Thanks to PhantomFan13 for the review! Nice guess but it's not Sarah. Enjoy!
Recently on War of Hearts…
"Hello Miss Doyle" My stomach drops.
Simon Middleton stood in front of me in all of his finery. My jaw drops in a most unlady-like manner.
"Si-Mister Middleton. What a surprise." What is he doing here! He gives my one of his all-knowing smiles. Kartik may have a point; he is a bit of a fop. I really need to get more sleep.
"I realized after you left what a mistake it was to let you go. I had to find you and try once again to sweep you off your feet." Wow. How much I would really like to wipe that smirk off his face. Lady-like thoughts Gemma, lady-like! I am way too tired to try and act flattered.
"I thought we both agreed that it was not working between us."
"I know but I just could not stop thinking about you. Can you honestly say that you did not enjoy at least one moment with me?" I blush. I cannot believe he is saying such things in front of Mrs. Nightwing, who is obviously listening. I take a seat in an armchair and he seats across from me. It is true. I did enjoy spending time with Simon, but it could never be. I will always be alone.
"I did enjoy spending time with you, yes, but I thought we agre-"
"I know we may have said things that we may not have meant but we can but those things in the past and start over." Um, I did mean what I said…
"I know you are missing class so maybe I can call upon you again at another time." We both stand up and he takes my hand and places a light kiss across my knuckles. It takes a lot to resist the erge to wipe the back of my hand on my skirts.
"Until we meet again my lady." He bows and leaves and Mrs. Nightwing escorts me back to class.
I walk into French and a dozen pairs of eyes are upon me.
"Your calling went well I hope Miss Doyle?" asks Madame LeFarge. I nod and take my seat between Ann and Felicity. When Madame goes back to her lesson Felicity wastes no time in satisfying her curiosity.
"Who was it?"
"Simon Middleton"
"What did he want?" Asks Ann.
"He wants to start courting again."
"I thought you two ended it?" pries Felicity.
"We did, but he wants to start over." Felicity goes to ask more questions but Madame gives the three of us a glare, postponing our conversation until later.
Another opportunity does not come until lunchtime, by which other matters are brought up.
"Can you take us into the realms tonight Gemma?" Ann asks, her watery eyes pleading. I feel a stab of guilt and look away.
"Not tonight I am afraid, I am still too tired and I need my rest. Maybe tomorrow night." With that neither Felicity nor Ann want to say anything to me so the rest of lunch is spent in silence. I have not told either of them about my dreams, or my suspicions of Pippa. They would not want to hear it. I cannot take them into the realms until they understand that our Pip is gone, and that something much darker has replaced her.
We go back to classes and the rest of the day drags by uneventfully. By the time we are allowed freedom I am thoroughly exhausted and head up to our room to try and catch a nap. When I walk in I immediately notice on my pillow.
Miss Doyle,
I noticed that Mr. Middleton has come to visit you. What did he want? Has he found you out? You did not tell him about the Order did you? Do not trust him. Meet me at the boathouse at midnight. Be careful.
-Kartik
I sigh. Why does he have to pry? Why does he have to care? I reread the note. There is no way that I am going to stay up to midnight. I look at the clock. I have some time before I have to go to dinner so I decide to see if Kartik sent up his tent in the same place he did last time, if he did I can get this meeting over now and not have to worry about waiting up. I grab my cloak and sneak out to the grounds, making sure that no one follows me.
I soon reach the clearing and to my luck his tent is set up there. But he is nowhere in sight. I decide to sit on a rock by the fire pit and wait a little while to see if he comes back. Just before I decide to leave he comes.
"Gemma? What are you doing here?" He must have just taken a bath because his hair was wet and he was not wearing a shirt. I noticed that I am staring and I blush and look at my feet as he goes into his tent.
"I-um- I have not been sleeping well and I wanted to speak to you now rather than midnight."
"Why have you not been sleeping well?" he asks as he comes out of the tent properly dressed, a look of concern in his eyes."
"Just bad dreams"
"Of what?"
"I cannot remember" I lie. He knows that I do not speak the truth but he does not go further into it. We sit in silence until he finally says something.
"What did Mr. Middleton have to say?"
"Oh, nothing much really. He just wants to start calling upon me again. Not that that is any of your business."
"Why would he do that?"
"Excuse me?" I stand up insulted.
"I mean why would he start courting you again when I thought you had both agreed that neither went well together."
"I-I don't know. Maybe he just changed his mind." I say as I seat back down.
"How do you feel?"
"That's none of your business."
"He cannot be trusted."
"Bloody hell Kartik! Maybe not everyone is plotting against me!" He is a bit taken back by my outburst and I don not give him a chance to recover.
"Just keep out of my social life." I know this hurts him but I am already on my way back to Spence, hoping I did not already miss diner.
Felicity and Ann say nothing during our meal so I am left to stare at my food and wonder. Can't Simon just be here because maybe he really does still like me? He is normal, and I really need something normal in my life. Maybe tomorrow I will call upon him. Maybe just for an hour I can be normal, just maybe.
Hope you enjoyed it! Just so you know, i'm totally winging this so i am not sure when i will be able to get the next chapter up. Please R&R!
Doyle
