Once Upon A Moon Part 4
Niles looked at his brother , who at that very moment
bore a striking resemblance to a stunned mullet. He knew Frasier would find the
whole situation strange and he had been sure he would try to advise him on what
he thought was the best course of action but this was a level of shock he never
thought he'd see.
"Frasier are you alright?" he asked
"Yes , yes you just took me by surprise that's all. Niles
are you sure you know what you're doing?"
"Of course I'm sure" Niles replied smiling to himself at
his own ability to read his brother.
"But Niles" Frasier continued " You've only known this
woman a matter of weeks do you really think it's wise to consider
........"
"Frasier !" Niles interrupted his voice level and
determined "I may have only known Daphne a few weeks , and believe me I know we
still have a lot to learn about each other , but I know one thing for sure . I
love her. You know for years now I've thought I loved Maris , when we got
married I was convinced I loved her ,I thought she was only woman who would ever
make me happy. Frasier she never made me happy , not happy like I feel when I'm
around Daphne. I'm sick of pretending ,I want to have what other people have. I
want to be with someone that I look forward to seeing and who makes me feel
better just hearing their voice. Daphne does that for me , Maris never
will."
Frasier sighed "So you are just going to leave Maris ,
walk out on everything?"
"Yes"
"And what if this Daphne person won't have you , what if
she was only interested in a fling with married man and she isn't interested in
commitment of any sort?"
"If that happens , and believe me I don't think in a
million years it will , then at least I will have learnt something from the
experience"
"Not to be so foolish about flighty women"
"No , that Maris isn't the woman for me and that there
are women out there who are good for me who can make me feel 'that'
feeling"
"And there's nothing I can do to change your mind
?"
"No I'm sure I'm doing the right thing"
Frasier gave a resigned sigh as Niles got up to leave
"When are you going to tell Maris ?" he asked
"Tonight as soon as she gets home from her interpretive
dance group. I'm going home now to do some packing and I've booked into a hotel
until I can find an apartment" He smiled at Frasier "Please try to be happy for
me" he continued "For the first time in years I'm really happy"
Frasier touched him lightly on the arm "If your sure ,
then of course I'm happy for you. I don't know what Dad's going to say
though"
Niles laughed "Oh come on Frasier with both know he'll be
over the moon , he hates Maris , he never thought I should have married her in
the first place he was always telling me to hold out for something better. It'll
be all he can do not to say I told you so" they both laughed as Niles left
feeling a strange mix of excitement and apprehension at the event to
come.
********************
An hour and a half later Niles stood in the walk in
wardrobe in his dressing room talking on his cell phone.
"Now you know where your going?" he asked "The Hilton ?
I'll be in the lobby at 8 pm . I have a table booked and I have something I need
to tell you.......No I'm not telling you now that would ruin the surprise......
Ok until then .... yes , yes. Oh and Daphne ....... I love you"
He hung up the phone and lifted two suit cases off the
top shelf. Placing them on the specially designed stands he began to lift
clothes off the rails and folding them neatly he filled both cases. When he had
taken them to the car he came back into the house with two packing cases and
went to his study, he looked along the shelfs of books and choosing carefully he
filled the boxes with his own personal possessions. Books , CD's , the small
collection of antique Nic. Nacs he could call his own. When he had finished and
the car was packed he went to the conservatory and poured himself a drink. As he
sat by the fire he looked at his watch 6 o'clock Maris was due home any minute
and he was no longer worried or apprehensive about telling her he was going.
There had been something therapeutic about packing up his belongings and
realising how little of him there had been about the house. This was Maris's
world and what ever happened to him now he would have to make his own.
Just then he heard the door open and standing up he called into the hall "Maris is that you?" She appeared at the top of the stairs from the main hall "We need to talk" he said in a tone that unmistakably meant business.
******************
The sound of the slamming door rang in Niles ears as he
closed the car door. It had gone no better or worse than he had expected Maris
had shouted and raved then she'd cried , then she'd gone back to being angry and
demanded he leave immediately which by that stage he had no problem in doing. As
he drove out of the gates at the end of the driveway he felt a sudden sense of
freedom. What ever happened with Daphne , one thing was for sure , he had
finally done the right thing where Maris was concerned.
Later that evening as he stood in his hotel room
surrounded by boxes and cases he began to worry about how Daphne was going to
take he news that he had left Maris , what if Frasier was right and she wasn't
interested in a relationship but rather just a affair. He looked at his watch
7.45 , he lifted a single red rose off his bed and left the room, he wanted to
waiting when she arrived.
When she walked in , the hem of her skirt floating behind
her in the breeze caused by the revolving doors Niles was again reminded why he
was doing this. The surge of emotion he felt when he seen her was nothing like
anything he'd ever known with Maris.
"You look wonderful" he said as she approached
"Thank you" she replied "This place is beautiful I've
never been in before just walked past"
He handed her the rose as he took her arm and lead her
toward the dinning hall. When the waiter had seating them and taken their order
she looked at him expectantly
"So" she began " What's this big thing you have to tell
me ? Can I be put out of my misery now ?"
Niles thought for a moment , he wondered the best way to
tell her , how could he make it sound like he wasn't putting any pressure on
her.
"I've left Maris" he said finally "I just couldn't live a
lie with her anymore . I don't love her I know now I've never loved her. So I
told her today , I have a room here for the mean time until I find an
apartment."
Daphne looked at him , her eyes wide with surprise "And
where does that leave us?" she asked "Now that you are no longer , in theory at
least , a married man?"
"What do you mean?" Niles asked dreading her answer
"Well do you still want to see me?"
He could hardly believe his ears , she actually thought
that he might want to stop seeing her. "Of course I want to see you" he said
almost laughing "Don't you see I love you , your the reason I left I realised
that I'd never loved her , never loved anyone the way I do you. If you'll have
me I'd like us to make a go of things , slowly at first of course but I never
want to be without you. I'm sorry if that frightens you , I know we've not known
each other very long and I'll understand if you aren't interested
but......"
She interrupted him by reaching her hand across the
taking his "I love you too" she said quietly
Niles smiled his heart finally feeling like it had come
home. She was who he was meant to be with , it was her he'd always been waiting
for. At that moment for the first time ver in his life he truly believed in
fate. They were destined to met some day and nothing either of them could say or
do would have changed that. He could have waited another 10 , 20 30 years and
someday she would have been his . He looked out of the window at the moon behind
her. It was in the stars.
******************
Niles rolled over in bed the sun streaming through his
window replacing the moon light from the night before. He sat bolt upright and
looked around. There were no boxes , no suit cases just his own empty bedroom in
the Montana. He sighed being overtaken by a sudden wave of misery , once again
his dream self had taken the initiative and were he in life had so often failed.
His own thoughts swam in his head , it's fate , it's in the stars he told
himself. You love this woman for once take a leave out of her book believe it's
meant to be. He stood up and marched to the kitchen , when he had a cup of
coffee in hand he lifted the phone from it's base and went to sit on the
fainting couch. He dialled the number and as it rang he kept his thoughts
focussed. When she picked up the phone at the other end he thought to himself
one last time "it's fate , it's in the stars", then taking a deep breath he
spoke.
"Daphne we need to talk" he said "i have something I need
to tell you" At last he thought , the real Niles is going to do what the dream
Niles does so well and for the first time ever he was convinced he would succeed
because sometimes you have to put your faith in the things you can't see or
touch. After all wasn't that one of the reasons he loved her so much.