One women, One promise, Lots of trouble

[Nasty_babygirl]

It had been less then 24 hours since Katherine found the body of her brother. She hadn't said a word or even moved. She was curled up on the couch in his room, just staring at the bloody mess on the floor. Her emerald green eyes just blinked with no tears running down her freckled cheeks. Katie had arrived earlier from a ball and after getting ready for bed went to find her brother for a quick goodnight. Stumbling into his room, she didn't even scream, she just moved to the couch and sat down.

If it hadn't been for her brothers friend arriving and barging into the room, she might still be staring at her dead brother. It only took seconds for the duke to take control and soon her brothers body was gone, but Katie was left to stare. Her eyes blinked as she brushed a few blonde curls away from her face. It wasn't clicking in her head. Her brother was dead. Her only family ripped away from her with no one caring how she felt.

She bit her lower lip as her eyes traveled to the wall where more blood was splattered. "No one cares." She whispered softly and just sighed.

 

[Kolath]

Duke Ralph, the twenty-six year old duke of Yorkshire had received a letter from one of his only friends, urging him to come out to his estate quickly. There was a part of the letter that had worried him from the moment it had arrived. It said:

â??Ralph should you arrive and it is too late I need you to promise me that you will take care of my little sister, Katherine. She had no one left in the world and I know that despite what everyone else sees of you I know your heart is right and would never harm her.â?​

It almost seemed to Ralph that Edward his dear friend knew that there was a chance that Ralph would find the scene that greeted him that night when he had walked in to Edwardâ??s study. It had taken all the training in poise that he had to stop himself from retching and losing all that he had eat for that day right there and then as he walked in. his hand covered his mouth as he saw the remains of his friend covering the wall and one of the chairs where his body was holding a revolver in his hand.

Having to bite his lip and turn away slightly he saw the young woman sitting just staring. His mind quickly had snapped out of its shock and into action mode. He had quickly roused the house and gotten them to take the body out. However none of them wanted to go in and clean up the mess with Miss. Katherine in there.

Slowly Ralph entered and heard her muttering about no one caring. He quickly knelt in front of her reaching and taking her hands using all the knowledge he had gained from his years seducing women into his bed to connect with her. â??Katherine someone does care, I care. I will see that you are well taken care of from now on.â? he stood still holding her hands, â??Come on letâ??s get out of this horrid place.â?

 

[Nasty_babygirl]

She looked at him with her big eyes and smiled. "Do you think I mean me? I mean this." Katherine let her eyes wander the mess. "Why have they just left this mess. My brother would he be alive, would be screaming at the mess that is not being tending to." Her eyes blinked a few times as she was still trying to make sense of what had happened here. Putting all her attention on him, she smiled softly.

"He knew he would die. He has known it for weeks and now you know. He sent for you, is that right? You came to the rescue only to come to late. Every night he has pushed me out the door to attend some boring party while he sat here and waited. WAITED!" She sighed and shook her head. "He waited like some sissy for his killer. He didn't live life these past few weeks, he didn't want to live life. He just wanted to wait." A bitter laugh fell from her lips and it was becoming clear that her shell was starting to breath. "Waited. He waited for his killer and now no one will know. No one will care to look pass the gun in his hand and the brains on the wall, for he waited and did nothing."

Removing her hands from the Duke's she got up and just walked straight out of the room. "He didn't even fight for me." It was the last thing she said before she took the final step out of the room, putting her brothers death far behind her.

 

[Kolath]

The duke just stood there watching her leave and shaking his head. He recognized the signs of shock and hoped she would come out of it soon for her own sake. Turning back to the mess he shook his head looking over it sighing, had his friends really committed suicide as the police detective had said? Or was there something more going on like Katherine said. He slowly moved over to the chair behind his friends desk taking a seat. The servants had come in and were cleaning up the mess of blood and brains many of them having to stop as the broke down into tears. Shaking his head Ralph slammed his fist down on the desk which made the servants jump. â??I wonâ??t except it I knew Edward he would never do this not to his sister he would not leave her alone, not by his own choice at least.â?

He stormed out of the study looking around for Katherine finally asking some servants where she would be and heading quickly to there.

 

[Nasty_babygirl]

Katherine had made her way through the halls to her brothers room. When Ralph arrived the place was a mess and she was on her hands and knee's breaking apart the floor. Looking over her shoulder as the door opened, she sighed. "Yes? What is it?" The girl turned back to her work as if she didn't care that she was destroying her dead brothers room. For a year Katie knew what her brother had been up to but always played dumb. She knew her brother would have sent her away for her safety if he knew. Katie also knew that her brother although brilliant and sly, still needed to have someone watch his back.

For the last three months it had been a constant battle between the two and it was hard to realize that he was finally gone. After a few extra seconds, her fingers wrapped around the little book she knew well. Her brother might have been brilliant but he also thought he was smarter then anyone which led to careless mistakes. She smiled and pushed herself up from the floor, her skirt sliding up a little. Katie had yet to change from her night gown but it didn't matter. She had known Ralph since she could remember. She felt safe around even though she couldn't name anything about him. She just knew him as family. Walking over to him, she handed him the book. "I assume you are here to carry on Edward's work?"

 

[Kolath]

Ralph looked at her watching as she seemed to rip apart her recently departed brotherâ??s room. He was worried about this since he assumed it was out of grief but this worry was removed when she held out the book to him. â??Iâ?¦â? he took the book taking a moment to glace at it having barely noticed her nightgown had slid up. He was still far to focused on his friends death. He couldnâ??t help but chuckle a little and nod. â??I came up here to inform you that I didnâ??t believe that Edward would have killed himself, not while you are still under his care.â? He gently reached out brushing his fingers over her cheek, â??But you already knew that didnâ??t you?â? he remembered her words down in the study that Edward had waited for his killer.

â??I will do my best to look into what Edward was and to find the one man that killed him.â? his hand gently brushed down her cheek and neck to rest on her shoulder. He had known Katherine for was seemed like ages but it was just recently that he had started to notice that she was a very beautiful woman rather than the awkward girl that he knew in years past. â??You have my word Katherine.â?

 

[Nasty_babygirl]

She looked in his eyes and smiled softly. "I already know what he was into. He was hired by a very rich man to find out what happened to his daughter. There is this brothel that tends to the richest and most powerful of the ton. They have no limits there and this poor girl was sold off like some slave. She hasn't been heard of since she went to that brothel as a kitchen maid to take care of her son." Katie took a step back and turned to head into the closest. "For a year he has been working on trying to take this place down, but it is hard when the most powerful man in England has a hand deep in the pot." Pulling a chair into the closet, she climbed up and was once again digging around for something.

"That note book is all his findings and notes." Her fingers brushed against something like a purse and smiled. Hopping back down she handed him the pictures of all the people that he had been profiling since this started. "Here you go. I think that is everything he has." Katie walked out of the room. "Come on now. We don't have much time to catch the killer. There is one more thing you need."

 

[Kolath]

He blinked opening the purse reaching into it pulling out photographs, notes, letters, there seemed to be everything he needed or at least it seemed to him to be. But she seemed to think that something was missing. He smiled at her finding that he was enjoying her being so independent finding that there was something attractive about it rather than the submissive ways of the other girls he was known to seduce. Unlike them he could see something more than just a sating of lust with Katherine. â??And what would that be?â? he asked to banish the thoughts he was having.