Rags and Riches

Chapter 1: Invitation

   Kathrine's gloved hands rested, one over the other, on the cool surface of the table. She listened to Franklin Lewis drone on with her father, words that made just enough sense to follow, but not enough to fully understand. So instead, she looked out the window over their shoulders at the trees swaying in the summer breeze and the horses ripping grass from the field. Her own buckskin mare stands at the far end, rubbing her face against the fence. 

   That's troubling. Were flies bothering her? She should talk to Cliff about that. She wondered vaguely if the fence would leave scratches on her, or even injure her eyes. She most definitely needed to speak to Cliff. Perhaps he could-

   "Kathrine?" The men were staring at her. She had clearly missed something.

   "I apologize" Kathrine smiled ruefully, "I must have spaced out."

   Frank nodded in understanding and reached to pat her hand. Frank had always been the... affectionate type. 

   Kathrine first met Franklin Lewis by way of introduction from her father. They were attending a dance hosted by a family friend who hoped his daughter, Emma, would find a suitable husband in the crowd. During the brief conversation Kathrine had with him and her father, Frank had brushed her arm at least twice, causing her to stand with her back firmly against the wall.

   "Don't worry darling, business isn't for a woman's constitution. I should have been more considerate of that." His smile was charming, but his words dumped boiling water down her spine. 

   This man didn't even know her. How could he know whether or not business interested her? It didn't, she conceded, but she still felt indignant at his implication.

   She grinned back at him to keep the peace. He was business with her father, after all. She would hate to lose him a good partner over her acting like a shrew.

   "Would you mind topping off the tea?" Her father was looking at her. His dismissal was clear.

   Kathrine dipped her head and stood, carefully pulling her hand away from Frank's. She collected the now cool tea kettle and moved out of the room, closing the door quietly as the men began to talk again. They're quiet, she noticed. They must have a very big job coming up. 

   They'd been talking hushedly quite often lately. 

   Could something be going wrong with the company? What could go wrong with a flouring company? Has something happened to one of their crop fields? Pa hasn't seemed stressed though...

   Kathrine's stomach tipped uneasily as she lit the stove. While her father didn't share information with her openly, he had never made an effort to hide anything from her.

   When the tea had warmed, she hurried back to the door but hesitated before knocking. 

   Would it be so wrong to just... listen in for a moment? Then she could put her mind at ease. She pressed close to the door, careful of the tea tray in her hand, and listened.

   "... Would be extremely beneficial... to the family... solve our issues..."

   Issues? Family? Kathrine pressed closer, desperate to hear more. Her father's tone seemed light, almost excited.

   "Indeed!... thoughts exactly... be an absolute honor..."

   What could Frank be talking about? Something in her stomach tightened with nerves, unpleasant. 

   She knocked twice on the door, cutting the voices off. She didn't want to hear anymore. 

   "Come in, Kathrine." Her father's voice is soft, no edges. Inviting. Her nausea rolls once again. She had the unmistakable feeling their conversation had something to do with her, though this time she didn't wish to know why.   

   She pushed the door open slowly. She couldn't help but notice how they watched her every move as she poured them fresh cups of tea and returned to her seat. She left her own cup empty, but the men were too distracted to notice.

    "My girl," Her father began. She didn't like the gleam in his eye, the way he clasped her hands. It reminded her of when she was a little girl, in this same office. When her father needed an extra chip in the game, something to persuade his investors that he was a trustworthy man, he would call her in. Who could say no to sweet Kathrine? His most prized token.

    "Mr. Lewis has made a wonderful proposition, one that I'm sure you'll be agreeable to." His voice carried no heaviness, but she saw the demand in his eyes, the set of his jaw. His firm grip on her hands. Whatever it is, he expected her to agree to it, and likely wouldn't take no for an answer. She swallowed.

   "I would be honored," Frank began, "if you would accompany me on a walk this Sunday. After church, perhaps?"

   Kathrine's heart stopped. Her corset seemed to tighten, the boning digging in uncomfortably. The implications were clear. A courtship. With Franklin? 

   Her head swam. Was this what they had been discussing? Had Frank simply been asking for her father's permission to court her? Flooded by relief, she didn't realize what she was saying until it was halfway out of her mouth.

   "Yes, that... that would be lovely!" Even to her own ear, her voice seemed off, but the men were pleased with her response. Frank took her hands from her father and grinned at her. It seemed genuine, hopeful even.

   What is with all the touching today?  Still, she smiled back. This might not be terrible. Maybe she just needed some time to get used to him and his affections. 

   That is, after all, what courtship is for...