DRAGONJULS Storybook
Disclaimer and Acknowledgements: See Part One
Part 6
Chapter Fifteen
Catherine steadfastly drummed her fingers on the arm of the seat that she occupied waiting for one of her ranch hands to collect her from the local airfield. She'd called Colin directly on her cell to give him an e.t.a. They were late!
'Perhaps something was wrong at the ranch? Hell, she'd been waiting almost an hour! Surely Colin hadn't forgotten? He hadn't mentioned anything in particular being wrong, although he had seemed somewhat subdued on the cell phone Catherine had put that down to the connection. Grace would have called her if things had taken a turn for the worse with Jace. Wouldn't she?'
Catherine elevated herself from the chair and strode around the small waiting room. One of the operatives at the desk looked pensively at her and seemed to want to make conversation but thought better of it; Mrs Warriorson didn't exactly look in the best of moods.
Catherine scowled at the weather, which appeared to be moving towards stormy conditions much in league with that of earlier in the week. A smile flashed briefly across her profile as she thought of the outcome of that particular storm, and what or should she say whom it had deposited at her front door.
Turning back towards the chair she heard a vehicle approach, and glanced out of the window to observe a green Land Rover stop immediately outside the building as close as possible to the door.
She took in the tall appearance of her ranch foreman. 'So, Colin opted to come himself, interesting.'
Colin walked swiftly to the door and as he entered shook off the droplets of rain that had landed on his hat. He walked towards Catherine's bags and nodded to her.
Catherine was amazed! He would normally have been bending over backwards to explain why he was late, but not this time, this time he just looked grim.
"Are you ready Ma'am?" He had reverted back to his subservient role again verbally, but his actions gave an entirely opposite reflection.
"Yes, let's go home before it gets any worse." She followed him out of the door of the airfield office not bothering to acknowledge anyone as she left. He swiftly pulled open the passenger door of the vehicle for her and then went around the back to stow her luggage.
She discreetly watched his profile as they pulled away from the airstrip and contemplated her next course of action.
'She could just leave it and stay silent? She could discuss the weather and try and get a response? She could ask about the ranch and get him to review the last couple of days? No, none of the above! Nope the best course of action was definitely the direct sort, nothing else would get a response that she was sure of!'
"Okay Colin, why do you look like the end of the world is nigh, and why were you late?" She didn't look away from her observation of the passing fields out of her window, her remarks suggesting a bored interest.
He shifted uncomfortably in his seat. His jaw clamped shut, and then he opened it again, but nothing came out.
"I haven't all evening Colin, so spill it!" She growled at him, now becoming frustrated with the situation.
He turned briefly to face her and then appeared to derive a decision. "I'm late because I needed to attend to something for Grace and all the other boys were out taking in the stock prior to the storm." He answered grimly.
Catherine pondered that answer for a few seconds. "Must have been an important task Grace wanted you to complete, if it meant keeping me waiting. Did she know it would do that?"
"Yeah, she knew." He answered knowing full well that Grace didn't know it 'personally' affected Catherine.
This certainly wasn't turning into a pleasant drive home, not withstanding the fact that it was now pouring down rain. "So, did you get the task completed?"
"Yes," he answered tersely.
"Good. Would that be the reason for what's bugging you?"
He didn't answer.
The drive was like asking twenty questions and receiving replies to only a few of them and those replies making only partial sense.
"Guess Grace has some explaining to do when I get there, you're obviously not very forthcoming." Catherine drawled in frustration.
He remained silent, and the rest of the journey was taken up with the sounds of the approaching storm.
**********
Grace had taken about all she could handle with the boy and he'd only been on the ranch for less than half a day!
When she'd sent Lisa to retrieve him from his room for the early meal she prepared for the children, she wasn't expecting the young girl to come running back shouting he was gone.
Jace had gone to take a nap, she had looked exhausted by the time she'd helped with the children's possessions, and then helped Lisa to get settled in her room. Grace had promised to wake her when Catherine was due to arrive home, Jace reluctantly left Grace with the two new residents of Destiny.
Now beating a quick detour to Jace's room and getting her out of bed, both of them scoured the house but couldn't find the boy. The weather was closing in too, great!
"Jace, we can't let him stay out all night, we have to find him?" Grace said her voice a pitch higher in her anxious state.
"I know, I know, but what about a group of the men searching for him outside on the ranch, he can't have gone far." Jace tried to placate the apparently frazzled looking woman in front of her.
Grace sighed, she hadn't wanted to ask Colin, he had been very grumpy for the last couple of days, but what choice did she have? Taking the cell, she called Colin and explained the situation, he had said that he had to leave on an errand for Catherine, but Grace had overridden that. Explaining that Catherine would want him to find the boy first.
Grace had flitted around the kitchen making some cookies, because she didn't know what else to do!
Jace had taken the small girl and sat her in the corner of the warm and homely kitchen and told her a story about dragons and knights and fair maidens. The little girl had been enchanted, but she too looked worried, especially when the rain became intense.
Half an hour later Colin walked in almost frog marching a very stubborn boy in his wake! They both looked very bedraggled and Colin looked none too pleased.
"Is this what your looking for?" He held the collar of the shirt that Jacob was wearing. The young boy was looking decidedly sullen and uncooperative inside the shirt.
Grace smiled in relief. Both Jace and Lisa chuckled quietly in their corner of the room as they saw the state of Jacob.
"Yes, that's exactly what I'm looking for. Thanks Colin." She turned twinkling brown eyes to his grey, but he never returned the warm glance, he just turned on his heal and left.
Grace looked perplexed, but was so relieved at having the boy back that she dismissed him out of her thoughts for the moment. "Jacob why? Catherine isn't going to be happy about you wanting to run off."
Jacob turned his hazel eyes to her and shrugged in defiance. "What will she care, she doesn't want us, we heard about her in the orphanage!"
Jace looked at him and then back to Lisa, her small charge, looking sadly at the floor. Grace turned her glance to Jace and she silently asked for help.
"What did you hear Jacob?" Jace asked him gently.
He looked at the smaller woman and then to the little girl. "She will tell you the same." He pointed at Lisa, taking a defensive stance at the question.
Jace took Lisa's small left hand in hers and gently squeezed in understanding. "I guess as the oldest you have the prerogative to explain it to me?" Jace asked him surprising the young boy with her gentle rejoinder.
He looked at her with a defiant expression, but became mesmerised by the green eyes that looked directly at him with warmth. Not at all like the others they just hadn't liked him, but she wanted to listen. "They said," he was stopped as Jace countered. "Who are they?"
"The people who run the place, the man in charge, I heard him!"
"Okay Jacob, what did they say?" Jace gently tried again.
"They said that Mrs Warriorson wouldn't want kids around the place, she hated kids! Maybe she would have us work on the ranch, but not as part of the family!" He rushed through his tirade.
Jace looked at Grace, who was looking at both children with a mixture of pity and surprise that adults had let the children overhear that type of insensitive comment.
"Mrs......Warriorson isn't used to children Jacob. Maybe, that's why people have gained the wrong impression. When you meet her she might just prove you wrong. Why don't you give her a chance? Just as she's giving you one," crossing her fingers as she said the last sentence.
Jacob looked around the kitchen and scuffed his foot against the floor, making Grace cringe at his abuse of the highly polished sheen.
"Maybe I will!" He looked at her with a frank gaze.
Jace smiled briefly. "Glad to hear it! Now young man, I think a change of clothing might be in order, and then we can all eat. Don't know about you but I'm starved." She laughed and smiled down at Lisa, who grinned back at her and nodded.
Grace laughed and looked at the boy, who for the first time in over five hours since he'd arrived at the ranch actually smiled, if only briefly. 'Well, that's got to be a start. Let's hope Catherine is in a good mood when she comes home.'
Jace left Lisa with Grace to help with the final preparation for dinner and led Jacob off to his room to replace his wet clothes with a set of dry ones.
**********
Clarissa Hudson had talked to Peter Adamson about the filming in New Zealand, he had been a little cagey, but then admitted what had happened to Jace and she had laughed. Peter privately didn't like the woman, but on a professional basis she always got the funding for the obscure projects. He'd often wondered how and now he had a very good idea.
"She's actually on the recluses property staying as a guest?" Hudson asked him again, her tone calculating.
"Yes, it happened by accident, we thought Warriorson was a man, Jace went to confront him, and it turned out to be the woman who left us on the ridge in a storm." Peter sounded peeved that he had to explain the situation to Hudson.
"Oh well, it looks like Jace might get our coup after all, maybe a private interview with the reclusive Catherine Warriorson?" Clarissa was amused and surprised that her PA had gone to such lengths to make a point.
"Jace is ill, she might not get the interview, as Warriorson is away!"
"Well, you said she was coming back with you Sunday, so I guess she's not that ill!"
"What more do you want us to do?"
"Nothing, your job is done. Take a couple of days, see the sights, I hear it's got some marvellous places to visit if your scenically minded."
"What about Jace?"
"Oh, Jace is fine exactly where she is, believe me this couldn't have worked out any better. See you in LA, Monday." She disconnected the line.
Clarissa was a tall willowy blonde, she was thirty-three and had the intellect that made her a very powerful woman within her own defined realm. The only fly in her ointment was Xianthos and in particular the owner herself.
'Oh, I've been looking for you Devonshire and now I've found you, well paybacks were always a bitch and you spurned me! We could have been great together. But, oh no you took the noble way out, not Daddy's spoils you were too self-righteous. Must have been that ineffectual person you called a husband caused that particular trait to surface! But I know better, Daddy told me of your exploits and your prison term, baby if you don't take up my offer this time, I'm hanging you out to dry.' She laughed loudly to no one but her self, the sound echoing around her sparsely furnished office.
"My Dear Jace, you have been a godsend, and oh, how I'm going to enjoy what you bring to the table this time." She walked out of her office into the midmorning sunlight. LA this time of the year was really quite wonderful.
**********
Catherine grabbed her laptop and bolted out of the vehicle as it glided to a stop outside the ranch house, she left the rather morose ranch foreman to struggle or not with her bags. All she wanted to do was retreat inside from this god-awful weather. Running as if she was being chased by a tornado, she stumbled into the front door and whisked away the droplets of rain from her face.
**********
It was only seven in the evening and she heard unfamiliar voices in the kitchen, did she hear children? Placing her computer on the hall table she walked quickly to the kitchen. Opening the door she looked around and saw what could only be described as a very cosy, domestic scene.
**********
Grace was surprised at seeing her boss walk into the kitchen looking somewhat sodden and not a little up tight. 'Oh shit.' "Catherine, I didn't expect you until later?" was all Grace could mutter!
Catherine looked at Grace and saw her surprise she then glanced across to two children a boy and girl who looked at her in equal parts awe, fear and defiance. Then her heart flipped a beat as her glance rested very briefly on Jace, who looked flushed but good. Jace looked equally as surprised as Grace. 'Hadn't anyone informed them I had arrived in the country for god's sake? I'm going to have an interesting conversation with Colin!'
"What the hell is this? Alice's tea party?" She couldn't help the frustration of the last hour or so being transmitted to her voice.
Grace looked at the children and smiled briefly getting up from her chair.
Jace frowned at the sharp tone of her 'friend'.
The children shrank back into the chairs they were seated in.
"No, no it's definitely not that; unless, you're the mad hatter of course? There again maybe your bursting into the room would give that impression." Jace stated blithely, trying to bring some light relief to the conversation-taking place.
She ignored the look she got from Grace although she thought it might be one of relief. Instead she concentrated on the ice cool stare she received from those remarkable blue eyes.
Lisa giggled at Jace's comment and Jacob laughed outright; then both children looking down at the table, not daring to gauge the expression from their new guardian.
"Oh, so we have appreciation societies too do we? Anyone care to tell me what these children are doing in my house?" Catherine said sarcastically, pointing a slim finger in the children's direction, with all tact blown out of the window.
"Yes I could, but maybe it would be better if you and Grace talked privately and I'll take the children into another room." Jace turned her gentle green eyes onto the impaling blue ones.
Ushering the two children out of the kitchen, she snagged the cookie tray as she departed, leaving the two women alone.
Catherine blinked several times as Jace left with the children and couldn't help but smile as she saw her take the tray.
Grace seeing the look realised that all wasn't such a lost cause. "Do you want tea, or something to eat before we start?"
Catherine still had her gaze on the closed door, her attention leaving with the departed blonde. "Yeah, whatever," she answered absently.
Grace had seen lots of emotions pass over Catherine's face in the past five years but she was totally thrown by the look she saw today.
It was a mixture of censure, puzzlement and happiness. Jace had completely outsmarted her and in such a very nice way.
"She's something else isn't she?" Grace said tentatively.
Catherine wiped an errant drip of rain from her eyes and turned to Grace and smiled, all her frustration now dissolved. "That's for sure. How is she? She looks good," Catherine asked turning her attention back to Grace.
Grace carried the teapot over and poured them both a drink. "Jace is well on the way to recovery. In fact I don't know what I would have done without her today."
Catherine looked at the milky substance in her mug and a tense expression came across her face. "Did Adamson try to get her to leave?"
"Not exactly, the film crew is leaving on Sunday, she's going with them, but she would have told you that! I'll miss her." Grace added, knowing that although her friend might think the same she wasn't likely to ever say it, not to her at any rate.
"Oh, well, I guess I was expecting that. You obviously have taken a shine to her over the last couple of days?" Catherine replied still a little absently.
"Yes I have, she's like a ray of sunshine and today especially with the kids, well that's another story."
"Yes, so what's with the kids?" Catherine looked mildly interested, the welcoming tea soothing her previous agitation.
Grinning, Grace passed her a hot pastry and proceeded to inform Catherine of the present situation.
**********
Jace scanned the contents of the lounge, she hadn't been here before and plonked the children in front of the large twenty eight inch TV screen, or it could have been larger she didn't really know. It certainly would have dwarfed her apartment living space.
Jacob had resisted until he saw that the Simpson's were being screened and he sat in front of the set. "You'll go all goggle eyed if you watch it that close Jacob, come on sit here it's a good distance for you."
He looked at her and then back at the screen. "No."
"Well that was sure to the point." Jace said under her breath. "Come on Jacob, Lisa is sitting in a chair."
He snorted at that and looked at the little girl, who was having trouble keeping awake. "She's nearly asleep that's why." He pointed out.
Knowing that Rome wasn't built in a day she shrugged. "Well, if you end up with glasses then don't blame me!"
He looked at her and smiled, it actually made him look boyishly handsome. He remained seated on the floor but moved towards the chair and sat with his back against it. Fifty-fifty trade off Jace thought.
Moving over to Lisa who was struggling to stay awake, Jace gently picked up the small child and sat in the chair with her pulled her on her lap. The sleepy child smiled and snuggled next to Jace. "My Mom used to do this, when I was tired." The child said matter of factly.
"You miss your Mom honey, a lot I would think?" Jace cradled the child to her chest.
"Yeah, she would always tell me stories before I went to sleep. No one in the place we were at did that, they were all too busy," the child explained.
'Well, not tonight! And not tomorrow either, if it was the only thing she could do for these kids she would tell the child a bedtime story.'
"Well, my dad used to tell me stories too when I went to bed. Do you want me to tell you one of his tonight?" Jace smiled at the child.
The child looked at her in total innocence and trust. "Yes please," then snuggled deeper into Jace's chest.
"Good, because I think I would like that too." Jace's own nostalgia with the situation evident in her voice as she hugged the child closer.
Jacob watched the exchange furtively.
**********
Catherine was moving round the kitchen in agitation. "I can't believe he would do that!" Grace had just explained all the facts to her boss, it wasn't going down well, but she'd known that would be the response anyway.
"Well, neither did we! But he has, and we have them, and that's the long and short of it." Grace said in resignation.
"For gods sake that's insensitive to both those children, does he expect them never to know the outcome of that night? I'm going to see him tomorrow and get this mess sorted out." Catherine paced around the room.
"Maybe you should talk to Jace?" Came the quiet rejoinder.
Catherine looked at her with a steely glance. "Why?"
Grace tried but failed to stop the blush as she said the next words. "Because, she's important to you, and I think you might value her opinion!"
Catherine couldn't stop the faint colouring of her skin as she frowned. "She's......." no more words came.
Grace looked at her and saw the frown. "Do you know how you feel or what you want Catherine?"
Catherine glanced around the comfortable kitchen and sighed. "It would be easy to say my life as it was, but that's not possible any more! I want what's best for us all." She simply stated.
"Then you better think fast, because she's out of here at the weekend." Grace said bluntly, sometimes you just had to take the bull by the horns and this bull was sure stubborn at times.
"Yes I know that! But...... Grace I'm not good at relationships, hell I don't even know if she wants my friendship?" There was a heartfelt sigh at the end of the sentence.
Grace paused at Catherine's shoulder and placed her hand on it in understanding. "Why don't you go and change, and then see what Jace is up too. You might be surprised about her reaction."
"Maybe, but you're right I could do with some dry clothes. Hell, what's up with Colin these days, he was very strange on the way back here?"
Catherine changed the subject the action bringing a wry smile to Grace's lips.
Grace looked down at the table and shrugged. "Beats me!"
Catherine glanced back at Grace, now she knew the reason. 'Jesus, the man hadn't even attempted to ask her out he had just left the field wide open for the doctor! Guess that's another thing I'm going to have to solve at a later date. But first her own affairs, or rather lack of them!'
Grace watched Catherine leave the kitchen. 'It was kind of strange Colin's reactions these days, but it didn't have anything to do with her, she hadn't been near him for the last couple of days. So she definitely wasn't to blame for his mood.'
**********
Catherine changed quickly and headed towards the lounge where she could hear the TV. Walking into the room, she smiled softly as she saw Jace sitting, or was it lying comfortably in a chair with a small redheaded child snuggled happily next to her. The child was almost if not asleep. Jace was tenderly stroking her hair. It was quite the loving picture and the tall woman sensed a very warm feel surging through her body and was experiencing an unusual lump in her throat!
Then she saw the boy, he was watching some cartoon on the TV his hands where tucked under his knees, he was smiling at the antics of a dog and cat; she didn't know which cartoon it was. He looked relaxed, he had dark colouring very much like Lucas, and he was about his age, or the age he would have been had he lived. That brought a sharp pain to her chest and she without realising it let out a gasp as the recognition struck her.
Jace looked up and saw the anguish on Catherine's face and where she was looking. 'Had her son looked like Jacob, perhaps a little? What a traumatic event it must be to lose a child and one so young too.' She turned her head towards the woman andsmiled, hoping in some small way her understanding would help.
Catherine looked at Jace as she turned and saw the warmth in those green eyes. She smiled back and moved over to her. "See you have a handful there?"
Jace smiled and kissed the child's red locks above her chin. "Yes, she's tired but I think she wants to stay up with Jacob."
Catherine looked at the boy engrossed in the cartoon. "Well, it's almost nine, do you want to call it a day for them?"
Jace hesitated and then nodded. "The cartoon is almost over anyway."
Waiting for a few minutes, they watched the end of the cartoon, Catherine from her elevated standing position and the others from their chair or the floor respectively.
Jace started to struggle up with her precious cargo. Catherine noted this and stooped down. "Let me." She gently scooped Lisa up and put her over her right shoulder. The child was asleep and never moved.
Jace acknowledged the support and smiled. "I thought you'd left this to Grace?"
Catherine smiled. "Mmmmm, I suppose I did, but then again you are a guest and this is my house. I have other responsibilities now don't you think?"
Jace laughed quietly. "Oh, Catherine I think you just made an under statement there."
Catherine raised her left eyebrow and grinned. "You think so?"
"Yes I certainly do!" Jace responded.
"Okay, so what about the boy?" Catherine moved her head towards him.
"He's going too!"
"Fine, he can bring up the rear. Which room does Little Miss Alice here have?"
Jace smiled at the slowly retreating back. "She's got the one next to mine."
Catherine turned back slowly and met the green gaze. "That means he's next to me?" her voice held amazement.
"Yes, I guess it does, do you have a problem with that?" Jace looked as if she wanted to laugh loudly at the affronted look on her friend's face.
"No, no it will be fine, for now!" she disappeared through the door.
Jace sighed and looked at the boy who was clearly tired, but didn't want to succumb to his tiredness. "Come on Jacob time for bed, maybe you can stay up later tomorrow."
He scowled at her, but got up none the less and followed her out of the lounge.
Jace watched Catherine open the door of Lisa's room, and as she went into the room she saw the tall woman place the small child gently on the bed. Jace picked up the rag doll the girl carried everywhere with her and placed it close to her pillow.
Jace looked at Jacob as he watched the settling of his new 'sister', he wasn't sure if any of it were for real, maybe he would wake up tomorrow back in the orphanage, maybe he wouldn't.
'Somehow, this is all going to work!' Jace just knew it, she felt it, there weren't any words that could adequately say why she felt that way, but it was going to be okay, for all of them!
**********
Colin had stripped off his wet clothes for the second time that day!
He was annoyed with himself for letting things that he couldn't do anything about affect his relationship with his employer.
'Christ, I almost bit the boss's head off in the car. Added to that I haven't adequately apologised for being late and I blamed Grace for it too! I don't know what's wrong with me these days?'
He walked over to the dresser and got out a pair of faded denims and a very old sweatshirt, pulling them on, he sauntered towards the window that looked out onto the drive and towards the main house.
Colin wanted to kick himself, he knew what his problem was, and he just wasn't prepared to acknowledge it fully yet.
He had been a shy child, his parents had tried to bring him out of his shell, but it
hadn't worked. Then his mother had died of a fever when he was twelve, leaving him and his
father to carry on with their small holding and not much more. His father had continued to
mourn his wife's death and it was no surprise that one day he'd had an accident with his
shotgun. Colin was alone since he was sixteen! He then moved around the Islands, first the
North and then finally settling on the South Island and gaining
experience from various holdings.
He was now thirty-six years old, with a very stable job and all the responsibility he wanted. What he hadn't acquired was anyone to share it with! Now, when he thought that he had found the right person, it was all going wrong, he had no special skills like the Doctor. He wasn't good when it came to talking, so being romantic just wasn't something he'd ever experienced. Now he was watching, as the one person he wanted in this life was slowly moving towards a different direction and that direction didn't include him in any way!
'Catherine was right; I should have asked her out! But is it way too late for that, after all the boss will have explained to Grace that I blamed her for being late, would there ever be a time I could ask!' He hung his head in silent remorse for his bad attitude towards Grace.
Then he sat down in his chair and closed his eyes as a single tear cascaded down his strong profile. He wiped away the tear, 'Men aren't supposed to cry, we're supposed to be the strong ones, but wasn't that all bullshit! We feel love, pain and anguish, sometimes it's just the right time to let it all out.' He tried to stop the continuing trickle of tears but his heart wouldn't let the emotional turmoil cease.
The room darkened but he remained in the chair, letting his desolate mood take over.
**********
Grace sat in one of the easy chairs in the lounge as she watched Jace try to keep awake. She knew the blonde woman was tired after the full day they had, even the hour she had managed to steal before being woken abruptly hadn't helped.
Catherine was smiling as she too watched Jace try to chase away closing lids of sleep. "You know you didn't have to read a story to the child Jace, it's not something I want them getting used too." Catherine said gently.
Jace smiled. "Oh, I enjoyed it. My dad used to always read me a story when I went to bed; it sort of shut out the bad dreams. I think both these kids may well have bad dreams Catherine, you need to watch out for them."
Catherine looked at the green eyes that pierced her blue glance with a look of sympathy and compassion for the children. "Well, that's going to be Grace's domain. I'm certainly not going to tell any children's stories."
Grace smiled at Jace as she responded. "Okay I'm game, but I'm still going to need your support with them!"
"I told you Grace, that tomorrow I'm going to see that idiot who left us in this mess, I should have it cleared up by the evening!" Catherine gave an exasperated sigh at having to solve another problem forced on her. She turned her eyes to the window and the storm lashing away at them.
Jace looked aghast at the comment and looking towards Grace for understanding of what had been implied Jace receive a shrug of the shoulders only. "What kind of comment was that suppose to infer?" Jace quickly pushed all thoughts of sleep from her mind.
Catherine was surprised at the angry tone Jace used. "Why, the bloody Reverend of course. He's going to have to have a re-think, what else do you think it means?"
"You're going to send them back!" Jace shouted at the woman standing at the window.
Catherine looked at her and pinned her with an icy look, outraged that she was even questioning her it wasn't her home! "Yes, that's exactly what I'm going to do, what did you expect?"
Grace had hoped that Catherine would see it differently when she saw Jace with the kids, but obviously she hadn't. Now the blonde looked devastated as she looked at the rigid back in front of her. "I had hoped you would have compassion for them, they have lived through enough heartache already. To have you throw them back into the sea again without giving them or YOU a chance, is more insensitive than anything the reverend has done already!" Jace's green eyes began to fill with tears.
Grace shifted uncomfortably in her chair and wanted nothing more than to leave the room, but she also wanted to hear what Catherine would say to that little outburst by the obviously upset blonde.
Catherine saw the tears in the green eyes and she almost fell to her knees before the young woman to ask her to forgive her for hurting her. But she couldn't! This was something she felt strongly about. "I'm sorry if you think that my actions will result in even further insensitivity, that isn't my aim. If you'll excuse me I have some work to do tonight, goodnight." She walked out of the room without a backward glance.
"She's just going to leave it at that!" Jace spoke quietly to Grace, anguish clearly written over her expressive face. "Why is she running away from me?"
Grace came over to the chair that Jace was huddled in and put a hand on her shoulder. "I was kind of hoping you might have swung her round in the kids favour, but.......... Jace, come on let's get you to bed you look exhausted and I'm a little drained myself. How about we try again in the morning, you never know she might change her mind overnight, stranger things have happened, and keep happening in this house."
They walked towards the stairs and Jace glanced at the door to the study and wondered not for the first time, what made Catherine Warriorson tick. She certainly was a mass of contradictions.
**********
Catherine noted that it was two in the morning; she hadn't achieved much by way of work either! Her mind had been numbed by the shocked and surprised look on Jace's face when she had voiced her plans on returning the children! It's not that she wouldn't be prepared to have a kid here on the ranch, but this situation was wrong, morally wrong!
'Oh, yeah! and what do you care about what's moral or not? Where do you get to be the savour for peoples morals, it's laughable and in your case sad!' Her inner voice depreciated her arguments. 'You of all people have thrown morality, scruples and honesty out of the door more times then you can count. Suddenly someone who could stand for morality, who has scruples, who is honest, wants you to reconsider your stance and you walk all over her. What sort of friend would you ever be?'
Catherine watched the thunderstorm and shook her head at her thoughts. Whispering to the empty room. "No friend, no friend at all! Jace will be better off without me and shortly that's just what's going to happen."
Getting up from her chair she switched her desk lamp off and went into the hall and up the stairs to her room. Walking by the room occupied by the boy, she heard noises, which had nothing to do with the storm raging outside. This she knew was a storm raging from within, pain of the most demanding sort, which only someone who had experienced it first hand would ever recognise. She did!
It would have been so easy to just close her mind to it and move on by but that wasn't what she was all about not now! Knocking softly she opened the door.
There under the blankets was a ball of small humanity, moving to take away the covers and showing the bundle underneath, she saw the child's eyes take on the expression of a wounded animal, hurt and sadness all mirrored there. Slowly she sat at the edge of the bed, not wanting to scare the child anymore than he already was. Taking his hand she softly stroked the palm to try to quieten the storm that raged. "Hey it's okay, it's only the storm." She tentatively tried to blame the storm for his distress, knowing he wouldn't want to look like a baby in front of her.
He hiccuped, and looked into her ice blue eyes with his frightened hazel ones. She continued to look directly back at him and smiled, her eyes gently indicating her understanding of the pain. She moved her hand to his unruly hair and smoothed it back. "You know tomorrow it's going to look a little bleak out there, but then the sun will eventually shine again you know."
Suddenly he looked at her with a trust she had seen recently but from green eyes. 'God what was she doing, this was becoming a regular thing for her, whatever would people think? They could think you might actually care!'
"You going to be able to sleep now?"
"Yes..........thank you." he smiled tentatively back at her.
"Your welcome kid, let's get this bed straightened up, or you might catch cold too!" she said brusquely but softly to take away any perceived sting.
"My name is Jacob not kid, and it's Jake to my friends." he offered her a hand.
She looked at the boy and the proffered hand and couldn't help the chuckle that escaped.
"Well Jake, my name is Catherine, pleased to meet you." she shook his hand solemnly as he settled back down.
"Goodnight Jake, see you at breakfast." She watched him close his eyes and noted that before she shut the door he was asleep.
Closing the door she retreated to her own room and went to look out of the window. The stars tonight were obscured by the stormy conditions, but she knew they were there and it made her smile.
'Guess it's not so cut and dried as I thought, maybe there was some mileage in having the two kids here, god knows it couldn't be worse than the orphanage now could it?'
She slowly went over to the en-suite bathroom and started to peel away her clothes, it had been some night. 'All I really wanted to do was spend some time with Jace and get to know her better. Hell of a way to do that, she thinks I'm some sort of monster now! I wonder if she sleeps tucked up to that soft toy I sent her?'
She went to shower before getting into bed and trying to dismiss the thoughts of what it would be like to change places with that particular soft toy!
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