The attics are dusty, filled with old trunks and boxes that fascinate Una so that she spends rainy afternoons up there. Giselle tells if she finds anything of consequence, that she likes to bring it down and make it hers for her room. Costume jewellery, old dolls and toys from nurseries of olden days, Una can't help but dust them off and set them on her vanity and dresser drawers, even if Alec teases her when he sees them for the first time, but she always finds something to bring down, to dust off and make new again whenever she explores
"Who are you," Una hears in the middle of the afternoon as she types on her computer. The accent is familiar but comes from a voice that she doesn't know. Una looks up, seeing the familiar sandy hair that she is familiar with but on a person, she is not used to seeing it.
'Pardon?" Una asks.
"Are you the girl that my brother is shagging?" She asks more forwardly.
"You're Felicity?" Una says moving her computer from her lap. "I didn't know you were coming, your grandmother never said anything?"
"It was meant to be a surprise," The girl says with a shrug. "I'm surprised Grandmama put you in here," she says.
"Why do you say that?"
"It was Mum's, room growing up, I usually stay in here," she says with a touch of jealousy in her voice.
"She never said anything?" Una says unsure of what else to say.
"It's also my house, and given she will be here for a while I thought she should have a room she could be comfortable in, and since the guest rooms are nearer my room. I choose to allow my guest her privacy." Giselle says matronly behind her granddaughter. "You can spend the weekend in the Lilac room, or whenever you are here when Una is here with me. You always liked that room, and you're old enough to be trusted in it now. Just be careful with the balcony grates, they aren't as steady as they were."
"Apologies, I didn't realize she would be appearing," Giselle tells Una. "And don't dwell on the room, everything I said was true."
Una just nods her head, she looks at her phone. Alec who had meant to have Friday off got asked to work the morning and early afternoon so he didn't get a chance to leave until 3ish. It was only noon.
"Shouldn't she be in school?" Una asks confused.
"Most likely has spring break? I'll call Amelia and let her know she's here and if she knows at all." Giselle tells her. "I'll go talk to her and see what has happened. If you happen to go out there are a few things on the list that need to be picked up for dinner, if not I'll send a girl before shops close," she tells Una.
"I'll go," Una says shaking her head. "Not doing much anyway," she puts away her computer and goes over to her jacket and purse.
"Lovely weather is it not?" Una says absentmindedly as she enters the butcher shop.
"Only for the Canadian," the woman says shaking her head. She was used to Una coming by the shop at this point.
"Well, can't deny that," Una laughs and hands over what Giselle ordered. She waits, before counting out the notes and passing them over.
"Getting good at that," the woman comments.
"I would hope so," Una tells her. She does her rounds, she is getting a cup of tea to go when she spots Abby and her daughter. She waves at them.
"What are you up to today?" Abby asks.
"Just shopping for things? Alec got pulled into something, so he won't be here until six at the earliest, if he's lucky to get out at all today or tonight?" Una explains with a small sad smile.
"You're sad?"
"I mean I shouldn't be? We used to be continents apart, and have to arrange video calls," Una says sighing.
"Well, technically you're still long distance and he doesn't make it every weekend, three weekends of the month isn't much to see each other always." Abbey points out and Una's face falls. "Bugger, I didn't mean it like that I'm sure you gave up a lot just to be here and closer to him."
"It's fine, just his little sister showed up out of the blue, and that's weird since we don't know each other," Una explains.
"The little sister is checking out her brother's girlfriend, interesting," Abby hums as she reaches for Violet and lets her bounce on her little legs.
"Pretty much, plus I'm just hormonal," Una sighs.
"Do you want to hold her? It can work in two ways, make you want a baby or she'll make you want to overdose on birth control," Abby laughs before frowning. "Sorry...again I say something awful."
"Abby it's fine," Una says before deciding to just come clean. "Really, it is when I said that would have been my due date, I wasn't lying but I also didn't tell you that it was my choice not to have that due date," her voice drops low.
"Oh," Abby says. "Well, you were nineteen you said, and if you weren't ready then I am sure you made the best decision you could for yourself."
"Either way it was a gigantic mess of a situation, but somehow I landed here," Una tells her friend. "And I never turn down baby cuddles," a smile appears and she motions for the infant.
"Sorry, sorry, sorry," Alec says kissing her when he finally arrives hours later it's past dinner time and he looks tired it takes a cough for him to recognize that his sister was standing up the stairs.
"Flicka, what are you doing here?" He asks, torn between wanting to eat, dragging his girlfriend up the stairs to her room, and now his sister."
"Don't call me that?" The teen makes a face.
"Lissy then," Alec says with a sigh and she still makes a face.
"I wanted to see you, since you're never home now I figured I would come here because mum said you come here now."
"Did you skip school?" Alec asks, going into older brother mode. "Does Mum even know you're here?" He asks and she huffs.
"Come on now, why don't we feed Alec dinner and relax a bit with tea and biscuits," Giselle tells them looking at Una who doesn't know quite what to do.
"I'm not hungry," Felicity says turning around and going back to her room.
Alec looks longingly towards Una who only squeezes his hand. Telling him to talk to her, that they could wait. She could wait, that his sister was more important in this instance.
It's late when Alec finally comes to her room. The lamps glow and create shadows on the walls and on the old dolls and trinkets that she had from the attic.
"I'm sorry," he says kissing her, holding the sides of her face.
"It's fine, I have siblings I understand," Una tells him, kissing him back. "Did she give you some sort of explanation?"
"It's spring holidays?" Alec says with a shrug. "I think there's more to it, but she's not talking she wants to come up to the Lake with me, I ask her if Mom knows that she's here, and got nowhere with that, so I'll call in the morning I suppose?"
Una nods.
"I'm sorry that I didn't get here last night, someone called in sick and I had to cover,"
"It's fine," Una tells him pulling him down on her bed. "It was just a strange day when your sister showed up and essentially called me the woman you were shagging."
Alec sighed, running a hand through his curls. "That was unkind of her."
"I am your girlfriend aren't I?" Una asks him
"Of course you are, and while we are as she said ineloquently 'shagging' it's rude of her to say that to you," Alec exclaims. "She's fifteen, and she can be a bit possessive of me, or maybe I made her that way after Dad died? I don't know but I will talk to her and make her apologize."
"I don't need an apology, Alec," Una tells him as she lays her head on his chest. "Just remind me why I'm here okay?"
"That I can do," Alex says and kissing her thoroughly, her hands sliding under his shirt. They stay like that for a little while just relishing seeing each other once again.
"It's staring at me," Alec says through his kisses.
"It's a doll," Una rolls her eyes.
"It's staring at me," Alec repeats.
"Oh you are a giant baby," Una says shaking her head and throwing his shirt over at it and managing to cover it. Alec grins, kissing her once more and she melts into it, hips rocking to meet his, and his hand is already running up her thigh through her jeans. It wasn't until he reaches for her fly she breaks away.
"I probably should have mentioned that it's that time of the month," Una flushes in embarrassment.
"Duly noted," Alec says after a moment. "Is this a 'do not touch me' at all sort of a thing? Or is this just a notification that this could be messy and we should move to the shower?"
"Neither?" Una says unsure. "I don't know it's not something I ever thought about. I just remember hearing about guys being grossed out by it in school?" Una tells him honestly.
"Well, it's not everyone's cup of tea, but an orgasm helps cramps I've been told?" Alec says shrugging.
"So you've done it?" Una asks him shyly. It was no secret that he had more notches in his belt than she did.
"It sort of happened once by accident, so it wasn't entirely a planned thing. We just realized afterwards, otherwise my friend Zara while drunk described it in detail and how much her girlfriend enjoyed it." Alec explains.
Una nods her head still blushing.
"Look I know, in the grand scheme of things, and despite all your amazing curiosity and willingness to try anything fun or new. That a lot of this is new still to you, which is fine it matters little to me." Alec tells her. "Also for the record, even if roles were either reversed, or you had more experience, that wouldn't bother me either because I'm not that insecure about my abilities that I need someone with a small list of people." He tells her.
"How many people have you been with?" Una asks in a whisper, refusing to look at him as she does.
Alec tips up her chin, so she does look at him. "One never be afraid to ask questions, and second is this just morbid curiosity and you don't actually want an answer, or do you really want that answer? Because I'm okay with that, I mean I am no Shelley or Byron, but at the same time I probably have a few on your darling Keats."
"Keats died at 25, I'm sure that skewed the numbers a bit," Una tells him raising an eyebrow. "Anyway ignore me, it was impolite for me to ask."
"It was no impolite, it's a natural curiosity Una, especially if I can garner what would be your answer easily when my own might not be for you."
"What was your first time like then?" Una asks him. "You know about mine by circumstance alone, how old were you?"
"What is with all this Spanish Inquisition?" Alec leans back from her, with a questioning look in his eyes.
"I'm sorry I just feel like I know so much but so little at the same time?" Una says sighing "and people ask me about you and sometimes it can be simple things and I don't even know how to answer. I mean I call you my boyfriend and then I can't help but wonder if this is all just a joke or a dream because I can't answer simple things they ask that aren't oddly sexual I'm some way. Abby was over the other day and she asked me when your birthday is, and I just sorta stared at her. I mean I don't even know your birthday?! Do you even know mine? I didn't even know about your father and how he passed away until I asked your mother about it. You know so much about me and I nothing about you and I just wonder what I'm doing here and then I miss home but I can't call them because it's either in the middle of the night or no one is home."
Una sputters out finding tears running down her face as she wipes them off her face.
"Well, first off you didn't miss my birthday because it has happened yet, " Alec begins wiping some tears with his thumb "And look all these things are going to take time and we haven't exactly done this normally. It's going to be a bit slower to get all the details, so what if I knew more about your life? You were a strange enigma with this cloud of twisted gloom over you when we met and you were working through things and I happened to be along for the ride for some of it?"
Una sighed, "I'm sorry I'm just pmsing,"
"Even if you weren't it's okay to miss home or be confused," Alec says reaffirming that he is on her side. "Come on I have it on great authority from a younger sister, who while is a bit of a teenager right now, I give great hugs," He says opening his arms.
Una melts into them still crying, but slowly it stops.
"You still haven't told me your birthday," she reminds him after a few moments.
"June Luv, June 9th," he tells her.
"April 16th," Una tells him I was born on Easter," she tells him. "Mom went into labour but didn't tell him, he left halfway through service when he realized. It was a big event apparently," Una says quietly.
"Well, I was born seven months after my mother left here," Alec says. "Took me a long while to work that out as a teenager. I sometimes wonder if she hadn't gotten pregnant with me if she would have stayed?"
"What was your father like?" Una asks him.
"He was fun and crazy, he wrote for the local newspaper, but he dabbled in poetry and read me Wordsworth and Shelley, Tennyson. He would make the best Sunday Eggy bread, or I think you call it French toast, I remember him showing me how to make it, but I never managed to make it the same. Then he got sick and Felicity was young and I tried to be brave for her, tried to make her the same Sunday brunch. I guess in many ways I tried to take his place when I could. Mom never dated much and if she did they never came around and then Mom brought us here, explaining her family and who we were…" Alec says quietly. "As for the previous questions, if you want to know I'll tell you, I mean it's not extravagant but I know you come from a rather religious family?"
"I know not everyone is high school sweethearts like Faith and Jem, and I know that Jerry had a few serious girlfriends as well, I'm pretty sure Carl who is younger than me is not even a virgin. It was never necessarily a requirement. I mean Dad preferred not for us to have boys or girls in our rooms, or for us to do such things in the house. Though you were there when Rosemary talked to us, what he doesn't know doesn't hurt him. Though honestly, that whole subject, at least in Rosemary's view of things was always something along the line of 'we just want you to be sure at the moment, and to be safe about' not that it mattered much in the end." Una tells him.
It was a dull Saturday morning and they spend half of the night talking and kissing, Alec kneading her lower back and sometimes her lower stomach as the grimaces from a fresh wave of cramps as her pain reliever seemed to run out. Too tired to get out of bed for more, after the last time to run to the bathroom to pee and take care of other needs.
There's a knock on the door, and Alec holds a finger to his mouth before kissing her. The moment they left this room, he would be fair game to his sister.
Footsteps soon retract, and his phone goes off a few minutes later.
"Go to her," Una tells him. "Clearly she wants or needs something."
"She can wait, it's barely half past eight," Alec tells her with a kiss on her collarbone.
"Go, I'm not ever going to be liked by her if she thinks I'm stealing you away from her," Una shakes her head.
Alec sighs and rolls off of the bed. He goes to the washroom and comes back with a clean shirt and some pills in his hand. "I'll bring you some breakfast in bed," he says kissing her. "Sleep a bit more, or go have a bath until then?"
Una only nods her head. She takes the pills and reaches for the water on the bedside table.
She doesn't make it out of her room until mid-afternoon, and when she finds the siblings. Felicity looks at her for a long moment before going back to her phone.
Una looks at Alec who mouths I'm sorry to her.
"I'm going to go make something for dessert later," Una tells. "I am craving something chocolate today."
"What you planning on?" Alec asks interest peaked and Una laughs and shakes her head.
"Brownies I think? Or if there's still cream maybe icebox cake?" Una tells him.
"Oh my fav," Alec grins. "I'll help and then maybe we can go out for a walk?" Una nods her head. She's learned not to fear the rain these days.
Later they did their boots and jackets, hats and mitts as well as she for a change led him around the grounds in the grey drizzle. Alec tried to invite Felicity to join them, but she refused and pouted that they should just play board games in the room. Except Alec wanted to get outdoors and Una did as well.
Holding hands they explore more ending up on the main road at some point as they end up walking into town.
"Look who it is," someone exclaims and Una recognizes it as Meg. Una waves to her, pulling Alec along.
"This is Alec," Una explains. "And this is Meg, I told you about her, she's the one who works at Tesco?"
"Of course, nice to meet you," Alec says nodding his head.
"Southern boy," Meg hums at his accent. Una shakes her head. She was rather used to this mix of north and a southern accent that made up Grantham. She also never truly believed there could be so many variations of it.
"Bristolian actually," Alec tells her slightly putt out.
"Well we'll cure your lass of her Canadian one and give her the proper accent," Meg grins. "Much easier to pick up ours than your monotone."
"Our is it not monotone," Alec houses, and Un laughs.
"All right, can't we put the accent debate aside, I am horrid with accents anyway so I doubt I will ever pick it up naturally. " Una tells them both. "What are you doing out here in this drizzle?"
"Just on my way to work," Meg says shrugging. "I thought you wouldn't have left the bedroom," she wriggles her eyebrows.
"Oh hush," Una says blushing. "You're worse than my stepmother."
Meg just grins. "I have to get to work now, stop by the shop later, we making those cookies you like," She tells Una. "Nice to meet you, Alec," she says with a wave.
"She works at the Bakery around the corner, well it's a family business," Una explains.
"I'm glad you are making friends," Alec says with a smile and moves to kiss her temple through the hood of her jacket.
"Abby is around this area as well I believe, I doubt she would take Violet out in the rain," Una tells him. "Maybe next time you will get to meet her."
Una rushes for the shower of warm water, they are drenched to the bone that even the boots and jackets ended up doing little to protect them. They still kiss in corners as they race to her room.
It was Alec who turns on the old shower and start undressing. She doesn't even think or care as she divests her clothing. Una uses the moment to use the separate toilette to access her own situation.
"Shower sex?" She messages her sister on the off-chance she might see it.
"Amazing if you don't slip, but tricky as water washes away any natural lubrication. Though if you bleeding, that makes up for that. And really condoms don't work great with it either. Just remember you can still get pregnant if you're doing it on your period, but that's what birth control is there for, if not I highly suggest the pull-out method for some form of contraceptive method, because it's better than nothing at that point."
Una groans shaking her head
"All I needed was a yes or no, not an answer like that," Una messages back.
Alec is already under the stream of water when she comes out, skipping toward the shower and joining him in the steam. She blushes slightly but lets the water fall over her head, wetting down her hair that fell down her back. He grins when he sees her pulling her towards him.