"It's all my fault, my dear," Patrick said, sighing over his mint julep. "Had I known that James would have been such a brute to you, I swear --"
"It's quite alright, Patrick," Catriona said, wiping off the sweat of her glass as they sat together on the back porch. "Everything worked out."
"It's not alright at all," he replied. "I feel quite terrible for it. And not to mention Nathaniel finding you out and being - well - the prideful man that he is..."
Catriona didn't object even though she wanted to defend him. The beast had reprimanded her for only trying to help him, and after their discussion in his office, he hadn't spoken a word to her. He had barely left his office for three nights now, and whenever she passed them in the hall, he pretended she wasn't there.
Patrick, on the other hand, had been practically glued to her.
"You don't need to make it up to me," she continued. "You've already done so much. The fabric, the clothes, the job training –"
"And I'd hate for it to all go to waste. You have a lot to offer, my dear."
Catriona tried not to visibly roll her eyes, not because Patrick was giving a false compliment, but because she knew that whatever she had to offer wouldn't be seen by Griffin anyways. Rose was the one everyone would look at.
"Say, I have an idea," Patrick said, slapping his thigh and putting his drink down on the table. "Why don't you be my date for Nathaniel's party?"
"Date? Party?"
He nodded. "A lot of prospective clients will be there. You can even make your own dress and show it off. There will be plenty of business owners there as well, making it the perfect business opportunity for you, and it's a great way to make a name for yourself. It also gives me the chance to make it up to you."
Catriona thought about it for a long moment, the sweat on her glass mixing with her own sweat on her palms. She couldn't help but remember the way Griffin had disapproved of her attempts to help him, and yet still, there was still something in her that wanted him to see her as someone with potential and skill. she wanted him to see her as much as he saw —
"Rose!" Patrick cried with delight. "Please join us."
Catriona looked over her shoulder as Rose came onto the porch, her cream sundress and floral summer scarf the image of soft feminine beauty. Rose gave them both a warm smile as she sauntered over and took a hard look at the picture of mint julep.
"I suppose it would be a shame to let that extra glass go to waste, wouldn't it?" she said, pouring herself a glass and sipping it. "What are you two troublemakers talking about?"
"Nathaniel's party," Patrick said, "I just asked Catriona to be my date."
Rose rolled her eyes. "God help her."
"What? I'm a charming escort."
"Charm can get you to some dangerous places," Rose replied flatly, taking another sip.
"Will you do me a favor, Rose?" Patrick said. "This will be Catrinoa's first large party. Will you help her prepare for the occasion?"
Rose eyed Catriona for a moment, pursing her lips as she thought. Catriona couldn't help but feel small under her gaze, even though there was nothing condescending in it. She simply felt that way around Rose every time they were in the same room together.
Rose finally nodded. "I'd love to. How about I finish this drink and we can sort through what you have?"
After a round of drinks and conversation, Rose accompanied Catriona to her shared room.
"Cozy," Rose commented with a warm smile. "Do you like it here?"
Catriona nodded. "This room is much warmer than my apartment --"
She suddenly dropped her sentence, remembering her sister. Had Sara been kicked out yet? Maybe she was now in the cold, and with winter coming...
"Nathaniel has always treated his staff well," Rose said, interrupting her thoughts. "I don't know why his staff seems to be so stubborn. Nathaniel doesn't have the best people skills, but he always has their best interests at heart."
Catriona sighed. "It's hard to translate his words as supportive sometimes."
Rose was silent for a moment, and then nodded her head thoughtfully.
"Yes, I heard from Patrick about what happened," Rose said with empathy. "In part, I agree with Nathaniel, simply because Patrick keeps poor company. On the other hand, I understand wanting to improve yourself. Especially to catch someone's eye, yes?"
Catriona met Rose's playful gaze but quickly looked away. Rose could have won against her in any match, and Catriona wasn't interested in remembering it.
Rose made her way to Catriona's closet. "Now, show me what you have in terms of formal."
Catriona opened the closet, showing nothing more than some everyday wear, the two business suits Patrick had bought her, and the pile of fabrics. Rose rummaged through them, settling on a white fabric with gold embroidery, and a wine-colored satin.
"You can sew, can't you?" Rose asked, picking up the two fabrics. "Can you whip these into something?"
Catriona took the fabrics from her, nodding. "I was afraid to cut them. They look so expensive."
"All the better for them to be used. They're not very breath-taking while hanging around in the closet. You should bring them out and make them what they're really worth."
Catriona petted the fabrics, a few dress ideas coming to her mind. The wine fabric brought Griffin to her mind.
"This red would bring out your eyes so beautifully," Rose said, seeming to pick up Catriona's gaze at it, picking the fabric up and matching it to Catriona's face. "At the very least, Patrick will love you in these... Unless you want to impress someone else?"
Rose raised a knowing eyebrow. Catriona's mouth went dry. She opened it to object, but no sound came out.
"Don't be embarrassed," Rose said. "It isn't hard to develop a crush on someone you work under. But fair warning, Nathaniel is not an easy man to love." She sighed. "Not anymore."
Rose walked over to Catriona's vanity, which had nothing more than a couple of bottles of lotion and a pearl necklace that Patrick had bought her.
"I've loved him since we were seventeen, you know," Rose said, holding Catriona's pearls against her neck and looking in the mirror. "A silly first love it was, too. I realized that when he got engaged. But he was happy, so I learned to be happy too."
"Engaged?" Catriona asked. "Mr. Griffin was engaged?"
Rose nodded solemnly. "A lifetime ago. But it was broken off."
She delicately put down the pearls, and checked herself in the vanity mirror, adjusting the pins in her hair.
"And then suddenly he wasn't engaged and wasn't happy, and yet he still had no need for me. Not even as a friend. That woman broke him, turned him from the innocent sixteen-year-old boy I once knew into the cold-hearted beast the town sees today. But I still see little Nathaniel Griffin, the boy who loved the stars and his friends. I'm sure he's in there somewhere."
"Why are you telling me this?"
Rose stared at the mirror blankly.
"Because he only becomes that boy around you."
Rose fiddled with her fingers for a few moments before turning to face Catriona.
"I don't understand it," Rose said. "And I can't be angry with you, though I want to be bitterly jealous about it."
"Jealous? Of me?"
"Of the effect you have on him. You must have noticed."
Catriona shook her head. "I think you misunderstood. He can't stand me."
Rose's eyebrow bounced. "Is that so?"
Rose took Catriona gently by the arm and brought her in front of the mirror, squaring her shoulders so Catriona was facing it.
"You have a great hidden beauty in you," Rose said, the nail skimming Catriona's chin as she tilted it up. "It's quite easy to see, even if you can't. A man never truly hates beauty. They don't know how to. They can see it in all forms, unlike us. Just because they don't respond to it the same way we do, doesn't mean they don't see it better than us."
Rose dropped her hand, the color in her face a little faded.
"I've known Nathaniel for years, Catriona. And I will tell you this as an honest woman, even though I can't say I'm fond of the competition."
"Competition? What do you mean?"
Rose gave a sad smile.
"His eyes are on you the most," she said. "It may not seem like much, but Nathaniel Griffin never takes his eyes off success. If he's glancing at you... then it means something."