September...
Lilias was in the garden looking after the vines of her Roses. She stood on a garden ladder that rested against the garden wall pruning the climbing roses.
Archie entered hoping she would hear his approach so as not to frighten her with speech amongst silence.
"Lily?" He spoke softly. "Where is Ben Weatherstaff? You mustn't take this sort of labour upon yourself. What if you were to fall?"
"I'm perfectly capable and safe, my darling. You worry too much."
Just after those words were spoken, she nearly lost her footing. The ladder was shaking.
Archie was standing near it and gently pulled her down from it before she could flip backwards, but the adrenaline in his rescue caused them to step down too quickly and softly fall down in the grass when they were near the last step. Lilias lay on top of Archie gasping as she landed upon him. Archie groaned beneath her. They then giggled.
She spoke, "I'm sorry. What is it they say? Pride goeth before a fall? Are you all right, my love? I haven't hurt you?"
"You've not hurt me." Archie replied sweetly. "What of your body? Are you injured in any way?"
She shook her head no softly smiling.
"Good." He responded. Lilias then rolled off of her husband. He breathed strongly. She gave him an anxious look.
"I'm quite well, my dear." He gave her arm a reassuring rub.
He looked to a tree nearby.
"I see your little Robin friend is back."
"Oh, yes. The garden is his home."
"I noticed on the way in that Misselthwaite's grounds are full of wildlife anxious to be let in to this garden. Just outside the wall I saw little rabbits, deer, ducks, a goose..."
"Well, where are our manners? Let us welcome those lovely creatures, shall we? We must not keep them waiting." Lilias giggled.
...
Later that evening, Archie was changing alone in his dressing room having given Leclair the night off. He was drawing his trousers down from his waist and below his hips slowly as Lilias began to enter the room. Her attention was drawn to his actions as she saw him wince in pain looking down at his hip as he moved his drawers down only slightly to reveal a large deep purplish/red bruise there at his hip.
"My God, I've done this to you." Lilias said surprising Archie a bit as he was not aware of her entry.
"'Tis nothing, my angel. Really." He answered her.
She knelt before him as he stood. And brought her lips gently and seductively against his injury-the bruise.
He had not expected that action. She always seemed to surprise him with her ardent affections.
"You...needn't...trouble...yourself." His words were broken up as the flaming sensation of the prelude to pleasure began to engulf him. Her lips were upon his hip softly and tenderly kissing him there. He could have slapped himself for saying the wrong thing in that moment. What he truly meant again was that he didn't want to be a burden to her. He didn't want her to think he expected or commanded specific intimate acts from her.
He was becoming quite aroused at her makeshift remedy. She knew the passion that was consuming him noticing the tensing of his body and almost instinctively sensing the throbbing of his covered lower midsection. She noticed he seemed to involuntarily, very gently and ever so subtly thrust his aroused form as her lips remained at his injured hip.
"Forgive me...I..." He was at a loss for words almost whispering. She looked at him as if to tell him not to apologize.
"I...need you." He finished his statement in the most irresistible and alluringly handsome tone of voice-tender and deep.
"And I you..." Lilias responded. Her eyes sparkling with desire. "Be with me now," she tenderly whispered.
Passionate kissing ensued. Archie suddenly was filled with life and vitality. He carried Lilias to bed.
...
"Are you happy? Have I made you happy? Truly?" These were the words Archie spoke after hours of reverie, his subconscious doubts were forming words again.
Lilias repelled them saying, "Blissfully happy. Magnificently, marvellously, magically so."
...
The next day...Again in the garden...
Lilias was picking wildflowers humming a beautiful tune as Archie was clearing the pond of leaves.
He looked up and to his right, because suddenly her humming stopped. He heard a swishing sound. Lilias had fainted softly in the grass.
"Lily!" He cried.
He gently lifted her to cradle her in his lap.
She came to quickly at those actions opening her eyes again.
"I'm all right. I suddenly felt a wave of dizziness and very weak...Perhaps, it's just my corset. It's probably just laced too tight."
"I'd feel much better if we send for Dr. Gibson to examine you just as a precaution in case you're quite ill."
"Very well. If it eases you." Lilias smiled gently as if to erase the concerned look from Archie's face.