chapter 7

Chapter 7

A visit to an ‘old friend’

Katherine and I were living happily together, but my house was old and falling down. The wood was rotting, the roof was sagging in, and I could see the in contentment on Katherine’s face. Katherine had lost her fiery spirit, and if we wanted to be happy together then I knew we must see Athos. I despised him, but I could not bear to turn Helena out of her house.

Katherine and I walked to Athos’ house. We reached there at night fall. Colossal, magnificent, and overruling, the large house stood dominantly above the forest. The statuesque, pulchritudinous structure still stood tall. The wind blew on the ash trees, as their leaves rustled together. Long slender branches were reaching up to the sky, reflecting the starlight off their shimmering leaves. Katherine looked around in shock at the beauty, and once again, I found myself looking at the lion’s head. It scared me no longer.

 Athos opened the door.

“so, this is the shrew?” he mocked. Katherine was shocked. She knew nothing of the bargain. She looked at me confused, she was scared of what might happen. Helen saw Katherine, and started to cry. Even I felt confused now.

Everybody sat down in front of the fire. Athos’ face looked malevolent in the firelight. Helena’s just looked even more sorrowful.

“Katherine,” began Athos. “do you love Petruchio?” My heart stopped.

Helena looked up.

Athos smiled wickedly.

I looked away.

“no.” Katherine murmured. “I love somebody else.” Katherine ran from the house, and I did not follow her. Some shrews cannot be tamed, I can see that now.

But I had one thing I could say…

“Helena, do you love the monster of a man that I see before me?” I asked her.

She looked at me from under her long eyelashes. I knew the answer already.

“no.”