Instead of writing a paper for one of my classes, i wrote this. Maybe now that I got the creative juices flowing, I will be able to write my paper.
Felicity woke up on Sunday morning to a tapping knock on the door. At first she thought she had imagined it and made an effort to fall back into the comfort of dreams, but the sound came again. With a sigh, Felicity tossed her sheets away from her body and scurried to the door. She only opened it a crack to look out since she was dressed immodestly.
Mrs. Nightwing stood in front of a tall man with a silly looking mustache. "Miss Worthington, good morning. Dr. Thomas and I would like to have a look at Miss Cross. Are you decent?"
"Good morning," she responded, stifling a yawn. "Give me just a few minutes to get dressed and I will let you in."
"Very well, we will wait." Felicity shut the door softly and ran behind her dressing screen. Her clothes were in a heap after she had thrown them off the previous night. She pulled them on as fast as she could, but could not tie her corset effectively. After trying and failing three times, Felicity gave up and left it much too loose.
"Come in," she said as she opened the door up for the older man and Mrs. Nightwing. Dr. Thomas brushed right by Felicity without even a glance. Mrs. Nightwing, on the other hand, raked up Felicity's body to make sure she looked proper. Suddenly, Felicity realized that she had forgotten to put her hair back up.
"Miss Worthington," Mrs. Nightwing whispered. "Your corset is much too loose. Come behind your screen and I will tighten it up for you. I would presume Miss Cross usually gives you a hand. But you cannot go to church dressed like that."
"Thank you, Mrs. Nightwing." Felicity wasn't actually grateful at all—not when Nightwing pulled the strings as tight as they could possibly go. Felicity gasped, trying to find a way to breathe evenly.
"A young lady must always look her best Miss Worthington," Mrs. Nightwing lectured when Felicity shot her daggers through her eyes. "I will forgive you for your appearance this morning, but it would do you some good to wake up early enough to be presentable when Miss Cross is sick."
"Yes, Mrs. Nightwing."
"Very good," Mrs. Nightwing chimed as she disappeared back into the room. Felicity took a sharp breathe and tried to bend in any direction. The sharp points of the corset dug into her skin that resulted in shooting pains in her back. With a sigh, she returned to the openness of her bedroom.
"How do you feel, Miss Cross," Dr. Thomas asked. Felicity took a seat on the edge of her bed and watched as Pippa looked around the room as if in a daze.
"Much better," she replied with a small smile. Felicity could tell that Pip was putting on a brave face.
"Does your head hurt at all?"
"No, Sir."
"Nausea?"
"No."
"Very well then." Dr. Thomas straightened up and looked directly at Nightwing who was perched near Pip's desk. "She is fully recovered. She is free to return to daily activities. I just ask that she take it easy on the future—don't get so riled up."
"Thank you, Dr. Thomas. I will make sure that she does not get overly excited. Your assistance was much appreciated again. I will walk you out."
Nightwing glanced once more to Pippa before exiting the room behind Dr. Thomas. Felicity immediately stood and walked over to Pippa's bedside. "I was so worried."
"I'm sorry," Pippa replied.
"For what?"
"Worrying you."
"Don't apologize for something you can't help," Felicity commanded softly. "Do you remember anything?"
"It's all kind of blurry," she admitted. "Last I remember was…" Pippa trailed off and her cheeks colored themselves crimson.
"I should not have hit you. I will not ever do it again."
"I deserved it."
"No, Pippa, you did not. The only person in this school that deserves to be hit is Cicely. You of all people do not."
"Well next time maybe you should aim for Cicely."
"Oh, I will," Felicity joked. "Next time you infuriate me, I will stomp right over to Cicely and put my boot into her gut."
"You're dreadful!" Pippa squealed as she laughed. Felicity was relieved to hear that laugh again. It had been much too long since she last heard the soft ringing. "But I would pay to see that."
"You are no less dreadful than I am, then."
"You're right!" Pippa giggled. "You are just a terrible influence on me."
"I won't deny it." Felicity had often wondered if she was turning Pippa into a less lady-like girl with her constant games. Sometimes she even felt guilty. "But on a heavier note, I have news."
"About what?"
"The Order. Sarah and Mary."
"Tell me!" Pippa squeaked as she sat up in bed. Felicity immediately recounted everything that had happened the night before. When she was done telling it all, Pippa broke out into a full-toothed grin. "Do you think it all might actually be true?"
"I'm starting to believe it against my better judgment," Felicity admitted.
"I hope it is. I know I felt a tingle when we tried."
"I know. I did too."
"Poor Gemma. She didn't feel anything at all." Felicity considered telling her friend of her suspicions, but decided to leave it be. The last thing Felicity wanted was to be wrong and look like a fool. "What do you make of Sarah and Mary? I can't believe Brigid caught them kissing! Maybe they are Sapphists, after all."
"It is possible," Felicity mused. "Or maybe Sarah just loved Mary…more than anyone else in the world."
"What do you mean?" Pippa asked her eyes full of curiosity.
"Maybe Sarah did not have any other real friends. Maybe Mary was the only person she could trust. Mary might have been Sarah's closest friend and dearest confidant. Maybe she fell in love with Mary because Mary was different than anyone else." Felicity knew that she was not talking about Sarah anymore. Her own honesty startled her.
"But what about Mary's feelings? Do you think Mary felt the same?"
"I would hope so," Felicity replied. "For the sake of Sarah."
"I don't think she did," Pippa answered. "I think she was afraid of Sarah's need for power." The words cut a hole through Felicity's heart. She tried to inhale, but could not. Whether she couldn't breathe from the corset or her own breaking heart, Felicity did not know.
"Will you loosen my corset?" Felicity growled. "Bloody Nightwing is trying to kill me." Felicity felt her body expand as Pippa allowed the strings some room. It felt like waking from a nightmare. "Thank you," she sighed once she inhaled deeply and felt her lungs expand correctly.
"I suppose I need to get up and get ready for church. I am famished and don't want to miss breakfast."
"God forbid you do. Or else you will eat all my chocolates," Felicity joked. It felt great to laugh with Pippa again after all the fighting they had been doing. Felicity smiled to herself and hoped that the future would be better.
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