Status: new story(:
Dark Blue
vi.
I awoke early the next morning. The house was quiet and I assumed the boys were still slumbering. I stretched and caught sight of Viola standing by the door, which struck me as odd. Usually I would have to call for her. She looked pale.
“Viola? What is wrong?” I asked, rising from my cocoon of blankets.
“Miss Juliet,” she paused, clearing her throat, “Your father has left.”
“Left? I don’t understand.” I tried to clear the sleep from my mind. The look on Viola’s face was concerning me.
“He has gone to visit some relatives up north.”
“When is he expected to return?” I was fully alert now.
“His return is…not yet scheduled.” Her pause was pregnant with unspoken words.
I climbed out of bed and moved next to her. Her eyes shifted back and forth and she bit her lip. There was something she wasn’t telling me. I began to open my mouth to ask her, but she interrupted me.
“I believe your brothers have woken, Miss Juliet. Let me dress you so you may attend to them.”
I nodded, taken slightly taken aback and allowed her to lace my corset and slip the folds of my dress over my head. She gave a shallow curtsy and hurried out of the room. I stared after her, perplexed, before coming back to my senses and heading down the hall to the children’s room. The maids I passed stopped suddenly and a look of pity painted their faces for just a moment before they curtsied and hurried on their way. Something was definitely stirring in the house, but I could not figure out what it was. A sharp cry brought me back to the present and I pushed open the door to the boys’ room.
“JULIE!” Edmund launched himself into my skirt and buried his head in between my legs.
I looked down at him and began running my fingers through his curly black locks. Thomas latched himself onto my side, winding his thin arms around my waist. I laid my head on his and murmured comforts until they were quiet. They didn’t move though and I glanced up to see Jonathon and Robert standing across the room. They both wore the same expression that everyone else in the house had on their face. I looked back down at my brothers. They were dressed in play clothes but it seemed clear they had no interest in any playing. I removed Thomas’ arms from my waist and lifted Edmund onto my hip. Thomas clutched onto my arm and together we moved down to the sitting room.
I deposited Edmund on the couch. He curled into himself and stuck his thumb in his mouth. I swooped down to kiss his forehead. I released my hand from Thomas’ and he sat down next to Edmund. I could tell he desperately wanted to cry, but, in an effort to act like a man, locked his emotions inside. I kissed his forehead as well and went in search of Mother.
“Viola? What is wrong?” I asked, rising from my cocoon of blankets.
“Miss Juliet,” she paused, clearing her throat, “Your father has left.”
“Left? I don’t understand.” I tried to clear the sleep from my mind. The look on Viola’s face was concerning me.
“He has gone to visit some relatives up north.”
“When is he expected to return?” I was fully alert now.
“His return is…not yet scheduled.” Her pause was pregnant with unspoken words.
I climbed out of bed and moved next to her. Her eyes shifted back and forth and she bit her lip. There was something she wasn’t telling me. I began to open my mouth to ask her, but she interrupted me.
“I believe your brothers have woken, Miss Juliet. Let me dress you so you may attend to them.”
I nodded, taken slightly taken aback and allowed her to lace my corset and slip the folds of my dress over my head. She gave a shallow curtsy and hurried out of the room. I stared after her, perplexed, before coming back to my senses and heading down the hall to the children’s room. The maids I passed stopped suddenly and a look of pity painted their faces for just a moment before they curtsied and hurried on their way. Something was definitely stirring in the house, but I could not figure out what it was. A sharp cry brought me back to the present and I pushed open the door to the boys’ room.
“JULIE!” Edmund launched himself into my skirt and buried his head in between my legs.
I looked down at him and began running my fingers through his curly black locks. Thomas latched himself onto my side, winding his thin arms around my waist. I laid my head on his and murmured comforts until they were quiet. They didn’t move though and I glanced up to see Jonathon and Robert standing across the room. They both wore the same expression that everyone else in the house had on their face. I looked back down at my brothers. They were dressed in play clothes but it seemed clear they had no interest in any playing. I removed Thomas’ arms from my waist and lifted Edmund onto my hip. Thomas clutched onto my arm and together we moved down to the sitting room.
I deposited Edmund on the couch. He curled into himself and stuck his thumb in his mouth. I swooped down to kiss his forehead. I released my hand from Thomas’ and he sat down next to Edmund. I could tell he desperately wanted to cry, but, in an effort to act like a man, locked his emotions inside. I kissed his forehead as well and went in search of Mother.
♠ ♠ ♠
click.