Time, Death & Scar Tissue...

47. Present & Future Fatherhood

Kathryn was staring at the necklace when she heard the doorbell ring. The diamonds caught the light and sparkled along with the crystals on her dress. The pearls seemed to glow softly and she had to tear herself away from the image to join the party. She followed the voices down the stairs to the sitting room.

“There she is.” Minerva smiled when she appeared in the door.

“Sorry to keep everyone waiting.” She smiled and turned to the slightly pudgy, silver-haired man standing next to Minerva. She stepped into the hug he offered and stood on her toes to kiss his cheek. “You look as handsome as ever, your Honor.”

“And you look more like your mother every time I see you.” He chuckled and held her tightly. He stood back and looked at her with a mock serious expression. “And have you been studying.”

“A little.” She responded. Kathryn tried not to smile.

“Ah ha! I have a chance of winning some of my money back.” He was grinning now, his blue eyes sparkled.

“Well, I don't know.” Kathryn put her hands behind her back and paced in front of him for a moment. “I didn't say I wanted to play.” Lucien was watching curiously.

“Oh now, you know you can't resist a challenge.” He was smiling broadly. A smile tugged at Kathryn's lips while she tried to maintain a serious expression.

“Just this once, because I know you enjoy it so much.” She smiled and greeted him in Latin.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

LaCroix watched the exchange with interest, and a twinge of jealousy. Logically he knew that she regarded this man as a grandfather, seeing her step happily into the arms of another roused his possessive side though. He suppressed it before it could even flicker across his face. He took the scotch and water the servant offered him and pretended to sip as Kathryn's game started. He licked the flavor of the alcohol from his lips and savored the warm sensation on his tongue. It was one of the cruelties of eternity, taste was intensified but diet was severely limited. It took him years to realize that flavor could be experienced without ingestion.

He watched Kathryn play her little game and wondered how she could decipher what the man was saying. His inflection was positively scandalous. The majority of the verbs were in the wrong tenses and the wrong places in the sentence. Even using the term 'sentence' was a great generosity on his part.

On the other hand, Kathryn impressed him. She spoke with a fluency that was mildly surprising. She listened as he read to her. He knew that she used certain Latin texts to give her historical scenes life, but she rarely spoke the language. He also noticed with a certain degree of pleasure that she had picked up his accents on certain words. After only a few exchanges Robert Thayer was faltering. He managed a couple more garbled statements before he conceded to her. LaCroix laughed along with everyone else, and feigned another sip.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

“So, I think you mentioned something about settling your debt?” Kathryn said after she stopped laughing.

“I suppose I did. How much is that now?” He smiled and took a sip of the drink Bridey had set next to him.

“Well, we said you could owe me for awhile now, so all together along with this time, five thousand dollars.” She was trying to wear a serious expression, but she couldn't keep the smile out of her eyes. The game had started when the judge found out she was enjoying her Latin class. The betting was more for fun, no money had ever changed hands, but the discussion of payment was as much a part of the game as the speaking itself.

“It does add up, doesn't it? I don't carry that kind of cash around with me, will you take a personal check? I have I.D.” He smiled benignly while Minerva and Lucien watched.

“How do I know you're good for it?” She responded, her arms crossed.

“How do you – I'm a federal judge!” He was surprised and Kathryn tried hard not to laugh. She still had the power to surprise him.

“You're right.” She nodded seriously.

“That's better.” He smiled again.

“Cash only.” She said firmly. Minerva and Lucien both started to laugh and he smiled and shook his head.

“Minerva, you've raised an anarchist.” He laughed.

“One does one's best.” She smiled and slipped her arm through his.

“Maybe we could work something out?” He said to Kathryn.

“Well, I think a dance ought to cover it.” She smiled.

“You have a generous woman here Lucien.” He said. Before he had a chance to respond they were all surprised to hear the doorbell ring. Kathryn noticed the look that passed between her grandmother and Lucien, but she couldn't say what it was.

“Are you expecting someone, Grandmother?” Kathryn asked feeling a new tension in the room.

“No, but we're all standing here like the barbarians are at the gate.” Minerva laughed. “Bridey?”

“It's Mr. Paige, the new one and someone I've never seen.” She called.

“Apparently I was wrong, the barbarians ARE at the gate.” Minerva took the glass of scotch from Robert's hand and took a long swallow.

“You didn't tell me he was coming!” Kathryn hissed. She had to force herself not to run back upstairs.

“I didn't know.” Minerva said. “I thought they were still in Cancun.”

“Cozumel.” Kathryn said.

“Whatever.” Minerva waved her hand in annoyance. “He's here now.” Lucien moved behind Kathryn, his hand on her waist, seeming to insure that she would stay put.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

LaCroix didn't like this latest development, mostly because it seemed to make Kathryn so nervous. The short, fat man with clumsy features he had seen in Kathryn's photographs walked into the room with a vacant-eyed bleached blond in a pink dress that was too frothy and young for her trailing behind him. Presently slack jawed younger man with a bloated face appeared. As soon as the older man saw Kathryn the look on his face changed.

“Avi?” He breathed. Whatever else LaCroix thought of the man he recognized the unhealed wound in his heart. Minerva opened her mouth to say something but Kathryn put her hand on the older woman's arm. The woman he presumed was Mira seemed uncertain what to do and the strange young man seemed completely disinterested.

“No Daddy.”

“Katie? Oh God I'm so sorry.” He pulled Kathryn close and she stroked his back.

“I miss her too, every time I look in the mirror.” She held him a minute more while the man collected himself. “What are you doing back so soon? You usually don't come home until the middle of the January.”

“I heard you were here with your young man so I decided to come back early and meet him for myself.” He looked past Kathryn for the first time and LaCroix fixed him with an icy stare. He had been prepared to revise his impressions of the man, photos were often misleading. If anything he was worse in person. Again, a finely made suit that accentuated his worst features, a crooked tie, too much of a cloying aftershave, the whole package suggested a man who was desperately trying to impress his betters, or fool them into thinking that he was one of them.

“Well, Daddy, this is Lucien LaCroix. Lucien, my father, Thomas Paige.” He shook the meaty hand he was offered but his attention was focused on Kathryn. Her heart was pounding so loudly he wondered if the others could hear it too. He noticed her hands were shaking.

“Mr. Paige, Kathryn has told me a great deal about you.” None if it impressed him, but she had told him a great deal.

“And my stepmother Miranda Paige.”

“Call me Mira.” She murmured. LaCroix recognized the look of infatuation in her eyes. It was the nature of his kind to be magnetic, especially to those who are easily led. It made feeding easier but introductions to those who were not food could be somewhat awkward.

“Mira.” He nodded dismissively.

“And I don't know who your guest is Daddy.” She looked at the third member of the party, who was examining the bottom of a figurine as if he were considering buying it.

“Young man,” Minerva said. “That piece has occupied that spot since before you were born, I would appreciate it if you leave it alone.” He snorted softly, but replaced the figurine.

“This is Alton Masters, your escort for the evening.” He smiled at Kathryn and then looked at LaCroix. “You understand, I think Kathryn will be more comfortable with someone of her own circle.”

For a moment the room seemed to be occupied by a stunned silence. All the color drained from Kathryn's face and LaCroix moved closer to her. Minerva looked as if she had been hit in the stomach. Judge Thayer recovered first and he cleared his throat.

“I don't think we all need to be here. Alton, Mira, why don't we go have a drink.” The judge led the two away. Alton seemed to care less one way or the other, Mira seemed happy to get away from the tense room.

“Daddy, I'm not-” Kathryn started.

“Now Katie, it's all been arranged. You don't want to make a scene.” Her father patted the back of Kathryn's hand and LaCroix fought to restrain himself. He felt her confusion quickly giving way to anger. She jerked her hand out of her father's.

“I'm going to this party with Lucien, or I'm staying home.” She said firmly. LaCroix could hear the blood rushing through Kathryn's veins. He put his hand on her waist and she stepped back against him.

“Thomas, this is ridiculous. You can't just barge in here and-” Minerva started.

“May I remind you once again Minerva that Katie isn't your daughter.” Thomas puffed up the way a small bird will when it's cornered by a cat. To her credit, Minerva didn't back down. “I know what's best for her.”

“Excuse me, 'she' is not twelve years old anymore.” Kathryn was seething. Her fingers laced with his and LaCroix squeezed reassuringly. “She owns a home, manages her finances, makes good decisions about her career and she even has a college degree.”

Thomas chuckled in a patronizing way. It was something that LaCroix himself was given to doing on occasion.

“Well we all know you're smart sweetie, but you don't know anything about life. Do you really think that he'll fit in at Charlotte's party? Besides, your grandmother will be there. What would she say if you walking in with him?” He clucked his tongue and turned to LaCroix. “I don't know what she's told you, but this isn't some kind of rave party. I would hate for you to feel out of place. You understand.” He smiled a condescending smile and LaCroix held his impulses and his visible manifestations of his anger in check.

“What I understand is that we have a very simple problem of mathematics.” He began, in a similar but far more refined condescending tone. He focused on the man's heartbeat and noticed with a certain degree of satisfaction that the rhythm was uneven. When LaCroix was certain he had the fat lawyer's full attention he continued. “We hold three invitations between us, Minerva's guest is Judge Thayer, presumably you and your wife were invited as Mr and Mrs, and Kathryn has invited me. That leaves your guest without an invitation. We'll leave you to explain to the young man, not that I think he'll see it as a great loss.”

Thomas raised a few protests. They were coming out of his mouth but they were all engineered by LaCroix, he followed the script and deflected them before leading Thomas Paige into agreement. Kathryn turned to look at him, but Minerva was already beginning to organize their departure, leading Kathryn out into the hall, talking about finding her a coat.

LaCroix left Thomas Paige to recover in private and went to inform the judge that Minerva had decided it was time to leave.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Lucien had arranged a car for the evening. Minerva was riding with the judge so Minerva's car was available, but Kathryn had never seen him drive and she knew she didn't want to try it dressed as she was and as nervous as she was.

“I'm so sorry.” Kathryn said as soon as the car door was closed. She grasped her bag tightly to keep her hands from shaking.

“About what?” He tried to turn her chin to face him, but she resisted at first. He became more insistent and she gave in.

“About all of this. Daddy bringing Allen or whoever he was, the way he talked to you, the fact that my other grandmother is going to be there and you're likely to be interrogated again.” She was close to tears now and he held her chin so that she was looking at him.

“Your father is a pompous little toad of a man who wouldn't know good manners if he fell over some. I can only imagine that his mother would be much the same, and none of those things are your fault.” He was speaking softly. “But that does not mean that I'll tolerate the same thing from you.”

“But I haven't-” Kathryn was shocked that he would say that to her.

“If you enter that room looking defeated, you give them a measure of victory that they haven't earned.” His eyes were intense as he spoke to her and Kathryn had to fight not to tremble.

“How can I-”

“You're going to walk in with your head high. You'll smile and laugh and carry on light conversations with those you know and those you're introduced to.” His eyes and touch both softened. “And we will dance, and toast the new year.” He let her lay her head against his shoulder. Kathryn found that she didn't know how to respond to any of it.

“What if I can't?” She asked in a voice barely above a whisper.

“Then we'll deal with that if it happens, but I doubt it will.” He smiled slightly. “You frightened a policeman off of your porch, I'm certain you can manage some intrusive relatives.”