Chapter 11: Tell Her

Aramis woke groggily stretched out across the double bed, as his thoughts gathered he realised that Melody should have been lying beside him; rolling onto his side he saw her standing by the window peering through the heavy curtains. Placing his feet on the cold wooden floor her tiptoed over to where she stood deep in thought. Sensing him, Melody half turned and offered him a weary smile.

"Did I take up too much room?" Aramis queried, only half joking.

"No. But I woke as soon as it was light and then started thinking. What did you tell the innkeeper of our situation? I mean did they not think it odd that we had no clothing or belongings?"

"I made up a story about us having married secretly, because our families are sworn enemies. I said that we were discovered and so had to flee to prevent your brothers from killing me….the inn keeper's wife thought it all very romantic!" Aramis explained.

"It's the way you tell them!" Melody tried to jest, but the laughter did not reach her voice or eyes.

"Don't worry I gave false names, they have sworn to help us avoid detection from our 'family' and so Athos' wife will not find us." There was a pause, as Aramis fetched a blanket from the bed and draped it around Melody's shoulders. She was still staring out of the window.

"My uncle…" She began in a near whisper

"Ahhh yes, that could be a problem – he will no doubt find out that we have been in the same room. And I know if I were him, I would insist that you and I…" Melody turned to stare at him agog.

"I was thinking more if he doesn't know where we are he will be dreadfully worried and his house, everything he owns and has worked for will have been destroyed in the fire!" Melody exclaimed, Aramis sighed and ran a hand over his beard.

"Indeed, but you are safe and well and I am sure that will be his major concern, belongings can be replaced and buildings repaired. But seriously Melody…." He tried to take her hands in his, but she swept past him and towards the screen, behind which a fresh dress had been placed for her by a maid. Melody knew that she was in love with the musketeer charged with protecting her, but she would not, could not allow him to marry her through a sense of duty and propriety. When she herself had sworn never to marry for anything less than love, she could not countenance being the cause of someone else's entrapment. If he did not love her, which Melody was convinced was the case, she would not agree to matrimony.

Aramis stood where she had left him, staring at a mark on the floor. He wanted so desperately to marry Melody, but how could he convince her to love him in return? He had thought mentioning her Uncle's undoubted reaction to them sharing a bedchamber might help the situation, gain her consent to marry and then win her affection after they were married. But in his heart and his head, Aramis knew that was wrong, he couldn't force or trick her into marriage; why couldn't she see how much he cared for her? His thoughts turned to Treville in earnest – they would have to conceal their sleeping arrangements from him, or he would not be facing marriage but almost certain death.

"So what do we do now?" Melody questioned seriously as she reappeared in a plain dress that if nothing else at least fitted her.

"We wait" Aramis said simply

"That's it we wait and hope that your friends find us here – in the middle of nowhere when we have left no clue to our destination for them?" Melody looked on the verge of frantic, she was normally so calm, Aramis attributed it to nervous exhaustion. In part it was true – she was tired, she still ached all over and was mentally fatigued by the confusion created by her feelings for her protector.

"Trust me. I don't think we will have to wait for long."

After a few hours Aramis gave up trying to begin a conversation with his companion, she supplied merely one word answers or on occasions just a scathing look in reply. She declined the offer of a card game, refused to play eye spy and instead settled on reading a book another traveller had left in the room. Her behaviour was so out of character that it gave Aramis serious cause for concern. He watched discreetly as after only one chapter Melody fell asleep in the arm chair she was using. The sound of hooves in the gravel below the window drew Aramis to the glass; he grinned as he watched Porthos and D'Artagnan dismount and enter the building. Locking the door quietly Aramis went to meet them.

Ordering drinks the three men seated themselves close to the fireplace and began a hushed conversation, over their beverages.

"Where is Melody?" Porthos questioned.

"Upstairs, she's sleeping at the moment, exhausted but otherwise unharmed."

"Good, Treville hasn't returned yet, but he'll be murderous when he does. We left Athos at the garrison so he is safe and can explain all to the Captain. It was a hell of a ride, I'm not surprised she needs rest, she isn't totally recovered yet either."

"I know, but I had no idea where else to go Porthos. I did wonder if you would work out where I had headed and how long it would take you to get here."

"Of course I knew your destination. It took us a little longer, we had to make sure we weren't followed here." Porthos grinned "You've always said!"

"Ok, lovely as this is – it is all a bit cryptic for me." D'Artagnan interrupted "How did you know Aramis would head here?"

"Because my friend, Aramis loves this place, in the mist and the rain it won't be clear to you exactly why; but he does. We stopped here once a few years ago and he swore if he ever found a woman he truly loved he would bring her here – but only the one he truly loved." Porthos explained removing his gloves and flexing his fingers. Aramis nodded but looked solemn. "Why the sadness – don't tell me you've fallen out of love with her already."

"Never" Aramis said fiercely "I did try to bring up the subject of marriage" D'Artagnan's eyebrows disappeared under his fringe in shock "But she wouldn't listen to any of it. I love her more than life itself but I don't think that Melody loves me!" Aramis sounded despondent as he spoke.

"When you say you mentioned marriage – did you ask her or just refer to it in passing?" Porthos demanded.

"Well she mentioned Treville and I said we should talk about his reaction to us sharing a chamber"

"You what?" D'Artagnan half shouted

"There was only one room available when we arrived and so I said we were a married couple. It felt safer, for me to be in the same room as well."

"Presumably you slept in a chair or something?" Porthos suggested, his friends expression answered the question in the negative.

"Sort of, but then Melody had a nightmare and she was terrified, I had to stay with her."

"In the bed – oh Aramis tell me you didn't!"

"No I did not! We slept in the same bed and nothing more. Since the conversation though she won't even look me in the eye, everything I say or do is wrong. I don't understand, how do I make her see that I really do love her and that I want to marry her because I want to spend the rest of my life with her – making her happy?"

"Have you tried telling her?" D'Artagnan asked

"Of course, but…"

"No have you actually told her that you love her? That you want to marry her, not because you think she is pretty, not because you feel you have to and that she isn't one of your fleeting romances." Porthos queried, Aramis paused to think, and the other two exchanged an exasperated look.

"Not in so many words, if I tell her there's no going back!" His friends rolled their eyes.

"Go and tell her. The sun is coming through the clouds take her to the fall, make her see how important she is to you and what you want to share with her. You have to make Melody realise she is the only woman you love, she sees you as a lady's man, she is probably terrified you'll find another more interesting once you are married." With renewed determination and hope Aramis strode off to fetch Melody and show her why this place was the most special he had ever known.

"And I thought he was supposed to be the romantic one…." D'Artagnan sighed shaking his head