Here I am, back again with the next chapter to Clarisse's, Rupert's and Joseph's journey through the years and the sequel to To Love and To Cherish. Thank you all so much for following, reading and leaving such wonderful reviews on all the chapters that I have already wrote and posted for this series so far. I really appreciate it and honestly can't thank you enough.
A Rose A Day - Friday 9th September 1983.
"You're majesty," Éloise, the Queen's ladies maid, said softly as she placed the breakfast tray that she had brought up for the Queen down on the bench at the foot of her bed. "It's time to wake up."
Slowly rolling onto her back, Clarisse blinked a couple times and looked up at the ceiling. "Already?" She said sleepily. "It feels like I've only just got into bed."
"Was it another late night, your majesty?" Éloise asked as she pushed open one set of drapes, to let the morning light in, before moving to do the same to the other set covering the other window.
"Yes," Clarisse replied as she instinctively put one arm up, shielding her eyes from the morning sun that poured into the room. Another beautiful day lay ahead, with it bringing the hope of new joys. "As much as I love my son, I can't wait for this wedding to be over so we can all get back to some sort of normality. And hopefully, get to bed at a normal time instead of at two in the morning, like we have been doing for the last five nights."
"Only one more day to go, your majesty," Éloise smiled across at her as she made her way to the french doors leading out onto the balcony and opened the drapes.
"Indeed, just one more day," Clarisse agreed as she reluctantly pushed herself up into a sitting position and slumped back against the pillows resting against her headboard. "Anyway, what time is it?" She asked while turning her head to the clock on her bedside table. Seeing it at the same time as her maid told her.
"It's two minutes past seven, your majesty," Éloise said as she walked over to the bench at the foot of the Queen's bed and lifted the breakfast tray.
"Oh," Clarisse said as she looked at her maid and watched as she walked around to the side of her bed. "Is anyone else up and about?"
"Just Prince Pierre and Prince Philippe at the moment, your majesty, and I believe that they left to go on a jog about twenty minutes ago," Éloise replied as she placed the breakfast tray down over Clarisse's lap.
"Well I wish I had their energy, they went to bed at the same time as me and already they are up and out jogging." Clarisse said in surprise as she folded her hands together on her stomach while looking up at her maid.
"Me to, your majesty," Éloise smiled and watched as the Queen looked down at her breakfast tray. Consisting of a bowl of porridge, a bowl of freshly cut pieces of fruit, a cup of tea, glass of orange juice, a mini glass vase and one single red rose laid across the bottom of her tray. "I will go and open the drapes in your suite, then I will prepare your bath for you, your majesty."
"Hmm," Clarisse replied and looked up at her maid as what she had just said, registered, "oh sure," she nodded and watched as she bowed her head before making her way over to the door and out into her suite. Smiling, she looked back down at the tray in front of her and picked up the red rose. Taking her bottom lip between her teeth, she lifted the rose to her nose and smelt it's sweet scent before absentmindedly twirling it around on the tip of her nose.
Coming back into the bedroom a moment later, Éloise began making her way across the bedroom when seeing the Queen put the rose into the vase sitting in the corner of her tray with the biggest smile on her face caught her eye. Clasping her hands together in front of her, she gave a quick glance in the Queen's direction and continued into the bathroom to prepare the Queen's bath for when she had finished her breakfast and couldn't help but smile to herself at how happy the Queen looked. Something she had grown accustomed too over the last couple years and definitely something she was going to miss too.
Opening the door to his mother's suite later that morning, Philippe popped his head in the room and looked around. "Mother, are you in here?" He called out.
"Yes, I'm in my closet," Clarisse called out, and smiled at her ladies maid in the mirror before looking down at some paper's she had in her hands as Éloise began to brush her hair for her.
Walking into her bedroom, Philippe called out with a smirk, "is it safe to come in, or... Should I stay out here?" as his brother closed up the suite door behind them and turned towards his mother's open bedroom doors.
Slipping his hands in his pants pockets, he was about to turn away to walk around the sofa to take a seat while waiting for his brother to return, but the mini vase containing the single red rose that was on Clarisse's tray this morning, which now sat on her bedside table, caught his eye and after staring at it a moment, Pierre averted his gaze to the bed before turning away and finally walked around the sofa, to take a seat.
"Of course you can come in," Clarisse replied, "I'm fully dressed. Éloise is just doing my hair," she said while looking in the mirror and watched as her closet door opened behind her.
"Good morning, mother," Philippe smiled as he walked over to her sitting at her dressing table and kissed her cheek before looking behind him.
"Good morning, darling," she smiled as he looked back down at her, "is everything alright?" she asked.
"Yes, I just thought that Pierre was following me in but something must've distracted him," he said with a shrug and slipped one hand in his pants pocket, while gesturing to the paper's in her hands with his other hand, "what's that?"
"Oh, it's Éloise's sister's resume," Clarisse said as she glanced down at the paper's before looking back at him in the mirror, "Éloise is leaving me next month and has put her sister, Lydia, forward for the position."
"Oh no, that's a shame," Philippe said and looked up at Éloise as she stood behind his mother, securing her hair in one of her antique rose barrettes, "it will be sad to see you go."
"Mmhm, it will be," Clarisse agreed, "but I understand new adventures await."
"They do, but even so it's been such a wonderful experience working here I know that I'm going to miss you all terribly when I leave," Éloise nodded and looked at the Queen in the mirror, "I'm finished now, your majesty."
"Thank you, Éloise," Clarisse smiled.
"I'm glad you have enjoyed your time here, we are certainly going to miss you and seeing your smiley presence everyday, especially mother," Philippe said.
Nodding sadly, Éloise looked down a moment. "But we will keep in touch?" The Queen said, watching her maid closely in the mirror.
"Oh we will, your majesty, of course," Éloise nodded and looked back up at her highness in the mirror to see her giving her a small smile. "I would like that very much."
"Me too," Clarisse agreed and nodded. "Right then, Philippe," she said and rose to her feet while putting the resume on her dressing table in front of her, "was there a reason you graced me so early with your presence?"
"Hmm," Philippe replied, momentarily forgetting the reason he had gone to see her for. "Oh, it was to let you know that me, Pierre, father and Helen's father will be leaving shortly for the golf course."
"OK," Clarisse said as she turned her back to Éloise, who was now stood holding up the fitted jacket that matched her knee length skirt, ready to help her on with it. "Thank you," she said while slipping her arms in the sleeves.
"You're welcome, your majesty," Éloise smiled as she straightened out the collar of her blouse and tucked it over the collar of her jacket before brushing her hands down over the Queen's shoulders. Smoothing out the jacket as Clarisse tugged at the ends of the sleeves, straightening them out.
"You look great, as you always do, mother," Philippe smiled while putting one hand on the back of the chair that his mother had just been sitting in as she moved to stand in front of the full length mirror in her closet, checking her appearance as she turned from side to side.
"Thank you," Clarisse said as she turned to her son and smiled. "Shall we?" She said, gesturing towards the door.
"After you," Philippe smiled and watched as she began to lead the way out of her closet, through her bedroom and into her suite, where Pierre was sat, reading the morning paper.
"Good morning, darling," Clarisse smiled as she come to a stop and clasped her hands together in front of her as Pierre slowly lowered the paper to see her and his brother stood side by side.
"Where did you get to," Philippe said as he slipped his hands in his pants pockets once again and watched as his brother folded up the paper while leaning forward to place it on the coffee table. "I thought you were following me into mother's bedroom earlier?"
"No, the suite is as far as I go," he said with a smirk while standing to his feet and walked over to them, "good morning, mother."
"But why, it's mother's bedroom?" Philippe asked, bemused, as Pierre kissed their mother's cheek. "We've always gone in there."
"Yes, I know we have," Pierre nodded as he looked from his mother to his brother, "but since I've got older I don't go in there," he said as his mother turned her head to the side slightly and looked at him suspiciously, "I just feel that, that's her private space and I want to respect that."
"But.. It's mother's bedroom, no one else's," Philippe said as a knock came to the suite door. "You ain't half become strange this last few years." He chuckled.
"Ahh," Rupert said as he opened the door and walked into the room as all three of them turned to him. "Lyle said that I would find you here, is everything alright?"
"Yes," Philippe nodded, "we just came to let mother know that we were leaving shortly."
"Ahh, OK," Rupert nodded as he stood at the end of the sofa and like his son's, slipped his hands in his pants pockets too. "I must say that I'm surprised to find you up and ready at this hour, especially since when we said goodnight last night you told me that you were going to have a lie-in this morning," Rupert chuckled while looking up at Clarisse still standing beside their younger son.
"Well yes that was the plan," Clarisse nodded as she folded her arms around herself, "and I was looking forward to doing just that, but then I realised that I still have a little bit of catching up to do, so wanted to get up and get it done."
"Fair enough," Rupert said as he studied her a moment before looking at his son's, "anyway, me and Larry are ready to go when you are."
"Oh good," Philippe smiled and looked at his mother, "I almost forgot, you have remembered that they will be setting up the marquees and the ballroom today, oh and that Helen and her mother are going to the spa, so won't be back until later this afternoon?"
"Yes, I have remembered," Clarisse nodded with a smile. "But thank you for the reminder," she smirked.
"You're welcome," Philippe smirked.
"How come you're not joining them, mother?" Pierre asked.
"There's too much to do here," Clarisse said with a small shrug, "besides, I wanted them to have some mother and daughter time just the two of them, after all when her parent's leave next week it will be a while before she see's them again."
"That is true," Pierre nodded thoughtfully.
"And they both appreciate that thought," Philippe smiled as his mother looked back at him.
"Good," Clarisse smiled.
"We best get going or we will never get around the course in time," Rupert said and checked the time on his watch as everyone looked at him.
"Yes, you better had," Clarisse smiled and lowered her arms as Philippe leant closer to kiss her cheek, "I hope you all have a great day and the weather stays nice for you."
"Thanks mother," Philippe said and walked over to the door as Pierre stepped closer to their mother and kissed her cheek too.
"And I hope you win," Clarisse smiled and watched Pierre follow his brother over to the door before looking at her husband as he moved to stand in front of her.
"Oh us Renaldi's always win, you should know that by now," Rupert laughed lightly and put his hand out onto the top of her arm while leaning closer to also kiss her cheek, "we will see you later."
"Yes, goodbye," Clarisse said and waved them goodbye as Rupert followed their son's out the door and closed it up behind him on his way out.
"I think that will do for today," Clarisse said with a sigh later that morning as she leant back in her chair and looked up at her assistant, Sasha, "I can't concentrate with all that noise going on outside and it's giving me a headache," she said as she glanced towards her open office window before looking down at the paperwork on the desk in front of her.
"Alright, your majesty," Sasha said as she watched the Queen put the lid back on her pen and remove her glasses. "We managed to get quite a lot done."
"We did," Clarisse nodded with a smile.
"Would you like me to fetch you some tea, your majesty?" Sasha asked.
"Oh yes please," Clarisse nodded as she slowly rose to her feet, "and some painkillers too please."
"Of course, your majesty," Sasha nodded and watched the Queen walk over to take a look out of her window. "I'll be right back."
"Alright," Clarisse said as she glanced over her shoulder at her assistant leaving the room before looking back out of the window. Watching a moment as the wedding team, as Philippe and Helen called them, set up the outdoor marquee ready for tomorrow when her office phone began to ring. Walking back over to her desk, Clarisse answered the phone and put it up to her ear. "Hello, Queen Clarisse speaking."
"Hello you, it's just me," Sabrina said down the phone.
"Sabrina, hello," Clarisse exclaimed happily as she moved to sit back in her chair. "How are you? Have you arrived?"
"We have, just, and I was just wondering if you wanted to come join me for lunch?" Sabrina said, "have a proper catch up before we see each other tomorrow."
"I would love too, yes," Clarisse smiled and checked the time on her watch, "what time do you want me?"
"Anytime," Sabrina laughed at her choice of words.
"Ok, I'll be there shortly then," Clarisse laughed too. "Are you in your usual hotel?"
"We are, yes," Sabrina smiled, "see you soon."
"You will," Clarisse replied.
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