The next couple of days passed fairly quickly for Regina, who's every waking moment (and many of her unconscious ones) were spent focused upon the beginning of the new term. The week had been one of the busiest she could remember, and her attention seemed to be required by everyone, in relation to both educational, staff and personal matters. The end of the week in particular had been extremely busy due to the last-minute arrangements being made for the start of term party. Arrangements were well underway and everything was progressing well, and Regina spent a significant part of Friday morning finalising matters, including spending an hour or so in the grand hall with Miss Gardner and some other members of staff, who had decorated the large room and the two adjoining it, setting up the tables, lights and stage area, where the band were due to set up shortly after 6pm. However, despite how well things appeared to be progressing, Regina's mind was still racing as she considered everything that still needed to be done; the catering for the party was still underway, the balloons and other decorations had not yet been set up, and some of the fairylights which were being set up in the two large rooms behind the grand hall had blown. After some assurances from the groundskeepers that the matter would be dealt with, Regina left the hall and headed back towards her office, where a problem in relation to the ordering of several key text books demanded her immediate attention.
Although she had been impressed with the layout out of the grand hall (which Miss Gardner had played a central role in), the moment Regina left the room she found her mind awash with everything that was yet to be done. The stress of the beginning of the new term, arranging the party and now dealing with Katherine's failure to order some key text books caused Regina to feel tense and agitated as she headed down the marble corridor towards her rooms. She inhaled deeply to calm herself, reminding herself that everything was in hand, and that all matters would be taken care of. However, her internal reassurances to herself were rudely cut off by the sound of a commotion in one of the school gardens.
Regina paused in the corridor and turned her head curiously to the right, listening to the sound of yelling students, heavy footsteps and the dull thudding sound of wood hitting wood. She frowned in confusion as she walked briskly towards a set of French windows, opening them wide and stepping out into the gardens, her eyes widening at the sight before her.
The large garden beside the school was one of Regina's favourite places in the land, and was a calming and serene location that she designed specifically for the enjoyment of students and teachers alike. This particular garden was a well-kept space with freshly cut grass, tall trees, late summer flowers, smooth stone settings and majestic white stone centrepieces and sculptures. But the sanctity of this usually calm and tranquil space was currently being desecrated, as Regina found herself staring in shock at the sight of thirty to forty fifth graders, dressed in costumes she recognised from last term's production of Macbeth, rushing around the garden and harbouring wooden swords. Some of the students were draped in red garments, others in blue and white, with makeshift hats and headpieces which lay scattered upon the ground amidst some history books, which lay half open and abandoned. As Regina took a few steps into the garden, her eyes alight and her expression stern, a few of the students noticed her entrance and stilled their movements, but the majority continued. It was only when almost half of the students had caught a glimpse at their unquestionably annoyed headmistress that the figures of Mr Hook and Mr Locksley emerged from within the garden, their backs towards Regina as they looked curiously across the children, before following their gaze and meeting the eyes of the annoyed headmistress.
"What's going on?" Regina asked, her voice low and calm, as she glanced from Hook to Locksley. "Why are these children not in their lessons?"
"I beg your pardon, m'lady" Robin began, taking several steps towards her as he lowered his own wooden sword which, after a brief glance from Regina, he wisely dropped upon the ground. As he looked towards her he found himself drawn to her authoritative figure, her commanding gaze and her confident stance; she really was very attractive when she was angry. "As you are aware, the fifth grade History and Georgraphy students are studying aspects of the War of Independence." Robin paused before her as he spoke, ensuring that their conversation could not be overheard by the students, who Mr Hook was attempting to round up. Amongst the children were Henry and Hansel, who were smiling as they followed the teacher obediently, brandishing wooden swords and adorned in their battle gear.
"Of course I'm aware, Mr Locksley. I oversaw and approved the curriculum" she stated simply, her voice low and authoritative. "But what I didn't approve of was for three dozen children to be removed from their classrooms to run around the garden when they should be learning."
"Of course not" Robin replied politely, his voice respectful and his tone kind. "The students had been studying the battle in the classroom for over an hour, and some were struggling to understand some of the issues, which I attempted to explain" she continued, as Regina's gaze befell the fallen text books. "As we were reading some of the students recalled the play your school hosted last term, comparing the costumes to the ones that were portrayed in paintings depicting the War" he continued, as Regina watched him with an unreadable expression. "I thought that a more practical lesson would be engaging and informative, and help the students to fully understand the concepts of the battle" he stated. "Although I admit, one or two got carried away."
Regina's eyes widened slightly in agreement as she turned towards him with a stern expression. As she looked into his eyes she could see the sincerity they held; he really did believe that such an unorthodox method was both justified and educational. The initial bubble of rage which had built up inside her burst, but not with anger; as she stared at the infuriating man before her she felt nothing but calmness. She didn't understand how he could have such an effect on her, and how, despite the good intentions behind his little academic excursion, he had allowed the children to get carried away. But what bothered her more than the students' actions, and his, was the fact that the longer she stood opposite him the less angry she felt. He had the most indescribably calming influence over her, his words and tone soothed and placated her within moments, and even his very presence had a calming effect upon her.
"Mr Locksley, whilst I encourage teaching methods which depart from the norm if they benefit the students, I wish you had ran this by me first" she stated calmly, as she crossed her arms across her chest. Her eyes drifted across the children who were gathering up the books and props from the ground, pulling their costumes off over their uniforms as they walked.
"You are quite right, m'lady" he returned, and Regina found herself annoyed at how much the term of address did not frustrate her. "I should have sought your permission, and I did not. I fear it was quite an impromptu decision to take the final part of the lesson outside on this morning." Regina nodded in understanding.
"Indeed" she sighed, lowering her head slightly as she spoke, before meeting his eyes once more. "I appreciate what you were trying to do, but it's very important that the children do not get carried away" she explained, her eyes drifting across a small group of children who had become separated from the rest at the back of the garden.
"I understand" Robin returned. "We've been in the garden for the last ten minutes or so, and the children did seem very engaged in the practical side of the lesson" he explained. "And despite the temptation of wooden swords and plastic muskets, the majority managed to act rather sensibly-"
Robin's statement was cut off by the sound of one of the children's wooden swords colliding with a small white statue, decapitating the inanimate victim and sending a small cloud of white dust drifting through the air. Regina closed her eyes and inhaled deeply, before turning towards Robin and tilting her head to the side as she considered him, raising her eyebrows to invite his explanation.
" – with one or two exceptions" he added in a low tone, turning towards the culprit briefly, before looking back at Regina with a sincere expression. "I apologise once more, m'lady" he began. "This was an error in judgement on my part."
Regina sighed, her eyes drifting across the students who were neatly arranged with Mr Hook at the back of the garden, their small arms laden with pieces of costume, props and text books. She had never been one for convention, and appreciated innovation in education, but there had to be limits.
"The idea itself was not a bad one" Regina admitted. "I believe it was the execution that was problematic" she sighed, a small smile playing on her lips. "Fortunately for you I always hated that statue" she continued, her eyes travelling towards a small pile of white, chalky rubble beside her rose beds. "Perhaps next time you should create a more structured battle plan before letting the children run riot amongst my garden" she suggested, a hint of sarcasm in her tone which caused Robin to smile in response. "And use more historically accurate weapons, too" she stated, turning from the wooden swords towards him with a challenging frown.
"We had to improvise somewhat" Robin explained simply.
"So I see" Regina stated, her attention drifting back towards her son, who looked rather valiant in his blue and white attire. As she watched her son for a few moments, she allowed her gaze to drift over the other students around him, who stood with open text books, showing their friends the pages they were reading, which they were clearly quite engaged in. Her attention was distracted from the studious pupils by the sound of Robin's voice.
"Yes" Robin sighed. "It would have been much more accurate had Macbeth featured bayonets" Robin stated, his tone one of mock regret.
Regina chuckled lightly at the remark, shaking her head lightly as she did so before emitting a small sigh. Robin found himself smiling at her once more, her demeanour calm and content, her sharp wit and teasing relaxing her features. She truly was a magnificent woman. Regina's eyes met his once more, and she stared at him with interest, tilting her head to the side slightly as she did so. She tried to consider what it was about this man that forbade her from being angry at his conduct, when had she discovered Hook out here by himself with the children she would have torn him apart. Verbally, of course. Her mind was stilled by her own confusion.
"Now do you think you can continue the next twenty minutes of your lesson without destroying my garden?" she asked, her tone adopting a sharper edge, despite the mischievous look in her eyes. It was almost like she was daring him to challenge her.
"I believe so" Robin returned with a noble nod. "Thank you" he added sincerely.
"I'd save your gratitude, Mr Locksley" she stated, turning on the spot and heading back towards the main building. "You just volunteered yourself for clean-up duty after the party."
Robin smiled and watched as the beautiful Principal Mills headed back into the building, his eyes remaining on her pencil skirt and silk blouse as she closed the doors behind her without a backward glance. The children were all talking animatedly in the background, the sound of their gentle voices drifting towards him. They had all been paying some attention to the Principal, but lost interest when she appeared to be calm and content, and talking to Mr Locksley in such a low voice that they were unable to overhear a word; their attention was soon engaged elsewhere, with one exception.
Henry watched the scene before him with interest, watching with confusion how his mother seemed to relax visibly before his very eyes as Mr Locksley talked to her. Henry didn't hear a word of what was exchanged between them, but he didn't have to. He saw how his mother's shoulders fell and her entire body relaxed as she spoke to him, and how, despite her best efforts, she looked happier and more relaxed with him then than he had seen her look in a long while. As he watched Mr Locksley look at her as she walked away, his body slowly turning back towards the students as she disappeared from view, Henry found himself drawn to his teacher's content expression. Realisation dawned upon Henry, and he smiled.
Regina walked slowly back down the corridor towards her office, a smile threatening to break the composure of her otherwise controlled features, as she considered the most recent exchange between herself and Mr Locksley with interest; an exchange which made her feel warm, calm and almost completely weightless. The more she considered her words and reactions as she headed back towards the sanctity of her office, the more she found herself surprised by her own conduct, and the way in which she handled the situation. If she didn't know herself any better, she'd almost describe their encounter as flirtatious. She sighed in dismissal of this theory, which was completely an utterly absurd. As she entered the office and headed towards her own personal sanctuary, she dismissed the theory entirely. Regina Mills did not flirt. Ever.
The rest of the day passed relatively slowly, but as Regina walked through the corridor and towards her son's final classroom she glanced out over the garden, and felt herself reassured by the fact that none of her other sculptures had fallen victim to the morning's battle. A small smile played on her lips, before she turned away and continued heading down the corridor, stopping just as Henry left his math class and walked straight towards her.
"Hi mom" he smiled, stepping beside her and following her up the stair case.
"How was your day?" Regina asked, her tone warm and soft, as she turned towards her son.
"It was okay" he returned simply. "My history class was awesome, though" he grinned, turning back towards her as he spoke.
"So I hear" she replied in a low tone. "Did you learn much in the lesson?" she asked with interest.
As they walked towards their apartment, Henry informed Regina of what he had learned in his history lesson that day. He explained how Mr Locksley had talked them through the intricacies of the battle, discussed strategy and weapons, and explained the advantages and disadvantages on both sides, which he demonstrated using the students. As she listened to how excited and engaged her son was in the history of the war, and how much he had clearly learned and understood in a subject which he usually struggled with, she found herself relaxing even more. Despite his unorthodox methods and questionable enforcement of boundaries, Robin Locksley was clearly a very good teacher. And as Henry changed topic from praising the subject to the teacher, it became quite apparent to the principal that her son agreed.
"He's a really great teacher, don't you think?" Henry asked, earning a nod from Regina.
"I do" she agreed, her tone unemotional but sincere. "He's clearly made quite an impression on you" she added as she unlocked the apartment door.
"Not just me" Henry responded pleasantly, using a tone which caused Regina to turn towards him with interest, narrowing her eyes as he stepped into the room.
"What?" Regina asked, closing the door behind her and placing her keys upon the table by the door. "What do you mean, dear?" she asked, her voice more controlled. Henry watched her for a few moments with an unreadable stare.
"Nothing" he stated dismissively, shaking his head as he spoke. "The rest of my class think he's pretty cool too" he continued, dumping his bag on the floor by the couch.
Regina kept her eyes focused upon her son as she walked towards him, picking up his bag from the ground and handing it back to him.
"That doesn't belong there, does it?" she asked, raising her eyebrow slightly as she spoke.
"Nope" Henry smiled, accepting the bag from her and heading towards his room before his mother could utter a word. He emerged a minute or so later with a different bag. "I'm gonna get ready with Hansel, I'll see you at the party, mom" he stated, leaving the apartment before Regina could respond.
Regina stared at the door for a few moments, before shrugging off her jacket and draping it over a chair and heading into the bathroom; the students weren't the only ones who needed to get ready for the party.
The party was not due to start until seven o'clock, and so Regina had asked the volunteers to attend no later than six. Therefore, when she arrived at half past five, she was slightly surprised to find Robin Locksley and Miss Gardner both in attendance. As soon as she entered the room Robin turned towards her, his eyes befalling the fitted black dress she wore, which highlighted her figure perfectly, and complemented the white gold and diamond necklace and earrings she wore. As she walked towards the teachers, her eyes drifting approvingly around the room, Robin watched her glossy hair dancing upon her shoulders, her red lips slightly parted, her eyes dark and knowing; she was breath-taking.
"Principal Mills!" piped up Zelena, who walked towards the Principal with a broad smile. Regina turned towards her expectantly. "What do you think?"
Regina looked around the room once more, admiring the way the fairylights were arranged, adorning the walls and draped across artwork and furniture which could not be removed. The hall was decorated in shades of black, white and gold (the school's colours), and it was truly magnificent. There was a symmetry and order about the room which she appreciated. The balloons featuring the school's colours were arranged throughout the room, and the tables were adorned with the food and drink which had been so carefully prepared by Granny and Ruby. Zelena was holding some fairy lights in her hand, whilst Robin was hanging a banner high above the stage.
"It's wonderful" Regina complemented. "You've done incredibly, Miss Gardner" she smiled.
"Oh, please" she replied modestly. "Call me Zelena". Regina nodded, her eyes drifting towards Robin.
After successfully hanging the banner, the history teacher jumped down from the top step, turning to greet Regina. He was wearing a pair of smart black trousers and a white shirt, complete with a matching jacket. The outfit, like the majority of his clothing, was perfectly fitted. Regina tried valiantly to maintain her composure and keep her eyes focused upon her face. Little did she know that Robin Locksley was attempting to do the same.
"I didn't expect you to be here so early, Mr Locksley" she stated cordially, confusion entering her tone.
"I volunteered to assist with preparing the rooms before the party, and I always keep my word" he replied politely. "The two rooms behind this one are also complete" he stated, before turning from her and indicating towards the lights. "We're just ensuring that the lighting is secure and working as it should be" he continued. Also, he felt that, after his conduct earlier, he should show her that he truly was a committed member of the team, and that she could depend on him.
"Good" Regina added simply, glancing up towards the recently hung banner. "Nice work" she stated, before clasping her hands before her and exploring the other two rooms which, as Robin had assured her, were perfectly arranged.
Regina walked through the two rooms behind the great hall, which were decorated in a similar manner. The main difference was that these rooms were quieter than the main venue, and contained comfortable couches and chairs for students who wished to sit and talk, or go somewhere a little less busy. Regina glanced around the rooms approvingly, heading towards the food tables and pushing a bowl of punch back a few inches so it would not fall. The band arrived shortly afterwards, and she remained with them as they set up, before examining the rooms once more ahead of the party.
The first two hours of the party were as busy and as loud as Regina could have anticipated. She spent the majority of the evening with Tink, as they supervised the more rowdy students, and prevented the forming of the high school equivalent of a mosh pit near the front of the stage. Although she did not speak to him directly, Regina found herself watching Robin Locksley on several occasions, all of which improved her already high regard for him. He spoke politely with the students, smiling and laughing with them; but he also intervened in issues of dispute and immaturity, ensuring that the children had fun but remained safe. He intervened in a small disagreement between Pan and Hansel, which he handled admirably, diffusing the situation before it went too far (and, thankfully, before her loyal son intervened on behalf of his friend). Regina kept a particularly close eye on Pan for the rest of the evening, and found herself questioning her decision to permit him to attend the party at all.
"He's just getting a little carried away, Regina" Tink reasoned. "But Robin seems to have put him in his place, so I'm sure he'll behave" she continued, watching as the sullen boy loitered near the stage.
"Hmm" Regina returned, unconvinced. "If he does anything else even remotely confrontational he'll be going straight to his room, and will be on clean up duty tomorrow morning."
"Fair enough" Tink smiled, her attention drawn back towards the band. "They're actually pretty good" she stated distractedly, swaying in time to the music. "Do you want a drink?" she asked, turning towards Regina as she spoke.
"No, thanks" Regina stated, pressing her lips into a small smile as she spoke.
Regina watched the band for a few moments as Tink headed to the other side of the room to get herself a drink. As Regina's eyes drifted from the band towards the entrance to the back rooms, she noticed Hansel and Henry head into one of the quieter rooms, apparently to continue a conversation they were both struggling to maintain. As they did so, Peter nudged Felix in the ribs, indicating towards them both, before heading into the back room. Regina sighed, before walking briskly across the hall and around the dancing children, as she made her way into the back room. Robin, who was stood at the very back of the hall talking to Miss Gardner, had also spotted Pan and Felix, and politely excused himself as he followed them across the hall.
By the time Regina got to the back room she could hear raised voices within the otherwise quiet area, where no other students were. She walked faster towards it as her son's voice rose over the others, and his orders to someone to 'put him down' rung out over the low sound of the music. Regina pushed the door open and stepped into the room, just as Pan had grabbed Hansel and pushed him against a nearby table, causing the large glass punch bowl to fall from the side and shatter upon the ground, covering the floor in shards of glass and sticky red liquid.
"That's enough!" Regina yelled, startling Pan with her presence. Her eyes darkened as she stepped towards Pan, who unhanded Hansel immediately. Henry grabbed his friend's forearm and led him to the side as his mother approached the scene. "I allowed you to come here tonight because you assured me that you'd behave" she stated, her eyes fixed upon Pan, who could not quite meet her gaze. She stared at him and the equally-agitated Felix, before fixing her attention upon the ground, which was covered in glass and punch. "Go to your rooms" she stated in a low tone, raising her eyes to meet Pan and Felix. "Now" she commanded. The boys obeyed immediately, quickly walking from the room without another word. Regina sighed, before turning towards Henry and Hansel. As she did so, Robin walked past Pan and Felix and took a step into the room.
"Are you boys okay?" she asked kindly, her voice adopting a soft, warmer tone.
"Yeah, we're okay" Henry stated, pressing his lips together into a tight smile. "I'm sorry, mom."
"You have nothing to apologise for, sweetheart" she returned, her tender tone causing Robin's heart to beat faster in his chest. "Either of you" she stated, turning her attention to Hansel. "Why don't you boys go and have fun, I'll get this cleaned up" she continued, looking around the room for a brush. Henry stepped forward.
"Mom, I can help-"
"No, sweetheart, there's a lot of broken glass on the ground, I don't want you to hurt yourself" she returned gently. "Besides, this is a party" she smiled. "Go and enjoy it". Henry hesitated for a moment before nodding, thanking her once more and leading Hansel from the room. Robin took a step back to allow them to pass and quietly closed the door behind him, watching as Regina tugged lightly at the bottom of her dress before crouching to the ground. As he walked towards Regina, the chorus of the latest song was played to cheers amongst the students, blocking the sound of Robin's approach.
Regina sighed as she looked at the mess upon the ground, before reaching out and collecting a few of the larger pieces of glass, which she placed carefully in the palm of her left hand. As she leaned forward to collect more glass she lost her balance on the ground, the sticky liquid making her unsteady, causing her to reach out her hands instinctively, planting them onto the ground to prevent her fall. As she did so her hand crushed several large shards of glass onto the floor, causing her to hiss in pain.
"Regina! Careful" came the familiar voice of Robin Locksley, as he instinctively bent down beside her and clasped her left forearm with his hand, drawing her towards him, his taut chest pressed against the side of her slender body.
Regina turned towards him in surprise, the now-decreasingly music volume having masked his entrance. She stared at him silently as she felt his warm fingers upon her arm, as he gently encouraged her to turn her hand over to reveal her injury. He was kneeling so close to her that their bodies were touching, and the feeling of his hand upon her caused every ounce of her body to feel warm, as though it were igniting. Her attention was drawn from his eyes, which were focused upon her hands with an attentive look of concern, as she experienced a searing pain caused by the shards of glass which had become crushed against her hand. As she looked at her left palm she noticed a cluster of glass in the centre, surrounded by an increasing amount of bright red blood. Robin grimaced.
"Are you alright?" he asked gently, his voice low and deep, and filled with concern.
Regina nodded in confirmation, her eyes drifting from her bloodied palm to his eyes, as he gently edged around her and encouraged her hand towards him. She felt shocked and confused, and none of this felt quite real. But she felt his chest brush lightly against her arm as he did so, his warm breath grazing the bare skin of her cheek and neck, as he leaned down and considered her wound, frowning as he did so. The warmth of his body was indescribably comforting, and his scent was intoxicating, her mind dizzied by his presence.
"It's nothing, I'm fine" she stammered. Robin looked up at her with a questioning look.
"There are still some shards which have become embedded in your skin" he explained, his eyes meeting hers, and holding her gaze for little more than a moment. "I'll be as careful as I can" he assured her, his voice low and soothing. Regina nodded wordlessly in response.
She hissed in pain as he removed the fragments of glass from her hand, his ministrations gentle and tentative. He offered her words of reassurance and comfort as he worked, placing his free hand beneath hers as she trembled, the last shard of glass having embedded itself deep in her hand. She inhaled sharply and let out a small gasp as he pulled the final piece from her palm, causing fresh blood to seep from the wound and travel across her hand, dripping onto the floor. Regina frowned, drawing her hand closer to her to examine the wound.
"The glass is all gone" Robin assured her, removing his hands from hers and removing a white handkerchief from his pocket, which he folded in half.
Robin then placed it tenderly across her palm, wrapping around her hand once, and then tying it off. Regina felt his fingers drift under her hand, gently holding it up and watching as the bleeding appeared to come to a stop. Robin's body was just an inch from her own, one hand resting beneath her injured hand, the other gently upon her lower back, his breath warm against her neck. She turned towards him slowly, her face pale but her cheeks slightly flushed, their eyes meeting and their lips barely an inch apart.
"Thank you" she breathed, her eyes meeting his, as her breathing deepens and becomes almost laboured, her entire body tingling with anticipation. She forgets the pain in her hand as she stares into his eyes, feeling his hands tenderly upon her, his protective hold causing her to yearn to lean against him. And suddenly, as the pain returns and a coldness rushes over her, she feels afraid, and averts her gaze from his. "I should get someone to clean this up" she stated wearily, holding her hand to her chest and pressing her uninjured palm against the floor, attempting to stand.
Although the injury was relatively minor, she lost a fair amount of blood, and her face was pale and her lips light from a combination of shock and blood loss. As soon as he realised what she was about to do, Robin lowered his hand from her back and placed it across her body and upon her right hip, before slowly pushing himself into a standing position and guiding her to her feet, his free hand supporting her left forearm as they stood. She is slightly unsteady on her feet at first, but soon regains her balance, inhaling deeply as she turns towards him.
"I bet you're regretting being on the clean-up crew now" she stated nervously, punctuating her statement with a small laugh, as she glanced towards the shattered glass and spilled punch, which was mixed with a small amount of her own blood.
"Not at all" Robin replied gently, slowly removing his hands from her body, the action now feeling too intrusive. His eyes drifted down to her hand. "You really should get someone to take a look at that."
"I'm fine" she stated dismissively, turning towards him as she spoke. "It's just a small cut" she stated, turning her hand over as she gazed upon it, before turning back to him once more. "And the bleeding has already stopped" she stated reassuringly. Robin watched her for a moment.
"Nevertheless-" he returned, stepping around her so that he stood tall before her. "You mustn't allow the injury to go unattended" he stated gently, his eyes soft and his expression so warm and so kind, filled with genuine care and compassion. In that moment, Regina found herself feeling tremendously overwhelmed, her hand and her heart aching in equal measure. What was she thinking?
"I should go" she said simply, her voice low and hollow, as she took a few steps back from him, unable to meet his gaze as she spoke. "Thank you" she stated sincerely, before lowering her injured hand to her side and rushing from the room.
Zelena watched with interest as Regina walked briskly through the hall, her hands clasped before her as she smiled politely to those who greeted her, before disappearing quickly into the corridor.
Robin watched as the door slowly closed behind her, the music seeming louder for just a moment, as he was left alone in the room. His mind played over the past couple of minutes, which seemed even more surreal the more he considered them, until he found himself questioning whether they had actually happened at all. But if Robin's mind ever truly allowed him to question this, it would not be for long; the evidence of Regina's injury and their brief encounter, which felt so inexplicably intimate, was clear by the presence of her blood upon his hands.