She couldn't stop crying. Lady Agnes Holland. She thought about her daughter, Willow, who was in her room, asleep, just an oblivious 4 year old to everything that was happening. She wanted to stop crying, if not to achieve anything but not waking her daughter, but her attempts were in vain. Everything had changed for the worse in a matter of days. The lady's life and been turned upside down and spun around several times.
He couldn't stop blaming himself for everything that had happened. If he'd never kissed that girl, he wouldn't have got himself into this mess. Sir Hallam Holland was more worried about his wife though. She couldn't stop crying. He'd apologised and she'd acted as though she'd accepted it. Maybe she was angrier at her sister than him. Inside him he hoped she was. Just for his daughter's sake. How could he explain to her what he'd done? She was still a child. She was still young. He wanted to check she was still asleep but decided against it. He would only wake her and then she'd ask why her mummy was crying. And then her daddy would have to make something up for her sweet and delicate mind. He couldn't damage her with this.
She hated her sister. She should have realised. She was angry at her husband but he'd been more annoyed with himself than she was with him. He was obviously disappointed and wished he'd never done what he'd done. He was sat downstairs, thinking to himself, thinking about what he'd done. She was upstairs in her room, crying to herself. Her sister was outside her room, begging her to forgive her. Persie was crying too. She was telling Agnes how sorry she was and how she'd wished she hadn't have done that to her.
The door of Hallam's living room slowly opened. He thought it may be his wife or his sister-in-law or perhaps one of the servants asking if he wanted something. So he was more than surprised to see his daughter, half asleep, rubbing her eye with the back of her hand, her teddy's hand in the other in her pyjamas walking in. He hadn't heard her come down the stairs. She must have slipped past her Aunt and her mother's room.
"Are you okay, Princess?" Hallam fondly asked Willow, looking over at her as she came nearer to where he sat on the sofa. She nodded. Hallam smiled.
"Daddy?" Willow climbed up onto the sofa next to him as her father put his arm around her.
"Yes, Sweetheart?"
"Why is mummy crying?" He knew that question was coming. How was he supposed to reply to that?
"Don't worry about that, Willow. She'll be okay."
"Is it my fault, Daddy?" Trust her to think that. He hated himself more now that she thought that.
"No, sweet heart. None of this is your fault."
"Whose fault is it then, daddy?" Hallam pulled his daughter onto his lap.
"Mine." Willow looked up at him, confused.
"Why?"
"Because I did something I shouldn't have. I've hurt your mummy. I've scarred this family. It's all my fault." He started to cry.
"Daddy? Please don't cry, daddy. Please?" Willow hugged Hallam as he stroked her black hair draping down her back.
"I'm sorry, sweetheart."
"It's okay, daddy. Why don't you say sorry to mummy? I'll come with you if you like." She smiled. She was so intelligent for a child. Hallam didn't know what he'd do without her.
"I have, Willow. How about we go upstairs and see her now? And then you can give mummy a big hug?" Willow nodded in reply then stood up, her teddy still in her hand. Hallam wiped his eyes then stood up and picked his daughter up.
Persie was still outside Agnes' door. Agnes was still crying. How could she forgive her sister? It was her husband. Her 'one'. Her only child's father. That's why she was so mad. She heard someone talk to Persie outside her door. "Please, tell her I'm sorry." Persie said.
"Sweetheart, go inside." She must have heard the person wrong. But then her door opened and Willow walked in. Agnes could see Hallam outside her door, looking in at Willow, then at Agnes. She knew he was making a decision. What decision she didn't know. She knew she would soon. Hallam closed the door. Willow sat on the edge of her mum's bed. Agnes tried to stop crying. She didn't want her daughter to see her like this.
"Mummy, are you okay?"
"Yes, Willow. I'll be okay." Agnes opened her arms. Willow crawled closer to her mum and into her arms.
"Because of what you and I have done, my family's lives could be scarred forever. We have hurt Agnes and when Willow's older maybe her. I can understand why Agnes won't forgive us." The words crept through the door. Hallam was talking to Persie.
"But she has forgiven you! But not me! Hallam, please, I'm begging you, talk to her for me, reason with her for me."
"She may have forgiven me on the outside but not on the inside. She may have forgiven me but that was not for my sake, it was for Willow's sake. No, you have to reason with her. I'm not going to cause any more issues with my family." The door opened. Hallam stepped in, then closed the door and locked it behind him. He turned back to face his wife and his child, then moved closer to them and sat beside them, stroking Willow's hair.
"Willow, sweetheart, you ought to get some sleep."
"Okay, daddy." Willow started to climb out of her mother's arms then hopped off the bed. Hallam put out his arms and pulled her back onto the bed.
"You can stay in here tonight, princess. It might be better for you." Willow grinned. She took every chance she could to sleep in her parents' room.
"Thank you, daddy," Willow yawned, snuggling into her daddy's chest and arms. Hallam held out his arm, offering it to his wife. She smiled back at him and came in closer. Willow was already nearly asleep. Hallam tenderly kissed her hair.
"Goodnight, sweet heart."
He couldn't believe he nearly threw all this away. He nearly threw away these cuddles, these moments, these memories. He nearly lost his wife and child. He knew he wouldn't make that mistake again.