Unveiled. Part 24

"That was terrible," Katie said, though her mouth twitched with humor. "Asking poor Teddy to be my companion, when all along he didn't want a wife."

"I know." Christopher came to her and enveloped her in his arms. His hot, muscular body felt wonderful against her own, and she gasped with pleasure as he pressed closer. "But I don't think you had my best interests in mind when you selected Gertrude."

"Whatever do you mean?" Katie asked, giggling as Christopher began to nuzzle her neck. Sweet sensations shot through her entire body, ending at the junction of her thighs. "Oh, my..." she whispered, trying to maintain the conversation. "I mean, Gertrude was what you wanted. Rich, well connected..."

"Katie." Christopher growled, looking up at her. The intensity in his eyes made her shiver. "Let's not talk about it again. Please."

Nodding, she let him push the rest of her shift away, then melted in his arms as he purposefully aroused her. She had him back again.

And nothing else mattered.

Ella sank down into her bed, the cool sheets, the warm comforter. Her attorney sat at her side, frantically taking down each word as she coughed and struggled through every sentence. When she finished, he handed her the doc.u.ment, which she read and signed, indicating her approval. Then she lay back on her pillow, a strange contentment coming over her features.

"Is that all, Miss Pemberton?" the attorney questioned, seeing her exhaustion and air of finality.

"Yes," Ella whispered, then opened her eyes once more. "I appreciate you coming all the way out here, Martin, especially at this time of night. But the changes to my will are crucial. You understand all my instructions?"

"I think so." The attorney nodded, his expression sorrowful as he watched the older woman struggle for breath. "You know, Ella, many people feel worse than you and recover. I won't have you giving up hope."

"I haven't." Ella smiled at him, and she looked sixteen once more. "I am full of hope, Martin. I'm just not full of life anymore. But I need to make sure my wishes are carried out explicitly. You are clear on everything?"

"Yes." Martin nodded again. "But you do know the Pembertons will not be happy."

"I know." Ella smiled, and if she felt bad about the idea, she certainly didn't betray it. "I wish I could be here to see their faces. But promise me you will hold firm. They are a powerful family, Martin, and will try to sway you. Promise me."

"I promise." Martin packed up his papers and put on his coat. "No matter what they do, I'll see your wishes are carried out."

When he reached the door, Ella was seized with another coughing spell. Worried, Martin hesitated. "Would you like me to send for a doctor?"

"No." Ella waved her hand. "Please. I just need some rest. I'm so tired these days. Thank you, Martin. Please send your bill."

Dismissed, the man left, and Ella was alone. Waiting until the door closed, she gave herself up to the pain once more, letting it envelop her until she could hardly stand it. When it finally receded, she closed her eyes and dreamed.

She was young once more. The fields were green, and she ran through them, laughing, s.n.a.t.c.hing up a bachelor b.u.t.ton and holding its slender stalk between her fingers. She could smell the gra.s.s, clean and fresh, and hear the steady buzz of bees as they searched each flower for nectar. The air was filled with the sweet scent of summer, and the sky overhead was a robin's-egg blue. It was beautiful, restless and clear, everything so intense. Then she saw him.

A young man waited for her, his body silhouetted against the sunlight. She wouldn't forget that profile anywhere; it was engraved on her heart. The flower dropped from her hand and Ella ran into his arms. "Michael, is it you?" Tears flowed down her face, and when he caught her, lifting her high, she thought she would burst with joy.

"Yes, it's me, Ella. I've come for you, as I once promised. You'll never be tired again. You'll never hurt again. You'll be with me forever. Come."

Ella looked back, wanting to say good-bye to Katie and Sean, but they weren't with her. Smiling, she turned back to Michael and followed him through the field.

He was right. The pain was gone.

TWENTY-SIX.

"I still can't believe she's dead," Katie whispered to Christopher, holding his hand tightly as they slipped into the church.

Christopher nodded, unable to speak as they both stared at the coffin in front of the altar. Ella. Tears stung Katie's eyes, but she wiped them away fiercely, knowing that Ella would not want her to grieve. As the minister began speaking Katie could only think of the day when Ella confessed that she had spent much of her life waiting for happiness.

Had she ever had a lover, a man who held her the way Christopher held Katie? A man who made her feel as if she were the most special woman in the world? Someone who had touched her hair, made her laugh, read her poems, and brought her flowers? Katie wished fervently that she had, for no one should pa.s.s through this life without love. And of all people, Ella deserved it the most.

May you rest in peace, Katie prayed, her throat tight with pain. My G.o.d, she loved her. And missed her.

It was as if her fairy G.o.dmother had disappeared. Strange, but she never seriously thought of anything happening to Ella, in spite of her age. The old woman was the family matriarch, a presence to be reckoned with, yet she was also kind and gentle, with a heart that Katie knew about firsthand.

Just yesterday she'd been playing with Sean. Katie had watched them in Ella's kitchen, laughing as Ella indulged her son in making cookies, the two of them devouring much of the dough before it ever reached the oven. Sean adored the woman and never seemed to mind her admonishments concerning hand washing or bedtimes. He shared secrets with her, let her hold his frog, and allowed Ella to tutor him in everything from etiquette to mathematics.

Katie wanted to think that she had been able to give something back to Ella, in return for receiving so much. She knew she would be forever grateful to the woman for opening up this world to her and, best of all, giving her Christopher.

"To all who knew Ella Pemberton, she was a good woman. She gave to the church and the charities, was an important influence in the ladies' clubs, and was a popular member of society."

Katie had to repress a smile. How Ella would have hooted if she'd heard this eulogy! Apparently the minister had asked the family for a few words to say. The Pembertons knew less about their relative than they did the fly on the wallpaper. As Ella had once said, they were waiting for her to die.

And now that day had come.

The people began filing out of the church and Katie stepped behind the Pembertons. Grace turned toward her, her handkerchief knotted pathetically, and gave Katie a pointed look.

"I believe only family are permitted to the home after services," Grace said sharply.

Katie gritted her teeth, but Christopher stepped before her and smiled charmingly.

"We understand that, Grace. But Martin Shuler asked that we join you. Apparently Ella considered Kate family and made some provision for her."

Grace turned on her heel and stalked off while Stephen Pemberton looked at Christopher and shrugged apologetically. Katie wasn't at all surprised. Grace had never been a fan of hers, and she knew the Pembertons intended to cut her off, now that Ella was gone.

Sean snuggled closer to her, his little hand moist as they stepped inside Ella's house once more. Everything was so familiar and yet so strange, Katie thought. How was it possible that the curtains remained, the gaslights, the rich furnishings and portraits, yet Ella was gone? It was as if the very life force of this house had disappeared and could not be persuaded to return.

"Oh, *tis good to see your face, Kate. I still cannot believe it. She's gone." Eileen sobbed, and Kate took her hand comfortingly.

"I know. But you were good to her, Eileen. She'll remember that."

"Do you think so?" The housekeeper brightened, then wiped her eyes with her ap.r.o.n. "Thank you, Kate. I'd like to think that." She indicated the hallway with a tilt of her head and her expression became sarcastic. "Her loving family are in there. b.a.s.t.a.r.ds! They're like a pack of vultures. Go right in."

The Pembertons were all waiting in the library. Kate and Christopher took a seat in the back of the room, neither acknowledged nor appreciated by the company. Truthfully Katie didn't care. The Pembertons were a cold, cruel family, and she was just as relieved to be rid of them.

Martin paged through his papers, then looked up at the family. His eyes flickered for a moment when Grace wailed plaintively, then he looked to Kate and Christopher, an odd smile on his face.

"Before I begin reading the last will and testament of Ella Pemberton, I would like to say a few words. Ella was a remarkably strong woman, both in mind and body. She has made some changes to the original doc.u.ments, particularly in the last few weeks, but she was perfectly within her rights to do so. Ella had been examined repeatedly by Dr. Morris, so if anyone has any concerns about her state of mind, please feel free to contact him."

The Pembertons murmured and Katie shifted in her chair uneasily. Something was wrong; even she could sense it. Martin shuffled through the papers again and began to read.

"I, Ella Pemberton, being of sound mind and body, do hereby bequeath all of my worldly possessions, with the following exceptions, to the church."

There was a collective gasp from the family, and Grace appeared about to faint. Martin continued.

"To my good and faithful servant Eileen, I leave the sum of ten thousand dollars, to provide a retirement income to a woman who truly deserves it. May she live long and continue to demonstrate the honesty and values that I have always admired in her."

Eileen sniffled in disbelief while the Pembertons shuffled nervously.

"To Sean O'Connor, I bequeath the sum of fifty thousand dollars, to be held in trust by his mother until he is twenty-one years of age. The money shall be used for the purposes of his education, with the balance allowing him a successful start toward becoming the man I know he will be.

"To Kate and Christopher Scott, I leave one hundred thousand dollars each, with the provision that they divorce and deny all future contact with each other. I feel personally responsible for the unhappiness of these two people, both of whom mean so much to me. They have been forced to stay together due to their financial difficulty, a situation that was encouraged by both myself and Eunice Scott. Hopefully this money will alleviate their need to remain in a loveless marriage, and both of them may go on to find true happiness."

There were protests from the Pembertons. Martin gave them a stern look, and the noise died. Only when the room was quiet did he continue.

"To my immediate family, Grace, Stephen, my brother George, I leave what they gave to me in life: my prize roses and their thorns. May they receive the same comfort and beauty from them as they've given me and know, each time they p.r.i.c.k their finger, that somewhere I am laughing."

Martin closed the papers and looked up at the family. Grace slumped to the floor while Stephen shouted in outrage, "She can't do this! We'll go to court, we'll contest-"

"Now, now." George put a hand on Stephen's shoulder and called to a servant for Grace. "There's no need for emotionalism. Ella always was a prankster. Something tells me that wherever she is at this hour, she is enjoying this." Turning to Martin, George's face hardened. "You will be hearing from the family attorney."

Martin nodded. "I was expecting to." He rose and shook hands with Kate and Christopher. "Congratulations. You two seem to have the winning hand."

All h.e.l.l broke out as the Pembertons realized that he was finished, that Ella had really left them nothing more than her roses. Kate sank down into a chair, her mind whirling.

One hundred thousand dollars. A fortune. Katie numbly thought of what that much money meant. She could get nice clothes for Sean, buy a house, and pay for it with cash. She could provide peace and security to Paddy and Moira, something neither of them had ever known. Paddy wouldn't have to garden anymore, and Moira could play Lillie Langtry in the finest of costumes.

And for herself...

Katie felt a rush of pain. For herself, she would have a home. An income. Money could be invested, and she'd never have to scrub another floor or teach another tone-deaf child to sing. She would have pretty gowns and friends, for people forgave anything if there was enough money involved. She would have the security she'd always longed for, and the respectability that had always eluded her. Sean was accepted by society as it was; now, with this inheritance, she would be, too. It was all perfect, except...

Christopher. Katie struggled with the ache inside of her. How could she possibly leave him? Looking up, she saw Christopher's gaze on her and knew he was thinking the exact same thing. Their eyes met and she had to look away, so intense was the exchange between them.

"...and I knew she would do this! She wheedled her way into Ella's good graces, just so she could benefit-"

Grace's voice rose above the rest in a screech. Sean shifted uncomfortably beside her and Katie took his hand and turned to Christopher.

"I'm going to take him home. I don't want him to hear this."

Christopher nodded. His lips parted as if he would say something else, then he was drawn back by Martin, who indicated that he had the necessary papers to review. Katie's hand tightened on Sean's, but she merely nodded, then accepted her cloak from Eileen.

She had to get out of here, away from these Pembertons, to a place where she could find peace and quiet.

She needed to think.

"Cabbie, stop." St. Paul's Church loomed ahead, looking dark and gloomy in the cold. Sean had already been dropped at home, but Katie just couldn't go back there yet. She needed some time alone, to sort through her own feelings, and felt somehow drawn to the church.

Inside, it was dimly lit. Candles flickered at the altar, creating a comforting light beneath the feet of the statue of the Blessed Mother. Dipping her fingers in the holy water, Kate felt the chill, then instantly touched her forehead, making the sign of the cross.

It was like home here. For all that this church had rejected her, so much of her childhood had been spent behind stone walls like these that Katie felt a comfort in being there again. Sitting in the first pew, she felt closer to Ella, as if this air of spirituality connected her with the older woman's soul. Strangely it was a good feeling, and Katie suddenly knew that wherever Ella was, she was happy.

G.o.d bless your soul, Katie prayed.

Tears stung her eyes, but she wiped them away. Ella had known her and loved her. She had known all along that Kate wasn't Fan Pemberton, but had wanted to help her, to make her life better. For that, Katie would always be grateful.

Why then had Ella given her this terrible choice?

She could have the money, and all that it meant, or she could have Christopher. She couldn't have both. She could take the money, and everything that it represented, and live out her life like a grand lady, never have to worry again, never have to wonder where her next meal would come from or what would happen.

But she would be alone.

Staring at the crucifix in the center of the church, Katie closed her eyes in pain. She knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that she loved Christopher, loved him with all her heart and mind and soul. How could she walk away from him, knowing she would never see him again?

Yet how could she not?

My G.o.d, Katie prayed. Please...

It had once been so easy. She had married him for money, and for a name and security. When had she started to love him? Was it their wedding night, when he had loved her so completely that she'd lost all touch with reality? Or had it happened long before that, from the first time she saw him at the Drexels' party and felt that odd confusion? Why had she really married him, of all the men she could have encouraged?

The candles flickered silently. A charwoman entered the church and began rubbing the pews with lemon oil. Katie looked down, blinking away the stinging moisture in her eyes.

She would always love him, even until the day she joined Ella. There would be no other man for her. She might live out the rest of her life in comfort and ease, but she knew with a certainty that when she closed her eyes each night, it would be his face she would see, his name she would say.

And remember.

Putting her face in her hands, she leaned back in the pew and sobbed.

"So if you'll just sign these forms, it will all be taken care of. The money will be deposited into the bank of your choice. You will have one hundred thousand dollars, as will your wife. But you must start the divorce proceedings immediately, and you must sever all relations with Kate. Do you understand?"

Christopher nodded, staring dumbly at the papers before him. Martin smiled and put down his pen, then placed a comforting hand on Christopher's shoulder.

"I know this seems odd, but many wills have strange stipulations placed there for reasons known only to the maker. In this case, Ella genuinely sought to right a wrong. She was firmly convinced that she'd caused both of you unhappiness in bringing you and Kate together. And she wants to correct that now, in the least painful way possible."

"I see." Christopher stared at the paper, unable to take his eyes from the figure. One hundred thousand dollars...

"Do I have to sign these now? Can I take some time to think about it?"

"Of course." Martin nodded. "Though I admit, I am a little perplexed. This appears to be the ideal solution to a problem. But I understand, with your grief, that you may want to consider everything. And speak with Kate." He indicated a line on the page. "She has to sign this as well."

Christopher nodded, then turned to leave. Martin stopped him momentarily. "I'm sorry, son, about Ella. But she thought the world of both of you. I understand your financial difficulties. This is really your lucky day."

Turning, Christopher walked out the door. His lucky day. He should be on top of the world.

Why, then, did he feel like his life had just ended?

It was late when Katie got home. As she stepped into the grand house she saw Paddy and Moira, Sean and Eunice, all of them in their places as if nothing had happened, as if their entire world hadn't changed overnight.

Moira saw her first and smiled. "There you are! We were beginning to worry. Christopher stopped by-he has some papers for you to sign. He said he'll be back later."

Katie nodded, her throat tight. "So I guess that's that."