A/N: Hi all! First off, I am sooooo sorry for leaving you hanging for so long. Real life, blah blah blah...

I also want to say thank you to everyone again for all your support and kind words. We're over 200 reviews which is absolutely brilliant and I love them all! You guys are amazing and I am also incredibly happy with the response I recieved for my new story The Marriage Mart.

This chapter is a short one. I just needed to get it out so I could push the plot along. Its mostly filler. Things will be hotting up in the next chapter - definitely some drama and excitement happening from a surprising quarter and I think Jason will be making a re-appearance!

I also want to pimp my story The Marriage Mart. Also a Regency fiction, less angsty, more light-hearted. So if you haven't checked it oput yet, please do. I will hopefully be posting chapter 2 next week!

I also thought I should add a note about mourning and mourning customs in the Georgian era. Mourning customs can be terribly confusing for a modern reader as we no longer follow such strict rules of dress and conduct.

As with most things, the Georgians were fairly relaxed about following "mourning customs". Mourning customs in the Regency Era were less rigid than in Victorian England. Mourning did not become ritualised until the Victorian era. This was heavily influenced Queen Victoria's own mourning period for Prince Albert which lasted her whole life. A lot of what we see in period films on mourning customs are actually conventions which became codified in the Victorian period.

During the Georgian period, there was no set rule book on mourning. There was a general guideline that people (i.e. royals, aristocracy, landed gentry and some in the middle class) observed, but it was not set in stone. Mourning was very expensive and only the very wealthy or important followed the rules to the letter and even then there was some flexibility. Depending on the relationship the mourner had to the deceased, there were different time constraints for mourning - the longest period being placed on the spouse.

Mourning consisted of three distinct periods: Heavy or deep mourning, half mourning, and light or second mourning. Only the wealthy could afford to purchase custom-made mourning clothes. The middle class or people of more moderate means made do with what they had, or purchased ready-made clothes. Women shouldered most of the burden.

During deep mourning, widows wore all black, often called "widow's weeds" for a year and no jewelry, except that made of jet or onyx and wore "moderate headgear". The material of the dresses were often made of matte materials like crepe or black bombazine silk, which did not reflect light. According to the 19th-century "style" periodical Repository of Arts in 1809,hems were at least "3 inches deep".

Half mourning was seen as a transition period where the mourner could slowly re-enter society. For a widow she would normally adjust her wardrobe to include white dresses and black and white mixed (i.e. black dress with a white lace collar). The most notable half mourning dress was an Ackermann's fashion plate dated 1819 that was all white. Other family members, excluding the widow, could wear colours which were used in regular dress but were seen as more subdued, like grays, mauves, lilacs and lavendar. Scarlett (red) has also been mentioned as an acceptable half-mourning colour, but I have never seen a fashion plate to confirm this. Again, dresses had to be of modest cut and of a matte material, but the hems could be shortened.

Because of Beau Brummel, men tended to wear black or somber clothes as a matter of course, so very little altered in their attire. During deep mourning men wore black jackets, black cravats, and black armbands. They carried black bordered handkerchiefs and placed a black ornament on their hats. Children also wore somber clothes edged in black.

The mourner would withdraw from society for the designated mourning period. Again, these were not set in stone and the length of time for mourning was often left to the mourner's discretion. However, it would have raised quite a few eyebrows if a widow did not mourn her husband for at least a year.

Here is a rough outline for deep mourning:

One year for a spouse
6 months for parents or parents-in-law
6 - 3 months for a sister or brother, uncle or aunt (the time is unclear, some sources say 6 months, some say 3 – I think this is one of those discretion things!)
6 weeks for a sister or brother-in-law
3 weeks for the spouse of an uncle or aunt
2 weeks for a first cousin
1 week for a second cousin or stepmother's sibling

Oddly enough, I wasn't able to find any information on mourning periods for the death of a child. Funny, right?

So, yeah, I hope that clears up any confusion on mourning! Or maybe I just added to the confusion?

Anyway, if you'd like to learn more, I have listed my sources on my profile. In 2009, I also attended a wonderful exhibition on death, mourning, and funerary ornaments in England at the Wellcome Trust in London. The exhibition traced the customs, conventions and beliefs around death and all that entails from the medieval period through to the end of the First World War. The exhibition talked a lot about what I have noted in my mini history lesson.

I have also listed links to Ackermann's mourning dress fashion plates so you can get a visual of the types of gowns, jewelry and headgear that Georgian women wore.

Enjoy and R&R!

Disclaimer: I do not own SVM or True Blood nor am I affiliated with HBO in anyway. SVM and True Blood belongs to Charlaine Harris, Alan Ball and the good people at HBO. I am only using these characters for the purpose of this story.

Chapter 13: A Bleeding Heart

Over the long days the marquess thoughtfully studied his nephew. The boy was hollow-eyed and obviously bored to death by his forced inactivity. He would not otherwise dog a dull uncle's heels so attentively. It was certainly an appropriate time to begin Hunter's formal education. The marquess posted a reminder to his London solicitor that he had requested screenings of possible tutors. He hoped that a youngish scholar would be found who could understand a seven-year-old boy's exuberance and restlessness and yet could curb his wilder tendencies.

As for Eric's own grief over his brother's death, he never again revealed his feelings in quite so naked a fashion as he had with Sookie that day in the drawing room. With Hadley he felt obligated to place himself as the proverbial shoulder to lean on. The stress was evident in his drawn mouth, however. His expression was grimmer, his eyes darker.

No more was said on his joining the army. Though he still felt the need to avenge his brother and felt the army was his only true recourse. But then he would remember Sookie's words, the anguish in her voice, the fear and worry that marked her beautiful face and all the fight would leave him.

Sookie was the only bright spot in an otherwise dark and dismal landscape. Sookie was his comfort and joy. She always seemed to know how to pull him from his darker thoughts. Her very presence was a soothing balm on his torn and ragged soul. He wanted and needed her – craved her immensely. But he took great pains to temper his need for her, never allowing himself to indulge in the bounty of her form as he did the night he learned of his brother's death. In the weeks since his brother's death, Eric had limited the time he spent with Sookie, ensuring that their encounters was all that was right and proper, especially now that the house was teeming with newly appointed servants. Eric did not want to compromise Sookie further, and though he would gladly marry her at a moment's notice, he knew that he must wait until the end of the mourning period. As Remy's brother, he would be required to be in mourning for six months, though he knew he would feel the pain of Remy's loss all his life. As Hadley's cousin, Sookie was not required to go into mourning, but Eric was certain that she would out of courtesy to the family.

Eric sighed heavily as he stood at the bottom of the staircase, his expression brooding as he watched Sookie enter the hall from the kitchen.

'Are you off for a ride, my lord?' Sookie asked, smiling gently at Eric.

'Yes. I thought I'd ride over to Winthrop's farm and check on the progress of the lambing.'

Sookie nodded. 'Good. I think the exercise and fresh air will do much to clear your head.'

'Yes, I think you may be right. I shall be back in time for luncheon. Please inform Jenkins.' With that, Eric turned on his heel, his riding boots rapping hard on the marble tiles as he left the hall.

Sookie watched him leave with a sad smile. A heavy pallor hung over Hardgrove Chase. Sookie often felt overwhelmed by the intense emotions of Eric and Hadley. Sookie thought of her poor cousin. The news of Remy's death has taken its toll on Hadley. The only person Hadley was interested in seeing was her son and Hunter could hardly stand to be around his mother. It was agreed between Hadley and Eric that they should put off telling Hunter until Remy's death had been confirmed by the War Office. Even though Hadley had tried to hide her grief when Hunter was with her, he was intelligent enough to sense it and question her about why she was so sad. His solicitation nearly set Hadley off again and it was all she could do to underplay her emotions.

'I am a little anxious about Papa is all,' she said trying to smile. 'But I will get over it.'

Still weakened from his ordeal, Hunter would emerge from his mother's chambers both troubled and frightened. He knew that something was terribly wrong but no one had told him what it was. Strangely enough, no one considered Hunter's fine perceptions. Hadley had been thought to be strong enough to handle the news of her husband's probable death, but she and Eric had agreed that until confirmation came it would be best to shelter Hunter from the interim suspense.

But Hunter noticed the long faces of Tara and his mother's maid. He knew that Mr. and Mrs. Jenkins and the kitchen staff abruptly stopped whispering whenever he came upon them unexpectedly. He tried to wriggle information out of Dawson, but he would only shake his head. When even the hardened gardener, Angus, vouchsafed him a gruff word of friendliness, Hunter's dread was complete. His nightmares worsened and the persistent sense of aloneness overwhelmed him in its intensity.

Hunter fled his loneliness the only way he knew how. He insisted upon spending considerable time with Sookie. In the weeks following his accident and consequent illness, Hunter had grown to love his cousin. He found her bluntness and no-nonsense attitude refreshing. She also told him the most amusing stories about America. They always contained weird animals, ghosts and other nasties, like 'gators' and 'panthers' that fascinated Hunter to no end. He seemed to appreciate that she spoke to him calmly as though he were an adult. When he was not with Sookie, Hunter shadowed his uncle, who had begun to set in motion the refurbishment of the estate and was in the process of hiring a new bailiff. Hunter spent hours sitting quietly in the study while Eric interviewed various applicants or explained to him the intricacies of keeping up an estate like Hardgrove Chase.

Eric's obvious withdrawal into himself due to his grief over his brother did not affect his attitude toward his nephew. The boy reminded him so much of a forlorn waif, drifting hither and thither with a perpetual anxiety deep in the depths of his blue eyes. Hunter obviously needed attention and though Sookie and Tara did their best with him, and his mother gave him as much as she seemed able to, Hunter still needed something more. He apparently had that need satisfied through the marquess. Eric was conscientious in giving of himself and his time to the boy. He made a point of going up every evening to visit with Hunter at bedtime. The boy appeared unnaturally grateful to him for the treat and was always reluctant to let him go.

One evening Eric discovered Hunter curled tensely on the window seat, staring out at the darkened sky. Hunter did not look around at his uncle's greeting. Abruptly he said, 'Papa is dead, isn't he?'

For several seconds Eric stood silent. He said slowly, quietly, 'Yes, Hunter. I believe that he is.'

The boy's shoulders slumped and his body visibly relaxed. He sighed deeply. When he turned his head there were tears in his eyes. 'Thank you, Uncle,' he said simply.

With a flash Eric understood his nephew's sudden bewildering dependence. Hadley and he had done the boy a gross disservice. Hunter had sensed his father's death all along and he had suffered from their misguided attempt to protect him.

'Dear God,' murmured Eric. He gathered his nephew up against him. The boy's thin arms wound tight around his neck.

Hunter's voice came muffled from against Eric's shoulder. 'I knew Papa wasn't coming back. I knew it when I fell out of the tree. But no one would tell me! Everyone acted as though everything was all right.' There was grief and rage in the boy's voice. He started to cry in great gulping sobs.

Eric tightened his arms about him and smoothed his unruly hair. 'Forgive me, dear boy,' he said, his voice roughened. Eric vowed to himself that he would not let the boy down again.

It was a long time before the marquess emerged from the nursery. His shoulders set in renewed determination.

Though Eric felt in his heart that his friend's information was correct, the marquess did not accept the letter without making enquiries of his own with friends in positions who might be expected to be able to verify the harsh truth. A few weeks later the official notice of Captain Remy Savoy's death was printed in the London Gazette and a letter followed from the War Office.

When the lists came out, Sookie thought that Eric showed exquisite consideration for Hunter's feelings and her own sense of love and loss swelled with this reminder of all that she had loss in her relatively young life. She shed tears in the privacy of her bedroom, so as not to distress Eric or her cousins, and began to appear a bit thinner and paler than before, but no one except Tara noticed.

Though Tara would never dream of betraying her mistress's confidence, she frowned and again tried to influence Sookie not to exert herself so much in the running of Hardgrove Chase. But Sookie argued that someone had to respond to the condolence calls and the cards received and Hadley was totally unequal to the task. She rarely left her bedroom and on the few occasions that she did so, it was only at Hunter's pleading. At times the duties seemed overwhelming and Sookie felt incredible anger toward her cousin. But she only had to look at Hadley's wan, saddened face to feel ashamed of her uncharitable thoughts. Hadley had lost her husband. It would take time to heal the wound, mayhap, it would never heal. Sookie knew that were she to lose Eric, her devastation would be endless. His grief weighed heavily upon her. After their emotional exchange in the drawing room, Eric spoke no more of leaving Hardgrove Chase to join the army, though Sookie could still see the conflict in his eyes. She knew that he warred with himself over his need for vengeance and his duty to his family. Eric had also begun to distance himself, both emotionally and physically, from Sookie in the weeks following his brother's death. Sookie was certain he did not mean to and she reasoned with herself that his behaviour was normal for someone suffering a great loss. But she felt his inadvertent rejection keenly upon her bruised heart and it only served to compound her woes.

Sookie received the morning's letter from Jason and her low spirits immediately lightened. She was delighted to learn that the fight to regain possession of the Adele and its cargo was all but won. Calvin Norris was pushing forward the inquiry into the fate of the missing American sailors, and he seemed confident that the men would shortly be reunited with their countrymen. Jason, obviously satisfied with how events were transpiring, promised to join her at Hardgrove Chase very soon. Unbeknownst to Sookie, Tara had mentioned her misstress's flagging spirits in her last letter to Jason and had entreated him to come to them soon. Jason, distressed at the news of his sister's unhappiness, planned on joining them at Hardgrove Chase by month's end.

Staring at Jason's last sentence, Sookie had mixed feelings. She wanted so much to be reunited with her brother, but Jason knew her too well. She would not be able to disguise her feelings from him. She doubted that he would accept that Remy's death and the responsibilities of Hardgrove Chase were solely to blame for her emotional state. Jason's inevitable questions would eventually unearth her feelings for the Marquess of Huntley. Sookie was not sure if she was ready for Jason to know of the relationship between her and Eric. Things between them were strained at best, and as he was currently in a period of mourning, all talk of marriage and the future had been placed on hold.

Sookie was not given much time for reflection on this new dilemma as she sat with Eric in the study. At his insistence, she began interviewing the last of the household servants.

'I can screen these individuals but as far as discerning their true worth, I must give that over to someone who is familiar with the running of a household,' said Eric.

'And Hadley, of course, is far too preoccupied to turn her mind to it,' said Sookie with a tired nod.

Eric gave her a sharp glance. He looked at her closely and noted for the first time that the fragile skin under her eyes appeared bruised, her face pale and she had grown thin. In the two months since his brother's passing, Eric had purposely kept his distance from Sookie, choosing instead, to busy himself with the care of his nephew and the needs of the estate. He did not want to burden her with his sadness. He knew how perceptive she was to the needs of others and he did not want to distress her with his unhappiness. He also struggled constantly with his craving to possess her at every opportunity. Eric was determined to keep his promise. He would not lay with her again until the night of their wedding. Separating himself from her physically was painful but necessary.

But now, looking at her, Eric cursed himself for his selfishness. He had used her ill and now she was suffering for it.

His voice softening, he said, 'It is not proper that the burden of Hardgrove Chase should fall to you, my love. I cannot bear to see you bowed so low.'

Tears pricked at Sookie's eyes. This was the warmest he had been with her for weeks and her heart longed for his embrace. Eric sensing her need, pulled her into his arms and held her tightly.

'I am sorry, my love. I have been a deuced fool!' Eric declared, wiping her tears away with his thumbs. 'You are so strong, my love, so capable. I often forget that even you can break.'

Sookie cried harder into Eric's chest, allowing him to shoulder some of her burden. After a few moments, she spoke, 'It is nothing, Eric, really it is not. I would be happy to take the task on. You and Hadley have so much to worry about. It is the least I can do.'

'I love you, dearest Susannah. Even when you show me the reddest nose I have ever seen.'

Sookie smiled into Eric's shoulder and buried her face in his neck, inhaling his scent. She sniffed softly before finally pulling away.

'Thank you, Eric. Of course I will see to the rest of the household. The rest of the candidates look very promising and I hope to have everyone settled in their post within the fortnight. Indeed, it will certainly be a relief to have a full staff in place.'

After a moment's silence, Sookie took a deep breath. 'I have missed you,' Sookie whispered.

Eric's arms tightened around Sookie's slight form and his heart squeezed. 'I did not want to overwhelm you. You have already taken on so much, Susannah. I did not want to add my grief to your troubles.'

Sookie looked up at Eric, some of the fire returning to her eyes. 'I love you, you stubborn fool. Your troubles are my troubles. I want to be here for you. For all of you, but I can not if you push me away. You are right, my lord. I am strong, but my heart can break and when hold yourself from me... Eric, you break my heart...'

'My love, my sweet Sookie. I am sorry. I have been foolish. In my need to protect you, I have caused you hurt. But Susannahm you must know, you are my angel, my love. And I promise you, when we are recovered… when the mourning period has ended, I shall make you my wife.'

Sookie looked at Eric with tears in her eyes. Her hear felt near to bursting with all the love she bore him. 'I know, my darling. I look forward to that day.'

Eric leaned down and kissed her gently, happy to have her in his arms. The two shared another moment of solace, relief marking their forms. Over the next weeks, an easiness returned between them, a knowledge that no matter how fierce the storm, they would always have the other to cling too.

Please Review!