Hey all, I want to thank you again for all your support on my stories and to apologise for the delay in getting this story updated. As you know I have been working on Mistaken Identity and getting that posted, but I wanted to focus on this chapter next and get it posted.
So here it is, hope you enjoy :)
She Needs To Know - The Next Day.
Awaking the next morning, groggy and her head throbbing, Clarisse took some painkillers and called down for some tea to be brought up before slipping on her robe and stepping out onto her balcony. Glancing around her midmorning sunlit garden, before moving to sit in one of her patio chairs a moment later. Thankful her balcony was still in the shade, she closed her eyes and tipped her face up towards the sky, relishing the cool breeze on her face for several moments when she heard her ladies maid humming as she made her way towards the balcony doors, with the tea she requested.
"Good morning, your majesty," Éloise smiled as she stepped through the french doors onto the balcony and walked towards the patio table where the Queen was sitting.
"Good morning, Éloise, Clarisse said and watched as her maid placed the tea tray down on the table. "Is the King up and about yet?"
"He is, your majesty," Éloise nodded and began to prepare a cup of tea for her. "He has been for a while, and I believe he's currently taking a walk with Winter."
"Okay, anyone else?" Clarisse asked.
"Prince Pierre is up, your majesty," Éloise said as she looked up at the Queen leaning to the side in her chair, leaning on her elbow resting on the armrest, "he took breakfast in his suite, then went to church with Larry and Grace."
"Alright," Clarisse nodded slightly and looked out across the palace garden when she heard movement coming from her suite. Turning her head, she looked across at the french doors and watched as Joseph slowly appeared. "Good morning," she smiled while slumping back in her chair and rested both her arms on the armrests.
"Good morning," he smiled, slowly stepping out onto the balcony as Éloise glanced up at him with a smile, then back down at the Queen's tea as she placed it on the table in front of her.
"Would there be anything else, your majesty," Éloise said as she lifted the teapot onto the table and picked up the tray. "Breakfast perhaps?"
"Oh no, not yet, Éloise," Clarisse said with a shake of her head and pressed a hand to her stomach as it churned at the thought of eating. "I'm not ready for breakfast just yet."
"Of course, your majesty," Éloise said and curtsied before making her way back inside, leaving the Queen and Joseph alone.
"Feeling a bit hungover are you?" Joseph said as he moved one of the patio chairs closer to Clarisse's and sat down in it.
"Mhmm yes, you could say that," Clarisse nodded while picking up her teacup and took a sip of her tea.
"Have you taken any painkillers?" Joseph asked and extended his hand out to her, giving her, her daily rose.
"Oh thank you," she smiled while reaching out to take it from him before looking at the table as she placed her teacup back down. "And yes I did when I got up, so just waiting now for them to kick in," she said while raising the rose to her nose, giving it a quick sniff before looking back up at him. "And it can't come quick enough," she said and he laughed.
"I take it you won't be doing much today then?" Joseph said and smiled across at her as she looked down at the rose in her hand.
"No I won't be," Clarisse said with a shake of her head and looked back out across her garden, "I know I need to speak to Pierre and Rupert about something that happened yesterday, and to Elaina also, but other than that I'm not doing much at all," she said while looking back at him and placed the rose down on the table, beside her teacup.
"Well, I'm not on duty today so if you want some company then I am all yours," Joseph smiled as he watched her.
"Mhmm," Clarisse smiled and nodded as she sat up and leant forward slightly while placing her hands down on top of her thighs, "that sounds lovely, spending the day together."
"If you let me know when you have talked to them then," he said and leant forward, to be closer to her, while resting his elbows on his knees. "I'll come back and spend the day with you."
"I will," she smiled and tilted her head slightly when a great racket came from the garden, "good god, what is that noise," she exclaimed while putting her hands up to cover her ears. "It's going straight through me."
"That'll be the staff taking down the marquee from yesterday," he said with a chuckle and sat back up straight as Clarisse moved her hands from her ears to cover her face.
"Can we not ask them to stop and maybe do it later," Clarisse said, hopeful, as she let her hands slip onto the sides of her neck, "when my headache has gone perhaps."
"Can I use your phone?" Joseph said with a small laugh and rose to his feet. "I'll call downstairs and see what I can do."
"Yes of course you can, and thank you," Clarisse said and watched as he walked over to the door, glancing back at her with his seductive smile before walking into her suite. Slumping back in her chair, she closed her eyes and tried her hardest to block out the noise coming from the garden when a memory from the night before of them dancing together in her suite after the wedding reception came to mind. An intimate slow dance, moving and swaying in perfect sync together before saying goodnight.
"I've spoken to Peter," Joseph said as he came back out onto the balcony a few moments later and stood behind his chair while looking at Clarisse sitting with her eyes closed and a smile on her face. "Are you okay?" He asked, a smirk playing on his lips.
"Yes," she nodded and opened her eyes to look at him as he moved to sit back in the chair he had been sitting in a few moment's before, "I was just remembering our dance together last night, before saying goodnight."
"Oh yes," he smiled while leaning forward and resting his elbows on his knees once again, "you were such a tease, it actually took me a long time to get to sleep after that."
"Did it," Clarisse asked, half smiling up at him as she clasped her hands together in her lap while leaning forward slightly.
"Yes, I couldn't get it, and you, out of my head," he smiled and studied her face. "Well that and the fact it made me miss you more."
"Well only a couple more days then all the guests will be gone and you can stay in my suite with me again," she said as he reached his hands out and placed them onto the side's of her legs.
"I can't wait," he smiled and leant forward to place a quick kiss to her lips.
"Neither can I," she smiled and briefly studied his face before slumping back in her chair. "Anyway, what did Peter say?" She asked while putting one hand up onto the side of her head.
"Oh, that he was going to speak to them, ask them to stop for now," he smiled, watching her as she rubbed her head, as he smoothed his thumb back and forth over the front of her knee. "Your head still pounding?"
"Yes it is," Clarisse nodded while lowering her hand and placing her arm along the armrest. "I'm never drinking that much, ever again," she said and Joseph laughed when the noise suddenly stopped. "Ahha, it's stopped. At last!"
"There you go," Joseph smiled and watched as she sat up and put her hands up to frame his face.
"Thank you," she said and gave him a quick kiss on his lips before slumping back in her chair once again.
"You're welcome," Joseph smiled and sat back in his chair while looking out across the garden before looking back at her. "It turned out really lovely yesterday, and I'm glad the weather stayed nice for them too."
"Yes it did, and I'm glad," Clarisse nodded in agreement, "they really deserved it."
"They did," Joseph said and smiled, "I wonder if we will see the newlyweds today."
"I hope not, today is all about them locking themselves away and getting to know each other that little bit more," Clarisse smiled and Joseph nodded in agreement.
"You're right," Joseph smiled, "anyway, I'm going to go and leave you to get ready and do what you need to do," he said as he rose to his feet and stepped closer to her chair as she sat back up.
"Okay," Clarisse said and smiled up at him as he bent foward while placing his hands on the armrests of her chair.
"Make sure you call me when you're done," he said huskily while studying her face.
"I will," she smiled and tilted her head to the side as he moved his head closer and kissed her, not once, nor twice, but three times. Each of them slow and sensual, with a smile between, as she put her hands up to cup his face.
After having lunch later that day and finally having something to eat, Clarisse poured herself a cup of tea and made her way down to the library with it. She had requested Rupert and Pierre to meet her there, so that they could all talk and get to the bottom of their behaviour yesterday, and walking through the door several moment's later she was surprised to find Rupert was already there, reading in the armchair by the window.
"Oh, no Pierre yet?" Clarisse said as she came to a stop and looked around the room before raising her arm to check the time on her watch while holding her her teacup with her other hand.
"Not yet," Rupert said and watched as she looked back up at him, "hopefully he won't be too long."
"Hopefully," Clarisse said as she continued to walk over to the table and placed her cup down on it, "actually, while we are alone. There's something I do need to talk to you about," she said and turned to him still sitting in the armchair.
"Okay," Rupert said as he closed the book he held in his hands and rested it in his lap while looking back up at her. "What's wrong?"
"Well, Harry, Sabrina, Joseph and I were all talking yesterday about going away for a weekend soon, for my birthday, and I wanted to let you know that it will be either the weekend before, or the weekend after my actual birthday," Clarisse said as she walked over to stand next to the other armchair and raised her leg slightly, to sit on the armrest and clasped her hands together in her lap. "Depending on what weekend Harry and Sabrina can make once they are home and have checked."
"Sounds good, you deserve a break away," Rupert said as he glanced across the library before looking back at her.
"So, you're alright with it?" Clarisse asked.
"Absolutely, I'll cover the fort here," Rupert said and smiled at her.
"Thank you," Clarisse said as she stood back up and walked over to the table, to pick up her teacup and took a long sip of it.
"Okay, I'm here," Pierre said as he walked through the door and stopped when he saw his father was also in attendance. "Oh, I didn't know that father was going to be here too."
"Yes he is, I need to speak to you both," Clarisse said and gestured for her son to take a seat at the table, "please come, take a seat."
"Thanks," Pierre said as he walked over to the table and took a seat, "so what's going on? What do you need to talk to us about?" He asked as Rupert got to his feet from the armchair and moved to sit opposite him at the table.
"Your behaviour yesterday," Clarisse said as she moved to sit at the head of the table and looked at her husband first, then at her son as he looked down at his hands folded together on the table in front of him. "Are you going to tell me what was going on and why you requested to travel to the church with me and your grandfather instead of your father?"
"There wasn't anything going on," Pierre said as he looked back up at her and shook his head, "I told you I wasn't ready in time and that's why I requested the change."
"You're not a very good liar Pierre," Clarisse said as she watched her son look back down at his hands that were still folded together on the table, "what happened between you both, for you to suddenly want to change place's with Philippe?" She said and turned her head to look at her husband as he sat looking at their son.
"Your mother is right, you were avoiding me all day," Rupert said as he rested his hands together on the table in front of him.
"And do you blame me? I mean after what you told me yesterday morning, do you really blame me?" Pierre exclaimed as his mother reached her arm out and placed her hand on his arm.
"Ok ok, calm down," Clarisse said calmly while giving his arm a small rub, "what happened yesterday morning?" She asked and watched as her son stared across the table at his father.
"You gonna tell her, or shall I?" Pierre asked as Clarisse turned her head to look at her husband.
"What did you tell him yesterday?" Clarisse asked and watched as Rupert slowly got to his feet and walked over to the window. "Rupert?"
"I'll tell her then shall I?" Pierre said after a moments silence and looked back at his mother, who continued to look over at her husband, "he told me what he said to you out on the drive on Friday," he said and watched as his mother turned her head to look back at him. "And-,"
"No!" Rupert exclaimed as he turned round to look over at them to find them both looking back at him. "No," he repeated and shook his head.
"And, he and Ruth broke up," Pierre continued.
"Pierre that's enough," Rupert snapped.
"You need to tell her, father," Pierre said as he studied his father a moment before looking back at his mother. "She needs to know."
"I need to know what?" Clarisse said as she glanced to her son, before looking back across the library at her husband who was now stood with his hands in his pants pockets. "Rupert? What do I need to know," she asked as they just stared at one another a long moment.
"Isn't it obvious he misses you mother," Pierre said as a breath hitched in his mother's throat, "and wants you back."
"Is this true?" Clarisse asked her husband and watched as he slowly nodded.
"Yes, it's true," he said, and looked down at the floor. There was no point denying it now. Not now with it being out in the open.
Averting her gaze away from her husband, Clarisse's mind went into overdrive as she turned her head and looked down at the table in front of her. She couldn't believe what she had just heard, did Rupert really miss her and want her back. Shaking her head, she let out a small laugh of disbelief and looked up at her son. "Can you leave us, I need to talk to your father alone."