Clarisse pauses at the top of the stairs. Joseph is carrying a suitcase out the front door. No, Clarisse thinks, he can't leave. I need him too much for him to leave. She hastens down the stairs decked out in her evening gown and high heels. It's the night of the engagement banquet for her granddaughter. "Wait, Joseph. Please don't leave! I can't go into that banquet knowing that you're leaving!" No matter what she cannot let him leave her here in this abyss of never ending paperwork, politics, and loneliness.
"Why should I stay? You haven't given me any reason to stay. I have no purpose here any more." Joseph says quietly as he turns only slightly towards Clarisse. He doesn't look at her. He can't look at her. If he looks at her he'll stay.
Clarisse clenches her fists and beats them against her thighs. She bursts into tears. She turns back towards the stairs and sinks to her knees. He isn't being fair, she thinks. He must know that now is not the opportune time to do anything. "You can't go, Joseph. It's not right. You know we belong together. I love you." She whispers almost to herself.
Suddenly, instantaneously, as it has always been, Joseph appears at the door, bag still in hand. He drops the bag in the doorway and walks over to Clarisse. He clasps her shoulders, turns her around to face him and pulls her up from her knees. "Repeat that last part?" Joseph whispers. He hopes he's not hearing things. She's never been daring enough to admit her feelings out loud, even when they're in private.
"I love you and I cannot let you leave me here. This world is too overwhelming without you. I'm not me without you around." Clarisse whispers. She leans her forehead against Joseph's chest.
Joseph sighs and tears well up in his eyes. "I've waited a long time to hear those words from you. Does this mean that you'll marry me?" he asks looking down on her golden hair. He can't bear to look into her crystal blue eyes.
Clarisse looks up at Joseph with tears still dripping down her face and mascara lines on her face. She can't believe he's asked her this now, but now that it's happened she can't imagine this moment any other way. The other proposal doesn't seem as heartfelt now. "Yes, of course I'll marry you." Clarisse smiles and places her hand on his cheek. They both shiver at the touch.
A gasp and the click of cameras from behind Joseph and in front of Clarisse make the whole scene freeze. Joseph is too frozen to move, but Clarisse cautiously peeks around Joseph and is mortified to see the entire Genovian press corps standing there recording the whole scene. "Oh my God," Clarisse says as she turns and begins to run up the stairs back in the direction of her suite. She should have known they were there. They're always there.
When Joseph sees Clarisse running up the stairs he knows that whoever eavesdropped in on the whole scene was someone Clarisse did not want eavesdropping in on the scene. He takes a deep breath and then slowly spins on his heel to face the way she was facing. The press corps immediately starts snapping pictures of his tear stained face. "Shit," he says as he starts after Clarisse, taking the stairs two at a time. "Clarisse, wait!" he calls as she keeps running.
"How does this keep happening? How do I keep ending up getting everything so badly wrong?" Clarisse asks breathing heavily as she finally stops.
"The question is: do you want the speculation and gossip in the paper tomorrow or do you want the truth to be printed?" Joseph asks as he pulls out his handkerchief and dries Clarisse's face, and manages to get most of the mascara streaks off. He likes her better without make-up anyway. He reaches into his pants pocket for something. "Here, I'll give you this now." He says as he slips her original wedding and engagement rings off and tucks them in his pocket, and puts her new engagement ring on: the one he'd chosen for her.
"Oh, Joseph! What are we going to do?" Clarisse asks as she throws her arms around his neck. She can't handle all the emotions running through her right now.
Joseph clumsily catches Clarisse and holds her closely. He's feeling totally out of his element right now. He's not used to press conferences from this angle. He's used to watching her be strong and articulate during press conferences. He doesn't want to be in front of the microphones and cameras. "We go face the pack of wolves that would prefer us not to go talk to them right now."
