In the month and a half she'd been in London, Meghan had never felt quite so crazy, so wracked with nerves. Her mind seemed to blare with sirens, and out of the blue, she suddenly was conscious of how dry her mouth was.

It was as if she were stepping directly into one of Aunt Libby's photographs. Before, this house and its inhabitants had seemed to exist nowhere but in some fairy tale with a glossy cover. Even when Meghan had met the viscount's mother in person, it hadn't been like this - because the moment she'd left, she'd seemed like some kind of ghost.

But now, to have reality confirmed in such a way, to have those huge iron contraptions move apart, to reveal a sight that only a select few are fortunate enough to see up close...to be welcomed like this, no questions asked, immediately into this castle without a second's hesitation...it was incredible.

As terrified as Meghan was, she was also very grateful. Somehow, this proved to her that she might really be making the right decision. That she wasn't on enemy territory.

The walk to those huge doors should've seemed like an eternity - but it didn't. And those doors came open before Meghan had a chance to even look for a doorbell.

A man in a penguin suit was there, to escort her into a parallel universe.

"Ah, Miss Reynolds. The Madame is very happy that you've come."

Meghan's heart was thrumming like a thousand drums being dropped from the peak of a skyscraper, slamming into the ground. I'm in his house. I'm in Daphne's father's house. I'm in his house. This is his sofa. This is his warm fireplace. This is the floor he walks on. This is the floor Aunt Libby walked on. This house. This house.

She was being lead...somewhere. Meghan absent-mindedly trailed after the butler, losing more and more control of her thoughts by the second. He came to a stop in what looked like a breakfast nook, until Meghan faintly noticed the teapot, teacups, and tower of tiny cookies and sandwiches that sat upon the table. She was directed to sit, told that Jocelyn would be out in a moment...

Tea...cookies...Daphne...rain...it's stopped raining...my gosh, it's hot in here...this house...Daphne...something smells good...oh...headache...breathe, just breathe...itch...tea...hot tea...I don't like hot tea...iced tea...yes, that's good...

"Well, good morning, Meghan."

Meghan's head jerked up from staring at the tea, and her eyes fixated blankly for a moment on the woman standing in front of her.

"Good morning." she squeaked, trying to keep from choking. Where was the calm, collected demeanor she'd had before, in that bathroom? Did it wash away with the punch?

"My, what a nice surprise! I honestly wasn't expecting to have tea this early, but no bother. Why, I would have had the cook bake a cake, had a known we'd be having such an important guest."

Meghan bit into her cheek.

"I am?"

"Oh, yes."

Jocelyn promptly sat and picked up the teapot with grace, pouring from it two cups of steaming liquid.

"Do you like your tea with sugar?" she asked the important guest.

"Sure." Meghan told her, not knowing how else to respond. She was far too focused on trying to keep from having a breakdown.

"Cream?"

"Okay." Meghan knew she was throwing everything she'd learned from English Etiquette for Dummies completely out the window.

Jocelyn didn't seem to notice, however, as she daintily poured a frothy, white substance into Meghan's cup, then proceeding to pass it to her on a saucer. Seeing Jocelyn pick up the tiny little spoon that sat in her saucer to stir her tea, Meghan decided to do the same.

Clinkety-clank! Clinkety-clank!

"It's been a beautiful morning, I should think - despite the rain, and...what not."

Clink-clink! Clankety-clank!

"Living here, you learn to love the rain just as much as the sun."

Clink-clink-clank! Clink-clink-clank! Clank!

"Are you quite alright, dear?"

Meghan abruptly stopped clinking the spoon, suddenly aware that not only had she been looking downward the entire time, but also that Jocelyn had long stopped stirring.

Well. This is going well.

"Mmm? Oh! Um, sure." Meghan quickly gathered herself, sitting up straight. "Yes! I am alright."

Jocelyn smiled.

"Good. So, what brings you here?" she asked.

For a moment, Meghan felt that she had been caught slightly off guard. Faye. Remember?

"I wanted to thank you." Meghan stated, as cleanly as she could. "For, um, keeping me from being expelled."

Jocelyn's eyes drifted to the side for a moment as she smiled broader. She then turned back to Meghan, to respond.

"Well, you're quite welcome, dear. I would not have had it any other way, you know."

Meghan fought to resist the urge to ask her why that was. Fortunately, though, Meghan found that she was slowly gaining her bearings.

"Thanks. I mean, for caring. I think you're pretty cool."

Jocelyn's eyes widened. Her hand flew to her chest.

"My! I must say, Meghan, that I am quite flattered by that statement. It is quite a lot to be 'cool', isn't it?"

Meghan found herself actually laughing a bit at that.

"Well, yeah, I guess it is." she told her. Her laughing halted for a moment, however, when she tasted her tea. Her face couldn't help but contort into a bitter grimace.

Jocelyn saw this, and chuckled.

"Perhaps you don't like your tea with cream and sugar." she suggested.

Meghan was finding out fast that it was best to be frank and truthful with people in this country. Kind of like she was with...people in her own country.

"No." Meghan sputtered, her tongue moving quite actively inside of her mouth. "I like it with ice."

"I would've thought as much." Jocelyn agreed, knowingly. "I'll have Ganes bring you a new cup - of cold tea." she said, not quite able to keep from shuddering at the utterance of the word cold. "You'll have to excuse me. Iced tea really isn't quite my fancy."

"You'll have to excuse me." Meghan replied, feeling as if she were drunk. "Because I have no idea what I'm doing. What's this?" she asked, suddenly picking up one of the little sandwiches, a possible candidate to get rid of the tea's bitter taste.

"Watercress." Jocelyn answered, still smiling warmly as she studied Meghan.

Meghan took a bite. She chewed warily for a few seconds, before quickly nodding in casual approval.

"It's pretty good. I mean, whatever it is." she said with a grin. She was starting to actually feel comfortable with this woman, and fell contentedly silent as she chewed on her sandwich, her head in the clouds.

"Is there anything more you'd like to talk about, Meghan?" Jocelyn asked.

"Mm-hm." Meghan told her dreamily, looking out the window. "I wanted to ask you...about my friend...Daphne..."

"Your friend Daphne?" Jocelyn repeated.

Hearing this, Meghan's head suddenly snapped up in attention, and she dropped her little sandwich in the rejected tea.

"No...no, did I say...I meant...Faye! My friend Faye..." Panicked, Meghan rested her elbows on the table as she rubbed the sides of her head.

"Who's Daphne, then?"

"My...other friend."

Meghan felt like Alice at the Mad Hatter's tea party. Only, she was the one who was mad.

Jocelyn rested a gentle hand on Meghan's arm, concerned.

"Now, what in this world has got you so worked up?"

"Nothing. I'm just tired. I know I must be tired..."

Jocelyn looked Meghan straight in the eyes.

"Meghan, I want you to know something, right now. I want you to know that you can tell me the truth. I know you've only just met me, but please believe that you can tell me anything. Anything, I don't care what it is - tell me, and I'll understand."

Meghan stared into Jocelyn's deep, compassionate eyes. She felt frozen in their gaze, a gaze that told her she might be making things far more complicated than they actually were. She felt something she hadn't felt in a long time, looking at a face that somehow seemed to be as familiar as breathing.

"Meghan, please, PLEASE tell me what's wrong. I don't care what you say. Tell me, so I can make you feel better."

Meghan looked tearfully up at the face of the one who tried to comfort her, latching onto its warm expression.

"I...I miss him, Daphne...I miss him so much..."

As much as she wanted her to be...

"Why did this have to happen...why can't he just come home..."

Jocelyn wasn't her grandmother.

"I...I'm not..."

"Honestly, Mother." came a voice. "I can't believe they've gone back on their agreement. Oh, this blasted paperwork -"

The voice came to a halt as the feet of the one it belonged to stopped in the tea room doorway.

And when Meghan saw exactly who it was that stood three feet away from her, saw the shocked expression on his face as he went as pale as she did, saw the eyes of her eyes of her aunt's one true love, eyes that now belonged to her cousin...every emotion that connected her and held her together melted, all in one solitary second. Part of her wanted to embrace him, while another part wanted to run far, far away.

Her aunt knew what it was like. She knew this feeling. But other than that one jaded woman, no one on Earth had ever been so floored as Meghan was, at the sight of this one frenzied man.

And so, they meet. Finally. Hope that was to your liking.

Although this could be taken as sort of cliffhanger. But don't fret - you won't have to wait too many YEARS to find out what happens next, muuuaahahaha.

I'm kidding. Be back in a week.

-rf-