Though she be but little, yet she is fierce.~ William Shakespeare.

Chapter 43.

Putting up a Fight.

Catrin had heard a lot of shouting, but didn't dare eavesdrop when she realized the Earl had also gone inside the room. He was a tall, intimidating man and Catrin was just a bit afraid of him. The shouting had moved to the kitchen, and the words 'murder' 'witch' and 'dragon' were clearly heard. When the drama seemed to have died down a bit, Catrin dared to slip down to the kitchen and to her horror she saw Argos lying in a motionless heap. Two servants were in the middle of dragging him out the kitchen door, but Catrin quickly ran and blocked the path.

"What is the meaning of this?" She demanded, falling down on her knees and running her hands through Argos' fur. "He's still warm!"

"Dog's dead, young Miss Llewelyn," one servant softly informed. "He only died a few moments ago, so yes, he is still warm. Wait a little and he'll go cold, cold as ice itself. Mrs. Llewelyn says to take him out and bury him."

"How...how did it die?" Catrin could feel tears spilling out of her eyes. Poor Beatrice! How was her dear stepsister taking this dreadful news?

The servants exchanged glances.

"It ain't for us to say, Miss Llewelyn. Please, let us through."

Catrin placed a kiss on the dog's nose and stood up. She was on her way to Beatrice when Amy stopped her.

"It ain't really dead, Miss Llewelyn," she whispered in a frightened tone. "Argos ain't really dead. I 'eard, I did, that the mistress was gonna poison 'im. I don't know why, I only she was and and I couldn't let it 'appen. I switched the poison I did. She poured it into a bowl of milk for them dog, and as I's always feed 'im she 'anded it to me. I knewed ahead of time, I did. I prepared another bowl, I stole 'er sleeping powder and put it instead. 'Es asleep, not dead. But no one knows it was me! And I's terrified wot will 'appen if they's to find out."

Catrin flung her arms around Amy. "Sweet, dear girl! How smart, how brave you are. Oh precious girl. Quick, we must hurry. They are about to bury Argos alive."

"But wot will the Missus say?"

"Place all the blame on me, Amy. We'll say that I switched the poison for the sleeping powder. I do hope the dose wasn't too strong, we don't know how that stuff affects dogs. But come, we must hurry."

With those words Catrin ran outside. "Stop!" She called to the servants. "Bring the dog back!"

They paused and looked at her. "The Missus said to dispose of it. We have to take it somewhere where we can..."

"I said," Catrin repeated, walking closer to them. "Bring the dog back! Take him to my room. Now."

"But the Missus."

Catrin set her lips in a firm line and glared at them. "Just. Do. It! If the 'missus' asks, tell them you were following my orders! That dog isn't dead, only sleeping."

The servants looked down in confusion.

"Well?"

With a shrug they began dragging the heavy dog back to the house and then up the stairs and then to Catrin's room. Her Majesty, the cat, glared at this action. What was that useless, and now seemingly lifeless, monster doing in her bedroom? What was the matter with her faithful subject? Why was she kneeling down to it? How dare she knee to a commoner!

Catrin was of course unaware of the betrayal her cat was going through. She knelt down, and detected that the dog was still breathing.

"I am no doctor," Catrin muttered to herself. "But the heart has got to be somewhere here." After some search, Catrin sighed with relief to discover Argos still had a heartbeat. She fetched some water and poured it over the dogs face.

"Please, help the sleeping powder not to kill him," she prayed. "Help the dose to have been small enough to let him wake and live."

Ringing the bell, Catrin called Fanny over.

"You sit here and don't take your eyes off of him," Catrin ordered. "Listen for a heartbeat every five minutes and make sure he breathes. I shall only go and fetch my stepsister."

Fanny nodded with wide eyes, not quite understanding what was going on. Leaving Argos in the care of Fanny, Catrin hurried over to Beatrice's room, only to discover that it was empty. A note was on the table.

If Mamma asks, I've gone out. If she dosen't ask, tell her nothing. Burn this note.

"Oh where did she go out too?" Catrin fumed as she returned to her room and tossed the paper into the fire. "What am I to do now?"

There was only one thing to do, and that was wait. Wait for the dog to awaken and wait for Beatrice to come back. "At least it will be a pleasant surprise," Catrin decided. Going back to her room, she sat beside Fanny and the two of them did not depart from the dog's side. Only now and then Fanny would be sent to see if Beatrice had come back, but every time it was the same answer. Not yet.

When dinner came around, there was still no word from Beatrice, and at last Fanny was sent to inform Mrs. Llewelyn that it would seem Beatrice went out and did not return. Mrs. Llewelyn didn't seem too alarmed.

"She always returns," was her only reply.

However, dinner finished and there was still no sign of the girl. The clock struck eight, nine, ten, eleven. By this time the house was in the state of alarm. Beatrice had pulled many, many, many running away stunts in the past, but by midnight she was always home. However, the clock struck twelve and Beatrice did not show up.

Mrs. Llewelyn began to panic, the Earl was furious. He got some servants together and instructed that they must search for Miss Morton. No one had seen her leave, and no one had a clue as to where she could have gone.

"Let us start with Mrs. Fairfax," Mrs. Llewelyn suggested. "She is really the only person Beatrice could have run too."

Beatrice was of course not with her godmother, and that is when the seriousness began to sink in. It was a long night, and the only person who slept was Lady Margaret Morton. Mrs. Llewelyn paced the floor, the Earl directed the search. Catrin kept silent watch over Argos and prayed Beatrice was safe. This was all so unlike her!

The next morning dawned and there was still no sign of Beatrice. Argos, however, awoke from his long sleep and was greeted by hugs and kisses from Catrin.

"Dear soul, oh dearest Argos," she laughed. "Look at you, alive and well. I do hope there will be no side effects. You didn't stir all night and I was afraid I would have to fetch the doctor today...I don't even know if there is a dog doctor, but there must be one. Only now there is no need of that, for you are well. Oh where is Beatrice, how glad she will be to find you alive! Her heart must have shattered completely yesterday when she thought Mamma poisoned you. How could that woman have done such a thing."

Argos, pleased to see Catrin so glad, barked joyfully. It was perhaps a dangerous thing to do, for his noise brought Mrs. Llewelyn to Catrin's room.

"Cadi," she huffed. "Stop with the noise...good grief!" Mrs. Llewelyn froze in her tracks at the sight of Argos sitting happily in the room, wagging his tail and with his tongue hanging from his mouth as he panted with glee.

"But how...how...there was enough poison in there..."

"I suppose not enough," Catrin coldly stated. The gaze of stepmother and stepdaughter met.

"You did something, didn't you? I gave Amy the plate with the poison, what did you do?"

"Swapped the plates. We gave him some sleeping draught instead. And the dose was not too great, for even sleeping powder can kill a dog if you put too much."

"How dare you," Mrs. Llewelyn hissed, walking closer to Catrin. "How dare you go against me like that."

Argos growled at the tone of her voice.

"I shall call the servants at once and..."

"No, Mamma!" Catrin cut her off. She rose from her knees and stood between Argos and Mrs. Llewelyn. "You shall not touch a single hair of this dog's fur. It was cruel and wicked of you to even think of killing him, all in an effort to try and scare your daughter into doing something she did not want to do. You have to know where to stop, and you will stop right here. Not a hair, you hear, not a single hair!"

"You dare speak to me in such a manner!" Mrs. Llewelyn thundered and slapped Catrin across the cheek. Argos growled louder. Catrin's whole face stung, but she did not back down. She composed herself and didn't flinch at the imposing figure of her stepmother.

"Mamma," she stated in a cutting town. "Control yourself."

"Are you telling me..."

"Yes I AM telling you!" Catrin dared to raise her voice a little. "Someone has got to tell you, and it might as well be me. Whose land are you living off of? My father's! Whose money are you wasting? My father's! Whose wealth is it? My father's! You are a sly, cunning woman, but I am the Llewelyn heir and not you! In a year and a half all the manor will pass on to me and I promise you I will not give a penny, not a single penny to you. Your first husband, Mr. Morton, left you with one hundred pounds a year, you may live off of that! And no, you will not hurt Argos. He is my stepsister's dog, and while Beatrice is gone I will protect him. Protect him from you and your evil ways!"

Mrs. Llewelyn made a move to the side, but Catrin had anticipated this move and blocked her.

"Argos!" She commanded. "Get up!"

Argos rose to his feet, reminding Mrs. Llewelyn what a large dog he was.

"Argos, come to Catrin!"

Putting one large paw in front of the other, Argos stood by Catrin's side.

"Argos," Catrin glanced down at him. "Bark!"

Argos obeyed.

Catrin lifted her head to Mrs. Llewelyn. "He knows how to obey orders, shall I tell him to bite you? Get out of the room, Mamma, or I will have him strike."

Mrs. Llewelyn was nearly purple with fury, but she dare not do anything silly, that dog was large and had a big mouth, with sharp teeth. "Catrin Llewelyn," she snapped. "You are no longer welcome in this house. Pack your bags and begone within the hour!"

"As you wish, Mamma!"

Argos barked and Mrs. Llewelyn made a hasty retreated, slamming the door behind her. When she was gone, Catrin's knees buckled and she sank down to the floor.

"I do not know what came over me," she confessed to the dog in a rather shaky voice. "Never before did I dare to threaten Mamma, threaten to have a dog bite her what is more. Even Beatrice would have never done a thing like that. Oh, I hope I didn't behave wrongly, but what could I have done? She wants to kill you? She drove Beatrice from the house. Look, it is already ten o'clock in the morning and still no sign of stepsister. I wonder if she plans to return at all. Oh, Argos, if I didn't know better, I would say Mamma's desperation is making her lose her mind."

Argos sat down next to Catrin and put his head on her lap. She ran her hand through his fur. "I'll have Amy fetch you some food," she informed. "And Fanny must help me pack. We've got to get out of this house in one hour. But where will we go?"

She glanced over at Her Majesty, who had been eyeing the whole encounter from her corner. "Where should we go, Your Majesty?" Catrin asked. "Perhaps back to Derwen Goch? Or maybe we shall got to Mrs. Fairfax. Yes, she will have good advice. She is the best of women."

Having made up her mind, Catrin summoned Amy to fetch Argos and Her Majesty breakfast, then Fanny came to help pack.

"What of me, Miss Catrin," Amy said as she watched Fanny place the final dress and shut the trunk. "Miss Beatrice is gone and what is she never comes back? The Missus will never keep me. She don't like me. Never wanted me to come 'ere in the first place."

Catrin bit her lower lip. "What a company we will make," she sighed. "Ah well, what can I do. Amy, you will come with Fanny and Argos and Her Majesty and me to Mrs. Fairfax. We shall plan our next move from there. Only we had better hurry, I've got ten minutes left before the dragon comes swooping down on me. Amy, go and fetch a cab, Fanny, have Mark and Jack come here and help us with the trunks and animals."

Thus before noon, Catrin found herself riding in a cab with the two girls and the two pets, wondering what was going to happen to them next. Mamma had thrown her out of the house and Beatrice had vanished into thin air.

***

"But Charles, just go there and get her to change her mind!"

Charles sighed. It had been a long morning for him. He hadn't told his father about Beatrice's refusal until after breakfast. And now he had spent the better part of two hours in heated debate with his father and it really was going nowhere.

"Father, for the last time, I am not. She said never to ask her again. It is obvious that she does not want to marry me, why must I put my pride on the line yet again!"

"Why? Because she is the perfect match. She was so friendly and encouraged your courtship. I already had you married and settled with children. Three boys and two girls! Instead you are for some reason pursuing a politcal career, perhaps that is why she turned you down."

"She does not want to marry me, and honestly, I do not want to marry her either. I only did it to humor you. As a result it was a fail and I am ready to move on. I don't care for Miss Morton, and I don't want to marry her."

"Well then who do you want to marry?" George fumed. "Because it has already been a year since I told you to get a wife and you are still a bloody bachelor! You were supposed to be married by your twenty sixth birthday, Fair enough, you will be wed by your twenty seventh! But no more stalling. Have you another girl in mind?"

"I do actually," Charles informed. "I plan to woo and win Miss Llewelyn, the little stepsister of Miss Morton. She is a charming and..."

"Out of the question!" George cut his son off. "That girl is off limits!"

Charles scowled at his father. "Off limits?" He repeated. "Since when do you care which girl I marry. How many times have you told me that 'it doesn't matter who she is, as long as she has a good name, good looks, good family and money'. Now, I know Miss Llewelyn does not have a title, but her second uncle is a Baronet, and the name of Llewelyn is one of the most respected among Welsh soicety, and she is very pretty, and she is an heiress! What more do you want from her?"

"I want a whole lot more than she can give!" George lost his temper. "Charles, you must trust me on this! There are plenty of other girls, chose one of them!"

"But I don't want plenty of other girls," Charles snapped. He was really beginning to lose his patience as well. "I want Miss Llewelyn. If you must know the full truth, I never courted Miss Morton! I never wanted to court her but you wouldn't leave me alone about it so I...well...I lied...in a way. All this time I have been secretly courting Miss Llewelyn and I have made up my mind that I want to marry her and her alone! Not Miss Morton and not Miss anyone else! I've worked so hard for her, I bloody got into Parliament for her. And you know what else, Father? I actually like it. I don't know if it is because it is the only thing I ever did that wasn't dicated by you, or if it just because I have a calling for politics, but I am enjoying it greatly. You said I would give up within a month, it has been nearly six months already since I came to the city and I am still at it. All of this is thanks to Miss Llewelyn."

George fought to keep his cool. "Charles! I have a good reason for not wanting you to marry little Miss Llewelyn. I promised I would not speak of it, but can't you just trust me?"

"Why?" Charles' voice became cold. "Why should I trust you? You who were never there in my life? You who lived in London most of the time while I was far away at Denster Hall, in Oxford, in Europe. We lived completely seperate lives, we hardly know each other, even now we rarely spend any time together. I did it your way, and I was glad to do it because it made sense. But this, Father, this doesn't make sense and that is why I am going against it."

"I order you to leave Miss Llewelyn alone!"

"Oh, now you order?" Charles fumed. "Are you my general that I should obey? Father, I am nearly twenty seven years old, and I believe I have a right to chose whom I want to marry. I am going to be the one living with her and raising children after all."

"Not if you want to be my heir, you don't!"

A deafening silence hung about the room. Charles looked incrediously at his father.

"Did you just...did you just threaten me?"

"Yes, yes I did!" George snapped back. "If you want one penny, one penny of inheritance, you will leave that girl alone and find a proper wife! I'm warning you, Charles, I will cut you off completely."

Charles could not believe it. What was the matter with his father? He was almost ready to believe old age was messing with his mind.

"Choose, Charles," George stated, rising from his seat, though he still had to glare up at his son, who stood a good head taller than him. "Either your inheritance, or little Miss Llewelyn!"

Gritting his teeth, Charles took a deep breath. "I am not the lazy boy you once knew, Father. I am making a career for myself, carving my way though life. I still don't completely know what I am doing, but I do know that all your money will never find me another Catrin Llewelyn."

"Don't you realize what I am saying!" George thundered out. "I won't give you single penny. That happy, easy life you knew, with everything handed to you on a silver platter, it will be gone. You may be making your politcal career, but it will be a long time before it takes off and you make money off of it. You'll have nothing, Charles! NOTHING!"

"I'll have Catrin," Charles retorted. "That is enough for me. I don't need your inheritance Father, and I don't need the title either. I shall be Mr. Charles Errol from now on, I always did like that name more."

He turned to go, but George reached out his hand and stopped him. "Think, Charles, think really hard. What will you do?"

Charles turned back and looked into the blue eyes, blue eyes that he had inherited. "I suppose, Father, I shall have to do without. I will make my departure from this house as soon as possible. Just as soon as I have found lodging that I can now afford."

With these words, Charles burshed his father's hand away and marched off.

"He won't last long," George muttered to himself. "I know my Charles, he'll be back before the week is up."