Hey guys. I have made an executive decision. I'm going to bring back the review responses! (yay!) Nobody else seems to be getting in trouble, and honestly, I'm way too lazy to review you all by hand. (Anne, you're so much better than I am.) So, yeah! Screw the establishment! ((looks around, sees establishment watching)) And by screw, I mean, er, love and obey. Yes, love and obey.
mistyqueen: Thanks.
HolmesismyHomie: I wanted to actually carry a couple of characters over into another story.
Tiger Lily21: Jarrod and Fiona won't be a huge part of the story, but they will help out later on, so I didn't just want them to pop out of nowhere. I hope your opinion of Zander improves. I love him so much. It's hard to write a rakish character, I'm better at the wholesome type, probably because that's more who I am. I reviewed your story!
Twist130: Thank you!
monkeys-and-bananas76: Thanks. I'm excited for stuff to start happening as well.
Akwyn: Yes, well,I didn't really want Jarrod and Fiona to have the perfect life after their story, because that very rarely happens. The whole bad things happen to good people type thing, but I wanted to show that they are still strong, and still together, and made their way through it.
Glitterpoison: Yay!
awaiting impatient person: I actually thought about you when I wrote that arousal line. I was like, 'I wonder if anyone will read alot into the word arousal. Probably just aip. She's too much like me.' Lauren is liking Zander too much for her liking. I also love Xavier. He's so fricken noble, it makes my teeth hurt. (although, I just got braces, so my teeth hurt anyway.) Your wish is my command!
Arieda Rivers: Yeah, like I said to Akwyn,I wanted to show that life doesn't always go as we want it. I'm such a science dork, though. I totally make sure my story makes biological sense. Like, I always think of genetics when writing my characters. And Fiona actually suffers from the Rhesus factor, which is basically that her body makes antibodies to fight her baby, because her baby's blood is Rh+ (which is a dominate triat, from the father) and her blood is Rh-.
AidenRae: They're a little bit of both. They help out a little down the line, but they're not going to be major characters.
twinkle toesies: yay!
panemonium: I hope you did well on your test! I had such a hard time with Beowulf, mostly because the version we read was almost directly translated. Half the time I was like, huh?and the other half I was, what? Xavier is doing very well, and I think he'll pick it up as we go along.
Ahhh... I missed doing that. In personal news, I just got braces on Monday. I'm still on soft foods. I can't even touch my teeth together without pain. Ugh. Anywho, I am going to be away next weekend, so I'll try and have the chapter up by Friday morning, but it might be Sunday afternoon. Just FYI.
See you next week!
-Lulai
Chapter Six: Proposal
"Well," Xavier said to Julie as they left his grandparent's house, "you survived my grandparents."
Julie nodded. "Th-hey are ver-rey nice," she said.
"Quite so," he agreed. "I think I can count all the times I've seen my grandparents angry on my hands, and usually it's at each other." He noticed the puckering of Julie's eyebrows as if she was trying very hard not to frown. "What is it?"
She shook her head. "N-hoth-ing." She looked at him. "Yhou are l-hucky. Ah d-hon't have ger-hand-par-ents."
"Thank you," Xavier said seriously. "I know I'm very lucky. Are you planning on attending the party at Lord and Lady Endall's tonight?" he asked, trying to get her thoughts onto less somber matters.
Shrugging her shoulders, Julie sighed. "Lau-ren whants to."
Taking her elbow in his hand, he began escorting her back towards her hotel. He didn't get a chance to talk with his grandmother like he wanted, but it was almost better now that Fiona had met Juliette.
"And do you always do what Lauren wants?" he asked, not unkindly.
"Ess, b-hut it's be-cause Ah l-hove her," she replied. Turning to give him a shining smile, she cleared her throat. "Ah l-hike be-ing with yhou too."
He patted her hand. "Please, write. Your voice is going raw again."
She nodded, and pulled out her sketchbook, flipping to the last page. Xavier almost regretted asking her to write. As strange a voice as it was, he always looked forward to hearing it. He almost craved hearing it. He knew that she did not speak often, and that she did so to him was one of the greatest honours he had ever held.
"When will you be arriving?"
She scribbled something down, bracing the book a hand that she untucked from his arm.
After dinner. They never feed us enough there.
Xavier chuckled. "They like these parties but don't ever want to pay to keep the guests contented." He couldn't keep all the bitterness out of his voice.
Julie looked at him curiously. After a second of writing, she handed to him, You don't like these parties?
"Not particularly, no."
Why do you go?
Xavier hesitated. How much should he tell her? Looking into her clear and intelligent blue eyes, he felt as though he couldn't deny her anything. "I like being with you too," he said softly, mimicking her words.
Her eyes widened, and then softened with a smile, the corners of them crinkling slightly. She tucked her arm back into his firmly, and they continued back to his hotel.
…
Julie stepped into the room from the line up out the door. This crush was far too overwhelming, and she immediately regretted coming. Her hand tightened on her sketchbook and pencil and she took a deep breath, trying to control her flyaway thoughts. That's why she was here; she wanted to capture a couple moments of the parties.
"It's a little crowded in here, isn't it?" Lauren said in her ear, talking loudly over the noise of the people and the music.
Julie nodded. Then she saw a shining beacon in the sea of faces.
"Ladies," Xavier said, bowing politely. "How are you both this evening?"
"Parched," Lauren replied, "which will probably only be aggravated by this heat. Would you mind terribly if I got myself a glass of something, Jules?"
Julie shook her head.
Lauren smiled. "Excellent. Can I get you something? No? Alright. If you'll excuse me, highness."
"What would you like to do, Lady Juliette?" Xavier asked her, offering his good arm, noticing she was getting very annoyed with all the jostling.
She pointed to a couple of chairs in a small alcove, and then to her sketchbook.
Xavier nodded and escorted her over to the recently vacated seats and sat her down. She touched her fingers to her chin and dropped her hand, her face lit up by a relieved smile. Almost immediately, she flipped to a blank page and began to draw. Xavier settled himself beside her.
After a while, Xavier noticed that Juliette sometimes looked longingly at the dance floor, before returning to her sketches.
"I am sorry," he murmured softly.
Her head whipped around to him so fast, her hair flew out behind her in a sort of mock of the swirling skirts of the dancers. Her finger hit her palm in a sign that was becoming recognisable to him.
What?
"I'm sorry that I am holding you back from dancing. Please don't feel like you have to sit with me."
Her shock was a slight warmth in him. She frowned, and flipped to the last page of her book, scribbling something down frantically. He took the proffered book from her hand.
Don't say that, my lord. You are the one putting up with me. I could leave if you would like.
"I am not just putting up with you," Xavier said, fiercer than he intended. "You are a delight to be with."
She blushed prettily, and closed her book with a snap. Holding her palm up to him, she stood from her chair. "W-halk?" she asked, smiling at him.
He was weak, he knew that. Faced with that smile, he couldn't deny her anything.
They stepped out into the garden, already populated by several other couples, trying to get out of the stifling place.
As they approached the wall by the edge of the garden, however, a rough voice sounded out the darkness.
"There she is. Grab 'er."
Two rough hands grabbed Julie while a blow to the jaw caused Xavier to stumble back.
"Let go of her," he snarled, his cane clattering to the stones as he grabbed one of Julie's arms and the arm of one of her captors. A vicious shove sent him sprawling again.
Cursing his lame leg, Xavier limped after the two men who were escorting a fiercely struggling Julie into a closed carriage. With a cry and a snap of a whip, the carriage started forward, leaving the two men behind, and carrying Julie off down the darkened street.
The other two men noticed him and rushed what they thought was an easy target.
How wrong they were. He didn't spend all that time in the army without learning how to fight hand to hand. Xavier punched the one man in the throat, effectively causing him to collapse. The other man drew his sword, but Xavier punched him in the stomach, and he dropped the sword to the cobblestones, and ran in the other direction.
Xavier took the man's sword from the ground, and was going to start the brutal hike after Julie, but a snort from a small alley drew his attention. He followed the sound and found two tethered horses.
"Hello there," he murmured softly, stroking the larger one's velvety nose.
"Now, how am I going to ride you?" he mused. He wasn't quite sure how he was going to mount the horse with a bum leg, but riding would definitely be faster than walking.
"I'll be savin' ye that decision," a voice growled, and before Xavier could turn and face his new opponent, there was a blow to his forehead, and a flash of bright light. He went swimming down into darkness.
…
Lauren stepped out of the party to get a breath of fresh air. Unlike the other houses, Lord and Lady Endall's townhouse had quite a small ballroom. People were packed along the sides to allow room for the dancing couples, so even getting off the dance floor, it was hard to catch one's breath.
It was a cool night, the moon winking in and out behind the slow moving clouds.
Lauren breathed deeply of the night air, wondering where Julie had gone to.
"Miss Lauren?"
Lauren turned, and even managed to past on a friendly smile at the approaching young man.
"Lord Stone," she greeted. "How are you this evening?"
"I'm doing very well, Miss Lauren," he responded. "I came to see if anything was wrong."
"Of course not," she replied, touched that he cared. "I was merely feeling a bit overwhelmed in the crush."
"I am glad to hear it. I have brought you your wrap."
He whipped a shawl from his left arm in a showy manner, and wrapped it around her shoulders, his hands lingering on her far longer than she wanted. Her smile became slightly more forced.
"I thought you might have been cold," he explained.
"Thank you, my lord." she replied politely.
"My lady," Stone said suddenly, "please don't think me too forward, but I would like to think that we are something of friends. Would it be to much to ask for you to call me David?"
"Of course not, David," Lauren said kindly. "And I would be honoured to call you my friend."
"I am glad to hear it," Stone said. He swallowed convulsively. "This is very hard to say, so I think I will just come out and say it." He took her hand again. "I have been thinking about my life recently," he began, "and have found it oddly lacking. I think this is due to the fact that I need to settle down, start a family."
He turned to her, and Lauren was instantly suspicious of his motives.
"I have been waiting for the perfect woman," he continued, "and I finally think I've found her. I know now that I will never love another-"
"David," Lauren interrupted firmly, "please do not finish that sentence. It will not end how you would like it, and I would hate for there to be any awkwardness between us."
"But my fondest wish is for you to become my wife!" Stone cried.
"I am sorry, David, but I really have no interest in marriage."
The young lord's face brightened at that a little. "Then there isn't anyone else?"
A pair of laughing black eyes and an arrogant smile flashed in Lauren's mind, but she pushed them away impatiently. It was merely an infatuation. She would get over it. "That is not entirely an appropriate question, but no. There is no one else."
"Then I can still convince you that you can marry me," he said.
Lauren shook her head. "The only marriage that I would be interested in is one where both hearts are committed."
"You have my heart, my lady. I can only hope that I could win yours."
Patting Stone's hand, Lauren smiled kindly. "Please believe me when I say that it will never be. Can we not just be friends? Is that not worth something?"
"More than the world, Miss Lauren," Stone replied, "but, I still wish it could be something more." He looked about to burst into another declaration of his intentions when another voice interrupted him.
"Lord Stone," Captain Brimfield said, coming out of the shadows, "and Miss Lauren, how delightful to see you both out here. Stone, Lady Endall making up a cribbage table and needs a fourth player."
"And you were unable to accommodate her?" There was open antagonism in the question.
"Heavens, no," Brimfield laughed. "Cribbage is not my game."
"And what exactly is your game?" Both men were standing like guards dogs over a piece of meat. It was starting to annoy Lauren to the extreme.
"I prefer games such as poker," he replied, a bit of a glint in his eye, "where luck favours the bold."
It was not the most tactful of replies, and Lauren sought to interrupt the men before they came to blows.
"David, would you be so kind as to tell my cousin that I am looking for her should you see her on your way to the tables?" She accompanied the question with a sweet smile.
"Of course. I'm happy to be of service." As he bowed, Lauren neglected to point out that he sounded anything but happy.
"Hah. Foolish pup. I hope he did not annoy you." Brimfield looked at Lauren with an amused glance as Stone walked away, his back ramrod straight.
"Of course not," Lauren said. "He merely brought out my wrap for me."
"How thoughtful of him," Brimfield said, in a tone that infuriated Lauren.
"Captain Brimfield. Lord Stone did not annoy me, but you will if you continue to speak in that tone of voice," she told him.
"I apologise. If you must, you can ascribe my words to my raging jealousy."
"Captain?" she asked, utterly confused. The words sounded teasing, but the look he gave her was anything but.
"A young man like that couldn't possibly take you at your true worth. Only someone of my standing would be able to be the husband for you."
"Oh, Lord!" Lauren groaned. She wanted to walk away quickly, but Brimfield's fingers had dug themselves into the fringe of her shawl.
"Excuse me, but this garment seems to have become tangled." A dark arm reached out and shook her wrap free from Brimfield's fingers. Lauren didn't think it was possible, but she was actually relieved to see Zander standing there.
"I am charged with a message from your cousin, Miss Lauren," he said. "You will excuse us, Brimfield."
"Of course. I shall see you some other time then, Miss Lauren? Your highness." If Brimfield had been angry at being thwarted, it didn't show one whit on his face.
Lauren looked suspiciously at Zander. He seemed to have popped out of the bushes. She wondered how much he had overheard.
He didn't leave her long in doubt.
"Shall we take a stroll, Lauren?" he asked, offering a dark arm to her. "I shall promise not to propose marriage. Three offers in one evening is outside of enough."
"You heard?" Lauren gaped, her cheeks flushing slightly. "Why did you not show yourself? But I guess it would be like you to lurk in the shrubbery."
"Hardly the deed of a gentleman, is it?" he said, and she saw a flash of white as he grinned at her. "This time, however, I have an excuse. I had absolutely no time to declare myself. The offers came so thick and fast…"
Lauren felt his shoulders shaking and realised that he was laughing at her. Her chin snapped forward, head held high.
"Plus, either of them would have called me out and I'm not that good at duelling."
Lauren's lips twitched, her anger dissipating as she tried not to dissolve into giggles. "Really, Zander," she scolded.
"Truth," he said, holding his other hand up. "Will you not walk with me? I am just thinking of the safety of the other guests. I don't want anymore hearts laid at your feet."
"I didn't do a single thing to encourage either of those men," she retorted.
"Of course, but that doesn't mean that someone else won't take your lack of encouragement as encouragement." His eyes sparkled with tiny gold flecks as he looked at her.
Lauren shook her head. "I must go find my cousin. Didn't you say that Julie wanted me?"
"A small fib, my dear," Zander said, completely unrepentant. "Last time I saw your cousin, she was sitting in the corner with my brother, writing in some book."
"That would be her sketchbook," Lauren said. "I'm wondering if she's doing okay. I should really go check on her."
"Running away, Lauren?" he mocked softly.
She whirled on him. "Of course not! It's just… well, I've now been seen in the garden with three single men, two of which have proposed marriage. I just don't want any harm to come to Jules' reputation because of me."
"I don't know if I would risk it Lauren," Zander said, gazing up at the sky. "I think it's a full moon tonight. Who knows what further surprises the evening will bring? Your next discarded suitor is likely to fall on his sword."
Lauren snorted, trying to hold back laughter. "I don't think so," she managed to get out.
"Oh, I'm sure of it. Just think of the scandal," he grinned wickedly, "and Lady's Endall's dismay of having blood on her carpets."
Lauren couldn't hold it in any longer and her peals of laughter echoed through the garden.
"You are truly impossible," she said, wiping tears of mirth from her eyes.
"One tries one's best," he said.
Lauren rolled her eyes, enjoying Zander's company in spite of herself. "If one's best is- what is that?" Her eyes flew to a cluttered bunch of papers lying forlorn by a swinging gate in the side wall. She hurried over and picked them up.
"This is Julie's sketchbook!" she exclaimed, her eyes meeting Zander's in fear and worry. "She would never leave this anywhere."
Zander bent and picked something out of a bush. It was a dark cane.
"It's Xavier's," he confirmed grimly, his eyes no longer teasing, but so black that they rivalled the space between the stars.
"I think something's happened to them," Lauren whispered.
"I think you're right." A trick of the light threw his face half into shadow, and the determination there made his face harder, older. He abruptly turned and started walking very quickly.
"Where are you going?" Lauren scurried after Zander when he strided out the open gate.
"To find them."