Chapter 8

Everyone Below was looking forward to the wedding, but no one more than Catherine and Vincent. Vincent had secretly spoken to Kanin and Cullen about enlarging his living space and installing a real wooden door between the existing chamber and the new one, once they agreed that it was not only possible but could be done in time for the wedding Vincent went to Father and the council to get permission to do so.

"So what, exactly would you like to do?" asked William.

Vincent unrolled a large sheet of paper on the table and turned it so everyone could see it. Using tea cups and candles he weighted down the corners then he pointed out the planned changes.

"As you can see, the existing chamber is drawn in black, the chamber here," he pointed to the chamber behind his existing chamber that he had told Catherine about, "is the one I want to gain access to. Kanin said that we can cut a door here, where the stained glass window is now. The new chamber’s floor is on the same level as the one in the old chamber, but the ceiling is lower, only about nine feet, so it should be easier to keep warm. Cullen is going to build us a door and install it in the opening between the two chambers."

"Vincent, if you are going to put the door in the same place that the window is now, what are you going to do with the window?" asked Mary.

"Kanin has assured me that he can cut a niche in the back wall and it can be set into it and lit with candles just as it is now. I had planned move the low bookshelf that is now between the side of the bed and the wall and put it up against the back wall of the new chamber, and use it as a headboard for the bed, then have Kanin put the window in just above that. Similar to how it is now."

"So the new chamber will be strictly a sleeping chamber, and your old chamber will become a study or living room," said Rebecca, as she studied the drawing. "You know, you could also move the opening to your bathing chamber," she pointed to the existing door on the drawing. "It would give your more unobstructed wall space in the study and then you wouldn’t have to walk out of the sleeping chamber and through the study to gain access to the bathing chamber. It would be much more convenient. You would only be moving the door over about 4 feet, and I don’t think it would interfere with anything in the bathing chamber."

Vincent looked at the drawing, "You know Rebecca that is a good idea. I’ll talk to Kanin about it." Then he looked up at everyone around the table. "That is if I have permission from the council to make these changes."

Father looked at everyone. "Discussion?" he asked.

"Well, it isn’t encroaching on any space that is already in use for anything else; I don’t see any problem with it," said William.

"Is the pool project done?" asked Pascal.

"We were slowed down a bit by the holidays and the cold spell, but we finished enlarging the entrance day before yesterday. Cullen is building the ramp, and it will be installed by the end of the week. We still have holders for the lanterns to install, some benches and shelves. We are planning to have a ‘pool party’ to celebrate the opening on May 1^st. Cullen assures me that everything is on schedule and that he has plenty of help. Kanin said he could start on the improvements to my chamber as soon as he has installed the lantern holders in the pool chamber."

"I think it’s a good idea. Most people, once they are married, move to larger quarters, this will allow Vincent and Catherine more room, with the added privacy of a door, and they won’t even have to move," said Rebecca.

"I agree," said Mary.

"All in favor?" said Father.

There was a chorus of "yes’s," from around the table.

"Against?"

There were no dissenting votes.

"The council has voted to allow Vincent to enlarge his chamber," said Father with a smile. "Is this supposed to be a surprise for Catherine?"

"Yes it is. I’ve told her that I am going to make a few changes to accommodate her furniture and belongings, but I haven’t told her all that I plan to do. I’m hoping to be able to keep it a secret until after the wedding."

Everyone agreed not to tell Catherine, and they went on to the next item on the agenda as Vincent rolled his plans up.

 

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Valentine’s Day was almost here and Catherine was trying to figure out what to give Vincent. She thought she might have a surprise for him, she still had to make a trip Above to Peter’s office to be certain, but she wanted a special way to tell Vincent, if her suspicions that she was pregnant turned out to be true. She’d missed one period that was supposed to have happened just before the middle of January and she was coming up on the date that would mark the second missed period. She hadn’t talked to Father about it, she wanted Vincent to be the first Below to know, but she hesitated to share her suspicion just in case it turned out to be a false alarm. She wanted to be sure first.

Five days before Valentine’s Day Vincent, along with some of the other men, was called away to do an emergency repair on some water pipes. It was a good half day trip from the main community, so they decided that they would stay there until the work was done and then come home.

"This should only take a couple of days," Vincent assured Catherine. "I’ll be back on Friday or Saturday, well before Valentine’s day." He kissed her and then went off to join the rest of the work crew.

Vincent’s absence gave Catherine just the opportunity that she’d been looking for. She would be able to go Above to Peter’s office the next morning and ask if he could work her in, then she could go and shop for a Valentine’s gift for Vincent.

Her students were leaving the classroom after class when Ellie came up with a large Manila envelope for her.

"Dr. Alcott gave this to me yesterday and asked me to bring it to you," she said.

"Thanks, Ellie." She smiled and took the package. "How is the job going?"

"It’s great, Catherine," said Ellie with a grin. "Dr. Alcott is very easy to keep house for. He is so neat. Nothing is ever out of place. About all I ever have to do is dust, sweep, do laundry and clean the bathrooms. I’m saving all the money I earn for school Above."

As Ellie told her about her plans, Catherine opened the envelope and sorted the contents. A friend of Peter’s had rented her a Post Office Box in Lansing, Michigan, so that she could keep up the appearance that she had moved there. Once a week, Peter’s friend put all her mail in a large envelope and sent it to Peter, who would then give it to Catherine. She in turn would give her mail to Peter who would send it to his friend who would mail it in Lansing. It was a complicated process that she was hoping wouldn’t be necessary much longer. She planned to ask the Council for permission to let Jenny and Joe in on the secret so they could come to the wedding.

She and Ellie finished their conversation and Ellie left. There was some junk mail, but there was a letter from Jenny and another from Nancy and an envelope with a Connecticut return address. The address was familiar, then it dawned on her that it was Jay Coolidge's address. She opened the envelope and pulled out the letter:

Dear Cathy,

I hope this finds you well. I was happy to hear that you found work although I was sorry to hear that you had to leave New York for it.

I'm writing this letter to tell you what I think is good news. I've finally been in contact with Mark. He is still refusing to come home and face the consequences for what he’s done, but he has begun to make some moves toward righting the wrongs.

As you know, the only trust account that he took funds from was yours. His justification for that was that you are a young professional and could work to rebuild. I know, it still doesn't make it right, but in his mind it was justification. He also took funds from some of the firms accounts, but I was able to make good on that by not taking my pension. My other investments are sufficient to support me and Amanda.

When Mark first contacted me he apologized and told me that he was in counseling for the gambling problem. He has settled in a country that won't extradite him back to the States and will also allow him to practice law. I found out that not all the money that he took from your account went to pay off his gambling debt. He told me that he knew that if he took any money he would be prosecuted, so he just went ahead and took it all so he would have a way to get out of the country and something to live on. He planned very well.

He is working and is able to support himself so he sent me what was left of the money he took from you. It is only a little over $2,000,000, only a fraction of what he took.

I still have all the original paperwork from when your father first set up the trust and was able to deposit the funds directly to your account. Since it is a return of money that was yours to begin with, it is not taxable. I saw to it that it was done properly.

Cathy, I'm sorry for all the trouble that Mark caused you and truly hope that you can find it in your heart to forgive him.

Sincerely,

Jay Coolidge

Catherine stood for a moment and then reread the letter. She wasn’t quite sure what to do or say. Her mind was flying; she had over $2,000,000. It wasn’t nearly what she’d lost, but she could still do an awful lot with that amount of money. Tuition for some of the children below, upgrades to medical equipment in the hospital chamber, upgrades to the kitchen, and even the parts needed to install Mouse’s heating system, so no one would have to freeze next winter. She started to smile. The letter said that the money was already in her account. She would add a stop at the bank and her financial advisor to her errands tomorrow. She couldn’t wait to tell Vincent.

The next day, right after class, she hurried to her chamber and changed into one of the business suits she had kept. She quickly scribbled a note to Vincent and left it with the letter from the lawyer on the table in his chamber, then she went to Father’s chamber to tell him she had errands to run above and that she would be back in time for dinner.

Her first stop was the bank. They verified what had been in Jay's letter. She went from there to her financial advisor and told him the news and asked him to come up with a plan for the money. She planned another trip above sometime in the near future to talk go over it with him. After a quick lunch, her next stop was Peter’s office. She was in luck there he’d just had a cancellation and was able to work her in.

He gave her a thorough checkup, and took his samples off to be checked. She dressed and the nurse took her to Peter’s office to wait. She didn’t have to wait long and he was back. He was looking at the paper he held in his hands. He had a funny smile on his face and he was shaking his head.

"Cathy, your suspicions were right, you are about six weeks pregnant. I don’t understand how…"

Cathy laughed, "I think that you, as a doctor, and a father, would have figured that out by now."

"No, not that. Jacob and I always assumed that Vincent was sterile," he sat behind his desk and started writing on a prescription pad.

"Looks like that assumption was wrong. When am I due?" she asked.

"Around the end of August, beginning of September," he handed her a prescription, then grinned at her. "I’m sorry Cathy, I was just stunned there for a moment. Congratulations. Did you tell Vincent your suspicions?"

"No, I wanted to be sure first. He should be home sometime today or early tomorrow, I’ll tell him then."

"I just gave you a prescription for pre-natal vitamins, and a calcium supplement. I want you to start taking both of them right away. I also want you to tell Jacob as soon as possible. I can understand that you want to tell Vincent first, but tell Jacob right after."

"Why, is there something wrong?" she asked, suddenly subdued.

"No, nothing," he assured her. "You are healthy and as far as I can tell, so is the baby. But this could be an interesting few months ahead for all of us. I just want to make sure that you are closely monitored. We aren’t even sure that your pregnancy will go the usual 37 to 42 weeks. Vincent was quite small when he was found, not quite five pounds, we always assumed he was premature. But you said that you couldn't possibly be more than six weeks pregnant, but the baby 'feels' more like about a minimum of eight to ten weeks, and you are starting to show a little. We will do an ultrasound on your next visit. So we will just have to wait and see. This is a first, so we want to be ready for anything. I think I need to come Below next week sometime and talk to you and Vincent and of course Jacob. We need to make some plans."

Catherine smiled at him. "I just have a feeling that everything is going to go well, Peter. The only thing I’m really concerned about is where the baby will be born. It will have to be Below, or some other secure location, won’t it?

"Absolutely! That is one of the things we will discuss. Now come here and give me a hug. I never thought I would see this, but it is a welcome miracle, and I wish I could be there when you tell Jacob."

Before she left the office she told Peter her other news and he congratulated her and observed that it looked like her luck had changed.

Catherine hugged Peter and promised to go and get the prescription for vitamins filled before she did anything else.

While she was in the drug store, she was browsing the racks of Valentines when she saw the perfect card. It was a big red heart with the words, Happy Valentine’s Day, Daddy! printed across the front in a childish script. Inside it simply said: I love you! She picked up the card and on her way back to the pharmacists’ counter she picked up a big heart shaped box of chocolates. She paid for all her purchases and headed back Below, hoping that Vincent had returned while she was gone.

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