Symphonies in E Minor

Chapter Thirty: The Final Decisions*

Aaliyah comes downstairs a week later, having risen at just barely 10 in the morning (and still actively complaining about it), fixing her shawl over her shoulders and sighing deeply at the heavy winds outside their cottage home, when she abruptly stops on the final step, peering into the dining area. Where her uncle, who arrived several days before, sits with a certain expression, seated across the table from a man Aaliyah can recognize even the aura of. Harry sits with his back to her, his crutch resting beside him against the wooden table, and his hands clasped politely in front of him. He's wearing his usual black coat and white shirt, and the scattered rings on his fingers.

Her uncle catches her eye before he says anything. There are two cups of hot tea in front of the men, suggesting that Aaliyah's aunt is not home, likely off to school already. Aaliyah wraps her shawl around her tighter and takes one step back up, frowning at her uncle.

What could her uncle and Harry need to be speaking about at this ungodly hour of nearly noon on a working day?

But her uncle has something different in his eyes. Something that makes Aaliyah not scurry back up to her room as she feels that she should. He looks straight at her with curiosity, and a slight hint of suspicion as if he knows exactly what she and the man in front of them have done in that hotel room nearly two weeks ago. Aaliyah's never been one to believe in superstition, but at this moment, she thinks that her uncle can absolutely hear her thoughts. She tries to dispel them quickly, then feeling foolish about it.

Her uncle takes a sip of his tea and then makes a sign with his eyes at Harry, just for her. He glances at him quickly and then back at her, raising an eyebrow.

He wants to know if she approved of him. Her shoulders relax and with a timid nod, she ducks her head and quietly agrees that yes, he's a good man.

Her uncle's jaw tightens beneath all that facial hair and then after another dragged out sip, he puts his tea cup down and clears his throat. "Aye, Mr. Styles," he says gruffly, because he can be sometimes. "I will get an answer to you in the forthcoming days."

Harry, who nods, puts his own cup down. "I thank you. Now. That is all I wished to speak about for the time being. I will take my leave. Thank you for your hospitality."

He rises, with some difficulty, Aaliyah notices, and then reaches for his crutch as well as his hat. In a moment of panic, Aaliyah's unsure if she should hurry back upstairs and pretend she never saw this, or stay there and be respectful about a man she hasn't seen in an entire week. He's written to her, yes, but it's not quite the same.

And also, he writes with such elegant curves that it takes her a very long time to even read his letters. That, and she needs to bribe their butler to bring the mail directly to her first before handing it off to her aunt and uncle. They don't fully know about her and Harry, and they're not stupid. They'll put it together.

There's no time to make up her mind because Harry stands and turns to head to the door. Startled to see her, he pauses. Now also caught in a moment of suspension, he seems to be unaware of what to do also. He suffices with a tip of his head and a small smile. "Ah. Miss Kincaid. Of course. Hello."

"Mr. Styles." She cracks her knuckles nervously behind her back. "Er, Uncle? I can walk Mr. Styles back to his carriage, if you please."

Her uncle, who is still seated at the dining table with a pensive expression, deadpans, "No."

She frowns and huffs, but doesn't argue. Harry's eyes flash at her as if to thank her for trying, and then without another word, he leaves out the door to his carriage.

Aaliyah cautiously approaches her uncle who still does not speak first. She pulls out the chair beside him and sits down, biting back from exploding words on him that she's positive will not make all that much sense. But why was Mr. Styles here so early? And without telling her? He didn't make any mention of this to her in his letters, but maybe he actually had and she didn't understand it. She really needs to tell Harry that he needs to slow down when he writes or at least try to detach his words because she does end up skipping over words because she cannot decipher them.