Chapter Four
"Catherine?" She awoke to see Jamie standing near her bed. "I'm sorry to wake you up, but it will soon be dinnertime. How are you feeling? Mary said if you're still tired you can stay in bed and she'll bring you a tray."
Catherine sat up. "Oh, no, please tell her not to go to that trouble! Thank you, Jamie, I'm feeling much better and I'll be right there. I want to see everyone!" Jamie smiled and left, and soon after Catherine was on her way, feeling indeed rested and refreshed by her two-hour nap, and more hungry than she had felt for weeks as succulent smells of food reached her. There weren't many people yet in the big chamber when she entered it, but Father and Mary were there and beckoned her to come and sit with them.
"Did you sleep well? You look rested." Mary said with a smile.
"Yes, thank you. I feel much better!"
People were arriving, many of them stopping near their table to say hello and exchange a few words, but Vincent wasn't there yet, and Catherine's eyes kept coming back to the chamber's entrance. At last he appeared, but she was shocked to see he wasn't alone. Vincent was carrying little Cathy in his arms, and Lena was beside him. They were talking with animation, a sparkle in Vincent's eyes as he looked a the pretty blonde woman, and Lena was literally beaming up at him. Catherine felt a pang of distress, and her throat suddenly tightened. They looked so... intimate! What if... Noooo! It couldn't be! She did her best to reassure herself, surely Father would have told her if...
She was immensely relieved, a second later, when Vincent handed Cathy back to her mother and came to sit down next to Father, acknowledging her presence with a nod.
"Catherine! I'm glad you are feeling well enough to join us."
In her relief she smiled back a little more widely than his rather solemn greeting deserved. "Thank you Vincent! I'm feeling much better now." She met Father's knowing eyes and felt herself blush.
"Catherine! I haven't had a chance to see you, yet. We would have joined the welcome party but William needed us to tend the kitchen while he was away!"
Lena was standing near the table, a big smile on her face, and Catherine rose to hug her.
"I don't think you know N'Guma. He's only been with us for two months." Lena said, and only then did Catherine notice the tall black man standing beside her, holding little Cathy in his arms. "N'Guma is from Burkina Faso. He came hiding on a ship. The children found him sick and nearly starved in the park and Father sent people to bring him here." Lena explained, smiling fondly at her companion, who answered with an adoring look. "He doesn't know much English yet, but he's learning... and I'm learning his language, too!" she proudly added.
Catherine warmly greeted the shy young man, and caressed Cathy's rounded cheek, getting a happy dimpled grin in answer. "You're more beautiful every time I see you, darling!"
"Isn't she just!" Lena beamed. "But don't tell her so too often. N'Guma is already spoiling her to death." She looked at Catherine. "I heard that you, too...?" Catherine nodded and Lena took her hand. "It's wonderful news! Hang tough, Catherine! I'm sure everything will be all right!"
Catherine thanked her with a smile, and they left to sit at another table.
"It would seem I've missed quite a lot!" Catherine said, sitting back down. "A new couple Below?"
"Not officially so, not yet..." Father answered with a grin. "... but I think it's in good way."
"I’m happy for Lena. She deserved to find someone!"
"She's really found her place here, now." Mary said. "Ever since she came back she's been a great help for me with the younger children. She showed interest for nursing, too, and she's a very apt student. She took care of N'Guma when he was brought to the hospital chamber, that's how they got to know each other."
"N'Guma is a fine young man!" Father added "As soon as he got better he found ways to help even without speaking the language. He's almost as ingenious as Mouse...and a lot more practical-minded! When we encountered problems making the mechanism for that new security device, he managed to set up a small forge almost out of the blue, and made the parts we lacked out of scraps of iron!"
"The country he comes from is very poor." Vincent quietly broke in. "People there have to be ingenious to make the best out of what little they have... just as we do Below."
"How did he get here?" Catherine inquired. "Lena said he hid aboard a ship?"
"He speaks French quite well, so we've been able to communicate some, but he didn't say much about what made him leave his country. Maybe he will, later but it must have been very dramatic." Vincent answered "Enough to make him take the risk of dying on the journey."
"Which he almost did!" Father added. "He was in a pitiful state when he arrived here."
While they were talking Pascal, Zach and Rebecca had joined them, food had been passed around, and Catherine began digging heartily into her plate, under Father's approving eyes.
"I hope N'Guma will tell us more about his country!" Vincent said wistfully. "Africa seems to be such a beautiful and fascinating place."
"It is!" Catherine said between two mouthfuls. "The landscapes there take your breath away!"
She'd talked without thinking, but it got her Vincent's immediate attention. "You... went to Africa, Catherine?"
The stunning blue eyes were gazing at her in wonder. She was suddenly very aware of his imposing presence right across the table, and her heartbeats quickened. She took her time to swallow and steady her breath before answering.
"Yes, a long time ago, with my father. He took me to Kenya after I graduated, and it's a wonderful memory. Everything is so beautiful there! I don't know about Burkina Faso, though. I must admit I don't even know where that is."
"It's in Western Africa, at the south most end of the Sahara desert, and it's only been called Burkina Faso for a few years. Before that it used to be the Republic of Upper Volta, a former French possession like many countries in that part of Africa."
Catherine smiled, with a twinge of sadness. One could trust Vincent to know that kind of things. He was fascinated by the history and geography of all those places he'd never have a chance to see...
"Will you tell me about Kenya one day?" Vincent asked eagerly.
Catherine had to make a tremendous effort not to show her dismay. She already had told him about Kenya months ago, a few weeks after her father's death. He'd made exactly the same request, and she'd dug into her closets to find old photographs they'd looked at together on her balcony, while she recounted the trip. She knew he had done it partly to encourage her to talk about her father, and remember the good moments she'd spent with him, but Vincent's interest had been genuine, as much for the landscapes and wild animals as for the teenage, suntanned Catherine who smiled at him on many of the photos. It had been a warm, sweet moment... and it was now lost to him, along with so many other ones. She got hold of herself and answered with a smile. "Of course, Vincent. Any time you want!"
She was grateful when Father then directed the conversation toward the new security projects and she listened with interest, finishing her plate with a surprisingly unabated appetite. William's cooking was delicious as always, and her starved body wouldn't allow itself to be deprived any more, whatever her state of mind.
The noisy chamber became gradually silent, and she turned her head to see William standing in the middle, clearing his throat.
"I find myself in charge once more. Probably because I'm the loudest mouth down here!" the burly cook announced in his booming voice, eliciting a few chuckles. "But for once I'm really glad about it! Tonight is no ordinary night. Tonight we have a new dweller in our world. Not a stranger, but a friend who's been sorely missed while she was away. A friend who's always been there when we needed her, and all of us here know how much we owe Catherine!" There were murmurs of assent in the chamber and William turned to Catherine. "I'm not very good at these things so I'll make it short. In the name of everyone here, I bid you welcome, Catherine! You and the child you carry are part of us. I want you to know that we're all sorry that you're facing such hard times, and everyone Below will do their best to make you feel at home. My own personal task will be to fatten both of you up!" he concluded, triggering laughter that lightened the solemn atmosphere as Samantha, Kipper, Geoffrey and Eric carefully brought in a huge tray. It held a big chocolate cake, with "Welcome Catherine!" written on it with icing.
Not even trying to check her tears, Catherine rose and went to hug William, before addressing the tunnel dwellers.
"Thank you! All of you! It means so much to me to feel so welcome here!" Her voice broke and she couldn't say more. William led her gently back to her place, and Mary held her as she cried her heart out, crooning soft words of comfort.
Catherine finally lifted her head from Mary's shoulder, looking around. "I'm sorry!"
"Don't worry, dear, they all understand."
Catherine sniffled, her face drenched with tears, and was searching her pockets without success when a big, hairy hand suddenly appeared in her sight, holding a clean, neatly folded handkerchief. "Maybe you could use this?" Vincent's voice was gently comforting, and his eyes, when she raised her own to meet them, held sympathy and concern. She thanked him with a teary smile and buried her face in the soft, worn material. It still held the warmth of his body and a hint of his scent, and it brought her a heart-warming, if bittersweet, comfort.
"Would you like some cake, Catherine? We made it for you!" Eric was standing near her, his eyes full of worry behind his big glasses, and she took the plate he was handing her, smiling to reassure him.
"Yes, of course! It looks absolutely delicious! You made it?"
"Not completely, but we helped William a lot!" the boy proudly stated. "And we all wanted to do the writing, so we shared the letters. I got to do the W, and the A!"
Catherine couldn't help laughing and heard Vincent's soft chuckle.
"See, Vincent, I told you she'd love it!"
"I never doubted it, Eric." Vincent answered gravely.
"Catherine likes chocolate almost as much as you do!"
"Oh? That is indeed quite a lot! But you shouldn't be revealing my secrets!" Vincent chided, a sparkle in his eyes.
The child grinned. "What secrets? Everybody here knows that, and Catherine does, too!" He scurried away to get other plates and Vincent and Catherine exchanged an amused glance, before Vincent suddenly averted his eyes, a pained look on his face.
"I'm sorry." He said softly.
"What for?" she inquired, puzzled.
"For not being able to welcome you with the same joy and... familiarity as everyone here..."
"Vincent..." she began to protest, but he went on.
"I want you to know that I am glad that you are coming to live in this world. But I..."
"I know! Don't worry, Vincent, I understand. It must be so difficult for you, sometimes! Know that I value your welcome all the more."
He nodded with a little grateful smile, and dug into his chocolate cake with relish. Catherine watched him inconspicuously as she ate her own, both moved and amused by the pleasure he seemed to take in it, fascinated by that yet unseen aspect of him. The Vincent she knew, the one who idealized her, would probably never have allowed himself to display such worldly behaviour in front of her, and for the first time the thought struck her that there might be some unexpected, interesting sides to being only Catherine the Helper...
When she was through eating she felt full and drowsy, and couldn't help a yawn, which didn't escape Mary's watchful eyes.
"You're tired, Catherine! Time for you to go to bed, now. I'll walk you back to your chamber."
Reluctant as she was to leave Vincent, Catherine knew better than to resist. Besides, she really was tired, and she said goodnight to everyone before leaving with Mary. As she exited the big chamber, she was sure, somehow, that Vincent's eyes were following her.
Mary showed Catherine the bathing chamber she now would share with her, Jamie and Rebecca, and volunteered to help her unpack, which Catherine accepted gratefully. When she came back from her bath, Catherine found all her things neatly tucked away in the wardrobe. Mary had vanished, leaving two nightgowns waiting on the bed for her to choose from. Without hesitation, Catherine slipped on the warm, soft tunnel gown, and put the one she'd brought into a drawer. She felt weary to the bones, yet when she was beneath the thick quilt, it took her some time to find sleep. Images of Vincent kept coming back to her mind. The way he had looked at her, the gentle way he had talked to her. It was really hard to keep reminding herself that the man she loved beyond reason, and who had loved her the same way, was now a kind, friendly stranger.
She realized that she'd unconsciously hoped that he would recognize her, once he'd be confronted with her. She still wanted to hope that he would, with time. Hadn't Peter said that Vincent's buried memories could come back anytime? How would he react to her presence Below...to her pregnancy? And what if he didn't recover until the birth? Would she tell him, then? If the child looked like him, then he would know. What would that do to him? Would Vincent bond with his child? That might even happen before the birth...
Catherine rolled over with a sigh, and pulled the covers over her head. What good was it to torture herself with those questions? She'd cross those bridges if and when! With love, all things were possible, and she would have support from Father and the whole community. Everything would be all right in the end, she vowed.
And in the meantime? It wasn't in Catherine's nature to just sit and wait. She suddenly remembered how Vincent had acted toward Lena, and Eric. Obviously they'd both built a new relationship with him, and seemed as close to him as they had been before. Why couldn't she do the same? An impish smile came to her lips at the idea of 'seducing' Vincent. She had all the time and opportunities she needed, now that they didn't live in separate worlds anymore. It might be not be easy for her to start again from the beginning, and there was the fact that she was pregnant, but she felt confident. After all, Vincent had already fallen in love with her once...
On that comforting thought, Catherine went to sleep.
******
We have a newcomer in our midst. Her name is Catherine.
Vincent, pen in hand, stared down at the single sentence he'd managed to write. The words that usually came so easily seemed to escape him tonight, and he knew it had to do with the young woman who would now be part of his world's life. There was something... special about her, and his analytical mind was at work, trying to define what that could be.
Catherine was undoubtedly special to the community Below. Vincent had always been very sensitive to emotions, and the atmosphere of his world had been filled with them ever since her arrival had been announced. His community was a warm-hearted one. All its members had endured their own share of suffering, and were generally sympathetic and willing to help others, but he couldn't remember having ever sensed such a simultaneous rush of feelings from everyone, including Father. It had culminated at dinner, when Catherine had responded to William's speech. Collective emotion had been so strong then that he'd almost been able to see it shimmering in the air, thick enough to be nearly palpable. He had to admit he had felt left out at that moment, sharing the emotion without sharing its causes. Someone so important to his world had certainly been important to him, too, but no matter how hard he tried, he could find no trace of her in his memory. Even though he was learning to live with the gaping hole in his life, there were times when he found it particularly difficult to bear.
Strangely enough, of all the people there Catherine was the one he'd chosen to confide in. She had comforted him, finding the words he needed to hear, even overcome as she was by her own grief... for it hadn't been only emotion and gratitude that had made her cry on Mary's shoulder. The pain inside her was deep and raw, and Vincent felt that even when she smiled or laughed tears were never far away, ready to overflow at any occasion.
What had happened to her? From what he'd seen and heard, Catherine certainly didn't come from the lower parts of the society Above. Her accent, her manners told of a very good education, and she obviously had been raised in a wealthy family, people who could afford a trip to Africa. She had a job, too, according to Father, and money didn't seem to be a problem for her. Her luggage, he'd noticed, was made of the finest leather, and was probably expensive.
What could have caused a young, wealthy, beautiful woman made for the lights of Above to seek refuge in his dark, barren world? Vincent had the feeling that Father, and probably some other people Below, knew more about that than they would tell. Of course Catherine's desire for privacy must be respected, but he couldn't help wondering. Somehow he was sure it had to do with her pregnancy. Did she want to hide it? Why? And what had happened to her child's father? Had he left her? Had he died? Was he married to someone else? Had he been violent to her? Or, even worse, did her pregnancy result from... a rape?
Vincent was shocked by the wave of dark, primal anger rising from deep inside him at that thought, and had to fight back the menacing snarl swelling in his throat. The idea of someone doing such a thing to any woman was unbearable, but to think it might have happened to her... He was surprised to feel such a strong, almost irrational need to protect Catherine, but reassured himself that there was nothing strange about that. Everyone else Below also seemed very protective of her, even the children, and it was understandable. Pregnant women generally arose that kind of feeling; and she looked both so fragile and so brave, fighting against overwhelming grief, and still finding the strength to care for others and offer the warmth of her beautiful smile.
He would protect her, of course. Wasn't he the protector of this world she now was a part of? And he would do his best to offer her warmth and friendship, to help her pain heal, or at least be more bearable. It might be a little awkward at the beginning, as it had been with Lena. Things had been much easier with Eric, as the child had a way of his own to go straight to people's heart! He and Catherine seemed to share a very special relationship, and Vincent remembered the way she had instantly chased away her sadness on seeing it distressed the boy, to give him her whole attention. She would be a wonderful mother...
With an impatient sigh, Vincent recapped his pen and closed his journal. He would write no more tonight. He was feeling uneasy, restless and finally rose to don his cloak, deciding that a walk in the park was what he needed. On the way he listened, as usual, to the quiet noises of his sleeping world, the distant rumble of the subway, the rustling of air in the empty corridors, and the faint pipe tapping from sentries announcing that all was well. William could be heard snoring loudly several tunnels away, Geoffrey was once more mumbling in his sleep, and Vincent made a mental note to tell Father that little Amanda was coughing again.
As if of their own will, his feet slowed down to a stop as he passed the entrance of Catherine's chamber. From behind the curtain, the sound of a deep, quiet breathing came to his sharp ears, and he listened to it for a while, finding it strangely soothing, before continuing his solitary walk. Sleep well, Catherine. You're safe, now.