Beauty and the Beast (27 page)

Vincent had dreamed of kissing Catherine, but he had never allowed himself to dwell on that happy possibility. He looked completely flustered, and Catherine giggled softly at him. Then she asked him, “Remember when you helped Elliott Burch and me escape from that South American death squad?”

Vincent answered, “Yes, I do. That was a very frightening time for all three of us.”

Catherine went on. “Well, I know that you remember feeling that kiss Elliott gave me out-of-the-blue. After he gave me that kiss, he told me that he could then die happy. I told you later in your chamber when you mentioned feeling that kiss that I had wished that it was you kissing me.”

Vincent nodded, “And I remember telling you that Elliott could give you so many things that I never could.” Catherine shook her head at him. “Elliott could never give me what I have been given by you, or anything that I really need, which you give to me in great abundance. My friends used to say that I was the one most likely to major

in and then practice ‘fashion law’.” Vincent chuckled at her. “After you found me, my priorities changed, and so did my life. It became so much richer, and I am so much happier. I don’t know what Joe Maxwell is going to think of my resignation. Do you want to hear what he said to me recently?”

Vincent smiled and said, “Tell me, Catherine.”

Then he chuckled again as Catherine imitated Joe’s masculine voice. “Well, Radcliffe, I sure misjudged you when you came to work for us! I thought that you were just another rich ‘Daddy’s girl’ trying to relieve her guilt over her ‘silver spoon’ life by doing a month of penance as a civil servant. I didn’t ever figure you would stick around for the hard stuff!” Then Catherine looked deeply into Vincent’s eyes as she said, “I had the strength to ‘stick around for the hard stuff’ because of you.”

Vincent said firmly, “The strength was already within you, Catherine.”

Catherine responded, “But you taught me how to tap into that strength, Vincent.”

Vincent went on. “You have given so much time and effort to your job. Joe Maxwell should understand your wish to pursue something else now.”

Catherine nodded at him. “I’m sure he will. He has been a really good friend to me. Now, Vincent, I want that kiss that I have been waiting forever for!” Vincent blinked at her and still looked hesitant. “Vincent, tell me what is troubling you.”

Vincent spoke softly. “Catherine, I can’t imagine anything more wonderful right now than kissing you for the first time. I have never allowed myself to dwell on that possibility, though, because I am so afraid of losing control of myself with you.”

Catherine took his face in her hands again. “Vincent, you won’t lose control. I know you. That won’t happen!” Then Vincent gave her a smile as he shrugged his shoulders. He took his forefinger and gently caressed her lovely lips, and she was thrilled by his touch. “Catherine,

I have never kissed a woman on the lips before. You are going to have to teach me.”

She smiled and replied, “111 show you.”

Catherine reached up as she stood on her toes, locked her arms around Vincent’s neck, and pulled his head down to her. Vincent wrapped his arms around Catherine, and just before their lips met, he received both an empathic feeling as well as a telepathic vision of the kiss she wanted, and he acted accordingly. His mouth took possession of her lips, and all of the unexpressed desire they felt for each other was communicated in that passionate kiss. The thrill was like electricity pulsing between them. Vincent felt warmth spreading throughout his body. Catherine sighed with pleasure and melted in his arms as his embrace tightened, and he lifted her off the tunnel floor.

When they finally parted, and Vincent set her gently down, Catherine was breathless. “Oh, Vincent! I don’t

need to teach you! I don’t know anything about kissing that you don’t already know!”

Vincent smiled down at her. “But, you did teach me, Catherine. I received that vision from you just before we kissed.”

Catherine giggled, “There, you see! Elliott Burch could never do that for me! Tell me how you feel now, Vincent.” Vincent smiled softly at her. “Catherine, there are no words!”

Catherine nodded and smiled. “For once, I agree with you.”

Vincent added, “I could live happily on the memory of that kiss for the rest of my life!”

Catherine was still smiling, “Me too!” She picked up Vincent’s hand and put it against her cheek. “I am so deeply in love with you, Vincent! So much has happened tonight! You saved my life yet again. You treated me to the most romantic proposal I could ever have imagined. You rocked my world with that heart-pounding, very exciting, passionate kiss. I am now pleasantly worn out and wonderfully sleepy.”

Vincent sat down against the wall of the tunnel, and held out his hand to Catherine. She took it, and he pulled her down onto his lap. She laid her head on his massive chest, and Vincent whispered, “Sleep then, sweet Catherine.”

As Catherine lay relaxed on Vincent’s lap, cradled in his arms, she said softly, “My body is still tingling from

that kiss!”

Vincent smiled as he replied, “Yes, I can feel that.” Catherine looked up into his eyes. “You really can, can’t you?”

Vincent nodded, “Our bond is very strong, especially now. It gave me intense pleasure to feel you respond to my touch and kiss like that, Catherine. Before you loved me, I thought that all I would ever inspire in any woman was fear.”

Catherine lay her head back on Vincent’s chest and said, “I am so happy that we are getting married, Vincent, because I want you desperately.”

Vincent sighed with happiness, “And I want you just as desperately, Catherine.”

Catherine sounded drowsy. “You aren’t even tired, are you, Vincent?”

Vincent smiled softly and whispered, “No, Catherine, I just feel profoundly peaceful, holding you safely in my arms.”

Catherine sighed, “Your strength and endurance are truly astonishing. I do feel so very safe and protected when I am in your arms.”

Within minutes she fell sound asleep. Vincent took the engagement ring off her finger, put it back into the velvet pouch in her hand, and then put the pouch into her jacket pocket.

When Vincent was sure she was fully asleep, he gathered her up in his arms and stood up with her, so he could carry her through the tunnels to her building. Almost halfway there, he met Father and Mary rushing through the passage toward him. Father was limping on his cane, and Mary was carrying his medical bag. Both were completely out of breath.

Father looked panic stricken. “Vincent! Is she hurt?” Vincent smiled and whispered, “No, Father, she is only asleep. It has just been a very long night. You two needn’t have troubled yourselves.”

Both of them were visibly relieved, and Mary said, “Jamie was on night watch on this end, and she saw you carrying Catherine. Mouse had told us that you went above hunting for those killers again. When you left him abruptly and ran out of the tunnels, he knew you felt that she was in danger from them.”

Vincent nodded, “Catherine was in danger, but I got there in time.”

Father continued, “Jamie got Zach to cover her post, and then she came to our chambers and woke both of us up, because she feared the worst. What has become of those men?”

Vincent was grim as he replied. “They will never kill another young girl again.” Then he smiled with joy. “I have wonderful news for both of you. Ill tell you as soon as I get back from taking Catherine home. If you see Jamie again, could you ask her if she could grab my cloak off the floor at the park secret door?”

Father nodded, “Of course, Vincent.”

Then Mary asked, “Do you want to put Catherine to bed in one of the satellite chambers down here?”

Vincent replied, “No, she must work tomorrow, and she will rest better in her own bed.”

Father nodded, “All right, well wait for you to get back then.”

When Vincent arrived at Catherine’s tunnel access under her building, he gently awakened her to send her up to her apartment. When Vincent set her down, she looked at her hand in panic. “Did I drop the rings?” Vincent chuckled, “No, Catherine, they are in your jacket pocket.”

Catherine put her hand into her pocket and was reassured by the feel of the velvet pouch. “Oh, Vincent, I can’t wait until Saturday! I feel like a silly school girl. When will you talk to Father about making the arrangements with Kevin Chin?”

Vincent chuckled at her charming look of little-girl excitement. “There is nothing silly about you, Catherine. Father and Mary are actually waiting for me now. They met me in the tunnel with Father’s medical bag as I was carrying you here. Apparently, Jamie saw us and was sure that you had been injured by those killers.”

Catherine’s expression changed to concern. “Poor Jamie, Mary, and Father, I’m so sorry we frightened them! If you hadn’t come after me, I would have been more than injured. I would have been dead! You have saved my life

so many times in the course of doing my job because of our connection. I love you so much, Vincent.”

As they embraced, Vincent whispered, “I love you too, Catherine. Meet me in the park tomorrow night under the bridge at 9:00.”

She whispered in his ear. “Ill be there, Vincent.”

Then he watched her climb the ladder to the basement of her building.

When Vincent arrived in Father’s chamber, Jamie had already retrieved his cloak, and it was lying on Father’s table. Father had fallen asleep on his easy chair, and the book he had been reading had fallen to his lap.

Mary came in and shook her head. Vincent looked at her and said, “111 take care of Father, Mary. You go on to bed, and 111 tell both of you my news in the morning.

There isn’t anything that can be done about it tonight anyway.”

Mary smiled at him as she started back out the door. “All right, Vincent. Ill see you in the morning then.”

Vincent picked up the book on Father’s lap and laid it back on the table. He reclined the easy chair, and then he went into Father’s sleeping chamber and brought back an heavy blanket and a pillow. He put the pillow under Father’s head, covered him with the blanket, and tucked him in. Then Vincent picked up his cloak, went to his own chamber, and went to bed.

The next morning, a Wednesday late in September, Father found Vincent and Mary in William’s kitchen chamber eating breakfast together. He sat down beside them and asked, “Why didn’t you wake me up last night?” Vincent smiled at him. “You needed your rest, Father. There wasn’t anything you could do last night about my news that couldn’t be done better today anyway.”

Father looked curious. “Tell me, Vincent.”

Vincent practically glowed with happiness. “I asked Catherine to marry me last night, and she said yes!”

The entire chamber full of community members heard Vincent’s news, and they all gathered around him with happy laughter and congratulations. They were all clamoring to know when they were to be married.

Vincent answered them all. “We want to be married this Saturday, and we just want to have a very simple, nofuss ceremony. No one needs to go to any trouble setting this up for us.”

Rebecca put her hands on her hips and glared at Vincent. “Are you out of your mind, Vincent? Yours is the wedding we have all been praying to see! We may have only three days, but this wedding is going to be spectacular!”

Vincent looked around the chamber, and all of the women as well as the men were nodding their heads at him. He laughed, “Well, I guess the words ‘simple’ and ‘no-fuss’ are no longer in my vocabulary. I bow to the majority!” They all laughed with him.

Later that afternoon, Father came into Vincent’s chamber and sat down in his easy chair. Vincent closed the journal he had been writing in at his table and looked at Father. Father gave him an helpless look. “I’ve just been shooed out of the Council chamber! With all of the hullabaloo going on in there, I don’t think I want to be around there anyway. The entire community has gone completely wedding crazy! Everyone will be telling stories about your wedding for years to come.”

Vincent laughed, “I’m glad that they are having such a good time with our happy news. You are welcome to camp out here until after the wedding.”

Father chuckled, “I might have to!”

Then Vincent became serious. “Actually, I’m really glad you are here, Father. There is something important that I need to talk to you about. I need your counsel and advice.”

Father looked at Vincent with concern. “Tell me, Vincent!”

Vincent began, “Father, you were always very open with us about biological matters, and you made us feel comfortable talking to you about everything concerning our bodies that we might worry about. I need your wisdom now about making love to Catherine after we are married. She is also a virgin, and I am afraid of hurting her. I would rather abstain from sex altogether than ever cause her any pain.”

Father’s expression was one of compassion for Vincent’s fear as he said, “I think Catherine might have something to say about that. It is very clear that she desires you.”

Vincent nodded his head. “Yes, she actually had plenty to say about that. She is completely fearless.”

Father smiled at Vincent. “That’s good, Vincent! You don’t want her to be afraid. Fear is the major cause of virgin injuries. Also, she is not a young girl. I’m sure that she has been having regular gynecological examinations. Intercourse won’t cause her to tear, if that is what you are afraid of.”

Vincent looked vastly relieved. “Thank you, Father. That information is very helpful. Catherine actually said the same thing about the examinations. I guess I just needed to hear you confirm it.”

Father went on with his gentle advice. “Obviously, you remember my sex education classes with you youngsters. You just need to be careful and take your time. Don’t rush your love-making, and both of your bodies will be prepared. I can’t imagine that you would rush anything with Catherine anyway. You have waited years to ask her to marry you. Vincent, you have all of the patience that is required to make your first sexual experience with Catherine truly beautiful.”