The Last Rose of Summer

5 - His Aching Heart

So I’ve been brainstorming for a cast for this story, it’s so exciting! (I’m such a five-year-old!) I have a few options narrowed down for Elaine and Jeanette, and I think I know who Georgiana will be, but for the rest, I have no clue! Do you guys have any suggestions? That might be hard though since I didn’t provide too many physical descriptions of the characters (it kind of bothers me when some stories have paragraphs and paragraphs about how one character looks. It gets a bit boring, but perhaps I took the other extreme :S I apologize to anyone whose story may have paragraphs and paragraphs about how their character looks!) Wow if you counted the exclamation marks in that paragraph, I think it must violate some kind of writing code :S It just makes me so excited that people actually read this lol :$ Sorry I am aware that I talk way too much, I’ll stop now! <-- haha another one :)

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When the petal has fallen

In the cold winds, is lost

Forget not the roots

Tucked safely beneath the frost

Elaine could feel James’ eyes lingering on her throughout dinner. She averted his gaze as well as she could, and unexpectedly, he refrained from making conversation throughout most of the event. It brought her some relief; she was considerably ashamed for having allowed herself to get so comfortable around him earlier. It was not James’ fault—she knew that. It was her own fault for failing to guard her emotions better. He was just so agreeable to talk to, and it had eaten away at her resolve to push him away. He had been very courteous and she appreciated it, but she knew she could not allow herself to trust him. She looked out for herself. That’s how it always had been and that’s how it should stay. It was for the best.

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James noticed that Elaine went out of her way to avoid looking at him, and he decided to cut back on conversation today, not wanting to push her too much. It will be better if I let her open up when she is comfortable, he thought.  Eating in silence, he observed her, trying to understand what she was thinking. It was becoming clear to James that she had nobody in this house to look out for her or who tried to relate to her. There was no one she could rely on or confide in. Elaine was entirely alone. It saddened him to think that might be the reason she was so cold and distant all of the time. As he pondered this, Jeanette was, as always, talking incessantly and flirting with his father. He could not fathom how that must make Howard feel. Why was he so indifferent to her behaviour? Fortunately, his father took no notice; he did not suspect his hostess of anything beyond politeness. It’s not that Sir Arthur was obtuse or unobservant, but he was not sort of man to come to hasty conclusions or accuse others without solid grounds. James on the other hand could tell Jeanette was not simply being hospitable. He did not believe she meant to act upon her intentions—he did not think her bold enough for that—but her thoughts were certainly not pure in nature. Jeanette laughed and James looked to Howard to see whether he would react. He did not. James sighed and returned to his meal.

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Howard’s eyes did not leave his plate as he ate. He devoured his food quickly, intending to retreat to his study as soon as he finished his meal. He heard Jeanette laugh and felt James’ eyes on him. Surely he took notice of her behaviour and expected him to react somehow. He would be sorely disappointed if he hoped for a response. Jeanette behaved this way toward every man of status who called on them. Especially if he was rich. Especially if he had no wife. Sir Arthur was both of those things. It used to bother him, long ago, but that was a time best forgotten. He and Jeanette had not even shared a bed since shortly after Elaine’s birth. She knew as well as he did that he would do nothing. He never did.