The Injured Leg

Another week passed and Richard was soon called back to the army to attend to his duties there as a general.

"I'll look after everyone, don't worry." George patted his shoulder and for a fleeting second, Richard saw a grown up man ready to take on the world.

"I'm sure you will." He ruffled his eldest sons hair and moved on to the second oldest.

"You better come home safe or I'm not ever going to forgive you." Margot kissed his cheek and he pulled her into a hug.

"Not even if I bring you chocolate?"

"I'll consider it."

He kissed the top of her head and then crouched down to the twins.

"You better not give Ms.Annabel any trouble while I'm gone."

"Of course not!" Sam saluted and Tam followed. He kissed both of their cheeks and stood back up to meet with Margot who was being held up by Annabel.

She handed him his daughter and stepped back so they could have their moment.

He hugged her tight to his body and kissed her head several times.

"I don't know how long I'll be gone, so you better not grow up too fast." He kissed her cheek and she laughed and held onto his cheeks and smoshed them together. He smiled and handed her back. The last time they called him back, it was for half a year to help settle some things after the Second World War. He really didn't want to be gone for that long.

He stood expectantly in front of Annabel and raised a brow when she looked at him with confusion.

"What? Are you not going to say goodbye to your boss?"

"Goodbyes are forever." She looked him in the eyes and tried to focus on them, and not how good he looked in his uniform.

"Then I'll see you later." He was about to lean in but stopped himself once he realised what he was going to do.

"I'll see you. Come back in one piece though."

"I'll try."

*

George and Maggie talked in hushed voices together in the library and immediately stopped when they noticed their nanny and younger siblings walk in.

"What's all the secrecy for?" Annabel teased and walked to the young kids section to read them a book. The twins took off to find one.

"We'll see you at dinner." Maggie got up, pulled her brother with her and rushed out of the library.

"What do you think those two are planning?" She asked Margot who was trying her hardest to climb onto a chair.

"Party." She said and managed to pull herself up, but was stuck with facing the splat of the chair. Annabel picked her up and turned her around.

"You think? They'd plan a party as soon as their papa isn't home? I don't think so."

The twins ran back to her with the book they had chosen and she began to read to them until it was time for dinner.

*

"We need to talk to you." Maggie said as soon as Annabel stepped out of the kids room after tucking them in for bed after dinner.

She looked between the two siblings and their serious, stoic expressions.

They sat in their fathers office. They had Annabel sit on the couch and them on the two one seaters facing her.

"This all seems pretty serious."

"It is." George said and Maggie nodded.

"Don't tell anyone, but we think papa tried to kiss you today, on the lips." Maggie said with the most serious face.

She looked between the two of them, suddenly all the hushed whispers made sense and she burst out laughing.

"That's what got you so consumed all day?" She continued to laugh. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't be laughing. This isn't funny is it?"

She looked at their faces and burst out laughing again.

"I'm sorry, I really am. But where in the world did you get that absurd idea?"

"So he didn't?" Maggie asked.

"I told you he didn't! You were just seeing things!" George exclaimed and slouched in the chair.

"But I could swear he was about to lean in. I saw him!" She jumped up and glared at him.

"Don't you think Ms.Annabel would know if papa tried kissing her?"

They both turned to look at her.

"Don't worry, he didn't." She assured them and for some reason it seemed like they were slightly dejected.

"I see, good night then." Maggie dragged her feet along and pulled George with her. They went back into hushed talking and Annabel couldn't be more confused.

*

A month has nearly passed since Richard has left and although the children missed him terribly, they did get weekly letters that made them feel better.

They had also grown closer to Annabel and began to regard her as one of them. They really enjoyed having her around. She was fun and spontaneous. Always thinking up activities and things for them to try. They would go on picnics, play the American game called baseball with the horse handlers, have arts and crafts activities, play in the mud, ride horses (although she didn't know how to, so it was their mission to teach her), stay up past their bedtime at times, mess with the butler and bake with Samantha. They even released Squeak back into the wild and he would come and visit them every now and then.

"Ms. Annabel, a letter addressed to you." James held out a letter to her when she walked past in the foyer and she thanked him with a confused look. This was the first time she receives a letter.

She went into the kitchen, found a seat and opened the letter. She read the contents of the letter and worry and anxiety grew inside of her.

It was a letter from Richard, but it didn't hold any happy news.

She immediately told Samantha and the two of them told the maids so they could get his room ready and anything else they needed.

"Why does everyone seem to be moving around more?" George asked her when she hurried past him.

"I got a letter from your papa."

His eyes light up and he fell into step with her.

"Is he coming home? Is that why everyone is scrambling?"

"Your siblings are all in the playroom, yes?"

He saw the grim expression on her face and knew whatever the letter held, it wasn't good.

"I need you all to listen up please." She said and everyone turned to look at her when she walked into the playroom. Margot ran over to her and asked to be picked up, but George was the one to do it.

"What's that letter in your hands?" Maggie pointed out the letter.

"It's from papa." She said and took a seat on the ground with all of them, George following .

"What did he say?" Tam put a hand out asking for the letter and Annabel handed it to her, even though she couldn't read.

"Well, to put it shortly, he's coming home. Today."

Maggie cheered in happiness. Sam and Tam hugged each other and jumped around. George smiled from ear to to ear and Margot clapped but she didn't know why.

"But, but not because he's done with his work."

"What does that mean?" Maggie grabbed a piece of her dress as she looked at Annabel's worried expression.

"Once someone is called in, they are only allowed to temporarily leave for a funeral or leave because," George's eyes widened in realisation at what she was saying. "Because they're injured and can't continue to serve either temporarily, or forever."

"No, papa can't be hurt."

"His right leg. He can't even move it and because of that, they're sending him home and he's retiring." Annabel said.

"Papas hurt?" Tam asked and tears rolled down her cheeks while Sam tried to wipe them away.

"It's okay Tam. Papa is strong." He told her and kissed her cheeks.

"Exactly. Which is why when he arrives, you all will not be sulking and ruining his already bad day. Be happy he's at least back and that he's alive. Now, go get ready, he should be here soon." Annabel picked up Margot to get her changed and took Tams hand who took Sams hand.

*

"Welcome home papa!" The kids ran to their father once he entered the house in his wheelchair pushed by the nurse behind him. They hugged him as best they could with the wheelchair and propped up leg being in the way.

"It's good to have you back." Annabel walked up to him and gently placed Margot down on his lap when he held his arms out for her.

"It's good to be back." He smiled up at her, but then winced in pain when Sam accidentally brushed his injured leg.

"Papa is really tired and hurt. Why don't we head to the playing room and give him time to rest?" She took the younger kids, promising them that they will go back later to see him again, and walked to the playroom.

"Welcome home sir." James greeted and motioned for the horse handlers to help carry Richard and the wheel chair up the stairs and into his room. "Master Richard, I hope you are hungry." He said.

"Famished." He winced again as his leg jostled back and forth.

"Be careful, you're hurting him." Maggie said and hurried up the stairs and to his room to get the door open.

"How has everybody been?" Richard asked once he was placed in his bed, his leg was adjusted into a more comfortable position, he was sitting up with pillows all around him and there was no one else other than him, George and Maggie.

"Ms.Annabel has been wonderful with us and the young ones." George said.

"Yes, there's never been a boring day with her. She can do many amazing things." Maggie said.

"Yes, but get this, she can't ride horses."

"And you've been teaching her?" Richard asked.

"Of course we have! She can even trot around the ring now."

"Papa don't you think Ms.Annabel is just so beautiful?" Maggie stretched her arms out to the side  to show him how beautiful she was.

"Ah, I mean, umm, where is this coming from?" Richard was caught off guard with the question. "I was asking about you guys, not Ms.Annabel."

"Yes but she can cook and read and sing and write poetry, she can even ride a bike, and makes the most amazing sandwiches for our picnics. She's very creative and fun and also very kind and loving. She's a wonderful person papa." Maggie stared into his eyes and he shifted in his seat.

"I'm sure she is, that's why I hired her. Now, tell me about you."

"Well, Ms.Annabel -"

"No not her, you." Richard said to George.

"Are they not letting you rest?"

They all turned to the door where Annabel was standing and it was as if Richard was a deer caught in headlights. He did greet her earlier, but he could only get a good look at her now, and it seems she somehow got even prettier than the last time he saw her.

"I told you she's beautiful." Maggie whispered in his ear and bounded out of the room, not before giving Annabel a hug on the way out.

"I'll leave you two be. I still haven't finished my studies for the day." George got up and on his way out he kissed her cheek.

"They seem to have grown to like you even more." Richard said as she walked in and sat on one of the two pulled chairs beside his bed.

"It does seem so. They're all very wonderful children."

They lapsed into a few seconds of silence when her eyes fell on his leg.

"How bad does it hurt?"

Richard looked at his leg from studying her face and sighed.

"A lot. And I wish it was at least from doing something heroic but it's not." He sniggered at himself.

"What happened?"

His breathing slightly hitched and he swallowed hard when he realised that she was also studying his face.

Annabel blinked and looked down at her hands

"Just a freak accident with training some new recruits. It's hard to tell when I'll be able to walk again on it. Maybe never."

"I know it might be hard, but try to be a bit more optimistic about it. At least you're here and still alive."

"I'll try."

They lapsed into more comfortable silence again and it was Richard that broke it this time.

"Ms.Annabel, you have a, an eyelash on your cheek."

She flushed with embarrassment and tried to brush it off.

"No it's more," he motioned to a spot on his cheek and she tried again, "no no, it's closer to you, here, let me do it."

He gently placed his hand on her extremely soft cheek and glided the pad of his thumb under her eye, brushing the eye lash off.

His eyes fell down to her pink lips and he subconsciously began to slowly lean in.

Her eyes opened wide and she quickly pulled away from him, cheeks flushed, ears burning.

"I'm sorry. That was very unprofess-"

"Thank you for brushing it off. I'll get going and leave you to rest. You must be very tired." She hurriedly got up and walked out of the room. She shut the door and leaned on it, placing a hand over her fast beating heart, trying to settle herself before she went to find the nurse and tell her that he wanted to rest and might need help with laying down.

Richard groaned out loud when she left and threw his head back at the head rest at his stupidity.

"You're a respectable man Richard. Pull yourself together." He scolded himself.

But what was he supposed to do when his heart beat speeds up around her? When he finds himself following her movements with his eyes when she's in the same room as him? When he loves it that his children love her and she loves them? That he loves how smart and simple she is? And that without even trying, she's the most beautiful thing he's ever seen?

How was he supposed to not grab her, kiss her and tell her how much she drives him insane but that she also helps keep him sane?

How could he not do that?