Being Lost

Tairy spent the allotted month in her room. After the first week, her mind began to slip into things she had never thought possible before.

That first night she spent sobbing at the door. She was woken up the next morning to the rattling of the keys in the door. She was able to scurry away in time, before her father rushed into the room, set the small platter on her desk, and rushed out. Not a sound was made between either of them; neither one could even look at the others face.

Tairy hated her father now, more than she willing to believe. The lies; the abuse verbally, then physically. She couldn't take it any more, so her hatred for her father grew.

Javert's hatred for himself grew in that time too. He had said it wrong, just to goat her on. But most of it had been true. Tairy's mother had at one time been a noble, but hard times up north had brought the family down. In desperation to move to a place where she could work, Tairy's mother had sunk herself into selling her body for money. Her name had been Ellie.

§§§

It had been just the one time; Ellie knew she could make enough too book passage to Madrid, if she sold it right. Javert had always been a little bit of a squanderer with money, especially so as a young man, so when he saw the magnanimous beauty of Ellie, he didn't think twice. He had given her more than what she asked, and then left.

Ellie had been able to make it there, and had even received a job with a seamstress, who let her sleep there at night. During the evening, she walked all through the city, loving it all, memorizing it. When she realized she had been with child, she began to walk the evenings with earnest. Her employer was too respectable to keep a woman with a fatherless child; she had no idea what to do.

As it happened one day, Ellie had walked too far in the evening, and had gone to the local river outside of town. It wasn't the safest place to be for a young woman, so she had quickly turned around and headed for the shop. She had had little inclination to notice, but Javert was there, with several of his young friends. He remembered her beauty (which she still was, and glowing more because of the child within) and that there was something about her that had fascinated him before. So he went after her.

Her embarrassment was acute. All she wanted to do was run in shame, but he kept her there, talking. He offered her a ride to her home, not asking for anything more. She had accepted after much persuasion, and he asked to call on her again once there. She had snubbed him as politely as possible, but he would hear nothing of it. They stood outside of the shop until nearly dawn, talking, before she finally revealed what had happened.

At this time Javert was a man of honor, and though he had had many women, none had fascinated him as much as Ellie. He knew her whole story now and absolutely refused to do anything other than marry her. He knew they would be happy. He was a reckless man… with good intentions.

His family all but spurned him, they couldn't, he was the only heir. And though they were hastily married, and partially thought less of (though few knew the truth) there really was something about Ellie that drew people to her. She would pass this trait on to Tairy, but neither would ever realize it, only Javert ever saw it.

Five short months passed until Tairy was born. Four extremely happy years passed before Ellie became ill. It had been nothing serious, just a cold with the season, but she never got better. It progressed until she died the day before Tairy's birthday.

Javert hadn't know what to make of himself, so he took it out on Tairy.

§§§

For the first week, thoughts of leaving and running away just as soon she was free, formed through the days and nights. Tairy was sure that someone would come and her father would have to let her out. Maybe Bella, her father would at least let her in just for a moment. Possibly even Duke Orin. Her father would have to let her out for that. He would not let Tairy be so rude again, as to not let her out of her room to see him.

The first week passed with Javert coming in early every morning and bringing her small meal, then leaving without a word. Tairy would still be in bed, so by the time she woke up, the food would be cold. She barely survived off the rations, and by the end, she had last any extra weight she might ever have had.

When no one came that first week, Tairy was a little surprised, but of course, Bella new nothing of her entrapment, so she guessed Bella would figure it out at least sometime in the second. When here was nothing, Tairy's thought's turned inward.

Her hatred of her father turned towards herself. Maybe nobody cared about her. Maybe she really was worthless. After all no one had even tried to see her, or send her a note, or anything, telling her that she'll make it through it. Her thoughts turned towards the death of herself by the third week, and she stopped eating her little bit.

Javert made no mention of it when he picked it up it the morning, after dropping off the new one.

One night when Tairy fell asleep, she didn't wake up come morning. She stayed in her dream world. Everything was good, and nice, and happy. She decided to stay. There for a time, she suddenly felt a nagging sensation. Something wasn't quite right with this world. She wasn't supposed to be there. Suddenly she was awake. A little disoriented she looked around. Finding herself in her room with her father sitting on the stool, an old man hovering above her, and Bella holding her hand, sitting on the bed, she felt relief at first. Then she remembered the past three weeks.

"What happened?" a croak was managed out.

The old man opens his mouth to speak, but Bella rushes ahead. "You almost died Tairy. Your father says that you've been sick for weeks. He said it was just a cold, but he didn't want it to get worse, or let anyone else get it, so he let none up to see you. I guess this last week you took a turn for the worse and couldn't take any food down, so that's when he called the healer. Which he should have done from the beginning."

Tairy looks at Bella, who smiles constrainedly. Tairy turns to her father and gives a questioning glare. He stands up and moves to the bed, on the other side of the healer.

He looks straight into Bella's eyes and says, "Tairy's a little disoriented right now. She's been so sick these last two weeks that I'm sure her memories are just a little hazy. Now that she's awake, she needs to rest. You should probably leave Bella. Seeing you might cause too much excitement. And we really wouldn't want you to catch whatever Tairy had."

Bella stands to face him. "Somehow, I don't think that's quite possible. I'm sure Tairy's over the worst of it, so I will not likely catch it. And people always get better from a woman's touch. Just having another female around will help greatly I'm sure. So I think I'll stay for a few days. That is if you do not mind too greatly, Baron Dantes."

Javert's jaw tightens just a touch, and then he nods. "Maybe you're right Bella. I have some business I must attend to up north, that I've had to put off since Tairy became ill. So I'll leave her in your female and capable hands. And the healers, until I return in two months." He looks down at Tairy, really looks at her for the first time, seeing just how sick she had really become because of him. His eyes frown, but his mouth almost lifts into a smile. "I leave later this evening, so I will not see you for a while. Get well my daughter." He turns and leaves the room.

The healer looks at Tairy again. "We need to get some solid food down you, like a small piece of bread. We've been able to give you small amounts of broth, but it won't make you completely better. You need real stuff. I'll stay for a week, and see if you improve. I really don't see how you can be of great help unless she gets worse Lady Bella. I'm sure now that she's awake, she'll soon be out of bed. Now I'll go downstairs and get you some food." And he leaves.

Bella sits on the bed again and helps Tairy into a non-lying position. Somehow Tairy manages to speak first. "How long has it been since the ball?"

Not really expecting this, Bella frowns. "Why, just over a month I think. Why? What has really happened?"

"How long over?"

Bella thinks it out. "Well it's Monday and the ball was Friday four weeks before this last one. The doctor's been here this whole last week. Even that's when your father called on me. According to your father, you had a cold for two weeks, it became more severe the next week, and then at the beginning of this week you never woke up"

"How would he have known, I was almost always sleeping when he cam in?" Tairy mumbles.

"What are you talking about? Tairy you must tell me what really happened. I have no trust in what your father says, except the part where you never woke up. Woke up from what?"

Tairy turned to Bella and began to cry. She sobbed the whole story out on the front of Bella's gown, ruining it. Bella sat there and listened intently; simply comforting her. As her story came to an end she stopped crying for no apparent reason. There was just nothing left. Bella never reprimanded her for wanting to give up. She cleaned up Tairy's face a little and they got situated comfortably.

"Why didn't you come?"

"I did, several times. Your father watched over you for the last month like a hawk. I could do nothing. Though I wanted to so bad."

"Has Duke Orin left? With his horse?"

"Yes, about a week after your sudden 'illness'. I saw him come here. To see your father, from what I was told. But I happened by right as he left and I swear I saw him look up, as though looking for your room. Hmm Tairy."

Tairy looked away. "Good riddance" she murmurs. Bella looks at her and begins to laugh.

Then, as if by magic, the healer suddenly comes in, bearing a tray laden with easily eaten food for Tairy.

TBC

I know you all expected me to wait to the very last minute to do the next chapter, and I still will give you at least another chapter in July. This came out of nowhere. I'm not quite sure what to make of it. Give me your opinions honestly please. It seems my muse likes to come torment me the most when I want nothing more than to sleep, so things are usually a little crazy. I'm hoping you enjoyed this, if not, tell me anyways.