As Charles looked back surprisingly at Peter, he asked, “What is that supposed to mean?”
Peter cocked a brow, and replied, “Well perhaps you’re not anxious to really meet Vincent. After all…once you do, then you have to either give, or not give your approval.”
Upon hearing this truth, Charles shoulders slumped, as he realized what Peter said was true. He then asked, “Do you have a brandy?”
In response, Peter looked to the direction of his study, and said, “I think I know where I can find some.”
As the two friends sat down, and sipped their brandies, Charles confided, “You are right you know. I mean, what am I suppose to say as a Father? How can I, in all good conscious, approve of a man so different, as a match for my daughter?!”
Thoughtfully, Charles stood, and paced as he painstakingly said, “From what I remember about him, well I must be truthful, it does concern me.”
Shamefully lowering his head he asked, “Does it make me a shallow person, to be so concerned what he looks like, and how he appears to be?”
With compassion, Peter answered softly, as he said, “On face value alone, well I confess I would be concerned for Cathy’s welfare myself. But I know this man, I have known this man from his infancy, through his curious childhood, through his introspective teens, to now! I can tell you he is a good man. The other issues of appearance, well you will have to find a way to deal with that one yourself as I have.”
With assurance, Peter stood, and declared, “But you're not gonna find out by avoiding the issue. Might as well find out sooner rather than later if you can deal or not."
With a slow nod of his head, Charles agreed, and then Peter offered, "If you are ready, I will be right there with you to face your moment of truth my friend.”
As Charles put down his brandy, he replied, “I am ready.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Meanwhile, Mack, the "rough-around-the-edges" sentry, caught up with Catherine and Vincent, and he breathlessly said, “Vincent, Vincent…hey wait up, I have somethin’ for ya."
As Mack spoke, Catherine recognized this man, as the one who had brought the false news about Vincent and Brigit in the Hot Springs Chamber!
So as Mack gave Vincent an envelope, he winked at him and said, “Lin, the Scrumptious Chinese dish, just delivered this letter for ya. It's from Brigit, THE Irish Bombshell!”
Upon hearing his terminology, Vincent reprimanded, by saying, “The way you refer to women is quite unsettling Mack...and in front of Catherine! You should apologize!”
So in trying to act dignified, Mack stood at mock attention, and said, "Well I do beg your pardon, and am quite pleased to meet your acquaintance Catherine!"
To be polite, Catherine softly said, "Hello Mack."
And it was then Mack expounded, "Hey hey! I remember ya! Your the gorgeous dame who was here when I told THE Governor Brigit and Vincent were...oops, guess I better leave it right there!”
And because Vincent wanted Mack to move on, he reached for the letter, and sternly said, "Thank you, now if you will excuse us..."
However...Mack did not take the hint, but instead he friskily tweedled his brows as he astonishingly noted, “Well I have to hand it to ya Vincent...the pickins’ are slim 'round here, but between Cutie Patootie Catherine here and that Bombshell Brigit, well I wouldn’t kick either one of them out for eating crackers, if you get my drift!”
Mack then boorishly nudged Vincent with his elbow, enforcing his crude point saying, "Ya sure manage to do all right!”
In response, Vincent then raised only his eyes, as he glared at Mack, and said, “That's enough! We don't care to hear your unsolicited opinion Mack. Now as I said, thank you for delivering this correspondence, and now you may go.”
And so Mack shrugged his shoulders, as he continued, “Eeeks got it govenor! I was just givin' ya a compliment!"
As Mack walked away, Vincent apologized for Mack’s rudeness and Catherine with a touch of melancholy dismissed the whole exchange, by telling him she didn't blame him for anything Mack said.
Catherine now felt suddenly saddened, and out-of-place. Not because of Mack's crudeness, but rather by the letter from Brigit, in which Vincent held in his hand.
So softly she asked, “Aren’t you going to read it Vincent?”
But because Vincent was still feeling angered by this unexpected confrontation with Mack, Vincent tipped his head as he asked, “Catherine?”
Motioning to the letter in his hands, Catherine asked again, “Aren’t you going to read the letter from Brigit, or would you rather read it in private?”
Vincent looked down at the letter, and said, “I don’t need to read it privately. I haven't any secrets from you Catherine.”
As Vincent then unfolded the letter, he silently read it before handing it to Catherine to read.
With a slight shake of her head, Catherine said, “It's not my place to read it.”
And because he wanted Catherine to read what Brigit had written, Vincent placed his hand on hers, and tenderly said, “I want you to read it Catherine,please.”
Compliantly, Catherine opened the letter, and read:
Dearest Vincent, Allow me to begin by sayin', I hope you can forgive me. I know what I did was wrong. I shouldn't 'ave hidden Catherine’s letter from ye. I do apologize with all of me heart to ye and to Catherine. The way ye looked at Catherine, and she back at ye...well I should 'ave known I never had a chance of winnin' yer heart, because Ian and I once looked at each other that way too. Well, if I am lucky enoof for ye to forgive me...maybe we can write to one another...and be friends again. Sincerely Brigit
P.S. Tell Catherine she is a very lucky lass.
Still feeling hurt by Brigit's actions, Catherine looked up at Vincent, and curtly replied, “When you write Brigit back, tell her I don't need her to tell me how lucky I am.”
Vincent raised his eyes to capture Catherine’s, and told her, "If I do write Brigit back..."
As Vincent took a deep breath, saddened by this happenstance of the letter's arrival, Vincent thought about the time, and reluctantly said, “I wish there was more time to discuss this, but the children…the children must be waiting for their story Catherine…shall we?”
Upon realizing they had been gone a while, Catherine sadly answered, “Of course Vincent.”
As Vincent offered Catherine his arm, they walked in silence.
Vincent felt so badly, that yet, once again, a reminder of Brigit had managed to invade their time together, spoiling and seizing the moment from them.
And so after walking a short distance, Vincent slowed down, before he stopped, and warily he said, “Catherine, I believe we have one spare moment...please…”
As Vincent spoke, Catherine with an introspective tone, asked, “Yes?”
Leaning against the tunnel wall, with downcast eyes, Vincent said, "I feel I need to clear the air about Brigit...you see, I too resent what she had done, and am not certain our friendship is salvageable...and even if it could be, I don't want to further upset you by it."
And because Catherine didn't want to come between a person Vincent has admired, and had inspired him, her heart kinda softened, and so she carefully said, "I don't want to be the reason your friendship with Brigit is destroyed...she does sound sorry...and being a widow, and just losing her father, I realize how alone and lonely she must feel..."
Catherine in a sad wonderment, then said, “...and loneliness I do understand, until I found you, I didn’t realize how lonely I had been. So let's both give this whole devious deed by Brigit a little more time...and see where it goes, shall we?”
To which Vincent thoughtfully said, “Yes…”
And then Vincent added, "...thank you Catherine for your insight. Perhaps time is needed to clear the mind and the heart."
Vincent then brought Catherine to him, and as they embraced, they were ready to put the Brigit saga behind them...at least for today.
Vincent then took Catherine’s hand, and once again they headed for the Dining Hall to join the rest of the community.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Meantime, Peter and Charles weaved their way, journeying through this hidden underground, with Charles mouth was agape with wonder!
And just as Catherine had upon her first visit, Charles expressed his disbelief, that these tunnels existed all these years below the city, and Peter had been a part of it all.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
So meanwhile, by the time Catherine and Vincent returned, Brooke, Rebecca, Jamie and Laura, had just finished setting the children up, with all they would need to string together their friendship charms.
Tradition goes, each year the children would make their friendship charms as they listened to Vincent tell the historical view of Thanksgiving. And when the children completed their charms, they gave it to someone who was special to them.
And so as Mary walked up to Catherine and Vincent, she complimented them on their perfect timing!
Mary then turned to the community, and said, "It's that time, so settle back and listen as Vincent tells the story....."
Meantime, Catherine sat down amongst the others, and much to Jacob’s delight, she chose to sit right beside him. She then smiled at him, in anticipation of watching Vincent as he addressed the children.
Upon feeling the joy in which Catherine owned, Jacob expressed, “Having you with us today Catherine, has sincerely enhanced the Holiday for Vincent…in truth, for all of us.”
To which Catherine shyly replied, “You have all made me feel so welcome. Thank you for including me here.”
To which Jacob sincerely said, “Child you don’t have to thank me, it is I who…”
Unexpectedly, tears came to Jacob’s voice, and as he cleared his throat once, and then again, he was able to retain his composure long enough to say, “I somehow want to say what it means to see my son and you too my Dear, so happy.”
To which Catherine responded with a tearful smile of her own, appreciating Jacob's fatherly care, and realizing just how much she was missing her own dad on this most special day.