Well friends, it's been a week. One by one, everyone in my household fell prey to the worst stomach bug any of us has ever experienced. I won't get into gory details but, yeah... it was gruesome. So posting a new chapter today feels especially refreshing and victorious!


Chapter 10 – Houseguests

True to his word, Bruce did call Selina the following day, sounding none the worse for wear. His response to Selina's gently probing "Everything all right?" was a vague "Yes. I'm doing fine."

As if Bruce was the center of the universe. As if Selina wasn't the least bit concerned about Alfred, or whomever that call had been about last night. Bruce was fine, so all must be well. Simple as that.

One minute he bares a piece of his soul, next minute he's cryptic as ever, she sighed to herself as she scaled Wayne Manor's front steps the next evening. Aggravating as it was, she'd have to do her best to adjust and take it as it came. In all fairness, neither of them could honestly expect a normal, average courtship.

No sooner had her finger pressed the doorbell when Alfred's beaming face appeared. "Welcome, Miss Kyle! Please come in and make yourself at home. Master Wayne will be just a few minutes."

Handing her coat off, Selina thanked Alfred before he headed toward dinner's aroma in the kitchen. If Bruce isn't cooking, she wondered, then what's keeping him?

Alone in the grand foyer, she bypassed the plush benches meant for waiting guests. Alfred said to make herself at home, so why shouldn't she do exactly that? There were so many lavish furnishings she hadn't gotten to appreciate on her first visit here. A self-guided tour seemed just right at the moment.

Her steps were carefully measured through each space. There were grand family portraits in one room, each frame with its own individual spotlight. It felt a little too much like an art gallery, too austere. She was subconsciously searching for warm, intimate corners that belied the greater edifice. Something that might offer a few more glimpses into Bruce's soul. It had to be around here somewhere.

The next room was a library, complete with an ornate twenty-foot ceiling and rolling ladder. Two high-backed leather armchairs, deep burgundy in color, faced a lit fireplace in the center. Twilight cast its weak illumination through latticed arched windows. Selina inhaled deeply. As intimate spaces went, this was certainly a step in the right direction.

Enjoying the satisfying plush carpet beneath her shoes, she let the fireplace draw her forward, unbidden. Just a few more steps and she'd be within its glow. Those chairs looked big enough to curl up and doze off in…

Just as she turned to sit in the right-hand chair, a flash of movement caught her eye. The left-hand chair was not empty as she'd assumed. It was occupied by a boy of about ten, his arm in a sling. He looked as stunned as Selina.

Before either of them could move their tongues to speak, Bruce's imposing form came rushing into their midst. Grasping the boy by his good arm, Bruce practically carried him off like a toddler. It was all a frantic blur, but Selina could hear most of their terse whispers:

"What did I tell you about coming downstairs?!" Bruce growled.

"I didn't think–"

"No, you didn't! You didn't think at all."

"I didn't say anything…"

"Only because I found you just in time! Go straight back upstairs. Alfred will bring your food up soon."

Selina stared agape at the vacant room, wondering if she'd just imagined the entire scene. Thankfully, Bruce soon returned and anchored her back to reality.

"My apologies," turmoil was still leaving his voice. "If you'll follow me, dinner is served."

Incredulous, Selina spread her arms wide. "That's all you have to say?"

"Food's getting cold."

"I don't care! Who the heck was that?"

"A visitor," Bruce decisively replied.

"So am I, but I'm not wearing pajamas like he was."

"Are you hungry or not?" he gestured impatiently down the hall. "Alfred might throw it out if he thinks we're not interested."

To her chagrin, Selina's empty stomach held far more authority than her burning curiosity. Under threat of going hungry all night, she relented, scowling as she let Bruce take her by the arm.

Dinner was at least worth her hassle, and every bit as delicious as it smelled. Selina paused between bites to savor her surroundings – the polished mahogany dining table, gorgeous china plates, and crystal glassware that sparkled like diamonds beneath the chandelier. With indulgences like these, she could numb the nagging questions in the back of her mind for an hour or two.

When dessert was at last served, she saw her opportunity for answers on the horizon. Besides that boy's identity, Selina also wondered about Alfred's awareness of her and Bruce's… revelations. Had Bruce told him who Selina really was? She'd studied the butler constantly (when she wasn't studying Bruce), and couldn't discern whether he knew or not.

Curse those impeccable British manners. Even if he knew, it probably wouldn't register on his features anyway.

As luck would have it, the questions she so eagerly sought would go unanswered a while longer. No sooner had she and Bruce taken their final bites of pie when a familiar emblem appeared in the night sky.