For Jess because she makes me laugh and is the only person I know who knows what DuMardle is.
Thank you for the amazing reviews and please continue to review, favourite and follow- it does mean the world to me.
"I do believe Mr Dupont that the worst is over," the doctor stated as Florian smiled at the older man, who had begun to pack his equipment away. It had been nearly a week since he had fallen down the stairs but it seemed that things were starting to improve. "I am going to bring Miss Mardle in, if that is okay with you?" he asked, the Belgian nodding as he relaxed back against the headboard, watching as the doctor approached the door and called for Miss Mardle who quickly appeared. "I was just saying to Mr Dupont that I believe the worst is over. He needs to start gaining his strength but his fever is almost gone," the doctor explained, noticing the large grin that covered Miss Mardle's face at the news.
"That's wonderful news," Miss Mardle smiled, glancing down at Florian for a second before returning her gaze to the doctor. "I'll show you out doctor," she stated as the other man nodded, saying goodbye to Florian before he followed Miss Mardle out of the room. Shutting his eyes as he rested against the headboard, Florian laughed for a moment in relief before he heard the door open and shut downstairs and the sound of footsteps on the stairs. "Florian?" Josie asked as she reappeared in the doorway, watching him as he opened his eyes and smiled at her.
"I want to go for a walk today," he immediately stated, not surprised at the concern that covered her face.
"Do you not think you should wait until you're stronger?" Miss Mardle suggested, still remaining in the doorway. She hadn't sat on his bed, or got close to him, since he had told her about his parents and both of them were aware of it.
"You could always come with me and make sure I don't overexert myself?" he suggested as she laughed, shaking her head at him as he remained in the bed. "It is a beautiful day and I don't want to be in bed anymore. I want to see London," he explained, his voice full of frustration as she sighed, her arms crossing as he shut his eyes again. "I'll never get my strength back if I have to sit here and wait."
"A short walk and if you look tired, we come back immediately," she declared as he began to grin. "Get dressed then," she explained before leaving his room, shutting the door behind her as she began to shake her head again. Why did she keep putting herself in these inappropriate situations? The man had told her that he was in love with her and she had so far managed to kiss him, get far too close to him, appear in front of him in inappropriate attire and she had now agreed to go walking alone with him. Walking downstairs in silence, she sighed as she found her coat and pulled it on, nervously doing up the buttons before she searched for her hat. She had barely left the house since she had returned the day Florian had collapsed and Agnes had been the one to put away the things Josie had thrown on the ground when she'd returned home. Hearing a knock at the door, she sighed as she gave up searching for her hat and approached it, opening it quickly to see Mr Grove standing on her doorstep.
"Mr Grove," she said in shock as he nodded, a small smile covering his face as he looked at her.
"Were you going somewhere?" he questioned as she glanced down at her coat before shaking her head. She didn't want to tell him where she was going because he would have some opinion on her walking with Florian. "Could I come in?" he asked before she nodded and stepped out of the way, allowing him inside her house before she shut the door and closed her eyes for a second. Why was he here? "I actually wanted to discuss Mr Dupont," he stated as Josie turned to face him, frustration covering her face as she looked at him. Why did he keep getting involved in business that didn't affect him?
"I have told you before, Mr Dupont is none of your concern," she immediately responded as she heard a creak of the floorboard near the top of the stairs. "I would greatly appreciate it if you stopped interfering in my business Mr Grove, especially in things that are private."
"Josie you have not been to work for a week, people are starting to talk," he declared as she glared at him.
"I am caring for my lodger who is currently unwell," she stated as he stepped towards her in silence. "You should understand more than anyone, Mr Grove, how important it is to help someone who is ill," she announced, knowing that it was unfair to bring his deceased wife into the conversation.
"The difference is that she was my wife and it was my role as her husband to care for her. This man, however, is your lodger, it is inappropriate Josie for you to be caring for him, especially when you take his feelings into account," he responded, his voice full of frustration as she turned away from him and shook her head. "I am concerned about you Josie, your reputation…"
"Is none of your concern," she stated before she turned to face him again. "You barely know Mr Dupont, let alone understand his feelings, and you have no right to be concerned about me. You lost that right, Mr Grove, when you decided to marry another woman," she blurted out before approaching her front door and opening it. "I would like you to leave now. I will be returning to work, as I explained to Mr Selfridge, when I believe that Mr Dupont is well again."
"Josie please, you know that I still..." Mr Grove began as she shook her head.
"Now Mr Grove," she ordered as he nodded and walked out of the building, the brunette slamming the door behind him before covering her face with her hands for a brief moment. She couldn't do this, she couldn't deal with this anymore. Walking up the stairs quickly, she glanced across at Florian who was standing by his bedroom door. "I do not feel like walking at the moment, maybe this evening. I'm sorry," she muttered before retreating into her bedroom and sitting on her bed in silence. Falling back against the mattress, Josie shut her eyes before she heard a familiar sound fill the house, the music of Florian's violin making her smile.
XOXOXOXOXOXO
"You play so beautiful," Josie commented as she walked into the drawing room later that day to see him tuning his violin in silence, a small smile covering his face as he looked up at her. "I am sorry for cancelling our walk this morning Florian," she admitted, knowing that he had desperately wanted to leave the house for a while. "Perhaps we could go now," she added, the violinist nodding before he put his instrument back into its case and stood up, his hand resting on the chair to support him as she watched nervously. "Florian are you sure you feel…?"
"I think we both need to get out of this house," he admitted as she bit into her lip before nodding, knowing that he was probably right. Pulling their coats and hats on, they slowly moved towards the door before Florian held his arm. "Can I?" he asked as she stared at him. It hardly seemed appropriate. "I will need you in order to balance," he added, a small laugh leaving her lips before she wrapped her arm around his and walked out of the building, enjoying the cold air against her face as they began to walk down the street together. "Mr Grove does not approve of me living with you," Florian finally said as Josie sighed and tightened her grip of his arm unconsciously, a small smile covering his face at the feeling.
"Mr Grove disapproves of a lot," she responded, glancing up at him for a moment before sighing. "Florian I really don't want to discuss why Mr Grove came to visit today. He was rude and he was talking about things that he doesn't understand," she explained before shaking her head, hating that Mr Grove was making her doubt having Florian in her home. "Can I be honest with you?" she asked as he nodded.
"You can tell me anything," he smiled as she looked at him, seeing complete sincerity on his face as she bit into her lip for a second.
"A couple of days after you arrived, I was actually going to find you somewhere else to live. I thought, and Agnes to some extent, that it was inappropriate to have a man living in a house with two unmarried women," she explained as he nodded slowly, his smile never disappearing as they continued to walk down the street. "I'm glad I didn't ask you to leave because you have brought so much happiness into our house, I can't quite imagine what it will be like when you leave us Florian," she admitted, turning her head away from him as he stopped and stared at her. Glancing around for a second, Florian smiled at the emptiness of the small street they were in before he moved his hand to Miss Mardle's cheek and gently turned her head to face him, Josie never fighting him as she found herself staring at him. "You can't do that."
"There's no one here, I looked first," he stated as she shook her head at him. Why did he make things so difficult? Why did he make it impossible for her to forget what had happened between them? "I am glad you did not ask me to leave then and although you do not reciprocate my feelings, I can't imagine not being in love…" he began before she shook her head, stopping him again.
"Florian I…" she whispered. "Please stop, we can't do this, especially not here," she stated, glancing around to see if anyone was watching as he slowly moved one hand to rest on the small of her back. "Florian, we are not doing this," she warned. "I can't do this, I won't do this," she blurted out, stepping away from him as he watched her, a grim look covering his face as she bit into her lip. She hated hurting him, he was so wonderful but it was better to hurt him now then in the future. "I know that it seems cruel," she began as he remained perfectly silent. "But one day you will understand and you'll thank me," she promised as he shook his head. "We should go home now, we have been walking for a while," she quickly stated, trying to change the conversation desperately, as he remained perfectly still. "Florian."
"I love you," he declared as she turned to face him. "I am in love with you," he continued as he moved towards her. "And I know part of you feels the same," he explained as she shook her head. "I felt it when we kissed, in how you responded, in how you have been acting recently. "
"I do not love you Florian."