Page 39 of Kismet

Seeing her anger and hearing her counterarguments made him doubt himself. He had been so sure about his decision, had agonized all night about it. It had all made sense when he decided that they could not marry after all. She would be better off without him. She could find another man who would not draw censure to her. Without the weight of the gossips' disapproving grumbling, she could finally unleash her true brilliance.

He had known there would be pain and possibly anger, but Catherine’s arguments had power and logic. Was it possible that she saw things more clearly than he did? Was it possible that his mother had ulterior motives?

Could he do good in a different way? Was it really possible? He contemplated whether there were other means to contribute to the greater good. He had taken his mother's word that Cedric’s way—her way—was how people got things done. He had taken her knowledge on the matter because she had spent so many years as a countess, but was it possible that she did not know any better? Theodore let his head collapse to the back of his chair, weary from the emotional struggle and lack of sleep.

What hit him the hardest was when Catherine asked about his what his brother would think. She had accidentally stumbled on what his brother had told him to do. He had been broken and bleeding, and yet somehow Cedric had managed to tell him to find his own happiness. Theodore realized then that his efforts to overcome the events of that night caused him to neglect the importance of his brother's statement.

So his brother had wanted him to find happiness, but how could he do that while also upholding Cedric’s legacy? No matter how he seemed to look at it, he could not seem to find a clear path. Most of all, he realized that if he did not have Catherine in his life, there could be no happiness.

Barnes had never seen the colonel so despondent. He had spent a significant portion of his military career serving alongside him. He had patched up many of the colonel’s wounds after numerous battles and had even helped get him home after he had been injured at Badajoz. When the colonel had been forced to sell out, Barnes had stayed with him and left the military as well. Even then, when all that the colonel knew had been taken away, he had never been this miserable.

Barnes was never one to enjoy the pomp that came with titles and high society. He knew that some servants enjoyed the prestige that came with serving a well-to-do family, but he was not one of them. As he looked at the colonel, he could sense the turmoil that had disrupted his life after his brother's death.

Deciding that he needed to offer him at least some tea, Barnes went down to the kitchen to gather what he needed. Entering the room that was often busy no matter the time of day, he found the cook comforting one of the younger maids. “Is anything amiss, Mrs. Goodwin?”

Mrs. Goodwin looked up from setting a cup of tea in front of the crying maid. “While Lady Matlock is kind enough to the servants, her friends are often not. Lady Matlock is talking with one of her friends in her sitting room. Poor Sally let one of the teacups clatter when she was serving the tea and Lady Talbot yelled at her. The woman shoved the teacup back at her, sloshing the tea on Sally. “

Barnes noticed that Sally had a compress on her arm. Apparently the girl had been burned. He was glad that for the most part, the family he worked for did not act in such a manor. Though he knew the colonel would not have stood for such an action, his mother was another story. Barnes could not abide the woman, but it was not his place to say anything.

Sally put down the teacup with a rattle and looked up at them. “I am not usually so clumsy, but when I heard them talking so badly about Miss Catherine, I was surprised.”

Barnes fixated on the statement, and he couldn't shake the feeling of its immense importance. “What were they discussing regarding Miss Catherine?”

“Something about the gossip. How a plan was working? I am not sure exactly what they meant. They were right nasty, though.”

“Is she still here?” Barnes looked at Mrs. Goodwin expectantly, as if everything was resting on her answer.

“Yes, she normally stays at least an hour when she comes. They are close friends, those two,” Mrs. Goodwin responded with her eyebrows raised, clearly curious.

“Mrs. Goodwin, we will need tea in the colonel's sitting room in about half an hour.” Turning, he hurried out of the room and rushed back to the colonel. Finding him still slumped in the chair on the main floor, he rushed up to him in a manner that he normally never would.

Theodore looked up when Barnes rushed in, almost frenzied. He couldn't explain why, but his military instincts were telling him that something was about to happen. “What is wrong?”

“Colonel, we must hurry. Follow me. I believe there is something you must hear.”

Theodore's heart raced as he jumped up from his chair. Despite his previous weary demeanor, he felt a rush of energy. He trusted Barnes, and he knew he would only act this way if it was something serious. Without question, he followed him out of the room and into a series of back hallways the servants used. When it seemed that they were getting close, Barnes signaled for silence. Moving with the utmost care, he saw Barnes open the door with a deft hand, leaving it ajar to allow them to listen to the conversation.

A feminine voice made its way to his ears through the slight opening where the door was agape. “The latest campaign against the girl has been so successful, the next one can only do better.”

“Did you see her expression? It was priceless. When her former friend cut her, I could not be happier.” That was his mother. While he was aware she had a catty streak, the thought that she took pleasure in others' pain made Theodore shudder. Who was she talking about?

“You did very well, looking surprised at the gossip swirling around the room. Your half-hearted attempt to comfort Miss Catherine was perfectly done. No one could have guessed that you were the engineer of it all.”

The unknown feminine voice was back, and he still could not place it, though he no longer cared. They were talking about Catherine! Theodore’s fingers itched to fling open the door and confront his mother and her nasty friend. Barnes, however, seemed to notice his inclination and shook his head before placing his hand on Theodore’s shoulder in a restraining manner.

“Of course I had to maintain my shock and surprise, otherwise my son might suspect me and my plans.” His mother’s voice floated through the door, along with her chuckle.

“By the by, how are those plans going?”

“I have him pretty well convinced that I know more than he on how he should spend his time. Once we have the encroaching mushroom out of the way, I will convince him that Lady Lavinia is the only suitable bride. My reign in society is all but cemented.”

“My youngest sister is the best option—so timid and trained to stay silent and out of the way.”

The sound of Theodore's racing heart roared in his ears, silencing everything else. He was consumed by anger, his body tense and ready for action. The temptation to burst into the room where his mother plotted was strong, but he yielded to Barnes's insistence and allowed himself to be led back through the labyrinthine hallways. Eventually, Theodore realized he was back in his sitting room and Barnes was setting a cup of tea in front of him.

Looking up at Barne’s grim continuance, Theodore finally managed to form words. “How did you know that was taking place?”

Barnes fiddled with the tea set on the table nearby for a moment, as if hesitant to explain. “I had gone down to the kitchen and the young maid Sally, Jones’s fiancée, was being seen to for a burn. It seems that Lady Talbot was upset at her for letting the teacup rattle and she sloshed the hot tea on her in retaliation. When I asked for more details, Sally revealed that she was shocked and saddened by the hurtful things being said about Miss Catherine. I knew you needed to hear what they were saying about her.”

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