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Stirring the Pot? Morning Friday the 16th


Charles Whitehurst
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Langdon rose early and vacated the room so that Sam could have it if needed.  He had not slept well the night before, having had nightmares that he was in a room in which the walls were closing in on him.  He briskly walked the battlements to further awaken his senses.  Then, there was some sword practice, where he could take out his pent up aggression on a wooden soldier.

None of it was helping, so he decided to take a walk into town.  He was told that Cat, Fiona, and Douglas had taken quarters in town, so he thought to visit Catriona to see how everyone was faring.  He needed to be back by noon.

 

MacGregor/MacBain rental property

A pretty Tudor style home with four bedrooms, a dining room, parlor, and library.  A small stable that can hold 3 horses and tack and carriage resides on the property as well.  A walled garden, most of it settling down to slumber for the winter, completes the rental. Perfect for 5 females.

There was a knock on the door and Charles awaited a response.  The long plume on his hat was dancing in the breeze about the doorway.

 

 

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The guards positioned around the house knew the stories going around about the Major and Lady Fiona.  They also had not had the order to allow him through rescinded, so he moved unmolested to the door.  The knock was answered by Cat, who had just left the kitchen.  While it had been cleaned up, she hadn't and had just be going to change.  But if the person at the door wasn't stopped by any of the guards, it must be an approved person.  If it was Douglas for breakfast, he wouldn't mind her state.  It was an older dress, streaked with flour (a handprint on her hip in flour as well), but it was not the only thing affected.  There were streaks in her hair where she had pushed back strands that had broken free of the braid.

 

She started to open the door with a smile, but as soon as she caught sight of who stood there, the smile disappeared.  "My lord.  Please come in."  There was a moment when she thought to slam the door on his face...in his face, but manners prevented that.  Normally, she would have escorted him to the parlor and asked for a few minutes to change, but her lack of sleep and anger at the fact that he'd broken their friendship kept her from being courteous.  "Did you come with new news?"

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Seeing Cat open the door caused him to give her a smile in greeting as he removed his hat.  Yet, her demeanor was strangely cold.  This caused his smile to vanish as he looked about.  Was the house under surveillance and she was forced to adopt a formal tone?  Was there someone listening?

"My lady, there is no need for formality between us," he uttered as he stepped through the doorway into the house.  "Is everything thing well?  Has something happened?" he queried as he looked about for evidence of damage or injury to the place.  The way she was dressed suggested an ordinary day of baking, rather than a reaction to a threat. 

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Cat wanted to go back into the kitchen and retrieve the rolling pin.  But, she didn't.  Instead she closed the door gently, working very hard to hold her temper at seeing Charles acting so innocent.  "Has something happened?  Oh, I don't know.  Maybe you know of something that might have happened."  This would not be the Cat he was used to.  This was the momma bear that hid behind the mother hen until it was too late.  "Something involving my little sister, perhaps?  Something perhaps that a friend shouldn't do to another friend's little sister that was in your care because said friend trusted the other supposed friend?  Something like tha'?"  The Scot was coming out in her speech, betraying her heightened emotions if the words had not already clued Charles in.  But, this was Charles and sometimes subtle things went by him.  He was lucky, though, that she hadn't reached for any of the daggers on her.

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"Something happened to Fiona?" he mumbled before she got to the point and he regretted speaking.  How did this happen?  He was fairly certain that their fling had been discreet.  No one should have known what went on behind the walls of Somerset Palace.  It was his palace and the men there were his.  Maybe Fiona confessed. Blazing Cannons!

Charles was naive about many things, so the Cat got his tongue, more ways than one.  He had not been prepared for a confrontation, though he had somewhat had prepared himself for an eventual disclosure to Cat, when the time was right.  This did not seem the right time; but then, what soldier fights battles on his own schedule?

After a suitable pause to collect his composure, Charles reverted to the manner in which he imagined he would inform Cat voluntarily.  It was best to be truthful and contrite in such situations.  "Yes, Cat, a friend let you down for a time.  I confess and apologize for a lapse in judgment.  There were special circumstances that I could explain if you have the care to hear; but, be assured that the lapse ended long ago when you arrived in London."  To a young man, a period of several months was a long time.

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"Bod Ceann" Cat muttered as Charles unloaded a pile of steaming shite.  She needed to do something with her hands if she wanted to keep them from finding their way around his throat.  He hadn't seen her in action at the Dutch Reception, so likely wasn't aware of just how stabby she got when angered.  "Follow me," she almost growled, leading him back to the kitchen.  "Sit," she pointed at the table when they entered as she went to the larder to get out ingredients.  She didn't know what she was going to make, but it was either this or use the rolling pin, now within reach, on him.  Once she was ready, she began making a short crust pastry.  "Tell me the special circumstances that made your Cliospairneach fall into me sister over and over."

 

Bod Ceann-dickhead

Cliospairneach-cock

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Charles was naive enough to think that Cat was going to be mad for a time but realize that Fiona was a libertine that needed to be evaluated differently.  So far, things seemed far more serious than that.  The pot was boiling and he was in it.

Dutifully, he followed Cat into the kitchen and sat where she indicated.  The Scottish curse words were unintelligible to him, but he did not need to understand each definition to get the idea of what she was conveying.  Before beginning he pondered the notion of excusing himself and saying he would come back later when she calmed down; but, what little he knew about women suggested that to be a bad idea.

With a sigh, Charles lowered his voice and looked around.  "I assume it is safe to speak in here?  I must have from you a promise not to punish Fiona for anything I reveal.  It was my weakness and I should suffer your ire rather than her."  If he revealed everything Fiona said to him, Cat might never let Fiona venture outside again.

"As you know, your sister is a willful person full of mischief and full of libertine ideas."  He paused a moment to see if Cat would acknowledge or would feign shock.  Surely she knew.  Fiona has had to have many lovers.  "She has suggested to me for many months that we might be intimate friends, but I resisted citing my friendship to you and Douglas being my co-officer.  I was able to be strong until the threats to her life emerged.  I wanted to protect Fiona from her assassin, so I placed her in a luxury suite in Somerset Palace surrounded by my soldiers.  There was no safer place.  Your sister was an emotional wreck and begged me to stay with her, including all night.  I did so, as you would have wanted, though sitting in a nearby chair.  I did not go home but for brief moments during the day.  I wished that she be protected closely, especially after that poisonous asp almost bit me too."  Now came the more sordid part.

"She would wake up screaming and , naturally, I went to hug her, tell her she was safe and comfort her in bed.  After a while of being intertwined with her naked form while half asleep, I made a mistake. One that I regret now.  We spoke of it on waking.  She explained she sought no marriage or commitments from me but wished us to be together, and her freedom to seek out others.  As a foolish young man besotted in the moment, I agreed, thinking I would take steps to protect her against disclosure and pregnancy.  I wrongly thought that I would protect her better by keeping her close to me.  It sounds stupid now that I utter it but it made sense to me in the moment.  That very morning, I wrote you the letter and knew you would come to London immediately.  I knew this relationship needed to be brief and I would have no basis to continue it once she was safely in your care."  He voice spoke with genuine contrition.

"I was weak Cat.  I have always had a weakness for ladies, especially those I see as a friend.  My brain does not function as it should when a lady asks or invites me to do something with her.  Your sister can be very persuasive and is full of contagious energy that is hard to resist.  She continues to show me affection and a willingness for more, but I will resist.  Having seen what I did and how it has hurt you, I have no wish to betray your trust again.  I should like to continue seeking her predator if you will let me.  If you wish me to have no further contact with her, I will honor your wishes."  His head was bowed for the last couple of sentences.

Looking up at her face he concluded with "if you have every done something truly stupid in your life Cat, you know how I feel now and I ask your forgiveness, in part for the friendship we have shared since our first day at court together.  I will continue to learn and strive to be a better man in the future with your help."

Edited by Charles Whitehurst
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As he began to speak, Cat placed the dough in a cool area then brought out the fig preserves, some warm spices and sugar.  The began mixing everything in a bowl.  Every movement was controlled anger.  In one breathe, he took full responsibility and in the next, blamed Fiona.  Once the mixture was done, she grabbed the rolling pin.  She turned to look at him, sitting there, acting as if what he did wasn't a horrible betrayal, just a minor 'whoops'.  There was a moment where she thought Just one hit but she refrained.  "Have I done something truly stupid?"  She tapped the rolling pin against her hand.  "Perhaps the stupidest thing I ever did was think you held any respect for me.  Because if you did, nothing Fiona said would have swayed you."  She turned back to the dough and started rolling it out.  

 

"You do know neither Fiona nor I have final say in who she marries.  She is a ward of the King, not a ward of the Court and not my ward, as I'm only a female.  Just like her younger sister," she said as she reached for a cup with a thin edge nearby, cutting out circles, that she then rolled out a bit more.  "I need you to understand exactly what happened.  I wasn't the only one you disrespected.  You disrespected the King."  His Majesty had proclaimed Fiona His ward in front of the Court.  "Fiona can have all the libertine qualities, but at the end of the day, you are the adult and you put yourself in this position.  I'm not going to ask you to stop the investigation.  My sisters' lives mean more to me that my disappointment and anger."  She placed a spoonful of the preserves mix into the rolled out rounds and quickly sealed them.  While she had been working, she had put a pan of oil on the stove.  Using a spoon, she deposited three of the balls into the oil.  "But until I can see your face without wanting to use if for dagger practice, I ask you to stay away from me and mine.  I also would suggest not confronting Douglas.  His hold on his anger isn't as good as mine."  She pulled out the test balls and placed them on a towel, spreading honey over the top and sprinkling with sugar.  

 

Finally, she stopped moving.  Just stopped.  Not a natural condition for her.  Cat's head dropped forward as she took several deep breaths.  "I honestly don't know if I can get past this," she said softly, the oil popping to punctuate her words.  "You, of all people..."

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She was furious with him. moreso than he imagined.  She was correct that he viewed it as a minor offense.  She was no maiden after all.  Better that she have a romp with someone that could look out for her rather than some stranger that would later try and kill her.  Maybe she could see that with the passage of time.  He had expected to get off with a warning but she was speaking about stabbing him with a dagger.  That was not the Cat he knew.  She was sounding more like Pembroke to him.

The part about being the King's ward was something of a pickle that he had not considered fully.  There was no longer a Court of Wards and Charles had wondered whether the King would continue to care as much as he did in prior years when he sought a husband for her.  He and Fiona would be a match made in Hell, based on sex that would cool with time and he would know she would be cheating on him.  There would be fights and unhappiness in such a marriage.  He might have to disinherit some of her children.  If he tried to lock her away in Langdon, she would merely swive the grooms and stable hands.  His own anger at the thought was already rising in his throat.

"I am truly sorry.  I fear I have upset you greatly, so it is best I leave now."  He took to his feet. 

He was already second-guessing his strategy of being honest.  Maybe it would have been better to protect her from the truth by denying it.  In the future, he might take a different tact, but the milk was spilt on this one.

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Whether or not Charles would believe that Cat had no clue how many other men Fiona had sex with after the failed assassin, it was true.  And if she found out DOUGLAS had slept with Fiona, murder would occur.  Cat was already feeling like a failure.  She was hoping that there would be some better explanation, that it was just rumors and nothing happened.  She wrapped up the three completed fried fig balls in a clean cloth.  "Here.  Take these.  They're too hot to eat right now.   But yes, I agree.  It's time for you to leave."  She paused.  "If you find any new information, please pass it along.  I would appreciate it."  She'd swallow poison to keep her family safe, so working around a betrayal was just a different form of pain.  She was shaking from holding everything in.  

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The fact that she offered him three fig balls was a welcome move, assuming they were not poisoned or filled with broken glass.  "Thank you."  He paused a moment.  It would be clear he was struggling for something to say.  He wanted to offer her something:  a word of encouragement; a gift; advice; or something that might make her smile.  Unfortunately, nothing seemed appropriate in the moment.

"Of course," he replied.  He moved briskly for the door.  He paused and turned before opening the door.  "If you need anything Cat, send for me.  I will always help you if I can."  Then, he was gone, his hand held aloft to block the sunlight as his eyes adjusted to the outdoors.  He needed to get back to the castle. 

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Cat didn't acknowledge his words.  Instead, her shoulders started to shake.  Once the door closed behind Charles, her legs gave out and she fell to the floor.  Silent tears, from anger, disappointment, despair, and the whole gamut of other emotions slid down her cheeks, leaving streaks in the flour.  What audacity she had.  At 16, she believed she could take care of her sisters.  By 17, she added her daughter.  And in all that time, all she had done was fail.  And she was going to usher Shona and Aileen through court?  Then her precious baby?  If she couldn't protect them from those she called friends, she couldn't protect them from anyone.

 

She allowed herself about 10 minutes to just cry.  Then, she pulled herself together, quietly finished making what she had started and left them cooling on the counter.  Finally, she wiped her face, smearing more flour across it, then cleaned up her mess.  It was time to get ready for the day.

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