Despite his protests to the contrary Joseph slept as soon as he sat down. Clarisse, deciding she couldn�t go too far wrong with soup, left his in the kitchen. She ate; she looked over the room, she cleaner her dishes. Went to the bathroom and cleaned up, she found one new toothbrush in the bathroom cabinet, perhaps there were more in the other but Joseph would have to look his self, she was far too tired now.
Her nightwear had been drying in front of the fire and was still damp, she took off the stranger�s skirt she was wearing but left the sweater on, wrapping a blanket around her lower half. Joseph still slept when she returned to the lounge; she poked and prodded at the fire hoping it would last the night. She had no desire to sleep alone, upstairs in that strange bed, instead she returned to the couch, piled the pillows up for her head, threw several of the blankets over herself.
Once hidden beneath she removed the one that was tied around her waist, she reached over to the coffee table and retrieved the gun she�d placed there, she contemplated slipping it beneath her pillow but then became paranoid it would go off in the night. Instead she laid it on the floor, rested her atop of it, listening to every sound round about. The fire crackled, Joseph�s breathing, she looked over to him, her eyes were adjusted to the darkness now and she could see his chest rising and falling. There were scratches on his face; she noticed it earlier, several of them deep, she wondered if he�d had sense enough to bathe them properly.
Gradually her eyelids got heavy and she gave in to sleep, welcoming it finally. Her hand left the gun on the floor and retreated beneath the warmth of the blankets. She slept.
* * *
Joseph crept out of the back door as soon as sunlight dawned, collected more wood, dragged it behind him in an attempt to cover his tracks. He restocked the fire, in the kitchen he searched the cupboards and found coffee in an airtight container; it smelled alright so he made a large pot of it. Then he went back to the lounge, there was a polished oak wood cabinet at one side but it was locked, he sat on the floor and fiddled with it until it finally gave way and let him in. Alcohol, spirits, fine cut crystal glasses, he looked it all over, found a bottle of Baileys and took it with him.
He loathed to wake Clarisse but it was getting on for 10:30 and if she slept all day then she�d be awake all night, and it really should be the other way around. So he touched her shoulder, the blanket slipped off revealing her bare shoulder, he�d seen it before, she wore enough low cut gowns, but there was something about being in a small room watching her sleep that was more incredibly intimate than watching her being twirled around a ballroom.
�Clarisse, it�s getting late.� He said gently placing a mug on the table.
�Mmm, I was dreaming�� She mumbled then shot up in bed. �Don�t stand on the gun!� She shouted grabbing his hand.
�Don�t worry I moved it hours ago, must take you through the basics.�
�Oh, thank you.�
She rested back against the pillows. �Morning Joseph.�
He couldn�t resist a smile. �Good morning, here, I made you this.�
She took the mug gratefully, then smelled it and looked over at him.
�Coffee, with a drop of alcohol in it, so don�t drink too quickly.�
�I don�t really enjoy coffee.�
�Seems you have no choice.� He said bending to mess with the fire again.
�It�s cold in here this morning.�
�I know, snowed again last night.�
�Oh no.�
�Partly good, our tracks will have been covered from any potential followers, but also from any potential rescue teams.�
�I was thinking of my flowers, the staff will forget to take care of them during the ice.�
He glanced over his shoulder at her. �You think of flowers at a time like this, they�re in a greenhouse.�
�They still need care.�
�Good god.� He shook his head. �Are you hungry?�
�Not yet.�
�You�re difficult.� He complained.
�As always.� She swallowed her coffee, it didn�t taste that bad. �It�s so dark in here.�
�I locked the shutters, we don�t want any one peeking in.�
�But it�s dark.�
�It�s for safety� Clarisse you really�� He tightened his fist, then the moment passed and he waved it waved it away. �Nothing.�
�No tell me, I�m really what?�
�Nothing.�
�Ungrateful, selfish, spoilt.�
�Unrealistic was my sentiment, this could be a life and death situation.�
She shrugged. �We�re still alive.�
�Damn it Clarisse listen to me.�
�No you listen!� She raised her voice, she hardly ever did that. �The reality is yes I should be dead, we should, but we�re not. I�m sitting by the fire, warm and content, drinking bloody coffee with some creamy whisky type thing, I have fine company� it�s hardly out and out terror.�
He was silent watching her wait for his reaction. �There�s more of that in the kitchen, when you�re ready.� He skulked from the room, hands in pockets.
She gave him a few minutes alone then followed him.
�What would you like to do today?� She asked watching him stir something on the stove.
He glanced over at her, raised an eyebrow, looked down at her makeshift �skirt�.
�Nice outfit.�
She smiled. �Thank you, I feel awkward about wearing this woman�s clothes.�
�I�m sure she won�t mind her Queen borrowing a dress.�
�Perhaps.� She walked towards him. �What are you making?�
�Supposed to be a casserole, we�ve yet to see how it tastes. There were root vegetables in the pantry. Thought I might aswell make it and then, well its there ready when you want lunch.�
�Thank you.� She looked at the cookbook open on the table. �Perhaps I could find something to make, something simple.� She flicked through the pages. �Are there more books?�
�Plenty, in the lounge.�
�Then I think I�ll read today.�
�Alright.� He murmured.
�Alright.� She watched him, he didn�t turn to regard her, kept on stirring the pot, adding pepper. She folded her hands together, remained a moment more then left him alone.
She didn�t like this feeling between them, this unease, yet she couldn�t force him to talk to her, couldn�t force him into a conversation with her. She returned to the couch, tidied the pillows and blankets, stared at the fire and remembered their last conversation, when was it � only a week ago?
She�d told him she loved him, that she was proud of him, and he rebuffed her. He told her she had power over him, that he couldn�t trust himself with her� it was too much, too messy. She couldn�t figure a way back for them, not now; their friendship was slowly disintegrating.
* * *
The day went slowly, Clarisse chose a thick, heavy book from the shelf and remained on the couch for the majority of the day reading. She left Joseph alone, she occasionally stopped to talk with him or go and make coffee, but he seemed to want the silence, the solitude.
Around four she went for a bath, to her it still seemed like invasion to be taking over this couple�s home but the reality was she needed towels, soap, shampoo, cream� So she forced down the feel of guilt and raided the bathroom cabinets, the continuing burning of the fire had heated the water, she found bath essence and decided to lay there for a while relaxing.
After she rinsed her hair, found a basic cream and dabbed a little on her face. Her nightwear was now clean and dry and part of her felt relieved to put her own clothes back on.
She went downstairs, the wooden stairs creaked as she made her way down, there was a wonderful aroma in the air, Joseph�s simple casserole had infused the air with the fragrance of good wholesome cooking. She peeked through the kitchen doorway but it was empty. And dark in there too, a candle on the table offering the only light.
When she entered the lounge Joseph looked up from the couch, snapped the book shut in his hands and dropped it to the table. He swung his legs down and rubbed his eyes.
�Nice bath?�
�Yes thank you, what do you think of the book?� She asked moving to sit by the fire and dry her hair.
�Seems okay.� He shrugged. �I didn�t read that much. I see you�ve got quite far.�
�Not much else to do.� She stared into the fire.
�No.� He leant back on the couch, closed his eyes. �Started snowing again, I went out about twenty minutes ago to check. Phone is still dead.�
She nodded; he couldn�t see her of course, his eyes still closed.
�You�ve been quiet today.� She whispered.
�Hmm.� He mumbled.
She looked at him, exhausted; his body was relaxing back into the soft warmth of the couch. His handsome face at ease, the tension drifting away as his mind welcomed sleep.
�Why don�t you go take a bath? It might relax you.�
�Maybe.� He muttered.
She crawled across to the couch, knelt up towards him, as she leant closer to his body her stomach brushed his knees and his eyes shot open. Her fingers touched his cheek and he pulled back out of her reach.
�Don�t do that.�
�Joseph. I�m worried about you.�
�I�m fine.�
She reached for his face again but he caught her wrist, loosely, then let go and tried to move away. She held his hands in hers, studied the scars there.
�You hurt yourself.� She turned his left hand over, looked at the soreness of his palm.
�It was dark, I caught it on a tree.�
�It looks painful.�
�It�s fine, I�m fine.� He snatched his hand away.
�Why do you keep doing this?�
�Why do you? Just leave me Clarisse��
She sat back and allowed him to stand and put some distance between them.
�You must really hate me.� She whispered.
He turned slowly, looked at her on her knees in front of the fire staring up at him, bright beautiful blue eyes searching his face for answers.
�How could I hate you?�
�For putting you through this; for allowing us to kiss and then sending you away like some naughty school boy. For ignoring you for five years and then suddenly declaring my love for you.�
�I don�t hate you, I�m terrified of you.�
�Terrified?�
�Because you have the ability to reduce me to this.� He held his hands up, weak and completely at her mercy. �You confuse me, I don�t understand what you�re feeling or thinking a lot of the time.�
�You understand me more than anyone ever has!� She snapped getting to her feet. �I don�t understand this, how can I feel this? After all this time alone, all these years playing this role and then you appear and suddenly it changes, I change, and I don�t know how to deal with it. I can�t do that to Rupert, not after all this time��
�I can�t hear that, don�t you understand that! I may not be a King but my feelings and my emotions are just as important, my heart� I won�t allow you to manipulate me again, to toss me aside when you can�t deal with how intense it�s getting. I have self respect too.�
�Joseph I�m sorry��
�No, I don�t want apologies, no more.� He shook his head, backed away to the door. �Perhaps I will take that bath.� He said quietly and then quickly left the room.
She dropped onto the couch. So that was it, he thought she was manipulating him, he thought she viewed him as inferior, as unimportant� no wonder she�d lost his friendship. Perhaps she didn�t deserve it at all; perhaps they were better off as enemies.
The tears slid down her face and she hastily wiped them. No, never enemies, he had her heart; there wasn�t one part of her that would ever wish him malice.
She brushed her now dry hair, then went through to the kitchen and washed her hands. She was hungry now, she remembered how to light the stove, put the casserole in to warm. For the first time she ventured into the pantry, found rows and rows of wine and selected one. Things could be replaced later, whomever the lodge belonged to they would clearly be thanked and their service valuably repaid.
In the dining part of the lounge she laid the table, lit several more candles to bring some light to the dark room. Two dishes were put out and she sat and waited for Joseph to reappear.
She�d drunk almost a glass of wine when he finally re-emerged, clean washed and looking far better now. He�d changed his sweater, borrowed one from the upstairs closet, his feet were bare and he dug his toes in the carpet as he took in the laid table.
She looked up at him, determined.
�I won�t argue with you Joseph, whatever you think of me��
�Clarisse��
She held up her hand. �No, listen. You�re my friend, I care deeply for you, we don�t know how many more days we�re going to be here and I refuse to argue with you for the duration of it. So let�s just agree to get on alright. And at least eat together when we need to.�
He nodded, smiled. �The table looks wonderful.�
�Thanks.�
�But I think dinner may be burning.�
�Oh god!� She clambered up from her seat and rushed to the kitchen closely followed by a laughing Joseph.
�Oh�� She grabbed a towel and opened the door. �Ohhh I�ve ruined it.� She grabbed the pot attempting to lift it out.
�Careful.� Joe warned and grabbing another towel took hold of the pot from her and lifted it from the oven.
�I�m sorry, all your hard work.�
He lifted the lid. �It�s fine, look it�s fine.� He dipped a finger in. �Ah, thoroughly cooked.� He quipped licking the sauce off. �Perfect, it�s perfect.�
She smiled. �You�re polite.�
�Honest.�
�That I know.�
He smiled warmly. �Shall we eat?�
�Lets.�
*
Part 8