Catherine Nowells

Chapter 4 - Matter of money

"Catherine's sobbing, lying belly down on the bed, was both pitiful and repulsive. Pitiful because it was truly sad to see such a beautiful and capable young woman wasting her time and energy crying over a man who wasn't worth it. And repulsive because she had used up all the tissues that Nina could find and, in the absence of more pieces of cloth, she reached for the bedsheet. 

"Milady, please stop crying. Your eyes will puff up and you'll look like a frog." 

"Can't I cry? Tell me, Nina. Can't I? I feel like it! I feel like crying my heart out if that's what it takes. I tasted the sweetness of his lips" she turned over and looked at the ceiling "but I realized that behind that sweetness there's a huge plate of bitterness. Marcus has no heart and he has no intention of stealing one from someone else. He's a completely empty, inhuman man and he takes pride in being so. In short, I gave my love and my life to a being who doesn't care about either one. I never thought love could hurt like this. There should be a law against men going around breaking women's hearts. Marcus... how could you do this to me?" she hid her head again among the pillows while she blew her nose. 

"But milady, I still have one doubt. Can I ask it?" 

"I hope it's not about anything related to Marcus, because I've already told you I don't want to talk about him. Don't even mention his name."

"No, milady. It's about Harold. Where has he gone?" 

"Oh my God!" she gave a jump worthy of a colt and, with the first robe she found in the midst of the chaos, she ran to the garden, pale as the wind struck her legs but she didn't stop running until she reached the bushes. 

"Milady! Milady!" Nina followed her, fearing she would trip over her slippers. 

"He's not here! Oh, Nina! He's not here! He's been eaten by jackals or worse... someone will have stolen his corpse to experiment with his body."

 "But why? Who killed him?" she looked around, looking for traces of a crime. 

"Marcus! Marcus hit him with his cane and he fell unconscious. Oh, Nina!" she broke into tears, clinging to her maid. "I'm an accomplice to a murder."

"Let's... let's think with a cool head." she took Catherine by the shoulders and pulled her away a bit from her body to get her attention. "It's impossible that in such a short time some jackals have devoured Harold's whole and long body. Besides" she turned her head dramatically, pretending to look at the horizons, "I don't think there are these types of animals around here. Second, don't forget that we are on the property of the Earls of Pembroke. Who would want to steal a body in the middle of their garden?"

"Yes, you're right" she calmed down, taking a breath and squeezing the arms of her confidante as a sign that she had felt comforted by her words. "It's best that we go back." 'Finally, some peace and sanity,' thought Nina. "Tomorrow we have to go to that place where you got Harold from. No, don't look at me like that. I have to apologize. What kind of lady would I be if I didn't? It is unforgivable that I have forgotten about him."

Two coats and two pairs of boots walked through the streets of the village at a brisk pace. Although it seemed like a decent population for the most part, there were alleys full of wickedness and insolence. 

"My pearl necklace!" Lady Nowells was scandalized when she saw the only valuable jewel that she had had the pleasure of wearing, in the window of a jewelry store. If she focused, she could still read her initials on the central gold plate. 

"Don't look milady. It won't do you any good." 

"What do you mean? I'm going to get it back" she pressed her body against the glass.