Thursday 23rd February 1984.
Late the following morning Isabella sat in her hospital bed watching her sister as she stood beside her, holding her baby niece, who had been born two hours earlier with her husband by her side.
"Right, I'm going to go and call father to let him know she's arrived." Smiled Charles as he lent closer to his wife and kissed her. "Do you want me to bring you anything back?"
"No thank you," Isabella said, shaking her head as she watched him walk around to Clarisse.
"What about you Clarisse?" He asked and kissed his daughters head as Clarisse looked up at him.
"I'll have a tea please," she said and smiled back down at her niece.
"Alright, I won't be long." He smiled and walked out as Clarisse kissed the top of the baby's head.
"Oh yes, what's her name going to be?" Asked Clarisse as she looked back up at her sister.
"Well she will have your name as her middle name, if that's alright?"
"Of course," Clarisse nodded "it will be an honour," she smiled and looked back down at her niece "and what about her first name?"
"Beatrice," Isabella finally said after a moment and watched as Clarisse looked back up at her.
"After mother?" She said softly as Isabella nodded "well I know that she would be very honoured too, her first granddaughter having her name," she smiled and moved closer, putting her free arm around her sisters shoulders and kissed the side of her head before looking back at her niece "Beatrice Clarisse such beautiful names."
"They suit her so well, don't you think?" Isabella asked and watched as Clarisse stepped back, looking down at baby Beatrice.
"Yes, they do," she nodded and moved around to the window while looking back down at her niece, talking quietly to her.
Shortly after Charles returned with Joseph, and after placing the tea down on the small table in the room he moved around to his wife, kissing the side of her head as she watched Joseph make his way over to Clarisse standing by the window. Turning to him she smiled and looked up at him, studying his face as he looked down at Beatrice sleeping in her arms.
"She's beautiful," said Joseph as he looked over at Charles and Isabella and smiled. "Does she have a name yet?" He asked.
"Yes she does," nodded Charles as Clarisse looked over at them "it's Beatrice Clarisse," he smiled and watched as Joseph looked straight at Clarisse before looking down at Beatrice.
"They are beautiful names," said Joseph as Isabella and Charles glanced at each other before looking back at them.
"Would you like to hold her?" Asked Clarisse as Joseph nodded.
"Of course," he smiled and held his arms out as Clarisse turned slightly, placing Beatrice carefully in them.
"Well we may as well ask you both while you are here together," began Charles as he put his arm around Isabella's shoulders and watched as they both looked over at them "we was wondering if you would both be Beatrice's godparents?" He smiled.
"It would be an absolute honour," beamed Joseph as he looked down at Beatrice nestled comfortably in his arms and kissed her forehead.
"For me too," nodded Clarisse as she moved around the bed to hug her sister then her brother in law "I would love to be." She smiled "thank you for asking."
"Well you are both a big part of both our lives so we couldn't think of anyone better, could we?" Said Charles as he looked down at Isabella.
"No we couldn't," said Isabella as she watched Joseph and Charles shake hands.
"Well thanks for asking me, I'm truly honoured." Smiled Joseph as Clarisse moved around to him and baby Beatrice.
"You're welcome," said Charles, watching Joseph as he looked down and watched Clarisse as she kissed the top of Beatrice's head.
"Now, as much as I would love to stay here all day," said Clarisse as she carefully took Beatrice from Joseph and rested her on her chest, having a little snuggle as she moved back around to Isabella on the bed "I think it's time we left them to it, to bond and get some rest."
"Thank you," smiled Isabella as Clarisse passed her, her daughter.
"You're welcome," smiled Clarisse as she kissed Beatrice's head once again and then her sisters head before stepping back, grabbing her coat from the back of the chair. "Call me if you need anything, if not I will see you tomorrow?"
"That'll be great, thank you." Said Charles as he moved around to them, giving Clarisse a hug before kissing her cheek and stepping back to shake Joseph's hand.
"Bye," smiled Clarisse as she led the way out the door.
"See you soon," smiled Joseph as he followed Clarisse out of the room.
Leaving the hospital they both got into Joseph's car and sat in silence a long moment before Joseph started the engine and buckled his seatbelt. "Let's go home, well your home," he said as Clarisse buckled her seatbelt and they began to leave the hospital car park.
"Thank you for bringing me to the hospital last night and for staying with me," Clarisse said as she looked out the front window.
"It's no trouble, honestly,"
"And I'm sorry that I snuck into your suite yesterday morning, I wanted to give you the note so that you would find it when you got home. I just didn't expect to see you back here so soon." She said softly.
"I know, and that's fine I didn't expect to return so soon either but reading your note, I knew what I had to do."
"But what about your business? Surely you couldn't have sorted it out already." She asked while watching him as he focused on the road.
"I have, and I haven't," he said with hesitation in his voice "I had a meeting with all the staff yesterday afternoon and talked to my lawyer, and it's now officially for sale." He said, taking her by surprise.
"What?" She gasped "you can't do that."
"Yes I can," he answered and looked at her a moment before looking back at the road.
"But it was your dream, you have come so far with it you just can't throw it away, not now." She said softly while looking back out the front window.
"If it means that I get to be here, spending everyday with you, then yes I can." He said as he nodded.
Tilting her head, she couldn't believe what he was saying, what he was doing just so he got to spend everyday with her. And as tears filled her eyes she put her hands up and covered her face.
"Clarisse?" He said softly and looked at her before looking back at the road.
Shaking her head, she lowered her hands and reached forward for her purse "I can't believe that you would do that for me, for us... after everything I done to you." She said quietly while looking for a tissue. "It's your life."
"You're my life, Clarisse, not some business." He said while reaching his hand out for hers and pulled it up to his face, kissing the back of it as she slumped a little in her chair and rested her head back against the headrest of her seat, breaking down.
"I can't, not yet I'm not ready," she said tearfully several moments later.
"I know," he said and looked across at her as she looked across at him "I just want to be here to look after you, be there for you and protect you." He said softly as she turned her head back to look out the front window before closing her eyes. "I have wanted to protect you ever since we were kids."
"Thank you," she said softly and opened her eyes to look back at him as they continued on their way back to the palace.
Pulling up outside the palace a short time later, Joseph turned off his engine and turned to Clarisse as she wiped her face with her hands.
"Are you going to be alright?" He asked and watched as she nodded.
"I have to be," she said and looked at him "I haven't given up, I do want us to be together but I'm not ready yet."
"I know, and I understand that," he said, nodding slightly while reaching his hand out to brush a bit of her hair back behind her ear "if you want me to stay then I will, if not I will return to Italy." He said and watched as she looked out the front window at the palace before looking down at her purse resting on her lap.
And finally, after what felt like a lifetime to the both of them she answered him. "I want you to stay," she said softly while looking back up into his eyes.
x-X-x-X-x
Where is everyone? Hello, anyone here?
