Part 5

Rose flung open the library window and closed her eyes as she took a deep breath of the fresh damp air.

"This room is stuffy." She proclaimed as she moved on to unlock the next window.

"I know." Clarisse added standing in the centre of the room with her hands on her hips looking around. "But it's my stuffy room."

"True." Rose pushed forward on the window frame but it steadfastly refused to budge. She glanced over her shoulder at her sister raising an eyebrow. "Obviously the previous owner didn't open this one very often… or painted over the hinge."

"Or both." Clarisse smiled lightly stepping forward to assist her sister. Together they pushed forward on it until the paint finally cracked and the window burst open. The ocean breeze, fresh and salty, swam into the old room.

"Well that's much better." Rose smiled dusting her hands on her skirt.

"Much, shall we have some tea?"

"You drink too much of that stuff you know."

"Do I indeed, well it's too late for me to change now."

"Probably, any ideas how you're going to decorate?"

"Many, but I plan to hire somebody to carry the work out, I never was one for DIY."

Rose laughed and perched on the windowsill. "The nails darling." She said mockingly. "Wonderful view from here, the sun is coming out."

"Good. I want to landscape the garden as quickly as possible, take advantage of the summer and relax in it. Perhaps grow strawberries."

"You sound excited about it." Rose closed her eyes again as the breeze touched her face.

"I am a little, I haven't had my own home… well practically never. Do you remember father giving us each a plot when we were young, and I grew tomatoes."

"And they were set upon by slugs."

"Yes, because I forgot to safeguard them. Well I learnt my lesson."

Clarisse poured two cups of tea and handed one to Rose. "Do you know of anybody who could tackle the garden?"

"Perhaps somebody in the village, we'll make a few calls later. I'm sure Martin knows of somebody."

"Thank you dear, I'm not sure I could have done all this without you."

"Of course you could. You just like to flatter me." Rose smiled at her. "You still look tired."

"I do feel a little weary." Clarisse sat back on the couch still covered with a dustsheet and closed her eyes. "I plan to retire and relax."

"Can you afford to?"

"Yes, I think so."

"Good for you."

They were silent for a while, Clarisse dozing on the couch and Rose sipping her tea as she surveyed the surroundings of her sister's new home.

"Clarisse…"

"Hmm?" She sleepily replied.

"May I ask you something?"

"Yes."

"Why didn't you come home for Christmas?"

Her eyes shot open and she sat up quickly. "Oh I don't know… work."

"Clarisse?"

She stared at her sister for a few moments the shook her head running a hand through her hair. "For many reasons."

"Which are?" Rose probed.

Clarisse jumped up from the couch. "Perhaps we better get back, get started on arranging a temporary gardener for me."

"Don't avoid the question."

"Please don't do this to me." Clarisse suddenly found she was shaking, her throat tightened and she felt the walls closing in around her, "Please, I can't…" She hastily wiped at her face fearing the tears would spill over and reveal her true feelings. "I can't…"


Richard shook the snow from his coat and removed his scarf and gloves. He stomped his feet on the carpet and quickly made his way down the corridor towards the staff kitchen. He was desperately in need of a drink and a warm by the fire.

The kitchen was crowded, the maids gossiping as they sat around the large oak table eating hearty soup and thick crusty brown bread. A couple of the chefs remained listening to the chatter and joining in the observations. It was a week before Christmas and many would be returning home in a few days leaving only essential skeleton staff behind to run proceedings.

They all looked up as Richard descended the stairs.

"Any news?" Samuel, head gardener at the palace for twenty-five years, asked concerned.

Richard shook his head resolutely. "Not yet. They're still out looking, the weather's getting worse, I can't believe it wasn't even predicted." It wasn't often the staff witnessed Richard get angry or lose his calm measured outlook. "I need a drink." He proclaimed sinking into a chair.

Somebody placed a shot of brandy in front of him. "Why not have something to eat too, it's no good you starving yourself." Michelle pleaded sitting across from him, leaning her hands over to his.

"No there isn't time, later."

"But you'll be taken ill." She added concerned.

The clicking of shoes on the stairs caused her to draw her hands back and glance up at the stairs as the housekeeper descended.

Clarisse smiled broadly at the staff gathered around the table, she felt rather happy this afternoon. It was her morning off and she'd slept late, before taking a long hot bath and reading, pure uninterrupted private time. It wasn't often she got it and after many months everyone knew never to disturb her when that day finally arrived. Added to that she was hoping to leave for England in four days time, Richard assured her they could handle things and she hadn't been home in so very long.

"Good afternoon," she smiled happily as she crossed the kitchen. "This all looks very cosy."

"Perhaps you can help." Michelle said rising and moving to the fire. "We're trying to convince Richard here to have something to eat."

"Surely the man will eat when he's hungry." Clarisse said pouring herself a glass of water and turning to face them all, she leant back on the work surface as they all stared at her.

"He's not eating because he's trying to be heroic." Michelle snapped.

"And why would he attempt to be heroic may I ask?"

"Haven't you heard?" Richard finally said standing up and glancing at her.

"Heard what?" She asked cradling the glass between both of her hands.

"The King's car, we lost contact with it over two hours ago, they never reached the consulate, and what with this weather…"

Whatever he was going to say was broken by the sound of Clarisse's glass hitting the floor and smashing. She stood dumbstruck staring at him.

"I'm sorry…" She said shakily trying to form words. "The King is…"

"Missing." Samuel said quickly.

Richard expertly moved across the room and caught Clarisse's arm to support her trembling body, he steered her over to a chair and hid her obvious embarrassment by instructing the staff to return to their work.

"I'm sorry." She repeated. "It was, a shock." She swallowed. "I'll be fine in a second."

"It's alright, we're all shocked, and worried." He sat down next to her holding her hand. "I just didn't expect such a reaction from the usually stoic Miss. Arcenciel."

She glanced up at him sharply.

"Would you like to share with me whatever is bothering you?" He quickly said.

"Apart from his majesty being missing you mean."

"And the strange way you have been acting around him for the past month, or rather avoiding him for the past month."

"I…" She swallowed again suddenly feeling quite dizzy.

"Look I'm sorry." He said quickly. "I didn't mean anything by it, just an observation." He squeezed her hand. "I'm sure we'll find his majesty safe and well. Christmas will be here in no time and things will be fine… Perhaps I can even entice you out again, dinner, to celebrate?"

She looked up at him, was he really raising such an issue now?

"It might be nice, I know we never made it out again but the first time wasn't such a disaster was it?"

She shook her head. "No, it was very nice."

"Good."

She was surprised by the way he moved his head forward, suddenly his face was so close to hers, his eyes closed and he leaned down to her lips just lightly brushing her mouth with his.

With a hand on his chest Clarisse pushed him back. "Don't." She blurted out.

"Sorry?"

"I said don't." She hastily jumped up from the chair. "It's hardly appropriate now with all this happening…"

"Clarisse, am I to believe…" he shook his head, it suddenly struck her he was annoyed. "Am I to believe you are interested in another man?"

She couldn't quite grasp where he was leading this conversation, in fact she was downright confused by his behaviour. She'd never known him be rude or pushy, certainly never overly dominant.

"I'm not leading you to believe anything, I certainly never led you to believe there was anything serious between us and I'm sorry if you feel I have." She brushed her skirt down; she was back in charge of her emotions now. "There is nobody, I merely feel that with the palace in a state of panic discussing our private life is something that is highly inappropriate. Now if you'll excuse me, I have work to do."


Clarisse hid in her office pretending to work, she'd instructed Amanda, a young maid new to the job who she liked very much, to keep her informed on any updates about the King.

As she paced her office occasionally glancing up at the window for any signs of Joseph's return she repeated to herself that she was only worried about the well being of the monarch. But no, it wasn't true, she couldn't deny it anymore. She cared about Joseph, not the king, certainly never her ruler or monarch. She cared for Joseph, the man who sat with her by the fountain and had casual chats. The man who took an interest in her from the very start, whose eyes never left her face during conversation, who danced with her as if she were the only woman he'd ever touched.

She couldn't quite explain the fear that gripped her chest, that assaulted her stomach and left her a quivering wreck. The thought that he could be harmed; the thought that she might never see him again was too much, too overwhelming. She couldn't recall the last time they'd spoken, when she'd last passed him in the halls or given him her weekly review. She felt the need to get out of the palace, out of the country. Away from everything.

Flinging open the French windows she stepped out onto the balcony and immediately shivered as the snowflakes whipped past her face. The gardens were breathtaking, she couldn't deny the beauty of the country, in such a short amount of time it had become so very dear to her. She scanned the horizon, whiteness surrounded her. The storm showed little sign of passing.

The door behind her swung open and she turned quickly to see Richard standing there, breathless and pale.

She turned, waiting for him to speak.

"We have news."