Old times with old love

Julian

"I..." she stammered, hr cheeks aflame with a crimson glow.

"Then you will not mind if I accompany you? A moonlit walk through the meadows would be most pleasant."

"But you have no shoes," she protested, leaping on the excuse like a ravenous wolf. I smiled.

"Come, I have no need of them. Let me take your arm. Or would you return home tonight? I could walk you there if that is best?"

__________________________________________________________________

Gregory

"I must go," I announced as Elizabeth entered the room.

"Go?" she asked. "Where?"

"A funeral I am afraid. My father has died and left us quite in debt," I informed her, implying but not saying that it would be necessary for me to marry. But not for love. No, for money rather than love.

"Dear cousin, let us help," Isabelle begged, clutching a piece of cloth to her tear streaked eyes.

"That discussion is over," I replied firmly. Coldly. Oh how it hurt to treat them so.

Elizabeth felt as if a two ton weight just fell on her soul. She knew what would have to happen, he was no lounger able to marry for love, in order to save the rest of his family, he had to marry a woman of wealth. And she, She had not a penny to her name, or a family, or anything. By all rights she should be a servant at this point.

Not willing to show how much that hurt her she spun around and flew up the stairs back into her room and locked the door behind her.

Isabelle

"Gregory..." I hesitantly placed my hand upon his shoulder but he shrugged it away and picked up his jacket in one hand, tossing it over his arm before taking up his suitcase.

"Thank you for your hospitality. Is Julian here?"

"He might be in his room..."

"You will say goodbye for me and tell him that I regret I could not say it in person. I regret... I regret leaving you in this way."

"And what of Elizabeth? Please Gregory, stay one night more."

"I can't. My mother... Goodbye fair Isabelle. I hope next time we meet will be in better circumstance."

Elizabeth cried for hours, never in her life had she cried so much, not even when her parents had died. Scolding herself for something like that she sat up and brushed the tears away and got up, she still hadn't told Thomas that she wouldn't be seeing him.

She dressed herself quickly and splashed her face to clean it of her red puffy eyes and went down into the kitchen, bent on not letting this get her too far down.

Yay, my first storybook post of 2008!

Abigail

"Em..." I looked down, willing my face to pale back to its normal shade. "No." I muttered eventually. "I won't go home tonight." That would require a bravery which I did not posesses. I wasn't done hiding just yet.

Besides, I couldn't have him escort me. I shuddered involuntarily at the thought of my husband's reaction.

I felt his arm slip round mine. I couldn't remove it without being rude, and so I did nothing, just let him walk by my side.

Julian

We spent some time walking the grounds until eventually we decided to re-enter the house. We climbed the stairs quietly and sat in one of the guest room, her on the bed and me in the arm chair.

"You need never return if that is what you desire," I informed her.

"No, I must. He's my husband," she replied simply.

"Goodnight then, Abigail," I said, moving towards the door.

"Goodnight," she replied.

_____________________

Gregory

I was too proud to have the coachman drive me home so instead I walked into town and paid for a lift.

"Where to?" The greasy haired man asked, taking the horses' reigns. I gave him brief directions and he nodded. The journey was horribly rough but I paid the man extra for his speed and then entered my home. Mother greeted me personally, already dressed in black.

"Gregory," she whispered and kissed both of my cheeks. I took her hand firmly in my own and led her to the parlour.

"Sit down mother. Have arrangements been made?" She shook her head.

"Is the ledger upstairs?" This time she nodded and then cried out when I attempted to move from her side. I patted her hand gently and then left her there so that I could see to my father's affairs.

IT wasn't much longer before Elizabeth was walking down the street to the bookstore. Somehow she managed to get ahold of a few coins, and she also managed to find a smile.

"Fair Elizabeth!" He greeted.

"Hello Thomas," Elizabeth greeted in return as she broused the large expanse of books. "THis is...astonishing," she said truley awed.

"Pick one," he offered.

"I have every intention of buying more than one."

"As a gift."

Gregory

I slammed my fist into the table as I peered at the black squiggles in the huge book. How could he have been so careless? He had been a reasonable father in my youth but as he aged, he began to neglect the family business until I took over almost all of it. I hadn't realised just how high his spending had been.

I turned away and located an ink quill and pen before settling at the desk in the middle of the study. The quill scratched across the parchment as I formed my words and then signed it swiftly and stormed downstairs.

"Gregory..." my mother whined.

"I have to go down to the factory, mother. Would you like me to send for someone?" She shook her head mutely. Of course she did not want the disgrace of being broke, of being in debt and maybe out of house. How could our family bear such misery. I turned to leave and then she called again -

"Mrs Houstone," she said. "And Catherine."

Time lapse!

Two months later

Elizabeth woke inside the guest room of Thomas Moores house. He had long ago invited her to stay along with Julian as a chaperone, it didn't vex any of them at all, it was in truth a walking distance from each others homes. And Elizabeth saw Isabella enough.

This morning she dressed as usual before she went downstairs to meet Thomas and his mother, who had been staying there ever since Thomas had inherited it from his father two years earlier. But his mother wasn't there this morning.

"Good morning Thomas," she said allowing him to place a soft kiss on her cheek, "where are the others?"

"I asked them to part for a moment."

She gave him a quizzical look, "whatever for?"

"Well...I wanted to ask you something."

Elizabeth's breath caught in her throat, "yes?"

"Will you marry me?"

Gregory

"You can't sit up here and read books all day!" Catherine complained, stepping into the light of my lantern. I looked up to see her pleasant blue eyes frowning down at me.

"I'm reading the ledger," I told her.

"That's all you ever do," she sighed. "Sometimes I think the factory means more to you than I."

"That's not true," I assured her, closing the book swiftly. I stood and took her in my arms in one fluent movement.

"We've been married less than a month and..." I kissed her firmly on the lips and led her out of my father's study.

"The lantern..." she murmured, pulling away. I drew her back and whispered in her ear -

"Let it burn. We have the oil to spare."

I'm switchin to first person!

Elizabeth

I started planning, all that was up to for me to do was to come up with my guest list.

Of course Isabelle
her husband,
Julian
Abigail
her husband

and then...
Gregory and Cathrine, he was happily married and I was soon to be. Maybe it was just my bitterness kicking in but I couldn't help it. I wanted to see if he still cared for me.

I immediatly sent out the invitations, they were due to arrive later that very day.

Gregory

There was a knock at the door to my father's study where I had retired after the evening meal.

"Come in," I called. My butler, who I was still getting used to, entered with a silver tray. He placed it on the table and poured me a cup of coffee with two sugars before setting down a small plate of biscuits and a white envelope.

"Letter for you, sir," he said quite unecessarily.

"Thank you." He hovered at my side as I picked up the envelope. "That will be all," I added awkwardly.

"Very well. Will sir be joining miss Catherine in the parlour lately?"

"Yes, I believe I will." He nodded and left the room. I read the letter quickly and then again, hardly able to believe my eyes. After what I had told her she was going to marry that... that scoundrel?

Elizabeth

After the invitations had been sent I had to get ready for another ball. They were starting to get tiresome I had to admit, and Thomas seemed to love dragging me to them all.

Well it wasn't the balls that were getting tiresom, it was getting ready for them. But I did just the same, for the ball was worth it. Especially this one. Thomas was going to announce that we were engaged.

I was pinning my hair up when there was a knock on the door, "letter for you ma'am."

I opened it and my heart skipped a beat, it was from Gregory.

Gregory

I located a quill and dipped it into navy blue ink before holding it poised above a blank piece of prachment. Where to begin?

Dearest Elizabeth, No. I started again.

Dear Elizabeth,

It saddens me to receive news of [s]your[/s] thine engagement. I would entreat [s]you[/s] thee to retract thine acceptance but that wouldst make thou a [s]girl[/s] woman of little honour so I can only wish thee and thine husband the best of luck. Catherine and I will not be attending the wedding. Even so, I hope this letter finds you in good health,

Gregory.

Elizabeth

As my eyes scanned the paper I could feel myself falter, my heart seemed to weigh more than it should, I would see them at the ball, I hoped, and I would extend a personal invitation to Cathrine, hoping that even though her husband wasn't going to attend that she would.

I finished pinning my hair up and decided to write a reply to Gregory, but I wouldn't let Tomas know, he wouldn't like it very much, I would be sure to assure him that I held no regrets about him and thats what allowed me to do this if he found out, and wouldn't go out of my way to hide it from him.

Dear Gregory,

I'm sorry to hear that you will not be attending my wedding, Thomas's mother assures me that it will be quite beautiful, and I have complete faith in her.

I hope that you and your wife are well, Cathrine is a fine woman and once again I wish you well.

Yours,
Elizabeth.

I felt akward signing it, but gave it to the maid and had him deliver it, not all that eager for a reply though. And went downstairs to meet Thomas and his mother for the ball.