The month goes by in a flash, Riding, Talking, Dining Together. Doing everything together while his sons are away from me, Away from us so we can be together with our son. Until it is the last week we will be together, He loves me now, I know he does, He's just scared to tell me because of her and how the townspeople have reacted to my being here. I wish he could see that it's alright, That it doesn't matter what anyone else thinks. That it's ok to love me, He can take me out of that bastards house and he can leave her and we will be together. I smile to myself looking up from my book just into space as he comes up next to me. "Hello my lily? Enjoying yourself?" He smiles looking down at me in the window seat as I meet his eyes. "Yes," I smile back melting under his gaze "Do you wish to go for a ride?" He offers his hand to help me up. "Of course! Let me get dressed!" I take his hand, Taking in every second of that brief interaction. "I'll make sure your favorite horse is saddled, I'll be waiting." He laughs walking out of the room to the stables. "You, Get my best riding habit out." I snap at a maid taking my high heeled shoes off while she just stands there. "Did you not hear me?" I snap, Why must these servants be so difficult? They didn't even know what to order for fabric and jewels and brands when I told them. "Stupid servants." I grumble as she walks over to the closet taking the tight black and red slitted riding habit out. "Thank you, That wasn't so hard was it?" I snatch it from her as she stays silent. I scoff "Will you help me dress?" She walks over to me silently and puts the dress over my head as I admire myself in the mirror. I look delicious, Like a beautiful goddess of coal, As I swish the colors change, Sometimes showing more red and sometime more black, With my pale chest showing from the cleavage in the front. I smooth my dress down "Thank you." I say to the servant and glide out the room past her on my long legs heading to nursery to see my boy quickly before we go out. I open the door the nursery and my baby sits in the middle of the floor playing with his blocks. He looks up and sees me smiling pleased. "Hello my darling!" I stretch out my arms to him and he takes a few steps towards me before falling and crawling the rest of the way. I pick him up and he hugs around my neck. "Me and papa are going to ride some horsies!" I kiss his cheek and he bounces up and down in my arms. "Horsies!" He claps his hands and I smile at him proudly, he is learning to talk so well. "Yes! We will back soon my love!" I set him down on the floor and he crawls back over to his blocks intrigued again by them. I smile at him before going downstairs to meet George in the stables. "Ready to go my lily?" He smiles at me sitting on top of his chestnut mare. "Always, Are you sure you're well enough?" I ask concerned looking up at him. "Of course, I'll finally beat you in a race." He smiles down at me "You should win anyways." I smile at him mounting the big black horse in front of me Named Midnight, Who seemed to like me out of any of the horses in the stables. "I let you win my lily." He smiles urging his horse on. "Oh really?" I laugh "Then you are up for a race?" I say sitting astride not ladylike at all in my horse but I don't care. "You know you're going to win." He chuckles holding onto the reigns. "We'll see." I smile back putting my horse into a gallop already beating him, My long dark hair flows behind me as we race across the hills, I can hear our laughter peaking across the hills until finally we enter the town and we slow our horses into a walk laughing. "I told you you would win." He smiles at me, And I feel so happy inside, Knowing that I've made him happy, For however long it may be. As we ride our horses down the street I see the townspeople glaring at me and shielding their children from me as if I were a witch, Looking at my tall collar and the way I'm sitting astride instead of side-saddle. "Tsars whore," One mutters and spits at my horses feet "Stealing him from Miss Alice." The woman hobbles back inside as I glare at her. "Can you believe her-" I look over at George and see a man standing next to his horse. "This is Dr Vasyvev." George introduces me and I give him a half smile. "Ah, This must be your lovely wife." He smiles at me and my heart skips a beat, Thinking that people think I'm his wife, George's laugh brings me out of my thoughts. "Oh no, My wife is away, Scarlett could never be my wife." He laughs again nudging me as sadness and hurt rises up in my chest. Never be his wife? Never? "Scarlett are you alright?" He asks me as I turn my horse around and urge it into a gallop. "Scarlett!" I hear him call after me but I race across the grassy hills again back towards the house, Taking the long way so he won't know where to follow me too. It starts to rain on the way back and I get to the house soaking wet, My wet train trailing behind me as I pull off my gloves running up the side stairs to my room, So he can't see me. I tear off my dress in a frenzy and sobbing I just want it off, But it won't come off me, Sticking to my skin from the rain water. "Get it off!" I sob as a maid walks in with clean sheets. She walks silently over to my crying self as she pulls it off me and I rip at my corset begging her to get it off so I can breathe. She slowly takes it off, As if wanting to torture me. "Leave me please and bring my son up." I twist the bed sheets in my hand sobbing into it as I look at a picture frame on the nightstand. Of him and her i pick it up in my long slender fingers and hold it as tightly as i can, Turning my knuckles white. "I hate you." I look at the picture then turn and throw it against the wall as hard as I can. "I hate you!" I scream my voice going hoarse. As I hear footsteps coming up the stairs I wipe my tears away quickly and throw on my nightgown. The maid walks back in and I give her a small smile as she hands me my son. "What's your name?" I ask bouncing my son on my hip. "Bridget Ma'am." She looks at me stonily "Thank you Bridget." I say turning away from her and bouncing my son as she walks out. "Mama Duckie here!" My son squeals pounding his chest again, I wonder where he learned that, I wonder as I set him on the bed. "Yes we are here! Be a good boy and lay down now." I say getting under the covers next to where he's sitting. "Mama pretty!" He giggles bouncing on the bed and chewing on his rattle. "You are such a good boy, Come lay next to mama." I smile playing with his golden hair. "Duckie here." He lays down, Putting his head on top of mine and patting my dark hair with his small hands. I pull him off me and lay him next to me pulling him as close as he can get as he chews on his rattle. "Time for sleep now my love." I yawn "Duckie here mama." His bright green eyes look at me. "I know my Duckie." I kiss his forehead as he smiles and I fall asleep, Listening to his quiet breathing.
The next day I don't come downstairs until dinner time, Playing with my Duckie all day and taking lunch and breakfast in my room. I change into a beautiful beaded blue dress on and head downstairs to the long dining table. "Lily, I'm glad you have joined me my friend." He smiles and I feel a pang if sadness in my chest every time he says something like that. I just smile and take a seat next to him looking Down at my plate. "Is there something wrong my Lily?" He looks at me and I look up from my plate "Well, It's just the townspeople they are being so horrid to me!" I say as a look of realization comes across his face as if he realizes why I was upset. But he doesn't really know. "They are like that at first, They weren't fond of Alice either at first. I'm sure they will grow to like you." He says "They day I am a whore! A slut!" I say sadly hoping that's not what George thinks I am. "I remember when they called Alice that, She was so sad." He says taking out his pocket watch looking at the picture of her inside. I stand up annoyed that he's thinking about her after hurting me, When he should be with me "How do you like my dress tonight?" I say forcing a smile "It's nice." He says sadly, Barely looking up "You shouldn't be so sad! I am here to keep you company!" I plaster a fake smile on my face. "No, You are good company I just miss my wife." I want to tell him that I should be his wife, Not her. "I'm sure she is fine," I say letting my annoyed ness show "George has enjoyed seeing you everyday!" I say about Our son "I wish that she was in my arms I know Nicholas and Alexander miss her." He sulks "George! I am here we should be happy! Am I not good company?" I ask again "You are But you are not her." And there He says the words that hurt the most, It feels like someone's kicked me in the chest and I step backwards, Tripping over a stool. "Are you alright?" He stands up and helps me up "I-Yes I'm fine." I say with tears welling up in my eyes from what he said "I'll be fine." I whisper daring to let tears fall "Did you hurt yourself during the fall? Must I call a doctor?" He asks concerned "Just my arm is all." I say thinking of how many times Boris has hurt it. "I'll call for a doctor." He says getting ready to beckon to maid to get one for me "No! It is fine! Let's just enjoy dinner." I say forcing a smile again "But your arm is hurt." He says holding it gently as butterflies form in my stomach and a light blush is on my cheeks As i limp back to my chair "Thank you George." I smile at him enjoying his touch "I appreciate you very much." More then you know I think to myself . He smiles at me "Do you need any ice, Anything?" He asks "No it's alright my ankle is just hurting is all." I say patting his hand lightly "Is anything I can do?" He asks "Can you see if it's swollen?" I ask quietly As he looks down at my ankle and lifts my dress up a little as my chest rises and falls quickly and my heart feels like it's going to run out of my chest just at the thought. "It's now swollen but a little red." He says letting my dress fall again "Do you think I will survive?" I joke to him "I am sure you will." He smiles and sitting back in his seat again "You have a very kind touch." I smile softly at him, Knowing that I would die for just a kiss "Thank you Lily the doctor should be here soon." He says resuming his dinner "He needn't come. I will be fine I wouldn't want to spoil it for you!" I smile at him, Enjoying even him doing the simplest of things "You want me to call it off?" He asks looking at me again as I nod "I wouldn't want to ruin the evening for you." I smile "My evening won't be ruined your well-being matters most." I want to tell him that it doesn't that he and our sons will always come first in front of me but I don't. "I don't matter. I am more worried about you." I say as a platonically as possible "I'm alright, Once Alice comes back I'll be better then ever." He says looking at that stupid picture again as I feel like I'm being stabbed in the gut "I-I think I should like to retire to my room now. I'm sorry for being such a burden." I say quietly, Trying to control my tears, Anger and hatred "Why are you so upset Lily?" He looks at me again "It's just sometimes I think the rumors are true that I am a whore." I lie, I don't care about the rumors, I care about us and our sons "No my lily, Don't think that way you are a wonderful person." He says putting his hand on mine as it sends shivers down my spine "You really think so? Nobody wants me." I look at him bleary eyed "You will have someone one day. There are plenty of people that love you." He says taking his hand away "No one in specific." I sigh "Well I'm sure your cousins love you, Your son loves you." He says and I smile at the thought of my golden Duckie "I suppose." I say softly "I'm here for you Lily." He smiles at me "Don't feel down." He says as I turn to look at him "You are?" I ask softly "Well Of course!" He laughs and I smile "Let's not talk of such dreary things for any longer!" I beckon to a maid to bring our son down as another maid comes down from the upstairs nursery "Your imperial highness," She starts "Your son won't stop crying w-we all tried to calm him down. Can you help please?" She asks as George turns to me "I'm sorry Lily I must go." He says to me as I glare at the maid "If you must." My face falls as he leaves the room leaving me alone in it.
On the last day of our month together we both attend a charity ball in town together. I wear my most ravishing dress I could find and I can hear the nasty rumors people say about me as George and I dance. but I don't give a damn what they think, As long as we love each other and have our son.
YOU ARE READING
The Sisters Of The Court
Roman d'amour1894, the 57th year of the reign of Queen Victoria. Among the clad black mourning clothes of the era two women emerge in order to accompany their cousin Alexandra to Russia to marry the next Tsar. Scarlett Walker, the bastard Child of Duke Ernest, t...
