"The feeling of someone else picking up the tab is the most wonderful thing in the world," Catherine said, her black hair damp and cascading over her shoulders. She wore a thin silk robe, lounging lethargically in a soft chair next to the fireplace. One hand supported her head while the other held a glass of delicately fragrant red wine. Under her silk robe, her straight legs playfully peeked out from under the hem of her robe, revealing a light tawny skin that glowed faintly in the flickering firelight. Catherine closed her eyes halfway, inhaling the scent of the wine with an expression of pure bliss. "What a life, to while away the afternoon like a regular noblewoman, waiting for the evening ball to begin."