"Where am I?" she asked when she woke. There was no answer. Lissette sat up and realized that she was in her own bed, in her own room. Had it all been nothing but a horrible dream? She jumped up and ran into her brother's room, finding it empty. She smiled and grabbed one of his sweaters and pulled it down over her. The soft, warm wool felt like heaven around her. She bounced happily down the stairs, a smile plastered on her face.
Papa?" she called. When no one answered her, she tried again, a little louder this time, "Papa!" she ran into the kitchen, looking for the father she loved so very much, but she was met with nothing but dust and grime. "Why hasn't anyone cleaned the kitchen?" she asked herself, running the tips of her fingers over the counter. The narrow paths in the dust were left behind as she went running into the grand dining hall.
"Surely they've maintained this room," she said softly, pulling on the doors that shielded the dining room from the kitchen. She stared up at the large, crystal chandelier that was set high over the table. The black grand piano was cloaked in the same layer of dust that seemed to have settled all over the house. Lissette was puzzled.
Realizing that this was honestly happening and not a dream, her eyes brimmed and glistened with tears. She let them fall freely and stalked out of the room, heading for the door. Before she could reach her destination, she ran into something hard and strong, falling in a heap onto the floor.
"Lissette?" a tough voice asked. "Lissette? Are you okay?"
"Get away from me!" she screamed, her English forgotten altogether. He didn't know much French, but the anger in her voice was enough to make Adrian take a step back. He sighed and sunk to the floor, taking her hands. She tried to wrench herself form his grip, but he held strong. As she continued to weep, he pulled her close into a tight embrace, holding her shuddering body against his own. When the girl seemed to drift off to sleep, he picked her up again and placed her on the large sofa. He wrapped a small afghan around her legs and propped her head on the arm, smiling to himself. Then he went to inspect Pierre's room.
Hours later, night had completely enveloped the house, and Lissette rose to find herself alone, yet again. "I'm going to be alone for the rest of my life," she thought aloud.
She looked at the floor and breathed deeply. "Better go find Adrian and see if he'll drive me back before it gets too late," she thought. She stepped carefully around the table and chairs, remembering that everything was exactly as she'd left it. Her stepmother had ordered that no one touch anything, and leave it in place, so for as long as Lissette could remember, every piece of furniture stayed stationary.
"Adrian?" she asked warily, her voice trembling with sleep and tears that threatened her. She made her way upstairs before finding him. He was lying on Pierre's bed, papers scattered around the floor. She smiled slightly and thought about waking him up, but decided it would be best to let him sleep. If he was with her brother in the war, he probably hadn't slept in a decent bed in ages, and she wasn't going to take that away from him. She laid a blanket across his large frame, which he welcomed, and sat on the floor, watching him for a long while.
----
When Adrian awoke the next morning, he walked downstairs to find Lissette in the kitchen on her hands and knees, scrubbing the floor. The scene was innocent enough, but he was awestruck. Her long black hair was tied quaintly on top of her head, allowing him to get a full view of her face. The way her features were contorted in frustration made him smile as he noticed that she really was beautiful. No more so than most women, but beautiful all the same.
"Mornin," he said suddenly. Lissette jumped and looked at him. She, too, was stricken with wonder as she saw this man in front of her. He was leaning against the doorframe, wearing only his white undershirt and the pants he'd had on the previous day. She looked cautiously at his arms, which were bulging with muscles, then to his sculpted chest and stomach.
"Hello," she said shyly, eliciting another grin from the man in front of her. "Oh!" she jumped up and ran to the counter on the far end of the room. When she returned to him, he could see a stack of… French toast.
"Oh, you're too much," he said, chuckling. He graciously accepted the plate and sat at the small table in the kitchen, which was usually used as an aid in food preparation, and contently ate his French toast, with which he had actual, real maple syrup. God, he missed home.
----
"Thank you again for breakfast," Adrian said when they were on their way back to the convent.
"You're very welcome," she said sweetly. Suddenly, Adrian stopped the car. Lissette looked at him, puzzled.
"I want to see you again," he stated simply. Lissette could feel her face turn a few shades of pink and turned her head toward the window. She smiled and eventually turned her head back to Adrian's attention.
"I'd like that. A lot," she said, her poor English skills unnoticeable.
"Good, I would, too," he replied, grinning again. With that, he turned back to the road and started the car. Lissette looked at him for a moment, and now she was seeing him in a completely new light. Before this moment, she'd just thought of him as her brother's friend, but now he was a real person.
Papa?" she called. When no one answered her, she tried again, a little louder this time, "Papa!" she ran into the kitchen, looking for the father she loved so very much, but she was met with nothing but dust and grime. "Why hasn't anyone cleaned the kitchen?" she asked herself, running the tips of her fingers over the counter. The narrow paths in the dust were left behind as she went running into the grand dining hall.
"Surely they've maintained this room," she said softly, pulling on the doors that shielded the dining room from the kitchen. She stared up at the large, crystal chandelier that was set high over the table. The black grand piano was cloaked in the same layer of dust that seemed to have settled all over the house. Lissette was puzzled.
Realizing that this was honestly happening and not a dream, her eyes brimmed and glistened with tears. She let them fall freely and stalked out of the room, heading for the door. Before she could reach her destination, she ran into something hard and strong, falling in a heap onto the floor.
"Lissette?" a tough voice asked. "Lissette? Are you okay?"
"Get away from me!" she screamed, her English forgotten altogether. He didn't know much French, but the anger in her voice was enough to make Adrian take a step back. He sighed and sunk to the floor, taking her hands. She tried to wrench herself form his grip, but he held strong. As she continued to weep, he pulled her close into a tight embrace, holding her shuddering body against his own. When the girl seemed to drift off to sleep, he picked her up again and placed her on the large sofa. He wrapped a small afghan around her legs and propped her head on the arm, smiling to himself. Then he went to inspect Pierre's room.
Hours later, night had completely enveloped the house, and Lissette rose to find herself alone, yet again. "I'm going to be alone for the rest of my life," she thought aloud.
She looked at the floor and breathed deeply. "Better go find Adrian and see if he'll drive me back before it gets too late," she thought. She stepped carefully around the table and chairs, remembering that everything was exactly as she'd left it. Her stepmother had ordered that no one touch anything, and leave it in place, so for as long as Lissette could remember, every piece of furniture stayed stationary.
"Adrian?" she asked warily, her voice trembling with sleep and tears that threatened her. She made her way upstairs before finding him. He was lying on Pierre's bed, papers scattered around the floor. She smiled slightly and thought about waking him up, but decided it would be best to let him sleep. If he was with her brother in the war, he probably hadn't slept in a decent bed in ages, and she wasn't going to take that away from him. She laid a blanket across his large frame, which he welcomed, and sat on the floor, watching him for a long while.
----
When Adrian awoke the next morning, he walked downstairs to find Lissette in the kitchen on her hands and knees, scrubbing the floor. The scene was innocent enough, but he was awestruck. Her long black hair was tied quaintly on top of her head, allowing him to get a full view of her face. The way her features were contorted in frustration made him smile as he noticed that she really was beautiful. No more so than most women, but beautiful all the same.
"Mornin," he said suddenly. Lissette jumped and looked at him. She, too, was stricken with wonder as she saw this man in front of her. He was leaning against the doorframe, wearing only his white undershirt and the pants he'd had on the previous day. She looked cautiously at his arms, which were bulging with muscles, then to his sculpted chest and stomach.
"Hello," she said shyly, eliciting another grin from the man in front of her. "Oh!" she jumped up and ran to the counter on the far end of the room. When she returned to him, he could see a stack of… French toast.
"Oh, you're too much," he said, chuckling. He graciously accepted the plate and sat at the small table in the kitchen, which was usually used as an aid in food preparation, and contently ate his French toast, with which he had actual, real maple syrup. God, he missed home.
----
"Thank you again for breakfast," Adrian said when they were on their way back to the convent.
"You're very welcome," she said sweetly. Suddenly, Adrian stopped the car. Lissette looked at him, puzzled.
"I want to see you again," he stated simply. Lissette could feel her face turn a few shades of pink and turned her head toward the window. She smiled and eventually turned her head back to Adrian's attention.
"I'd like that. A lot," she said, her poor English skills unnoticeable.
"Good, I would, too," he replied, grinning again. With that, he turned back to the road and started the car. Lissette looked at him for a moment, and now she was seeing him in a completely new light. Before this moment, she'd just thought of him as her brother's friend, but now he was a real person.