. Children ... Rebecca will have the candles ready
for delivery soon and you will be given your lists.” It wasn’t long before
Father and Vincent were alone. Father frowned at his son. “Care to
explain to me why you waited for Catherine’s name to be brought up by
someone else?” Vincent shrugged. “Fear ...
I guess ... that she would not be considered a helper.” Father rolled his eyes.
“Not a helper! That’s absurd! Catherine has been a huge help over this
past year. She’s found you ... twice! She helped us get out of the maze
when the walls caved in ... She’s bought gifts for every holiday and she
risked her life when we were battling the plague! I don’t know how much
more a person could do before they’re considered a helper.” Vincent nodded. “I know all
of that Father, but I wasn’t sure if others realized it.” Father chuckled. “Catherine
is a valuable part of our community. I think that if you and she weren’t
... ” He was at a loss as to what to say. “Well ... I still think she
would be invaluable to us.” Vincent smiled and nodded.
“Yes.” Kanin and Cullen came in
and the Vincent and his two friends headed to the Great Hall to see
about repairs.
******************************** A week later, Father and
Vincent came to Rebecca’s chamber. Father smiled warmly. “It’s
that time, Rebecca. Are they ready?” Rebecca’s arms rose as she
looked around the room. “See for yourself.” Father glanced around the
room as the children hovered nearby. “Good, good! The children are ready
to begin their deliveries.” He looked closely at the candles and nodded.
“These are lovely, Rebecca. I do believe these are the finest candles
you’ve ever made.” Rebecca smirked at him.
“You said that last year.” Vincent looked over. “It
was true last year.” Father nodded in agreement.
“And the year before.” Rebecca’s eyes sparkled
from their praise. “I love making the Winterfest candles. They’re
special.” Samantha came forward. “Do
we get to take them up now?” Rebecca nodded. “First
batch is ready, I don’t see why not.” Geoffrey and Samantha were
arguing about who was going to deliver their candles the quickest when
Father stepped in front of them. “This is not a race! You have been
given a very important responsibility. Understand?” The children looked
down at the reprimand and Father was satisfied that his speech worked.
“Good ... well you have your list ... off you go. Now be careful up
there,” he said to their retreating backs. Vincent and Rebecca
exchanged smiles, each remembering that they had been reprimanded in
much the same way. Rebecca smiled at Father.
“It wasn’t so long ago that I was delivering the candles instead of
making them.” Father chuckled. “I
remember, especially the year when you fell and twisted your knee.” Vincent came over and put
his arm around Rebecca. “Sometimes we have to fall, Father, to learn how
to get up.” Rebecca looked up at him at
laughed. “Mouse is the worst ... that first year I made the candles, he
broke half of them with that catapult of his.” Father laughed harder. “Our
poor helpers thought that someone was flinging missiles at them.” He
looked pointedly at Vincent. “And you and Devin had your fair share of
misadventures as well, as I recall.” Vincent shrugged as he
picked up a candle. “But we always made our deliveries and I ... think I
still remember how.”
He nodded shyly. “Yes, I
think she will.” Father chuckled. “If anyone
could enjoy the special meaning of Winterfest, it’s Catherine. Now, if
you two will excuse me, I must meet with William about the menu.” Father left and Rebecca
looked at Vincent. “Will you deliver it tonight?” “Yes, I need to go put on a
warmer shirt and grab my cloak.” Rebecca looked at his usual
layers and wondered why he was adding more. “Won’t you get too warm?” Vincent shook his head. “It
can get quite cold on Catherine’s balcony.” Rebecca gasped and then
looked at him angrily. “She doesn’t invite you inside?!” Vincent blinked in surprise
at her outburst. “What? Yes, yes of course she has invited me inside,
many times!” He had rushed to defend her
and Rebecca was confused. “Well then, why on earth are you meeting on
her balcony?” Vincent lowered his head.
“I ... I’ve always declined her invitation!” Rebecca shook her head in
confusion. “You’ve never been in her apartment?” “Only once, I had to help
her to her bed when she was beaten by some crooked police officers. I
stood in the doorway and watched over her as she slept.” “Do you know how weird this
sounds? I can’t believe you just don’t go inside. I can’t believe that
for the past year, in all kinds of weather you make that poor woman
stand outside in the cold talking to you!” Vincent blushed, clearly
embarrassed. Rebecca rolled her eyes and looked at him. “Vincent, you’re
just like a brother to me, and Devin isn’t here to handle this, so ... I
think it’s my duty to tell you that you’re a complete idiot.” Vincent looked up at her in
shock. This was the first time since they were kids that Rebecca had
ever spoken bluntly to him. Rebecca waved her hands
animatedly. “Look! That woman has spent the last year and a half on her
balcony, in the kind of weather Vincent looked at her and
she could see the battle raging within him. “Rebecca, I want to go
inside and ... be with Catherine but ... ” Rebecca hit his shoulder
with her fist. “No buts, just take your butt inside of her apartment and
sit on the sofa. For Pete’s sake, Vincent, you’re a foot taller and at
least eighty pounds heavier. I think you’ll be okay if Catherine gets
too rough.” Rebecca and Vincent both
knew that she had used the same words that Devin would have spoken had
he been there. Vincent smiled at her shyly then stood and hugged her.
She returned the hug and they both started to laugh. “Thank you, Becca.” “You’re welcome, Vin.” They had reverted to their
childhood names for each other and their friendship was back on track.
************************************** Catherine had been swamped
at work after Christmas and she hadn’t seen Vincent since then. She
looked at the calendar on her desk and gasped when she realized it had
been over a week. She decided to go Below tonight even if she could only
see him for a few minutes. After work, she came home
and changed into a thick heavy sweater. She threw a scarf on, put on her
gloves, and was reaching for her coat when she heard a familiar thud on
her balcony. With a smile, she raced out
the doors of her bedroom and flew into his arms. “Vincent!” He had braced his legs in
anticipation of her impact as she stepped outside. He smiled into her
hair as he caressed her lovingly. “Catherine!” She turned her head and
kissed his cheek then stepped away before he could. “I’ve missed you so
much! I was just coming Below to see you.” “I’ve missed you as well,
Catherine. I came Above tonight on an important mission.” She frowned and quickly
tried to hide her disappointment. “Oh, I’m sorry. You can’t stay then?” He cocked his head shyly.
“My important mission was to come to see you.” She smiled warmly and
hugged him again. He encircled her in his embrace then dropped his arms
to release her. “Not yet, Vincent!” she
pleaded. He chuckled and drew her in
once again as she tightened her arms around his neck. They stood that
way for several minutes until she finally sighed and pulled away,
grabbing a hold of his hand as she did so. “I’ve been so busy at work.
I wanted to get Below so many times, but I haven’t been home before
10:00 all week.” “I know, I’ve come several
times and your apartment has been dark.” Catherine wished he would
have just gone inside to wait for her, but she knew he wouldn’t do it,
so she shrugged off the feeling. Vincent reached inside his
cloak and slowly exposed an orange and white candle. She smiled as he
held it out to her. “For you.” She took it from his
outstretched hand. “Vincent, it’s beautiful.” She caressed it lovingly.
“Remember how I told you when I was little I was afraid of the dark?
Well, my mother gave me a candle to light and keep at the bedside before
I went to sleep. It was just a tiny little thing ... a birthday candle
... somehow it made it all right. I’ve loved candles ever since.” “This is no ordinary
candle.” She cocked her head in interest as he continued. “This is for
Winterfest. It’s a special time for us. We have other celebrations, all
the holidays and traditions we share with your world ... but Winterfest
is our own. It’s a time to remember the past ... dream of the future.
Each year we deliver these candles to our helpers in the world Above.
Without their light our world would be dark, our lives would be cold
without their warmth. The candles are our way of saying that they are a
part of us. Everyone ... the entire community had agreed, this year’s
Winterfest would be incomplete unless you are there.” Catherine smiled. “I
wouldn’t miss it for the world.” He chuckled. “The community
will be relieved. You’ve come to mean so much to all of us.” “And all of you have come
to mean so much to me.” He looked down shyly. “I
know you’re busy, so if you can’t ... ” She touched him and gently
squeezed. “I’ll be there, Vincent.” He smiled and sighed in
relief. The wind picked up and Catherine shivered in the breeze. Vincent stepped forward and
drew her closer to him and in the protection of his cloak. “It’s getting
colder, ” he hinted. Catherine’s shivering
increased. “Yes.” She wanted to invite him inside by the warm fire but
knew he would say no and she didn’t want the awkwardness on such a
perfect night. Vincent frowned when she
didn’t extend an invitation. He couldn’t let her stand outside in the
increasing cold. “Perhaps I should go.” Catherine’s teeth were
chattering. “Okay. I’ll see you soon?” Vincent ran his hands
roughly up and down her arms trying to keep her warm. “Perhaps you
should start coming Below. The balcony is getting colder each day.” Catherine merely nodded.
“Goodnight. Be careful.” “Goodnight, Catherine.” Vincent watched her go
inside before he left.
******************************** The world Below was a sea
of activity. Day after day the adults worked relentlessly to make things
perfect for the visitors on Winterfest. The children all chipped in as
well, either watching younger children or helping William in the
kitchen. Catherine visited on Sunday
and Vincent took a much needed break. He was only able to spend a few
hours alone with her before dinner and then he walked her home. She smiled. “Next week.” “Yes, the candle I gave
you?” “Yes?” “You need to bring it with
you that day.” Catherine frowned. “I can’t
keep it?” “There will be other
candles to replace that one but the candle I gave you will be used in a
special ceremony.”
She
nodded and smiled. “Sounds secretive.” “No,” Vincent chuckled.
“Traditional.” “What time should I be
here?” “I’ll meet you here at “Okay, goodbye, Vincent.” “Goodbye, Catherine.” She cocked her head and
looked at him hopefully and he smiled and opened his arms to her. She
walked in and snuggled against him. “God, I miss you all week!” He lowered his head shyly.
“I miss you as well.” She sighed and slowly
backed away then turned and headed up.
********************************
One week later, Catherine
woke early and took special care curling her hair and applying her
make-up. She could tell by the excitement Below that this was an
important celebration and she wanted to look extra nice. She debated for hours about
what to wear and chose her white dress. She kept her accessories simple
as well and smiled with pleasure when she put on Vincent’s necklace and
the crystal dangled perfectly in the cleavage of her dress. She grabbed a warm coat and
her candle and headed Below. Vincent met her at the
threshold. She smiled when she saw him in his ruffled shirt. “I love
when you wear that shirt.” Vincent looked away shyly.
“I don’t have many dress shirts, Catherine.” She was immediately
contrite wondering if he misunderstood what she meant to be a
complement. “You don’t need any more when this one makes you look as
handsome as you do.” He shook his head in
disagreement and took her hand and began to walk. “You curled your hair
differently.” Catherine chuckled. “I
curled my hair ... period. Unfortunately I don’t always take the time to
do it and it just lays there.” He cocked his head to the
side and smiled at her. “Catherine, you always look wonderful.” She squeezed his hand and
laughed aloud. “And you ... are always quick with compliments! That’s
why I love you so much.” Vincent gasped and looked
down as he walked. Catherine frowned, wondering why he was embarrassed
by her telling him that. They met up with other
helpers being led through the tunnels and soon there was a whole group
of people walking in the same direction.
The group headed to the
library and Catherine turned around to look at Vincent, a question
clearly in her eyes. He shrugged and smiled, then signaled for her to
follow the group. She winked to indicate to him that it was okay and
then let herself be led inside. She looked over and saw
Peter and quickly made her way to his side. Peter smiled as she walked
up and hugged him. “Hi, Sweetie!” “Hi, Peter.” “This is your first
Winterfest isn’t it?” She nodded. “Yes, I’m so
excited. Is this where it takes place?” Father walked up and she
hugged him exuberantly. “No, my dear. We travel from here to a chamber a
few levels Below.” Peter touched her elbow
lightly. “The helpers are all led there by someone from the community.” The time to leave came
quickly and Catherine smiled and wondered who would lead her. Vincent
appeared at her side and took her hand. “You may want to button your
coat. The way is quite windy and cool.” Catherine quickly closed
her coat then took his hand again. “I’m ready.” Vincent led the way as
groups of people followed. As they drew near, Catherine covered her eyes
from the wind and noticed a group of people at the bottom of a
stairwell. Vincent led her forward then handed her his candle. She took it from him and
watched as he easily lifted a heavy board that was holding closed two
huge doors. Vincent pushed the doors open then came back to her side. “Can I lead you through the
dark?” She shook her head and
smiled as she reached for his hand. “There is no darkness, Vincent, when
you’re with me.” Group after group of people
followed them into a dark room. Eventually the huge doors were closed
and Vincent led Catherine over to a table and sat her down next to him. Catherine sat quietly and
listened as members of the community told the story of Winterfest. She
gasped in delight when the chandeliers were raised up and the room was
fully lit. She looked around and saw how festively it was decorated and
looked with interest at huge tapestries that hung on the walls. She made
a mental note to investigate them later. The opening ceremony was
over and someone came around to collect coats. Catherine and Vincent
walked around the room and visited with everyone. Vincent introduced her
to many people who hadn’t gotten the chance yet to meet the illustrious
Catherine. Unknown to them, many of
the people followed their every move and conversations about how good
they looked as a couple were discussed each time they moved on to a new
group of people. After seeing the beautiful
tapestries up close, Catherine and Vincent made their way back
downstairs and overheard Pascal tell everyone that he was going to check
the pipe chamber. Catherine chuckled at his dedication to his work. Father came over and looked
at Vincent for confirmation. “It’s going rather well wouldn’t you say?”
Vincent nodded and Father looked over. “Catherine, do you like the
music?” He smiled and nodded. “Mmm
... very much, I’ve always loved the waltz.” Father was pleased. “Well,
in it’s time the waltz was considered to be quite scandalous ... wicked
even!” “Huh, imagine that ... ”
She turned to Vincent with a devilish smile. “Vincent, can I ask you
something very ... personal?” Father looked away,
embarrassed to be overhearing part of an intimate conversation. Vincent, however, knew her
mood was playful as he looked at her. “You know you can ask me anything,
Catherine.” Her smile grew wide as she
raised her eyebrows and looked at him hopefully. “Do you dance?” Father looked up in shock
and grinned. In his mind, he quietly thanked Catherine for asking his
son to dance. Father had not seen Vincent dance since he was a young
teenager. Although every year he received many invitations to dance,
Vincent always declined. Father wondered how he would turn down a
determined Catherine. Before Vincent could
answer, Pascal came forward, demanding Vincent listen to a message he
heard over the pipes. He told them that the message normally wouldn’t
have been heard, but with everyone at Winterfest, the pipes were
especially quiet. Though it was unusual for
Narcissa to come to Winterfest, Vincent was still worried that it could
be her. He excused himself, telling Catherine he would be back soon. Father decided to keep
Catherine company until Vincent could return and he started by telling
her about the origins of the waltz. Finally, with a smile,
Catherine touched his arm, interrupting him. “Father, do you dance?” He blinked in surprise and
looked down humorously. “Well, it’s been many, many years ... I ... ” “Well surely you remember
how.” He sputtered, trying to
find a way to delicately decline her offer. “Well, I suppose so but,
Catherine, I fear that I’m not quite as light on my feet as I used to
be. I would certainly feel bad if I stepped on your toes.” Peter came over and patted
his back. “Jacob, dance with the girl.”
Catherine looked at Father
hopefully. He made an impulsive decision and handed Peter his cane and
offered Catherine his arm. She took it and laughed as he led her to the
dance floor. People were so shocked to
see Father about to dance they quickly parted and left him a wide area
to move in. Despite his limp, he managed to twirl Catherine around the
floor. She giggled as she noticed
all the stares directed their way. “I feel like I’m at a coming out
party.” Father chuckled as well as
he whispered to her. “In a way we are. I don’t think anyone has ever
seen me dance before.” “I’m honored that you would
choose to dance with me then.” “The honor is mine, Cathy.
I’ve come to look at you like the daughter I never had.” “Father, thank you.” Tears
came to Catherine’s eyes and she missed as step and hit Father’s foot.
“I’m sorry, are you all right?” “Don’t be silly, of course
I am.” “I’m not usually so
clumsy.”
He
smiled at her. “You are a fine dancer, my dear. Thank you for making my
debut look so effortless.” Catherine laughed as he
spun her again. They took one more turn around the floor and the song
ended. Father bowed graciously and
they made their exit from the floor. He was talking with Peter when a
commotion had everyone turn around. Pascal and Vincent rushed
in. Vincent was carrying a badly burned Narcissa in his arms. They
cleared a table, and Father and Peter immediately assessed her wounds as
Vincent explained how they had found her at the bottom of the stairwell. Narcissa sat up and in her
cryptic voice told everyone that ‘the Evil One is here’.
Mary was beside herself
with worry. “I knew we should have checked on her. I just had that
feeling. She said the Evil One ... surely she must mean Paracelsus!” Father grimaced. “I can’t
imagine John did this to her.” Peter scowled. “John
wouldn’t have but Paracelsus would.” Vincent added to the
conversation. “She inferred Paracelsus was among us.” Mary chuckled nervously.
“Don’t be silly. She can’t mean here.” Narcissa moaned in pain and
announced to the room to beware of the poison rose. After her outburst,
Peter sedated her. Vincent was so upset he all but accused Peter of
hurting her. Father frowned and
reprimanded Vincent, who turned to Catherine. She could see in his eyes
that he was worried about what this had all meant. The two doctors finally had
Narcissa’s wounds treated and she was resting comfortably. Mary sat and held her hand
gently. “All of you ... go back to the party. I’ll sit here with
Narcissa.” The four of them walked
back to the Great Hall. Father and Peter informed everyone of Narcissa’s
condition and they tried to return the celebration back to normalcy. Catherine could tell by
Vincent’s demeanor that he believed Paracelsus was among them. She moved
him off to the side of the room and told him she felt the same tension
in the air. They narrowed their suspicions down to the only three men
that Paracelsus could have known when he lived with them, Peter, Lou and
Sebastian. Vincent started to circle
the room when he noticed Samantha reaching for the chess board and the
box that held the pieces. He raced over and put his hand on the box then
took it from her. With no explanation, he
walked over to Mouse. “Mouse, I need your help. Can you come?” Mouse frowned curiously.
“Sure, Vincent need help ... I go!” Vincent took Mouse out into
the tunnels behind the Great Hall.
Catherine knew Vincent so
well she suspected he had his reasons for leaving abruptly. Knowing that
Samantha had protested that she was given permission to play with the
game, she hugged Samantha briefly. “I’m sorry, Samantha. I’m sure he’ll
bring it right back.” Samantha loved Vincent and
knew he must have had a reason for what he did. “That’s okay, Catherine.
We’ll find something else to play.” Catherine went out the door
that she had seen Vincent and Mouse leave through. She heard them in the
distance and followed their voices. It was dark and she became
disoriented and tripped on something lying in the path. She picked up what felt
like a box then called out. “Vincent?” He stepped around a boulder
just up ahead. “Here, Catherine.” She walked into a room lit
with torches then glanced down at the object in her hands. She held the
box that Vincent and Mouse had carried out. “Why did you drop ... ” She stopped when she saw
the two men hovering over a similar box. Vincent saw what she was
carrying and came over to look at it. With a frown, he took it from her
and handed it to Mouse. Mouse held it to his ear
and then shifted it lightly. He heard rattling inside and shook his
head. “Too many pieces must be good one ... lighter than this one, too.”
He pointed at the second box. With a sigh, Vincent slowly
opened the box in Mouse’s hands. Inside were Father’s chess pieces. “Told you,” Mouse said
proudly. Catherine frowned. “Someone
replaced it with a new box? Why?” Vincent scowled. “Mouse
believes this one contains explosives. I think I can smell them as
well.” “Mouse, can you disarm it?” Mouse laughed as he pulled
a wire from a side opening in the box. “Good as done.” He popped open the lid as
Catherine and Vincent flinched. He lifted out a small bundle of dynamite
sticks. Catherine’s hand flew to
her chest. “Mouse!” Vincent smiled and patted
Mouse on the shoulder. “That was quite dangerous but you did it.” He
grew angry as he looked at the explosives. Mouse followed his line of
thinking. “Too much ... big boom! Bigger than Mouse makes.” Catherine chewed her lip
thoughtfully. “Paracelsus only knew three men from before. I think I
should start questioning them.” Mouse stood up. “Not
Sebastian!” Catherine smiled. “You’re
right! Sebastian’s been trying to get Father to play chess all night.
That leaves Peter and Lou.” Vincent touched her arm.
“Catherine, be careful. Paracelsus must be getting desperate.” The three walked back into
the room and Mouse and Vincent stayed a close distance behind Catherine.
She scanned the room and
found Lou. She had only met him once before. She grabbed the chess board
and box and headed his way. She pestered him for a game
and he insistently declined it. Her face fell as she realized he may be
Paracelsus. She stepped away and called out his name, then threw the box
at his feet. Lou ducked as chess pieces
scattered across the floor in front of him. Paracelsus realized by his
actions that he had been caught. William tried to grab him and
Paracelsus stabbed him in the gut with his hidden knife. Vincent leapt
through the air at him and wrestled him to the ground. He racked his
claw across Paracelsus’ face and tore the mask of Lou that he wore. Samantha, who happened to
be standing nearby, quickly became a shield for Paracelsus. He reached
up and tore the rest of his mask off, revealing his identity. Father
stepped forward and told Paracelsus to take him as a hostage in
Samantha’s place. Paracelsus released
Samantha, who ran away. Catherine grabbed her and held her tightly in
her arms as she cried. Paracelsus grabbed Father by the back of his neck
and threatened him with his bloody knife. Sebastian stepped forward
and created a flaming distraction as Paracelsus ran out the doors,
making his get-away. After Vincent assured himself that Father was all
right, he took off after Paracelsus and was followed quickly by Jamie
and Mouse. Father and Sebastian helped
get William to the hospital chamber while Peter and Catherine followed
behind. Mary, of course, was still
sitting with Naricissa when everyone came in. “Oh no! What’s happened
now?” Peter stepped forward.
“Paracelsus disguised himself as Lou. Catherine found out and William
tried to grab him. Paracelsus stabbed him then grabbed poor Samantha.” Catherine nodded. “Father
took her place ... I thought Paracelsus was going to stab him too!” William moaned aloud as he
sat. “If it wasn’t for our friend Sebastian here, he might have gotten
away with it.” Father and Peter rushed to
William’s side and had him lie back on the table. They effectively
cleaned and stitched his wound and then wrapped it tightly. Vincent, Jamie, and Mouse
walked into the room and announced that they were unable to find
Paracelsus. Father praised Catherine
for finding out who Paracelsus was impersonating and saving the
community before he could do anymore damage. Everyone started to go
their separate ways but Vincent insisted they go back to Winterfest. He
did not want the day to end on a sour note. Mary offered to stay with
Narcissa again and the rest of the group went back to the Great Hall.
She and Vincent lagged
behind as the crowds started to thin out. Catherine busied herself
cleaning up cups and plates while Vincent turned over chairs. Catherine turned around and
went to stand by Vincent. She marveled at the quiet in the once loud
room. She looked up at Vincent.
Her eyes dancing with love. “Can you hear it, Vincent?” He listened intently then
shrugged. “Only the quiet and the wind outside crying to get in.” She tried again to get him
to play along. “Listen ... you can hear it if you try ... the music.” He caught onto her mood and
nodded. “Yes, I hear it.” He faced her fully. “Catherine? That question
you asked me earlier?” She blinked as her heart
skipped a beat. She had hoped he would ask her to dance but with all
that had happened tonight she had given up waiting. “I remember.” Vincent gently grabbed her
elbow and guided her to the dance floor. He bowed while she curtsied. He
reached up and brought her into his arms and started to guide her around
the floor. Catherine happily followed
his lead. As she looked into his eyes, she felt her resolve weaken and
she closed the space between them. Vincent missed a step but
soon picked up the same fluid motion as before. She laid her head
against his shoulder and he slowed the speed of their dance. She took
the opportunity to move in closer still. She raised her arms and
encircled his neck. Vincent’s hands automatically slipped around her
waist and he lowered his head to her shoulder. Catherine turned her face
into his and they danced slowly, faces mere inches apart. Rebecca had come in on the
upstairs landing. She stopped and smiled at the scene before her. As
quietly as she could, she retraced her steps and left the couple alone
again. Outside in the tunnel way,
she hugged herself happily. “About time, Vin!” she said aloud. She walked into the
hospital chamber to relieve Mary. Father was there checking
on Narcissa and turned to Rebecca as she sat. “Rebecca, were you able to
find Vincent?” She smiled distractedly and
sighed. “He and Catherine are dancing in the Great Hall.” Father looked over from
cleaning Narcissa’s wounds. “I’m sorry, did you say he was dancing?” Rebecca blinked in surprise
that she had spoken aloud. She flushed and looked away, quite
embarrassed. Father grumbled. “Hrumph,
you did say that!” He hid a small grin but
Rebecca caught it and rushed forward. “You think it’s wonderful too,
don’t you?” He shrugged and she continued. “Father, I’m so happy he
found someone. And Catherine ... she’s just wonderful for him, don’t you
think?” Father looked at Rebecca
and remembered the young romantic teenager she used to be. He chuckled
at her. “Yes, Catherine had been a positive addition in our lives.” She shook her head. “Yes,
in our lives, but Vincent ... he’s so ... different now, like he’s alive
for the first time. I love seeing him this happy. I don’t know anyone
who deserves it more than him.” Father nodded. “Yes, but I
fear that he ... ” He shook his head. “ ... never mind. Call me if there
is any change in Narcissa. Sarah will be here in a few hours to relieve
you.” “Okay, Father. Goodnight.” Father stepped and kissed
her forehead. “Goodnight, Becca.” Father headed to his
chamber and thought of Vincent and Catherine’s growing closeness. THE END |