Hello, my lovelies! I promise that Erik shall be written about after another chapter or so, so hang in there! I just need to develop Aurelie's situation, first.
Just to clear things up, as I have had a few people get upset in thinking that the story had finished, I will mark the final chapter as "Chapter XX-The Final Chapter" and I will write "The End" at the bottom.
So this story has NOT ended yet. So we march onward!
Ch. 52
A month had passed, and on one Monday morning, Aurelie felt so miserable that she almost wished death upon herself.
She could scarcely take a glass of water without wincing from the pain in her throat. It felt to her as if she had swallowed a handful of the sharpest needles and shards of glass, but even then she thought that perhaps that would have been less painful.
Helene placed the inside of her wrist to Aurelie's forehead and felt the hot skin beneath it.
"You are running a terrible fever. Perhaps it is best if you rest today," she concluded.
"I will be fine," Aurelie replied in a raspy voice. "I cannot afford to miss a single day of work."
The overwhelming urge to cough sent her into a fit that she was sure would suck out a lung. In the meantime, Helene unfolded a heavy wool blanket, urged Aurelie to sit in the wooden rocking chair beside the fireplace, and covered every inch of her in the thick blanket until only her head could be seen.
Aurelie swallowed hard and moaned from the agony. With her head tilted back, she felt extreme fatigue consume her, and she could hardly keep her eyes open. She knew that if she were to be asked to stand that instant, she would not be able to, as her entire body felt too heavy for her legs to support, let alone to even raise her hand to reach the glass of water that sat on the end table beside her.
Still, she fought the sleep from her mind and barely won, as she watched Helene throw wood into the fireplace and light a fire. The warmth that spread throughout the room was comforting to her, as the cracks beneath the windows and doors had allowed cold air from outside to permeate the house.
"I know..." she breathed hard, as even speaking was a difficult task for her to accomplish, "How much...work there is..."
"Nevermind that, Dear. You need to feel better, before something worse comes along."
Aurelie blinked her eyes and wasn't able to open them again. Instead, she focused on the sound of the shuffling of Helene's feet, determined not to allow herself to miss her day of work.
"But I cannot...stay home. I can barely...scrape by...as it is."
Helene shook her head in sadness as she watched her younger friend struggle to stay awake. As she reached for her coat and noticed the time, she could not help but to worry.
"This is precisely a moment when you should re-evaluate your decision not to marry," she said.
Despite herself, Aurelie's eyes shot open and she looked at Helene, who was standing beside the front door and waiting for her reaction.
"What...do you mean?"
"My Dear," Helene walked over to her and took one of her cold hands in her own, "You know that Mr. Johnson passed away almost fifteen years ago, and you have witnessed how lonely I have been without my loving husband.
"I will confess that he did not have a penny to his name when we first met, but it did not matter to us. We married for love, despite the obstacles that we knew we would face.
And look at me now! I do not regret my decision to marry him, at all, for he was such a kind and gentle man-I truly do miss him. But the fact remains that I can hardly manage on my own, and not a day goes by when I do not worry for my future. I would never wish that upon you for the rest of your life-you are too young!"
Aurelie thought of all the times when she had seen Helene stare outside of the window in thought, much like herself, or when she would pull out his old letters to read to herself with fond memories.
"And if you had a husband, you would not need to struggle to survive. On days such as this, you could get the proper care that you need, without having to worry about earning your next meal or being unable to purchase warm winter clothes. It is just a life full of anxieties that are unnecessary for someone of your character and beauty!"
Aurelie gave a faint smile when she saw the genuine concern written across the aged woman's features.
Perhaps it would be nice not to live from day to day, with brows furrowed and hands calloused, as she worried about obtaining basic provisions.
"I am not saying that you should marry the richest man, or force yourself to wed a proud and arrogant one. But I can tell you that there are hardly any more Mr. Leverings out there, and I think that you two are a fine match. He cares for nothing of grandeur or superficial matters, and I think that he has all of the rare qualities of a good husband. And it does help that he is not entirely without money."
Aurelie nodded her head sadly. It was not something that she had not thought about it. Though it was difficult to admit to herself, and she could not think it without the large pang of guilt in her mind, she had pondered Mr. Levering's interest and decided that he was a fine man, indeed.
After all, she had not heard from nor seen Erik in over a year, and she was certain that nothing would change. He probably despised her, or perhaps he was relieved not to have her as a thorn in his flesh or a burden.
But Mr. Levering was far different from other gentleman, and perhaps she could grow to love him, in time. Had she not witnessed marriages in which were entered without any romantic attachments, yet they had developed shortly thereafter? Besides, he already felt something for her, so half of the process had already been completed.
And yet, she did not know if she had the strength to do such a thing. All that she could do was sigh and close her eyes, wishing that she would not have to make such difficult decisions. If only she could return to the life that she had known with Erik...
She mentally berated herself at the idea. He would never want her to return, and perhaps he was far better off without her.
Helene tucked the blanket around Aurelie's shoulders.
"You think about it, but I will not give you a choice about working today. I will return in a few hours to check on you, but I hope to find you sleeping," she announced as she made her way toward the front door.
Her command fell upon deaf ears, for Aurelie had already drifted off to sleep.
Three hours later, it was a knock on the door that startled Aurelie awake. She jolted upright in her chair and immediately felt the pain of a stiff neck.
Still feeling weak, she knew that she could not answer the door, herself.
The person on the other side must have known this, for she saw the door open ever-so-slightly, and a man's voice call out,
"Ms. Daniels, may I come in?"
It was Mr. Levering.
"Yes," she called out, though her own voice was foreign to her and it sounded more like the croak of a toad.
Aurelie tucked the blanket around herself, as the fire had died down and cold air had slipped through the door as Mr. Levering made his appearance.
He was looking ever the same, with his fine brown attire and matching hat that brought out the green in his eyes and made his auburn-colored hair appear to be more vibrant. She wondered if perhaps he was of Irish decent as she watched him close the door behind himself with parcels in-hand.
When he turned around, he frowned at her appearance. Her complexion was not the usual cream color with a light brown tint to it, instead; it was pale and sickly. Strands of her messy ebony locks clung to her forehead and it was apparent that she was fighting a fever.
"I do apologize for my intrusion, but you see; Mrs. Johnson informed me that you were unwell when I stopped by the shop today. I thought that I might bring you a few things to make you feel better," he explained.
He strode over to the end table beside her and showed her his offering: various teas that would soothe her throat, a small vial of medicine to help with coughing, a few candies made of honey, and a book to read in case she was bored.
After he had shown her these things, he went to the kitchen to boil some water for tea and returned to stoke the fire. Once it had come back to life and the flames had once again begun to lick the confines of the fireplace, Aurelie smiled from the comfort it had brought her.
Mr. Levering asked for permission to search the cupboards for a washcloth, and by the time that he had found one, the water had finished boiling and he poured a cup of chamomile tea. With the steaming cup of liquid in-hand, he returned to the setting room and placed the drink beside her.
"I sweetened it with honey. I do hope that you like it," he said.
Aurelie smiled weakly at him and watched the steam rise from it.
Mr. Levering bent down beside her and placed the lukewarm washcloth on her forehead. He began to dab at her skin and Aurelie closed her eyes in relief from the contact. Though not cold, the cloth was much cooler than her skin and it felt wonderful on her burning temples.
As Mr. Levering carefully swept the stray hairs off of her forehead and finished wiping away her sweat, he could not help but to observe her lovely features.
"What would...your mother think...if she were to know...that you were...alone in a house...with someone like me?"
Mr. Levering smiled and set the washcloth down. Then he opened the small jar of medicine and gently requested that she take a spoonful.
As he watched her swallow the thick syrup, he responded,
"I care not what my parents think. You are ill, and there is no dishonor in what I am doing."
She slowly opened her light-green-colored eyes and smiled at him. She had recalled the instance not long ago when she had overheard the Leverings carefully observe her with distaste as she perused a local store for marmalade. Their son had been quick to dispel their negative remarks about her with his own praises before he had walked away from them, wishing not to hear more of their harsh opinions.
She was brought back to present-day when Mr. Levering brought a cold glass of water to her lips. She was grateful to have him there, as the medicine and water had already made her feel better.
As her next thoughts entered her mind, her lips cracked into a smirk and she closed her eyes, fighting the sleep that was overtaking her.
"Just...so you know...this does not mean...that I shall picnic...with you..." she breathed.
Mr. Levering chuckled at her stubborness.
"I have waited these past few months for your acceptance, and I shall continue to wait," he smiled.
"Then you...shall be waiting...all of your life..."
"However long it takes."
