A/N: Hey to everyone reading this story, thank you. And to bee-327, Chelsietx, to the guest, and ClarisseMarie for taking time to leave me lovely reviews. Thank you so so much, I appreciate it so much!
I have also written a small Art of the Fan scene in this chapter. The idea, of course, was from the scene between Clarisse and Mia in the movie, and some of the lines are the same. Which, I just want to clarify, do NOT belong to me. It's just to add a bit of fun to the chapter ;).
Anyhow, here's the next chapter for you all now. I hope you all enjoy it…
Returning to the table a few moments later, Joseph set the two bowls of fruit salad down on the table for them and sat back in his seat before looking up at Clarisse, who was now sat in her silk camisole top and shorts pyjamas set with her eyes closed, fanning herself with her hand fan while her robe now hung over the armrest of her chair. "Clarisse, are you okay? You've gone really pale." He said, his brow now furrowed as he instinctively reached out his hand onto her arm resting on the armrest of her chair.
"Uh huh, yes, I just came over all hot and dizzy, and a little nauseous," she replied and slowly opened her eyes to look at him as he averted his gaze to her glass of orange juice on the table. "It'll pass in a minute. It's been doing it on and off all night."
"Oh, you should have told me," he said and looked back at her as he smoothed his thumb back and forth over the top of her arm.
"And have you worrying for no reason?" Clarisse said and shook her head as she studied his face. "I'll be fine in a minute, as I said it'll pass."
"Okay," he nodded and reached his other hand out for her glass from the table. "I'll go and get you some more orange juice."
"Thank you," Clarisse said, watching him as he rose up from his chair before leaning closer to her and kissing her forehead.
"Do you need anything else while I'm there?" He asked softly as he moved to stand next to her chair and placed his hand lovingly on her shoulder.
"No, I don't think so," Clarisse said as she turned her head to look up at him while still fanning her face.
"Alright, I'll be right back," Joseph nodded and made his way back inside. Returning moments later, he handed her her glass of orange juice and sat back down. "I was thinking it may be a little bit of sunstroke. We have been out in the sun a lot this past few days. Well, over the last couple of weeks, actually, and remember you're not used to being out that much in it. Especially somewhere where it's hotter than back home."
"Well that's just typical that I would end up getting sick on honeymoon," Clarisse said solemnly and drank some of her orange juice before setting her glass back down on the table and looking up at him while resting her hand down beside her glass. "I'm sorry."
"Hey, don't be silly. You have nothing to be sorry for," he said softly and leant forward, reaching his hand out for hers resting on the table and holding onto the side of it as he began smoothing his thumb back and forth over the back of her hand. "You'll have to take it easy today and get plenty of rest while I pack up everything."
"See, I told you that we should have packed last night instead of spending it doing other things," Clarisse said, a small smirk on her lips as she closed her fan and set it on the table the other side of her glass. "At least I would have been able to help had we done it last night."
Coming back into the bedroom after having a quick shower, Joseph stopped in the doorway in nothing but his boxers and watched his wife, the most gorgeous woman in the world, as she walked across the room towards the bench at the bottom of the bed where she had set one of her suitcases, her arms laden with items ready to pack, and stood now with her back to him.
Watching her, he allowed his gaze to drift down over her body, to her sun-kissed freckled shoulders and back, to the silk camisole she was wearing, to the curve of her gorgeous bottom hidden beneath the matching shorts, and down to her beautiful long legs and how she was stood with one leg straight, while her other bent a little at her knee. There was just something delicious about her standing there. He craved her. Wanted to touch her. Kiss her. Taste her.
Oh, how he wished they weren't heading home tomorrow. He wasn't sure he was ready to share her again just yet. Not after it being mostly just the two of them for the last two weeks. But because they had no choice but to leave, he was going to make the most of their last night there together - and it certainly didn't involve packing. Finally stepping forward, making his presence known, he raised his arms up shoulder height and made his way over to stand behind her. Singing along and snapping his fingers to the beat of the song playing on the radio as Clarisse laughed and packed an item into her case with a small shake of her head.
"Shake, shake, shake, Senora," Joseph sang while rocking his hips from side to side behind her. "Shake your body line, whoa!"
"You're crazy," Clarisse laughed and gasped in surprise as he grabbed hold of her hips. Holding her back against him as he continued to rock his hips, now against her bottom.
"Crazy for you, my Senora," he whispered seductively in her ear and began kissing his way across the back of her beautiful sun-kissed freckled shoulder while leaving one hand on her hip and snaking his other hand around her waist to rest against her abdomen.
"Joseph," she whispered, his kisses now on her neck, as she leant back against the firmness of his sexy body and raised one arm up, her hand going to the back of his head, while her other hand grasped hold of his hand pressed against her abdomen. "We need to pack."
"We have plenty of time to do that tomorrow," he replied against her neck, eliciting a moan from deep within her. "Tonight is our last night here, let me take you to bed and ravage you oh so deliciously, just like you wanted," he said, a mischievous smirk playing on his lips as she lowered her hand from the back of his head and turned to face him. Her hands now going up to cup around his chin.
"Oh yes, please do that," she whispered before reaching up for a steamy kiss. His arms wrapping tightly around her waist.
"If I remember correctly, you didn't need much convincing to spend it doing 'other things' with me did you?" He replied with a mischievous smirk and watched as she laughed with a shake of her head. "Honestly, I don't mind doing it today, but you my love need to listen to me when I tell you that you need to rest while I do pack."
"Okay, I will listen and rest," she said and watched him smile at her while picking up her fan from the table before sitting back in his chair.
"Is this the fan that you bought while we were shopping the other day?" Joseph asked and Clarisse nodded as he opened it up just how you're supposed to. "One handles a fan very deliberately, do they not?"
"Yes, they do," Clarisse smiled and sat up, folding her arms together on the table in front of her as she watched him. "Very good, well done you."
"I've seen you open them many times over the years to know just how to open one. But how does the rest go?" He smirked, glancing over at her before holding up the fan in front of him, half covering his face as she chuckled. "I'm feeling flirtatious today. Come hither." He said, fluttering his eyelashes at her.
"Yes, that's it," Clarisse laughed as he moved into the next pose.
Turning his head to the side and raising the fan up a little more to cover the whole of his face. "I'm feeling terribly shy today, or what about this one," he laughed and lifted the fan up in the air above his head while extending his other hand out in front of him, "go away, I never wish to speak to you again."
"All very good, of course, but you forgot one," Clarisse laughed and held out her hand to him for her fan.
"I did?" He said, raising his eyebrow as he closed the fan and handed it to her. Trying to think of the one he might have missed.
"Yes, you did," Clarisse smirked and playfully swatted his arm with it. "You missed the 'showing you're annoyed' one," she exclaimed teasingly and they both laughed.
"Alright, alright. I can take a hint," he laughed and leant closer to her. His hand smoothing along the side of her thigh. "It made you laugh though, didn't it?"
"Oh it did, thank you," she said, giving him a small smile and studying his face. "And I was only messing with you. You could never annoy me."
"Oh that's good to know," he smiled, leaning in even closer to her and giving her a quick kiss before sitting back in his chair. "How are you feeling now? Has the nausea and hot, dizzy spell passed."
"Yes it has, for now," Clarisse nodded and popped a piece of fruit from the fruit salad he had made them for breakfast in her mouth.
"Well hopefully after you've had a bit of a rest you will start feeling better," he said and watched as she picked up her glass of orange juice from the table. "Because you were restless last night, being tired certainly won't help."
"I know," Clarisse nodded and took a sip of her drink before resting the glass down on the top of her thigh. "I'm going to eat this then I will go and have a lie down."
"Alright," he nodded and popped a spoonful of fruit in his mouth as she drank a bit more of her orange juice.
Setting her glass back down on the table, Clarisse looked up at her husband and smiled. "Are you going to talk to me about what's on your mind and why you didn't sleep much last night?"
"Mm, yes, alright. Now is as good a time as any," Joseph nodded and studied her for the briefest of moments before continuing. "It's only an idea, but I was wondering how you would feel about coming out here for our first anniversary and renewing our wedding vows? It falls on a Saturday, and I could speak to Diego about maybe taking the boat out and doing it at sunset."
"Oh Joseph, I don't know," Clarisse said as she studied him and watched as he held out his hand for her. Reaching her hand out, she took hold of his and gave it a small squeeze.
"I know that you don't really do parties and are trying to avoid crowds now that you are no longer Queen, but it will be very low-key. I promise," he said softly and gently pulled on her arm for her to stand up. When she did he turned her around and wrapped his arms around her waist as she sat down in his lap and wrapped an arm around his shoulder, listening to everything he said. "We don't have to do it, of course. It's just an idea. But I just thought that it might be nice because it wasn't really our wedding day the day we married. None of it was for us and if we renewed our vows then we could do everything how we wanted it. The flowers, the outfits, the food, everything. Something you haven't been able to do yourself for such a long time. And along with Mia, Pierre, Lilly, Nicholas and Charlotte, my family could be there too, and of course Alizée, something they missed out on the first time round."
"You have really thought about this, haven't you?" Clarisse asked as she gazed into his eyes and moved her hand from the back of his shoulder to grasp the back of his head.
"Yes I have, for the last couple days actually it's all I've been able to think about," he nodded as he smoothed his hand down her thigh and resting it on the front of her knee. "Spending this time with them over the last couple weeks made me realise that they missed out on seeing us marry. And although they are happy and elated for us, it would have been nice to have them there sharing our special day with us."
"You're right. They did miss out on that and I know how close you are to them all," Clarisse nodded and studied his face a moment. "Alright, let's do it. Let's renew our vows."
"Are you sure? Because we don't have to if you don't want to," Joseph said and watched as she shook her head.
"No, I want to," Clarisse said and smiled as she put her free hand up to cup his face. "It would be nice having my sister there too."
"Yes, it would," he smiled and moved his face closer to hers, to kiss her a moment as she slipped her thumb under his chin. "I love you so so much, my love," he whispered between kissing his way down her jaw and into the crook of her neck before lifting his head and gazing into her sparkling blue eyes.
"I love you too," Clarisse smiled as she smoothed her hand from his face to join her other hand on the back of his head before closing her eyes and kissing him once again as he locked his arms back around her waist.
"Right, come on," Joseph smiled as he pulled back a moment later and smoothed one of his hands down from her back to her bottom, and patted it a couple of times. "You need to try and eat something so you can go and get some rest."
After eating the bowl of fruit salad that Joseph had made for them, Clarisse made her way up to the bedroom to get some rest while he made a start on the packing. But as she climbed into bed, his phone beeped with a message. Rolling onto her back, she reached her hand out for it on the bedside table and holding it up in front of her she saw he had received a message from Charlotte.
'I'm really sorry, Joe. I know you guys are enjoying the last day of your honeymoon and will be travelling back home tonight, but Clarisse's sister, Alizée, has been in touch this morning asking if Clarisse can call her as soon as she can.'
She read out to herself and lowered her hand with the phone in down onto her stomach a moment. She considered leaving it and dealing with it later. But she needed to know that her sister was okay so, with a sense of dread, she dialled the number that Charlotte had included in the message and put the phone to her ear.
"Bonjour," Alizée said, answering the phone.
"Bonjour Alizée, c'est Clarisse." Clarisse replied.
"Oh Clarisse, I'm so glad you called me back so quickly," Alizée replied and put her free hand up onto her forehead.
"What's going on?" Clarisse asked. "Are you okay?"
"I am, yes, and I'm so sorry to do this. Just please know that I really didn't want to while you are away on honeymoon. Remember, we spoke about it a couple of weeks back? But I feel that I have no choice now," Alizée said sombrely. "I've been given no choice."
"Okay, Alizée, you are starting to scare me now," Clarisse said as she sat up on the bed, her legs bent up in front of her, and put her free hand up onto her chest. Her fingers playing absentmindedly with the heart shaped diamond pendant on her necklace. "What's happened?"
"Esmée got in touch with me this morning, well actually I say she got in touch. She actually turned up at my house," Alizée said, her voice shaky.
"You mean she's in France?" Clarisse asked, her heart thudding in her chest.
"Yes, she is. And she's not happy that neither of us responded to her letters, I told her do you blame us," Alizée said and took a deep breath before continuing. "And that's when she dropped a bombshell. Clarisse, I'm so sorry… but… she has a child and she's saying that Joseph is the father."
"What?" Clarisse exclaimed, her mind going into overdrive. "But she can't… he can't be…." she rambled, trying to think straight and work out dates as she rested her elbow on her knee and covered her eyes with her hand. Because, depending on how old the child is, there is a strong possibility that her husband could, in fact, be the father. "Did she say how old the child was?" She asked with bated breath.
"Yes, she did. She said she's nine and a bit," she replied and listened as Clarisse gasped.
"She? She had a daughter?" Clarisse asked quietly. A rush of emotions hitting her all at once. Taking her bottom lip between her teeth she turned her head to the side. To look across the bedroom as she tried to focus on something, anything, just to stop herself from crying. "Okay, um…"
"Clarisse?" Alizée said softly, hearing the crack in her voice.
"Yes, I'm okay," Clarisse nodded. "So, she's had a daughter all this time and is only just telling us now?"
"Yes, that's what I said to her," Alizée said and nodded. "But there's something else you need to know."
"I thought as much," she nodded and took a deep breath. "Go on, please."
"She's going to the newspaper about it. Said that they would love hearing all about how the former Queen of Genovia's new husband has a nine year old daughter that he has never bothered with," Alizée replied and heard a small whimper coming from her sister.
"Yes, because he never knew about her," Clarisse exclaimed. "Had he known he would have been there for her from the moment she was born."
"I take it then, from what you just said, that there is a chance Joseph is the father?" Alizée asked and Clarisse remained silent a moment. Giving her sister the answer she needed. "Oh Clarisse, I'm so sorry. I really didn't want to be the one to tell you about this."
"Oh, I know," Clarisse replied and brushed her tears away. "But yes there is a chance he is the father and I can't talk about that right now, I need to go and speak to my husband. Tell him what's happening."
"Of course, I will let you go and do that," Alizée said sympathetically and nodded. "I just pray that what she said about going to the papers was all just talk, or if not, that you can perhaps maybe put a block on it from being printed."
"Yes, I'll call my lawyer in a little while to see what we can do," Clarisse replied and closed her eyes.
"Okay, well you have my number if you need someone to talk to, and I will see you when I visit in a couple of weeks," Alizée said softly. "Je t'aime, tu sais?"
"I know you do, Je t'aime aussi."