It was Theresa's fifth day at Wildwood's castle. Theresa made her way up to Wildwood's study.
Missus White walked by with her customary expression of disapproval.
Theresa ignored her. She could not wait until she was again tall enough to look other people in the eye and had her mouth back. She would give the housekeeper the set down that she so richly deserved.
The fact she knew the housekeeper did not know her true identity barely lessened Theresa's annoyance at the woman.
Theresa heard Daphne talking from a sitting room. She decided to go see what her sister and Thomas were doing.
Daphne and Thomas were sitting on either sides of a table. Judging from the black and white pieces scattered on the table, the couple was playing chess. Theresa decided to watch. She walked over to the settee that Daphne was sitting upon and leapt up beside her.
"Hello, Theresa," Daphne said, without taking her eyes off the board.
"Lady Theresa," Thomas said, glancing at her.
Daphne moved a chess piece, taking one of Thomas' white rooks. She smiled. It appeared that Daphne was black. It also appeared that she was winning, to Theresa's surprise. Thomas sneezed.
Thomas made his move. Daphne made another. A series of moves passed rapidly.
"Checkmate," Daphne said with obvious satisfaction.
"You are an excellent player, Lady Daphne," Thomas said.
Daphne grinned. "Actually, I usually lose."
He grimaced. "Playing against whom?"
"Theresa." Daphne's smile grew wider.
"Remind me to never play with you," he said, looking at Theresa. Thomas sneezed again. "Excuse me," he added.
Perhaps Thomas was not that entirely terrible, Theresa thought grudgingly. She had thought that he was nothing but a shifty freeloader with a sinister interest in her sister. Perhaps he was just a freeloader with a interest in her sister that was not so much sinister as nearly indescribably annoying.
He was hardly the first fool to follow her sister around pathetically, but he was the first to whom Daphne had returned any interest at all.
He certainly took losing with good humor, but was it because he was too weak to protest, or strong enough he did not care? Daphne needed someone strong who could take care of her.
She eyed Thomas sharply, then shrugged. It seemed as if there was nothing she could do about their infatuation either way.
"Would you like to play again?" Daphne asked.
"If it would please you," he agreed.
Theresa watched while they lined the pieces into their proper positions. Theresa wished she could manage the pieces with her paws, but it seemed impossible.
Thomas sneezed again. Theresa looked at him quizzically.
"Nothing to be concerned about," Thomas assured her. "It's just that I have—" Thomas stopped suddenly.
Theresa eyed him with curiosity, wondering what he had been about to say.
"Nothing to worry about," Daphne repeated.
Well, that was suspicious. Theresa stared at her sister, unblinking.
Daphne squirmed. "Fine, I'll tell you, but you must promise not to be bothered by it."
Theresa nodded. She could be bothered as much she pleased; it was not as if she could tell Daphne.
Daphne explained. "Thomas is allergic to cats. Well, dogs too. And flowers and hay and such. Even horses make him sneeze sometimes."
Theresa would have smiled wickedly if she had her human face.
Instead she just nodded and tried to look dignified. She supposed that she might feel bad had it been someone else, but since it was Thomas it was far more amusing than distressing.
She could certainly make his time around Daphne more difficult. She resolved to spend more time getting fur on Daphne's clothing, just in case Thomas ever tried to get too close.
It was petty, but a cat girl had to get her small vengeances in when she could.
Daphne and Thomas began playing their next game. Thomas did better but Daphne still beat him.
Theresa decided that it was time to leave. She meowed and walked across her sister, brushing her fur on Daphne's dress. Then Theresa jumped off the settee and left the room with her tail in the air.
"That was odd," she heard Daphne say as she departed. She did not wait to hear Thomas' response.
* * * * *
Theresa was walking past the main entryway when she heard several people talking. It stood out against the usual quiet of Wildwood's castle and caught her attention. Quite without even thinking about it, Theresa moved closer to the source of the noise.
"An older lady and a company of men," an unfamiliar voice said.
"They may just be innocent travelers. Or it may be the ones who are looking for Lady Daphne," she heard Wildwood say.
She understood that he surely wanted to give the impression she was nothing more than a insignificant pet, but not even being mentioned still stung.
Missus White spoke. "All the staff has been well warned not to speak of anything to do with our guest, my lord."
Theresa believed it might very well have been the first thing that she heard the housekeeper say which had not annoyed her.
"Eric, go and fetch Thomas and have him caution Lady Daphne to remain in her room and then have him come to me. Also, attempt to find her cat. She'll be nearby," Wildwood commanded.
Theresa saw the guard as he came around the corner. "Why, Lord Wildwood, the cat is right here."
"I'll deal with it," Wildwood said. "Missus White, you may show our guests into the green sitting room when they arrive."
"Yes, my lord."
Wildwood turned the corner and crouched down in front of her. He spoke quietly.
"There are travelers arriving whom I suspect may be your aunt and a company of her men. You would be best to return to your room immediately. Even if it is not your aunt, we would prefer no one else be aware of your presence here just yet. I'll inform you when these guests are gone."
He stood up, nodded and walked away without a backward glance. He seemed supremely unperturbed by the coming exchange. And why would he be worried? He was not the one whose life and freedom was on the line.
Theresa turned to walk to her rooms and wondered how long she would be waiting. It was going to be excruciating, just sitting there, not knowing what was going on in the green sitting room.
She needed to know what was happening. If it really was Francine, what would she do?
What if Wildwood could be persuaded to betray her and Daphne? What if Francine offered him a great reward or coerced him in some other way? Theresa knew how manipulative Francine could be when she wanted something.
Theresa knew that Francine must want her and Daphne back more than anything else. Her throat felt dry.
Without thinking over the wisdom of her idea, she dashed towards the green sitting room. There was no one in the room; no one around the entry. She ran inside and positioned herself behind a chaise. She was well hidden from sight.
Theresa lay down and waited and she immediately thought it was probably the most foolish thing she had ever done. She should have gone to wait with Daphne as Wildwood had told her to do.
Before Theresa could properly reconsider her recklessness, she heard Missus White's arrogant voice and she knew it was too late. "Lord Wildwood will be with you shortly. Please sit down and rest while you wait."
Theresa could hear the sharp clicking of the housekeeper's feet as she walked away.
Theresa heard two more separate sets of footsteps move across the room and then the quiet squeak as they sat down in a pair of green armchairs.
She waited, perfectly still. She felt like all her already keen senses were heightened along with her tension.
"Do you think that they are here?" asked one of the people who entered the room. His voice was gravelly and familiar, but Theresa could not place it. He was one of the soldiers from Waldwick, although she did not know anything more about him.
"They may be." Theresa stiffened.
It was the same voice that she had heard the night that she had been transformed and nearly every day of her life before. It was her aunt, without a doubt.
Fear washed over Theresa. She should not be in here. She should have done as Wildwood had suggested and hid in her room until he got rid of Francine.
Theresa held herself rigidly still, willing herself not to make a sound. If Francine saw her, if Francine saw so much as a whisker... Theresa could not bear to think of what would happen if she were discovered.
"It would be fortuitous if they were," the soldier commented.
"Perhaps," Francine said doubtfully.
"There's much work to be done at Waldwick," he opined.
"I share your concerns," Francine said coldly, and added, "But be silent."
The soldier fell silent. Theresa wondered if she was using compulsion on him as well.
Probably not or he would not be arguing. She probably just paid him well enough with Theresa's inheritance to inspire obedience.
They all sat in silence for several minutes. Each second felt like an eon to Theresa. Where was Wildwood
Francine broke the long silence.
Theresa started and cursed herself for moving.
"There is something odd about this room."
Theresa's hear pounded so hard that it felt like a trapped bird trying to escape her chest. Her cat side was uneasy, too. She wanted to run out of the room but she knew that it was the worst thing that she could do.
Wildwood had his spells that hid her from Francine's perception, but what if they were not working because of her proximity to her aunt? What if that was why he wanted her to go and hide in her room?
"Ah, there it is. You see that vase? It was broken and fixed with magic."
"Very perceptive, my lady." Theresa heard Wildwood's voice and then his footsteps entered the room.
"My late mother never knew. It was her favorite vase. I had nearly forgotten."
All at once Theresa heard the sound of a vase breaking and she probably would have jumped, but for a sudden heavy and oppressive force pushing down on her.
She cried out in surprise but no sound came out. She could not make herself move. Her lungs expanded and contracted and her heart pounded and her eyes blinked, but she could not so much as move a whisker beyond the automatic movements sustaining her body.
Panic, thick and suffocating rushed through every part of her.
Every instinct in both her woman and cat sides were screaming to flee, but she was utterly immobile. She was forced to lay prone behind the chair.
Francine clearly knew that she was there.
Theresa wanted to scream, but she still could not move.