Disclaimer: Don't own, never will, just fixing them!

Author's Note: Well as Suse & I slowly approach the end of this story i think i speak for us both when i say PHEW... enjoy this and remember the end is in sight, thanks for sticknig with us!

Mixed Signals - Part 31

Even summer must have its dreary and bleak days and they could certainly use a few days of cool and wet weather after the weeks of scorching heat. Still, standing in front of the window and staring out into the grey and depressing afternoon, he couldn't help but be negatively affected by the weather.

Joseph shook his head at the direction his thoughts had taken. There was another proposal from the board to be read, letters and memos to be answered and here he was standing and wool gathering. If nothing else, he should be on the phone and trying to organise a surprise for their anniversary.

In only two weeks time they would celebrate the first return of the day that had made him the happiest man on earth. The day that had started out as one of the darkest of his life and then had unexpectedly been completely turned around by Clarisse's sudden question. Since then, his life seemed to be a rush of bliss.

Almost a year. A year filled with so much love, so many delights, so much happiness. Also, a year filled with worry, desperation and heartache. But they had made it through, simply depending on their love and their wish to be together. They had come such a long way in this past year.

Sharing their lives had not come as easily as they had thought it would be. Having been alone for so long – even when being in a relationship, neither he nor Clarisse had known how to do it. Wrongly perceived attempts to protect each other had made matters worse. When he thought about the almost tragedy, his possible illness had caused, Joseph's breath still hitched.

How close they had come to losing each other. How close to throwing away their happiness. And how difficult and painstaking the small steps had been they had to take in order to return to their happiness. He'd had never thought that there were so many unspoken things between them, had thought that they knew each other well, intimately after all the years they had inhabited each other's lives.

It was funny, but it seemed as if Anna's wedding had been the final point. Only after Clarisse had met his family and friends did he feel as if his wife was really part of his life. Joseph had expected that now that Clarisse had met his family, and experienced that they indeed welcomed her, she would be more self-assured about them. Now, he thought, their marriage would finally be completely back on track.

How wrong he was.

He didn't exactly know what it was, but Joseph couldn't shake the feeling that something was amiss. There was just something about Clarisse that filled him with unease.

Had something happened at the party that he was not aware of? Did somebody say something to hurt her? However unintentional? Clarisse had assured him that there had been nothing like it – the family had been friendly and welcoming and she had liked them all immensely. Still, since that night Joseph couldn't shake the feeling that his wife was withdrawing from him.

She ended phone calls when he entered a room.

She changed the subjects of her conversations when he drew near.

She made and fulfilled appointments he knew nothing about.

She avoided eye contact when he tried to read in her face what occupied her so much.

She was absentminded. How many times had he spoken to her and had shaken her out of a world that was entirely her own.

There was only one explanation one could draw from all those hints – his wife was keeping something from him.

Joseph closed his eyes as all the things Clarisse could possibly try to hide from him rushed through his mind. A verbal attack on their marriage or against him, problems with Mia's ruling the country, rejection by his family. Could Pierre have finally made his opinion known? Was his stepson against their marriage?

Or could it be something entirely different? He could not help but notice that Clarisse seemed to be worn out these days. Of course, he knew that the heat of the last days had taken its toll on her. But she looked so pale and drawn. Had she just caught some summer bug or was it something more serious?

Fear seized Joseph's heart. What if a condition like the one that had bypassed him, had caught her? What if she was taken ill? Did she already know and only prepared the best way to break the news to him or did she still wait for results? Oh God, what if…

He could not stand to lose her. He simply could not lose her. Clarisse was his life, everything he was, he could not lose her.

A sound by the door made Joseph shoot around to the visitor and a smile flitted over his face. How could it not?

"So, this is the important work you just had to do this afternoon?" Clarisse's voice was teasing as she stepped further into the room. "Looks very urgent to me. Tell me, was it supposed to be 'staring out into the rain'?"

Joseph laughed. "No," he took the few steps to close the distance between them and snuck his arms around her waist. He felt her tense at the contact and automatically loosened his hold on her. Acting as nonchalantly as possible, he continued: "No, actually it was difficult detective work, I had to do."

Clarisse raised an eyebrow. "Detective work? What riddle did you have to solve so urgently, Holmes?"

"Well, Watson, there is this really stunning blonde I know and her husband wanted me to keep an eye on her. He worried that she might be bothered by something with which she doesn't want to upset him. So naturally, I looked at all the clues and tried to put the puzzle together."

The tender expression that appeared in her eyes made him almost regret to have said anything. How could he doubt her?

A thought shot through his mind, to be discarded immediately, but bothering him immensely later on. Their trademark gesture. Why did she not raise her hand to cup his cheek? Why did she tense when he did it?

"What do you make of this, Watson?"

Clarisse smiled, but Joseph couldn't help but recognise the shutters that seemed to close in her eyes, could not help but recognise the guarded tone she used in her answer. "I think it is safe for you to tell your client that he doesn't need to worry, Holmes. This woman you observe is fine, just a bit busy these days. It will pass."

"Are you certain?"

"Quite."

Joseph was reluctant to let her go, but Clarisse insisted wordlessly. With a last tender smile and the promise to meet him for dinner, she left the room and a very confused husband behind.

Why did she withdraw from his touches? It wasn't as if he would start to ravish her right here and now, though the thought certainly had its merits. He couldn't help the lecherous grin that crossed his features as he recalled the way her light trousers had clung to her backside. Gods, how he loved to look at her, how he loved to touch her. To run his hands over her curves.

Clarisse's body must have been made for his touch – or so he had thought for some time. They could never keep their hands off each other. In public, they were always touching as if to assure themselves that the other wouldn't disappear into thin air, in private their touches always got rapidly out of hand, leaving them both breathless and incredibly sated and content. Making love to Clarisse was a gift from heaven that would never disappear – or so he thought.

The thought had been so natural, so logical. They made love so often, had achieved a physical and emotional closeness that he had never imagined to be possible. They needed no words to communicate anymore – everything could be said with a smile, a brush of their hands, even the choice of dress.

Until now…

Now, he could not help but see that Clarisse's habits had become erratic again. Just like they had been when she thought that he had an affair with Anna. She switched between obviously enticing and very conservative outfits for no reason. She withdrew physically from him one day and the next she practically threw herself at him. She shut him out of the things that filled her day.

She had not mentioned their anniversary. As a matter of fact, when he had carefully brought it up to gauge what Clarisse would like for their special day, she had completely avoided the topic.

Something was bothering his wife. Something Joseph was certain he would not like and he better took care of it before things got out of hand. They had come too far in this last year, at too high a price to both of them. He could not leave this be.

Their marriage was too important to risk even the smallest glitch again.

He would not slip this time. Not again.

"I'm glad to hear that, Louisa. It would have been too bad, if you and Martin had missed it. It just wouldn't have been the same."

Charlotte closed her mouth to avoid interrupting the phone call her former queen was leading. Judging from the words she had heard, Clarisse was talking to her sister-in-law and had finally received the assurance that Sir Joseph's sister and her husband would be able to attend the event that was to take place in less than two weeks time.

Seeing her former queen wave her closer, Charlotte stepped up to the desk and sat down in the chair in front of it. Reading over the papers in her hands again she listened to the one-sided conversation.

"So, you two will arrive in Paris on the 22nd around noon. Very good. I'll have somebody waiting there to pick you up and bring you to Genovia." Clarisse was jutting down the information on a piece of paper, motioning for Charlotte to get comfortable while she waited. "I have booked the entire family into the same lodge just outside of Pyrus, Louisa. Is that alright with you or would you prefer to have a place of your own to stay?"

Clarisse nodded to the answer from the other end. "Yes. … Aha… Yes."

The forced time of idleness gave her aide the opportunity to contemplate what had become the most urgent and most secret business of the palace. Urgent, because they were on a time limit, with the date for the elaborate event approaching quickly and so many things to be organized. Urgent, because queen Clarisse had made quite clear that this event was the top priority on her agenda. Nothing was more important right now.

Considering just how much this business filled everybody's mind and schedule, it was incredible that they had still managed to keep it a secret. Sir Joseph was none the wiser, but certainly not from lack of trying. Charlotte grinned at that. It was so funny, how Joe tried to fish for information. Of course, he did it as discreetly as possible, but since he was the only one not knowing what was going on, his discretion did not help any.

They'd have had a good many laughs on his account already. Just this morning Shades had elaborated on yesterday's run in he had had with his former boss. The memory still made Charlotte chuckle.

Poor Joe. He wouldn't know what had hit him once he discovered what all this secrecy was about.

That was if he didn't draw the wrong conclusion from all the hints he had picked up. That was the one thing that worried Charlotte intensely. This past year she had seen first hand how quickly a small secret could get out of hand. And how disastrous the consequences could prove. Her Majesty and Sir Joseph had almost lost each other over something like this and the pain of it still hung like a shadow over the palace. The entire staff still searched their countenance, their faces, their behaviour for any hint of trouble. It was only slowly that they all returned to their former ease.

"Very well then, Louisa. I'll see you in a few days. … No, he still doesn't know, though it becomes harder to keep the secret." Clarisse laughed. "Yes, yes, Sherlock Holmes is onto me. He feels so left out that I am almost sorry for him. But he'll forgive me, when he sees his surprise. At least I hope so." Another chuckle accompanied those words.

Charlotte on the other side of the desk could not hide her grin either. Sir Joseph would forgive his wife all right. They'd probably not come up for air for days after their anniversary. If nothing went wrong, that is…

"I will meet you at your hotel on the 22nd." A pause. "Yes, yes, I'll come there to welcome you all. And Louisa, I'd like to talk you alone that evening. … Oh, I have a favour to ask, which I rather do in person…. No, nothing bad. On the contrary actually. I just hope that you will accept my idea." Clarisse smiled at comment from the other end of the line. "We'll see. Very well, Louisa, I know you still have work to do and I don't want to hold you up any longer. Perhaps we can talk again, just before you leave. … Very well. You take care of yourself and your husband. … Yes, yes, I'll take care of mine. I promise. … Good. Good bye Louisa."

Replacing the receiver, Clarisse drew a deep breath. "Another thing settled, Charlotte. It is coming along nicely, I'd say."

"Yes, your highness. Sir Joseph's sister and her husband will attend then?"

"Yes, they got the time off." The former queen chuckled. "I would have loved to have seen her superior's face when she told him that she needed another few days off and why." Seeing her aide's confusion she added: "It seems as if Louisa actually had to tell him whom her brother is married to. The gentleman was apparently quite shocked to hear that one of his lawyers was related to royalty." Clarisse shook her head somewhat exasperated. "Honestly, some people…"

Charlotte smiled as well. "The guest list is complete now, then? Everybody will be able to attend."

"Yes, yes. You can call the hotel to give them the final numbers. Please tell them to make sure that the sheets and pillows for Madame De Marcos are allergy safe. And that they have enough toys and entertainment options for the children." She paused. "Just tell them to make sure that everybody enjoys his stay to the fullest."

Charlotte smiled again as she promised to do her best. It was so good to see her highness so excited. She went through with this plan like a woman on a mission, all the while pulling people into it with her, just by her enthusiasm. The staff smiled, shook their heads and followed her on her heels anyway.

Everybody had so much love and admiration for their former monarch and her husband. How could they doubt it? The entire staff, no the entire country supported this marriage. They'd do anything for it. Especially Charlotte herself. "The archbishop called to confirm the ceremony, your highness. He said however that he would prefer to have a talk with you and Sir Joseph in advance. I told him that this is impossible, because the ceremony is supposed to be surprise…"

"Not a problem, Charlotte. I have a meeting with his Lordship later this week. I'll explain it then."

The aide nodded. "Also, I have scheduled the next two fittings of your gown with Misr. Galins. The first is tomorrow morning at 10. The flowers are organized; the food selection is planned and needs to be approved. Chef asked your highness to do so by the latest tomorrow, so he could gather all the necessary ingredients."

Clarisse nodded and noted down the information with a pleased smile. "It sounds as if everything is going according to plan. What about the music though?"

The younger woman took a deep breath. That was one hitch in the entire planning. "Her majesty wanted to take care of the music."

"My granddaughter selects the music? And probably with Lily's aid?"

Charlotte's face contorted in a meek grimace of apology. "Erm…yes, your highness. I tried to convince her otherwise, but her majesty insisted. She and Miss Lily were quite eager to select the music for the reception afterwards. They said they had already the perfect solution in mind."

"I am not certain if that knowledge should ease my worries or magnify them. What if they insist on this odd music they had last summer. This… this…" Clarisse searched for the correct term, "this Hip-Hop thing they 'mixed' into the song I sang for Mia. Which I am not doing again. I am not singing again, Charlotte."

The aide quickly covered the chuckle that threatened to break out with a cough. "Of course not, your highness." Composing herself again, she once again checked the plans in her hand. "I believe that we have covered everything that we could for the moment, your highness. Everything else will not become acute before next week."

"Thank you Charlotte." The former queen replied gently. "Thank you very much."

"There is no need to. I am just doing my…"

"Don't say 'job', Charlotte, because I know that you and Shades and everybody else here does much more than his or her job. You all have been so enthusiastic and helpful through this admittedly somewhat … well… unusual plan. I could never do this without you. I certainly could not follow my husband on those trips, if it weren't for you and your work. I never thank you enough for it – will never be able to do so, but I want you to know that I am aware of what you all are doing and that I am most grateful for it."

There was a suspicious bright sheen in the aide's eyes. "We know that, your highness. And you can believe me when I say that we all gladly do it. We love you and we all love Sir Joseph as well. Your marriage is the best thing that could have happened to all of us. We'd do everything…"

The two women looked at each other for a long moment. Then the younger one turned and left the office.

Clarisse smiled again as she stepped up to the window. Outside the world looked bleak and depressing, but in her heart their was a joy and excitement that seemed to warm and brighten her from the inside.

It was as if she was incapable of wiping the happy expression she was sporting from her features. When she had hatched her plan, it seemed like such a spur of the moment thing – necessary yes, but not thought through or attainable. But one word to Mia and Charlotte and the plan was swung into action. They had been so enthusiastic, everybody in the palace had been so enthusiastic that Clarisse couldn't help but get carried away by the planning herself. She didn't know what kept her spirits more: the planning of the event, the image of her husband's surprise or the thought of sharing their special day with their family.

Thinking back, she had felt rather timid, when she dialled the first number. In all actuality she had been downright scared, when Joseph's uncle had answered and she had stated her identity. It was one thing to meet people in a large group where everybody made the effort to be civil, but a completely different one to talk to somebody one on one. However, Ernesto Romerro had been delighted to receive a phone call from his nephew's wife and had been even more thrilled to hear of her plan. There had been no question as to his acceptance of her invitation. "Even if I had to get a mule-drawn carriage to get there, I wouldn't miss such a sight." He had said and Clarisse had blushed and even more, when the old gentleman mentioned that he looked forward to the breathtaking sight she would be. "Lets hope that boy will not be so overwhelmed by his beautiful wife that he can't get the necessary words out."

Clarisse felt herself blush again. The old man was such a charmer. It was no wonder to her anymore, where her Joseph got his charms from.

Her Joseph. Her man.

How often had she heard this term over the last days? How delightful a phrase it was. It felt even more so, since it was Joseph's family who said it. Every call she had made had been met with happiness and delight. Everybody happily rearranged schedules, begged for days off, and postponed other engagements to be able to accept her invitation.

And it felt good.

They really seemed to accept her and their marriage. They were happy. They wanted to share.

Clarisse wanted to share as well and finally, she did.

It would be such a wonderful event. The happiest and most perfect day they would have.

The most perfect closure to a difficult, but most wonderful year.

Joseph would love it.

Hopefully…

Please leave us a review - thanks! R&S