Onyx Notes- I appreciate and love all of your comments especially because I know most of you as fellow authors of J/C fics. This chapter was not an easy one to write and I warn you that Kleenex is essential. This concludes Jealous Bone but not my fics by far…….
Clarisse walked into the church. She felt strangely calm. The cathedral was so beautiful and as she walked toward the alter; she had the most amazing urge to sing Amazing Grace. She looked up at the image of Jesus on the cross. His head hung down as if He were waiting for her to speak to Him.
"Lord, it's been quite sometime since I've been here. I guess I got busy being the queen and forgot about the things in my life that I used to enjoy. What exactly am I doing with my life? It seems that at one time or another all the men in my life walk away. My father died, my husband died and then one son joined the church and the other died and now Joseph has found someone else and has moved on. Please understand that I was faithful in my marriage. I tried to love Rupert but my heart seemed to lost to…." She couldn't say his name again because the tears flooded her heart.
"Is this my punishment? Did you take away everything I had because my heart belonged to a man that wasn't my husband? I couldn't help the way I felt, I tried so hard. All those nights I lay awake tortured because I didn't deserve Rupert or the crown. And now what do I do?" The bitter tears of regret washed down her face. Her throat felt raw with anguish and yet she couldn't stop speaking what was in her heart.
"Father if you would just give me one more chance to see him. I know I can no longer have him but I need to tell him that, that I…….."
"Tell him what, Clarisse? If he walked in this church this very moment and was willing to hear you out what would you say to him?"
Clarisse didn't dare turn around for fear her broken heart had created an illusion.
"I would tell him I was a fool, I was then and I am now. I'd tell him that I can't sleep because when I close my eyes I see the anger and disappointment on his face. That if I'd been given the chance all those years ago, that I would've given up the chance at the crown if I could've been his. I'd tell him that I knew I was in trouble the minute he walked through my door at seventeen and announced he would lay down his life for me and that I had to beg God for forgiveness because I wanted him to be the real father of my sons. That my heart never belonged to anyone but him and it never will again. Oh Joseph I'm so sorry. You'll never understand how much I hate what I've done. I'm not worthy of your love!"
Finally the pain seared through her like a bolt of lightening. She dropped out of the pew, down onto her knees and then face down before the altar. If God had asked for her life right at that moment she would've given it to him freely. He dropped down beside her on the floor and pulled her onto his lap, letting her nuzzle into his neck while she cried.
Joseph looked up at his Savior on the cross and whispered a silent thank you that his prayers had been answered. All he had ever wanted was for her to admit that she loved him. The rest he could be patient with but the words had to be spoken.
"Forgive me please." She said into his neck.
In tears himself he whispered with his voice cracking, "I do."
They stayed that way in silence for the longest time. Neither wanting to admit that they needed to discuss what would happen next. Finally she gathered the courage to look into his beautiful eyes.
"I'm sorry I wish you hadn't heard all of that."
He looked at her in sudden fear. The last thing he wanted was for her to lock it all away again.
"Why is that darling Clarisse?"
"Because here you are married and about to go on your honeymoon and I say all the things that are completely inappropriate."
"My love, are you listening to me? Hey look at me with those strikingly elegant eyes. I'm not married, nor do I have any intention of it unless it's with you."
The look on her face was worth almost as much as the confession.
"What? Where is Rosa?"
"About 30,000 feet over France I presume."
"But the wedding, Charlotte she said-"
"Yeah."
"But Sebastian, he announced the wedding. I was there."
"No you heard there was a wedding, you just assumed that Rosa and I were the ones getting married. If you would've been there, Sebastian announced that I was to be best man to Franco."
"But you were with her all the time."
"You saw what Sebastian saw. It's what she and I wanted you to see. Sebastian didn't approve of Franco, her fiancée because he'd been in prison for eight months. However, he was in as an undercover agent trying to crack a mafia figurehead. It eventually worked and Franco got out and then retired. It took some time for him to get his case file from Milan but once he was able to prove his identity to Sebastian, he sang a different tune. Franco was staying here in Philligran and the only way she could see him was going on dates with me."
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"I was going to but then got angry when I said I couldn't dance with you. You know Lord Palimore wanders off when he drinks. His wife asked me to attend to him since she was at home and sick. When you got mad and jealous of Rosa I decided you needed to figure out what you wanted. Understand that I could never be with anyone else but you. If you rejected me for good then I would simply become a hermit upon retiring. They'd tell stories of the crazy old biker who lives in the cottage past the stream with his phantom dog Spock."
She laughed with such relief she thought she might cry again.
"Dear Joseph I really thought I'd lost you this time. When I thought you were gone forever I started to realize that I needed you, not as my head of security but as my best friend and my love."
"I realized that at seventeen."
"I want to kiss you." She said shyly.
"As you wish your Majesty but I daresay that Jesus probably prefers us outside of His house."
They walked hand in hand for six blocks until they finally made their way down the boardwalk to the beach. The sun was beginning to set. Just as before he wrapped the jacket around her shoulders and pulled her to him. The kiss was like a song they both sang to each other. She caressed the soft bristles of his chin and his face with her thumbs while he ran the tips of his fingers up the length of her sides. He laid in the sand and pulled her to him, her head on his chest. The light twinkling of the stars began to shine.
"Now what do we do?" He asked.
"Let's get married. I don't want to have to worry about you getting away again." She snickered. He remained silent.
"What's wrong? Don't you want to get married?"
"Like a drowning man wants oxygen but we shouldn't get married out of fear. We both know how we feel and Mia will be coming home soon. I think it's best if we wait till you aren't so much in the limelight, then we will bring our friendship out of the shadows."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes my darling. As long as I see you every morning and kiss you every night before I go home, I can be patient."
Clarisse turned to look at him still leaning on his chest. He pulled her on top of him and kissed her again and again. They stayed in the sand listening to the waves crash on the beach for hours. Finally he helped her up.
"I guess you better call Shades to come and get you. I'll call Dominic. We don't need a scandal to arise now. We'll walk back to the church and you can wait inside until he comes."
"Sounds like a plan. Speaking of sand, have you ever ridden your Harvey on the beach?"
"My HARLEY," He corrected, "would not ride well on the sand it is far too soft. It would either get stuck or roll. You'd need a dirt bike and even then beach sand isn't as reliable."
"Yes, I uh would not recommend it."
He looked down realizing for the first time all evening that she was wearing jeans.
"How would you—Clarisse how did you get to the—CLARISSE! What did you do to my Harley?"
"It's quite safe and you are correct it stops short and then rolls in the sand."
"What?" His eyes were wild in amazement.
She squealed at the look in his eyes and she took off running. He chased after her and it wasn't long before he caught her. He threw down his leather jacket, scooped her up and ran headlong into the ocean waves never letting go of her. They came out soaked and Clarisse punched him playfully in the arm.
"I thought you were finished hitting me?" He laughed.
"Ha! You better watch your step Joseph!" She teased.
This only created another challenge and before she realized it she was back in the water.
"I better call Dom and then Charlotte." He said.
"Call his home number. Both of them will be there." She said smiling coyly.
Joseph arranged for Dom and Charlotte to pick them up. Joe then called Shades and told him that the queen had an emergency and that she would not be back till the following afternoon but that he and Charlotte were with her.
That night Clarisse felt like a normal woman. Charlotte, Dominic, Joe and Clarisse sat around drinking coffee and playing pinochle. There were no titles, no mention of duties and a silent oath of their special night as friends. Dom and Charlotte fell asleep on the floor with a blanket wrapped around them. Joe and Clarisse wrapped snugly together on the sofa. Their open and honest love setting them free at last.
There were still many years ahead and though they would not marry right away, there was never a doubt that they were going to end their story together. Joseph and Clarisse were the real knight and lady of the court. Somewhere in the history books they share a romantic tale of love not unlike that of Lancelot and Gwenivere. Joseph may not have been a king by title but generations to follow would call him the king of Clarisse's heart. And so their love will live on…….
THE END --)--