Hiding Katherine Read online

  Table of Contents

  Other Books by GG Shalton

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Chapter 35

  Epilogue

  About the Author

  Hiding Katherine

  GG Shalton

  Hiding Katherine

  Copyright © 2018 by GG Shalton. All rights reserved.

  First Edition: June 2018

  [email protected].

  https://www.facebook.com/gigi.shalton

  Editor: Joy Editing – https://www.joyediting.com/

  The Cover Collection – http://www.thecovercollection.com/

  Formatting: Streetlight Graphics

  No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to locales, events, business establishments, or actual persons—living or dead—is entirely coincidental.

  Other Books by GG Shalton

  Amelia’s Deception

  A Previous Time

  Escaping Nobility

  Chapter 1

  The walls of the castle seemed larger than the last time she was out this far. Katherine hoped her father would not catch her outside of the garden without her veil. The binding garment was hot and bothersome, and she could not see through the thick cloth. She dreamed of being outside the gates—without a veil, without an escort, free. She wasn’t exactly in a prison, but it was close.

  The wind was picking up and her skirt billowed a bit beneath her. Everywhere she looked she saw castle walls—walls that she could not climb, walls that blocked her freedom, walls that kept her hidden. Her only chance of escape would be the gatehouse, but her father’s men would never allow her to leave without an escort, and even then, it was limited to special occasions and her face always had to be covered.

  The sun started to set a bit more to the west and she turned back toward the garden. They would be looking for her soon—she had to hurry. Her daily walks in the garden were the only time she was allowed outdoors. An intolerable existence for a young girl of sixteen. Dinner parties were out of the question and balls were never considered. Her father’s answer to her pleas for entertainment went unanswered—his only response was telling her that one day she would understand. Her father’s idea of understanding was a ploy by him to silence her. She was but a woman and needed to know her place.

  Katherine was sure it had something to do with money. For most men, their thoughts revolved around money and land. Her father had been an English knight who served in the Royal Court at one time. Lately, he had traded his warrior skills to be a landlord. Although their castle was not as grand as many others, they lived comfortably. Yet, her father was always striving for more. He felt cheated with his only title of knight and yearned for more land.

  Katherine snuck through the garden door, walked past the kitchen, and neared the dining room door. She could hear her sister’s voice speaking to her father on the other side and curiosity consumed her, so she stopped to eavesdrop on the conversation safely hidden behind an old cabinet.

  “But Father, she’s our grandmother…” Deanna’s voice shuttered, she seemed to be begging her father for something.

  “Out of the question. I can’t believe you would suggest going to Scotland. It’s a place for heathens.” Her father’s voice rumbled in anger and annoyance.

  A whimpered plea came from her sister. “She is all we have left of our mother. It’s her dying wish. Surely, you can’t deny me.”

  Katherine thought of her grandmother, trying not to panic. It weighed heavy on her heart that she was ill. After all, she was more of a mother than a grandparent. She had raised the girls when their mother had passed away from fever shortly after giving birth to Katherine. Originally from Scotland, her grandmother had returned to her homeland a few years ago to marry. A woman of her age normally didn’t remarry, but her clan wanted her home and her previous betrothed had made an offer. She was widowed and free to choose a new husband. The girls were devastated and wanted to go with her to Scotland, but their father and older half-brothers denied their request. They were not the most devoted siblings—often treating them as the poor relations even though they shared the same father. Their father married their mother when the boys were young. Their hatred of the alliance was always prevalent in the household. Not just with them, but many questioned her father’s good sense to marry a woman who was half Scottish. It didn’t matter to any of them that his new bride was also half English. The fact that he took a Scottish bride was a source of discontent with most of his English relatives. After her death, the twice-widowed knight welcomed the grandmother’s assistance in raising the girls but grew hostile when she returned to Scotland a few years later.

  “I can, and I will. It’s unsafe for travel through Scotland.” Her father’s voice did not waver, his stance was clear and held finality.

  Her sister’s voice raised slightly, giving her plea another chance. “Her letter said she is sending some guards from her clan. They will protect us.”

  He let out a breath of frustration. “My answer is no. You will be remarried soon, and your new husband can deal with your insolence. You know your sister can’t travel. It’s impossible. I won’t take chances with her well-being. The time is near that the alliance will be made.”

  “I will not remarry someone of your choice. I already obeyed you once, and my marriage was horrible. He was thrice my age!”

  “He was rich and could have left you quite the inheritance if you would have had his heir. You need protection and I will arrange another marriage. Your prospects are limited since you are no longer a maiden, but I will find some type of arrangement on my trip. Now be gone with you before I am forced to silence your tongue.”

  “Father, please reconsider.”

  “I expect your obedience, Deanna.”

  Katherine looked down at the floor hesitating to give away her folly. Eavesdropping was frowned upon and could cost her a walk in the garden tomorrow. Instead, she held her breath as her father stormed past the door never noticing her presence.

  She whispered, “Deanna?”

  Deanna turned around jumping slightly, “You frightened me! How long have you been listening?”

  “I just arrived,” she lied. “What is wrong with Father?”

  She grasped Katherine’s arm and pulled her toward the
storage room. “Come inside at once. We must talk.” Katherine followed her sister, noticing the bags under her eyes and the worry lines on her forehead. But most staggering of all was her sister’s determination to argue with their father. His tolerance for disobedience would not go unpunished.

  Looking around the room, Deanna motioned for her to sit on a barrel. She whispered, “Grandmother is ill. Very ill.”

  Katherine brought her hand to her mouth feigning surprise as she had heard Deanna’s conversation with their father. “How do you know?”

  Deanna leaned closer to Katherine making sure they could not be heard. “I received a missive a few days ago at Lumberton and made haste to come ask Father if we could go see her. It was dated over a month ago. The healer said she would die within a few months. Her last wish is for us to see her before she passes. Her letter said she would send a few warriors to escort us. Father is refusing to let us go, and she is too ill to travel here.”

  Katherine’s head was spinning thinking of her grandmother. “How can he refuse you passage? You are a widow and don’t even live with him.”

  Deanna shook her head. “My husband’s nephew is inheriting Lumberton. I will be put out soon. He left me a small living, but I must come back home. Father is my closest male relative since my husband was killed, and he still thinks of me as a child and not a grown woman.” She stood up and walked to the other side of the room deep in thought. Turning back toward Katherine, she raised her chin in defiance. “But I am my own woman and will go to see Grandmother. He is set on me remarrying before the end of the year.” She ran her fingers over the thick braid that lay on the side of her shoulder. “I don’t wish to remarry. He should respect my mourning period.”

  Katherine cracked a smile. “Mourning period? Didn’t you loathe your husband?”

  Deanna rolled her eyes. “It matters not! The idea of marrying again is unsettling.” She wrapped her arms around her stomach trying to visibly comfort herself. Her eyes met Katherine’s, letting out the breath she was holding. “What do you know anyway? You are only sixteen. You should have been betrothed by now, but our father is saving you. Waiting for the highest bidder. Which means, he will never let me take you.”

  Katherine snorted. “Highest bidder? You always exaggerate.” She ran her finger over one of the barrels making markings through the dust. Thinking about Deanna going to Scotland without her made her feel a bit jealous. Making a decision, she hopped up from the barrel she was sitting on and faced her sister. “I want to see her too.” She reached for Deanna’s hand and pleaded. “Please take me with you. She is the only mother I have ever known. I will run away if Father refuses.”

  The corners of Deanna’s mouth curled up into a smile. “Finally! My little sister is not so perfect. Perhaps even a little rebellious. You will thank me one day that I saved you from an impending marriage to some old leech sucking the life out of your youthful existence.”

  Katherine’s eyes widened in surprise at her sister. “Sometimes you speak so vulgarly.”

  Deanna’s smile faded. “I speak the truth, Sister. Such a fate I would never want you to know.”

  She shivered at her sister’s warning. “I don’t plan to run away forever. I only wish to stay a fortnight at the most. I will need to return after we see Grandmother. I don’t wish Father’s wrath upon us.”

  Deanna looked at her sister, seemingly agreeing to her request with a hint of reservation in her eyes. Reaching for Katherine’s hand, she patted it affectionally. “Of course. We will ask a few of the warriors to escort you back home. But for now, we must keep our trip a secret.”

  Dropping her hand, she paced in the small space of the room. “Father is leaving to negotiate my hand in marriage in a few days. By then, the Scotsmen should be here, and we can go with them.” Taking a moment, she cleared her throat. “I think it is best that I return to Lumberton tonight to avoid Father. I will come for you once I know he is gone. Grandmother must have known that he would refuse and sent the missive to my home. Stay strong my sister and I will come for you soon. You mustn’t tell anyone, not even your maid.”

  A few days later Katherine took a book into the garden. Her sanctuary. Carefully taking off her veil, she spotted Sir William from the corner of her eye. One of her father’s favorite men, his broad frame stepped through the bushes invading her perfect resting place.

  Wincing, he blocked the afternoon sun from his eyes, “Miss Tolland? Your father would be unhappy if he knew you were outdoors without your covering.”

  “Then we shan’t tell him,” she said with a smile.

  Sir William was in his mid-thirties and had served her household since she could remember. He was still unmarried and a trusted advisor. A previous knight to the king, he kept the castle in order when her father was away. Bending down, he sat beside her. “What are you reading?”

  She closed her book quickly. “Just poems.”

  His body was bulky, and he smelled of the outdoors. “Poems? A waste of an afternoon if you ask me.”

  She faced him ignoring his jibe about her poems. “What else am I to do, Sir William? You are aware of my prison.”

  He looked down at her wrinkling his nose. “Hardly a prison. You have a castle at your disposal. Your father only wishes to protect you. And when he is away with your brothers, it is my wish to do the same.”

  She cracked a smile. “You wish to protect me?”

  His smile faded. “I would give my life to keep you safe.” Picking up a small flower from the ground, he handed it to her. “If my circumstances were different, I would make an offer for you, Miss Tolland.”

  She looked away, her face turning warm in embarrassment. “Speaking of offers… Has my father taken you into his confidence? Do you know whom I will marry? He has kept me hidden for years in the hopes of a perfect match.”

  He tilted his head staring at her in a daze as if not hearing what she said. “You are so beautiful. Sometimes I forget just how much.”

  “Please, Sir William. If you know my father’s plans, then keep me not in suspense.”

  He reached for her hand. “I do not know, but whoever it is, may never do you justice.” He put her hand to his mouth and gently kissed it before standing to bow. “Good day, Miss. Tolland.”

  Katherine watched him walk away.

  “Katherine.” A loud whisper interrupted her woolgathering. Looking around, she saw no one. She reached for her veil, placing it on her head and stood up to look around the perimeter.

  “I am near the fountain.” Katherine looked through the bushes and spotted her sister hiding behind the garden wall.

  “Whatever are you doing?” Katherine shook her head at her sister. “Why the secrecy?”

  “The Scots came last night, and I came to fetch you. They are camping at Millard’s spring. We should leave soon. Grandmother sent them to escort us to her clan. Father’s guards can’t know I am here or they will grow suspicious. We mustn’t tell anyone. Pack a bag and ask your maid if she wishes to come. Meet me back here in one hour when it grows dark and we can take the horses I have hidden.”

  “What are the Scots like?” Katherine imagined huge, uncivilized men full of hair and warts to take them across the border. Although they lived close to the border, she had never seen them in real life. Her father’s guards kept her protected never allowing her to see anything or anyone. Scotland may be close, but she knew her grandmother’s clan lived at least a few days travel away. Her whole life she had heard horrible stories about them.

  Deanna crinkled her nose at her question. “They are big and burly. Not exactly pleasant smelling. But they will protect us. We mustn’t complain and it’s very important that you remain covered.”

  “Yes, Sister. Give me one hour and wait for me by the stable. How do you suggest we get past the gate?”

  A sly smile lifted t
he corner of her mouth. “One of the Scots found a small hole under the west side wall. I barely fit through, but you should be able to easily.”

  Katherine nodded. “Very well. See you in an hour.”

  Riding through the dark was a bit nerve-racking. Traveling along the path through the woods was not the smartest decision, but time was on their side. Katherine shared her horse with her maid while Deanna rode alone. Her saddlebags were already with the Scots.

  “We should be coming to the springs soon and they want to leave before dawn. They thought we could be five to six hours ahead of Father’s men before anyone noticed you were missing.”

  “Sir William will be furious. He has watched me like a hawk. He even told me earlier today that he would have made an offer for me if Father would allow it.”

  “Pah! Father would never allow a lowly knight to have your hand. He has calculated your worth since you were five years old and men were noticing your beauty.”

  Katherine looked embarrassed by her statement. “You should not say such things.”

  “Katherine, there is a lot about our father you do not know. Let me enlighten you. You know that Father is not a kind man. His beatings are nothing compared to his cynical ways to make a profit. Trust me, he is not waiting to betroth you because he wants you to be happy with your match.”

  They rode in silence for a few moments as Deanna’s words lingered in the air. Katherine finally spoke up defensively, “He said I would have a grand match and sometimes this takes time.”

  Deanna laughed. “Please stop with the fantasies. He keeps you locked up and covered until the day he introduces you at court, hoping he can negotiate a better deal for your hand. He thinks he doesn’t even need a dowry with beauty like yours.” Deanna snickered sarcastically and paused before speaking again. “Honestly, when the king and his noblemen see you, they will sell you to the highest bidder among their elite. That is why Father did not betroth you when you were young. Without the king seeing your beauty, he could not negotiate a higher match. He thinks the court will overlook his humble castle and bid for your hand. If that happens, your husband will be old and rich. Probably have a fetish for young naïve girls.”