Chapter 34

Fate responded well to Eliot, and he let him ride over him. This was surprising to him as she told him whenever Herbert visits him, fate just runs off and avoid him. 'Yeah, I have heard about horses they sense more than us humans know about ourselves! I used to own a horse, but it died due to sickness! It was a gift from my late mother!' he said. 'Where did you keep your house?' she asked him curiously. 'I have a house in Late district that is a sort of lake house!' he told her. She asked him, 'If I ever bring Fate there, would you let me keep him there?' she inquired. He laughed at her innocence, 'What kind of question is that! Rosalie we are friends, and you can certainly bring Fate under my care! I still have horses there but none of them I got attached to after the one my mother gave me died!' he told her. 'Thank you, Eliot! You just relieved me! I was just worried about Fate! I thought if Johnathan decided to live in Keswick for some time, then Fate would be alone!' she told him. Johnathan joined them and Eliot looks happy a little overshadowed by worry that he bore in his chest.

Johnathan couldn't finish his work till the weekday. Eliot and Rosalie had to leave for Keswick on their own. But Johnathan promised Eliot that he would be there in a few days. Eliot was just reassured by Rosalie that he will, and she will talk to Cathie. Rosalie just couldn't enjoy the views due to Eliot's concerned demeanor. He looked out but he couldn't enjoy any of the views that were knew to him. 'How scenic they are? Don't you feel lost in them when you catch a glace of them?' she inquired. She looked at his face that turned pale and melancholic now. He started shedding tears, 'Rosalie, I just can't bear that! She is ignoring me, but the sad thing is, she is killing herself and wasting herself with him!'.

Catherine had more bruises than she had when Nora, Eliot and Richard left that day. She recalled what happened. 'You called them here to look at these injuries of yours! Know that neither you are going anywhere, nor your lover boy would be able to help you!' he said. 'Are you out of your senses? He is nothing to me at all! You are my husband and yet you say that rubbish to my face! Shame on you!' she said. 'Oh stop! Pretending you are a virtuous and faithful wife! I know if Richard was not a lady you would have never married me!' he told her. She felt ashamed and said to him, 'I was just naïve, but I married you and now!'. 'Just shut it! Don't want to listen to your head-throbbing non-sense! You know what leave me alone!' he interrupted.

The following day he went out without attending to her and came home again with a lady. He sat and talked to her in as pleasant manner as he could. She came down and asked him, 'Why is she here again today?'. The lady sat confidently Infront of her and beheld her with pity and said, 'So she is the misfortune creature trying her best to stay with you!'. 'What have you said? I am unfortunate!' she retorted. She went straight to her and held her from her hair. She shrieked as loud as she could. Oliver tried his best to get her liberated from her grasp, but she was just extremely provoked and felt dishonored. She plucked out some of her hair in her hand when she let the clench off with a jolt to throw her off. Oliver had not seen her that gutsy. 'I will murder you with my own hands if I see another woman in my house! You go off and satisfy your lust outside my home, but I wouldn't bear it!' she told him.

He slapped her with all the force he could that she fell on the floor. Oliver then told her, 'Dare you put your filthy hands on any of my ladies again!'. She glimpsed at him with scorn, 'Bring them here and I will be do worse than that!'. He kicked the couch that lied near her to scared her and when he left. She hid her face in her knees and cried to her heart. She knew that now while thinking about that incident that nobody could help her. 'Catherine now you are doomed, and this is all your doing!' she said to herself. 'I just wish I could undo it! I just can't do that!' she thought.

Eliot, Rosalie and Angie reached Keswick early in the morning. Eliot stayed at Rosalie's house in the guestroom. She went to her mother's room and rested a bit on her bed. She told her about each and everything and she was over the moon to look at that ring on her finger. She congratulated her and embraced her with affection. Over the noon Eliot left to his home and Rosalie decided that she will pay a visit to Catherine after she is done checking on her bakery. She was so proud of Laurie for assisting with the Café. She then visited Mrs. Holdcroft who was pleased to know about her engagement to Johnathan. She congratulated her as well. She too was extremely concerned about Cathie and insisted Rosalie to visit her.

In the late noon, she accompanied Nora to Cathie's house. It was now her duty to warn her yet again the decision lied only with her. Oliver was not home, and Cathie was glad to see Nora after two weeks and Rosalie who told her, 'Look at this Rosalie!'. Cathie was overjoyed to see that ring on her finger, 'I just can believe what I am seeing! I am so happy for you and Johnathan! And especially for Johnathan you made that poor man cry a lot!'. She tilted her head a little in awkwardness and replied, 'Yeah! I wish I could just be daring!'. Cathie held her hand and reassured her, 'But I just am so, so happy! I am just lacking in expression!'. She smiled in delight and Rosalie sensed the energy from the Catherine, her friend she always admired.

'So, when is the marriage? IS it in Italy or here! I just can wait!' Cathie responded. Rosalie was pleased to see her greeting with such love that made her sense the tolerant person she is. She was ready to give her all when it comes to salvaging a wreck, at that point it was her marriage with Oliver. While Cathie prepared tea for them, Rosalie told her, 'I am not sure we couldn't plan at all anything, something significant came up?'. 'Oh! What could be that important as to bring you back here without planning your own marriage, dear bride to be?' Cathie said. Rosalie voiced her name and spoke, 'Catherine, what it could be? A beloved's suffering, that is!'. Catherine realized at that moment what brought her here was her agony.

She stops while pouring tea in the kitchen and as the kettle was tilted the sound of pouring tea could be heard. She understood at that point that she couldn't avoid it yet again. 'Catherine, love! You please come here and sit with us!' she requested her. Catherine walked with the tray and Rosalie could see her eyes flushing with the pain she held back. Nora took the tray from her as she was shuddering and then Rosalie sat her down near her. 'He will not change my love! Nobody recognizes that better than you, yet you are ready to keep up with this chaos!' said Rosalie. Oliver saw the car parked outside his house and muttered, 'Those bothersome friends of her will not leave her alone!'. He entered the house silently and Even Nora and Rosalie couldn't hear him entering the house.

He earwigged to what they said and remained silent for a moment to listen to what Catherine had to say. 'Rosalie, I am not a better person than him I just do not want to be labelled as a dishonest woman! People will not accept me as I used to be before marriage!'. Rosalie felt exasperated at what she heard from someone she adored greatly. She told her as she held her arm to show her the bruises, 'Do you see what he has done to you? These bruises just show the apparent damage he has done but your words Cathie, they pain me lot!'. 'Do you even recognize yourself, Catherine, anymore? You do not need to bother about people at all! They see him walk with other ladies and never question him!'. It maddened Oliver when she uttered those words.