The Redeemed Soul [Dorian Gray]

No Place

"You don't have to apologise, Rosemary."

"I have a feeling that I have to, Victoria."

The young woman found herself in the mansion of the Wottons the next morning, where she was awaiting Henry so that she could apologise. But her good friend told her that he deserved it.

"I cannot decide that." Rosemary replied.

"Don't be so philosophical. It's absolutely fine." She assured her.

The women chatted the entire afternoon along with tea and biscuits. "Does he always leave you alone for so long?" The guest inquired.

"I don't really care, Mary. He can do whatever he wants once he walks out of the front door but he dare not raise his hand on me."

"Oh Lord, does he abuse you?"

"He wouldn't dare to try it because he himself knows that he would lose everything if he did." Victoria smirked.

"I'm glad that you have him under control." She smiled. "But can I ask you something?"

"What? How am I okay with his affairs?"

"Yes." She bit her lip nervously.

"I was forced into a marriage with him at a young age and you know that. I just endure it because he suffers every minute that he spends with me, knowing and regretting all of his actions."

"And yet he doesn't change." Rosemary scoffed.

"I have made my peace with that, if I'm being honest. Why do you ask anyway?"

"You know." She pursed her lips.

"Oh." She whispered. "I'm really sorry, Rosemary-"

"It's not your fault."

"But it is my husband's."

"Women shouldn't take responsibility for the actions of Men." She quoted.

The afternoon was fleeting by and Rosemary couldn't take it anymore. She told Victoria that she would take her leave. "You took the higher road, my friend, but I'm afraid that you are too pure for this world." She joked.

"Thank you, Victoria." She said as she walked out the door, only to face her worst enemy and mistake.

"Henry!" Victoria exclaimed before the two of them strangled each other. "Rosemary was just here to apologise for whatever happened."

"Doesn't she have a mouth to talk for herself?" He remarked.

"Unless you want your other jaw to get bruised, I would suggest that you accept the apology and give me a way to leave." Rose replied, trying not to meet Dorian's eyes.

There was a sudden silence. Nobody had ever seen Lord Henry lost for words in their life but Rosemary was fortunate enough to do so. "Apology accepted."

Once he gave her way to leave, a small smile crept upon her face. She had finally made her archnemesis accept her apology without even having to apologise to his face. She felt good for having accomplished that.

Rosemary once again reached the crossroads but she didn't stop to think where she was to go. She turned right and walked towards the Radley mansion to check on Celia.

The poor girl was shaken up and refused to get out of bed. She did not let anyone touch her but when Rosemary talked to her and assured her that she would be right next to her but won't touch her, she began to calm down.

"I'm here." Rosemary told her. "Don't worry. I'm here."

"Rose?" Celia talked for the first time since the previous night.

"Yeah?"

"I wish you were my sister because then, you could have prevented..."

"Don't think about that. Nothing happened."

"It might as well have if it weren't for you." She spoke in a low voice, worried that her voice would break if she spoke normally.

"I will always protect you." She assured her.

"Aren't you leaving?"

"Even if I do so, I'll make sure that you are safe from him."

"Promise?" She asked, looking up at her with tears in her eyes.

"Pinky swear." It was a little tradition between the two of them.

Celia felt a whole lot better after Rosemary visited her. Night fell upon the gloomy town when she made her way back to her house. Despite what the society portrayed about a woman's safety at night, she was fine with walking the streets alone. She could break anyone's arms if they tried to mess with her, courtesy of her brother's self defense lessons when they were younger.

She was glad to be back to her hibernation cave where she found an umbrella near the coat hanger, getting to know that her brother was back for the day as well. "Basil?" She called for him, entering the living room, where she knew that she would most likely find him.

Basil was staring at the bare wall and didn't even notice his sister's voice. "Basil?" She touched his shoulder, making him shudder.

"Rose." He whispered.

"Are you alright? You're shaking!"

"Nothing." He shook his head.

"Lies. What happened?"

He sighed. "The Grant Exhibition is in town."

"Okay?"

"And I wanted to show my recent portrait of..."

"Oh." She put on a neutral face. "You went over to ask him for it?"

"Yes."

"And what made you so horrified?" The look on his face said everything. "Oh."

"He is a completely different person right now."

"It doesn't matter. Did he give you your portrait back?" She asked, Basil shaking his head in response. "Did you tell him that you were borrowing it for the exhibition? You would give it back eventually."

"I tried to reason with him but he just wouldn't listen!"

The bell rang, breaking the silence that emerged between the twins. "I'll go. You drink tea."

She opened the front door only to find Mr. Jonathan from the post office with a letter in his hand. "It's here!"

"No way!" She exclaimed as she took the letter from him.

"I'll leave you to it then. Have work at the office anyway."

"Thank you!"

She tore open the letter immediately and searched for the line that she had been awaiting her entire life. "You have been accepted..."

"Oh my God!" She couldn't believe her eyes. She was going to say goodbye to London as soon as the next semester started and that was the biggest joy in her life.

"What happened?" Basil was worried by her shout and rushed to the hallway.

"I have no place here anymore." She closed her mouth. "I'm going to France."

"That's wonderful!" He spun her around. "Oh, I'm so proud of you, little sis."

"We're the same age!" She hit him playfully. "And since this is here, I can make you one promise."

"Which is what exactly?"

"I'm going to get you that painting."