Hmmm, review sil vous plais? They make my day. Thanks for them all. If you want me to review your stories, just review and request.
I would also like to claim that : This is in all ways ficticious, having no historical accuracy, being set in no true country except the completely made up little kingdom that Lila lives in called Cornith. I suppose too that this is set somewhere around the late eighteenth or early nineteenth century. Though I have kept in some real touches such as common literature, (which mayn't match the period...) and some of the strict social standards, as in my opinion, the best fairy tales have a bit of reality in the in them.
The week flies by in whirling colors, madly. Tom and Henry are mainly off on business. I suppose they are trying to set up Henry in the "real" business world, perhaps.
Though they both mildly disgust me, not that men in general don't, but they treat Mari as a small child, paying no heed to what she says, sharing pitying glances, condescending smirks. They believe it is all imbalanced "chemicals" from this child. And saying the fairer sex is in general much too fickle.
Poor Mari cannot much be let into proper company, in part for propriety, and the other being she is quite per say, round. Mainly she cannot leave her bed!
We have thus spent much time together in passing fashion. We are playing a not so rousing game of jacks, for it was a childhood favorite. It is comical seeing Mari and I act like children, for she, and I eventually, will be in very adult situations.
We are enjoying every second together, both knowing this shant last long. Though I can't help sensing something is wrong. It is all so rushed. I can sense what I dare not say. Mari is trapped. Inescapably. She did not want Thomas, the marriage, her youth stolen from her so young. She is only 18, he is probably some 6 years her senior, and lacking all passion for fairer creatures, namely ladies.
He kisses like brute beast. Or so she is just telling me, as I sweep up the ball and a few jacks.
"Nay Mari, surely it cannot be that bad." I say rather convincingly. "His nose wont allow it!"
"Indeed!" She says through shocked giggles.
Its a fact that Tom is rather vain about his nose, and I take vindictive pleasure in announcing as much. He is average in his looks, so it is a wonder he snared Mari. I used to swear she was a fairy when we where younger, for she was, is too, so tiny, fair with her honey coloured hair and round hazel eyes, all with a smattering of freckles across the cheeks of her round face.
Remorsefully biting her lip and wringing her hands she says,"Though he is not so bad, Lila! Men, this world, are not half so bad as you paint it to be."
I arch an eye brow at her and sweep up the jacks again. "Don't worry dearest, save your breath, for no one shall have me anyway." Her sweetness is her glory. I can only seemingly be gentle with her.
I can barely hear her over my chuckles. She whispers, "Henry could. Would, infact."
I stop with a snort, my face becoming earnest. "Henry is a dear, but he doesn't care for me, not that way."
"More than you know." She says smiling in that quiet odd little way of hers.
"I cannot love love him. Not as he deserves! I have been sensing this for some few weeks Mari dear, and I have been fighting it, on and on. I am probably damaged, to not love such a good boy." I say, taking a a shuddering breath, realizing there are tears in my eyes, I brush at them quickly.
"No darling!" She says scooting to me on my side of the rug, and taking me in her arms. "Damaged. Bah, never! A man would be blind not to adore you!" I lean my into her lap as she smooths my hair and rumpled feathers.
I give a heaving, ragged sigh as she rocks me back and forth. "Is that a smile I see?" She says, tickling me mercilessly. Gasping I yelp "no!".
She looks at me smiling, and requests me to ring for tea. I pull the tasseled little cord, as we wait I clean up the jacks and splash some water from the bedroom basin on my face. "Oh, what is keeping Maggie!" Mari says, suddenly irritated.
"I shall go get tea, don't fret!" I say sweeping out the door in the most graceful fashion I can manage, and race along the corridor to the kitchen in the back.
Much to my surprise, the kitchen isn't empty, for Maggie the cook is there preparing the tea in the most lagging fashion. She turns as I clear my throat. " I was commissioned to check on the tea, Miss Maggie."
"Eh, Miss Wells, I'm as sure sorry. Its me bones, they be actin up ta'day." She says in her broad accent, smiling, reminding me of Bessie.
"Oh, don't put your self to any trouble. I'll just take a tray with me if you please!"
As I wait, I make small talk and tell Maggie all the news from Baylor. She hold the all the cards for the gossipy maids on market day.
Once the little wicker tray is set to rights, I nudge the various doors open till I reach Marissa's room. I see she is occupied in sitting on the little chusioned window seat, overlooking the cobble stoned street below.
"Here I am!" I chirp with as much dignity as I can muster, as I really am quite embarrassed over my little episode. I have only had the slightest of inklings that Henry could feel this way.
"Oh Lila, I could eat a horse- Midway through the sentence she gasps, and grasps the ledge of her seat; and I am by her side in a moment.
I squeak out "Mari what is going on!?", knowing full well what to expect.
"Nothing wrong, I am just about to have the largest baby known to man." She spits out through gritted teeth, I making my way with her across the room to her bed.
Upon settling her down, I run through the halls screaming Maggie's and Emily's names and skidding to a halt when finding them together; I point madly from whence I came, mumbling out something jumbled about "Baby and-and Mari, its time.." I wave them on madly as I jog behind.
Maggie rushes inside and comes out after a few minutes with a resolved look on her face and an air of authority.
"Miss Wells, you must fetch the Master Thomas and Mr. Malloy as fast as ye can, they're at their business firm four streets up on the left side, third from the end, towards Brickmar Street. And Emily you'll have to fetch the Doctor, he is in the on the very left of the center strip in the town square. "Now off with the both of you!" she says, swatting us to the door.
I lead Emily to the back lawn and to the stable house where I glide past the dilapidated old sleeping stable master, leading a horse out and saddling it in record time, passing it off to Emily and motioning for her to go. I even more quickly saddle another and speed off down the lane.
Navigating through the tiny streets and locating the office is easily enough done, but it takes all my courage to hop off my horse and sprint up the marble steps, tear through the lobby and a hall, and burst through to Tom's office. There is a man seated talking about some nonsense. Coming this far I am flustered and fagged to a high degree, and wish I could melt and fall through the floor boards.
Tom just looks utterly perplexed behind his desk, but Henry jumps up and comes to my aid quickly.
"What is it Lila?" He says in a coaxing voice, taking my shaking hands in his firm ones. "Whats the matter? Are you all alright?"
"The baby is-is coming." I croak out.
"Thomas is out the door in the flashiest of flashes, and it can be heard over our rushing through the lobby that he has taken my horse and is headed towards home.
Henry makes me sit in the lobby as he hails a cabby, then gently leads me out to the carriage, and we are home all within ten minutes. I am out of the carriage like a bullet with Henry in hot pursuit, till we both reach the door where we can hear Mari screeching what I would seriously guess to be her first curse word. By the sounds of it she is angry at Tom for being in the room and insisting she wants me instead.
He comes out disgruntled, looking like a smacked puppy, and mumbles, "Mari wants you Lila."
I rush in, kneeling by Mari's side and smoothing her sweaty tresses, I say whatever I think it is she wants to hear to sooth her. It is hot and sticky and somewhere around dusk. I cannot bear to see her in pain, but I cannot stand seeing the mildly nauseating method of being born that is child birth, so I keep up my administrations while she squeezes my hand till it is white, and quite possibly bruised.
Finally it is all over with a groan and a robust wail fills the air. Soon the new little bundle of joy is passed to Mari, and she looks perfectly like and angel, staring at the baby so lovingly. Suddenly, I don't think she minds being trapped so much.
Tom timidly steps in, as I step back, watching them behind the door in the hallway, just cracked.
"Meet Nicholas Thomas Carter." Mari whispers to Thomas, as they peer over the baby, both beaming with pride and Tom a sort of bewildered awe. They are entirely unaware of me being here, or for that matter, anything else in the world at that moment.
I give a little jump as I feel something touching my arm, spinning around. I blush, realizing that Henry was watching me watch them.
We both turn to leave, and give the little family their privacy. I fall upon a creme little settee in the family parlour. To my surprise, Henry sits right next to me. My skirts are even overlapping onto his lap! I laugh evilly in my head.
Sakes alive, Mother Jane would toss her dinner if she knew about this!
I am exhausted, and must look an utter mess. But I could care less and apparently Henry doesn't either. My eyelids are droopy and a wave a fatigue hits me like a ton of bricks. I lay my head against his shoulder and feel him tense, missing a few breaths, then slowly relaxing back to normal. He leans his head against mine for a moment and mumbles something I cannot understand, and I fight the panic rising within me.
"Hmm?" I say calmly looking up at him and waiting.
"Oh.. Uh. Will you marry me, Lilias Rose Wells?"
Cripes.
Unlikely Rose
A/N: Yes, so I pulled that. A cliff-ette/heartbreaker. Well I really hoped you liked this chapter, and any feedback is great! And I am not afraid to beg.
Please please please review!!