To think I began writing this a year ago, thinking it would be some little one-shot that would be one and done and never thought about again. Yet here I am with chapter twelve... Laugh all you wish my friend...it's okay I laugh too.
Una didn't know what to think in reality, she looks around confused but grabbed Alec by the arm and does the only thing she can think of at that moment. Go to her room for privacy.
She is halfway up the stairs when she hears her father's voice at the foot of the stairs.
"Door stays open," he tells them and her cheek turns red.
She barely nods her head and blushes at the insinuation of his words.
"What are you doing here?" She asks him once again.
"Well, as I said," Alec started.
"No…how are you here? Do you have a job? You cannot just jet off anytime you want, airfare is insane…I know I've paid it!" Una cries.
"Okay, well I can explain that, you see while my mother raised me in Bristol, she's a bit of a black sheep of her family. My grandparents are rather wealthy and I have a tidy sum of an inheritance from my grandfather, and you know some old crumbling house somewhere in the country that my grandmother still lives in," Alec explains. "As for the rest, I just said I have a family emergency and that was it? I mean I can't stay too long, but the way your sister's fiancé went on it sounded like you were devastated and I didn't want you to feel that way, or that I would be angry?"
Una sighs sinking into her old bed.
"I almost kissed him back."
"But you didn't?" Alec says next. "I mean I saw the video of you slapping him. Unless that was somehow edited?"
"There's a video of it?"
"I guess someone took it for proof, I'm not entirely sure?" Alec admits to sitting down in the chair that's at her old desk.
"This is all so bloody ridiculous," Una groans, falling backwards on her bed.
"Do you want me to leave?" Alec asks unsure of the situation looking over at her.
"I want this to just be all over with, I just want this to go away and never come back. I want him to just leave me alone. But It's not, and every time I see him and every time he does try to talk to me or does something stupid like that. It's just all slammed back into my head. God, I feel like I should have just told him like this is my punishment for not telling him. If I just told him, and what my plan was—," Una spits out.
"He would have talked you out of it, you would most likely have a newborn on your own because he probably couldn't handle it, or be in some toxic relationship while dealing with postnatal depression because he's a twat." Alec says dryly reminded of everything he knew about and what she told him.
"It would have been at least respectful," Una mutters.
"Respectful? That bloody pompous prat doesn't need your respect, Una. When has he respected your feelings, your wishes, your wants?" He says almost angrily, before regretting it as he watches Una curl up even more.
"All I am saying is that he's not worth your forgiveness Una, he's not worth it at all." Alec softens.
"You think I don't know that?" Una says quietly. "Do you know what it's like being here? Living here? Everything just swallows you up whole and is chewed up and gossiped about until something better comes along."
"Then why didn't you leave?"
"I don't know! I thought I could manage, I thought he knew better and to just stay away from me?"
Alec moves quietly, placing a gentle hand on her back trying not to frighten her and sits down on the bed next to her.
"It will be okay," he says rubbing her back as she turns to curl into him. He mostly sits there, against her headboard. Rubbing her back and whispering little nothings to calm her here and there until she falls asleep.
When he hears footsteps he looks up and sees the Reverend and Rosemary.
"Are you hungry?" Rosemary asks falling into hostess as she put down a glass of water for him on the nightstand.
"I'm all right thank you," he says shaking his head.
"Do you have a place to stay? Unfortunately, there are not a lot of hotels or those new-fangled online B places around here." John tells him.
"I didn't really think that far ahead," Alex frowns.
"You may use Jerry's old room in the basement," John tells him. "I just ask you to respect the house rules. I may be a rather modern reverend, and respect and not judge my daughter's choice but I still draw the line of a few things within my own house."
"Of course," Alec says nodding his head. "I wouldn't dream of disrespecting you or your wife."
"Una will fill you in on the rules then," John says nodding his head. "If you do get hungry, just raid the fridge."
"You're still here," Una mumbled slightly confused as she woke up.
"Of course," Alec says nodding his head as he caresses her long dark hair. "Your father offered me Jerry's old room….but if you want me to find somewhere else I can figure something out." He says quietly.
"You can stay," Una tells me. "But given he is a man of the cloth, there is no sex in this house that is not matrimonially ordained," Una warns him. "Which is why my sister lives in the city, even though she could technically live at home? Jem comes home on the weekend using the ferry so they can see each other," Una tells him. "He's going through medical school right now, eventually she'll move to be closer to him but for now they sorta do it this way."
"Fair enough," Alec says. "You're okay that I came?"
Una sighs but nods her head. "Just wasn't expecting it, but it is appreciated. I'm sorry I was a mess. I just on edge with everything?" She says before jumping to sit up. "I had to work this evening!" She shrieks.
"I believe your father called in and said you were ill," Alec tells her.
"I thought boys weren't allowed in girls' rooms," Bryce says awkwardly from the doorway.
"Alec is special, and he'll be staying downstairs at night," Una tells him. "Do you want to come for a walk?"
"I have homework," Bryce shakes his head.
"Is October always this cold?" Alex says shoving his hands in his pocket.
"I asked if you wanted a jacket, it's not even that cold though?" Una says shaking her head. "It's like plus eight out."
"It doesn't even get to 8 degrees at night in Bristol in October usually," Alec says shaking his head.
"Well I'm pretty sure it does up in the Lake District so you'll get used to it pretty fast after being here," Una tells him. "Come on, I'll find you an old jacket or something of my brothers to borrow."
Alec nods his head and follows her back to the house and she riffles through the closet for a moment and pulls out a navy blue jacket.
"This should fit you, and you're going to need it if you will last even a walk to the shore," she says cheekily as she tosses it to him.
She walks him through the old trails and haunts that her childhood still haunts by way of memories. She can still hear the sound of laughter, jumping and occasionally tears. She's wearing a hoody and a pair of jeans that fit very well.
If she was paying attention she would have noticed Alec's quiet watchful gaze. He's seen her in Paris, in photos while she had been in Germany, later in their stay and in Rome and car ride to the ferry. He saw the crinkle around her eyes when she broadly smiled, the pensive gaze out windows and more than naught—in the nave of the many churches.
She wasn't though she was busily pointing out, showing and telling memories and history of the island. She belonged on the island, something about the salt air and breeze made her come alive in any way she would never see for herself.
His hands sneak into the back pockets of her jeans, pulling her closer to him as she leads him to the top of one of the dunes that dropped down into the gulf of the ocean. She looks up at him with worry still in her eyes.
He kisses her gently at first, the first since she arrived at the Manse. She shyly kisses him back, her arms wrapping around his neck. When the kiss ends she lays her head on his chest listening to his beating heart.
"You are so beautiful you know that right?" He whispers.
"I'm sorry—," Una start but he shakes his head and takes one hand out of her pocket and put a finger to her lips.
"You are not allowed to be sorry, there is nothing for you to be sorry about," Alec says shaking his head.
They walk hand in hand back to the house, Una turning on the kettle as she brings it downstairs to where Jerry's old bedroom was.
"So there is a bathroom down here just over there, plenty of blankets if you get cold," Una explains. "It looks like Rosemary put fresh sheets on for you earlier, Dad rises early, but he shouldn't be loud or anything but if you hear footsteps it's most likely him. Bryce sometimes plays video games down here, but his curfew for that is like 9 pm so it shouldn't be an issue."
"Do we have a curfew?" Alec asks. "I mean I understand no shagging, but I can at snog you?" He asks.
"God that was full harry potter," Una says shaking her head. "And yes you are allowed to kiss me," she tells him.
"Really as long as you keep whatever you do on the down low and are safe. What John doesn't know won't hurt him." Rosemary says coming out of the laundry room. "He can't be too picky considering our history."
"Oh please do not…." Una says face scrunching up and Rosemary laughs broadly and goes back upstairs.
"Don't go getting ideas," Una looks at Alec who puts up his hands in defence.
"No idea's forming, what so ever," he tells her. "None of that kind of thing anyway?"
"Fine, fine," Una says. "You are still allowed to kiss me though." She tells him as she pulls him down on the sofa.
The kisses were slow and passionate, his hand cradling the one edge of her face. It was strange to be kissing him in here. In Canada of all places. He nips her lip lightly as if he asking politely to deepen the kiss. Which she does as she moves closer to him, pressing up against him.
"Gross! Other people live here you know that right," Bryce complains as he comes down the stairs.
"You'll understand one day kid," Alec chuckles deeply.
"I should go take a shower," Una says getting up. "I do have to work tomorrow and you must be exhausted," She looks over at Alec.
"I won't lie to say it has been a long day," Alec agrees while nodding his head.
The next morning Una takes Alec into town with her and Rosemary who was going to do groceries. She only worked a few hours and he wanted to explore a bit and offered to help Rosemary as well.
Alec left Una with a lingering kiss after she flipped the open sign. She sets up her till and waits for customers. It was hit-and-miss most mornings but she didn't mind it too much.
She was busy cleaning when an angry Walter Blythe comes storming through her door.
"Seriously you throw your boyfriend at me?" Walter spits out.
"If he found you that on his own accord, and you probably deserved it," Una glares at him. "So leave unless you are going to buy something or I'll call the cops."
"So what you call and he's at your beck and call then?"
"Your brother called him because I was so sick of the thought of having to explain to him what happened, the Jem thought it would sound more sincere and believable if the conversation came from him," Una tells him. "Even your brother thinks you're an ass."
"I thought I told you to stay away from her," Alec's accent drips with his British dryness. "I may be British and reserved, but I am not above hitting you if it means knocking some sense in your dense head of yours.
Una watches Walter stutter and knocks Alec on his way out, who rolls his eyes before looking at the shop for a moment.
"So if I buy this would you wear it for me?" Alec says with a smirk as he holds up some lacy number.
"You can't go around threatening him, and really where am I going to wear that? Remember the rules?" Una says grabbing the nighty from his hands and placing it back on the wall.
"He came up to me," Alec tells her. "I was just helping Rosemary put the grocery in the car from the grocery store. I had a few quiet words about respecting your wishes and keeping his distance and that was all."
"I believe you," Una says quietly.
"Good," Alec says before eyeing around the store. "What about this though?" He holds up a black lace and satin bra.
"Out, I'm trying to work," Una says shaking her head and pointing to the door, that is opening with customers.
"I will see you later," Alec says stealing a kiss. "Good day ladies," he says tipping his imaginative hat to the older ladies who both looked in interest when his accent came out.
"Una Meredith," they look at her. "Wherever did you find that gentleman?" They ask in shock.
"Oh, of course, it's all Walter's fault," Una hears Mrs. Blythe shout in a mid hazy sleep on the couch. They probably didn't realize she was out
"Well, it usually is! Faith has proof, hell your other son also tells us that Walter essentially tried to assault my daughter." Una hears Rosemary's usually calm voice raise just enough to sound angry.
"Step-daughter," She hears the jab and it makes her rather angry. She turns to look at Alec who was napping because the time change caught him.
"She is my daughter, even if not by blood that girl is my daughter, and maybe if you took off the rose-coloured glasses you love to wear about your precious children you would realize that your son is awful, and your teenage daughter has been trying to hook up with a twenty-two-year-old college boy. Why don't you worry about that situation and fix it before she does something that might change her life and his life together!" Rosemary's voice raises even more.
"Oh yes blame it on everyone but your family." Mrs. Blythe says almost sarcastically. Ignoring the whole thing on her daughter, apparently as well.
"In this case I am, I have admitted to agreeing that Una should have told him, and everyone before going to that clinic, but at the end of the day it was her choice. This issue though, the other night is all on Walter. All Una has tried to do since arriving home was to keep a low profile, work and figure out her life."
Una feels Alec's arms tighten around her, meaning he was awake and listening as well.
"Oh yes and galavanting around Europe with some guy she met on the train." They both hear, but this time Alec presses a kiss to her temple reminding her that they did nothing wrong.
"Well maybe if you taught your son some decorum and morals, she wouldn't have to run to Europe to figure herself out. Maybe if you paid attention and check him or taught him how to be a gentleman and not use women. God the entitlement that drips from him and you at times is repulsing. God, you would let him get away with murder with your blindness for him."
"How high and mighty of you to accuse me of loving my son when your own daughter committed the same sin."
"That is an entirely different situation and you know it. We all know that no woman ever makes that sort of decision lightly and that decision almost destroyed her. Also if you were so worried about a life in peril you would have reached out when Una wanting to harm herself came to light...but you never did. Jem did though, he was here rushing to the day because he knew Faith would need him. So clearly you didn't care, you only cared when it came to your reputation because reaching out means admitting that Walter was wrong." Rosemary seethes.
"I suggest you leave Anne," Una hears her father. "We can discuss this civilly at a later date unless you wish for this to be permanent and for our children to choose to elope one day because their families can't seem to get along."
There is a silence over the kitchen and then a door being shut, and when Una opens her eyes she sees her father looking down on them snuggled up on the sofa.
"Perhaps it might be beneficial to get away from this place for a day or two?" He says almost apologetically.
"We can stay with Faith?" Una frowns.
"I booked your two nights at a little place, a bit more secluded than your sister's place. Rosemary suggested that it might be good for both of you to have some privacy and talk about the future. You are always welcome here, but clearly, for your own well-being, it might not be the best thing for you?"
Una nods her head knowing that her father is. It's not that he didn't want her home, but it may be easier for her not to be.