An Improper Courtship

Weakness or Strength

In a whirl of precipitated events, the doctor was called, Alyssa's weightless form was carried to her room. Kate's pre-existing medical and emotional condition incapacitated her and the doctor now had two sickly women to attend to. Sir Michael fluctuated between the two rooms, his hair disarrayed from the number of times he had run his hand through it, in anxiety. Honey followed between the two rooms, sniffling back tears in an attempt to be strong. Rosalie stayed with her half-sister, helping the doctor and maids.

The removal of Alyssa's clothes revealed padding within the dress and a bony pale body. The doctor couldn't hide his dismay. Rosalie couldn't hide her shock. She had not thought a body could be so skeletal. She asked to be excused and left the room, closing the door. Honey came out of the master room, her eyes were red and puffy, a match to her hair. Rosalie felt the need to protect this broken angel,

"Honey, I don't think it's a good idea to enter just this moment," Rosalie started, Honey's lips trembled,

"Why," she began.

"Please trust me," Rosalie told her with all sincerity she could muster despite the shock still reeling through her.

"Do you expect me to leave her?" Honey sniffled silently, attempting to push past.

"Of course not, we just need you strong, Honey," Rosalie pleaded through her teeth, they didn't need another collapse. Honey's heart cried from the emotional exertion she had experienced today.

"I will inform you of any changes as soon as I have information, I promise," Rosalie knew that if she couldn't handle what she had seen. Honey would not be able to, especially when they shared two decades and much more love than Rosalie and Alyssa did.

Honey knew that Rosalie was protecting her from something. Reluctantly, she walked away, taking the stairs down, she needed to oversee the household and it would distract her, if only momentarily. As she scurried with purpose she caught sight of the opened office door and James tousled blonde hair. Her legs carried her faster away from the office and down into the servants quarter.

No formal dinner was to be prepared, there should be a priority to provide for the doctor and the two unconscious women. Preparations for the ball were to halt immediately. The instructions were understood immediately.

Honey then left the kitchen hurriedly to find her father for she knew he would be a broken man with the upheaval. The next days stretched for what felt like weeks as Honey tried her best to keep her sanity, Blake and James kept out of the way, visiting their Aunt and cousin and urging them to get better.

"Dear Aunt, we can't lose you, you have been our guardian angel since mothers passing," One evening, James who had been trying to respect Honey's space and thus only visited his Aunt at night when he knew Honey had retired was whispering confessions to his aunt. "It would undo our very being for you to leave us. Blake and mine but also Alyssa's and Honey."

Honey tossed and turned and was soon out of bed, she thought that being beside her mother could provide her with enough comfort for her to sleep. Wrapping a warm robe, she padded through the corridor to seek comfort from her mother's steady breathing.

"Aunt," an anguished sound escaped James, Honey stopped, pressing her back against the wall beside the open door, she hadn't meant to eavesdrop, "Honey needs her mother, she is strong but her emotions consume her kind heart."

Honey felt her breath stop in the passage of her throat as the tears rushed into place, she tried to make no noise,

"I have caused her so much pain Aunt and I fear that I will never be forgiven but you not returning would be her undoing, the pain would kill her."

Honey's heart wrapped itself around those hushed words and squeezed painfully hard, a choked sob escaped her mouth.

James' head snapped towards the door and he let go of his aunt's limp hands. Walking towards the door he noticed the flash of a white dress hem. Honey's body worked too sluggishly to leave to escape James as he caught her elbow. In the dark corridor, light only ebbing its way out from the Master bedroom, James could see her glittering teary eyes.

"Please," Honey said tugging her arm away from his grip, "Let go,"

James did as she asked yet Honey didn't move. She sniffled helplessly, her breathing filling the corridor. James focused all his senses on her, his eyes trailing her downturned face. The hair he had dreamed off countlessly the beautiful red tresses reflecting the candlelight in the dark to blazing.

"I do forgive you," she whispered barely audibly, "I forgave you the moment you returned," she continued, James imagined himself to be in a dream, scared to make a move and break the spell, he stayed silent.

"I am probably weak, too consumed by emotion as you said," she wiped a tear and took a shaky breath "but that's why I forgave you instantly,"

James' heart thudded violently against his rib cage at her words, searching for the words to convey what he felt, "Honey, I only said those words because your heart is a one of a kind and it needs protecting."

"You were its protector," she said after a while of deliberation, "You still are,"

James filled the distance between them and reached to wrap his arms around her tightly, "I will always be, I will not fail you if you give me another chance, I have lived in too much pain to go back to those damned dreadful days without you," Honey rested her head against his chest, listening to the beat of a heart that had suffered as she had.

"We can't pick up where we left off," Honey whispered into his chest, knowing that her feelings of neglect and confusion would not disappear overnight.

"I will start anywhere with you" he mumbled into her fiery hair, a deeper secret hidden in his tone, "

James' lips found their way to Honey's, a tender and soft connection as their hearts started the process of sewing the months of solitude and pain closed, the thread of love and yearning securing their insecurities. The kiss deepened, almost naturally, almost where they had left off. Honey's hands threading their way through James' hair and James' savoured the feel of her fingertips on his scalp, her soft body pushed up against his. To say he had missed her would be a lie, she had been missing from him. His hands ran up and down her spine, leaving a trail of bittersweetness as the bodies and souls remembered what they had missed out on. James moved to kiss every part of Honey's drying face, starting at her forehead moving to her temples, tracing her cheekbones and cheeks and finally her chin, he left no inch unloved.

"I missed you," Honey whispered, her heart glowing from the love she was receiving,

"I love you and always will,"

The two shared a few more comforting kisses, their heart's content with the ending of their long and painful journey. They had returned home. Eventually, James led Honey back to her room,

"I'll see you tomorrow," he said leaning in for a kiss on the crown of her head.

What are your thoughts lovelies?