Respectfully Rose (Letters Of Change Series Book 7)(COMPLETED)(Wattys2014)

Chapter Fourteen- Photo of Lorraine

Respectfully Rose

Chapter Fourteen

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Rose felt herself shiver as she started to awaken from a very deep slumber, it was a dreamless slumber as if she had been so very exhausted her mind couldn’t even conjure up the oddest of dreams. Her teeth chattered together as she struggled to open her eyes. She tried to focus on what was going on around her because she didn’t have the slightest clue where she was.

“Rosie?” Isaac’s deep baritone voice rang out so clearly Rose was almost shocked at the sound of it. It was as if she hadn’t heard it in so long it now seemed to be something completely new.  

He took her hand in his and said her name once more.

“I-Isaac” Rose choked out sounding not at all like herself. Her voice was hoarse not at all like her normal soft tone.

“How do you feel?” Isaac questioned.

“C-cold.” Rose answered honestly.

“Look who’s finally awake.” Felix’s teasing tone rang out as he walked into the room. Rose once more tried to open her eyes this time she thought she had succeeded but the whole room was pitch black as if it were the middle of the night, she couldn’t see a thing. “How are you feeling?”

“What time is it?” Rose questioned wondering why they’d sit in the dark.

“It’s an hour past lunch.” Felix said.

“Why is it so dark?”

The room fell utterly silent as if no one was there any longer, had it not been for Isaac’s firm grasp on her hand she would have felt alone.

“Rosie,” Felix said softly “what are you talking about? It’s bright out; it’s unnaturally nice weather for this time of year.”

Rose’s heart dropped in her chest. Was she no longer able to see? Or was Felix playing a cruel joke on her?

“Rose” Isaac spoke up moving to sit next to her, she only knew this because the bed sank in beside her and she could feel his warmth. “Can you look at me?”

“I-I can’t see you…” Rose pulled away her hand feeling as though she had fallen into a bad dream. What kind of woman would she be if she couldn’t see? How would she raise children if she couldn’t see? How would she travel? How would she do anything aside from be a burden on those around her?

~~ ~~

Isaac looked at Rose while Felix checked her eyes. They were just as brown as ever. They seemed to look off into the distance as if they saw something he did not. She was still beautiful to him, the fact that she may not be able to see didn’t change how he felt about her.

“Hello, hello” Nigel said cheerfully unaware of everything. “Rose! I’m so glad to see you’re up! I’ve bought a new book and I thought you’d enjoy it.”

Felix looked at Nigel in a way that let him know all was not well.

“How are you feeling?” Nigel asked in a much softer voice. Rose reached out her free hand for Nigel and so he crossed the room and held her hand in his “Aye, not to worry Rosie.”

Isaac felt a slight pang of jealousy, even though he knew it was ridiculous as he held onto Rose’s other hand. Nigel was a man who was very much like her brother, as was Felix and yet a part of Isaac wished to be one of the two men for their close bond with Rose.

He now understood Gideon’s jealousy of Josh their little brother when he had become friends with Gideon’s wife Cordelia. He was being a fool, getting up he released Rose’s hand and stood up.

“I’m going to go get you something to eat Rose.” Isaac said before rushing from the room. He needed air; he was growing far too attached to Rose and look at what happened the last time he got attached to a Watson. But Rose was his wife, she was now a Wade. She was someone he felt himself around, someone who had lived through an awful illness and that he never wanted to let go of.

“Oh Isaac” Lorraine said in her best fake surprised voice “I didn’t see you there.”

“I thought you left.” Isaac replied sharply.

“Oh heavens no. not with my baby sister lying ill, I just went to the nearby village is all.” She replied happily as if nothing in the world was amiss.

“Oh yes I can see you’re very concerned.” Isaac said pushing past her. The nerve of that woman, shopping when her only sister laid ill.
“Isaac, where are you going?” Lorraine huffed as she followed him.

“Away.” He replied.

“Isaac, you can’t still be mad about our wedding.” She stated as though it were completely ridiculous. Isaac stopped and turned glaring at her as he did so.

“You can’t be serious” He said firmly “You walked out on me on our wedding day forcing your only sister too marry me instead, you handed her off like cattle, you can’t just mess with people’s lives and expect no consequences.”

“I’m terribly sorry Isaac you must believe Me.” she said with a pout as she grabbed his arm.

“I don’t believe you.” Isaac said shrugging off her hold “And I never will again.”

“But Isaac-“

Isaac ignored her calls as he walked away from her. He no longer felt a connection to Lorraine because he knew hers was no longer the name his heart called.

Quickening his step he raced to get the broth and hot tea for Rose so he could once again be at her side. Once he arrived back into her room he felt badly to see her crying. Felix and Nigel were trying to console her but understandable that wasn’t helping.

“Rose,” Isaac spoke her name softly as he came to her side “I’ve brought you lunch.”

“Leave me be Isaac.” She said uncharacteristically sharp.

Choosing to ignore her, he took a seat next to her on the bed.

Nigel smiled before stating “Well Rosie, it seems you’ve managed to find the only man on this earth more stubborn than yourself.”

Felix ran a hand through his brown curls before kissing Rose on the forehead “He’s good for you Rose” he heard Felix whisper “We’ll be back in a little while.”

Rose had tears running down her face and she quickly wiped them away.

“Please just go away Isaac.” Rose said sadly, she turned away from him facing her back towards him.

Isaac set down the tray of food “No ma’am” he said with a smile “I’m not going anywhere, now if you’re finished being dramatic I think it’s time you eat some lunch.”
Rose set her mouth in a firm line and shook her head.

“It’s over Isaac” she said “Leave, I cannot be your wife.”

“Why not?” Isaac demanded to know.

“Isaac” Rose said her voice a mere whisper “I can’t see… I can’t travel anymore. I couldn’t be a mother- not that we’d have children. I can’t do anything so I’m ending our marriage, go find someone else, someone more like Lorraine.”

“You can do anything Rose” Isaac said reassuringly “You’ll be a wonderful mother, we can still travel and I will not allow you to end our marriage.”

“You’re being ridiculous!” Rose snapped, pulling the light quilt up to cover her face.

“No you are!” Isaac replied, gently removing the quilt from her face. “You’re my wife for better or for worse.” Isaac cleared his throat before adding “now if you’re finished being melodramatic, I think it is time you eat, you must be famished.”  

“And how do expect me to find my food?” Rose replied sourly.

“I will feed you” Isaac stated “now I’m going to help you sit up.”

Rose remained quiet as he adjusted her pillows so she could sit up enough to not choke on her food. He then sat down next to her on the side of the bed. Reaching for the broth he dipped the spoon in “I will say when we first arrived here I didn’t much care for the food- especially breakfast, I couldn’t get past eating an egg that was still in it’s shell.”

Rose smiled slightly at that “You didn’t eat the shell did you?”

“No I watched how Nigel and Felix ate it before trying it myself.”

“What did you think of it?”

“I miss my Ma’s scrambled eggs.” Isaac said with a laugh “Now then are you ready for some broth?”

Rose simply nodded and so he brought the spoon to her mouth.

“Why are you doing this?” Rose inquired.

“Doing what?” Isaac asked.

“Tending to me,” Rose said “We’ve got maids here, a number of whom would be able to do this.”

“Yes, well the maids are not your husband…” Isaac thought for a moment before speaking again “Rose, for a while there I thought we were going to lose you. I got to thinking about it and I couldn’t imagine you not being around. I’ve come to think of you as a friend and I don’t want to lose you.” He thought of her as much more than a friend, he thought of her as a wife and if he was being completely honest he loved her, but he didn’t want to scare Rose, she was already dealing with so much he didn’t think it was a good time to declare his growing feelings for her.

Rose remained quiet after that and he feared he had somehow offended her. Perhaps she didn’t feel anything for him and she was too nice to say so.

Once she was finished eating Isaac called for a maid to help her bathe. He rejoined her cousins to give her privacy.

“Isaac” Felix said happily when he joined them in the study “Would you care for a glass of brandy?”

Isaac nodded “Sure” he agreed taking a seat on the settee opposite of Nigel.

Nigel held his own have-empty glass of brandy whilst he read the paper. Isaac had felt homesick missing his own brothers and sister but with Felix and Nigel around it seemed to help. The two men seemed to accept him as part of the family already. The two had told him many stories of Rose growing up; she had always been an adventurous soul even more so after she got a pair of spectacles when her grandfather discovered she could no longer read with ease.

“Rose hated wearing glasses” Nigel had said “she said it wasn’t fashionable for a young lady to wear and would often “lose” them.”

“Once during her first season” Felix had added “a young man had snickered at her, he teased her and made her feel badly so Nigel and I had a little word with him in an alleyway.”

“You beat him up?” Isaac had asked shocked.

“Wouldn’t you if someone spoke Ill of one of your sisters?” Felix asked and after receiving a nod from Isaac he had continued “The man went back inside with a black eye and bloodied nose saying he had gotten hit by a carriage, he then proceeded to apologize to Rosie. She never did like having seasons in London so after one more season the next year she begged our grandparents to let us stay here and they did. Nigel and I never cared for London so we were very happy about that.”

“Hello” Lorraine’s voice rang out just as Felix had handed Isaac his glass. “I see you are all celebrating something, care to share what it is with me?”

Nigel rolled his eyes at the woman before him “Honestly Lorraine I haven’t a clue why you are here, you were not invited nor are you welcome.”

“And if you must know your sister is alive and well.” Felix added “Not that you care… she is your only sibling and yet you act as if she is a stranger, you haven’t been up to see her once.”

“She had a fever; I didn’t think you’d wish me ill.” Lorraine shot back with an icy look “And I am welcome here, it is after all our grandparents’ home.”

“No it was our grandparents’ home, now it is Rose’s” Felix said returning her glare “They left Rose this home and her share of money, they left Nigel and I their business and a cottage nearby, and they left you well wishes.”

Isaac snickered at that, he downed his glasses before leaving the room hearing Lorraine’s irritating voice yelling at her cousin for such a remark behind him. He made his way back to the room Rose had been using. He knocked on the large French doors waiting for the maid “Flora” to open the door.

“Mr. Wade” Flora said with a smile. She was a pretty woman, she had dark brown hair and dark green eyes and if Isaac wasn’t mistaken Felix was quite smitten with the young woman. “Miss Rose, your husband is back.” She remarked as she opened the door wider allowing Isaac back in.

“Thank you Flora.” Rose replied quietly. Isaac smiled as he looked at Rose; she looked beautiful her hair was down falling in damp curls around her. She wore a new crisp white nightgown and she covered up with new blankets. Flora must have changed the bedding as well.

“I’ll go fetch some tea.” Flora said before leaving the room.

Isaac cleared his throat suddenly feeling very nervous “Would you like me to read to you?”

“No thank you Isaac. I am feeling much better now and I should think you’d want to go see more of the country… please go, we have wonderful horses in the stable- I shall be fine.”

“I am not leaving you” Isaac said firmly “If I’m to see the country it’ll be with you at my side.”

“I cannot see Isaac-“

“Don’t do that Rose.”

“Do what?”

“Feel sorry for yourself, it isn’t in your spirit. You are a very strong woman Rosie and don’t let this change you.”

“How could it not?” Rose asked raising her voice “I cannot see anything! How am I to travel when I cannot see the wonders which everyone speaks of? How am I to do anything?”

“I’ll go with you” Isaac promised.

“What?”

“I’ll go with you, wherever you want to go and I’ll describe the sights so vividly that you’ll be able to imagine them for yourself. I won’t leave you Rose and I promise you I’ll help you anyway I possibly can. You can do anything; it’s just a matter of finding a new way to do them now that you can’t see.”

“What about writing? Or reading?”

“You can learn how to write again, as for reading I’ve been told I have a very good voice for reading.”

Rose smiled despite herself causing Isaac to smile as well.

“Fine” she said finally “If you insist on not leaving my side you might as well make yourself useful and write to my Mother for me.” 

Isaac’s smile widened at that “Alright I can do that.” And he would, he would do anything for Rose.