Robert could not believe no one told him his wife (soon to be anyway) was a faint risk. That seems like something that should come up in conversation. A little heads up would have been great to have before he left, and at least if he had known he wouldn't have been so terrified when a maid had notified him of why exactly he could not find his Wife!

He felt horrible. What kind of husband leaves his wife when she is in such a delicate state?

Him apparently.

Something is wrong with this. If Adeline was involved the situation seemed to fall to the worst possibility. No matter what type of situation it was, and this incident only further proved that he had no luck with Adeline.

Every time he had tried to woo Adeline he failed. Every time he tried to talk she ignored him. Every single time, no matter what the plan was it never ended in his favor. So, what did he do now? His last desperate attempt - hoping distance would allow her to think fondly of him – which has only increased his own stress levels, not to mention left him with little other options other than begging. Was there any other option left to take?

The doctor was quite literally no help. Robert actually could not tell if this Doctor is being incompetent or Adeline is sick with no cure, and has been for a long time. Why is this man here if he is no help in finding a solution? The man just kept finding something else to talk about!

The hair on the back of his neck stood to attention and a shiver raced down his spine. A malicious stare was being directed toward him.

Robert slowly extracted his attention and made to turn. He could feel familiar eyes watching him, and it would not do to pressure her so soon after awakening.

Their eyes connected.

Ice blue eyes glared out from a heart shaped face veiled behind a red curl. Even when she was trying to kill him with a glare she was beautiful. "How are you feeling?" he asked. If only caring was the key to her heart. Adeline's eyes flickered and her lips tightened into a line, for a moment he thought she was going to exclaim it was all an act and he was stupid for falling for it, but she sighed faintly and leaned back into her pillows shutting her eyes to the world. She was pale and ragged looking. As fragile as glass lying in that giant bed of hers.

"You might not have noticed, but I am trying to recover and now is not the time for your senseless badgering." Her voice was hoarse and little more than a whisper, but that took none of the menace from her half open eyes. The ice leaked into her voice as she spoke freezing Robert and sending a clear warning.

He floundered for a response.

"I-I want to be a part of your life," Robert winced at his stutter. "Is that so horrible to you?"

The young woman breathed in deeply, "It is."

He wanted to scream right then and there. He wanted to just lay down and cry 'why me?' but mostly he really wished she had taken a moment before speaking and sounded a little less sure of herself when she did. He allowed a hollow laugh to escape.

"Ahem!" Robert startled and turned with deadly accuracy, his gun pressed directly to the side of the speakers head. Steely grey eyes met panicked hazel. The Doctor screamed. "Ah! Sorry Sir, you startled me!" Robert laughed sheepishly removing the barrel of the gun from the man's head, but not taking it out of sight.

"Doctor, would you step out for a moment and allow us to speak in private?" the doctor looked more than eager for an escape.

Robert watched the man go. Only after hearing the click of the door did he relax his stance again. That was sloppy of him, forgetting himself and allowing a nonfamily member to overhear such things. The gun was returned to the holster under his jacket.

The grey eyed man turned back to his hopefully, future bride. He ignored her tense figure. "Give me a chance. Please." She stared at him for a full minute without blinking.

"Why should I?" she asked and he felt tiny in her gaze. He had not given her much reason for chances he supposed. Badgering her for attention. Buying her gifts that she did not like and had no uses for. Giving her flowers that trapped her in bedrest for a week due to allergies. Not to mention the many proclamations of love that could come at any time and are most definitely not far in between making his words appear less genuine. But he had worked so hard for the Family to agree to a marriage with Adeline, to try less than his hardest for her favor left a bad, sour taste he did not like.

"Please. One more. That is all I ask for." He might start begging if this did not work.

Adeline was quiet for a long time. She never looked away from him as she thought. Softly, resigned she answered simply, "One more, then you must call off the engagement if you fail again." A harsh blow but if this plan failed he would have nothing else to give her. He nodded in agreement. "What will it be next then? Enlighten me." Robert almost cracked a smile at her dead tone, but held it back. Here goes step one.

"What do you want? What can I do for you, so that I can be something other than your personal plague?" This was it. If she answered and answered honestly he just might be able to do this. If not… well, it would be over then.

"A window."

Her words come so quick and so loud at first he thinks he imagined them. "What?" he asks not really expecting an explanation.

"I would like a window. If you have not noticed take a look around. There is no window in this room." He's gaping like an idiot but he just cannot seem to stop. He had not expected this, in fact he had expected silence like an impenetrable wall. Not, well not an actual answer. What is not mentioned is that this room has been her only room since being moved into the mansion.

Robert takes a moment to remain the idiot and just bask in the surprise, then he's up making plans. He's pacing across the floor and asking about window shapes, types of glass, the possibilities of a balcony, what way she wants the window to swing when she opens it, how many windows she wants, and so much more.

"You're an idiot," she huffs "it is only a window stop being so excited." She tells him, but she is listening and that is more than she has ever done for him before. Robert leaves eager to get started after a gentleman's kiss to Adeline's hand in farewell.

He never noticed Adeline had sounded perfectly healthy and wide awake near the end of their talk.