The Spying Cat (ONC 2023 Shortlister)

Chapter 7

"I couldn't find Gilbert at the docks," Joey reported, as the troublemaker trio reconvened in Ruth's dressing room before her performance. "Or Jeremy, for that matter."

"Where is Jeremy?" Kitty asked, looking like herself again in her lace-trimmed day dress. "I haven't seen him in a very long time."

Joey shrugged. "I don't know. He left no forwarding address at his old lodgings, and the people there did not remember him kindly, if at all."

"I've always felt Jeremy was more of a troublemaker than he let on." Ruth powdered her face in the mirror. "He always got away with it because Sarah and Sammy are both too bloody good. They've mollycoddled him beyond belief."

Kitty was uncomfortably reminded of the confession she had made to Ben earlier. She had never really stopped to ponder how much Isaac's punishments had affected her, because he had moved away to shepherd his own parish at around the same time Rebecca had run away from Gilbert.

At the time, when Kitty wasn't even ten years old, she'd lost her protector, and been separated from the threat. Now her terror was coming back to haunt her in unexpected ways.

"What about you, Kitty?" Joey interrupted her ruminations. "Where were you?"

A knowing smile adorned Ruth's reflection. "That was Jimmy dropping you off, wasn't it?"

Concern knitted Joey's brow. "Jimmy? Jimmy Becket, who is now Ben's coachman?"

"That's the one," Ruth confirmed.

"You went to see Ben?" Joey faced Kitty. "On your own?"

"Yes, I just – "

"You just what?" Joey sprang to his feet. "Kitty!"

Kitty looked up, and Ruth turned from her table, both of them astounded by Joey's outburst. The heavy silence rendered him sheepish, and he sat down again.

"You should be more careful," he said, avoiding her eye.

"I was."

"America does things to a man. And he's been there longer than I was."

"What did you do in America, Joey?" Ruth asked point blank. "You've been so terribly mysterious about the whole ordeal."

"It doesn't matter." He stuck his cap on his head and went for the door. "I'll leave you girls to it."

*

Despite his reservations, Ben kept his word and called on Kitty the next morning. He hesitated to get out when the carriage stopped outside Ezra's house. Misunderstanding him, Jimmy hopped off his box and opened the door for his master. Ben had no choice but to climb down.

"Should I wait for you, sir?"

Ben fixed the top hat on his head. "Yes, thank you. I shouldn't be long."

"Very well, sir."

Ben walked up the steps to the front door and knocked with his stick.

Kezia Thackery herself welcomed him. "Mr Hawkins, what a surprise! Do come in." She stepped aside and motioned for a housemaid to help.

"Mrs Thackery, good morning." He swept his hat off his curls in greeting and passed it to the maid, alongside his stick and gloves.

"I suspect you've come to see Kitty? My husband has just left for work."

Ben's lips pursed into a curt smile, his hands crossed at his back as he bowed briefly. "You suspect correctly, if it's not too much trouble."

Kezia chuckled. "No, not at all. Follow me."