🌸The Promise 🌸[18+]

Chapter 28

"Least its not beef again." Angeles breaks me from my thoughts.

"Beef?" I ask confused.

"You were sighing between every mouthful so I thought I best say something, and that's the first thing that popped into my head." She says laughing lightly.

I smile at Angeles I feel bad that I'm such rotten company for her.

"I'm sorry, I'm terrible company." I say looking down at my chicken cassorole.

"Not at all, normally I can't get a word in edgeways when I sit with the others. Ooh look at Isaac isn't he handsome, ooh Isaac is so strong blah blah blah." She says mimicking someone else.

"Isaac as in the new footman?" Thoughts of Mr Jenkins come to my mind but I push them back.

"Yes the very same Isaac. All the maids and even Mrs Green are smitten with him, which is completely inappropriate as she's old enough to be his grandmother!" She laughs.
"I don't get the fuss over Isaac, he barely says a word and looks at me funny." She states annoyed.

"Why does he look at you funny?" I ask concerned for my friend.

"I don't know, he's probably trying to count the freckles. Even I can't count them there's too many!" She says and laughter errups from her mouth.

I join her but look at her young face. "Angeles your freckles are lovely, they are you. I couldn't imagine a freckle free Angeles, it just couldn't exist." I say and meaning every word.

"Thank you." She says kindly. "But I'm used to people only seeing the freckles before they see me. My father calls them Angel kisses, but Angels must have a funny sense of humour to leave freckles in their wake." She states so glumly.

I burst into laughter at her declaration, and she joins me.
"Oh Angeles." I say wiping a tear from my eye. "You are so very beautiful, freckles or no freckles. Don't let anyone make you feel less than what you are, you are one of a kind!" I say kindly.

"Hmm." She replies. "Anyway enough about my face, how are you? Are you nervous about work tomorrow at the clinic?" She asks and I can see she's worried about me.

"I will be okay, it's one day and then its the weekend. Maybe we can do something on Saturday? I ask hopeful.

Angeles face drops a little.

"Well Saturday afternoon I'm going to visit my parents so I won't be back till Sunday evening." She says with a small 'I'm sorry smile.'

"Oh Angeles! That will be wonderful! I know you have missed them terribly."

She grins. "I really have."

Soon we finish supper and I wish Angeles a good night.
I climb into bed and get out my mother's journals.
They are still in readable condition concidering Mabel threw them into the fire.
I look at my mother's drawings of flowers and read little inscriptions she's written by each flower, labeling them.
I turn to read the poems she's noted down and trace over the curls in her writing.

The Old Astronomer to His Pupil by Sarah Williams.

Though my soul may set in darkness, it will rise in perfect light;
I have loved the stars too fondly to be fearful of the night.

I love this poem and I would read it often, but tonight it has a different meaning than before.
With not wanting to think of Xavier I blow out my candle and settle into bed. The fire crackling soothes me off to sleep.