WINDMILLS
"Is everything all right? I would
swear you're in an entirely different place right now."
The accusation jerks
Katherine back
to the present. Even so, it takes her a moment to pry herself away from
her thoughts and settle herself. Her gaze wanders over the restaurant yet
again, though less absently than it has been doing for the last fifteen
minutes or so. She suddenly realizes that Nick
has been making conversation
the whole time and she has not heard a word of it, supplying only "hmm"s
and "oh"s at what seem like appropriate intervals.
"I'm sorry," she says with a shake
of the head. "I'm not particularly good company tonight, I suppose."
A smile rises briefly underneath
Nick's silver mustache. "You're wonderful company anytime, Katherine. But
it worries me to see you so upset."
Katherine draws in a deep breath
through her nose and then lets the air drift back out. "It's
Andrew. That
confrontation the other night--" She stumbles, at a loss for the proper
words. She tries to figure out what it is, exactly, that she is even thinking.
"This is the worst it's ever been, Nick. Even worse than when he
and Danielle
originally found out what I had done, I think."
"He'll come around," Nick says as
his lips hug the edge of his wine glass. He takes the slightest sip and
then places the glass down.
"What if he doesn't? What if he isn't
able to see that I did what I did for his good? What if--" Again, she trips
over her thoughts as they rush out too quickly to become words.
"Katherine," Nick interrupts. "Are
you sure that's all that's bothering you? You're in a frenzy."
Her first instinct is to cover. "I'm
not--it's just--" But she can't. She composes herself as best she can,
using a lengthy sip of wine to try and calm herself.
And then it comes out of nowhere,
before she even realizes it is on the way: "I want to know about your business,
Nick. The truth. I want to know how exactly you make your money."
Shock registers on Nick's face instantly.
His efforts to reign it in are minimally effective and he is forced to
stroke his mustache as he tries to soothe his screaming nerves.
"Where is this coming from?" he asks
finally, pleased with how even he is able to keep his voice. "And why has
it got you so concerned all of a sudden? We discussed this months ago."
"I know." She folds her hands together
in her lap and inhales deeply. "I know. But I--I've heard some suggestions,
what with Andrew and
Brent Taylor and that
Maggie trying to force me to
leave you."
"What kinds of suggestions?"
Katherine's eyes remain fixed on
the table as she forces the words out with all the might she can muster.
"Why did you marry me, Nick? Was it for money?"
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