The voyage

11–A New life

The street was quiet as Kate sat in the bathtub early one morning, gently sloshing the warm water across her skin. The maid had been kind enough to run her one on seeing that the new mistress of the house was awake early.

She knew that James rose around 5am - it was like clockwork. Every day the same and in order. It had been the same rising pattern on board The Liberty, but it appeared he kept to the same schedule in between charters. 
Kate would hear the sound of his footsteps pass by her room each morning, trying to be quiet so as not to wake her or his mother - however she too found that she was now rising at the same time, sleep being a little hard to maintain.

Usually, James would go for an early morning walk and then retreat to his study upon his return. Sometimes he'd join his mother and her for breakfast, but that was becoming rare. Kate wondered whether it was because it was her who was seated at his table, and not Margaret Walker.

Kate slunk further under the water and closed her eyes.

You are lucky, at least he will not beat you, or control your actions. She thought to herself.

It was true, especially if he rarely paid her attention. She was mistress of the house, a new kind of duty. Kate enjoyed it though, organising the weeks menus with the cook, and eventually she'd organise her first dinner for them to host.

Perhaps it would put a smile on James face as opposed to the rather neutral one he wore. He was a serious man though, but she was sure that she could crack the shell eventually.

Finishing bathing, she dressed and went downstairs for breakfast, Sarah already seated at the table and pouring some tea. "Good morning, dear". She smiled warmly.

The elder Rogers woman had taken to her new daughter in law very quickly. In her eyes she was a better match despite how the union had come about. Catherine was elegant, had been raised to the highest of standards, and she knew her mind. A challenge for James perhaps but Sarah knew that Kate wasn't silly. She knew when to pick her battles.

"Good morning. Is James in his study?"

"I'm here actually". He walked in, the newspaper ticker under his arm, and seated himself at his usual place which was at the head of the table.

"Do we know who this is?" Sarah looked in mock confusion at Kate who knew instantly she was teasing.

"I really have no idea, it can't be James, he never joins us". A small smirk on her lips as both women looked to one another knowingly.

He shook his head. "Very funny".

"I have some news about Miss Harkness".

"Has she died?" Kate's flippant reply made Sarah choke on her tea while James looked shocked.

"What! No! She was out walking this morning and has invited you two for some lunch at her home this afternoon".

Sarah calmed herself and cleared her throat. "I'll send her a note to confirm that we'll be there", but still there was a smile on her face.

All the while James eye was on his wife. "What?" She shrugged, "usually if someone in my family told me there was news, either someone was dead or being married off?"

He said nothing and instead went back to his paper, his hand occasionally reaching from behind it to drink his coffee.


**

"Hiiiiii!" Agatha greeted both Sarah and Kate cheerfully as she showed them into her parlour where a few other women were seated. "Well Catherine, I guess you know all these gals!" Her wide smile was literally not faltering as Kate said hello to Anna, Rose, Wanda and couple of other women who she had met, mainly through Anna.

There was only one who wasn't familiar and now as Agatha was seeing to her guests, Kate couldn't help but feel eyes on her. "Who is that woman over there talking to Kate Bishop while staring at me?" She leant in and whispered to Sarah who bit her lip.

"That would be Margaret Walker".

Oh dear...

"Perhaps it was not a good idea for me to come here". Kate said awkwardly while a maid now filled her cup with some coffee and offered her a couple of biscuits. "And I don't think Agatha meant it in a harmful way. Our paths would have eventually crossed, but I don't feel particularly welcome now".

Sarah waved this off. "Do not worry about her, she is simply licking her wounds from what happened. She will get over it in time and find herself another. Men call on her practically every day in the hopes she'll say yes to their proposals".

Kate chose to converse mainly with Rose (who was picking apart the sandwiches served with some disgust) and Anna. They were the two people she felt as though she could trust the most other than Sarah. She couldn't help but feel bad for Peggy. It was like a slap in the face, having the wife of a man she'd hoped to marry sitting in front of her all afternoon.

Anna soon took herself off to the piano to play while the women listened intently, Sarah moving across the room to talk to Agatha, and leaving Kate to sit and listen to the melody. Anna was a rather accomplished when it came to the piano, perhaps even better than Kate herself so she suspected.

Now, out of the corner of her eye she noted and sensed a presence come to sit on the chair that Sarah had vacated some time before. "You must be Catherine". Peggy now said quietly, and friendly, although Kate could sense the meeting wasn't one to congratulate her. And why should it be? This was a woman who was going to use passive aggression to its finest pinnacle. "I'm Margaret, but most call me Peggy".

Yes, or in her case 'the woman your husband is in love with'. Kate was surprised she hadn't already stated that.

"I would say it's a pleasure..." Peggy went on, "But when you have to be in the same room as the woman your future husband pushed you aside for? You can see how it's not".

"Peggy..." Kate kept her voice low so as not to cause a scene. "You should know that I never expected..."

"Never expected what? To marry him? Are you stupid? He had to, to keep your honour and his. If anything, you should be thanking him every day for what he had to give up for someone like you".

Kate kept her composure, but she could feel the lump in her throat. "Someone 'like me'". She stated back, "Would you care to elaborate?"

"A strumpet" Peggy casually remarked with a small shrug. "Because that technically is what you are - Captain's wife or not, you acted like one on your way over here, and I guess your little plan to seduce worked. It's no wonder James probably can't be around you. The sacrifice he's made..." She shook her head sadly. "You might be able to convince everyone of the 'sweet and tender Captain's wife act, but you can't fool me, Mrs Rogers". She all but spat the name out like it was a bad taste in her mouth.

Peggy now rose from her seat calmly and returned to speak with Wanda.

Kate still kept a proud demeanour, but she could feel the tears stinging the back of her eyes, now rising and walking out hurriedly.

She needed to get out of this damn house, and she needed to get away now.