Old times with old love

*Heather! I told you! One line posts count too!*

Then count this -

Gregory awoke early amidst the tangled bed sheets and the realisation sunk deep within his chest. He had been unfaithful.

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There, how's that? Lol.

Um...help? Don't know why it is that I can't do this story...maybe it's because it moves quicker than I'm used to, or maybe Abigail is too passive, or maybe it's my notorious incapability to plot...anyway, a little nudge would be great, and I apologise for inconviniencing you both!
Jas

(In the next few posts we're going to kill you husband if that'll help?)

Elizabeth had woken long before Gregory did, gathered up her clothes and left. She'd never speak of this, and she knew that Gregory wouldn't either. She tip-toed into the house trying to be silent, but Thomas was looking for her.

"Where were you last night?" he demanded, "I was waiting for you."

Words got caught in Elizabeth's throat and she was thankful when she heard Abagail screaming out side, she rushed to the window and saw her husband on the ground under the carriage.

(There ^_^)

Thanks. I'm not sure what your plan is, or exactly what has happend, so I'll keep this both brief and vague.

Abigail

I dropped to my knees beside the carriage, and took my husband's hand. His eyes were shut and the ground was stained red beneath his head. The stain was spreading creepily.

"Can someone move the carriage, please?" I asked. My voice was very highpitched. I wasn't so sure that it was coming out of my body. I didn't listen for the response. I looked down at him. His mouth was half open, similar to how it was when he slept. I felt I should ask if he could hear me, but the words wouldn't come. Besides, if he'd said yes, I'd have stepped back, knowing the rage would soon come. This was all my fault. I pressed my lips together tightly and shut my eyes, and then suddenly I couldn't support myself any longer. I lay down on the dusty ground and let Oblivion descend.

"Oh dear!" Elizabeth cried, "Thomas take her inside!" She winced at the feirce glare that he sent her and knew she would regret it later. But she followed him inside with her anyways.

Twenty minutes passed and Abigal woke up, disiring a cup of tea. They were half way through their cups when Thomas came inside and knelt besides Abigail, "Your husband is dead."

Abigail

I ran the base of my palm up my forehead, then shook my head. "I'm afraid that's not possible." I murmered weakly. I'd just seen him. Under the wheels of the carriage, true, but most definetely there. Thus it stood to reason that he was still in existence.

"I'll just go check..." I got shakily to my feet.

Gregory entered his home and felt a stranger as he crossed the threshold.

"Good morning sir," he was greeted stiffly as the butler took his coat.

"Is my wife..." Gregory found he could not complete the sentence but fortunately there was no need to as, at that moment, Catherine appeared at the top of the stairs. She was pale - like a ghost - and dressed in a black satin dress, rubies strung about her throat. Like a noose. A blood stain that would not out. Oh, would not out, would not be clean!

Catherine paused at the bottom of the stairs and with a gentle wave of her gloved fingers directed the Butler to take the coat into the cloakroom. Then she walked on, her feet making no sound on the polished floor as she approached and placed that slender hand upon his chest, outlining the creases she found there.

"Catherine..." the name stuck in his throat as if there were a part of her he still couldn't relinquish but her hand he cast away and turned back towards the door.

"Speak not of regrets nor sins with me dear Gregory, my Gregory. But come. I have this last hour been in touch with Tomas - there was an accident by his dwelling and an aquaintance of ours was killed."

"Who?" Gregory asked, stunned.

"Miss Abigail's husband. Go change your shirt and then come - we will pay our respects. She is with Tomas and Elizabeth now but there was speak of her going to stay with your cousins."

Elizabeth kept with Abigail as much as possible, knowing the minute she was alone with Thomas she would regret it.

"I shall probably go stay with my cousins in Yorkshire," Abigail said.

"Are you sure you would not like to remain here? It would be such a pleasure to have you stay, wouldn't it be Thomas?"

He mearly grunted and Elizabeth feared he was figuring out what she had done last night.

Abigail stood up, "excuse me for a moment, I believe I need a breath of fresh air."

They nodded as she left the room, and Elizabeth was alone with Thomas. "So where were you last night?" he demanded.

"I-I-I went around for a bit and came inside through the servants enterence and went to bed, I do not recall what time, and I was up before the sun rose and went for another walk."

He smiled his charming Thomas smile and came over to her, and he intimately kissed her, causing her to forget the night before.

Isabelle

"Come on Belle, I will leave without you soon," Julian threatened as I draped a heavy, black shawl about my shoulders. That was not like him at all. I exited my room and descended the stairs to find him striding back and forth with the driver watching his movement quite nervously. We were in my husband's house but he was away at work and my brother had called promptly to convey the news in person.

"Do calm your nerves, Julian. Come, let us go entreat her to stay with us. You must be lonely in the big house alone and I am sure Thomas can spare me a week or two."

Thomas only pulled his mouth away when we heard somebody coming in the front door. Elizabeth jumpped up and embraced Isabelle.

"How has Abigail been fairing?" she inquired.

"She has been a little uneasy, she's in the garden right now getting a bit of fresh air."

"Julian," Isabelle said, "would you go ask her to stay with us for a while? Keep you company."

He went off to do so at the same time that Cathrine and Gregory walked in.

Gregory

"Elizabeth dear," Catherine stepped forward and took Elizabeth's hands then kissed her once on each cheek. She was very cordial. Warm even. How could she be so when she knew - or at least suspected - that I had been unfaithful with the very woman whom she greeted.

"Has the doctor been sent for? Gregory would not let me look upon the body and though he does say that he is dead with all certainty, is it not better to be sure? And to have the poor man moved?" She retreated back to my side and I placed an arm around her waist, guiding her to a seat.

"Tomas, could you send for one?" Elizabeth asked. I felt a twinge of alarm that she would be so direct with him but then, I knew he would not harm her in the presence of others. He inclined his head slightly and left the room.

It was not long before Julian entered with miss Abigail.

Abigail came and sat down next to Elizabeth, filling in the seat where Thomas would have sat.

"I think this buisness shall take us beyond dinner, would you all stay?"

After a few moments everyone agreed.

Thomas returned and said that , "I think this shall take us well into the night, perhaps it would be best if you all just stayed over."

Elizabeth sighed relieved, she would have others in the house to hear her screams should she have need.

Abigail

The company was keeping me grounded. I could feel my world fragmenting, every shard ricotting off in a different direction. I had gotten my wish. I could stay where I was, without having to fear, without having to look over my shoulder, or have panic wash over me every time the doorbell sounded. But had I wanted it like this?

What would they think of me now, if I simply stayed with Julian and Isabelle? Had I not been away, he would never have had cause to seek me out. Did not that make me his murderer? In which case, wasn't seclusuion, confinement, even, the most fitting course? Surely I deserved to be punished for my crimes. Life was beginning to demand the payments, I could feel it in every strangled breath I took (every breath I took was one which he did not take), but was it enough? Surely not. Death was the end, and I wasn't quite there.

I succeeded in tuning out much of the conversation.Words were merely nothingings anyway. I forced smiles when I could, nodding sometimes so that I seemed to be taking it all in, they had, after all, been good to me, but they seemed to allow me space for my sorrow. They acknowledged its presence and did not turn it away, but neither was it invited to eat at the table. I would stay, I decided, for the time being, because I had nothing to run from except for ghosts, and ghosts, I now knew, would never go away.

Heather you know its your turn! *begs*