Hey all, just wanna say a massive thank you to everyone for reading this story and to those leaving reviews. I have been working really hard lately to get these chapters finished and posted for you so I appreciate you taking the time and honestly can't thank you enough for that.
Here's the next chapter for you all…
Memories Of Her Father - Part 3.
Seeing Addie sitting alone in one of the armchairs across the room where they had all gathered upon returning from the church later that day, simply staring down at her ever growing bump as she smoothed her hand down over it, Joseph excused himself from Lord Palimore and his wife, and walked over to see her. To make sure she was okay and to pass on his condolences.
"Hello Addie," he said, approaching her and watched as she looked up at him.
"Hello Joe," Addie said, giving him a small smile as he bent over and kissed her cheek. "Thank you for coming today."
"I wouldn't have missed it," Joseph said sombrely. "But my sincere condolences to you."
"Thanks," Addie nodded slightly. "Thank you for the lovely flowers you sent last week also. They were beautiful and père's favourite."
"I remember," Joseph nodded and glanced to his drink in his hands grasp before looking back up at her, "can I get you a drink or something?" He asked.
"It's ok, Justin is getting me one," she said. "Thank you though."
"It's ok," Joseph said and watched as she put one hand on her bump and briefly closed her eyes, "are you ok?"
"Yes, I'm ok… just feeling exhausted," Addie said as she looked back up at him, "as you can imagine it's been a long, emotional week. And add being nearly seven months pregnant into that mix," she said with a small laugh while glancing down at her bump.
"Yes, I can imagine," Joseph said while looking around the floor when he spotted what he was looking for, "here, this might help," he said while grabbing a footstool with his free hand and placed it back down in front of her. "Put your feet up."
"Oh Joe, ever the gentleman," Addie said and carefully lifted her feet up onto the footrest. "Thank you so much."
"You're welcome," he said, standing beside the footstool and took a sip of his drink as she looked up at him.
"Have you spoken to Clarisse?" She asked curiously.
"Not since this morning," he said while moving to kneel on the floor closer to her chair. "I think she's avoiding me."
"I thought she would," Addie nodded and carefully moved her feet to one edge of the footstool, "she's avoiding you because she knows that you can read her like a book. Here, perch yourself on the footstool, I moved my feet for you." She said, gesturing to the stool.
"Thanks," he nodded and moved to sit on the edge of the stool, so his back was to her feet and he was facing the crowds in the room, before looking down at his drink in his hands. "I know I saw her earlier and she looked pale, withdrawn, broken, but how is she really Addie?" He asked while turning his head to look back at her. "I did ask Rupert but he was very vague with details."
"Joe, she's taken père's death extremely hard," Addie said, knowing she couldn't lie to him, as she put her hands together on her bump, "we all knew she would though, they were the closest after all. But I don't think what happened between you both, and with what happened with that… that man," she said and took a deep breath, the thought of him hurting her sister making her angry, "has helped. To be honest I think it's made it worse and she's.." she stopped with a shake of her head and looked down at her hands as Joseph studied her. "Never mind."
"She's what?" Joseph asked in anticipation, an awful feeling forming in the pit of his stomach as he waited for her to tell him.
"I shouldn't be telling you any of this," Addie said with another shake of her head and looked up at him. "She will kill me."
"Tell me, Addie," Joseph pleaded as he looked into her eyes. "Please?"
Looking down at her hands, Addie let out a sigh before looking back up at him. "She's spent most of the last week in bed, the longest she has been up was the day we all got together to plan père's funeral, and today. She's not eating, and she's drinking too, here and there when she thinks we don't notice. But not just wine or her favourite, champagne, Joe, she's been drinking scotch, père's favourite." She said sadly.
"Oh," he said, remembering seeing an empty glass on her coffee table when he went to see her that morning, he wondered if that's what she had done right before he walked into her suite. Had a scotch.
"We are all worried about her, Joe," Addie said tearfully, "she seems to be spiralling out of control, and we're scared we are going to lose her too."
"I know you are, I am too if I'm honest, but you're not going to lose her," Joseph said and looked across the room, his gaze being instantly drawn to her as she stood talking to her husband and Helen's parents. She looked so frail, so lost and small standing there next to her husband. It broke his heart seeing her this way, and that he wasn't there to protect her on that awful day.
"Maybe you could talk to her," Addie said quietly and watched as he looked down at his drink. "Try and make her see sense before it's to late."
"She won't talk to me, I tried this morning," Joseph said with a shake of his head at the memory, "she barely managed to say two words to me, and she's been avoiding me since we all arrived back here after the funeral."
"I know she has, but please, won't you try again? I know that thing's ended between you when you left to go to London last week," Addie said quietly as she lifted her feet from the footstool and put them back on the floor before leaning closer to him, "but can't you corner her or something? Make her listen to you."
"We both know how stubborn your sister is, Addie," Joseph said and watched as she nodded slightly before looking across the room to see her sister walking towards the door.
"There's your chance, Joe, go grab her and talk to her, please," Addie said, almost begging, as she pointed towards the door Clarisse was just walking through.
Looking up at Addie, Joseph found himself nodding. "I'll try," he said and got to his feet, "but I can't make any promises."
"Thank you," Addie said, a couple stray tears escaping her eyes as she watched him turn to follow her sister out of the room.
Walking out into the hallway, Joseph placed his drink down on one of the small tables they had in the foyer and watched as Clarisse disappeared into the downstairs toilet before he took a deep breath and hurried over to the door after her. Before anyone came into the foyer and saw him.
Following her into the toilet, Joseph quietly closed the door behind himself and watched her a moment as she stood with her head tipped forward and her hands on the basin in front of her. He could tell from the way she was standing that she was exhausted. "Clarisse?" He said softly and watched as she spun around to him while leaving one hand on the basin now behind her. Oh how he wished to hold her, take away all the pain she had felt in the last week.
"What are you doing in here Joseph?" She asked in her still hoarse voice and pressed her other hand to her stomach as her heart began to race. "You need to leave."
"I just wanted to make sure that you're ok, that's all," he said softly and slowly stepped closer to her as she looked down at the floor. It really did pain him to see her this way and he vowed to help her as much as she would allow. "Addie told me what's been going on, and that you have been drinking."
"What?" She said in disbelief and shook her head as she laughed a little. "What I'm doing has absolutely nothing to do with them, or you for that matter. You haven't even bothered with me since, well since you left for London with Harry last week and all this started."
"Clarisse, please calm down," Joseph said and went to step closer, but stopped when she put her hand up to stop him.
"No! You don't get to tell me what to do," she snapped and studied him a moment as she lowered her hand. "You know, I thought after everything that we have been through that you would have ignored Rupert's advice and flown back for me but you didn't, you stayed in London and called Sabrina to check on me instead. But it wasn't enough Joseph, I needed you here with me," she exclaimed angrily, her eyes full of tears.
"You know why I didn't fly back Clarisse, but do you think it's because I didn't want to? If you did, then you're wrong. I wanted to come back and be here for you, I wanted to be here to hold you, comfort you and be that person who's shoulder you cried on in the church today," Joseph said gently as he slowly stepped closer to her, "I wanted to be here for you, but I didn't want to return and add more fuel to the fire. I didn't want them watching you even more than what they already are, especially not during this time when you're grieving and need your privacy," he said while putting his hand up to gently cup her tear stained cheek. "Believe it or not Clarisse, I do care about you. I always have and I always will."
"I know you do, and I know that's why you didn't come back, I really do," Clarisse nodded tearfully as she put her hand up onto his wrist, "I'm sorry I'm just finding this week extremely hard and I'm struggling so, so much."
"I know you are," Joseph said softly and studied her a moment.
"My père died because of me, and I have to live with that for the rest of my life," Clarisse said and looked away as more tears filled her eyes.
"No, Clarisse, he didn't die because of you, he could have had a heart attack at anytime, it just so happened to be then, when he was protecting you," Joseph said softly, his heart breaking for the woman he loved more than anything as she broke down in front of him, "and I know it probably doesn't seem like it right now, but he stopped that attack from going further than what it could have if he hadn't shown up when he did. And you need to remember that."
Nodding, Clarisse brushed her tears away and looked down between them. Contemplating what he said a moment. "I have missed you."
"I have missed you too," Joseph said as she looked back up at him, "and I'm very worried about you. Even more so now I know that you have been drinking."
"It helps, it numbs the pain," Clarisse replied sadly and shrugged.
"Yes, temporarily," he said while brushing her tears away. "But this isn't you and drinking certainly isn't the answer Clarisse, you know that."
"Well forgive me," she exclaimed tearfully while putting her hands folded together on her chest, "I lost two of the most important people in my life, and I was attacked, all within a space of 24 hours. I am tired, I am fed up," she cried while lowering her hands and looking down at the floor, "I am heartbroken, and I've had enough."
"You haven't lost me," Joseph said softly and watched as she looked back up at him. Stepping closer, he put his hand up to cup her cheek once again, and watched as she closed her eyes and tilted her hand into the palm of his hand, as he brushed away her stray tears with his thumb, "I may be currently away from the palace for the foreseeable future, but I am still here for you and I always will be. You know that."
Taking her bottom lip between her teeth, Clarisse nodded as the emotion became to much for her and she completely broke down in front of him. "Come here," he said softly and wrapped his arms around her shoulders, holding her as close as he possibly could as she cried on his chest.
"I should get back to the wake, before people notice that I'm missing," Clarisse said and took a step back after what felt like a lifetime being held by the man she would always love. Turning back to the basin, she grabbed herself a couple tissues from the box sitting on the shelf and began to dab her eyes. Knowing she needed to make herself a bit more presentable before facing everyone.
"No," Joseph said and watched as she turned back to him standing close behind her in surprise.
"What do you mean no? It's my père's wake," Clarisse said in surprise and shook her head, "I need to be out there with everyone else."
"No you don't," Joseph said and shook his head, "let Rupert, your sons and your sister's represent you for a change."
"Joseph, I…"
"Listen to me," he said, interrupting her while reaching his hand out and gently lifted her chin so her gaze would meet his. "You need to go upstairs and rest, I know, given the circumstances, that your père will understand and will be telling you the exact same thing if he was here."
"What's this?" Philippe said in surprise as he entered his daughters office and watched as she looked up at him from behind her desk. "What are you doing, you should be still in bed."
"Oh père," Clarisse said with a small shake of her head, her voice sounding groggy, scratchy, before sneezing into the tissue she had in her hand. "I can't just stop because I'm sick."
"Yes you can," Philippe said and watched as she blew her nose, before sneezing once again. "You are full of flu, the doctor said so. Just like he told you that you need to rest. You're obviously very exhausted and should be in bed, bunny. Not down here working where you are only going to make yourself worse."
"Père, I have tons of paperwork that I need to do. I can't just spend days in bed because I am sick," Clarisse said as he walked around behind her desk and behind her sitting in the chair.
"Yes you can," Philippe said, making her get to her feet. "You need to listen, because you won't be any good to anyone if you don't get your rest. Only when you are better you can return. Now back to bed you," he said while gesturing towards the door.
"Père, I can't," Clarisse said with a shake of her head.
"Yes, you can. Now. Go. And that's an order," he said, and pointed now towards the door. "I'll bring you up some soup shortly."
"Oh fine," Clarisse said reluctantly, giving in to her père's orders and turning to walk out of her office while mumbling to herself. "I can't believe I'm 40 years old and still being told what do to."
"Only 'cause I care," Philippe called after her, after hearing what she said to herself as she left the room and watched as she popped her head back in the door. "Only because I care, bunny," he shrugged, "I just don't want you completely burning yourself out if you don't rest now."
"I know, and I appreciate your concern, I do," she nodded and blew him a kiss before walking back out of her office. "Love you, père," she called back after him.
"Love you too, bunny," he replied and laughed quietly to himself while walking towards the door to leave her office. She may be 40 now. A grown woman. A Queen. But she's still his little girl, his bunny, and no matter how old she gets, or how much she protests, he will always look out for her and make sure she looks after herself.
"You're right," Clarisse nodded tearfully at the memory from when she was full of flu and ended up being in bed for a whole week. "He would be."
"Now, why don't you go on up to your suite while I go and let Rupert, or at least one of the others know that you have gone to rest, then I will get you a selection of food from the buffet to eat and will bring it up to you." Joseph said softly.
"Will you stay with me a while?" Clarisse asked.
"If that's what you want," Joseph said and watched as she nodded. "Then of course I will stay with you a while."
"Thank you," she said as their gaze met a brief moment before Joseph stepped closer to her and kissed her forehead.
"Go on up," he said while turning and walking over to the door, "and I will follow in a few minutes."
"Alright," Clarisse nodded as Joseph opened the door and turned back to her.