Chapter 12
Once Clara made sure that Jack was stable and Davey and the doctor would keep a close eye on him, she left the lodging house and rushed off towards the Pulitzer Mansion, Anna still firmly in her grip. As she approached the large, looming building, she rolled her eyes to see Morris Delancey standing outside. At first, she attempted to simply push past him , but he stopped her.
"Where do you think you're going with... that?" Morris gestured vaguely to the baby in her arms. Clara sighed.
"That is a baby, and I'm going to see Katherine."
"I know you're aware of Mr. Pulitzer's rules, Katherine's not to see the child."
Clara stepped up to him and gave him the most menacing look she could manage.
"I frankly don't care about Mr. Pulitzer's rules at all right now... no, I never have, actually. Let me in."
"Can't do that."
"You can, and you will." She was doing her best to be intimidating, but she could tell it wasn't working. Morris just started at her. She groaned, deciding to approach this a different way. "Listen, your monster of a brother nearly killed Jack, Katherine knows nothing about it, and I need to let her know that he's okay. Let me in."
"Fine." He growled after some hesitation. "But make it quick."
She shoved past him and entered the mansion, where she found Katherine on a couch in the sitting room, nervously tapping her fingers on her leg.
"Katherine." She looked up sharply, breathing a sigh of relief when she saw her daughter with Clara. She stood up and went to them, gently taking Anna and holding her close to her chest.
"How'd you get in here? Is Jack okay?"
"I managed to convince Morris to let me in. And... it depends on what you mean by okay."
"What does that mean?" Katherine had gotten exceedingly more panicked and unstable since her time away from Jack, and she wasn't sure how much longer she could take it.
"He will be fine... he's recovering. He has some bruises, a gash on his forehead, a pretty bad wound on his stomach, and I think the doctor said he has some broken ribs." Katherine stared at her for a second before she groaned and began pacing, still holding her daughter tightly, holding back tears.
"This is all my fault."
"This is in no way your fault."
"My father is the one doing all of this!"
"Exactly, it's his fault not yours!"
"I just..." She sat back down, looking at Anna. "I can't help but feeling like I'm responsible in some way."
"But it's not." Clara sat down next to her. "You and Jack did everything you could, your father is completely responsible."
"I don't know how much longer we can do this..." Katherine murmured. "Jack can't go through another beating like that... even if he thinks he can. And I can't go much longer without seeing him or Anna." Her daughter was staring at her with wide eyes, and she felt tears beginning to form again, but this time they were tears of anger and determination. "I have to confront my father." She gently passed Anna back over to Clara and stood up.
"I'm going to confront my father. Right now."
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