An Improper Courtship

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Blake's smirk vanished as he watched Rosalie's head loll over her plate and fall straight beside her plate of untouched food. Everyone froze as they watched her head of brown curls loll over. The butler ran forward but hesitated in touching her. Blake was up in an instant but her uncle had moved at an impeccable speed and lifted off her seat.

"Call the doctor!" he yelled, his raging voice reaching every corner of the house.

Honey started sobbing softly, "it's all my fault, I shouldn't have believed her when she said she was well." Sir Michael was either stronger than he looked or Rosalie weighed nothing because he managed to bring her all the way to the drawing-room.

"The doctor should already be on his way from town," Honey continued, everyone had moved from the dining room and was watching the pale unconscious Rosalie. Honey sniffed lightly by her side fussing over the pillows and arranging the cover a maid had brought in. Alyssa stood by her mother, her usual ladylike demure gone and replaced with worry. Kate ordered for Blake and her husband to leave the room,

"Take off her corset and check her temperature." She said bossing around Marie, a maid who had grown up with the Jamesons. Marie was surprised by Lady Kate's tone, she was normally so soft and restrained.

Blake scrutinised Sir Michael, whose eyes were fixed on the door, it was the most emotion he had ever seen from the man and it shocked him. He was sure even his own daughters hadn't ever caused that much of a reaction to him.

"A small hit on the head, I'm sure it'll be fine," he reassured his uncle by law. He wanted to tell Michael that Rosalie was tough, he had borne witness to it just this afternoon but that would be foolish and expose too much. Sir Micheal walked into his office straight to where the bourbon stood. He poured a glass and drank the amber liquid in one go, going for another Blake stepped forward.

"Sir, I think you should wait for the doctors' observation before drinking yourself into oblivion,"

Michael started to say something but stopped and nodded without another word and sat down. His head in his hands. Blake stood unsure of what to do next and sat down with his uncle.

The loud knock resonated through the country mansion. They heard the commotion of the head butler leading the doctor into the drawing-room and waited in silence. The air in the office was tense. He didn't want to say anything that would hurt the fragile-looking man but he was sure the man would not even hear him. It felt an age before Honey knocked on the slightly ajar door and stepped, but it had probably been less than 20 minutes.

"Papa, she's fine...the doctor said her body probably had a little fright and her corset was quite tight, plus with the combination of travel and she might have a bit of a cold probably with the new air caused her body to slow down."

They hadn't considered her near-drowning, because they didn't know but no wonder. Michael exhaled loudly and left the room following his daughter. Blake didn't feel it was correct to intrude on the little family rejoicing so retired for the night heading to his childhood room.

He wasn't sure what he'd do next with his life, he'd finished his studies and done some more studies,  philosophy, history, politics. Then he'd chosen travelling, but being back in his room was reminding him how he always seemed to return to point zero. His parent's had sought to instil the value of family and hence his inheritance would only come in when he settled down and got married. The inheritance was split between his brother and him.

Just as Blake went to close the door he spotted Alyssa and leapt up to stop her before she retired for the night,

"Alyssa!" he called, his cousin turned expressionless. He felt slight pity for her, she was always trying her best to achieve, what exactly, he didn't know.

"Blake?"

"I wonder if I might talk to you,"

Alyssa stopped to study her cousin's face and the dread in his eyes were enough to tell her. He was being too perceptive. She knew what he would bring up. She knew he had felt her small frame but she wasn't going to let anyone make her feel bad when she was making such progress that made her feel proud.

"Blake another time please, I'm tired," Alyssa said, stepping backwards. Blake shook his head,

"No, Alyssa answer this truthfully, are you... well?"

"The best I've ever been," she replied without missing a beat and her face showed that she actually believed it. Blake went to say more but Alyssa held her hand up,

"Don't assume Blake, I'm fine. Goodnight cousin."

Blake barely had the chance to reply before Honey skipped up the stairs smiling, she was breathless, her grin highlighting her beauty. Her childish aura always transported Blake back to the days when his brother, himself, Alyssa and Honey had no care in the world.

"Off to bed I am," she smiled, her red locks escaping her fashionable coiffure. It was always something he noticed, the blazing head of hair that was beyond rare in their family.

"Goodnight," Blake said leaning on the wall in the corridor watching his cousin skip into her room. He had nothing to do and wasn't tired after napping most part of the afternoon. Blake entered his room and decided to write a letter to his brother, they had not seen each other in an age and being back home only intensified his nostalgia.

Rosalie's eyes fluttered open and she tried to remember how she had ended up lying down in the drawing-room.

"Don't think too hard ma'am" Bessie said, handing her some water with a stick of cinnamon inside, Rosalie's brow furrowed and she sipped the cool liquid.

"What happened?"

"You fainted, mi'- Rosalie...the doctor said it wasn't too worrying but you just need to take everything slow and rest."

Rosalie felt her head and winced slightly at the bruise. Bessie handed her a towelled pack of ice and smiled,

"Coulda been worse, right?" she asked. Rosalie smiled back and rested her head back on the many pillows behind her head. Her father walked in, smiling genuinely at her. Something, Rosalie hadn't seen throughout her whole journey with him from France to England.

"Are you feeling better? You gave us a heart attack!" he said, his wife walked in beside him. She yawned,

"Glad to see you conscious again, my dear," she said, "I do feel quite exhausted after all this drama, I will be turning in for the night"

"You go ahead, I need a moment to speak to my d... Rosalie" he corrected himself. Kate nodded, sent a caring smile to Rosalie and left the room, closing the door for privacy. Rosalie's Father walked closer to her and kissed her forehead,

"I know I haven't been a real papa to you," he whispered, aware of Bessie in the room preparing a paste the doctor had ordered, "But I want to make your Maman proud, I want to...be the best I can for you."

Rosalie wasn't sure what to say, too much was happening. She had made too many reckless decisions and everything was new. She tried to nod in response, her mouth dry from her Father's revelation but with another feather-light kiss on her forehead, Michael left the room.