Kate -- Chapter 35
From: Karen
Barnabas was surprised to see Willie drive up to the cabin the day before Thanksgiving. Willie had such a determined look on his face, Barnabas wasn’t quite sure if he wanted to let Willie in. He didn’t give Barnabas a chance to debate the issue, Willie walked into the cabin’s small living room.
"Barnabas," Willie said without preamble, "you gotta see Kate. She ain’t gonna wait for you forever, ya know! I think it’s about time you put whatever problems you have aside and come home. Quit pissin’ around, Barnabas!" he said, hands on his hips, glaring at Barnabas. "Kate’s the best thing that’s come your way in a long time. You are gonna lose her if you don’t come home now!"
Barnabas looked at Willie in amazement. The look on Willie’s face stopped Barnabas from replying with a stinging rebuke. He put his hands together, rubbing the fingers on his right hand. He turned away from Willie, not wanting Willie to see the fear in his face.
Taking a deep breath, Barnabas said quietly, "Willie, do you think I don’t know that? I have been thinking about Kate since I came here. I have thought of nothing else."
Turning to Willie, Barnabas said anxiously, "Do you believe she really wants me back? Did she say so?"
Willie put his hand on Barnbas’ shoulder. "I do know Kate is a stubborn woman. I also know she loves you. It’s your move, Barnabas. It’s all up to you." Willie said.
"Thank you, Willie." Barnabas said. "If you hadn’t come today, who knows when I would have decided to come home. Would you help me pack up the food? I will get my bags ready to go."
Willie had a difficult time hiding his grin. "Barnabas, you won’t regret this, I just know you won’t!" he said, excitement creeping into his voice. "Kate will be so happy to see you. The rest of the family will, too."
"I have been neglecting family lately. It will be good to see everyone again." Barnabas mused. "Will Mrs. Johnson be preparing her famous Thanksgiving dinner?" he asked Willie.
Willie laughed. "No, Carolyn and Kate are fixing the dinner." He put his hands at Barnabas’ expression of disbelief. "Now, Barnabas, you hafta give Carolyn credit. She ain’t hardly cooked in her life, I know, but Kate is there to make sure nothin’ gets burnt."
Barnabas smiled. "It isn’t the cooks I am worried about, it’s the guests. How do we know we won’t be poisoned? She and Carolyn might need the fire brigade before dinner is finished." he said, chuckling.
"I wouldn’t worry about that, Barnabas. I have had some of Kate’s cookin’ and it’s pretty good. I ain’t worried one bit AND neither should you! Now git packin’, will ya? I want to get home before dark." Willie said as he went in the kitchen.
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Carolyn picked up Kate from Rockport and they finished the shopping for Thanksgiving dinner. As they drove home, Kate speculated about whether they had too much food.
"You forget, Kate," Carolyn said, laughing, "David eats like he has hollow legs, Uncle Roger eats enough for two people every year, Julia is bringing Gerard with her, and Professor Stokes is joining us as well. Believe me, we have just enough food!"
Kate laughed with Carolyn. "I think you are right. The only thing is, you forgot about me. Thanksgiving dinner is my favorite meal of the year. Even if I wasn’t eating for two," she said as she patted her stomach, "I would be right in there with Roger!"
Pulling into the gates of Collinwood, Carolyn said, "I don’t know, Kate, Uncle Roger always stuffs himself to the gills at Thanksgiving. You will have to eat a great deal before you have him beat."
‘We shall see, Carolyn, we shall see." Kate replied.
As the car pulled into the driveway, they could see David hurried out to greet them. By the time Carolyn had the car shut off, he was practically jumping up and down from the cold.
"Hurry, Carolyn!" he said. "Aunt Elizabeth sent me out here to help you, but it is freezing!"
Kate laughed as she got out of the car. Carolyn went around the back to open the trunk, Kate and David following her. David’s eyes opened wide when he saw the grocery bags.
"Are you sure you have enough?" he exclaimed. "I don’t think the Marines are coming for dinner, are they?"
Kate cuffed David’s ear playfully. "David, this is just for you. Carolyn and I know how much you can eat. We figured there might be a couple of bones we can all gnaw on during dinner." she said, exchanging knowing glances with Carolyn.
Carolyn said, in mock horror, "Don’t you think it’s enough, David? We could always send you to the market later on. What do you think, Kate?"
David looked from one to the other, finally deciding they were kidding him. At least he hoped so.
"Okay, I get it. You two are just teasing me." David said, still not quite sure. "You are teasing me, aren’t you?" he asked.
Carolyn gave David a hug. "Of course, we are, silly. Now, grab what you can, okay? We are freezing, too!" she said.
The three of them carried the bags into the foyer where Elizabeth greeted them.
"I am so glad you two are back safe and sound. The weatherman said there is a chance of a snowstorm tonight. I called Professor Stokes and asked him to stay tonight and tomorrow night. Julia said Gerard would be coming to stay as well." Elizabeth said.
Carolyn and Kate exchanged conspiring looks.
"What a terrific idea, Mother." Carolyn said. "I am sure Professor Stokes was delighted with your offer."
"Yes, he was, Carolyn," said her mother, not seeing the sly grin on her daughter’s face. "And I am delighted the professor can get here before the storm hits. He should be here any moment now."
"Well, we had better get these bags into the kitchen, Elizabeth." Kate said, nudging the smiling Carolyn, who in turn nudged David.
Trooping into the kitchen, they set the grocery bags on the table. Carolyn and Kate exchanged glances, then burst into hysterical laughter. David looked at the two women as if they had just escaped from the loony bin. Both of them collapsed on the nearest chair, laughing now at David’s expression.
David shook his head and asked, "What is so funny? Did Aunt Elizabeth say something funny that I missed? I don’t get it!"
Carolyn wiped the tears from her eyes and said, "Oh, David, don’t you see? Mother has asked Professor Stokes to spend the night."
"So?" David asked. "I like the professor. Why shouldn’t he spend the night? And what is so funny about it?"
"I have been trying to convince Carolyn for weeks now that Eliot and Elizabeth like each other." Kate said, drying her tears. "Carolyn didn’t believe me until now, did you, Carolyn?"
"Actually, I was finally convinced last week, when I heard Mother ask you how the professor was doing." she explained. "The look on her face; she wasn’t just curious, she wanted to know. That’s when I knew you weren’t pulling my leg."
"So Aunt Elizabeth and Professor Stokes like each other. What’s the big deal? Besides, aren’t they too old to be thinking about that kind of stuff?" David asked, trying to imagine his proper aunt and the professor together kissing. It was like imagining his parents having sex. Yuck!
Carolyn laughed. "David, wait until you are older. You won’t think anyone is too old for "that kind of stuff’!"
David shuddered. "I hope I never get that old!" he said as he left the kitchen.
"Boy, does he have a lot to learn!" Carolyn said, beginning to empty the bags.
"Don’t you remember being 12 years old? It was terribly confusing for me. I couldn’t even imagine being 21, let alone 40." Kate said. "Poor kid, he must have thought we were a couple of nuts, laughing like that!"
"Kate, you will find my cousin David has thought that about all the adults in the family for a long time!" Carolyn said, laughing. We had better get this food in the refrigerator before it gets too warm."
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Barnabas and Willie pulled up to the Old House about five p.m. Taking the bags and boxes from the trunk, Willie and Barnabas went inside. There was a warming fire in the living room, everything was clean and from the kitchen, the smell of roast beef came wafting into the hallway.
Setting the bags down, Barnabas turned to Willie and putting his hands on Willie’s shoulders, said, "Thank you, Willie, for making my homecoming so welcoming."
Willie ducked his head down, pleased with the compliment. "Uh, you’re welcome, Barnabas. Glad you came home, too. I’ll just take these boxes to the kitchen. Then I’ll be back to take your bags to your room and unpack for ya." Willie said.
"I will take my bags upstairs and unpack, Willie. You have enough to do without doing the unpacking, too." Barnabas said.
Willie smiled shyly and began to cart boxes to the kitchen. Barnabas picked up his bags and climbed the stairs to his room. As he unpacked, Barnabas could not help but wonder if he was doing the right thing.
True, he had been gone for almost five weeks; enough time for any man to figure out what he wanted in his life. Barnabas did know two things he wanted more than anything in the world, Kate and the child she was carrying. The child he wanted Kate and he to raise, watch grow and nurture; his child.
"Kate," he said aloud, "give me the chance to prove myself to you and our child. Please don’t let pride get in the way; not like I did."
Barnabas sat down on the bed and allowed tears to come to his eyes. "I love you, Kate." he said through his tears. "I love you more than life itself. I will see you tomorrow. I pray we can love each other as we once did. I love you."
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Kate stood at her bedroom window, watching the snowflakes falling. They fell slowly; big thick flakes of white. As the flakes touched the window, they melted quickly, running down the window panes like tears.
"Barnabas," Kate said, "if you can hear me, I love you."
At the back of her mind, there was still a bit of anger held tightly. If only he would say the baby is his, Kate thought, I could forgive him everything. Until he does, I cannot be with him.
Kate pleaded to the night sky, "Barnabas, please find it in your heart to say the baby is yours. I can’t stay here any longer if you don’t."
Kate hoped Barnabas heard her. She had been hearing him say goodnight to her for weeks now. Perhaps he heard me, thought Kate.
Turning from the window, Kate walked out of her room and downstairs for dinner, hoping in her heart that Barnabas heard her plea and would acknowledge the baby as his.
I suppose I will hear from him soon, Kate thought. Let it be very soon, she prayed. Let it be soon.