Chapter Text
He’d expected her to faint, not to turn into a statue, but as he knew, this woman was always full of surprises. Thomas exhaled deeply as he lifted the brandy to her lips. He tilted the glass, pouring the brandy into her mouth. Unconsciously, she swallowed and he nodded. “That’s right.” Recognition suddenly flashed in her eyes and she spit the second swallow of brandy out, all over his face as she knocked the glass to the carpet. “There you are.” He said as he stepped back and wiped his face.
“I don’t drink---
“Since that night, am I right?” she went still at those words. He exhaled and moved to sit back down in his chair. “Now, I’ll ask again…do you want to tell me or do you want me to read the files?” she inhales raggedly. “I’m finding out either way.”
She inhales and wipes her eyes. A part of him hates that he’s pushing her this way. He knows that someone hurt her, but he needs to know the truth. Yes, she can say that the man is dead, but that doesn’t explain why she’s still so scared. After a few minutes, she croaks. “Read the files.”
He exhales and nods. “Alright.”
As he takes the files, she says. “John…was a witness.”
He nods. “I’ll start with him then.” As he opens the folder, he glances at her. She looks very pale still. “You should drink your water.” She only nods at him. He opens the folder and scans the profile of John. He was a good man, no crimes or misdemeanors listed. He flipped through the papers, locating the witness statement. He skipped parts of it, getting down to the section he needed.
After relieving myself, I was walking down the hall when I heard a girl cry from George’s room. I would have passed by, but I heard him tell the girl to shut up. I stood by the door and listened. I heard a sound, like fabric being torn and the girl was crying, but it sounded muffled. I tapped on the door, but George didn’t hear me. He told the girl that he was going to f**k her like the whore she was. At that point, I was concerned and opened the door to George’s room.
I found him on top of Katherine Carter. She was face down in his bed, a pillow in her mouth and her arm bent behind her back. I stepped into the room and realized that her undergarments were down around her ankles and her dress was up around her chest. It was clear to me that George was going to assault her, so I went towards him and ordered him to get off her. He looked at me and asked if I wanted to have her after he was done with her.
I pulled him off her and Katherine got off the bed. She was crying and I noted that her dress was torn as she got her clothes back in order. I shouted at her to get out as George punched me in the face. I flew back into the wall and Katherine ran for the door. George grabbed her by the hair. I grabbed the lamp and hit George on the back of the head. That was more than enough time for Katherine to escape. I stayed to watch over George to ensure that she got away, he was only stunned. We fought until Constable Martin arrived. He pulled George off me and ordered him to sit on the bed.
He stopped reading the file and looked at her. She still wasn’t looking at him. She shook her head. “He never forgave me for George dying.”
Words couldn’t explain the jolt that went through him at her words. “Why the f**k would you need to forgive him? You did nothing wrong.”
“I reported it.” She said quietly. “George plead guilty to make the whole thing go away for his parents sake. He got stabbed in prison and died because of me.”
He shakes his head. “No. He tried to rape you and wound up in prison because of that. Someone, who had a bit of a conscience, did the world a favor and sent him to Hell.”
She licked her lips and croaked. “Read the end of his statement.” He looked back down at the papers and did what she said.
I do believe that George was under the influence of alcohol. He’s a kind, generous and mild-mannered person. While Katherine was nearly assaulted, I firmly believe that had she not indulged in strong liquor and wore something less provocative, he would not have fallen prey to the temptations of the female body.
He snorts and closed the folder; he didn’t need to read anymore. He has a lot to say about this man. He intended to find this man and ruin him. He doesn’t have to ruin him completely, just enough to make his life hell. Who was he kidding? It was going to be fun to order that his house be burned down. This man had to be a priest. He sounded like a sanctimonious prick as well. He’d seen lots of beautiful women and been attracted to many of them. But no matter the occasion, not once had he ever been tempted to force himself on one. He grabbed Sandra’s file and opened it. He flipped through the pages for the character statement. He didn’t bother with the statement about her brother; it’d be biased. He went for the one about Kate instead. Sandra didn’t hold back in the least.
Katherine Carter is a whore who likes to play the virgin. She teases and tempts boys till they go mad. Whatever my brother may have done to her, she was asking for it. You can ask anyone at the party. She showed up in this green dress with her shoulders exposed. The dress was so tight it’s a wonder that she could even walk in it, much less dance in it. And she drank. Katherine doesn’t indulge in punch or champagne. She has a fondness for whiskey, Irish especially. I don’t know how much she indulged in, but I’m certain that she encouraged my brother. Then, once she was discovered, she cried rape to protect her lack of virtue. There was no assault. She played the whore and got what she deserved. This is just an attempt to ruin my brother’s reputation and protect herself.
He read enough. He closed the file and grabbed George’s. His blood was boiling already and he didn’t have it in him to read another statement. He went for the cause of death. It was as Kate had said. The man was dead and he’d died from sepsis after being stabbed. He smiled, this man deserved to die and sepsis was a painful way to go. Prison doctors didn't really care much for the prisoners. Half of them were doctors who were nearly disbarred and didn’t want to give up their practice. He hoped this man died in complete agony.
He looked at Kate to see that she was crying softly. He set the papers down and spoke softly to her. “Why hide this from me, Kate? You did nothing wrong.”
“I-I did.” she hiccuped. “I-I shouldn’t have been drinking---
“It was a party!” He stated firmly. “Everyone was f**king drinking that night!”
She wasn’t listening to him though. She was years away in the past. “I shouldn’t have worn that dress.”
“I don’t give a f**k what you were wearing. It doesn’t matter!”
“You didn’t see the dress---
“I don’t need to see the dress!” He half shouted at her. “When I saw you, you were f**king naked and you were tied up!” She covered her mouth, the blood draining slightly from her face. “I know you felt me, so you know that I could have easily f**ked you right there. I could have done anything I wanted to you…but I didn’t.”
“Well why didn’t you?” She shrieked, the words bursting out of her as if she’d been holding them back for weeks. “Why!?”
He looks at her in complete confusion. “You already know why I didn’t.”
“No. I don’t know!” She screamed as she ran her hands through hair. “It makes, no sense to me!”
“Kate,” he stood up and moved towards her. “I need you to calm down.”
“Calm down!?” She shrieked. “The Todds ran a glass factory. When they moved, dozens of people lost their jobs and everyone,” he sat next to her and she screamed. “don’t touch me!!”
“Kate.” he said firmly, holding his hand up. “look at me.” She was hyperventilating now. “Breathe. I need you to breathe---
“I can---
“Calm down.” he held her gaze. “Can you do that? Just breathe for a minute.” she struggled to draw a breath. “That’s it. Eyes on my face. Breathe.” She nodded and drew in a shaky breath. He nodded. “That’s it. Good girl. Just breathe.” They did this for a few more minutes and once she was finally calm, he lowered his hand to give her the glass of water. “Here you go.”
“Thank…you.” she croaked as she took it shakily. This time, she didn’t examine the glass; she just lifted it to her lips and took a drink. He walked over to the bar and got the unopened bottle of tonic water. He handed it to her and she took it. She tried to get it open, but her hands were shaking so bad that she couldn’t open the bottle. Without saying a word, he reached over and took it from her. He opened it and then handed it back to her. She nodded. “Thank you.”
He nodded, waiting as she filled her glass and downed it again. She then set the glass down and exhaled shakily. He gave her a few moments before asking. “So…he did that to you?”
She nodded. “I was flipping through one of the books. Magic of Oz, by L. Frank Baum.” She inhaled deeply. “He said something about…the neck being…a point of pleasure for a woman. He kissed me there and I,” she shook her head. “I-I just reacted. I slapped him and it made him angry. He bit down and…tore.”
He exhaled deeply. “I read John’s statement…and I don’t need details. But,” he studied her. “I don’t see why you’re so scared that I thought that he might be still be alive.”
She shakes his head. “He’s dead.”
“Then why does his death bother you?”
“I told you,” she says tightly. “it’s my fault.”
“It’s not your fault.” He repeated firmly.
“Then why,” she asked quietly. “does everyone blame me?”
“Everyone?” He frowned at her words. He’d never heard of such a thing. “Why would anyone blame you?”
She inhaled as she whispered. “George was well liked…I was a nobody that worked on a farm. People would…call me names. My father made me press charges. My mother wanted it to go away as soon as possible. She kept Rosemary at home, waiting for it all to blow over.” She shook her head. “But it wouldn’t, not for years.” She leaned forward and inhaled raggedly. “God, when people found out that he’d died, everything fell apart. The Todds ran a glass factory, when Mr. Todd had the heart attack, he sold the factory. The new owner closed it and demolished it to build a house there. Dozens lost their jobs…and they blamed me.” She covered her mouth, revealing her eyes were wide. “Oh, God. They threw bricks through the window the day the factory closed.”
He felt his blood boil. “And your family stayed there?”
“Till my parents died.” She inhaled deeply. “As soon as I could, I sold the farm and got Rosemary out of there. Only to wind up…tied up to bed in Birmingham.”
He exhaled deeply as he shook his head. “And now…you have a job as my housekeeper.” He studied her a moment. “You don’t, strike me as the kind of girl who runs away. You took the job with me without even thinking about it.”
“Rosemary didn’t give me much of a choice.” She sat up and leaned back, dried tears on her face as she confessed. “God, I haven’t gone to a party since then, or wore green since.”
He studied her a long time before stating. “You should, it’d match your eyes.” she shook her head and sniffled. He turned slightly towards her and gently ran his finger down her cheek to wipe away her tears. She jumped and jerked slightly. He said quietly. “You have a raindrop running down your cheek, just like a tear.” She didn’t move, so he kept stroking her cheek gently. Her skin was soft and warm, just like her. “I’m not going to hurt you Kate. I know, a lot has happened to you, but, I hope a part of you knows that I wouldn’t hurt you.”
She doesn’t answer. She keeps her gaze lowered for a long time, and then she looks up at him “That night…you had me in a position that no man in his right mind would ever walk away from. But you did, you got me out, you offered me a job and you haven’t,” she shuddered. “you touch me, but…it’s been nothing inappropriate. So… no, I don’t understand. Why did you walk away when others wouldn’t have?”
He shakes his head. “Because I would kill myself before I hurt you or any other woman. And if I found out that someone put his hand on you, against your will…they would lose it.”
She inhaled. “I-I haven’t been social---
“I know. It’s been a while, but…that bastard is in the ground. He died because of what he tried to do. And no matter what anyone has said or done to you or your family…it’s not your fault.” He said quietly. “I want you to help me host and have fun.”
She shakes her head as she whispers. “I need to think on it.”
“That’s alright.” He nods. “If you decide to start living again…you’re safe to try again in my house.”
Kate looked at him, more tears spilling down her cheeks. “Sandra said I have blood on my hands.”
“What does she know about blood on anyone’s hands? She ever killed anyone? I killed a ton of men in war. She knows nothing.” He shakes his head as he studied her closely. “He brought his own blood down on his head the moment he drew yours.”
As he said those words, he ran the back of his finger down the scar on her neck. She went completely still and he felt a chill run down her body. She inhaled sharply as she began shaking. She let out a few garbled sounds, and then she leaned forward, covering her mouth to hold back the sobs that she’d been holding inside her for a few years. Then, once she started crying, she couldn’t stop.
For the first time in a long time, he felt completely helpless. He’d seen plenty of women cry, been around a few of them and normally he’d known what to do. She needed consolation, but to offer her consolation would upset her. After a few minutes, he decided to ask her. “Is it ok to touch you?” she was sobbing so hard that she couldn’t answer him or she couldn’t hear him. He studied her and made the decision to just hug her. “Right, I’m gonna just---
He reached out and wrapped his arms around her shoulders. She went stiff as he expected, but what he didn’t expect was for her to wrap her arms around his shoulders and hold onto him.
She cried into his shoulder and he ran his hand through her hair, just holding onto her. He didn’t say anything; she didn’t say anything but let out everything she’d been holding back for years. As he held onto her, something protective welled up inside him. He thought back on her words, how her father had made her press charges. Made her stay even though the community tormented her and her family. He sounded like a strong man who didn’t stand for weakness. Even after she’d nearly been raped, she hadn’t cried like this. She’d cried, but it had been brief and she’d held all that back inside. Polly was a strong woman, but even she knew when to cry. Kate had just continued with life, ignoring everything because it would be weak. He understood that, but he let things out in different ways. She hadn’t let anything out.
After fifteen minutes of crying, she’d sobbed herself into unconsciousness. He laid her back on the couch and made sure that she wouldn’t fall off. He took off his coat and draped it over her shoulders. She didn’t stir. He leaned forward to brush her hair back from her face…and found himself unable to leave her. He stood there, gently stroking her hair for a good few seconds. She looked so vulnerable like this, but dear God, she was still beautiful even with a flushed face.
The moment he thought that, he paused. He hadn’t thought of her as beautiful since they’d first met. He shrugged that thought away. It was a stressful time for her and he hadn’t had anyone need him like this before. It was nearly enough to make a man think about keeping her around so she’d be safe, but that wasn’t a good idea. He was cursed and she’d already had enough bad luck to last her a lifetime. She needed someone good and he wasn’t a good man. He exhaled as he moved to his desk and turned on the light. There was still time for him to get some work done. She’d awaken eventually and then they’d both make their way to their own separate rooms. As he put his glasses on his face, he noted that his fingers smelled like roses. He glanced at where she lay peacefully on the couch. Why was he suddenly realizing once again, that she was indeed a beautiful woman?