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Saturday 12th November 2005.
Continued.
Averting her gaze away from her laptop and across the room to a photo of herself and her best friend from when they were twenty years old sitting on her dressing table, Clarisse couldn't believe the similarities between the two. It was obvious who her father is, they had the same eyes, nose, mouth and even their jawlines were the same and Clarisse had never felt so relieved in all her life as she did right at that moment.
"Oh Joseph," Clarisse said softly as all the worry she had felt for the last several months simply slip away as she closed her eyes and let out a long sigh.
The Following Morning.
Walking into the kitchen early the next morning, Isabella was surprised when she saw her sister sat at the kitchen table in her robe, nursing a cup of tea. She had no idea how long she had been there, but from the daydream state she was in she knew it must have been a while, at least.
Hearing running water, Clarisse realised she was no longer alone and averted her gaze to her sister stood by the sink pouring herself a glass of water before turning to face her "good morning," she said and looked down at her cup as she raised it up to her lips, taking several sips.
"Good morning," Isabella said back and took a sip of her water while watching as her sister lowered her cup back down onto the table "you look tired?"
"That's because I am," Clarisse nodded with a small shrug "I didn't sleep well at all last night."
"Oh," Isabella said softly and looked down at the glass she held in both of her hands a moment before moving over to sit opposite her at the table. "I'm sorry about my meltdown last night, I never wanted to tell you about Charles and me that way, or any of the other stuff I blurted out."
"It's okay, I'm glad you told me," Clarisse said as she watched her sister slowly look back down at her glass of water sitting on the table in front of her "and I know it's not something that you want to hear but I do know how you feel, how hard it is to hear the man you love say another woman's name."
"You do?" Isabella said in surprise as Clarisse nodded.
"Rupert said Sofia's name more than once during our marriage," Clarisse said and looked across the table at her sister before looking down at her cup.
"What?" Isabella exclaimed in surprise.
"It's not something I like to talk about, I just wanted to let you know that I do know how you feel."
"Of course, and for what it's worth, I'm sorry," Isabella said as she reached out and took hold of her sisters hand "how he could treat you, the most beautiful woman in the world the way he did and still have you stood by his side, you deserved so much better than that rat." She said and watched as Clarisse laughed at her choice of words "but on a more serious note, are we okay? I mean after what I confessed last night."
"Of course we're okay," Clarisse nodded as she placed her free hand on top of their joined hands "but are you okay?"
"Yeah I'm okay," she said and pulled her hands back "I kind of accepted that my marriage was over a long time ago so now I just want to get through the divorce and move on with my life."
"And find that someone special?" Clarisse asked and watched as her sister nodded.
"Yes, and find that someone special," Isabella said and looked down at her glass of water "I doubt it will happen though."
"It will one day, just don't give up," Clarisse said and watched as Isabella stood to her feet and picked up her drink "you're up and dressed early anyway, are you coming to church with us today?"
"Not today, I'm meeting Beatrice and Charlie," said Isabella as she placed her glass in the sink.
"Okay," Clarisse said with a nod "give them a hug from me."
"I will," Isabella smiled as she walked over and stood behind her "I know Bea is dying to come and stay one night," she said as she bent down and wrapped her arms around her sisters shoulders.
"Well tell her she's welcome to stay anytime she wants," Clarisse smiled as she put her hands up onto her sisters arms "we could invite Mia and have a girly night."
"That sounds like a good plan," Isabella smiled and kissed her cheek before standing back up while placing her hands on her sisters shoulders "I best get going now though and I will see you later, love you."
"Okay, I love you too," Clarisse smiled and watched as her sister gave a little wave as she walked out the door.
Moments later the doorbell rang "I'll get it," called Isabella from the hallway.
Standing to her feet with a sigh, Clarisse moved across the room to place her cup in the sink and turned to the door just as Pierre appeared. "Good morning," he smiled while holding up a plastic tub "I brought breakfast."
"Oh lovely, but have you been stealing fresh pastries from the palace again?" She said with a laugh.
"I might have," he smirked while walking over to the counter and placed the tub on the top "where's aunt Isabella off to? After the amount she had to drink last night I'm surprised she's up this early."
"I know, me too actually but she's going to meet Bea and Charlie," Clarisse said as she walked over to the counter and opened the tub to see what pastries were inside "did one of the guards bring you over?" She asked as Pierre grabbed a couple of plates.
"No, I walked," he said, coming back and placed them on the counter in front of them.
"And you didn't get lost?" Clarisse gasped while picking out a muffin and placed it on her plate.
"Of course not, I grew up around here remember," Pierre smirked and watched as she moved to sit down at the table before choosing a croissant.
"I know that, but it's changed a lot over the years," she smiled up at him.
"That is true, but a person never gets lost in a place they hold in their heart," he smiled and took a bite of his pastry as he moved to sit at the table.
"That is true, too," she agreed "so what are you doing here so early?" Clarisse asked and took a bite of her muffin.
"Because I fancied a walk, and knowing you would be up I thought I would come here and bring you breakfast," he smiled.
"I see," she said, nodding slightly as she looked down at her muffin "so no one asked you to pop in then?" She asked and looked back up at her son while raising her eyebrow.
"Alright, you guessed it," he laughed "Joseph asked me yesterday at the airport to pop in this morning with pastries to make sure you were okay and ate something."
"I thought as much," she laughed as Pierre smiled.
"Talking off Joseph, did you call him when you got home last night?"
"Yes, I did," she nodded "eventually."
"Eventually? What do you mean, eventually?" He asked and took a bite of his croissant.
"Oh, I had to deal with Isabella first. She had a meltdown in the car on the way home, turns out she and Charles are getting divorced."
"Oh," Pierre said while looking down a moment "that explains all the flirting with Jaures then."
"It does," Clarisse nodded in agreement, her mind a million miles away. "She wants a happy ever after, she wants to find someone special, like I did."
"I hope you told her Jaures isn't that man?" Pierre said and watched as his mother nodded.
"I did, of course I did," Clarisse said "but I can't stop her from wanting to be with him if that's what she wants, she's an adult and will have to find out the hard way."
"That's true," Pierre nodded "anyway, how did it go with Joseph? Any news on who Victoria's father is?"
"Yes actually, there is," Clarisse nodded and looked up at her son "she's definitely Joseph's. They have the same eyes, nose, everything."
"Oh thank god," Pierre exclaimed "I was really worried she was going to end up being fathers."
"Me too," nodded Clarisse.
Later That Morning.
Standing beside the church building after the morning service, Pierre made sure he kept out of sight as he watched his mother and Jaures walking along the pathway away from the church together. He knew they were talking, he just wished he could hear what they were talking about.
"Uncle Pierre, have you seen grandma?" Mia asked as she walked up the pathway behind him and watched as he quickly turned around to her.
"Uh, no... No I haven't, not for a while," he said, watching as she leant to the side to look past him and at her grandmother walking with Jaures.
"You sure about that?" Mia said and looked back at her uncle "because she's right there, walking with what's his name?"
"Jaures?"
"Yes that's it, Jaures," Mia said and looked back at her grandmother to see they had stopped walking and we're now facing each other "I didn't know that they knew each other?"
"Oh they did a while back, he was a member of parliament a few years back," Pierre said and looked back at his mother "but I wouldn't call them friends."
"Your majesty?" Charlotte called, causing not only Mia and Pierre to turn to her, but Clarisse and Jaures too. "You're needed inside?"
"Of course, just coming," Mia smiled at her then at her uncle "when she's finished catching up can you let her know that I need a word?"
"Of course," Pierre nodded and watched as she walked back up the path, disappearing back inside the church with Charlotte. Turning back to his mother, Pierre was surprised to find that she was now walking towards him with her head down, watching where she was walking. "Did you have a nice long talk?" He asked, putting his hands in his trousers pockets.
"You were watching me?" She asked, coming to a stop in front of him.
"Not really, I was watching around you," Pierre said with a shrug and looked past her at Jaures as he remained in the same spot he was in moments earlier when he was talking to Clarisse "unlike him, who hasn't taken his eyes off you since you walked up here."
Turning, Clarisse looked at Jaures a moment as he looked down and turned his back to them "it's not what you think," she said and turned back to her son "I was telling him to stay away from Isabella, or I would be making a personal phone call."
"To who?" Pierre asked.
"To his wife," she said and began walking back up the path towards the church entrance.
What is going on? What is Clarisse hiding? Please let me know your thoughts and what you think is going on?
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