Chapter 6

"There is nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and bleed." Ernest Hemingway

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Chapter Six

Isabella let herself into Annaliese's bedroom and proceeded to flop down onto her bed in the most unladylike manner. But it could not be helped. Isabella felt nothing if not deflated and hopeless.

What saddened her more was the sight in front of her. Compared to Isabella's life, Annaliese's life was so normal.

Annaliese had acknowledged Isabella's presence with a smile in the reflection of her mirror. She sat with Julianna at her dressing table, fixing ribbons in her hair, while Georgiana stood behind Annaliese and combed her hair. Eva and William were both laying on their fronts near the foot of the dresser playing a card game. They were all in various states of undress, but they looked so comfortable and familiar with each other.

Isabella longed for that, but it seemed as though she would not get to experience anything like it for some time seeing as though her and Jamie's presence would make Luke miserable.

"Say good morning to your aunt, children," instructed Annaliese.

All four of the children turned to Isabella in unison as they said, "Good morning, Aunt Isabella," cheerfully.

Isabella managed a small smile. "Good morning, children," she replied quietly.

Annaliese frowned at Isabella in the mirror and sighed sadly. She finished tying Julianna's ribbons and said, "Children, go down to the dining room and eat breakfast with Papa," she instructed, lifting Julianna off of her lap and down onto the floor.

"But Mama, does it not matter that we are not even dressed yet?" asked Georgiana as she set down the comb on Annaliese's dresser.

"Not today," replied Annaliese. "Go on."

"Would you collect Jamie from the nursery on your way, Georgiana?" asked Isabella. "Would you take him down to breakfast?"

Georgiana nodded and took Julianna's hand and the four children wandered out of the bedroom, leaving Annaliese and Isabella alone.

Annaliese turned around in her seat and placed her hands in her lap. She smiled sympathetically.

"What am I to do, Annaliese?" asked Isabella. "I feel as though everything I was once sure of has collapsed. I do not know where I am going or what is going to happen." What she did know of was that her husband would rather rely on a stranger than her. But that was a vexation for another day.

"I think you will find most people in this country feel that way every day," said Annaliese. "We have been blessed in life. We have healthy children, a nice home, and a comfortable situation. We have a lot to be thankful for."

Isabella knew that Annaliese was trying to cheer her up, and had therefore neglected to include "healthy husbands" on that list. Isabella knew that she did have a lot to be thankful for. She was blessed to have a happy and healthy son. She knew that had Matthew and Luke not intervened in their lives, then it would be highly likely that she would be married to a rich aristocrat he would not care a thing about her.

But the fact of the matter was that her husband was blind, and there was not a thing she could do to help him.

"But," continued Annaliese, "I know that this is horrid turn of events for you and Luke. It is not fair on either of you." Annaliese rose from her seat and walked over to sit beside Isabella on the bed. She placed her hand on Isabella's. "What little I know of men, what little experience I have in understanding their nature, I know that they can be very prideful."

"Little experience?" repeated Isabella in disbelief. "You are married," she pointed out. As was she, she realised, but Annaliese had had the most time with her husband.

Annaliese smiled. "And Matthew was the first man that I ever spoke to aside from Papa," she explained. "But I do know that men are very prideful," she continued. "Physical ailments, whether it be a simple cold or permanent blindness, affect their state of being. They are raised to be leaders, protectors, providers ... heroes in Luke's case. For how long have you been telling Jamie of what a hero his father is?"

Isabella had been telling Jamie stories of his father's heroics since the day he was born.

"I imagine that Luke might want to avoid you seeing him as anything less than what he was," theorised Annaliese.

Isabella could see the sense in her sister's theory, but she did not want this to be the case. "But that is so silly! What could improve his mood more than being with his son?"

"I imagine it is not silly to Luke," replied Annaliese.

"I just miss him," sighed Isabella. "I miss the way things used to be. I want so badly for us to be a family. I just hope he does not think my character so fickle that I would not love or accept him because of whatever affliction befell him."

"Aunt Isabella." Georgiana was standing in the doorway of the bedroom.

"Yes?" replied Isabella.

"I just thought you ought to know that Nurse Mary took Jamie to from the nursery to see Uncle Luke," Georgiana informed her.

It took Isabella a few moments to comprehend what Georgiana had just told her. By the time she had, Georgiana had left the bedroom.

"That is not at all appropriate," Annaliese said angrily.

Isabella was beyond angry. She was furious. Not only at Mary, but at Luke as well. Had he wanted to meet Jamie without her? Ignoring how hurt she felt, she sprinted from the room. She instinctually felt panicky at not knowing her son's exact location, even if he was only a few doors down.

Isabella did not both knocking on Luke's door. She pushed the door open and practically stumbled into the room.

Her eyes found Mary first, and Isabella shot her a filthy glare. How dare she remove her son from his nursery without her permission?

Isabella then found Jamie. He was in Luke's arms, in a tight embrace that would have brought her to tears under different circumstances. "Jamie!" she panted.

Both Jamie and Luke looked up at her. Jamie was smiling at her and Luke had merely reacted to the sound of her voice.

Isabella turned her attention back to Mary. "What is going on in here?" she demanded to know.

Mary smiled at her sweetly. Isabella immediately wanted to smack the grin off of her face. "I thought that Captain Cassidy would benefit from a little time with his son, Mrs Cassidy. I thought that it would cheer him up."

Isabella took a deep breath to keep herself from shaking. "That was not your decision to make," she said darkly.

Mary furrowed her eyebrows. "With respect, Mrs Cassidy, yes, it was. I am his nurse. I am in charge of his care."

"Regardless of your employment, Miss Smith, you have no right to walk into my son's nursery and to take him without my permission. How dare you? Who do you think you are?" Isabella snapped.

Mary placed her hands on her hips. "I was keeping the best interests of my patient in mind when I collected his son, Mrs Cassidy," Mary said icily.

"Isabella, really," interjected Luke quietly, "this was a nice idea. Mary had good intentions."

"A nice idea?" repeated Isabella. She could feel tears welling up in her eyes as she looked back over at Luke and Jamie.

Luke had risen from the settee and was now standing with Jamie on his hip. His arm was wrapped to securely around Jamie. How many times had she envisioned them sitting together, or standing together, or simply being together during Luke's absence? A thousand times? A million times? Now it was finally a reality and she had not been a part of it.

"She stole our first moment together as a family," said Isabella, her voice breaking on the last word.

Isabella could see that her words had affected him. Realisation did wash over his face as he understood what had just happened without her. Isabella did not want to take away from the wonderful meeting that had just taken place, but Mary had effectively ruined something that Isabella had been looking forward to for years with one thoughtless action.

"It was never my intention to cause friction, Mrs Cassidy," said Mary sincerely. "I only wanted to cheer up Captain Cassidy."

"And my presence alongside my son's would have only made him miserable, is that not right?" Isabella recalled.

"What?" snapped Luke. "Miserable?"

"I got your message loud and clear, Luke. I know that I only make you miserable now, but I would have liked to have been invited to this," Isabella choked out. She genuinely tried to keep her emotions in check in front of Jamie but it was so difficult to. "Maybe it is just me that makes you miserable and not Jamie. Truthfully I am glad that it is not Jamie, but even though it is just me, I still want to be included."

Luke spluttered for a moment. "What on earth are you talking about, Isabella?"

Isabella frowned. "Mary told me not to visit you because Jamie and I make you miserable."

Luke's jaw tensed as he clenched his teeth. His facial expressions immediately turned to those indicating his anger at what was just said. "Mary, do you care to explain?" he said through gritted teeth.

Mary's lips were pursed and her eyes narrowed on Isabella. "That is not what I said, Mrs Cassidy. I do not appreciate you twisting my words," she said curtly. "I merely advised you that in situations such as these, the family members of blind patients do tend to remind them of their former lives, and thus have the potential to induce melancholy feelings. It is not my fault, nor my problem, if you took my advice the wrong way. My priority is Captain Cassidy, not your hurt feelings."

Isabella was trembling. "You liar!" she shouted accusingly.

"And I do not appreciate you questioning my integrity, Mrs Cassidy," snapped Mary.

"Luke, that is not what she said. She is lying to you!" Isabella cried.

Luke's anger had seemed to have disappeared. It seemed that he had believed Mary's explanation. "Isabella, is it possible that you accidently misunderstood?"

Isabella's jaw dropped. "I misunderstood her clearly telling me that my son and I make you miserable, did I? I think not, Luke," she growled.

"Mary is not malicious is nature. She would not do anything to deliberately hurt or offend anyone, I believe that," Luke said adamantly. He immediately tensed as Jamie touched him small hand to Luke's cheek, feeling the stubble. He smiled slightly. "Please, Isabella," he continued, "I had sent Mary to ask you to come to me tonight. I wanted to apologise, and for us to be alone."

"I was on my way to find you when I found a housemaid with Jamie. I would have asked you had you been the one caring for your son," Mary added. Isabella shot the brownnoser another filthy look.

It did not escape Isabella's attention that Luke was in a much better mood. He was miraculously improved it seem. It also had not escaped her attention that Luke had dismissed her accusations and had believed Mary instantly. For that, she felt spitefully. "I fear I am engaged this evening," she sniffed.

Luke frowned deeply. "What are you doing?" he demanded to know.

Isabella knew it was immature, but she could not help herself. Her husband might be blind, but he could still be teased, and most definitely when he took the side of his nurse over his wife. Isabella would not forget that any time soon. "I am having a private dinner with Commander Lockwood. It will go late into the evening and I am sure your Nurse Mary would have you in bed by the time we are finished."

Luke smiled teasingly, and Isabella's heart nearly leapt out of her chest. She had not seen such a smile in years. He looked exactly like his old self and Isabella wanted nothing more than to leap into his arms. Could it be that Jamie was exactly the medicine that he needed? "I shall wait for you," he said simply.

Isabella pursed her lips. As much as she had missed that confident, cocky smile, she was not won over by it. "Oh, dear, you misunderstood me," she hinted, "I do not want to come to you tonight if you are going to believe a lying wretch over me," she said simply. "So you might want to decide who is more important to you and then we can discuss evening plans."

Luke started to approach her, as any normal person would during a disagreement. "Isabella," he started, but before he could say anything else, his foot caught on the leg of the end table and he tripped, sending Jamie flying out of his arms.

Everything happened before Isabella's eyes as if it were in slow motion. She could see that Luke was going to be alright, albeit with a slight rug burn on his hands, but Jamie was about to whack his head on the marble of the fireplace.

Isabella could not do a thing to prevent it, and she nearly died when she heard her son's head connect with the marble. Jamie let out an almighty wail as blood began to pour down his face.

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One step forward, two steps backward ... :( Isn't that always the way?

I forgot to tell you guys how my family liked their presents on Christmas and what they thought of my code names :P So my brothers were like "Ohhhhhhh" when they realised who they were. It was hilarious. I gave my brother the movie "The Family Man" (The Nic Cage movie) because we have this running joke whenever I bake that he goes "Give me that cake, I want that cake" which is that scene from the movie. He burst out laughing when he opened it. And mum liked her vase! She later told me that it wasn't the style of vase she liked so much, but the story behind it and the reason she had received it (Cue my angry tears lol) but she said that the amount of effort I went to to find the same one made it special :P

Anyways, better get to sleep, and by sleep I mean watch Netflix. Vote and comment!!