The Aftermath

Chapter five

                  

Alan McMichael sighed wearily with relief as he watched Jessamine and Elijah walk off together. Thank goodness Jessamine didn't act too preposterous, he thought with a slight chuckle.

He loved Jessamine, like his own daughter, who was what he wanted her to be, but Edith was fully against the idea. To Alan, he believed that Sir Thomas Sharpe and Lady Lucille Sharpe were psychopaths, and deserved what they got – nevertheless, he didn't get the weight Edith still felt for Thomas. He had been dead for almost twenty years; Edith was a mature woman and should move on. And yet she wouldn't. It didn't matter, today he was going to propose again, and this time he would make sure she would accept his proposal.

Jessamine needed a man to walk her down the aisle, not Alan as a friend of the family, but as her lawful father. Also his love for Edith, since he was young and friends with Edith, she still made his heart flutter.

Gathering his ring, neatly inside a red coated box, he placed it inside his pocket. He waited next to the stairs. "Edith?" He called, quickly brushing his hair to the side, hoping he looked moderately acceptable. 

Hearing her footsteps upstairs, Alan straightened his back. Edith swiftly walked down the stairs, her hair was beautifully tied up and her gown was golden with a large black belt around her waist with two hands holding in the middle. Holding the bottom half of the gown in his delicate hands, Edith finally reached the last two steps and observed Alan.

"You called?" She spoke, titling her chin up.

"Yes, I-err-I wanted to ask if you would like to take a walk with...me." Alan realised how demanding his voice was, it sounded like an order, "if you would like to?" he quickly added.

Edith's face beamed a little, "of course I would, is Jessamine out with Elijah?" she asked Alan, taking the last two steps and fetching her coat from the hanger near the front door.

"Yes," Alan replied, gulping a little.

"And how is this fine gentleman? Is he right for my daughter?" Edith emphasised, which caused Alan to tilt his head annoyingly.

Making it look like it didn't hurt him, he responded, "He is just the man just for her." Alan watched as Edith put on her dark blue coat. Only when she was wearing it and fastening the buttons did Alan realise whom the coat belonged to.

Thomas.

Opening the front door, Edith waited for Alan to follow her. Reluctantly he did, and together they walked towards the park.

The park was as beautiful as ever, the fresh light green grass, children playing while their parents watched from afar. It made Alan wonder if Edith and he would ever have children, Edith was still fertile and young, and he hadn't any children.

"So, any particular reason as to why you wanted to take a stroll today?" Edith asked, breaking the silence that had followed them all the way here.

"No-err-I mean yes...yes," Alan stuttered triumphantly, making him shake his head in confusion. Without hesitation, Alan grabbed for Edith's hand and bent down on one knee, looking up at her.

Edith's face turned to fear as Alan stayed where he was; he ignored it, "Edith," he spoke.

"No, please do not continue..." She said quietly, enough for him to hear.

He ignored again, "I love you. I never stopped. Ever since we were very young, ever since that day you told me your mother had come from beyond the grave to heed you a warning, I have loved you even after you married him," he spat out the last part which made Edith snarl herself. "Anyway, what I would like to say is," he dropped Edith's hand and took out the wedding box, opening up the large diamond ring placed inside. "Will you do the honor of becoming Mrs. McMichael?"

It felt like the air had been knocked out of Edith's lungs. She already said no years ago, she had told him that she would... Could only love Thomas.

"Alan I-I can't do this again," Edith murmured pulling away from him and did the only thing she could think of doing. Run. She ran and didn't stop until she found a quiet bench in a part of the park that nobody would ever visit. It was over grown and partially abandoned.

Why would he do this again. She though he realised how much she still hurt- she could never marry anyone ever. If she had it her way she would still be Edith Sharpe. The tears had already started running down her cheeks before she even realised.

Hastily she wiped them away, she looked down at the coat and saw that the hem around the wrist where Alan had tried to grab on was frayed. This made even more tears spill over- how could Alan do this he went against her wishes and asked her again, now he has frayed the last full connection she had to Thomas. Thomas.

The name hurt, it hurt everything. They say that you can't actually have a broken heart. Well they are wrong Edith thought, her heart felt like it had been shattered into many different pieces and there was nothing that could fix it... Especially not Alan. Everything was harder for her, looking at her own daughter was hard because she had the same eyes as him. Every time she looked at her she saw the frightened, sad eyes that looked at her after he died.

She couldn't take it sitting where she was stuck in her own thoughts she had to escape. The only place she could think of going was the city hall, the place she first courted with Thomas.

She ran straight there and sat down near enough the piano where Lucille sat all of those many years ago. Looking around the room she felt at ease with everything and everyone. That's when she spotted Jessie and who she presumed to be Elijah and close enough to her that she could hear them. She had to admit Jessie did look happy.

The waltz music came on, like Lucille on the piano.

"Would you be mine?" Edith heard Elijah say and her daughter nodded and followed him to the middle of the floor.

"Would you be mine?" the words swam around in her mind all she could do was stare at her daughter she looked so happy yet Edith was so miserable.
"Would you be mine?" "would you be mine?" "would you be mine?" "would you be mine?" That's all Edith could hear it was going around in her mind as Jessie and Elijah were circling the floor. It hurt far too much this was too much of a connection to Jessamine's father. The music stopped and the room was silent they were all staring at the couple.

Edith was still staring at Jessamine. And she finally realised that Jessamine had saw her and was staring back in confusion so Edith got up and walked towards Jessamine and Elijah.

"Hello mother what are you doing here?" Jessamine asked greeting her with a small hug.

"I just came along to talk to someone don't worry I was just leaving I won't get in the way of this you both were amazing," Edith said motioning towards the two of them before hurrying off towards the exit.

The words still swimming in her head "would you be mine?"