《Partial Hearts》 Chapter 1 Christine sat under the shade of her lacey parasol on a red and white picnic blanket. Her curly hair was pulled back as a tight but messy bun, flowing in the summer breeze of mid-day. She sat with her skirts all about, legs underneath her. Christine had laid her white satin gloves and shiny pearls on a square of the blanket. She had also taken off her hat, which Thomas comically wore. Thomas¡¯ smile was so bright that the sun was put to shame. He and Christine¡¯s laughs filled the air in melodic harmony. Both had piercing green eyes and chocolatey red hair. They threw bread into the pond nearby at the ducks and strawberries into each other''s mouths. Christine¡¯s laugh slowly quieted and her face grew solemn. Thomas noticed. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, my love?¡± He took her hat off of his head. Christine crossed her wrists in her lap, ¡°My mother was rather distant today, she even tried to discourage me from joining you for this picnic¡± ¡°Why, we always go on a picnic on Sunday afternoons,¡± Thomas crossed his ankles, his legs out in front of him. ¡°She took an awfully long time at the confession box at church today as well,¡± Christine thought out loud. Thomas let out a chuckle. Christine sighed, ¡°I¡¯m serious. I¡¯ll be nervous to go back to the house, I feel very uneasy about this afternoon.¡± ¡°What could she possibly say that could ruin our lovely lives together?¡± Thomas asked. Christine¡¯s smile returned but she soon heard her mother¡¯s voice calling her. ¡°Apparently my name,¡± she rolled her eyes. Thomas stood and offered his arm. Christine stood also, parasol over one shoulder, and placed her arm through his. ¡°Aren¡¯t we going to clean this up?¡± she asked. Thomas shook his head, ¡°later¡± They strolled down the green hill lined with wildflowers, taking in all of the sights and sounds around them. ¡°Tell me my horoscope,¡± Christine folded her parasol and hooked it onto her wrist. ¡°Today you will be visited by providence himself, here to tell you of your many coming blessings. You will-¡± If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°How do you know providence is a man?¡± Christine interrupted. ¡°They, whoever providence may be, will show you your future. You will take a chance and it will pay off¡­¡­.but far in the future,¡± Thomas spoke as though he knew every word of his pretend fortune telling was true. ¡°Christine! Do hurry!¡± Lacy Octania called again. ¡°I¡¯m coming!¡± Christine broke from Thomas, running the rest of the way down the hill. Thomas laughed. Christine¡¯s wild nature was something only Thomas had appreciated. She felt she could be her free and unfiltered self around him and only him. She didn''t even feel she could be her true self around her mother. Not since her father¡¯s passing a decade ago. When Christine was seven, her father died of a heart attack. Christine always thought that was why her mother¡¯s heart turned to stone, to prevent her own heart from an incident like that. Her mother¡¯s heart grew colder as the days went by. Christine couldn¡¯t remember the last time her mother had told her ¡®I love you¡¯. Lady Octania¡¯s cold demeanor only made Christine want to rebel even more. She stepped through the stone arch leading to the small pathway to the back door. ¡°Wait here?¡± She turned to Thomas and kissed him. He nodded, ¡°Of course¡± She walked in and hurriedly brushed grass off of her gingham cashmere dress, as blue as Thomas¡¯ brother¡¯s eyes, which met hers as she straightened up her hair. He smiled and tipped his head. Christine did not smile back. ¡°Hello James¡­¡± she said flatly. ¡°Good afternoon,¡± he replied, ¡°you¡¯re messy, as usual¡± ¡°You¡¯re haughty,¡± she walked passed him, ¡°as usual¡± ¡°I dare say, won¡¯t my own daughter treat our guests with some kindness?¡± her mother unexpectedly turned the corner to meet her. Christine begrudgingly curtsied to James without a word, not letting her eyes meet his. He kissed her hand in the same manner. Lady Octania put on a cumbersomely delighted smile. ¡°Christine, James has come with his father at a time of unprecedentedness. We are in danger of losing the trust and loyalty of the English people. They do not believe the highest class of our country are living in harmony and fear that we will start a war if they don¡¯t start it first. To aid in the peace (She looked at Lord Waltz) I have decided something,¡± Lady Octania¡¯s words got further apart as she spoke. Her voice trembled slightly. Christine knew what was going to be said. She saw it in James¡¯ occasional tug at the collar of his shirt, her mother¡¯s stiff figure, Lord Waltz rocking back and forth on the balls of his feet. He coughed heavily into his handkerchief. ¡°I believe what Lady Octania is trying to say is that¡­.well¡­.we¡¯ve decided something,¡± Lord Waltz talked low and glanced at James, who had closed his eyes and sighed at his father¡¯s reluctance. Christine¡¯s cheeks heated up. How cowardly of them all. ¡°Christine,¡± her mother said, ¡°you are betrothed to James Waltz and will marry him very soon. This is an effort to please the people and encourage peace. I know this may come as a shock to you, but I¡¯m sure you are mature enough to understand that this is for the greater good¡± Christine wanted to cry, but she didn¡¯t. She hadn¡¯t cried since her father¡¯s death. She knew the truth¡­.her mother only hoped for the Waltz¡¯s fortune. They were very rich indeed, but that did not matter so long as Christine stayed with Thomas. The eldest is always the most eligible. Lady Octania had even told Christine when she began to court Thomas, ¡°You do not need his love. Children need love, adults need money¡± Christine did nothing, She could say nothing. She only stared at the wall in front of her. Only one thought came to and filled her mind: Thomas Chapter 2 Christine and James locked eyes for the first time that night. They shared a knowing look. A look that said ¡®I had no part or influence in this, I would protest if I could but it would do no good. We will have to accept our fate¡¯. ¡°Please excuse me,¡± Christine whispered, ¡°I will return¡­shortly¡± Mr.Waltz started to follow her as she turned to leave, but James put his arm out. Christine slowly walked back the way she came, barely able to take in what she was just told. She stood at the door, afraid to open it. Her freedom felt instantaneously taken away, and Thomas would be taken away with it. Could she even form the words to tell him what she was just told? She breathed a deep cleansing breath and opened the door to a smiling Thomas. His ignorance of the situation made it harder to muster the words. ¡°Thomas,¡± Christine¡¯s voice wavered between a whisper and a shout, ¡°I need you to listen to me. I love you dearly. You are the greatest joy in my life. I am struggling to say this¡­..but my mother just informed me of something. I am to marry James¡­..your older brother. It¡¯s true that I have built a future in my mind¡­¡­with you in it. Neither I nor James is pleased with this matter. You know how much we dislike each other. Yet- (she paused as a tear fell onto her cheek, which she quickly wiped away)- we must understand that this is for the greater good. You know it is a lie but I have to deny my love for you¡­¡­.I¡¯m sorry¡­¡­¡­I am so sorry this happened¡± Thomas only smiled a weak smile and said, ¡°All my love I leave to you and James¡­¡­find the best in him¡­¡­..it will surprise you. I¡¯m sorry this happened as well but I know it isn''t your fault¡­¡­I trust you¡­¡­.and I still love you Christine¡± He kissed her passionately and left the arch. ¡°Write to me!¡± Christine managed to yell through tears. ¡°Every day,¡± Thomas whispered to himself. ******************************************************************************** The next day, Christine spoke to no one, nor did she eat or drink anything. She only sat on the stone bench on her room¡¯s balcony. She was inexpressibly upset at her mother for many things but mostly because of the lack of communication about the marriage. ¡®The marriage¡¯. That is what Christine called it. Still unbelievable to think of saying she was Mrs. Waltz without thinking of Thomas. She couldn¡¯t believe that her life was going to be over just as fast as it began, just when she felt so much happiness. She looked outside to the little houses surrounding her, the many people bustling around. So many of them had genuine smiles and dirty clothes, laughing and conversing with everyone around them as though they were all friends. Christine would rather be poor and happy than have her elegant and trapped lifestyle. ¡°I must be grateful,¡± she whispered to herself, ¡°There are not many as lucky as I, with the blessings and possessions I¡¯ve grown up with. I¡¯m sure there are wonderful qualities about James and many women would love to be in my position. I even have a loving mother who wants the best¡­..for me¡± The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. The more she said, the less she believed her own words. As she watched the people of the village, a new figure emerged, pushing through the crowds. It was a servant of their home, a mail man of sorts. He carried a large cloth bag over his shoulder, its contents of envelopes spilling out onto the street. Christine stood up when she saw that the envelopes were stamped with a purple seal: a sign meaning some party was to be had. ¡°Ugh! The gall!!¡± Christine went into her room and changed into her only informal clothing, her blue riding blouse, white pants, and black buckled riding boots. She pulled her cloak over her shoulders and went back to the balcony. Christine scanned the ground below and shakily put one leg over the ledge. ¡°What am I thinking?¡± she whispered to herself. She jumped to the ground and landed hard on her back, the wind knocked out of her. She stood up straight and suddenly. Stopping to catch her breath, she put the hood of her cloak over her head and walked out of the front gate into the street. She could smell the baking bread in the town just steps away. Pushing through the crowds, she found what she was looking for. She picked up an envelope the servant had dropped and opened it. She threw it to the ground after reading it, despondent. It was an invitation to a ball for the village and surrounding towns to celebrate Christine and James¡¯ engagement. ¡°Fancy seeing you here,¡± Christine heard a familiar voice. She looked to her side to find James reaching for the crumpled up invitation. ¡°It¡¯s for a ball,¡± Christine said in a mocking tone, ¡°for our beloved wedding¡± James read the invite and crumpled it back up, holding it in his fist as his side and looking at the sky. ¡°Save your prayers Mr Waltz,¡± Christine clasped her hands in front of her, trying to show no emotion, ¡°God won''t save us now¡­¡­.no one can¡± ¡°Thomas told me to find the best in you,¡± James said. ¡°Likewise,¡± Christine turned towards James, ¡°I will tell you this¡­..you have very nice eyes¡± ¡°Oh, her highness lowers herself to compliment me?¡± James smirked, ¡°How generous¡± ¡°I am trying to be polite!¡± Christine exclaimed. ¡°I¡¯m only joshing miss¡­.Octania,¡± he couldn''t help but laugh. He found it quite humorous to call his fiance by her last name, but she had done so and he felt he should return the favor. ¡°What is so funny?¡± Christine looked at James, annoyed. ¡°Can one not laugh?¡± James looked at Christine, satisfied. They were silent for a while, standing there, looking around them at the villagers and market. ¡°Well we do have one thing in common,¡± Christine said. ¡°What is that Christine?¡± James let go of the invitation. ¡°Our parents are both doing something for their gain,¡± she tried not to let her voice waver, ¡°I¡¯m supposing you came here to escape the wrath?¡± ¡°Erroneous,¡± James started walking, ¡°I just needed to be among happy people. My father ¡­¡­ is never happy¡± Christine slowly started walking with him. He continued, ¡°I know he loves me, he is just pragmatic. I only want to make him proud¡­¡­..that is hard to do¡± He stopped talking as though he had forgotten who he was talking to. Christine only nodded. James had stopped at a jeweler booth. ¡°Beautiful necklace for a beautiful woman?¡± the old seller at the booth smiled a crooked-toothed smile. James tossed a coin at her, ¡°Buy it for yourself, you have¡­..a lovely neck¡± Christine couldn¡¯t hold back a laugh. She covered it with a cough and looked away. ¡°What is so funny,¡± James mocked Christine¡¯s words from before. ¡°Can one not laugh?¡± she smiled at him Chapter 3 Christine reluctantly wore the dress her mother had the local dressmaker sow for her. The dress was gold and sparkly, millions of star shaped sparkles clouding the skirt. Lacey ribbon and navy blue trim lined the bodice. The sleeves were sheer white, as was the overskirt. She agreed to wear it on one condition, her hair could be down and her nails could be black. She walked into the crowd of the ball as her mother introduced her to guests as Christine Waltz. Christine plastered a smile on her face and curtseyed to all on que. She broke from her mother to talk to some people her age in a corner who she later learned were James and Thomas¡¯ cousins. She had actually started enjoying herself when she saw Thomas standing near the door, holding a glass by himself. Debating whether she should talk to him or not, she excused herself and slowly started to walk over to him. ¡°Well you look simply ravishing, my dear,¡± she heard Lord Waltz¡¯s voice behind her and quickly turned to face him, ¡°Doesn¡¯t she son?¡± James was at his side. He pointed with his glass. ¡°The dress is nice,¡± his voice was monotone. Christine smirked and James offered his arm. She took it, rolling her eyes as James¡¯ father pushed them up stairs. They silently walked to the overhead balcony used for when plays were hosted at the Octania household. Christine let go of James¡¯ arm and walked to the stone railing. ¡°I found myself taking to some of your relatives,¡± she was watching Thomas, ¡°I didn''t know you liked dancing¡± James stood at the other edge of the balcony. ¡°Everyone likes¡­..dancing,¡± he said. Christine turned towards him, ¡°It¡¯s alright to like things, you know. You don''t have to be so¡­..stiff all of the time¡± ¡°Would you rather me be as rambunctious and immature as you are?¡± James muttered, immediately defensive. ¡°Being imperfect is not being immature,¡± Christine snapped back, ¡°at least I¡¯m not trying to show others what I¡¯m not¡± ¡°And what is that Miss Octania?¡± James turned to her. ¡°Oh there you go again,¡± she threw her arms into the air, ¡°for goodness sakes James just use my first name!¡± When he didn''t respond, she answered his question. ¡°Well I¡¯m not as elegant as they all want me to be,¡± she said quietly. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you what you are,¡± James set his glass on the balcony¡¯s stony ledge. ¡°Since you are the expert,¡± Christine crossed her arms, ¡°I will do the same to you¡± ¡°You¡¯re outspoken,¡± James started. ¡°You¡¯re cocky,¡± Christine returned. ¡°Ignorant,¡± he raised his voice. ¡°Snobby,¡± Christine raised hers. ¡°Childish!¡± he said ¡°Disrespectful!¡± she retorted ¡°Short-tempered!¡± ¡°Ill Mannered!¡± ¡°Oh you¡­.you¡­.why can¡¯t you be more like your brother!¡± Christine shouted and started towards the curtain covering the stairs to her room. ¡°Why can¡¯t you be less like him!¡± James retaliated. Christine threw the curtain back and ran into her mother. ¡°Oh!¡± she said, ¡°Christine, where are you going in such a hurry?¡± ¡°Mother I am sorry but this stops now! I cannot go through with this-¡± ¡°You can and you will,¡± Lady Octania interrupted. ¡°Oh you would not believe James¡¯ behavior! He is only a thick headed brute who cannot be bothered with me or with you or with anyone else! I simply will not marry him! I-¡± ¡°If you reject him, there will be no one here to yell at anymore! The people will rise up and kill us all! Now stop this aimless complaining!¡± Lady Octania ordered Christine was quickly quieted by her mother¡¯s words. ¡°I do not enjoy seeing you unhappy,¡± she said more calmly, ¡°but if you do not do this, we¡¯re through!........ Do you understand me?¡± If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Christine looked into her mother¡¯s eyes and said, ¡°I do not love him. In fact, I even dare say I despise him. I hope you enjoy your ¡®kingdom¡¯ at my expense¡± She quickly turned around and bumped into James as he came up the stairs, both muttering, ¡°Spoiled pampered brat¡± Christine looked up in surprise as she heard their words. ¡°Well, if that¡¯s how you really feel,¡± James tipped his head. ¡°Likewise,¡± she whispered and stomped the rest of the way down the stairs. She looked back only for a moment¡­.he was right about one thing¡­.what a child she was ******************************************************************************** ¡°Gather around everyone! Lady Octania wishes to speak to you all,¡± Lord Waltz shouted from the front of the room. The occupants clapped quietly and giddily moved towards Lady Octania. ¡°Thank you all for coming and making my daughter and future son-in-law¡¯s special night even better! (Christine scoffed) I look to our future and see James and Christine as bold and capable leaders who will create a better society for us all to live in harmony in¡± Christine was also going to give a speech but was now in no way to give it. Flustered and anxious, she paced back and forth behind a curtain by the podium her mother was standing on. Out in the crowd, Thomas had walked over to James who was up the stairs in the balcony. ¡°She is going to speak next,¡± Thomas said. Startled by Thomas¡¯ sudden presence, James said, ¡°Who¡­.Christine?¡± ¡°Yes¡­.she is quite the poet you know¡­..good with words¡± ¡°Mhm,¡± James muttered. Thomas sighed. ¡°What is your problem James? Let go of this¡­.this¡­.fa?ade. Your reputation precedes you and she will know that soon enough,¡± he said. ¡°I am only being myself,¡± James replied, ¡°I haven''t the slightest idea what you¡¯re going on about¡± ¡°Yes, you do,¡± Thomas hit the top of the railing with his hand, ¡°I have tried to help you two get along, as much as it had pained me to do so, because I love you both very much. I cannot help you if you won¡¯t help yourself. Let her see the real you and she will do the same. Just stop arguing over silly things as children do!¡± James only stared at him. He didn''t know what to say because he knew Thomas was correct. Thomas tried to find Christine when he left James. As soon as he caught sight of her, a group of young women scurried around her. ¡°Oh miss Christine,¡± one of them said, ¡°We¡¯ve heard of your betrothal!¡± ¡°Oh really?¡± Christine smiled ¡°Oh how I wish to be in your shoes,¡± another girl said. ¡°Why is that?¡± Christine forced her smile even more. ¡°Everyone knows that James Waltz is the most charming man in England!¡± a different girl said. Christine let her smile fade. The group of girls looked as though they could all be sisters, each wearing frilly pastel dresses and ringlet curls, blushing faces and giddy smiles. ¡°Is that so¡­.what else do you know about him?¡± Chrstine squinted her eyes and put on a close-lipped smile, ¡°there must be more¡± ¡°We want to know what you know about him Christine,¡± a girl replied with a mischievous smile, ¡°you must tell¡± ¡°Oh do tell!¡± the rest of the girls exclaimed in unison. ¡°Well, in all honesty,¡± Christine lowered her voice, ¡°nothing at all¡± The girls blinked. ¡°Almost as though he has little to no personality besides being haughty and-¡± ¡°Dreamy,¡± the girls gushed. Christine closed her eyes, trying not to roll them. ¡°Oy! Girl!¡± she heard a harsh whisper from around her. She whipped her head around to see an elderly woman holding a fan at the side of her face. ¡°Are you¡­..talking to me?¡± Christine walked towards her. ¡°Yes! You¡¯re James¡¯ girl, right? Christine?¡± the woman said. Christine nodded. ¡°I must tell you the truth about something,¡± the woman whispered, ¡°before anyone can tell you the lie. Come, sit!¡± Christine looked at the woman¡¯s dress. It was all black with red ribbons decorating it in a million random places. Her hair was a silvery white and her neck was adorned with red rubies. ¡°My apologies,¡± Christine said, ¡°but remind me of your name?¡± ¡°I¡¯m Agatha Waltz,¡± she tilted her head, ¡°Thomas and James¡¯ grandmother¡± Christine nodded and sat down in a chair next to Agatha. ¡°I understand your dilemma. I also favor Thomas¡­but not during Mabel. Oh while she was in the Waltz household, she was delightful! Bringing light and excitement that the Waltzes just do not radiate. We¡¯ve always been a very imperturbable family. I am the least conventional member and even I have my limits. Mabel changed James, got him to¡­¡­loosen up a bit, if you will. She helped us all too. As you may have guessed though, things took a turn for the worse. Mabel¡¯s family had to leave. She was fourteen, so of course she went with them. This crushed James beyond belief. I¡¯d even dare say he loved her. He was never able to find that free spirited nature on his own. Since she left, he has let no one but Thomas into his gates of solitude and¡­..disparity¡± Christine was nonplussed. ¡°Thomas used to tell me the funniest stories about James,¡± she said, ¡°I never believed them. I have never seen a silly version of James, so I brushed those stories off as a joke. Mabel was very nice to me¡­.I thought she¡¯d do him good but never knew they had any kind of relationship¡± Christine shook her head, she had been rambling. She turned towards Agatha, ¡°Well thank you for the¡­.enlightenment, Lady Waltz, it was a pleasure to meet you¡± ¡°Oh the pleasure is mine, love,¡± Agatha fanned herself and spoke a little quieter, ¡°If you take anything from this conversation, remember this: people only change for two reasons. Either they learn a lot or they get hurt too much¡± ¡°Well,¡± Christien muttered, ¡°no one is perfect¡± Agatha closed her eyes and nodded, ¡°That speech coming along?¡± Christine¡¯s eyes widened, she¡¯d completely forgotten and her mother was almost finished. ¡°Thank you so much for your time!¡± she curtseyed slightly and hurried away just as Thomas was making his way over. ¡°Oh hello Thomas,¡± Agatha said. He nodded, slightly confused. James was beside himself, still on the balcony, wanting to apologize to Thomas. A sudden voice stopped him as he turned back to the front of the room. ¡°Thank you all for your attention,¡± Christine stuttered. Her demeanor surprised James, he wasn''t expecting timidness. ¡°I have enjoyed speaking with each of you, as I believe communication is key. That is what I value in my relationships. I want to build relationships rooted in trust with all of you. Rooted in loyalty. Yet, most of all, a relationship rooted in communication. I may not be the oldest counselor but I am going to council nonetheless, to the best of my ability. I will try to live up to the peacekeepers before me¡± Christine looked at James for the first time since she¡¯d started talking. She realized he had already been looking at her. ¡°I might even be so bold as to say¡­..James agrees with me,¡± she went on, trying to hold back a smile. James smirked and nodded in approval as the crowd clapped for her¡­.and she let herself smile. Chapter 4 ¡°This is tradition!¡± Christine¡¯s mother said harshly. They were on their way to the dressmaker¡¯s shop, ¡°You will be kind and cooperative. The Waltzes thought this was a splendid idea!¡± ¡°Which of the Waltzes thought that?¡± Christine muttered. The tradition her mother was speaking of had been in her family for generations. Both the groom and the bride would go to the dress shop to pick the bride¡¯s dress together. ¡°I don¡¯t see why I can¡¯t just pick one,¡± Christine said, ¡°It is my dress after all¡± ¡°You''re not the one who will be looking at yourself in it for hours on end,¡± Lady Octania objected. ¡°James will pick something stupid,¡± Christine muttered again. Her mother heard this time, she only laughed. When they arrived, James whispered to Christine as they walked into the dress shop. ¡°I don¡¯t care what you wear,¡± he said, ¡°but let¡¯s just play along, hmm? For all our sakes¡± Christine only sighed. James was slightly annoyed by her attitude¡­..he made it a point to show her. When Christine would pick a dress, he would simply say ¡®hmm¡¯. Every once in a while, he would add a comment or two, but it was always negative. After trying on countless dresses, Christine was getting annoyed. ¡®Why can¡¯t he just choose one¡¯ she thought to herself, ¡®he is only being spiteful¡¯ There was one dress she¡¯s been putting off trying on. It was plain as can be, chosen by her mother. It was solid white and had no detail. Only a single red rose on the side of the waist line, small but fully bloomed. When she walked out to the group in the dress, delighted gasps and smiles were heard just like every other time. But James didn¡¯t say ¡®hmm¡¯. In fact, he said nothing at all. After an awkwardly long period of silence, he said, ¡°I like that one¡­.it¡¯s good¡± ¡°Very good,¡± he muttered. ¡°Well that settles it!¡± Christine¡¯s mother exclaimed, ¡°Perfect! We¡¯ll place an order¡± Christine nodded absentmindedly and stared at James, surprised by his sudden liaison. She hadn''t noticed how tense he was before. As they left, Christine couldn''t force her comment down. This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. ¡°Glad you finally cooperated,¡± she muttered. ¡°None of the other dresses suited you,¡± James muttered back, ¡°so you¡¯re welcome¡± Christine just rolled her eyes as James offered his arm. ¡°Good day Mr.Waltz,¡± Christine turned her nose up and walked to her carriage. ******************************************************************************** Mrs.Octania was sitting on the couch in the sitting room, Christine in a chair near her writing poetry. ¡°Address the letter to the seamstress,¡± Lady Octania spoke to a servant, Anne, writing on a desk in the room, ¡°Dress #145, just as it looked when we were there three days ago. 30 inch waist, 35 inch bust, ankle length¡­..how tall are you Christine?¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± Christine snapped out of her focus. ¡°I am sending your measurements to the dressmaker,¡± her mother said, ¡°How tall are you?¡± ¡°Oh,¡± Christine looked at Anne¡¯s desk, ¡°65 inches¡± ¡°I will be sending wedding invites soon,¡± Lady Octania said, adjusting a lamp on her way out. Christine followed her but whispered to Anne, ¡°Please, the dress¡­..make it red¡± Anne gave her a look but then smiled slightly and changed the form. Christine¡¯s eyes went wide as her mother showed her the large basket of invitations in the next room. ¡°I would kindly advise that you start signing these,¡± she handed Christine a quill and motioned to the sofa near the basket, where a table had been set in front of it. A very large jar of ink on the table had another quill resting in it, ¡°James will be here shortly, leave room for his name¡­.and please don¡¯t make any of this wedding business a struggle anymore¡± Christine sat down and didn''t waste her breath on a reply she knew wouldn''t be listened to. She wouldn¡¯t make it a struggle; she had accepted her fate. Once James arrived, he sat down next to her without a word of acknowledgment. They signed invitations for an hour. Pick up a card, take it out of its envelope, sign it, and pass it to James. It was like clockwork at this point, Christine laser focused. ¡°We¡¯re going to have to kiss you know,¡± James said quietly. Christine didn¡¯t slow her routine, but her mind glitched. Startled a bit by the suddenness and content of the statement, she chuckled, a little louder than she wanted to. Afraid of the undeniable fact that he was right, Christine only added to the statement, ¡°In front of all our friends and family¡± ¡°Well,¡± James muttered, ¡°I don¡¯t have any family¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have any friends,¡± Christine replied, ¡°so I suppose we¡¯re saved¡± James laughed softly. Christine looked at him. ¡°Sorry,¡± he shook his head and stopped signing the invites ¡°Oh don¡¯t be sorry, it is quite silly,¡± Christine smiled, a strong smile this time. ¡°I¡¯m not sorry for laughing,¡± he went back to signing, ¡°Just sorry that it¡¯s true¡± Christine¡¯s mouth dropped but her smile stayed, ¡°Look at you! Who¡¯s the uncultivated one now?¡± James'' laugh turned from jolly to astonished. ¡°You remember me saying that?¡± He looked at her. Christine froze. ¡°Well,¡± she stopped smiling and started fidgeting with her quill, ¡°to be quite frank, I do remember¡­.no one has ever called me that before. It was¡­..shamefully revealing¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± James said, ¡°For calling you that¡± ¡°Well, it was kind of true, mostly in a bad-¡± ¡°No,¡± he looked at her with sincerity, ¡°it certainly was not¡± Chapter 5 Christine¡¯s mother paced the corridor as Christine was tapping her feet, sitting on a bench across the hall. They were in the back of the church, waiting. Christine¡¯s dress still hadn¡¯t arrived but the ceremony was scheduled to be in an hour. Guests were taking their seats, James reported. ¡°What could possibly have taken her this long,¡± Lady Octania muttered, ¡°we ordered it just like it was in the shop¡± Christine stopped tapping her feet. James looked at her. She looked at him. ¡°Mother,¡± she said, ¡°I did forget to mention something¡­.I had Anne change the color¡± Christine¡¯s mother stopped pacing, ¡°to what?¡± ¡°Red,¡± Christine muttered ¡°What?¡± ¡°Red! I¡­I changed it to red¡± James put his head in his hand, half out of surprise and half to keep from laughing. Christine started to laugh herself, but her mother¡¯s face quickly chased that laugh away. ¡°Christine! Red?! Not only that, but not telling me? Oh, girl you are so fortunate that we are in a public setting. How dare you? After all I¡¯ve tried¡­..and red?!¡± Mrs. Octania was outraged. ¡°It¡¯s only a dress,¡± Christine stood up ¡°For the most important event-¡± ¡°If you won¡¯t let me choose my husband, at least let me choose my dress!¡± Christine fled to the backdoor ¡°Christine,¡± James followed, ¡°Come now, let¡¯s be reasonable¡± ¡°What do you mean,¡± Christine called over her shoulder as she stepped outside, ¡°I¡¯m not the unreasonable one¡± She put her back against the wall of the building and crossed her arms. Her cheeks flushed red. ¡°Please, let¡¯s calm down and go back inside,¡± James said, ¡°The dress is ordered and on its way, there is nothing we can do about it now¡± James took hold of Christine¡¯s hands. This surprised her, but she didn¡¯t pull away. ¡°Take a deep breath,¡± he said. Christine reluctantly did so. ¡°Splendid,¡± James smirked, ¡°that temper of yours¡± Christine let out a harsh sigh. Suddenly, a small carriage stopped in the street down the alley they were in. Out of it came a maid, carrying a box. ¡°Dress for Christine Octania?¡± the woman sounded out of breath ¡°Yes, that¡¯s me!¡± Christine smiled a little and sighed her name on the maid¡¯s receipt ¡°Thank you,¡± she muttered and took the box inside. James dug into his pocket and flipped a coin to the woman. She took it generously and left with a smile. ******************************************************************************** ¡°Go on,¡± Mr. Waltz harshly whispered to James, ¡°We haven¡¯t got all day¡± He pushed his son forward slightly, towards Christine. He shoved roses into Jame¡¯s arms and muttered, ¡°I do wish you would have gone with red¡± James sighed and turned around, walking towards his bride. She heard someone clear their throat and turned around. Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. ¡°For you,¡± James put his arm out straight, shoving a white bouquet into Christine¡¯s arms. She smiled at them, ¡°Oh, how sweet¡­..was this your idea?¡± ¡°I must admit it was not,¡± James avoided her gaze, ¡°¡­.but the color was¡± ¡°Your father wanted you to give me red roses,¡± she smirked ¡°Would have clashed with the dress,¡± James answered, ¡°I know a little thing or two about fashion¡± ¡°Oh really?¡± Christine laughed. ¡°Well my father was a tailor and he taught me all sorts of things, I am an expert on color palettes but I¡¯m not bad at fabrics either-¡± Christine¡¯s smile faded. She sighed, James always had to bring the conversation back to formalities. She forced her smile to return, ¡°I guess I¡¯ll¡­..see you out there¡± ¡°No runaway bride?¡± James looked at his pocket watch ¡°No promises,¡± Christine muttered as she walked into her dressing room. *********************************************** The priest doing their ceremony was the slowest speaker any of them had ever heard, as caring and kind as he was. This caused Christine¡¯s mind to wander during the ceremony, she had too much time to stand there and think about her future. Christine didn¡¯t know half of the guests in attendance very well, the other half being people she didn''t know at all. James caught her staring at a group. ¡°Is that your friends and family?¡± He whispered to her ¡°No,¡± she muttered, ¡°I have no family¡± She thought of apologizing but said nothing. Christine went back to scanning the crowd. James sighed, ¡°he¡¯s not here¡± Christine looked at him, ¡°what do you mean?¡± The priest said her name. Back to reality, her brain went to default. ¡°Yes,¡± she fumbled, ¡°I do¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± she muttered to James again. ¡°Thomas,¡± he muttered, ¡°is not here¡± James looked at the priest, ¡°yes, I do¡± ¡°Then by the power invested in me, I now pronounce thee husband and wife. You-¡± The priest was interrupted by the sound of doors swinging open. ¡°Thomas?!¡± Christine said, barely any sound behind her voice. ¡°Thomas!¡± Mr. Waltz¡¯s voice rang out from the audience. Thomas stood between the open main doors, breathing heavily. He ran down the aisle to Christine and took her hand. ¡°Come with me!¡± He said, ¡°We¡¯ll go out the back door!¡± Christine just stared at him, wide-eyed. She started to scan the room again, seeing the shock on people¡¯s faces. ¡°Please,¡± Thomas whispered, ¡°I love you¡­..we were too close to forever for other¡¯s expectations to decide our eternity. I can¡¯t leave here without knowing you love me just as much¡± Christine let Thomas pull her from the altar, but she saw her mother¡¯s face in the audience. The look of confusion and frustration on her face. Most importantly, the look of disappointment. Christine planted her feet into the ground. James turned to Thomas, ¡°What are you doing? Have you gone mad?¡± ¡°For the first time ever I am thinking clearly,¡± Thomas replied, ¡°you should be thanking me. I am saving you both right now¡± ¡°No Thomas,¡± Mr. Waltz walked to their side, ¡°This is unacceptable! What¡¯s done is done¡± ¡°We¡¯ve accepted our fate brother,¡± James said, ¡°have you?¡± Thomas just shook his head, ¡°You¡¯re just the same. I was a fool to think she could change you¡­.come along my love, let¡¯s go¡± Christine didn¡¯t budge. ¡°Christine?¡± Thomas looked at her. ¡°Thomas,¡± she whispered, ¡°I can¡¯t. It¡¯s over. This is my¡­.(Christine looked at her mother) responsibility¡± Thomas dropped Christine¡¯s hand, a look of betrayal and shock on his face. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± she choked Mrs. Octania stood up, her voice shaking, ¡°you are all dismissed. My apologies for this¡­..boy. Thank you for coming¡± She looked at Mr Waltz who nodded and began ushering groups out. Thomas ran out the back door, Christine staring in shock at the floor. ¡°Are you alright?¡± James slowly reached for her shoulder. ¡°No,¡± she muttered ¡°Let¡¯s¡­.sit down, okay?¡± ¡°No,¡± she walked down the aisle and went to where she could see everyone leaving. Christine ran to her mother and threw her arms around her. ¡°I am so sorry,¡± Christine was talking fast, ¡°I never meant for this to go this way. I had no idea he would do that. I accept my duty to save and support us, I understand that now¡± Mrs. Octania was shocked by her daughter¡¯s affection. ¡°That is¡­wonderful darling,¡± she said, a little nervous, ¡°I am so sorry it came to this¡­¡­but I¡¯m more sorry for lying to you¡± Christine opened her eyes. Mrs Octania pulled away, smiling weakly. ¡°I did not make you marry James because of the possibility of an uprising,¡± she whispered, ¡°the people do not think any of the upper class hate each other. They wouldn¡¯t have risen up to destroy us. I¡­.we¡­.needed the money¡± Christine starred in betrayal. ¡°You made me marry James to get the Waltzes money?¡± she asked, voice shaking. Mrs. Octania shamefully nodded. ¡°No,¡± Christine shook her head, ¡°No! You couldn¡¯t¡­..you wouldn¡¯t!¡± ¡°I did,¡± Mrs. Octania trembled, ¡°I¡¯m so sorry!¡± ¡°How dare you,¡± Christine said. James came over to them, ¡°is something wrong?¡± Christine, exasperated, looked between them both, ¡°What a foolish question, everything is wrong. What, do tell, is going right? I don¡¯t want to see either of you, just¡­.leave me alone¡± She fled to the back alley she¡¯d gotten her dress in earlier, trying to understand all that had just happened. Once she processed it all one time through, she sank to the ground, helpless in the situation. Trying not to cry, she breathed very deeply, looking at the ring on her finger. She pried it off, throwing it into the dirt across the alley. Then, for the first time since her father had died, she cried pools of tears. Chapter 6 The Waltzes¡¯ new home was beautiful. Unnecessarily large and more elegant than expected, lined with ivory and million dollar paintings. Every costly item was a reminder to Christine of why her life was over before it even began, all for her mother¡¯s security and greed. Christine and James had no sooner arrived at that house of theirs when a letter was brought to them. Christine read it and handed it to James. He could tell by her face that it wasn¡¯t pleasant news. The letter contained an invitation to the profile painter¡¯s shop next week for their portrait. That night, as they toured their house, Christine asked James a question as they entered their room. ¡°What reason did your father give for you having to marry me?¡± she asked as she began putting her dresses in an armoire. ¡°Well,¡± James answered, ¡°he told me that your mother suggested the idea, going on about how much peace it would bring to everyone in England. He also mentioned how much history our families had of helping each other, and knew your mother had been¡­low on funds since the passing of lord Octania. He left all his money to me in his will¡­..Thomas got the house, and he thought it would be more¡­.practical to let your family have the money if anything were to change¡± Christine began to heat up. ¡°So she lied to him too,¡± she muttered ¡°Pardon?¡± James stopped walking around the room. ¡°There was no need for peace,¡± she said only a little louder ¡°What?¡± ¡°There is already peace!¡± Christine turned to James, ¡°My mother, she¡­.she lied¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± James asked ¡°The people of England have nothing against us and they never did. We did not marry for peace, or for love, or for anything of the sort,¡± Christine¡¯s voice wavered, ¡°I married you because¡­..my mother wanted your money. She will manipulate your father o change his will no doubt¡± If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. James said nothing for a moment. He only stared at her. Christine started to speak. ¡°How dare you,¡± James said, standing from his chair, ¡°how dare you! My father is a brilliant man, he would never¡± ¡°It does not matter how smart anyone my mother knows is, she will find a way to get what she wants¡­.and it was not my fault,¡± she objected, ¡°she lied to me too¡± ¡°How could you be so selfish?¡± he pointed at her ¡°Believe me, I had no part in it¡­.¡± ¡°My father works harder than anyone for his fortune, he is dedicated to that craft and has been for years,¡± James went on, pacing the room, ¡°so many have cheated him out of his work!¡± ¡°Please you have to calm down,¡± Christine said, ¡°listen to me¡± She had never seen him this angry, even as children. Thomas always told her how heated he could get, usually it would happen after Thomas had done something to irritate him. ¡°How could you let his happen,¡± James pointed at Christine ¡°Let this happen? You¡¯ve gone mad!¡± she said, ¡°we both know my mother does not tell me anything! Your father is one of the kindest and most empathetic men I have ever met and you should be thankful that he is doing what is best for you¡­.my mother hates me¡± That quieted him. ¡°You could have at least told me,¡± he said ¡°I didn¡¯t even know until right after the wedding,¡± Christine continued ¡°You should have told me sooner,¡± he sat on the bed, ¡°you can trust me¡± Astonished, Christine audibly laughed, ¡°Trust you? What reasons do I have to trust you?¡± ¡°What reason do you have not to?¡± James asked Christine rolled her eyes, ¡°Well let¡¯s see¡­.you have been nothing but arrogant, condescending, sarcastic and uncooperative this whole situation¡± ¡°Well you haven¡¯t been overly cordial,¡± he said, ringing his hands They were silent for a moment. ¡°we could not get out of this¡­.this mess if we tried¡± Christine wanted to argue, but she didn¡¯t. She only turned around and went back to her armoire. James took his clothes out of the large basket near the door of the room and did the same. After a long stretch of silence, Christine forced herself to speak up. ¡°Thank you,¡± she blurted, ¡°for the flowers¡­.it was thoughtful to order white ones¡± ¡°Mhm,¡± James replied ¡°I¡¯ll be the first to admit,¡± she forced herself again, ¡°I have been making this situation harder than it already is. I¡¯m¡­.sorry¡± James stopped what he was doing. ¡°I apologize as well,¡± he said. ¡°Apology accepted,¡± she said James walked a few steps closer to her. ¡°Let¡¯s¡­.start over,¡± he reached for her hand Slightly confused, Christine smiled weakly, forcing down a laugh. ¡°Hello,¡± James kissed her hand, ¡°My name is James Waltz¡± ¡°How do you do,¡± she curtseyed, ¡°I am¡­. Christine Waltz¡± Chapter 7 Christine awoke at the sound of the town clock striking eight. She turned her head to look for James and saw that he was asleep. She quickly got dressed, walked downstairs to the front door and stood there, waiting for a knock. When she heard one, she opened the door immediately and brightened as a young man handed her a letter. ¡°Thank you so much,¡± she smiled and started to close the door. The boy stuck his foot in the way and held out his hand. ¡°Oh!¡± she said, ¡°Yes, of course! One moment please¡± Christine ran upstairs to James¡¯ armoire, digging into his coat pockets. She took out five pounds and ran back to the door, giving it to the boy. He gave her a gappy grin before running back to the town. Christine looked at the letter as she went back upstairs and into her room. James was awake when she came in. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± he asked as he sat up ¡°A boy just brought it,¡± she said and scurried to the balcony on the other side of the room. James raised an eyebrow but didn¡¯t say anything. ¡°It¡¯s not another letter, is it?¡± he changed his mind, ¡°the last one was here a few days ago¡± Christine quickly stood from the bench she was sitting on outside, ¡°what do you mean?¡± ¡°A letter was here yesterday,¡± he said, ¡°it came when you were at the women''s poetry meeting. I thought it was the wrong address so I sent it back-¡± ¡°You did what?¡± she turned to him, ¡°those are my letters¡­from Thomas!¡± James shrunk down slightly. ¡°I didn¡¯t know,¡± he said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­.really I am¡± Christine was surprised at his apology. She turned back to her letter. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me I could have told you,¡± she said. James started to speak, but Christine interrupted, ¡°I already know I should have¡± ************************************************************************** ¡°We don¡¯t need a maid,¡± James was sitting on the sofa A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. ¡°I know,¡± Christine was drinking tea and writing poetry at a desk near him, ¡°we won¡¯t be making her do anything really, she¡¯s just been with me my whole life¡­..it would feel like a piece of home to me¡± ¡°I suppose it¡¯s alright,¡± he said, ¡°as long as we don¡¯t have to pay her¡± Christine frowned but didn¡¯t say a word. There was a knock and James went to answer the door. The same boy from the other day handed him a letter, sealed with his family¡¯s crest. He reached into his pocket but couldn¡¯t find the five pounds he was fishing for. ¡°Just one moment please,¡± he turned to go back to the room Christine avoided eye contact and continued her poetry. Glancing out the door, she saw that the envelope of the mail was black. James returned and paid the boy. He paced as he opened the envelope but stopped when he read it. Christine wondered if other families associated colors with events like hers did when sending messages. She walked over and stood behind him, gently putting her hand on his shoulder. ¡°What does it say?¡± She asked, fearing the worst. James didn¡¯t answer, he only tucked the letter into his inside coat pocket and got his hat off of the stand by the door. ¡°James?¡± she asked, ¡°where are you going?¡± She watched motionlessly as he left the house. Confused and upset, Christine went to get her cloak. Then she thought otherwise¡­.there must be a reason he didn¡¯t say anything. So she did nothing. She only waited and sat on her bed, thinking of how to confront him when he came back. After an anxious hour, he returned, coat over his arm and hat in his hand. His face was expressionless. It remained that way when he walked into the bedroom. ¡°Where have you been?¡± Chrstine hadn¡¯t realized how worried she was, ¡°I¡¯ve wondered all this time. How can you tell me to trust you when you won¡¯t even tell me where you are going?¡± Only after she¡¯d said that did she look at his face. ¡°James,¡± she walked closer to him, ¡°what happened?¡± James slowly walked to the bed and sat on the edge of it. ¡°My father,¡± he said, ¡°....he¡¯s dead¡± Christine¡¯s heart skipped in shock. ¡°What?¡± she spoke softly, ¡°how could this happen?¡± He collapsed into her lap, completely still but loudly crying. Christine tried not to show her surprise, keeping a steady breath and a hand over his back. She easily took the letter from his hands and read it. She set it onto the bed behind them and didn¡¯t say anything for a while. She kept her hands still, trying to remain a rooted help for him. Christine had never seen him cry like this before, even as a boy he would hide every inch of his emotions until the doors were closed. That was part of the reason Christine never believed any of the funny or shocking stories Thomas told about James¡¯ personality. ¡°He had a heart attack,¡± James whispered suddenly, ¡°I almost arrived too late¡­he died minutes after I¡­.I promised him,¡± James put his head in his hands ¡°What did you promise him?¡± Christine asked gently as she moved her hands to his head and his hand She wasn¡¯t sure but she thought he had stopped crying. ¡°He begged me to promise him¡­.that his grandchildren would know his story¡± Christine didn¡¯t know what to say. She held back from saying ¡°they will¡± or ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡± or ¡°We will tell it somehow¡±¡­.nothing felt right. She closed her eyes and took a deep breathe, hoping he would follow. He did, and he slowly sat up, keeping her hand in his. Chrisine turned her face away from him and tried to return her mind to the letter. ¡°You could have told me before you left¡­.I would have come with you¡± ¡°I know,¡± he whispered, ¡°I should have¡­..you deserved to see him again and¡­¡­you would have kept me strong¡± ¡°You are strong,¡± Christine squeezed his hand, ¡°too much so for your own good¡­..you needed this cry¡± No¡­.I just needed you Chapter 8 The funeral for Lord Waltz was very soon after his death. Things like funerals were taken care of and moved on from very quickly at the time. The service was held outside; it was quite sunny and breezy, almost inappropriately so for the occasion. Christine and James stood in the crowd, far from the front but still visible to everyone in the front. That included Thomas and Lady Octania. Both stood somberly, but only Thomas was somber on the inside. Christine only looked at the ground the whole service, unsure of why she almost cried. She¡¯d hardly known this man as a person, even though she knew him her whole life. She stared at her mother when she wasn''t staring at the grass, hoping it would trigger some form of guilt for cheating a dead man of his hard earned money. Not many people truly knew Mrs Octania, they only saw her as mysteriously quiet, but kind. Yet Christine knew the reality; her mother was the exact opposite of who everyone said she was. Christine held James¡¯ hand in sympathy, but he didn''t fully grasp hers. He looked straight ahead the whole time, unsure of if he felt anything at all. As the service came to a close, Christine¡¯s brain finally clicked. She ran over to her mother, ¡°I know this might not be the most appropriate time but I must know, how were you planning on getting any of the Waltzes fortune? Were you expecting that we¡¯d just give it to you?¡± Mrs. Octania was speechless. No sooner than she couldn''t find anything to say did a business and finance worker come over to her. ¡°Just sign right here and the fortune is yours m¡¯lady¡± the man said, ¡°Though it¡¯s sad news really¡± Christine expected her to explain herself but she paid no mind. She sighed her name on the paper the man had shown her. ¡°The house is all yours ma¡¯am,¡± he tipped his hat, ¡°so very sorry for your loss¡± Lady Octania nodded and finally looked at Christine¡¯s shocked face. ¡°What is happening here?¡± Christine asked, ¡° I demand the truth. The real truth, starting now. What is going on?¡± Again, her mother said nothing. She only faced straight ahead, eyes closed and chin up. After a long pause, Christine concluded that she would get no answer and started to walk away. ¡°Only rich people say that money can¡¯t buy happiness,¡± her mother said Christine stopped walking. The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. ¡°That¡¯s because they¡¯ve always been rich and never been happy,¡± Lady Octania continued, ¡°they can¡¯t balance the two. People that have always been rich cannot experience the happiness that comes with having money that you didn¡¯t have before. I haven¡¯t always been rich. In fact, the only times I have had more than what I needed to get by was when your father was with me¡± ¡°Do not bring father into this,¡± Christine turned to look at her mother ¡°Your father left me with nothing!¡± Mrs Octania said, ¡°that¡¯s how hungry for money he was. Had to spend it all in his last days. He never understood me¡­.but Waltz understood me. He hadn¡¯t always been rich either. He had empathy for me and gave me mercy. He put me in his will for his house the second you and James married. I know it¡¯s hard for you to understand-¡± ¡°I¡¯m young,¡± Christine interrupted, ¡°Not incompetent. You want security¡­.but cheating someone for it is not the way to do it. James¡¯ father worked hard for that money and-¡± ¡°Oh how would you know?¡± Lady Octania asked coldly, ¡°you never knew him any better than I. All you know is what James tells you. How do you know that is the truth? He doesn¡¯t like you, let alone love you. With your father in the mix it¡¯s your luck you are such a pretty thing¡­.. He¡¯s probably lying to use you, seeking gain for himself just like I do. I won¡¯t be afraid to say so¡­.I grew too fond of the wealthy lifestyle, Christine¡­.it brought me happiness¡± ¡°No,¡± Christine¡¯s face stayed expressionless, ¡°it bought you happiness. So the truth comes out now. I thought the person who brought you wealth brought you happiness¡­.I guess I was wrong¡± ¡°I have to move on!¡± her mother snapped, ¡°it¡¯s time you did, too. You and James both. I should have let you stay in poverty¡­.but I let you marry into a rich and respectable family! You should be grateful that I-¡± ¡°That is enough Lady Octania,¡± James walked over to them, ¡°We will show ourselves home. Christine, let¡¯s go¡± Christine was unfazed by her mother¡¯s words, she spoke this way behind closed doors all the time. She could understand James¡¯ concern, Lady Octania would never berate her daughter in public. Christine walked beside James to their carriage without another word. The silence cut between them like a knife. ¡°How long were you standing there?¡± ¡°Long enough¡± ¡°I¡¯m¡­.I¡¯m sorry if we ruined your fathers-¡° ¡°Oh he¡¯ll think nothing of it¡± Christine didn¡¯t know whether to laugh or not. The markets passed them by, bustling with people as usual. ¡°Christine I cannot instill this into you enough and never let me stop saying it,¡± James spoke quickly to keep himself from stopping, ¡°you deserve a mother who sacrifices the world for you and I am sorry that lady Octania is not that for you¡­.never let anyone tell you otherwise. She is a liar and nothing she said about my hatred or intentions were true¡­.if there was ever a doubt in your mind, let me set that right from here on out¡± Christine could feel herself relax inside, a newfound sense of safety and comfort coming over her. That wasn¡¯t something anyone had made her feel in a long time. What James had said was one of the most considerate things anyone had ever said to her. ¡°Do you still hate me?¡± Christine whispered. ¡°No,¡± James whispered back, placing a comforting hand over hers, ¡°and I never have¡­..I only disliked you a little¡± Christine let herself smile. Chapter 9 When the Waltzes arrived at the portrait studio, neither were enthusiastic about the idea at all. James had spent the last few nights crying quietly. Christine had spent the last few nights pretending she couldn¡¯t hear him. She felt sorry for him, having a similarly strong relationship with her father. But she knew she couldn¡¯t make her empathy feel genuine, so she acted as though nothing had happened. The painter was innocently delighted, as expected, so he didn¡¯t say a word about Lord Waltz¡¯s passing. Only a quick greeting and right to business. Now I know why everyone always looks so solemn in their portraits Christine thought, they were betrothed unwillingly, dragged here unwillingly, and sat for hours with the person they unwillingly married. ¡°Lord Waltz,¡± the painter directed, ¡°sit in this chair right here¡± He pointed James to an elegant and almost throne-like chair. ¡°Lady Waltz¡± he then directed Christine, ¡°Stand tall behind him, to the side of the chair ever so slightly, hand on his shoulder (they did as instructed and tried to look pleased) ....perfect!¡± Christine had come up with an idea to pass the time, knowing how long the portrait would take. She¡¯d come up with some questions to ask James to get to know him better. ¡°So,¡± she said, ¡°we both know we are going to be here forever, so let¡¯s just¡­.make the most of it!¡± ¡°And what,¡± James replied flatly, ¡°are you suggesting that entails? ¡°Can¡¯t you please, just this once,¡± Christine sighed, ¡°talk like a normal person!¡± James scoffed. ¡°Please,¡± the painter said, ¡°be still!¡± Christine¡¯s cheeks heated up. What happened to their agreement from last night? She didn''t know why she even tried. ¡°I guess I should tell you,¡± she muttered, ¡°my mother took your father¡¯s house¡± ¡°What?!¡± James was shocked ¡°Please!¡± the painter tried again, ¡°Lord Walz!¡± ¡°She was in his will for the house,¡± Christine shrugged, ¡°all she wanted was her lifestyle back. That is not how you do so, trust me¡­.I do not condone her¡± ************************************************************************** The painter was pleased that they hadn¡¯t smiled big, too evident of wrinkles. Christine wore a light blue dress lined with lace, James wore a green waistcoat and pants. They stayed in the positions the painter had suggested for three long hours. While impressed by the painter¡¯s realism, Christine would have preferred a different pose. ¡°Lady Octania has requested the portrait reside in her home,¡± the painter informed them, ¡°if that is acceptable to the Waltzes?¡± Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. Christine rolled her eyes at her mother¡¯s wishes but James was quick to comply. Once in the carriage James said, ¡°I hope you weren¡¯t planning on keeping that, was it alright I told him she could have it?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Christine said, ¡°I don¡¯t want it¡± James laughed nonchalantly, ¡°well you didn¡¯t have to say it like that¡± ¡°Like what?¡± Christine replied a little harsher than she intended to, still peeved about James¡¯ reluctance to converse. James threw his hand in the air just slightly, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m just¡­.on edge¡± Christine laughed, ¡°¡®On edge¡¯? There¡¯s the casual man in you!¡± James didn¡¯t laugh. They were silent for a moment. ¡°Why are you on edge?¡± Christine asked softly. ¡°Everything has just¡­been happening so fast. I¡¯ve never had so much happen to me in so little time. Marrying you, losing my father, losing my brother¡­.It¡¯s just so much to dwell on¡± Christine nodded but she didn¡¯t fully understand. ¡°Thomas?¡± she asked, ¡°You¡¯ve lost your relationship with Thomas?¡± ¡°Yes¡­well,¡± James muttered, ¡°We have not spoken recently¡± Christine looked at him, ¡°Why not?¡± He avoided her eyes, ¡°We just haven¡¯t¡± Christine chose her words carefully, ¡°James¡­what did we decide about trust?¡± ¡°I¡¯m¡­.worried about you two,¡± he blurted, not really meaning to do so ¡°What do you mean?¡± Christine tried to dim her confusion since he cracked under her mention of trust ¡°It¡¯s these letters,¡± for the first time, James struggled to speak his mind, ¡°it¡¯s not wise¡± Christine was astonished. ¡°How?¡± she asked, ¡°it isn¡¯t hurting anything¡± ¡°You are welcoming what you cannot have,¡± James said calmly ¡°We are not!¡± Christine crossed her arms ¡°Yes you are!¡± he shot, ¡°We are married, Christine, whether we like it or not! Writing like you two do is only going to cause you both more pain¡± ¡°How would you know how we write?¡± Christine said, ¡°Those letters are the only things keeping me happy¡­.why are you trying to stop that?¡± ¡°I am not trying to stop your happiness,¡± James was getting frustrated, ¡°I am trying to protect you¡± They reached their carriage¡¯s stop at a strip of shops. The streets were bustling, people all around. Christine and James continued arguing as they exited. The group of young women Christine had spoken to at the party was talking to a group of young men near the Waltzes. They slowed their giggling and conversing to listen to them quarrel. They curiously moved closer. ¡°Well well well,¡± one of the men interrupted, ¡°the happy couple is having their first fight!¡± The two stopped talking. Christine messed with her hair in annoyance and embarrassment. The girls laughed melodiously. James sighed and smiled at the boys, ¡°What do you want?¡± ¡°Oh, come along Waltz,¡± another boy said, ¡°Can¡¯t we just start a casual conversation?¡± ¡°We were in the middle of a discussion,¡± Christine interrupted when James began to answer, ¡°if you would excuse us¡± ¡°Oh,¡± the boys bowed comically, ¡°of course your highness¡± ¡°She can¡¯t stoop low enough to our level to muster a proper apology,¡± one of the girls said. Christine just rolled her eyes. James slowly took her hand and started to walk away. ¡°Now you hold on a minute Waltz,¡± one of the boys grabbed James by the shoulder, ¡°I haven¡¯t told you what I want yet¡± ¡°Alright Eric,¡± James turned back to them, ¡°Let¡¯s all calm down¡± ¡°She doesn''t even stand like a proper lady,¡± one of the girls whispered behind her fan Christine snatched it out of her hands and put one hand on her hip, ¡°Care to say that again?¡± ¡°Hey!¡± one of the boys pushed Christine against the shop wall near them, ¡°you should teach your wife some manners!¡± James pushed the boy to the ground. He quickly stood and got right in James¡¯ face, ¡°what are you trying to start, hmm?¡± He pushed James to the ground. ¡°Oh you¡¯re not gonna want to watch this,¡± another man laughed and grabbed Christine, pulling her away from the street ¡°Let go of me!¡­..James!¡± James shot up and ran to Christine. He punched the boy next to her and grabbed her hand, taking off running. ¡°You bring me my money James Waltz!!¡± A boy yelled from far behind them. Chapter 10 When they reached their house, Christine demanded answers. ¡°Who were those men?¡± she spoke between catching her breath, ¡°Why were they shouting at us for money?¡± James wanted to avoid questions but he knew Christine¡¯s persistence. ¡°I know those men,¡± he said, ¡°I borrowed some money from them once¡­.they haven¡¯t forgotten, apparently, although it was years ago¡± ¡°I thought your family was fabulously wealthy,¡± Christine replied ¡°They weren¡¯t born holding one hundred pounds,¡± James muttered, sitting on the couch in the entry room. Christine sat too, ¡°why did you borrow the money?¡± ¡°I was barely thirteen,¡± James said, ¡°it was a little before my mother¡­left. I thought it was only a money rooted problem, that is all they¡¯d ever talked about. So I borrowed pounds¡­several pounds¡­.from Eric Brushe. He was as young and ignorant as I, so he gave it to me. I suppose it was an innocent mistake. I was just so desperate¡­.to fix what couldn¡¯t be fixed¡± Christine sat silent for a moment, thinking. ¡°Why don¡¯t you just pay him now?¡± she asked, ¡°can¡¯t you?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that I can¡¯t,¡± James replied, ¡°I just know what he¡¯ll do with it¡± The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ¡°What will he do with it?¡± Christine asked ¡°Something squanderful,¡± he muttered Christine¡¯s mouth dropped. ¡°James!¡± she yelled, ¡°You would risk a group of men demanding money from you for the rest of your life for a reason you can¡¯t justify?¡± ¡°He would be wasting-¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care! You walk right out there and hand that man his money or I will do it myself¡± Christine regretted saying that last part. ¡°You will do no such thing,¡± James said, fearing how they¡¯d treated her ¡°Did they follow us?¡± she muttered James went over to the door, ¡°I don¡¯t believe so¡­.I will go back¡­.if that¡¯s what you want?¡± Christine stood still, ¡°Please¡± ¡°As you wish,¡± James left and closed the door behind him Christine flinched for the sound of a slamming door but the door didn¡¯t slam. She went back to writing her letter to Maicy concerning her move in. She had decided to take up a position elsewhere. Christine was alright with this, she was more surprised by the fact that James would have been okay with Maicy staying with them. She was surprised James did a lot of things he did, but mostly the good things. She found that a little sad, but at least there were good things to be surprised about. She also couldn''t shake James¡¯ advice about Thomas¡¯ letters. She couldn¡¯t shake the thought that maybe he was right¡­.but why would he care? It was ultimately her decision. Christine heard a knock at the door. She looked out the window before opening it and saw an old woman. ¡°Hello Lady Waltz,¡± the woman¡¯s voice was small and wavering as she slowly bowed her head, ¡°I was told you might be here¡­.is lord Waltz in?¡± ¡°Oh I¡¯m afraid not,¡± she smiled weakly, ¡°he went into town¡± ¡°Do tell him I stopped by,¡± the woman explained, ¡°I am visiting from Gardendale, lord Waltz¡¯s old town¡­. bless his heart. I wanted to thank him for the money he gave me earlier this month. It truly meant the world to me¡± Christine chose not to be surprised this time, ¡°That is very nice to hear¡± ¡°You truly are a lucky woman m¡¯lady,¡± the woman winked, ¡°he is a great kindess to all people¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Christine said, ¡°I suppose he is¡± Chapter 11 Christine was sitting on the drawing room couch when James returned. He simply took off his coat, hat, and gloves, wondering why she was sitting there¡­..she had been worrying about him. ¡°Someone came by when you were gone,¡± she said ¡°Hmm,¡± he replied, only half listening. ¡°She told me to thank you¡­.¡±James slowed his movement as Chrstine spoke, ¡°for giving her money a bit ago. She was an older woman, sweet and direct¡± ¡°Oh yes,¡± James said as he sat down next to her, ¡°I remember her¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t know you were so charitable,¡± Christine smirked and tapped his shoe with hers, ¡°considering our recent charity opportunity¡± James stood up slowly and said, ¡°that was not charity¡­.Eric has everything he needs¡± Christine sighed and let herself sink into the couch. Neither of them said a word for a while. ¡°I have a suggestion,¡± James stubbled a little, ¡°Let¡¯s¡­.go out for dinner¡± Christine smiled at his spontaneousness, ¡°That¡­.would be lovely¡± ******************************************************************************** The Silver Pearl was the fanciest restaurant of the town. Including pure silver furnishings and plates, the restaurant was only attended by high society. James had already reserved a table for them, quite a new concept of the time, and Christine would feel awful if she recommended a different location. Christine¡¯s prejudice against the upper class was not understood by James, as both were raised wealthy. Christine tried to explain how true it was that rich people are arrogant and entitled. James did not share her opinion in the slightest, but both could agree it was based on personal experiences. James had bought Christine a dress, to her surprise. It was in a box on the table in their dining room before they left. ¡°How did you get this inside without me noticing?¡± Christine held the dress up to see it The dress was cobalt blue lined with black lace. The skirt was full of tool, as blue as the rest of the dress. ¡°A simple ¡®thank you¡¯ would suffice,¡± James muttered ¡°Thank you,¡± Christine blurted, ¡°it¡¯s beautiful¡± She did not ask why they were going to The Silver Pearl, she did not ask why James bought her a dress, nor did she ask why he seemed nervous. James was glad she didn¡¯t. Thomas¡¯ voice echoed in his mind. Tell her He had a conversation with Thomas when he left to see Eric Tell her He never gave Eric any money Tell her James convinced Thomas to stop sending letters to Christine. I love you ******************************************************************************** They sat quietly in the middle of the restaurant. ¡°Did you enjoy the caviar?¡± James asked, trying to focus on something else. Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Christine nodded, ¡°it was very unexpectedly delicious¡± A waiter come to the table with a large strawberry cake. Christine¡¯s mouth dropped open; that was the one thing on the menu she had talked about the whole evening. ¡°What? How?¡± she laughed James only smiled. ¡°Wait¡­.what do you want?¡± Christine smirked ¡°What do you mean?¡± James asked ¡°Truly,¡± Christine turned slightly more serious, ¡°why are you doing this?¡± ¡°I¡­.(Tell her) just thought we needed some fun,¡± James said, ¡°after the many events of the not-so-distant past¡± Christine snorted, ¡°yes well, aren¡¯t our lives¡­.miserable¡± James almost shrugged but thought otherwise. Christine muttered her thoughts, ¡°do you like the dress?¡± ¡°Ravishing,¡± James muttered even quieter Christine felt herself blush. ¡°Wait,¡± she tried to play it off, ¡°Did you just¡­.compliment me?¡± ¡°Oh how dare I,¡± James didn¡¯t mean to sound as harsh as he did ¡°You know that¡¯s not what I meant,¡± Christine smiled, ¡°truly, I¡­applaud you. This has been such a nice evening to a rather tumultuous day and¡­thank you for earlier as well¡± ¡°For what?¡± ¡°Well¡­protecting me for one¡­.and listening to me for another¡± ¡°It¡¯s the least I can do after what I¡¯ve put you through,¡± James let himself speak the truth, ¡°you deserve that¡­.I will never know how to make it up to you, but I¡¯m sorry for being¡­.such a prude¡± ¡°Well, I don¡¯t know that I¡¯d go that far,¡± Christine smiled slightly, ¡°but¡­.. you are making up for it all just fine¡± James chuckled a little. Just then, a young man and woman walked over to their table. ¡°Lawrence!¡± James shot up immediately, ¡°How have you been, old friend?¡± ¡°Oh wonderful,¡± Lawrence smiled, ¡°wonderful! Likewise?¡± James smiled at the woman with Lawrence and kissed her hand. ¡°Oh I¡¯m doing fine,¡± he sat back, ¡°just fine¡± Christine watched the scene intently. ¡°Who is the lovely lady?¡± Lawrence kissed Christine¡¯s hand ¡°This is my wife,¡± James struggled with his wording, having never introduced her before, ¡°Christine¡± ¡°How do you do?¡± Christine smiled slightly ¡°I could ask the same of you,¡± James looked at Lawrence Christine raised her eyebrows. ¡°This is Lady Thorton,¡± Lawrence said, ¡°of the western valleys¡± Christine looked at James for a common laugh at the large title, but he didn¡¯t even smile ¡°What¡¯s your first name, love?¡± Christine put her hands together and elbows on the table, looking at Lady Thorton ¡°Oh I prefer not to say,¡± she replied, ¡°might not go over well in this town¡± Christine tried not to show her confusion on her face. ¡°How long have you two known each other?¡± Lawrence grinned ¡°Since childhood,¡± Christine spoke before James could ¡°Oh really? James never spoke about you,¡± Lawrence chuckled James laughed uncomfortably. ¡°How interesting,¡± Christine looked at him but thought nothing of it James never had a reason to talk about her. He changed the subject. ¡°What brings you here?¡± ¡°Oh it¡¯s the nicest place around! When did you two begin courting?¡± Well, he tried to change the subject. ¡°We were betrothed,¡± Christine spoke first again, ¡°shortly before marriage¡± ¡°How intriguing!¡± Lady Thorton laughed, ¡°What amount of money did your parents gain from that?¡± Christine laughed at first but then the question registered, ¡°....pardon?¡± ¡°I mean,¡± Lady Thorton¡¯s smile didn¡¯t waver, ¡°the Waltzes are incredibly rich, that must be the reason¡­.right?¡± ¡°Excuse me but-¡± ¡°Don¡¯t get too excited, darling,¡± James muttered, quickly noticing Christine¡¯s offense Her mouth dropped open. ¡°I¡¯m not sure if I am missing something here,¡± Christine said, ¡°but why is there a sudden need to belittle my family and I? Also, I was unaware that you were drinking alcohol James, but you must be to call me ¡®darling¡¯¡± ¡°It was only a jest,¡± Lawrence did not take Chrisine¡¯s offense seriously, ¡°you aren¡¯t losing any money over it¡­.at least not anymore¡± Lady Thorton and Lawrence laughed, and James hesitantly smiled to Christine¡¯s dismay. She only looked at him bitterly and started walking away. ¡°Christine,¡± James started to follow her, ¡°Christine!¡± She was so disappointed in herself. How could she be so foolish, to think that Christine and James, the bitter enemies, could have one normal night. James caught up to her halfway to the door and grabbed her hand. ¡°No,¡± she hissed, ¡°don¡¯t you dare touch me! If you¡¯re going to hold my hand and call me ¡®darling¡¯, don¡¯t shame my family and my past while doing it! I understand that your posh friends find women¡¯s lack of freedom in marriage humorous but I¡­..I thought you were better than that¡± Christine left the restaurant. It was raining outside, dark and stormy clouds hovered above. ¡°Please,¡± James chased after her, ¡°no one meant to be offensive, Lawrence is a funny man, he doesn¡¯t often think before he speaks, I-¡° Christine stopped walking. ¡°No,¡± she turned to face him, ¡°but I hoped you would¡± James didn¡¯t know what to say. ¡°Christine¡­.¡± Tell her ¡°What??¡± She asked, irritated I need an apology¡­..and show me you mean it ¡°I¡­.I think we should go home¡± Chapter 12 Christine sat on the edge of her bed, silent. James brushed his teeth in the bathroom. He came back shortly and barely glanced at her, getting under the covers. ¡°We aren¡¯t going to talk about it?¡± he asked Christine¡¯s voice was firm but small, ¡°What is there to talk about?¡± James sat up, ¡°Are you going to make me say it?¡± Christine rolled her eyes, ¡°Fine. First off, thank you for the lovely evening¡­.it would have been even more lovely if I hadn¡¯t been publicly ridiculed for my family¡¯s social class¡­.by you¡± ¡°I understand your frustration¡­.it was wrong for me to join them, I should have noticed you weren¡¯t amused. They were truly jossing, I promise, but I¡¯m sorry. Lawrence is an old friend of mine, he¡¯s always been a comedian¡­.I¡¯m truly sorry¡± Christine was silent for a moment. ¡°You seem to have many acquaintances,¡± she said, ¡°contrary to what you told me at the wedding¡­.why were none of them invited?¡± James was surprised she remembered his words about friends. ¡°Well I don¡¯t think I would consider many of my friends true ones¡­.I actually don¡¯t think I¡¯d consider any of them as friends at all. They are always doing things, living their busy lives. We¡¯re only friends when it¡¯s convenient for them. I believe that¡¯s made me realize¡­.I¡¯ve never built any relationship with anyone¡± Christine touched his hand. ¡°This probably doesn¡¯t help,¡± she smiled weakly, ¡°but I suppose you could practice with me¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that,¡± he said, ¡°you¡¯ve already helped me more than you know¡± ******************************************************************************** James awoke early the next morning and went for a walk around the neighborhood. He saw a group of townsfolk crowding around town square in the distance. The neighborhood was very close to shops and the center of town, James hardly ever saw so many people there. As he walked closer, he heard two women huddled together reading the paper. The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. ¡°The Waltzes have been awfully quiet lately,¡± one of them said, ¡°no new policies or events!¡± ¡°Maybe they¡¯ll be more lenient than their parents,¡± the other nodded James ignored them and kept walking through the crowd. He finally reached what everyone was staring at. A large paper was posted to the town bulletin board. Thomas Waltz to host a gala with Lady Amber Octania it read, all are welcome for this big announcement. James was bewildered. What could Thomas possibly have to say that the whole town has to hear? He wanted to write to Thomas and ask but didn¡¯t think Thomas wanted to speak with him. Not after telling him to stop sending letters to Christine. James even debated telling Christine about the gala. Maybe it would do them good to have some communication with Thomas and Lady Octania¡­.in person. Then again, Christine might not want to talk to Thomas¡­.or her mother. James went home and found Christine sitting on the bed holding several papers. Letters. ¡°Christine?¡± Startled, Christine stumbled and put the letters in a box next to her, sliding it under the bed. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t know where you were,¡± Christine said, slightly passive aggressive. ¡°I went to town square,¡± he nervously ran his hand over his mouth and chin, ¡°there was a public invitation. Thomas and your mother¡­.are holding a gala. They¡­.have an announcement¡± Christine tensed slightly, ¡°what might that be?¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t the slightest idea,¡± he sighed, ¡°they must want people to attend to find out¡± Christine rolled her eyes outside of James¡¯ view, ¡°I suppose you want us to¡­.attend?¡± ¡°I know you¡¯ve been melancholy,¡± he sat down next to her, ¡°but I think it will do us both good to communicate in person. Also, it¡¯s a gala! What fun, right? Food, socializing,-¡± ¡°Dancing?¡± Christine muttered ¡°Yes,¡± James said, ¡°I¡¯m sure there will be some¡­.dancing¡± ¡°I will go to the gala,¡± she said, pushing James lightly, ¡°if you will dance with me¡± James was surprised at her boldness, ¡°You want me to that badly-¡± ¡°Oh come on, I know you want to!¡± James let out an exasperated sigh and hid a smile, ¡°Alright, alright¡­.I will agree to this¡± Christine laughed and let herself smile. She reached her his hand but quickly stopped herself. She was surprised by her own thoughts. What was wrong with her? After all that James has done? How could she ever forget. ¡°Forgive me,¡± he stood up, ¡°I think I need to tell you something. Don''t laugh, I promise I¡¯m being serious. I admit I was wrong about you, from the start. I think we should be friends¡­.truthfully¡± That was not the confession Christine surprisingly found herself hoping for, but she agreed. He offered both hands to help her up as he stood in front of her. She took his hands and stood up, looking him in the eyes. She quickly shifted away from between James and the bed and went into the hall. ¡°Pull yourself together,¡± she whispered to herself, ¡°snap out of this fake feeling, Christine, he is¡­.him. He¡¯s James Waltz. He is still the arrogant, entitled, and angry young boy he always was¡± She took a deep breath and tried to bury her hopes about him, as she had been trying to do for days now. Somehow, he always brought them back into her heart again. Chapter 13 There was no word of when the gala would be, but it was taking the town by storm. The Waltzes couldn¡¯t escape it. In every shop and street corner they would find themselves in, they were bombarded with questions from the townsfolk. Not only that, but Christine would regularly overhear people criticizing her and James for keeping their lives private. She was confused beyond exasperation. When they were too public, it was scrutinized. The inverse was true as well? Hearing about Thomas was certainly not helping Christine¡¯s mood. She was trying not to let her sudden lack of new letters bother her too much, but that was difficult when their writer was brought up at every turn. The old woman who had talked to Christine about James noticed their unwillingness to answer the town¡¯s questions. She told them she would love to bring them groceries and other things from the shops. James told her that wouldn¡¯t be necessary but Christine encouraged it, saying it would keep the old woman busy. She needed something to keep her life interesting, as she¡¯d told Christine herself. ¡°Please call me Louise,¡± the woman told Christine when she delivered their groceries. ¡°Thank you so much Louise,¡± Christine smiled warmly, ¡°you really are too kind¡±If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. James poked his head over Christine¡¯s shoulder in the doorway and offered Louise 50 pounds. ¡°Oh Mr. Waltz you really don¡¯t have-¡° ¡°Please,¡± he interrupted, ¡°I insist¡± Louise sighed but received the payment with a smile, ¡°thank you sir¡± ¡°Please¡­.call me James¡± ******************************************************************************** The following week went by quietly. It started with Christine going to town to buy some flower seeds. James asked if she wanted him to come but she quickly declined. James didn¡¯t usually bother Christine¡¯s things, and he never bothered Christine¡¯s journal¡­.but her sudden change in mood made him curious. And even a little concerned. The reason was obvious; but what did she feel other than sadness and heartbreak? Those are only the shallow emotions of a sudden life change. He backed it up with it helping him understand her better, at least that¡¯s what he told himself. Whatever the true reason, he looked in Christine¡¯s journal. Only the last few entries¡­.he wouldn¡¯t stoop any lower. What he read made him wish he told her the truth about the letters. Thirteenth of June, 1774 My world, my Thomas, has not sent any letters to me in almost twenty days. I used to receive them daily. I get hopeful every time a piece of mail comes but my depression only worsens when I see nothing from him. Only the endless apology letters from my mother than I no longer open. I¡¯m not sure what has happened but I am sure of this¡­.I must not be good enough for anyone anymore. Chapter 14 The day of Thomas and Mrs Octania¡¯s announcement finally arrived, but Christine refused to go. She told James she had a splitting headache but they both knew the truth: she didn¡¯t want to face Thomas. ¡°Are you certain you don¡¯t want me to stay with you?¡± James asked, truly just wanting a reason to stay too ¡°I¡¯ll be alright,¡± Christine replied, lounging on the sitting room couch James sighed and left the house. He stood on the front steps for a while and finally decided to visit the ship docks. He didn¡¯t want to hear what the announcement was anyway. He walked down a different street to avoid Eric and started to smile when he saw his only friend, Nickolas. His smile faded when Nickolas didn¡¯t smile back, as he locked the gates to the ports. ¡°Nickolas old chap!¡± James pat him on the back, ¡°What¡¯s been going?¡± ¡°Oh hello James!¡± Nickolas said, ¡°glad to see you, friend¡­wish it were under better circumstances¡± James looked at the locket gate. ¡°We had to let off several sailors recently, running too low on funds. It¡¯s hard to watch, Waltz, most of the blokes have families to take care of¡± ¡°I imagine so¡± ¡°Speaking of such¡­.you¡¯re a married man now! Haven¡¯t seen you since years ago, who¡¯s the lucky girl?¡± James sighed, ¡°I married Christine Octania¡­.wouldn¡¯t say she¡¯s a lucky one¡± Nickolas laughed, ¡°With a dashing and delightful man like you? Don¡¯t sell yourself short! She¡¯s Lady Octania¡¯s daughter? I know who you¡¯re speaking of¡­.she¡¯s a catch¡± ¡°Uh¡­.yeah,¡± James looked around Nickolas shifted his weight, ¡°say¡­.didn¡¯t her father die? When was that?¡± ¡°About seven years ago,¡± James replied ¡°Don¡¯t you know a lot,¡± Nickolas said ¡°I¡¯ve known her my whole life, Nick,¡± James shrugged ¡°Never would¡¯ve known,¡± Nickolas turned and started walking, ¡°for her being the love of your life, you never said much about her¡± James didn¡¯t correct any of Nickolas¡¯ assumptions. ¡°I don¡¯t often have much to say,¡± he said instead, ¡°to be honest, we weren¡¯t too fond of each other as children¡­.she found more benevolence in Thomas¡± ¡°You aren¡¯t too fond of her yourself, are you?¡± Nickolas asked, ¡°Don¡¯t think I didn¡¯t notice¡±The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. ¡°It was arranged¡­.not by us¡± ¡°Well why don¡¯t you love her?¡± Nickolas asked the million dollar question, ¡°old grudges are reason enough?¡± James said nothing. He noticed plenty of chattering in the center streets and went to see what was happening. Nickolas followed. Many townsfolk and people of the court pooled out of the street Lady Octania resided on. Nobles rode in carriages while the townspeople walked on foot in endless conversation. ¡°Oh it truly is exciting to have another relationship to follow,¡± one woman said to another ¡°Oh yes, but I do feel a little uncertain about it. Seems a little soon, don¡¯t you think?¡± The other woman replied James and Nickolas kept walking, looking around the streets. ¡°Thomas Waltz and Lady Octania really know how to get the gossip going,¡± a man said They reached the beginning of Lady Octania¡¯s street and James turned to face Nickolas, ¡°I better step in, I¡¯ll see you soon, alright? ¡°Sure thing! See you around Waltz,¡± Nickolas pat James on the back and left the street. James made his way through the smaller number of people still leaving the house. Thomas spotted him right as he walked in and smiled, running towards him. ¡°James! You¡¯re awfully late, brother!¡± ¡°Sorry,¡± James was surprised as Thomas was seemingly ignoring their last discussion, ¡°I¡­.was catching up with an old friend¡± ¡°No worries¡­.there is someone I¡¯d like you to meet-¡° ¡°Look Thomas,¡± James interrupted, ¡°I need to talk with you about something¡­.it¡¯s important¡± ¡°Well, by all means, go on,¡± Thomas¡¯ demeanor hasn¡¯t changed James sighed and started pacing, trying to collect words, ¡°as you know, we decided to end the letters between you and Christine. Reluctantly I know, but you did stop and thank you for that. I thought it would limit the pain for both of you¡­.I¡¯m afraid I was wrong¡± ¡°Will you never let me finish?¡± Thomas laughed ¡°I¡¯m not talking about you, Thomas¡± James stopped pacing, ¡°I¡¯m talking about Christine¡± Thomas¡¯ smile faded. ¡°What¡¯s¡­.what¡¯s wrong with her?¡± ¡°She¡¯s devastated,¡± James held nothing back, ¡°and has been, ever since the letters stopped. She will barely eat, barely drink, and hasn''t smiled since I don¡¯t know when¡­.¡± Thomas nervously put his hands in his pockets, ¡°James¡­.what are you asking me to do?¡± ¡°Just listen,¡± James¡¯ voice was stern but patient, ¡°I want you to talk to her. I¡¯m not asking you to send any letters¡­.just talk to her. And¡­.I think you should do that right now¡± Thomas said nothing. He avoided James¡¯ stare. ¡°I admire how you want to work this out. Truly, I do. If you would have let me finish earlier, this conversation might have gone differently. Now, let me start with this. I love you¡­.and I loved Christine¡­.but I¡¯ve moved on. I had to. I¡¯ve been courting someone else for a while now. She¡¯s from Cambridge¡± James let out a small scoff of surprise. ¡°What did you expect me to do? I hope it wasn¡¯t to wallow in my sorrow for the rest of my life!¡± Thomas exclaimed ¡°I expected you to have some respect for the situation!¡± James replied, ¡°What is wrong with you? You must be mad to have fallen out of love so fast-¡° ¡°Oh yes, because you know everything about love,¡± Thomas said flatly ¡°I know that love is considerate!¡± James yelled, ¡°and empathetic, and patient¡­.she would have killed for you or even just for one more letter!¡± Thomas said nothing in return. ¡°How you have moved on is truly not mine to deal with,¡± James spoke more quietly, ¡°but can¡¯t you at least explain our discussion to her?¡± ¡°Why haven¡¯t you?¡± Thomas asked James was afraid of that question. ¡°I¡­.thought you would do so better¡± ¡°No,no,no,¡± Thomas said, ¡°that isn¡¯t it-¡° ¡°My heart can¡¯t take it,¡± James whispered There was a long pause. Thomas looked at James. ¡°You love her¡± James smiled slightly and muttered, ¡°No-¡° ¡°You love her! I¡¯m so stupid-¡° ¡°Thomas, you love her. At least you did¡­.and she still loves you. So go right to the house and communicate¡­.please,¡± James said Thomas scored and smiled, shaking his head, ¡°Quite the situation we have here, brother. You cannot hide from me¡­.but I¡¯ll cover for you, don¡¯t worry¡± He left quickly to a coach outside. James tried to catch up but the coach was already leaving. Chapter 15 James began to walk away from the house but stopped when he remembered whose house he was at. ¡°Lady Octania?¡± he ran back through the door and was surprised to see her walking towards him ¡°Oh!¡± she smiled, ¡°Hello James! You missed the-¡± ¡°Yes sorry,¡± James replied, ¡°What¡­.what exactly was your announcement?¡± ¡°Oh!¡± she laughed and started walking towards the banquet hall, ¡°Yes! It was about Thomas and Lady Adeline¡­.I¡¯m certain you¡¯ve been told about them¡± James followed, ¡°I was told¡­.but I¡¯m not sure I understand. You told¡­.the whole town?¡± Lady Octania walked around the table of remaining refreshments, ¡°Yes, we did¡± ¡°And you didn¡¯t think to just¡­.address it privately? For Christine¡¯s sake?¡± he processed his words as he spoke Lady Octania took a bite of a strawberry and casually continued, ¡°Well the people love to know¡­.it¡¯s not like we are hiding it or anything¡± ¡°This is something you keep in a small circle! Given¡­.the circumstances-¡± ¡°Oh hush James! I need someone who appreciates me in my life and that is Thomas, so I will take it while I can! He got the whole town on my side again¡­.I help Thomas and he helps me, it¡¯s perfect. We lost Christine¡­.we can only get through it together!¡± ******************************************************************************** Christine heard a knock on the front door. She hurried to open it, expecting her husband. ¡°James I¡¯ve made the most miraculous recovery-¡± she laughed but cut herself short when she saw Thomas in front of her His defendant and cheer from earlier was gone. ¡°Hello Christine,¡± he said, fiddling with his top hat in his hands, ¡°May I come in?¡±The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. Christine nodded absentmindedly and opened the door further. Thomas stepped in and sighed, standing at the doorway for a moment. He took a deep breath and kept walking. ¡°Please, do sit¡­.(Christine saw Lady Adeline and sat in a chair in surprise) down,¡± she cleared her throat and tried not to look confused. ¡°Christine,¡± Thomas began, ¡°I-¡± ¡°Tea?¡± Christine quickly stood and went to the parlor a few steps away, pouring three cups They whispered their thanks as she nervously sat back down, sipping at least half of her cup down in one gulp. She held it tightly in her lap to keep it from shaking. ¡°Christine,¡± Thomas started again, ¡°it has occurred to me that I owe you an explanation. I¡¯m truly sorry I didn¡¯t tell you earlier but¡­.this is Lady Adeline of Cambridge¡­.we¡¯ve been courting for a few weeks¡­.and I announced our engagement at the gala-¡± Christine clenched her cup so hard that it broke. ¡°-this afternoon¡± She looked down suddenly and let out a nervous laugh, ¡°Oh! I-I¡¯m sorry¡± She looked down at her bleeding hand and took the cup back to the parlor. Suddenly, the front door opened. Chrisrine was startled, already on edge as she quickly turned around, running her hand across her cheek. ¡°Oh,¡± she sighed, ¡°it¡¯s just you James¡± ¡°Hello,¡± he closed the door and scanned the room, ¡°have I¡­.missed the fun?¡± Christine walked briskly towards him, ¡°We were just having a discussion¡± She turned her back to Adeline and Thomas as her eyes went wide. James reached for her face. Christine slowly grabbed his hand, ¡°What?¡± ¡°Did he¡­¡± ¡°What?! God no James, I just got cut,¡± she whispered harshly ¡°Calm down-¡± ¡°He has another girl James, that is why I don¡¯t get letters,¡± she whispered ¡°Wait,¡± James spoke louder, ¡°I thought¡­.¡± He looked at Thomas. ¡°Thought what?¡± Christine turned around and looked at Thomas too Thomas looked just as addled. ¡°You¡­.didn¡¯t tell her?¡± he asked ¡°You¡­.knew about her?¡± Christine asked Both of them looked at James, who was stuttering, ¡°What? No¡­.not until a moment ago. I just meant¡­.the letters¡± ¡°What about the letters?¡± Christine closed her eyes in impatience ¡°What letters?¡± Lady Adeline questioned You could cut the confusion in the room with a knife. ¡°Why did it stop?¡± Christine plainly asked ¡°Because I told him to,¡± James said ¡°Because of Adeline,¡± Thomas said They spoke almost in unison. They all looked at Christine, then at each other. ¡°Will someone please give me a true answer here?¡± she asked slowly Thomas started to speak, but Christine told him to wait. ¡°You¡­.asked him to? Again?¡± she looked at James ¡°Christine, I¡¯m sorry,¡± he replied calmly, ¡°I only asked him to once and I did it for you-¡± ¡°Oh stop it James,¡± Thomas cut in, ¡°you only did it for yourself¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Christine was starting to get overwhelmed ¡°So you haven¡¯t told her that either?¡± Thomas scoffed ¡°Thomas, come now¡­..If you all would just let me explain-¡± James stopped when Christine started towards the back door. Chapter 16 ¡°Christine,¡± James started after her, ¡°Christine wait!¡± She opened the door to the garden and stood in the doorway, facing him. ¡°Why should I wait, James?!¡± He was silent. ¡°Tell me,¡± Christine repeated and looked into James¡¯ eyes, daring him to say what she already knew, ¡°Why should I wait?¡± He looked at her but could not meet her eyes, ¡°because I¡­.I¡­.¡± ¡°You cannot even say it!¡± she whispered harshly, ¡°How can you expect me to listen¡± Christine slammed the door and walked through the garden. James took hold of the door handle but didn¡¯t open it. He just stood there, not knowing what to do. He sighed and turning back to the house, saw Adeline walking over to the back door. She stood there shaking her head with a slight smile on her face. ¡°Don¡¯t be stupid,¡± she said ¡°Go get her¡± ********************************************************************************Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. Christine didn¡¯t know where she was going, she just wanted to wallow in her disappointment and process what had just happened . She suddenly heard James¡¯ footsteps behind her and turned around. ¡°You know I am trying to make this work,¡± she blurted, ¡°I¡¯m trying to make us work¡­.oh it¡¯s no use, every time we get anywhere together we take another step and it goes nowhere! We have nothing in common, your strengths are just my weaknesses and-¡± ¡°Exactly Christine!¡± he replied, ¡°you are exactly correct and you just don¡¯t realize how good that is! We fight because we care, not because we hate each other. We don¡¯t hate each other¡­.we can¡¯t. My weaknesses are too helped by your strengths for me to keep silent any longer. You¡¯ve made me happy again¡­.I can only hope I have made as great of an impact on you. We keep trying because we value our people and ourselves and each other. We keep trying because we feel whole when we are together, working towards a common goal of unity and happiness to forget the misfortunes of the past. Seeing how we can make each other stronger. We are both stubborn and hot headed in our own ways, but you are also so creative and you have such a beautiful mind. You carry yourself with a level of grace and dignity that so many will never reach, balancing that with a sense of self worth and independence that few try to have. That is why we work. We work, Christine. And that¡¯s why I love you¡± Christine took a deep breath, and only then did she realize that she hadn¡¯t breathed that deeply in a long time. She wasn¡¯t sure why¡­.maybe it was because of her relief, maybe it was because she¡¯d been holding her breath in her mind ever since James held her hand. She stared at him after he spoke, neither of them moving. Christine, always full of sonnets and poems, could think of nothing to say. She only walked over to James and wrapped her arms around him. All she could muster was, ¡°Thank you¡± Chapter 17 ¡°It was a good day for the girl,¡± Christine read, ¡°she learned one of the most important life lessons through her journey: honesty is one of the most valuable things you can give someone. Not only did she learn a lesson¡­.she also loved happily ever after¡± She smiled and closed the book, the children around her clapping. They were in the Waltzes library, surrounded by a countless number of bookshelves lined with a countless number of books. Christine was now more comfortable acting on her promise for communication and cooperation. She¡¯d been hosting children fairytale readings every other week; and a Women¡¯s Poetry Society meeting every month. James would arrange a socializing session for the parents when their children were in the library, and they would discuss hopes and ideas for their town¡¯s future. Christine stood up and shelved the book near her. ¡°That is all for today,¡± she said, smiling with her hands on her knees over her frilly yellow dress, ¡°go on into the dining room to your parents¡± The children unwillingly left, Christine watching them as they giggled down the hall. Her smile slowly faded as she saw Thomas walk around the corner and lean on a bookshelf close to the door. She didn¡¯t look in his direction for long, going back to look at a shelf a ways away from him. James entered from the side door and walked to Christine, looking at the same shelf as she. ¡°Good afternoon darling,¡± he put his hands in his pockets, ¡°how was the reading?¡± She pulled a book off the shelf and opened it, ¡°splendid¡± James noticed her flat tone, ¡°how are you?¡± She nodded around the corner, ¡°I was better before he arrived¡± James looked around casually. He sighed and touched Christine¡¯s shoulder, ¡°I¡¯ll go talk to him¡± Christine laughed softly and pat his hand, ¡°good luck¡±Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. ¡°Mhm,¡± James smirked and walked over to his brother, straightening his overcoat ¡°Hello James!¡± Thomas smiled ¡°Good afternoon,¡± James replied, ¡°May I¡­.help you?¡± Thomas laughed, ¡°I just thought I¡¯d stop by and see how you and the Mrs are doing¡­.and how the communication is going¡± James scoffed. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Oh nothing,¡± James replied, ¡°You are just going to walk in here¡­.uninvited, mind you¡­..and pretend like last week didn¡¯t happen?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not pretending it didn¡¯t happen-¡± ¡°You are pretending it wasn¡¯t a big deal,¡± James quietly interrupted ¡°It doesn¡¯t have to be a big deal,¡± Thomas¡¯ smile hadn¡¯t left, ¡°we can put the past behind us and move forward without partial hearts!¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t work like that Thomas,¡± James shook his head, ¡°it can¡¯t work like that¡­.not after that caper you pulled¡± Thomas¡¯ smile faded, ¡°what is that supposed to mean?¡± ¡°You know what I mean,¡± James said, ¡°That overly public display you and Lady Octania put on-¡± ¡°Oh, come along James,¡± Thomas laughed, ¡°it was only a casual status update for the people to know, nothing perso-¡± ¡°It was personal!¡± James interrupted sternly Christine peaked her head around the oner and shushed her husband ¡°It was personal to me,¡± he lowered his voice, ¡°it was personal to this family¡­.and it was personal to Christine¡± ¡°Oh please,¡± Thomas muttered, ¡°she¡¯s moved on. She¡¯s moved on to you. Just be happy for¡­.and worry about¡­.yourself¡± He left without looking back. James heard Christine walking towards him as he watched Thomas leave. ¡°What did he want?¡± she asked ¡°Unrealistic forgiveness,¡± James said Christine shoved him but smiled, ¡°are you sure it wasn''t unrealistic forgetfulness?¡± ¡°What?¡± James smirked ¡°I have forgiven him,¡± she replied, ¡°I¡¯m just not ready to forget yet¡± ¡°I understand that,¡± he said, ¡°just know that Thomas doesn¡¯t¡± ¡°Okay,¡± she started to walk away James caught her around the waist. Christine sidestepped and looked at him, ¡°What?¡± He realized he had nothing to say. ¡°Nevermind,¡± he whispered ¡°Um¡­.okay?¡± she laughed Christine walked down the hall to the front door, ¡°I¡¯m going into town for a bit. Don¡¯t look for the carriage for me to return, I¡¯m just going to walk there¡­.get some fresh air¡± ¡°Oh¡­.alright,¡± James replied He started to go down another hall but stopped ¡°I¡­.I love you,¡± he said Christine opened the door but didn¡¯t go through it. ¡°Thank you,¡± she responded James¡¯ mouth said nothing but his face said everything. Christine knew¡­. and she laughed. ¡°What?¡± he asked ¡°You didn¡¯t think it would be that easy, did you?¡± she asked as she walked out the door Chapter 18 Christine walked down the surprisingly empty street to the market in town square. She avoided the entrance to her childhood home and walked straight to the flower stand, wicker basket in hand. Many people silently waved at her as she went over to Louise. ¡°Oh hello dear,¡± she exclaimed, ¡°Lovely weather, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Indeed,¡± Christine smiled, sifting through a bundle of daisies ¡°Haven¡¯t you gotten to be quite a celebrity,¡± Louise whispered Christine only laughed. She picked up a few daisies and looked at the section of roses. ¡°Do you have any yellow roses left, William?¡± she asked the florist ¡°Oh no Lady Waltz,¡± he laughed, ¡°Only you purchase those¡­.I wasn¡¯t expecting you¡± ¡°Oh it¡¯s alright,¡± Christine shook her headUnauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. Louise asked her burning question, ¡°How are you and James¡­.coming along?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to whisper¡± ¡°Well¡­.how goes it?¡± ¡°Be patient, Louise, good things come to those who wait¡± ¡°Why do you say that?¡± ¡°I¡¯m just taking things slow¡± ¡°What reason could there be for that? You¡¯re already married, that was fast enough on it¡¯s own¡± ¡°I know, I know. I¡¯m just¡­.missing something from him¡± ¡°Have you given him whatever that is first?¡± ¡°A little¡­.but it¡¯s easier to give when I know he will as well¡­.and he really hasn''t-¡± ¡°Well¡­.What is it?¡± Christine had been collecting orange roses and now looked up at Louise, ¡°Transparency¡± ******************************************************************************** Louise only laughed, ¡°Him telling you that he loves you in the manner he did isn¡¯t transparent enough?¡± ¡°Transparency is not to be mistaken with honesty,¡± Christine explained, ¡°I appreciate his honesty¡­.but he has not shown me his truest self. I can tell there is still another layer he isn¡¯t showing. Things he tries to hide, about his opinions and thoughts. You know I¡¯ve never been one to hold things back, so I am trying to be understanding. It¡¯s just that I have given him full transparency to this point and he¡­.well, he¡¯s hiding parts of himself¡± ¡°Whatever you say,¡± Louise shrugged, ¡°you¡¯d know him better than me¡± Christine only smiled. Chapter 19 When Christine got home, James was nowhere to be found. Only a note was left, that said he was near the lake outside of town. Christine thought of staying home, but then thought better. She hemmed up her skirt with a few ribbons and changed her heels into flats. She walked to the edge of town, stopping at a tree a ways away from the lake. She stared at him, sitting with his knees up, feet almost in the water. She went over to him and sat down next to him, taking off her shoes and putting her feet in the water. Only a few months ago, she would have expected James to give her a dirty look, but he didn''t. His focus stayed on the distance, squinting at nothing in particular. ¡°What¡¯s on your mind?¡± Christine reached for his hand but he shifted it around his leg. ¡°Christine,¡± he said, ¡°I lied to you. Maybe not a lie, but a misleading situation. I did tell Thomas to stop sending you letters. I want to tell you why¡­.because you deserve that truth. I was worried about the way those letters would affect both you and Thomas¡­.but that isn¡¯t the only reason. I told Thomas to stop because I started to like you. Then I started to love you. I was selfish. That was when I realized what I¡¯d been doing my whole life. I decide not to like people when I think they won¡¯t like me. I back up my selfish acts by feigning kindness. Just because I wanted the better health of you and Thomas did not mean the selfish reason for it was suddenly alright. What I did was wrong¡­.and I promise I will never lie to you ever again. I¡¯m sorry¡±The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Christine didn¡¯t say a word. ¡°I understand if you hate me,¡± he whispered ¡°That was very brave and good of you to say,¡± She put her head on his shoulder, ¡°and I don¡¯t hate you James¡­.I never did¡± ******************************************************************************** The next day, James and Christine walked hand in hand into town square. It was a very sunny day, plenty of people outside enjoying the many stands in the market. Christine was persuaded by James to come this far into town on such a busy day. She was scared to see Thomas and she was scared to see her mother, avoiding confrontation. James was still reassuring her when Nickolas came up to them. James smiled but he didn¡¯t smile back. He tipped his hat to Christine and put his hand on James¡¯ shoulder, quietly saying, ¡°I think you¡¯d better come look at this¡± He led them through a large huddle of people and to an announcement posted by King George the third. Hushed and worried whispers rang out around the crowd. It read, ¡°This is a message from your king, George the third. We have news of possible war with some revolutionaries in the somewhat near future. The fact of being called to fight is not out of the realm of possibility for England¡¯s young and able men. Please know that these things may come to pass, but also know this: I am with you all, as loyalists to England. ~King George Chapter 20 No one would be forced to join the battalion. Many of the United Kingdom''s farmers would volunteer as soldiers for the Revolution. ¡°The king says not to worry,¡± Christine heard another shopper telling the florist, ¡°we will make quick work of these rebels¡± The florist nodded, ¡°Oh I¡¯m sure of it, so long as some more qualified men volunteer¡­.Lady Waltz, I have your favorite roses today!¡± Christine smiled and thanked him, paying for the yellow roses and walking home. She went straight to the dining room to replace the flowers on the table James was sitting at. She watched him read a flier as she put the roses in a vase, concentrating on what it said as she emptied the old flowers into the rubbish bin. James was only looking at the flier, not really reading it, sitting thoughtfully with one foot on his other knee at the end of the table. Christine saw that the flier was a descriptive notice posted for soldier volunteers. ¡°James,¡± she laughed nervously, ¡°You aren¡¯t thinking about doing that¡­.are you?¡± ¡°No-¡± ¡°Good, because-¡± ¡°I¡¯ve already thought about it long enough¡­.we have¡± ¡°Who is ¡®we¡¯?¡± ¡°Thomas and I¡­.we¡¯ve volunteered, Christine¡± ********************************************************************************This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. Christine sat down in shock. ¡°....You what?¡± she whispered James stood and walked to her, grasping her hands. She stared at the floor. ¡°You have to understand,¡± James explained, ¡°Thomas and I have never done anything¡­.impactful. We want to be the change, the ones who can be part of something bigger than ourselves. This is our chance. We need this¡± Christine looked into James¡¯ eyes. ¡°I need this,¡± he whispered Christine slowly shook her head. She stood up and started to walk away, but her heart stopped her. No she thought No more running¡­.tell him how you feel¡­.communicate ¡°I don¡¯t need this,¡± she turned back around, ¡°I don¡¯t want this. You want to be impactful? Why isn¡¯t this enough? You don¡¯t need to go on a suicide mission to do something you can do right here. Our role in this town is impactful, James, we matter so much to the people-¡± ¡°No Christine,¡± he objected, ¡°you matter to the people!¡± Christine said nothing. ¡°I¡¯m asking you to respect this choice,¡± he said calmly, ¡°you don¡¯t have to agree, but I need to make this difference. You do wonders for this town, but it''s not my place. My place is out there. With my brother, fighting for what I believe in¡­.I have no right to enjoy the benefits of England if I don¡¯t fight for it¡± ¡°What about me? All that we¡¯ve built¡­together¡­you are willing to risk your joy and mine, to-¡° ¡°I am not going to die, Christine. I promise you¡­I will come back home to you, safe and sound¡­and we can further the work we both do here¡­please, darling, I have to do this¡± Christine let out a trembling sigh. ¡°Okay,¡± she whispered, walking towards him He started to speak, ¡°I¡¯m sorry Christine. I-¡± ¡°I know¡­if this is what you feel called to do, you should embrace it¡± He put his hand around her waist , ¡°I¡¯m not sorry for how I feel¡­..but I am sorry I didn¡¯t speak to you about it first¡± ¡°Thank you¡­..I think I¡¯d better lie down for a while¡­..¡± James let her go, but she paused at the door. ¡°I love you James¡± He felt his heart skip, but kept composure. ¡°I love you too...get some rest¡± Chapter 21 Christine didn''t know what to do with herself, wondering how she spent her time before James. Then she wondered how she spent her time before Thomas instead. Even though most of her time with James had been spent in awkward tenses hidden by arguments, she was missing that. Dwelling on the fact that she could be spending this time with James, while he was fighting for something he would never get to see. The Patriots would prevail, even though England''s Loyalists believed the Americans had no chance. Regardless of the inevitable, England went on as normal where Christine lived. Too far away from the fighting to leave her home, too close to stop worrying about it. Even though it took another step for Christine to love him, James had loved Christine before she even remotely liked him. James was beginning to regret leaving her, but he pushed those regrets aside. He was never the poetry type, but Christine made him want to be. He wanted to express his feelings the way Thomas could. James saw Thomas writing letters every few days, for Lady Adelyn. Christine received a letter one day, to her pleasant surprise.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. My Christine, Not a day goes by that I don¡¯t think of you. Your lovely presence and unmatchable beauty fill my mind through sounds of gunshots and falling soldiers, keeping me going. I fight for my home and I fight for you. I imagine all of the adventures we will have together and pray that those will turn into reality. I am no poet, but my words are true. I love you and I will come home. God helps us all, James Chapter 22 Christine shared the letter with Louise when she came by the house a few days later. ¡°I¡¯m just coming to check on you dear!¡± she yelled outside the house, ¡°With James away and all, you know how people talk-¡± She was stopped by Christine opening the door, shoving the letter into her hands and ushering her in as she read it. Christine had been a bit reluctant to share at first but didn¡¯t think James would mind. ¡°Oh well this is simply delightful!¡± Louise exclaimed ¡°Oh I know!¡± Christine beamed, ¡°I¡­.wait¡­.what were you saying about how people talk?¡± Louise flitted the question away with her hand. ¡°What are they saying?¡± Christine persisted, ¡°What is there to say? James is doing a very¡­.honorable thing. Fighting for England¡­.and¡­.¡± ¡°....and leaving his young bride to do so,¡± Louise smiled weakly Christine uttered no objections. ¡°It¡¯s all right and just of him to do that for this country,¡± she continued, ¡°but it¡¯s not very right and just to do that to his wife¡­.to you¡± Christine sat on the sitting room couch. ¡°I told him he could go,¡± she said, ¡°so nothing he did was objected to by me-¡± ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have had to,¡± Louise whispered Christine looked at her, slightly offended but mostly confused. Louise noticed and continued, ¡°His dreams of making a change to the world should become making a change with you. You are his top priority now, your happiness should be before his own¡± ¡°This is true for both parties,¡± Christine shook her head, ¡°we compromise-¡± ¡°No compromise was made, he had to convince you to let him go,¡± Louise persisted, ¡°Where was your end of that deal?¡±Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. Christine, once again, fell silent. She wasn¡¯t used to calm and civil arguments like this, taking place in this house. Christine realized Louise was right. There was nothing to be done about it now though. ¡°I was awfully rude to him and made him work to find my love,¡± Christine said, ¡°the least I could do was grant the one request he has ever asked of me¡± Louise stopped persisting. She went back to the door and said as she left, ¡°I¡¯m glad you seem quite calm, enjoy your day¡­.know I am here if you need anything¡± ¡°I see no point in any other state of being for my situation,¡± Christine said¡­.and she believed it ¡°Well I suppose that¡¯s true¡­mind as well keep your chin up¡± ¡°Exactly¡± Louise had paused, door ajar. She noticed the expression on Christine¡¯s face, as though she wanted to say more. ¡°Christine¡­.you can ask me, you know¡± Christine let out a sigh and smiled softly, ¡°I know¡­could you close the door please?¡± Louise nodded, closed the door, and sat down beside her on the couch. ¡°I¡¯ve told myself not to worry myself too much about this,¡± Christine¡¯s voice wavered, a rare thing indeed Louise grasped her hands comfortingly. ¡°Are people talking about us having a child?¡± Louise tried to stifle her laugh, ¡°well I hear a wonderer every now and then but¡­are you really concerned about that?¡± ¡°Maybe a little,¡± Christine replied, seriousness in her tone Louise forced herself to stop smiling, ¡°well I assure you that everyone else can wait for you two¡­don¡¯t let anyone determine your decisions about that matter, definitely not the gossiping commoners of England. People talk, but they always will¡­it was the marriage, now it¡¯s the child, then it will be the child¡¯s marriage and the list goes on. It¡¯s natural for them to wonder about such things¡­not right, but natural¡­so questions will come up, but you have every right not to answer¡± Christine smiled slightly, ¡°thank you¡­I have always wanted a child. I¡¯ve never even approached the matter in conversation with James, but I think I can now¡± ¡°You should¡­he loves you Christine. There is nothing you should fear asking him¡± ¡°I know that now¡­thank you, I¡¯m sorry to have kept you with such a simple question¡± ¡°No worries at all Lady Waltz¡­this old woman has nothing better to do,¡± Louise wrinkled her nose with a smile as she left the house Christine sat on her couch for a little while longer, looking out the window in front of her. She did know she shouldn¡¯t be afraid of James¡­but sometimes she was. The arguments they¡¯d had left warning bells ringing in her head every time she thought to discuss anything too personal or remotely awkward. She knew the only way to silence them was to face that fear¡­she must relearn what it means to have a conversation about differing opinions without it blowing up into an argument. Her mother made that quite difficult growing up¡­but she no longer allowed her mother to dictate her life. That included her thought processes¡­.she would decide how to handle her opinions and James would appreciate that. Of course they might agree¡­Christine hadn¡¯t thought of that. What a splendid thing that would be. Chapter 23 ¡°The king¡¯s army. That¡¯s what they call us,¡± Thomas whispered through his chattering teeth. He laughed bitterly ¡°If only the king were here to lead us,¡± James replied The soldiers had camped in the field for two nights, this would be their third. Snow and wind surrounded them and James quickly discovered that the only way to keep warm was to keep moving. Even then, ¡®warm¡¯ was a generous term to describe his state. He excused himself from Thomas, who warned him not to go to the general¡¯s tent again. James disregarded this and slowly went over to it anyway, crouching low to the ground at its back cloth wall. ¡°This has to be some mistake!¡± he heard general Cornwallis¡¯ booming voice ¡°I¡¯m afraid not sir,¡± replied a smaller voice, belonging to the messenger, ¡°orders right from the top sir, saw His Majesty write it myself si-¡± ¡°This is absolutely preposterous,¡± Cornwallis shook his head and collapsed into his chair in defeat. ¡°So we are restoring to this,I see?¡± he sighed more calmly The messenger nodded slowly. The general sighed such a large sigh as the letter in question blew to the ground. James could read it, barely, squinting through the cloth of the tent. ¡°I will let our soldiers know shortly,¡± Cornwallis said, ¡°I am awfully glad that many of my men have devoted their lives to God¡± James read the letter and ran back to Thomas immediately. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. ¡°Do you believe in miracles?¡± the messenger asked ¡°We¡¯re going to need one,¡± the general replied ******************************************************************************** James was stumbling as he ran back to his post. ¡°Thomas!¡± he yelled over the blistering wind, ¡°I need you to promise me something right now!¡± ¡°Why?¡± Thomas yelled back ¡°Just do it! Promise me you will listen to whatever I say!¡± ¡°James, what are you-¡± ¡°Promise me!¡± he grabbed Thomas¡¯ shoulders ¡°Alright,¡± Thomas was bewildered, ¡°I promise you¡± Just then, the general called for attention. Every soldier stiffly lined up in front of him. General Cornwallis was not always a kind man, but he was always a confident man. The general did not look confident. He looked at his men, all of them possessing skill while only some of them had nothing to lose. ¡°Fifteen men,¡± he said, ¡°King George has ordered that fifteen men are to go to Monmouth where the rebels are marching¡­.we will attempt to stop them¡± Cornwallis never used the word ¡®attempt¡¯. The only sound was the snow. ¡°You knew,¡± Thomas whispered to James James said nothing. ¡°Men¡­.I don¡¯t want to lie to you-¡± Another soldier cut the general off, ¡°We know what this means¡­.certain death¡­.¡± Cornwallis sighed. ¡°....but I am more than willing to die for what I believe in, sir¡± Only a few echoed his feelings immediately, many staying silent. James and Thomas stayed silent. Slowly, men volunteered. They had nothing to lose. They had no one to lose. When they reached fourteen, the general took his hat off. ¡°Gentlemen, I cannot express my appreciation enough. I understand how difficult this task is but let me remind you that this is the risk you signed up for. We are men¡­.the king¡¯s men. I ask once more, please step forward. It is your duty¡± The silence was quietly broken. ¡°I will,¡± Thomas said James looked at him. ¡°No,¡± he said, ¡°I¡¯ll go¡± ¡°James, no! You have Christine to get home to, a town to lead and pro-¡± ¡°Not without the guilt of letting you die I don¡¯t,¡± James whispered, ¡°Stay here. It was my choice to come before you decided to join me, and I will stand-¡± ¡°No. I-¡± ¡°I said stay here!¡± James yelled, ¡°I am not asking you¡­.you promised¡± Chapter 24 Christine sat on her sitting room couch, unsure of what to do with herself. She had already cleaned the library eight times, walked the garden six times, and rearranged the dining room table eleven times¡­.that week alone. She read and wrote sonnets the week before, which led to her next idea: she¡¯d write a letter to James. Before she could even think about getting up, she heard a ferocious knock and bundle of voices outside the front door. Christine had barely opened it when four women burst through, giddy and full of words as ever. One of them shoved a bouquet of red roses into Christine¡¯s arms and nearly pushed her to the ground with her booming voice. ¡°Lady Waltz!¡± she yelled, ¡°What a fine home you have. How very¡­.modern it is!¡± ¡°Oh¡­.thank you Lady Adel,¡± Christine replied, flustered, ¡°I¡¯m afraid I wasn¡¯t expecting you¡± ¡°Oh never you mind that dear,¡± Lady Adel guffawed, ¡°I come bearing company!¡± She beckoned the women with her to follow her. Christine could do nothing but stare now that they¡¯d invited themselves in. She wished her former maid had accepted the position she offered, maybe she could have presented a distraction so Christine could make an escape in a situation like this. They sat in the sitting room and went right on with questions. Lady Adel was a matriarch of the upper class in England and always had other women flocking her, gossiping as they bustled around town. Christune had never expected them to talk to her, let alone come knocking at her door. ¡°Do you have tea?¡± questioned Lady Eliss ¡°How are you doing in this big house all alone?¡± Lady Rue asked ¡°Has old Louise been bothering you again?¡± Lady Ingram chimed in When she could no longer make words out of their overlapping voices, Christine shook her head, ¡°Ladies, please! Thank you so very much for this¡­.warm welcome¡­.into my own house¡­.but if you could be so kind as to speak one at a time, that would be splendid¡± The women all blinked and looked at Lady Adel, clearly knowing that she would be the first to speak . ¡°Well,¡± she breathed, ¡°We all wanted to come and keep you company as you are here all alone. It must be awful cooped up here without Lord Waltz attending to you¡­.do tell, how are you fairing?¡±This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Christine didn¡¯t bother to correct the many mistaken assumptions Lady Adel had made, she only said, ¡°Quite alright¡­.thank you¡± The rest of the women nodded in perfect unison. ¡°You never get lonely here?¡± Lady Elis asked ¡°Well every so often I do,¡± Christine admitted, ¡°but I enjoy my own company¡­.I don¡¯t have many people to call on anyway¡± ¡°You could have called on us!¡± Lady Rue beamed, waiting for the approving laughter of the group The women all let out an enormous laugh until Lady Adel cut them off, ¡°Shall we take a tour of the house?¡± Christine tried to ignore their strange dynamic, ¡°I could make some tea or-¡± ¡°Oh that won¡¯t be necessary Christine,¡± Lady Adel dropped her usual smile, ¡°that is not why we came. You see¡­.we simply must know¡­.how do you feel about the way the women talked about James before your marriage? He was always the talk of the ladies you know¡­.though he never seemed to turn his head towards any of them. Is it true what they speculate about his charming love? You are such a pretty little thing I¡¯d think he would have had you before he did¡­.and leaving you to fight in this pointless war of immaturity! Certainly these things make a girl worry¡­.don¡¯t be afraid, we can help you! How are you handling all of these burdens? It seems as though you haven¡¯t called on anyone to help you¡± Christine hoped she didn¡¯t look as confused and offended as she felt. How could they behave this way? Acting and talking as though they had been the greatest of friends to the Waltz family for generations when this was the first time any of them had spoken to her. ¡°Well,¡± Christine chose her words very carefully as her cheeks flushed red with anger, ¡°I assure you that I am doing perfectly fine and that is all I care to say¡­.and all you should care to know¡± With that, she excused her absence of tea and insisted they come another day when she could better prepare herself. They disregarded her pleas, and just when she¡¯d begun to think they would never leave, Christine heard a knock at the door. She slowly opened it, revealing a very bloody and very bruised Thomas. Christine dropped the bouquet of roses she¡¯d been holding and barely noticed the women quickly excuse themselves. Her heartbeat slowed more than she thought possible. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Thomas could barely speak as tears rolled down his cheeks, ¡°Christine¡­..James-¡± Christine backed into a bookshelf on the wall behind her, eyes wide. Everything seemed to happen in slow motion, books fell and their pages surrounded her. She felt Thomas¡¯ hands clasp hers as he fell to his knees in front of her. ¡°It¡¯s all my fault,¡± he whispered, ¡°I let him send himself to die¡­.he made me promise¡­.I should have ran after him¡­.why didn¡¯t I run after him¡­.I am so sorry¡­.so,so, sorry¡­.¡± Thomas went on stuttering and Christine said nothing, only stared wide-eyed at the floor behind him. She could muster no words, no thoughts. ¡°Thank you,¡± she finally whispered, ¡°for telling me¡± Christine slowly and silently walked to her room. She breathed deeply and sank to the floor, back against her bedroom door. ¡°Oh God,¡± she whispered, ¡°How could we let this happen?¡± Chapter 25 When people write poems about losing the one their soul loves, they never feel the same fulfillment as they do when they write about anything else. That¡¯s because there is no way to accurately describe those feelings. Words can never do those feelings justice. Christine cried without stopping for two hours after Thomas came to tell her of James¡¯ death. She was full of pain, full of remorse¡­.but most of all, she was full of regret. She hadn¡¯t cried since then, nor had she felt any emotions. It had been two weeks since the news when Christine¡¯s mother came to her house. Thomas was there that day, helping her send letters to extended family and friends about James. The last thing Christine needed was her mother coming to call, but she came anyway. She knocked on the door and Thomas went to answer it. Lady Octania looked him up and down and immediately spoke, ¡°Thomas, why aren¡¯t you wearing that strapping suit I bought you last week-¡± ¡°This is my home mother¡­.I don¡¯t need to be impressed. Besides, suits are just a way of making men seem more important than they actually are,¡± Christine interrupted, staring at the wall across from her Lady Octania walked through the door. ¡°Hello mother,¡± Christine said ¡°Hello dear,¡± Lady Octania responded, trying but failing to sound empathetic, ¡°how are you-¡± ¡°Horribly,¡± Christine looked at her mother, ¡°thank you for your concern¡± Lady Octania took no note of her daughter¡¯s honesty, she only sat down on the couch across from her. The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°I was asking how you are progressing, not how you are doing. Those are two very different things, you know. I have a few suggestions-¡± ¡°Lady Octania,¡± Thomas mumbled, ¡°I¡¯m not sure this is the best time for-¡± ¡°This is the perfect time!¡± she said coldly, ¡°you need to listen to my words Christine, I have been through a loss like this and it will only get better from here, I assure you. So let¡¯s get on with it! Your father left me with nothing but a broken heart and all I could do was progress. You-¡± ¡°Enough!¡± Christine shouted, ¡°I will no longer tolerate this¡­.this verbal abuse and petty suggestions!¡± The room fell still. ¡°My father didn¡¯t deserve the likes of you,¡± Christine continued, ¡°I¡¯m unsure of how he even put up with your state of being for so many years. We may not have married for love, but one of us found it¡­.and I¡¯m sorry that you couldn¡¯t. That did not give you the right to make sure I didn¡¯t find a loving husband, and I did¡­.that was taken away from me¡­.very suddenly and unexpectedly¡­.so I will take as long as I need to recover from it¡­.¡± Christine¡¯s voice started strong as she told her mother what she¡¯d been thinking for years, but her voice wavered when she talked about James. She fell silent before she could finish. Thomas got up. ¡°No wait!¡± Christine stood, overwhelmed by what she¡¯d been holding back for so long He stopped near the door. ¡°Please stay,¡± she started to cry Thomas rushed over to her and sat her back down. He tried to signal to Lady Octania that she should leave. She did no such thing and stayed put until Thomas said, ¡°you may excuse yourself, Lady Octania¡± She did, with an immature pout, and almost got to the door when she stopped. She made a strange sound, horror and relief mixed in her head. ¡°Please,¡± Christine had stopped crying, ¡°Mother, please leave¡± She went to see what Lady Octania was looking at. It was the window down the hall in the library. Barely visible, as far as the eye could see, a man ran on the hill seen through the window. Christine could barely make out his figure¡­.but she¡¯d recognize it anywhere. Chapter 26 Her breath caught in her throat for just a moment and returned in gasps. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Thomas asked, coming to her side She took off running down the hall, nearly falling. She ran into the library and opened the window, crawling through it as quickly as possible. Sunlight spilled over her eyes as they adjusted, but she didn¡¯t stop. She ran to the man who she had seen, who was now running past her towards the house. ¡°James!¡± Christine yelled through laughs The man stopped and looked back. The biggest smile appeared on his bruised and battered face. He turned and ran to her. Christine stopped running and jumped up and down like a child in the grass. James came to her and swooped her into his arms. She had a million questions to ask but he answered them all when he put her down. Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. ¡°I was sent to battle the Americans, they prevailed and only a few of us survived. I ran to the base to see that the rest of the soldiers had left maps behind. I used one to bandage my arm and the other to make my way here. I¡¯ve come 50 miles and 10,000 blocks to ask you¡­.can you ever forgive me for leaving you, my first and only love?¡± Christine scoffed like his question was ridiculous, ¡°I already have¡± She showered him with kisses and helped him walk back to the house. Thomas dropped the bouquet of flowers Louise had handed him when she came in as James and Christine walked down the hall to them. Louise¡¯s eyes went wide. ¡°You look as though you¡¯ve seen a ghost, miss Louise,¡± James smiled ¡°Can I offer you a glass of water Mr Waltz?¡± was her stuttered reply The End. <3 Ending thoughts Thank you for reading! If you enjoyed this book, I would truly appreciate it if you could take a moment to leave a review. Your feedback helps other readers discover the story and supports my writing journey. Thank you for your support! As a young author, I have tried to not be too specific about my age, as to encourage readers to read my work for what it truly is and not promote prejudice or assumptions against young writers. I have a sequel to this book that is currently in the works and looking at reviews/ratings will really help me decide what steps to take once I finish the sequel. Thank you again! God bless you all Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.