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Chapter 20
Catherine and her daughter rode in the carriage in silence. They had not said a single word to one another.
To keep her head clear, Catherine listened to the creak of the carriage wheels, the beats of the horse hooves. There was something satisfying about those sounds. Perhaps it was because she was on the verge of a solution.
Her daughter could sit there with furrowed brows and a pouty lip. But Catherine knew what was best for her. She knew what her daughter needed for a future, and it was currently a fresh start.
They were on their way to the town of Bath. Bath had plenty of not only eligible suitors but ones who were also eager to start a marriage and a family. Catherine also knew many people in town, which would make it fairly easy to find them. There would be no more waiting around and wasting time. Her daughter would be married soon.
Catherine had debated on making some form of small talk with her daughter as it was not easy to always be the bad one. Her relationship with Matilda appeared to fracture more and more by the day, and that was sad. Catherine could remember a time where she was Matilda’s entire world, the person she would go to about her books as a child. She would always have a thousand questions about the world. But she never grew out of the books. She never stopped living in the fake worlds and started to live in reality. As a mother whose job it was to guide her in the right direction, how could she not be hard on her? Perhaps one day, Matilda would look back on the actions that she deemed to be cruel by her mother and thank her.
Catherine recognized the town of Bath up ahead as she peered out of the side of the carriage. The town never changed much with its short buildings that barely rose above their trees. If one didn’t know that a town was there, they might have missed it altogether. But despite the illusion of being small, the tow of Bath actually held a decently sized population along with wealth. The prospect of finding a suitor for Matilda excited her to no end. There might even be better-qualified ones than Charles.
When the ride had been done, Catherine and Matilda settled into where they’d be staying until Catherine found the appropriate suitor. It wasn’t as nice as Hardon House, but it would have to do. There were more important things at stake than luxury.
Catherine watched in silence as Matilda unpacked the few things that she had brought her, and for the briefest of moments, she felt bad that Matilda did not have a book to read. The circumstances were harsh, yes, but she would get used to them until they passed.
As Catherine settled her own belongings in, she couldn’t help to think about her daughter’s romantic eye to whoever the driver was. It brought her shame to think that her daughter would open her heart to a commoner after being raised the contrary. What could she possibly have in common with a man who sat behind horses all day? It was mundane work, work that Matilda would never have to bother herself with.
The whispers had proved it all to be true, though. There was a handful of people who spotted Matilda conversing with the driver, spending time with him, wasting her energy and time. It was folly, activities that were surely spawned by those books of her. Catherine was proud of herself for being correct in taking Matilda’s books away as they accomplished nothing but forcing her to believe that those silly stories could happen in real life.
But Matilda had overlooked many realities. She wanted to see the present and the future through her own eyes. That was not how it worked. She was not thinking about what they would do for money. She did not consider what life would be like with a man who was a driver of horses in his day to work. She could only think with her impulse, envision with her imagination. And those two things would ruin her life faster than she could read.
Catherine kept her clothes and other belongings organized and categorized. The quicker that she could locate something, the easier life would be. Organization was something that she firmly believed in. Her daughter did not share in that sentiment. It made Catherine stop and think just where she had gone stray with Matilda. She had raised her to the best of her abilities, yet she had grown up to be everything Catherine warned her of.
Catherine shook her head a little, forcing herself to think about the task at hand. She had suitors to find for her daughter, a fresh start. When it came to the driver, Matilda would forget about him in no time. Once she found a new man, her thoughts would drift away from the commoner and grow in affection for the new man. Charles was a bad choice, it seemed, a short obstacle in the bigger goal. That was all.
In the next room was Matilda, sitting on the end of her bed with her head in her hands. She had nothing to read, nothing to do; all she had at her disposal was the ability to reflect. And as Catherine went over to poke her head in to check on her, she hoped that that was what Matilda would do. Reflection was key for human growth, and Matilda needed a ton of it. It was why prisoners tended to get better after being chained away—reflection.
Catherine went back to her own room and took a seat in the red and gold velvet chair. Even though she had been sitting for a good while in the horse carriage for travel, it still felt good to sit down and relax. She had been more mentally tired than anything, she knew. It was taxing having to deal with the situation. If Matilda had just listened, everyone would have been far happier.
In came the steward who had arrived in his own carriage. It was nice to see a familiar face in an unfamiliar setting, even for Catherine.
“My Lady, how are you doing?” He asked.
“I am a bit fatigued from travel. Aside from that, I am quite well. Everything is in motion as planned. We should find a suitor in a short time.”
The steward gave Catherine a graceful nod of agreement. “I am pleased that you remain in good spirits. To better that for you, I have some good news. The driver has indeed been fired and told to leave Hardon. When Matilda returns, they will have no contact. As for him, he has not been told of where Matilda has been taken to. He will most likely return to his family.”
Catherine wanted to wear a big smile, but she wasn’t one to reveal emotion. “That is great to hear, thank you.”Before the steward could leave, Catherine asked. “Do you think that I am too hard on Matilda?”
He did not turn around right away to answer her, but when he did, he moved slowly. His response was also not fast. It was as though he needed to think about, prepare, and study his own words. “I believe you to be a great mother. I do not see any reason for advisement in changing the way you handle her.”
A political answer.Catherine thought.He fears me and will not be honest.“You do not need to mince words. What is your honest opinion of me?”
The steward looked like he was going to be sick.Had I really built up such a reputation with my staff that they cower in fear over a mere question?
But then, in a shocking turn of events, the steward shifted in what face he wore. “I have been under your command for a very long time, a good portion of my adult life. I would say that I know you very well. And yes, at times, you are tremendously rough towards Matilda. But in knowing you, I firmly believe that you have her best interests at heart. Sometimes it is the harshest route that leads to the grandest of places.
Even though Catherine did not enjoy the truth, she appreciated the sentiment around it. She could not understand why but she had developed a strong sense of guilt out of nowhere. “I do love my daughter. I would do anything for her, and I do not mean to hurt her. Sometimes I wonder ruling with an iron fist will lead to destruction in the future.” She could not fathom why she was revealing her feelings to the Steward, but it felt right.
The Steward sat in the chair not too far from her and took a moment before speaking. “My Lord, I know you are not one for stories but may you entertain one?”
“Yes.”
“It is one of my favourites. There once were two kings. One was on the southern side of the world, the other on the north. They were both tasked with the same issue, though—famine. The hand of the first King asked him what they will do? And that King responded with ‘we shall cultivate the land, share our food with the people, and work together to find new ways to grow the livestock.’ The second King was asked the same question, and his response was, ‘The people who have food shall eat. The ones that don’t shall find a way to eat or starve.’ The first King’s empire completely collapsed as they exhausted all their resources and could not find a way to prosper out of the situation. The second King lost half his population, but those who survived found new food sources and his Kingdom flourished. He was praised as a hero. My point of this story is, sometimes you may feel cruel in the moment, but that cruelness can lead to prosperity.”
Catherine very much appreciated the story. It was exactly what she needed to hear in that moment. “I thank you for that. It is very wise.”
