A quiet huff accompanied by the clink of medical equipment was all that was heard in the otherwise silent room. Butterflies fluttered in Catelyn's belly, as always happened when it was a new doctor. She had seen many doctors in her life. Both for physical and not so physical reasons. This was only another one in a long string of them and she still got nervous. Over in the opposite corner of the room stood Catelyn's stepmother Sueellen. She had been married to her father about a year or so now and had yet to give her father the son he craved. Sueellen's dislike of her sixteen year old stepdaughter was a secret to no one. The pair were only four years apart and Catelyn's father doted on her. His daughter was the spitting image of his first wife who had died in childbirth. Not only in looks were the pair alike, they were also similar in personality. Her father had once described Catelyn's mother as adorably quirky. It had made the little girl positive that her mother wouldn't disapprove of her imaginary friend, James.
James was special, he had been at her side since she was a baby. As far back as she could remember his face had been there. When she was young she thought it was perfectly normal to have an imaginary friend. Her father didn't see any harm in allowing his socially awkward daughter a friend, even if it was an imaginary one. Catelyn thought it was normal and that other people's imaginary friend was just as real as her's was. For as long as she could remember she had always been able to see James, see him, hear him, and even touch him. He was as real a person to her as her father was. It wasn't until she began to get older that she came to the realization that her relationship with James was far from normal. Over the course of time many children eventually give up on their imaginary friends and replace them with real ones. As his daughter persisted in making believe it went from eccentric to concerning. This girl was far too much like his late wife. Towards the last few months of her pregnancy Lilith began to lose touch with reality. Seeing shadows and claiming unbelievable things. Edmund would never forget his wife's final words "tell her not to be afraid my love, it is glorious!" He had always assumed she meant the world only she could see. Or even death. But sometimes, late at night, in the pitch black darkness with nothing but his thoughts to accompany him that maybe it was a real world and maybe she was still alive there in some form. These thoughts kept him company for many long years as Catelyn grew and matured into a beautiful, delicate, and unbalanced young woman. Until he met Sueellen. They married within months of meeting and Edmund was sure that before another year was out she would be large with his child.
Watching her stepdaughter submit meekly to the weekly tests she couldn't swallow the distaste she was sure showed on her face. There had always been talk of the girl and her strangeness, but it wasn't until Sueellen married her father that she learned the true extent of it. Despite popular belief among the staff Sueellen didn't go into her marriage with the intention of hating her new stepdaughter. She had hoped they would hit it off and bond and be like a real mother and daughter. That perhaps she could even help this poor little girl and they could all be a real family. In the first few months she tried. Catelyn simply ignored her, preferring to be alone. The little girl she had envisioned in her mind was a reclusive, bizarre, and temperamental young woman. Once after only three months of marriage Sueellen found her husbands child alone in the drawing room speaking animatedly to a chair she was pacing in front of. When questioned about it she offhandedly mentioned James. That's when the carefully guarded secret came to light and Sueellen learned just how sick her new stepchild was. And still the father doted on her, learning that the daughter so closely resembled his late wife only complicated matters. In Sueellen's mind he still loved his mentally unstable wife over his young and lovely new wife. Suffice to say Sueellen soon grew to hate the young woman. She hated having her around.
"How is she today doctor?" Sueellen questioned, as the doctor seated himself in a large leather bound chair. Her husband sat across from him at his desk, both hands laced together under his chin.
"Yes, what did you learn about my daughter?" Edmund's face was indiscrutible under his heavy brows. Sueellen took up a spot just behind him, her hand resting on his shoulder.
"After reading the findings of my colleagues and performing an examination of my own, its become quite clear. This girl's mind is very unsound. In my medical opinion she needs to be away from the hustle and bustle of the city. It's creating even more of a tax on her already weakened mind. I believe she needs the fresh air and peacefulness of the countryside. You should send her away to your country estate." He recited confidently. The man was young barely out of diapers as far as being a doctor went and yet there was something in the assured way he sat and the intensity of his gaze that made Edmund believe he was right.
"Thank you Dr. Cartwright. We will do just that. Is there anyway I can convince you to enter my service? Catelyn will need a good doctor up in the country." Edmund unfolded his hands and reached across with one to shake the doctors hand.
"That is a most generous offer Mr. Howe but I'm afraid I will have to decline. I love my position at Bellview hospital for the mentally unsound. There is much I wish to learn there." He squeezed Edmund's hand firmly as they shook, it was a shame, Christopher Cartwright was a proper man.
"Of course, I thank you for your honesty. Is there anyone you would advice to look after her. From what you can see she does need a doctor on hand in case she suffers another episode." Sueellen's fingers twitched on his shoulder and Edmund shrugged it off. The woman didn't understand a parent relationship, it was another reason he wanted to get her with child. It would help her understand and perhaps she wouldn't feel so threatened by his love for his own daughter.
"Of course, here is his business card." Rooting around in his breast coat pocket Dr. Cartwright took out a small square of paper with the name and address for a respectable doctor who took employment case by case.
"He should come out here to look at her. His name is Dr. Montgomery, he was my teacher. I'm sure he'll help out once I explain the situation to him."
In a few weeks time the Howe's traveled to their country estate loaded down with bags and Dr. Montgomery. Who was a decidedly grumpy old man, who never trimmed his beard, and who's breath always smelled of onions. Catelyn liked him. Sure he made her nervous, most people did, but he didn't ask silly questions, he didn't force her to talk, and when he examined her she felt he saw her as a living breathing person and not as some freak. Plus he once called her stepmother an annoying little busybody under his breath upon their first meeting. Within a week they were settled in and things had fallen into a semi routine. Mornings belonged to Dr. Montgomery and her governess Ms. Doyle, except for Thursday's which he took off, and afternoons were for other lessons. Dr. Montgomery was a strict believer in routine and thought that if her days were orderly her mind would soon follow. The only afternoon she had to herself was Sunday. After church she would sit with Dr. Montgomery and since her tutors and Ms. Doyle had off, her afternoons were free. This time was for James alone. She had learned long ago to ignore him when other people were around, but sometimes she forgot. Most of their interactions were done in private. It was Sunday and Catelyn had found a quiet spot in a nearby flower field. Peeling her shoes and stockings off she lay hidden in the tall grass and basked in the warmth of the sun.
