Disclaimer: The
characters of Hannibal Lecter, Clarice Starling and Ardelia Mapp do not
belong to me,
but to Thomas Harris.
I'll turn them back when I've finished. No copyright infringement
intended, no profit made.
Chapter 4: December 24th, 1993.
"Clarice ! Could you bring back the bread from the kitchen ?" Ardelia' s voice brought Clarice back to reality. She sighed. "OK" she shouted back.
Clarice and Mischa had been invited for Christmas eve by Ardelia and her husband Ted, together with other friends of the newly married couple. Clarice liked Ted very much. She was happy for her friend. But since she had met him, Ardelia had redoubled her efforts to find a husband for her. And that was really becoming irritating.
This evening was the turn of one of Ted' s colleague, Frank. Clarice had to admit Frank was rather attractive. He had green eyes that would have melt any woman she knew. But Clarice was simply not in search of a man. There was no space for a man in her life. She had rebuilt a life for her and for her daughter. She was fine like that and did not want anything else. The only difficult point was to make Ardelia understand that !
She would have bet there would be someone for her tonight. She even thought of refusing the invitation. But Mischa adored her aunt Ardelia and Clarice had decided it would not have been fair to spoil the little girl' s Christmas. She could handle.
Clarice went back to the dinning room to join the other guests. Mischa ran to her: "Mummy !". She took her daughter in her arms and tickled her. The child burst out laughing and Clarice felt a rain of pearls felt upon her. How she loved her ! How could one want anything more from life when one had such an angel ?
She came back to the table and sat the child next to her. It was almost midnight and the dinner was coming to the end. "How come you don't sleep yet ?" Clarice mischievously asked to her child. "No mummy. Me not sleep." Clarice smiled. "All right. You not sleep."
" - She's very excited." Frank said, giving her a gracious smile. "Is she waiting for Santa ?
- No. Santa will come only tomorrow morning. She knows it.
- Then she's trying to make you give in ...
- I'm afraid she is. Do you have children, Frank ?
- I have a son. He's five years old. He's living with his mother now.
- I'm sorry.
- Me too. But I guess that's life."
After dinner, they had coffee in the sitting room. Mischa had finally dropped off and Clarice hat tucked her in Ardelia' s bed. The guests were forming little groups and the conversations were lively. Clarice was sitting on the couch. Frank came to sat beside her.
" - So, she's sleeping ?" he asked.
" - Yeah. At last. She collapsed all of a sudden.
- Yes. Children are like that.
...
- Frank ...
- Yes ?
- I can imagine what Ardelia told you ... "
A broad smile lighted up his face. He winked at her.
" - Yeah." he answered. "Ardelia should have made a career in the sales instead of the FBI." Clarice chuckled.
" - Frank, don't see anything personal in it, but I'm not looking for a story right now.
- I know. Ted told me."
Clarice looked at him, puzzled.
" - Then, why did you accept to come ?
- I don't know ... Curiosity maybe ? Or the perspective of a quiet evening with friends without any 'chasing' ..."
Clarice laughed nervously.
" - I'm really sorry, Frank. I feel embarrassed. I don't know what Ardelia has in her mind.
- It's all right. I think Ardelia is only worried about you. She wants you to be happy. People in love often react this way, you know. Because they're in love, they think everybody else should be.
- I guess you're right.
- Perhaps we could just be ... friends, and enjoy the rest of this evening without ulterior motives. What do you think ?
- That's an idea."
The guests had long gone now. Clarice was giving a hand to Ardelia for cleaning up. When the room looked again like a sitting room, Clarice dropped on the couch. Ardelia brought her a beer and sat next to her.
" - Ouf !" she said. "I think we have finished.
- Yeah. I'll get my daughter and let you sleep.
- Drink your beer. There's no hurry. Ted is bringing Michael home. He won't be home before half an hour.
- This was a great evening, Ardelia. Thank you.
- My pleasure. I think Mischa liked it.
- No doubt about it. I actually think this was her first social party."
Ardelia chuckled. They both remained silent for a while, sipping their beer. Then Ardelia asked:
" - So, what did you think of Frank ?" Clarice laughed.
" - You never give up, do you ?
- Nope !
- Well, Frank is very nice. And handsome too. But I really don't feel like going for something serious with a man. You know it.
- You didn't tell him that, did you ?
- Of course I did, Ardelia !
- You're incorrigible !
- No. I'm just happy the way I am."
Ardelia sighed. After a moment she started to talk again, but her voice had turned serious.
" - Clarice ... I know I swore I would never talk about it any more, but ...
- What is it ?
...
- You still think about him, don't you ? Lecter, I mean."
Clarice bent her head. It was no use lying, not to Ardelia.
" - Yes. Every day ... Ardelia, how is it possible ? We had only one night. How can it be possible that I don't see any other man ? Or rather, how is it possible that every time a man comes closer, I can't help comparing him to Hannibal Lecter ?
- I don't know. Love ?
- I'm serious, Ardelia.
- I'm serious too. Clarice ... You know I never approved of it and I don't understand what ... But maybe we should accept the fact that you're in love with him.
- Girl, You're not really helping me, you know that."
Ardelia did not answer immediately. She took Clarice' s hand in hers.
" - Did you have any ... contact with him since ?
- He writes to me.
- He what ?
- He writes to me. Twenty two letters in three years. Plus three Christmas cards." Clarice showed her necklace to her friend. "This arrived last Christmas."
Ardelia' s eyes widened in disbelief.
" - And ... do you answer to him ?
- No.
- Do you know where he is ?
- No. He never gives that much details.
- But you know how to contact him, do you ?
...
- Yes.
- Why ?
- We have no future together, Ardelia. I work for the FBI and he is a wanted criminal. What good would it do if I'd answer him ?
- I don't know ... You might be happy ...
- I am happy, Ardelia. OK, I'm gonna get my little treasure now. It's late."
Clarice stood up and headed to the stairs, but before she started climbing to the bedroom, she turned back to her friend, still sitting on the couch.
" - Ardelia, you won't tell anybody, will you ?
- You know you can count on me.
- Yes. If I'm sure of something in my life, it is that I can count on you."
Ardelia winked at her. Clarice turned her back and climbed the stairs, trying to hide the tears that were starting rolling from her eyes.
To be continued. Thanks for reading. Reviews welcome ...
Absolut.
Chapter 4: December 24th, 1993.
"Clarice ! Could you bring back the bread from the kitchen ?" Ardelia' s voice brought Clarice back to reality. She sighed. "OK" she shouted back.
Clarice and Mischa had been invited for Christmas eve by Ardelia and her husband Ted, together with other friends of the newly married couple. Clarice liked Ted very much. She was happy for her friend. But since she had met him, Ardelia had redoubled her efforts to find a husband for her. And that was really becoming irritating.
This evening was the turn of one of Ted' s colleague, Frank. Clarice had to admit Frank was rather attractive. He had green eyes that would have melt any woman she knew. But Clarice was simply not in search of a man. There was no space for a man in her life. She had rebuilt a life for her and for her daughter. She was fine like that and did not want anything else. The only difficult point was to make Ardelia understand that !
She would have bet there would be someone for her tonight. She even thought of refusing the invitation. But Mischa adored her aunt Ardelia and Clarice had decided it would not have been fair to spoil the little girl' s Christmas. She could handle.
Clarice went back to the dinning room to join the other guests. Mischa ran to her: "Mummy !". She took her daughter in her arms and tickled her. The child burst out laughing and Clarice felt a rain of pearls felt upon her. How she loved her ! How could one want anything more from life when one had such an angel ?
She came back to the table and sat the child next to her. It was almost midnight and the dinner was coming to the end. "How come you don't sleep yet ?" Clarice mischievously asked to her child. "No mummy. Me not sleep." Clarice smiled. "All right. You not sleep."
" - She's very excited." Frank said, giving her a gracious smile. "Is she waiting for Santa ?
- No. Santa will come only tomorrow morning. She knows it.
- Then she's trying to make you give in ...
- I'm afraid she is. Do you have children, Frank ?
- I have a son. He's five years old. He's living with his mother now.
- I'm sorry.
- Me too. But I guess that's life."
After dinner, they had coffee in the sitting room. Mischa had finally dropped off and Clarice hat tucked her in Ardelia' s bed. The guests were forming little groups and the conversations were lively. Clarice was sitting on the couch. Frank came to sat beside her.
" - So, she's sleeping ?" he asked.
" - Yeah. At last. She collapsed all of a sudden.
- Yes. Children are like that.
...
- Frank ...
- Yes ?
- I can imagine what Ardelia told you ... "
A broad smile lighted up his face. He winked at her.
" - Yeah." he answered. "Ardelia should have made a career in the sales instead of the FBI." Clarice chuckled.
" - Frank, don't see anything personal in it, but I'm not looking for a story right now.
- I know. Ted told me."
Clarice looked at him, puzzled.
" - Then, why did you accept to come ?
- I don't know ... Curiosity maybe ? Or the perspective of a quiet evening with friends without any 'chasing' ..."
Clarice laughed nervously.
" - I'm really sorry, Frank. I feel embarrassed. I don't know what Ardelia has in her mind.
- It's all right. I think Ardelia is only worried about you. She wants you to be happy. People in love often react this way, you know. Because they're in love, they think everybody else should be.
- I guess you're right.
- Perhaps we could just be ... friends, and enjoy the rest of this evening without ulterior motives. What do you think ?
- That's an idea."
The guests had long gone now. Clarice was giving a hand to Ardelia for cleaning up. When the room looked again like a sitting room, Clarice dropped on the couch. Ardelia brought her a beer and sat next to her.
" - Ouf !" she said. "I think we have finished.
- Yeah. I'll get my daughter and let you sleep.
- Drink your beer. There's no hurry. Ted is bringing Michael home. He won't be home before half an hour.
- This was a great evening, Ardelia. Thank you.
- My pleasure. I think Mischa liked it.
- No doubt about it. I actually think this was her first social party."
Ardelia chuckled. They both remained silent for a while, sipping their beer. Then Ardelia asked:
" - So, what did you think of Frank ?" Clarice laughed.
" - You never give up, do you ?
- Nope !
- Well, Frank is very nice. And handsome too. But I really don't feel like going for something serious with a man. You know it.
- You didn't tell him that, did you ?
- Of course I did, Ardelia !
- You're incorrigible !
- No. I'm just happy the way I am."
Ardelia sighed. After a moment she started to talk again, but her voice had turned serious.
" - Clarice ... I know I swore I would never talk about it any more, but ...
- What is it ?
...
- You still think about him, don't you ? Lecter, I mean."
Clarice bent her head. It was no use lying, not to Ardelia.
" - Yes. Every day ... Ardelia, how is it possible ? We had only one night. How can it be possible that I don't see any other man ? Or rather, how is it possible that every time a man comes closer, I can't help comparing him to Hannibal Lecter ?
- I don't know. Love ?
- I'm serious, Ardelia.
- I'm serious too. Clarice ... You know I never approved of it and I don't understand what ... But maybe we should accept the fact that you're in love with him.
- Girl, You're not really helping me, you know that."
Ardelia did not answer immediately. She took Clarice' s hand in hers.
" - Did you have any ... contact with him since ?
- He writes to me.
- He what ?
- He writes to me. Twenty two letters in three years. Plus three Christmas cards." Clarice showed her necklace to her friend. "This arrived last Christmas."
Ardelia' s eyes widened in disbelief.
" - And ... do you answer to him ?
- No.
- Do you know where he is ?
- No. He never gives that much details.
- But you know how to contact him, do you ?
...
- Yes.
- Why ?
- We have no future together, Ardelia. I work for the FBI and he is a wanted criminal. What good would it do if I'd answer him ?
- I don't know ... You might be happy ...
- I am happy, Ardelia. OK, I'm gonna get my little treasure now. It's late."
Clarice stood up and headed to the stairs, but before she started climbing to the bedroom, she turned back to her friend, still sitting on the couch.
" - Ardelia, you won't tell anybody, will you ?
- You know you can count on me.
- Yes. If I'm sure of something in my life, it is that I can count on you."
Ardelia winked at her. Clarice turned her back and climbed the stairs, trying to hide the tears that were starting rolling from her eyes.
To be continued. Thanks for reading. Reviews welcome ...
Absolut.