Catherine’s Father

Williams sat down on the sofa and surveyed the interior of the house he was in.

"Here!" A friendly voice said.

Williams looked at the person in front of him and smiled faintly. He stretched his hand and collected the cup of tea as well as its saucer. He saw the steam that came out of the liquid.

"Thank you, Mrs Hilda." He said plainly.

Hilda hummed and stood there. She was watched him as he blew off some of the steam and took a sip of the tea.

"Do you like it?" She asked keenly, with a smile.

Williams replied in a nod but didn't make eye contact. He kept the cup on the table in front of him.

"You know, I can't thank you enough for what you did for my lovely Becky. Despite knowing that she was pregnant with another's child, you still decided to marry her. Not all men would have done what you did." She said openly.

Williams didn't reply. He didn't want to reveal his reasons in the cause to continue the conversation.

"Speaking of Rebecca, she had returned home in tears and didn't want to talk to anyone. Do you, by chance, know what could've upset her?" He asked flatly, curious about his wife's sadness the other night.

"No, Your grace. I don't. She left the house and hurried to go and see someone. When she came back, she was sad. Sadder than the first time she discovered she was pregnant. I was worried when her saw her like that." She answered candidly.

"Mm!" He hummed,

"Do you know if her child's father was the reason for moodiness?"

"You do know who he is, right?" He added.

"I have no idea who he is either. Rebecca had a lot of admirers but never a boyfriend. She was usually busy at the palace and barely stayed home with us." She said.

"But she certainly knows who her child's father is." He thought.

"She might. She wouldn't tell either I or my husband who Catherine's father is. I don't know why she decided to keep it a secret." She replied.

"And her best friend, Crystal? I heard she was the last person the Duchess had talked to. Is she inside?" He asked keenly.

Hilda shook her head.

"She had gone to the bakery to get some bread for breakfast. She won't be long." She said cheerily,

"You would enjoy us, would you? It's not going to be as fancy as you normally have at your house."

"It's okay, Mrs Hilda. I'll be glad to join you for breakfast." He answered calmly, faking his smile.

The door opened and someone entered the house.

"You came at the right time." She said gladly.

Crystal looked puzzled and caught a glimpse of the visitor in the living room from the door. She swallowed nervously. Hilda walked towards her and collected the basket which was holding.

"You'll have to keep the Duke entertained while I go I prepare breakfast. Edward has been gone since dawn and will soon return." She said to Crystal, walking towards the kitchen.

"I can help you make breakfast." Crystal opted, trying to avoid talking to the Duke.

"It's okay, dear. I can do it." Hilda replied loudly as she entered the kitchen.

Duke Williams picked up his cup again and looked at Crystal. He had a serious look, which intimidated Crystal. She watched as he drank the tea slowly.

<

>

Rebecca slowly lay Catherine down in her cot. She had fallen asleep while she was being fed. She gently pecked her forehead and smiled at her daughter. She walked away from the cot to the door. She got hold of the handle and stalled.

"Look, Rebecca!...I made it clear to you that I don't love the day I had gone to war. It's been a year; how hard it is for you to move on?"

Rebecca turned her head round and glanced at her sleeping daughter. She smiled faintly and turned the handle. She quietly closed it and climbed down the stairs. She walked into the dining room and saw no one at the table.

The dining table was set as well as the food were placed on the table but there was no sign of the Duke. Zita entered the room with a jug filled with orange juice and kept it on the table.

"Good morning, Your grace!" She greeted her and curtsied. She had worn a smile.

Rebecca reciprocated in a hum and smiled back at her.

"Please, sit down while I serve you breakfast." She said calmly, glad to see that her mistress wasn't sad anymore.

Rebecca pulled up a chair at the side of the table and watched Zita as she served her breakfast.

"Zita,"

"Yes, Your grace!" Zita answered, pouring some juice in a glass for her.

"Where is my husband?" Rebecca asked keenly.

"His grace left early this morning. He said he had an urgent mater to attend to and won't be back for tea." Zita replied plainly, stepping away from the table.

"Oh! Did he have breakfast before he left?" Rebecca asked her.

"No, he didn't. He was in a hurry to leave. Although, he did say he will be treated well once he arrives at his destination." Zita explained to her.

Rebecca suspected he might have gone to see her parents but shrugged off the thought. She had taken few bites out of her meal when she heard voices.

"Willy, I'm home!"

Rebecca stopped eating and became puzzled. She turned to her side.

"Did you hear that?" She asked Zita.

"I did too, Your grace! It sounds like my master's mother." Zita replied, familiar with the voice they heard.

"Williams?"

Rebecca became curious and stood up from her chair. Her curiosity made her to lose interest in her meal.

"I'll go and see who it is."

"I'll go with you, Your grace." Zita offered.

Rebecca didn't reply nor objected her offer. They both left the dining room and arrived at the living room. Rebecca slowed her pace when she saw who it was. It was a woman, who was in her late fifties, dressed in cream coloured dress. Her hair was short and styled to a bob.

The woman caught a glimpse of Rebecca and smiled slyly.

"Ah! You must be the new caretaker my son hired!" The woman said proudly, sneering at Rebecca. She looked her from head to toe and disliked her.

"You're mistaken, Mrs Tracey. She isn't a caretaker." Zita replied plainly.

"Then who is she? Is she one of the new maids?" Tracey asked flatly, staring at her coldly,

"Even if she is, she seems overdressed for the job."

"I-."

Rebecca paused when she saw Fiona enter the room. She furrowed her brow confusingly and flashed a glance at Zita. Fiona had walked in with a smile which soon turned to a frown when she saw Rebecca.

"What are you doing here? Haven't you haunted me enough?" Fiona said curtly.

"Do you know her, Your Highness?" Tracey asked curiously and looked at the Princess.

"Of course I do. She is that annoying and stupid maid I had told you about." Fiona replied bluntly.

Rebecca seethed as she was being insulted by the Princess.

"Oh! So she is the pest that had been giving you a hard time at the palace." Tracey jibed, wearing a plain look.

"If you think I'm going to let you work here, then you're mistaken. This is my house and you'll be have to leave. So get your bags and go back to that fish pond you call a house." Fiona retorted.

"That's where your mistaken, Princess. This is my house, my husband's house and people like you aren't welcome here." Rebecca shot back at her.

"Your husband's-?" Princess Fiona guffawed.

"Did you hear her, Mrs Tracey? She thinks that she will marry the Duke? How pathetic!"

Tracey joined in the laughter.

"You can't hypnotized Williams as you did with my brother. He would never fall for a disgusting and cheap woman like you. You're simply my brother's leftover." Fiona said irritably,

"I'm the one the Duke loves. He is my betrothed. So there's no way I'll let you have him."

"You certainly don't suit my husband's taste. You have no right to insult me in my own house. Before you say anything, I'll advise you check your status and in whose house you're." Rebecca told her off.

"Have you no shame? How dare you speak to the Princess like that? I know being poor affects people mentally but it shouldn't make you feel big than your superior." Tracey said coolly, taking the Princess side,

"Now, apologize to Her Highness right this minute."

Rebecca stayed mute and looked at them blankly. She heard her daughter's cry from  downstairs and turned her head round. She glanced at the staircase.

"Lady Catherine has woken up from her nap." Zita said softly to her mistress.

"I'll go and attend to her." Rebecca said and headed for the staircase.

Fiona found her behaviour rude and disrespectful. She glared at Rebecca.

"Did she just walk out on us?" Tracey pointed out, pissed off.

Zita glanced at the two plainly and left the room.

<

>

George has summoned Williams to the palace. The Duke stood in the throne room, along with the King, whom was seated in his throne. The victim of the previous attack was present and was narrating the incident again to the Duke.

"Most of us no longer sleep with our closed. We fear that the attackers might return and murder us on our sleep." The villager expressed, with teary eyes.

"Mm!" Williams hummed,

"And these men, you said they were masked?"

"Yes, Your grace! Each one of them had covered their faces." The villager confirmed.

"And what part of the village did they attack?" Williams followed up.

"The outskirts, that's where we were attacked." The villager said.

"That's between the borders of the next village and Strathpeffer." George pointed out,

"We've heard you. I assure that those men will truly get what they deserve."

"Thank you, Your Majesty." The villager said happily, pleased with the response.

"You may leave." The King dismissed him.

The villager bowed and left the throne room. George waited until he had completely left.

"The attack seems like a threat from the neighbouring village. Don't you think so, Williams?"

"I guess it's their way of inciting for war. If that's what they want, they will sure get it."  Williams replied vehemently.

"The lives of these people are in my hands and as their king, I uphold the task of protecting my subjects. Have the knights ready and prepared for the terror ahead. We mustn't let those criminals go scout free." George said.

"I'll do as you've said, Your Majesty." Williams said respectfully.

"Good!"

"You know Williams; Fiona deserves to be happy and be with the one she truly loves. Don't you agree with me?" King George hinted.

"Her Highness isn't a child and can such decisions on her own. Any man would be willing to form a relationship with her." Williams said plainly.

"And why can't you be that man? You both were already in a relationship before. Why did you decide to end it?" George asked, seething as he looked at him.

"A man's happiness has no bound. I've found peace in the woman that I have chosen. I had no intention to continue forcing an interest that will yield disastrously. I don't love your sister, Your Majesty." Williams said boldly.

"She did a lot for you. She had convinced to things I wouldn't do for a man in your previous status." George said sternly.

"I do acknowledge that and I'm rendering my services to you as my gratitude. My heart belongs to only one, which isn't the Princess." Williams answered.

George exhaled furiously and pursed his lips.

"I have no interest in wasting your time anymore. You can return home and enjoy your wife's company."

Williams didn't reply and bowed. He walked a few meters away from him.

"Williams,"

The Duke stopped when he heard his name. He didn't turn round to face the King.

"How much do you love your wife that you're willing to lose the Princess?" George asked curiously, in a firm voice.

"Love can't be measured by gifts. I would do anything for my wife. As long as I see her smiling, my love for her is non-negotiable. I can do anything for her, even if it means killing the man has caused her nothing but pain." Williams said confidently.

"Mm! I wish to delay you no more. You can go now." George said dismissively.

Williams left the throne room and walked out of the castle. He got on his horse and rode it home.