Unchaining Alice

Chapter 10

James chuckled. “You sound like my sisters. I’ve learnt from experience though, you can’t convince them they’re perfect.”

Perfect? 

James let out a breath and released her from his arms. She hadn’t realised he was still holding her, that was how comfortable she was. Her attachment to him was beyond fondness. She’d trusted him like no other and she was right to. He’d been shocked at first and understandably so, but he’d supported her and he hadn’t judged her. Her views were changing. There was good in the world, and perhaps she could be a part of it.

“No matter how much good we meant, we were still ‘unted. I don’t know what will ‘appen to me if they found out I was ‘ere. Do you think the English police would send me back to France to be persecuted?”

James looked stern. “I don’t know what would happen if they found out. But let it be our little secret, alright? I told you that you could trust me and I will keep that promise. I won’t let anything happen to you. So long as you want it, you have my protection. I swear it.”

Alice knew exactly what would happen if they found out. England and France historically had a turbulent relationship and they would surely send a French rebel back to her mother country to be executed like she deserved. So long as she was in England, she would remain ‘Jacqueline’. “You would lie for me?” Alice asked in disbelief.

James cocked his head as if her question was utterly absurd. “I would do anything for you,” he said simply.

She felt completely flattered. Her cheeks betrayed her instantly as they began to redden.

James reached into the pocket of his coat and removed a fine, woven silver chain. He allowed the pretty chain to hang from a few of his fingers as he held it up to her. “I’ve admired your rosary each time I’ve seen you, but I can’t help but notice how frail the current chain is.”

Alice reached up to feel her mother’s rosary around her neck. It was true. While the cross was beautiful, the chain was damaged, tarnished and on the brink of snapping. Her mother’s original chain had broken years ago, the current chain she had was one she had found on the street one day.  

But her instincts against charity were forcing her to refuse. The money he had given her would benefit the children. This was just a present for her. She wouldn’t have anyone spending money on her. Not ever.

“I thought this would make a nice addition to it,” he said hopefully as he unfastened the clasp waiting for her to remove her own chain.

“No,” she said stubbornly. “I don’t want you buying me things. I’m not materialistic. I don’t want your money.”

James looked a little hurt at her brazen rebuttal. She felt instantly guilty. She could have refused it more kindly. “I didn’t buy this,” he replied quietly. “It belonged to my grandmother. She gave it to my mother the Christmas after my sister and I were born. Now it belongs to me and I would like you to have it. It will look finer around your neck than mine,” he said, laughing nervously.

Alice felt a little foolish. Again, he was trying to be kind and she had been rude. It truly was a pretty chain. “Are you sure you are alright with giving me a family heirloom?” Alice said timidly. She wouldn’t feel right accepting something that belonged to his family when she’d only known James for a short while.

“Alice,” he said firmly. Her breath caught in her throat as she heard her name used with conviction. It felt so wonderful to be known as herself. At least with someone she could be honest. “I want you to have this. That chain will break at any moment and this will do your beautiful rosary justice. No one will think less of you if you accept,” he promised.

Alice could think of a few passionate people who would object. She merely nodded with a torn smile on her face as she reached behind her neck to the clasp on her rosary. As if it were fate, the clasp broke between her fingertips. She pulled it from around her neck and stared at the broken chain.

“It’s as if it were meant to be,” James said, amused. He took the rosary and the broken chain from her small hands and pulled the cross from it, placing the old chain down on the bench top next to the trough of dishes. “Wherever did you get this?” he asked her as he threaded her rosary onto the beautiful, new chain

“It belonged to maman, Marceline. It is the only thing of ‘ers that I ‘ave and it is my most treasured possession,” Alice explained. She watched as he allowed the cross to drop to the centre of the new chain. He motioned for her to turn around so that he could fix the clasp shut. Alice complied and pulled her hair over her shoulder to allow more access. She felt the hair stand up on the back of her neck as his soft hands. She heard him attach the clasp and linger on her neck for a moment before taking a step back away from her.

“Perfect,” he said, sounding satisfied. “You’re beautiful.”

Alice’s blush deepened. The chain was longer than her previous one so she could admire both her rosary and the chain at once. She turned around and smiled warmly at him. “Thank you,” she said gratefully. “I apologise for being difficult.”

James shrugged. “I understand,” he assured her. “You don’t know the meaning of difficult unless you’ve met my sister, Kitty, anyway,” he chuckled. “She’s tamer now that she’s married but she still has more personality than one would ever need.”

Alice looked forward to meeting her. She looked forward to meeting each of his sisters and his brother and his father and any other family member that he had. The dinner at Ethridge was something she was looking forward to, and she hadn’t been excited about many things in the five years she’d been in England. “She sounds like a wonderful lady,” Alice said honestly. There needed to be more boisterous people in the world.

James helped Alice finish the dishes as they chatted comfortably to each other. Every so often he would call her by her name and she would get a little thrill from it each time. She finally felt a little human and not like some invisible child. If she could have one friend in the great city then she would be happy, even if it was only for a while.

When it came time for James to leave, Alice walked him to the door. The mood changed as he opened the door. He was looking down at her almost longingly and she couldn’t help but feel as though he might kiss her. Her breath caught in her throat and she could feel her heart beating so fast, fast enough that even he might hear it. Emotions of panic washed through her as his head edged closer to hers. When their lips were inches apart his eyes closed.

No, it wasn’t right. She turned her head so that his kiss landed on her cheek instead. James pulled back, startled.

“Monsieur, you are quite engaged,” she reminded him quietly. The presence of his fiancée irritated her. If she was as odious as his mother described then why would he insist on marrying her?

James looked a little embarrassed. “My apologies,” he said, embarrassed before quickly escaping into the night.    

James looked a little embarrassed. “My apologies,” he said, embarrassed before quickly escaping into the night.     

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Hope you liked it :)

Sorry for being AWOL the last few days. The deadlines for about 3 assignments suddenly crept up on me. I submitted a Food Innovation and Culture assignment at 11:57pm when it was due at 11:59pm! Good thing I can touch type :P

I know many of you are waiting for the kiss and it's not happening quite yet ;) Next chapter will be the dinner and I have a doozy of a conversation between Alice and Sarah planned so watch out for it :)

Thank you for all the birthday wishes too guys :) I had a good day and I'm now officially 19 years old. Gah! I came onto this website as a naïve 17 year old and now this is my first chapter as an almost in my 20s year old :P But my mum bought me a pair of these gorgeous studs from Tiffany's that I've wanted ever since I saw 'Breakfast at Tiffany's' when I was about 12 and then got obsessed with the store :) We have fights but my mum is the best and she knows everything about me :P (Like my 4th favourite movie and the number of burns I have from making coffees at work haha)

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