Caterina Pasqualina Basile was a young woman living with friends away from home, studying at the University Of Music And Performing Arts In Vienna. She was only a few years older than her roommates, a direct result of honouring her family's wish to complete her schooling at home in Naples before venturing into the outside world. Her first years had been spent honing her practical skills in the hope of a successful future, but now she wanted to nurture her artistic talents. She had the gift of touch, and that had led her to the violin; the artistry of her music was pure magic.
As a young girl, when her fingers danced in the execution of her chores, whether she prepared the evening meal or simply combed her long, dark blonde hair, they were gracefully simple to watch. She mesmerised many a young suitor by a simple touch of her hands, seemingly entrancing them to her will. Her extra years of school prior to attending the university had trained her to use that skill at an expert level; her feats astounded her instructors.
The violin came so naturally she thought her other talents would simply lay wasted. But she would realise soon enough that her other abilities would play a major role.
That morning began as normally as any other. She typically woke earlier to begin preparing a hearty breakfast for three. She always pulled her long, dark blonde hair into a bandana, like her mother always did. A silk dressing robe covered the pyjamas she still wore while labouring in the kitchen. Her two flatmates slept in while she prepared their meal.
This morning began as a normal day.
This would be the last normal day she would enjoy.
"Mmm, it smells wonderful," Laura complimented as she lightly embraced Caterina. "You always seem to have a magical flair when you're in the kitchen; it puts me to shame."
This was a fairly typical university flat; the two women shared the accommodations with another friend, Daniel Meyers. Daniel Meyers and Laura Mitchell had grown up together and had been childhood playmates from the crib; their parents too had been long-time friends. The roundabout trek they had made to this university began when they both had been selected to attend The Juilliard School in New York City.
Caterina was the newcomer in this trio, introduced as a permanent third member by Laura. Laura and Caterina had been classmates in their first term three years earlier, in Music Theory, and had sparked an instant friendship. Laura's family in the United States had influence and money, old money, and had set her up a trust fund to support her life here in Vienna. Daniel's circumstances were very similar. Either could have justified the apartment they shared, and the fact that they lived together helped seal the unspoken betrothal the two families expected.
Caterina's presence in their lives was kept secret.
Her family, in contrast, lived a simple life in Naples. Her father owned a bakery, handed down for several generations; the modest income it provided was enough, though scarcely enough for Caterina to squander on lavish surroundings. The young musician sought employment her first week in Vienna, but met with failure. She fell into good fortune with this friendship; Laura had watched her struggle during their first week of classes together, and found herself mesmerised with the grace of her hands when she had held the violin. Laura's heart opened instantly to her, once she had learned her need of a home. The relationship between the three of them was beneficial for all. Laura's obsession with the flat afforded the others the freedom to pursue their own desires. Caterina's upbringing and extra talents in the kitchen were favoured due to Laura and Daniel's lack of culinary skills.
"Please, see if Daniel is awake?" she asked Laura in broken English.
"He was snoring away when I got out of bed. Let me go wake him," she replied, leaving her roommate alone in the kitchen.
Caterina smiled as she heard the commotion down the hall. Upon hearing a shriek of surprise, she knew Laura had found a unique method to rouse Daniel from his sleep.
"Get up, you lazy bum." Sounds of a crash shortly followed, then a scream, and lastly, giggles.
After a few minutes of silence, her two friends entered the large eat-in kitchen; Laura strolled in while Daniel had a slight limp.
"Crazy witch," he muttered, "waking a guy from a dead sleep." He fell into his seat, and rubbed his shin.
Laura laced her arms around his neck, and kissed his cheek, "Sorry, my love, but maybe next time you'll remember not to leave your desk chair in the middle of the room."
"With luck there won't be a next time," he growled playfully. The banter between them was part of their charm, part of the unique love they shared.
"Please, Daniel, let's not have this fight at my home tomorrow," she ordered with a deep sigh. "The train leaves soon after the morning meal. I will file for the tickets this morning."
"You mean after ' breakfast', and it's ' buy'the tickets," Daniel corrected absentmindedly while he spooned sugar into his cup.
Laura smacked his arm and gave him a look.
"Please, Laura, he is right to fix my words. How else can I learn English to spend the Christmas with your families?"
"Don't worry about it! Your English is fine; our families will love you, just like we do. You know that," Laura said. She knew how self-conscious Caterina was about her English, although her German was almost natively perfect.
Caterina smiled warmly and gave her closest girlfriend a loving kiss on the forehead, "Please finishes. I need a shower, then to the tickets."
When Daniel started to stand, she placed a warm hand on his shoulder, "No, I will get them. You both have large classes, and I have a meet with my professor."
"There's some money in the house jar. Use that, not your own, ok?" Daniel instructed.
Caterina nodded and left the kitchen for a quick shower before a meeting with one of her professors. She did not take the money from the jar when she left.
The walk from their flat to the professor's office led Caterina through the small village, past a café with late-morning customers enjoying the new day. As she hurried to her appointment, she concentrated squarely on the upcoming meeting. Her class work had been uneventful, and she expected the talk was meant to bolster her efforts. She was trying to mentally list all the possible ways to improve her grade when she walked headlong into a woman nervously looking about the café.
"Ach, entschuldigt bitte mich," Caterina said after regaining her composure. - "Oh, please excuse me."
"Excuse me? I don't speak German very well, Ich sprech klein Deutsch," the woman replied. - "I speak little German"
"Nein, es heißt 'ich spreche kaum Deutsch' oder 'ich spreche keinDeutsch'," Caterina corrected. - No, it's 'I speak little German' or 'I don't speak German'
"I'm sorry, I still don't understand," the woman said trying to thumb through a translation dictionary.
"What you should have said was 'ich spreche kaum Deutsch' or 'ich spreche kein Deutsch.' Those dictionaries are worthless."
"You speak English?" she asked in amazement.
"Of course and also my native Italia, and as I said earlier, I'm sorry I wasn't concentrating on my direction," she said as she turned to continue on her journey.
"Wait, can you tell me how to get to the train station? I've been looking for it for an hour. I'm meeting my husband; he sent a message for me to meet him there."
"Three blocks up that street," Caterina said and pointed to the road around the corner from the café, "and turn to the right one block."
"Thank you, Miss…"
"Caterina Basile," she said extending a hand.
"Metilda Weasley. Pleased to meet you," the woman replied, taking her hand.
"Now, I must go, I have an appointment for my professor," Caterina said, leaving for the university offices.
Caterina waited at the door for nearly ten minutes; her appointment was for 11:00 that morning. She had arrived early but now regretted that decision. Nervously, she squirmed in the chair outside the office, knowing that being summoned to speak to the head of the department was never good.
The door opened and a silver-haired woman motioned for her to enter. The inner office was a typical one; rows of books lined the walls and a single oak table sat with a large, leather chair in front of the window. The man sitting in that chair also motioned for her to enter and sit in one of the two simple chairs before the table.
"Please have a seat, Fräulein," he commanded.
She nodded and quietly walked into the office, sitting in the chair on her left.
"I have reviewed the results of your concerto you have developed for your thesis, and I'm afraid there are too many similarities to another's work. Changing the piece to a different key does not make this an original work."
"But sir, I spent the past three months on this work. I can assure you I have not taken my inspiration from anyone else. I'm certain if you compare that other student's notes to mine, you'll see mind is original."
"I have reviewed the piece you have submitted and I have had three other experts review your effort. They all concur this is simply a modified version of Mozart's Violin Rondo in the key of C but written to use the key of E."
"No, I worked on this in the privacy of my home. I remember the melody in my head as a girl."
"Then it seems you've heard this played before, and are attempting to pass it as your own."
"But I have to use this to complete the term's requirements."
"That is a valid problem, one I have no solution to. The term ends in two weeks. I expect an original work submitted at that time. Now, good day, Fräulein." He looked down to his work where he had been presently slashing other students'efforts with his editor's pen, ruining untold hours of effort.
Caterina stood, in a mild state of shock, and left the office.
'Mozart. Cazzo, I copied Mozart,' she thought as she left the building. She had another errand to complete that morning. The train station was only a short distance away but not far enough for her to clear her thoughts.
The line for rail passes was thankfully short, with only one man in line in front of her. She pulled out the notepad she had used to record her concerto, trying to concentrate on this disaster. 'I couldn't have copied from Mozart' she tried to rationalise, as she flipped page after page.
"Look, mate, what I need to know is, when is the next train south leaving?" the man at the counter repeated.
"Wie ich schon sagte, der nächste Zug nach Süden steht erst für morgen früh auf dem Fahrplan."
Caterina listened to the obvious language gap between the Englishman and the ticket clerk. The man appeared concerned and nervous as he continually looked from side to side.
"Bloody hell, Mione could sort this out," she heard him mutter. He had a rail pass in his hand as well as the schedule, but it was clear that this man was either illiterate or did not know what he needed.
Caterina frowned at his predicament; she had been extremely preoccupied with her professor's negative critique of her last work to notice the clerk and this Englishman were about to come to blows.
"Look, does anyone here speak English?"
"Sir, may I help?" Caterina asked.
"Please, if you could be so kind. I need to know…"
"Yes, when the next train leaves for South. As this gentleman has been trying to explain, the next train south leaves tomorrow."
"That late? We hoped to be on our way today," the man said.
She turned to the clerk to ask a few questions of her own, "Können Sie mir sagen, wieso es diese Verspätung gibt? Heute sollten noch mindestens drei Züge fahren, und morgen noch weit mehr."
"Was ist denn mit den anderen Zügen laut Fahrplan? Da sind doch noch mindestens drei?" - Excuse me, why is there a delay. There should be at least three more trains today and a good number more tomorrow.
Her new companion stared at her in utter confusion.
"I simply asked why there is a delay. There should be at least three more trains today and a good number more tomorrow."
"Es hat Berichte über außergewöhnlich wilde Tiere gegeben, oder verwilderte Tiere, die die Züge angreifen. In Italien hat es Fälle gegeben, und in Frankreich auch. Allein in Bonn wurden drei Personen getötet. Man versucht gerade, die Züge zu reinigen, aber sie werden nicht vor morgen früh wieder freigegeben werden." - There have been reports of unusual feral animals attacking the lines. Some in Italy, some in France. There have been three people killed in Bonn alone. The authorities are trying to clear the rails, but they won't be open until tomorrow at the earliest.
"Wirklich? Verwilderte Tiere?" - Really? wild animals?
"Ja, davon haben die Berichte gesprochen." - Yes, wild animals.
"Oh... Vielen Dank." - Thank you sir
"Bitte sehr, und ich danke Ihnen für Ihre Hilfe mit dem englischsprechenden Herrn." - You're welcome, and thanks for helping with that Briton
She turned to the Englishman to relate this new information. "He said there have been attacks on the trains, some unusual animals. It happens in many places, and three have died in Bonn."
The man's face turned hard at the news. "Exactly what animals?" he asked.
"He was not clear, some large wild animal, large enough to stop the train at least."
She turned to the clerk once more, "Ach ja, und außerdem hätte ich gern drei Rückfahrkahrten nach Neapel, für dieses Wochenende." - Excuse me, I need three round trip tickets to Naples for this weekend.
"Zweite Klasse?" - Second Class?
"Ja." - Yes.
"Aber gerne. Das wären dann... hundertsiebenundvierzig Euro." - Of course, that will be one hundred forty-nine euros
She opened her purse, and began to dig for her money. When she looked up, several fifty Euro bills sat on the counter, and the Englishman had turned to leave.
The clerk handed Caterina her passes and change, and then she ran in the direction of the Englishman. He had almost turned the corner when she caught up to him.
"Sir, that was unnecessary," she panted, "I did not require you to buy these tickets." She held out the sum he had left, offering it to him.
"That's quite alright; I would have been there for hours if you hadn't assisted. Please accept this as a token."
"Which way south are you going?"
"We're touring parts of Europe. I had been to Italy years ago and thought we'd venture that way."
"Such a co-incidence, I travel to home on the train with my companions. Where in Italia do you visit?"
"I've been to Naples on business once, and thought my family would like to visit there."
"My home is in Naples. If you wish I could show you around the village."
"That would be very kind, but I must warn you, I'm with my family."
"Even better. Please invite them."
"No, I'm afraid that's not possible, my wife's sister has been ill, as is my step-brother."
"Please, for your kindness I insist.'
"That's extremely kind. I'll ask my family, and we'll look for you. I believe we'll be on the same train. Now, I must return."
They turned and parted company. Still holding the money and the rail passes in one hand, she turned on impulse, "Sir, if you please, have you dinner plans? I would be grateful if you and your family would join us tonight. It seems my budget has received a bounty."
"Thank you, that's most kind. I have to retrieve the others; I've left them in a waiting room for the next train. They are just around the corner."
"Of course, I have finished my obligations this morning," she said, then sighed, remembering that her grades for this one project were in jeopardy.
"We could meet at your flat, say 5:30? If you could give me directions, or- I have an idea- come with me, and you can give my wife the directions."
He smiled and ran his fingers through his thick, unkempt black hair. On his forehead she noticed a distinctive scar; her heart immediately jumped to her throat and she felt her blood rush from her face.
"Y-Yes," she stammered slightly. She hoped her change in attitude was not noticeable, as well as she hoped her hand sliding into her pocket had not been not noticed either.
She kept looking at his face, and the scar.
He turned in the direction of the train platform, and led them directly to a waiting area. Caterina walked next to him, trying hard not to stare; a knot had formed in her belly when she had recognised him. Her hand remained in her pocket, where she held her one means of defence.
"I'm sorry, miss, how terribly rude of me, my name is Herman, Herman Gratter, and yours is?" he said as they walked together.
She blinked at his introduction, almost an afterthought, and thought she must have imagined that scar. She had heard wild stories where the size and shape of the legendary scar varied greatly. She hoped it was just her imagination run wild. "Catty, I mean Caterina, but my, how do you say, friend boy calls me Catty."
"Boyfriend. So, you have a young man in you life?" he asked, grinning. Caterina found his attitude charming and pleasant, quite unlike the stories.
"No, not my lover," she said adamantly shaking her head. "I live with Daniel and Laura. We are close; they are like my family here, in Vienna. I take them home for my family to meet."
"I see. Here we are." He held a door open to the waiting area where seven others sat, three women and four men. One of the men was decidedly older then the others and two of the remaining three men seemed to be in a heated discussion with last. One of the women stood behind that last man in the argument; Caterina recognised her as the woman at the café.
"Caterina, this is my family, as it were." He held a hand to one of the women, who appeared to have a strong resemblance to each other, though the one whose hand he now held was slightly heavier than the other. "This is my wife, Harriet, and that is her, sister, Sarah."
Caterina walked over to the first woman and held out a hand, "Pleased to make acquaintances." She tried to paste on a smile, and shook the woman's hand. She smiled at the initial touch, and remembered having the same sensation from an acquaintance a year earlier.
"Love, she's been so kind to help with the ticket vendor, and has offered her home for dinner tonight. I need to have a chat with uncle for a moment, could you get directions from her?"
Harriet had stepped to his side and had given him an affectionate kiss in greeting, another change in the stories and rumours. "Of course. I think our uncle wanted a few words with you as well, Herman," she said with a raised eyebrow.
With that, Herman took his leave and walked to the older gentleman in the group, who appeared slightly bewildered.
"Now, I understand you've invited my husband to your flat for dinner? Quite an unusual custom, I think," Harriet said, her stern look boring through an already nervous Caterina.
"No, the invitation was for all. He seemed lost, and could not talk correctly for the clerk. I simply assisted," she replied. "I did not see him leave funds for my tickets before he left; I wanted to return his kindness," she wanted to be truthful, but her nervousness was not missed by Harriet.
"Yes, he is a bit irritating in that way," she replied, seemingly relaxed. "He seems to think he has to personally help every soul he meets. I guess that's just one of the things about him I find appealing."
Caterina continued to stare, now slightly confused. "How long have you been with him?" she asked, not believing how stupid she was for remaining.
"It's been seventeen years, and we married ten years ago," the lady replied with a smile.
Caterina looked at Harriet carefully, and smiled for the first time. "And I see he makes you pleased," she said.
"Yes, we're happy together; he's a special person."
Caterina nodded and smiled. She reached her hand out and placed it on Harriet's arm for a moment to be certain. At the touch she looked at Harriet's tummy and cocked her head.
Harriet placed a hand on her abdomen and nodded, "Yes, our first. Now, what are the directions to your flat?"
Caterina smiled and finally removed her other hand from her pocket, feeling a calming relief. She relayed directions from the train station to her shared flat, mentally counting the people she invited and wondering how she would break this news to her friends.
Harriet seemed to memorise the directions instantly, and a few moments later Herman had joined them, with the uncle.
"Caterina, this is my uncle, Paddy. I've asked him to help you, shopping and such, if that's acceptable."
She nodded, still nervous at his command. 'Wonderful, he's given me a watchdog,' she thought to herself. "Please, I have no need of help; it is not needed," she said.
Paddy stepped forward. He seemed to be reserved, but she could see a fire in him that the years had not diminished. He held out a hand, hoping to break the ice, "Don't think of me as anything more then a spare set of hands to carry the extra supplies."
"Please to call me Catty," she replied.
"Most of my close friends call me Padfoot. I guess because of my big feet," he said. "Where shall we go first?" He motioned for her to leave, and followed a step behind her, though quickly catching up to her in a single stride.
"The market. I need to restock the kitchen. And then home to brew these potions for dinner."
"Potions?" he asked.
"With the vegetables and a stock," she replied with a shrug.
"Soup, it's called soup. A potion is something a bit different."
"So sorry, I have had to learn English only these past three years. My, as you say, flatmates are from the America."
He nodded, noting her choppy sentences. "I spent a few years abroad there myself." They walked down the boulevard past the café and around the corner to an open-air market.
"Here is the market. Please, how do Herman and Harriet like to eat?"
"Anything would be smashing. There's a nice-looking roasting joint, is that acceptable?"
"Yes, there should be time for it to cook." She signalled to the butcher and pointed to a large joint, opening her purse.
"No, Harr- er, Harriet left me explicit instructions. You are not to buy a thing." He pushed her hand away from her purse, clandestinely noting its contents, then produced a large bundle of currency, pulling several sheets away and handing them to the vendor.
"No, my arrangement with Herman was for you to be my guests," she shook her head in frustration. "Please, I am to buy dinner."
"I'm afraid he'll be disappointed if I let you. Just accept his generosity, trust me; this means very little to him."
Reluctantly, she agreed, and handed the large joint to ' Paddy'to carry. At the next stop they purchased more ingredients for the meal as well as dessert, and a few choice bottles of wine. ' Paddy'doubled the order of wine she had selected, expecting to leave their host and her friends a few bottles for another time.
They walked briskly back to Caterina's flat, and by the time they arrived, she gladly welcomed the assistance with the additional groceries. Daniel and Laura were still in class and not expected for another couple of hours.
"Thank you for your help," she said. "If you wish to rejoin your nephew, I can manage."
"It's quite alright; they wanted to get rid of me for a while anyway. Here, let me help. I've been known to whip up a ' potion'or two in my time," he said with a laugh.
She pushed him into the lounge, yelling some choice words in her native tongue, though continued to keep a wary eye on him from the kitchen.
She watched him as he sampled one of the bottles of wine they had purchased, and then as he glanced over the small library accumulated by the household, selecting a book that seemed to spark his interest and thumbing through the volume.
"Caterina, are you sure I can't be of help?" he called out.
"I've nearly finished; please do not help. My companions should return from studies soon," she called back.
She kept observing ' Paddy'as he sat back with the book and his wine. He held it as though he was actually reading, but she noticed he never flipped the pages, as if lost in thought. But then the door flew open, and she saw his hand quickly slip into his pocket, as if about to draw a weapon.
Caterina left the vegetables she had been chopping, and hurried into the hallway. "Daniel, Laura," she called quickly, drawing their attention away from the stranger in the lounge.
"Catty, who's the guy in…?"
His question was cut short when she embraced him, planting a 'welcome home' kiss on his lips. Daniel looked bewildered at the openness she displayed in front of a stranger while Laura snickered behind him.
"Shh, I'll explain inside," she whispered in his ear as she pulled them both into the kitchen.
"What-" he started, but she kissed him again still in the hall.
"I'm so glad you're home, darling. Please help in the kitchen?" she said loudly.
She pulled them both aside quickly, and explained in a hurried whisper, "I had troubles with a stranger at the station, and I made a mistake to offer him and his friends dinner. This man is one of his group sent to watch over me. Don't ask any questions, please. I have bad feelings."
They both nodded in acknowledgment, knowing she had a sixth sense for trouble, and followed her into the lounge.
"Sweethearts, this is an acquaintance I had made this morning. Paddy, this is Daniel and Laura, the ones I live with here."
The stranger stood, set down his glass and book, and walked to greet them, hand outstretched. "Pleased to meet you both. Caterina helped my nephew at the train station; I hope this isn't an inconvenience."
Daniel looked at the man standing across from them, and took his hand, "No problem. So your nephew is coming soon?"
Caterina interrupted, "No, their ' family.'I met them all, eight in total, but two have been ill."
Paddy nodded, "It's a fairly complicated story, but essentially, yes. Two of us had been hurt in an accident, and we headed abroad during their convalescence since staying at home would have been painful at the moment. I actually expect the others to arrive soon."
Their wait proved short-lived as a light knock sounded at the door. ' Paddy'turned towards it as if a reflex had been triggered, and slipped one hand into his pocket. He walked to the door, being careful to stand on the side with the door-jam. He produced a small mirror from his pocket and after glancing at it, finally relaxed and opened the door.
A small group entered, all of them strangers to Daniel and Laura. Caterina came forward to hastily make the introductions, but the two sisters immediately hastened to sit down in the lounge. Caterina noticed that the thinner woman was leaning heavily on the other, favouring one leg. The third woman remained holding onto one of the men's arms, as if he were a life-ring.
Daniel and Laura though proceeded to largely ignore Caterina's hasty warning.
Laura busied herself passing out glasses of wine, and began a conversation with Paddy; all the while she watched Herman as he spoke to one of the two women, before walking with her to talk to Caterina.
Daniel on the other hand began demonstrating his latest ability. A friend had recently taught him sleight-of-hand, and he was currently entertaining two of the redheaded men by making a coin disappear and then reappear behind one of their ears. He fancied himself a skilled magician.
Caterina had retreated into the kitchen under the pretence of inspecting her dinner. Meanwhile, Laura had moved on to speak with Sarah and Paddy. Herman and Harriet followed Caterina into the kitchen.
"So," Herman began, "you got along with my uncle? He's really a kind and gentle man once you get to know him."
Caterina turned to him, "Please, do not lie. I can tell there is little resembling you and the others. This one and the other woman look to be sisters, yes? But they are not. And the two with Daniel are brothers, but not you." She bit her tongue at her abrupt remarks, but stood fast.
"So, you see there's no family resemblance. You're quite correct. Fred, George, and Percy are my brothers; their family formally adopted me eleven years ago at Christmas. None of us knew about Metilda until today, seems she showed up unannounced. Harriet is my wife of ten years, and Sarah, as you can tell, is related to her."
"And Paddy? He's not your uncle, is he?" she quizzed him.
"No. He's my godfather, but he's been as close to me as my father. My family was murdered when I was quite young. So you see; this actually is my family."
She stared at him, and then at the others in the lounge. She finally sighed and began to relax, "I had an image you were someone else. Please, I'm sorry." She reached to the couple and gave them each a hug and friendly kiss.
"Please forgive me, I had thought… I heard wild tales as a girl, but those were fantasy."
"What stories?" Harriet asked.
"Fanciful tales of strange, evil men; they were folklore, nothing more."
"I would like to hear more of these stories. Maybe on the train you can entertain us with them," Herman said, putting the subject to rest.
"Darling, why don't you see to the others? I'd like to get to know our hostess," Harriet stroked her husband's shoulder, and he left to rescue Fred and George from the clutches of the amateur magician. Caterina watched, cringing as Laura eyed Herman.
He joined the others as they all gathered for some small talk. Laura watched as he stopped to fill his glass, quickly moving to help.
"So, are you just travelling through Europe?" She laced her arm around his.
"Yes, sort of a convalescent trip. We had a difficult time at home and needed to get away." He attempted to step back without seeming rude.
"Tell me about it, I'm looking for inspiration for a novel." She edged closer. In the kitchen, Harriet, assisting Caterina in organising the dining room, failed to notice Laura's one-sided advances.
"Caterina, that's a very pretty name," Harriet started. "I understand you're here as a student. What are you studying?"
"The violin. I have magic with music. It is one of my passions." She handed the roast to Harriet, and stepped into the lounge to call the others for dinner.
While Harriet set down the roast, Caterina carried several other dishes to the table; the group gathered around. Harriet watched as Laura positioned herself next to Herman. Sarah watched in mild amusement as her counterpart shook her head slightly and slipped behind Laura, lightly tapping her on the shoulder. "You do know he's married, and I can tell you for a fact that his wife is a jealous witch."
Laura looked at her, puzzled; when they held hands, an evil grin spread across Herman's face, earning him a stern look from his wife.
"Oh, I didn't realise. So you're his witch- ahh, I mean wife," Laura replied nervously.
"Correct on both counts. She terrified my cousin once; poor sod never talked to her again." A round of snickers added to Laura's deepening crimson face.
Harriet simply smiled and offered Laura the chair on her husband's other side, which she declined. "It's alright, I never did anything. I just threatened to turn him into a slug," she said with a shrug.
Caterina's eyes widened at the joke, and she mentally vowed to dig into that remark.
The evening's tension broke with Laura's misplaced affections, and the jokes now passed back and forth easily through the group. The rest of the evening wore on, the large party enjoying the merriment and fellowship of the night.
Later in the night, Caterina found herself alone with Harriet and made one last offer, "Please, stay the night. We can find room for you all. The train leaves early and the hour is such, I do not think you could find a hotel."
"No," she replied. "That is too kind and we won't put you out."
"Please, stay." She held the other woman's hands gently, the sincerity of her offer prompting Harriet to reconsider.
"I'll have a talk with Herman," she said. She needed to wait until later; he was currently in a heated argument with Percy.