Chapter 8

A Day Above

December had been bustling with the normal day-to-day activities involved with winter Below: checking pipes for leaks, insuring adequate fuel for heating, making sure there were enough food reserves, trying to head off outbreaks of illness. In addition had been the more joyous activities of the season: carol practice for the children, decorating the chambers, telling of holiday stories, and preparation of gifts.

Early in the month, Catherine decided that a trip Above for a day of personal errands and shopping was necessary. Her first few stops were at the shops of some of the Helpers. Supplies had been low this year, and she wanted to help, but knew that any largess on her part would have been frowned upon by Father. Though she was truly a member of the community now, and just as responsible for its welfare, her affluence was something that was never openly acknowledged, and she understood his reluctance to relinquish the independent nature of his world.

Through surreptitious arrangements, Catherine planned to quietly augment various types of supplies -- food, hardware, materials -- without incurring Father's censure. The Helpers that she had chosen to assist in this endeavor were happy to be involved in her scheme, promising to contribute the supplies in such a way that Father would never know that she had made the purchases.

After visiting the Helpers, she headed for a quiet restaurant where she was to meet Joe for lunch. Cathy had felt it only right to see him on her day Above after Jenny had recounted her meeting with him. The delight apparent on his face as he joined her made her glad that she had set aside this time for him. He was a good friend and didn't deserved to be worried, though she couldn't truly assuage his concerns due to secrets that she had promised to keep.

After a delightful lunch, and promising Joe that she would keep in touch, she headed for the Village to begin her shopping. Mr. Smythe's bookstore was the first stop on her list, unearthing some wonderful finds for Father, Pascal and Vincent. Browsing through a vintage clothing store she found some beautiful shawls for Mary and Sarah, dresses for Rebecca, Brooke and Samantha, and sweaters for Olivia and Lena. A quick stop at a crafts shop provided gifts for Elizabeth and Cullen; Radio Shack produced an assortment of 'gizmos' for Mouse; and William's gift was easily obtained at a kitchen supply outlet.

Exhausted, she was about to look for a cab to take her uptown when a item in another antique clothing boutique caught her eye, causing her to make a detour. In the window was an elegant velvet cape, it's muted floral print exquisite, and she could visualize Vincent in a vest made from the fabric. As she waited for the salesperson to remove the garment from the mannequin, she spied something in navy-blue velvet on a rack in the corner. Inspecting her find, she saw that it was a floor-length cape with an attached hood, lined in matching blue satin. She fell in love with it, regardless its impracticality, and decided to get it for herself. Beside the cash register, as she was preparing to pay for her treasures, she discovered a display case of antique jewelry. Perusing the selections, she found a necklace and earrings that would suit Jenny to a tee.

By the time she finally returned to the house, she was ready to drop. Stashing the presents in a closet, she laid down to take a short nap. Waking an hour later, she ate a quick snack and then headed out to finish her shopping -- Bloomingdales and FAO Schwarz being her objectives on this jaunt.

Though she was worn out, feet and back aching, she was satisfied that she had gotten presents for all of her new family. Having hidden the gifts away until she could wrap them, she was finally ready to head Below. As she reached the first floor, Colleen's voice could be heard coming from the kitchen, and Catherine was surprised to hear Vincent respond. She realized that she must be tired if he’d been so close without her being aware of it. She stood in the doorway to watch her husband casually cutting vegetables as Colleen stirred a large pot on the stove. Glancing up at Catherine's arrival, Vincent set aside the knife, wiped his hands on the towel wrapped around his waist, and enveloped her in a warm hug.

"What have we here?" Catherine asked of the two cooks as she was ceremoniously seated in a comfortable chair and served a cup of hot, herbal tea.

"We have dinner," Vincent replied, "or will have shortly. I could feel your weariness this afternoon so thought that we might stay here tonight. I know that walking is good for you, but I didn't want you to have to walk all the way back to our chamber after being on your feet all day."

Vincent went back to the vegetables he was preparing for a salad. "Did you have a good time?"

Feet propped up on a footstool, tea relaxing her, Catherine proceeded to give them the high points of her day, beginning with her lunch with Joe. Vincent could tell that, although she was fatigued, she had had a good time.

"I think that I have just about everything I need for Christmas. I arranged for the toys and a few of the other things to be delivered here tomorrow morning, and we can keep them in one of the extra rooms until Christmas Eve. Oh . . . I did buy something for myself, I probably shouldn't have, but I couldn't resist." Catherine looked embarrassed at the admission.

"You are entitled to spend your money on yourself, Catherine. There's no reason to be distressed."

"I know, but it's frivolous and highly impractical; I don't even know when or where I'd wear it. I think I'll just chalk it up to hormones." Catherine gave a wicked little grin as she foresaw the possibilities of that excuse.

Vincent just shook his head and decided to let it pass. "And what is this totally frivolous purchase that you made today?" he queried, continuing with his labors.

"It's a cape," Catherine replied, as she rose to get some more tea. With her back to him, she didn't see Vincent start, but she felt his reaction through the bond. "What?" she asked, turning to look at him.

"What?" he returned, hoping to dissuade further questioning and looking as innocent as possible.

Catherine regarded him closely. Deciding not to press a point that he evidently wanted to ignore, she shook her head and began to set the table as she described the velvet and satin garment.

A noise from the front of the house announced Frank Marten's arrival and Colleen went into the hall to greet him. Catherine and Vincent were just putting the supper on the table as the younger couple joined them in the kitchen.

After dinner, Frank and Colleen shooed them upstairs, saying that they would take care of cleaning the kitchen, so Vincent led his weary wife to the third floor. Catherine put some music on the sound system, ensconced herself at the end of the comfortable sofa and asked Vincent about his day. Turning her towards him, he pulled her legs into his lap and began to massage her tired feet as he talked. She leaned back, enjoying the feel of his strong fingers on her aching muscles, and chuckled at the description of Mouse's latest antics. "Vincent?"

"Hmm?"

"Why didn't you come upstairs when you arrived earlier? You knew that I was here."

"Because, my love, I knew that you had been Christmas shopping, and I didn't want to ruin any of your surprises. You'd be downstairs when you were ready. Also, I felt it only right to assist with the meal as I had invited us to partake."

"Thank you for not trying to peek. I do want your gifts to be a surprise." A wave of love engulfed Vincent through the bond; he shook his head incredulously, wondering again at the presence of this beautiful woman and her love in his life.

Looking at her with those incredible blue eyes, he asked, "Would you like to take a warm bath before bed, or are you too tired?"

"If you're going to join me, I'm never too tired for a bath," she replied with a purr.

Vincent rose, chuckling, and placed her feet on the sofa where he had been sitting. Kissing the top of her head, he headed for the bathroom to draw the water. When he returned to the library, he found his beautiful wife sound asleep. Gently, he picked her up as easily as one would lift a small child and carried her to the bed. Carefully removing her clothes, he settled her beneath the covers and went to take his bath.