Christine sat on her sitting room couch, unsure of what to do with herself. She had already cleaned the library eight times, walked the garden six times, and rearranged the dining room table eleven times….that week alone. She read and wrote sonnets the week before, which led to her next idea: she’d write a letter to James. Before she could even think about getting up, she heard a ferocious knock and bundle of voices outside the front door. Christine had barely opened it when four women burst through, giddy and full of words as ever. One of them shoved a bouquet of red roses into Christine’s arms and nearly pushed her to the ground with her booming voice.
“Lady Waltz!” she yelled, “What a fine home you have. How very….modern it is!”
“Oh….thank you Lady Adel,” Christine replied, flustered, “I’m afraid I wasn’t expecting you”
“Oh never you mind that dear,” Lady Adel guffawed, “I come bearing company!”
She beckoned the women with her to follow her. Christine could do nothing but stare now that they’d invited themselves in. She wished her former maid had accepted the position she offered, maybe she could have presented a distraction so Christine could make an escape in a situation like this. They sat in the sitting room and went right on with questions. Lady Adel was a matriarch of the upper class in England and always had other women flocking her, gossiping as they bustled around town. Christune had never expected them to talk to her, let alone come knocking at her door.
“Do you have tea?” questioned Lady Eliss
“How are you doing in this big house all alone?” Lady Rue asked
“Has old Louise been bothering you again?” Lady Ingram chimed in
When she could no longer make words out of their overlapping voices, Christine shook her head, “Ladies, please! Thank you so very much for this….warm welcome….into my own house….but if you could be so kind as to speak one at a time, that would be splendid”
The women all blinked and looked at Lady Adel, clearly knowing that she would be the first to speak .
“Well,” she breathed, “We all wanted to come and keep you company as you are here all alone. It must be awful cooped up here without Lord Waltz attending to you….do tell, how are you fairing?”
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Christine didn’t bother to correct the many mistaken assumptions Lady Adel had made, she only said, “Quite alright….thank you”
The rest of the women nodded in perfect unison.
“You never get lonely here?” Lady Elis asked
“Well every so often I do,” Christine admitted, “but I enjoy my own company….I don’t have many people to call on anyway”
“You could have called on us!” Lady Rue beamed, waiting for the approving laughter of the group
The women all let out an enormous laugh until Lady Adel cut them off,
“Shall we take a tour of the house?” Christine tried to ignore their strange dynamic, “I could make some tea or-”
“Oh that won’t be necessary Christine,” Lady Adel dropped her usual smile, “that is not why we came. You see….we simply must know….how do you feel about the way the women talked about James before your marriage? He was always the talk of the ladies you know….though he never seemed to turn his head towards any of them. Is it true what they speculate about his charming love? You are such a pretty little thing I’d think he would have had you before he did….and leaving you to fight in this pointless war of immaturity! Certainly these things make a girl worry….don’t be afraid, we can help you! How are you handling all of these burdens? It seems as though you haven’t called on anyone to help you”
Christine hoped she didn’t look as confused and offended as she felt. How could they behave this way? Acting and talking as though they had been the greatest of friends to the Waltz family for generations when this was the first time any of them had spoken to her.
“Well,” Christine chose her words very carefully as her cheeks flushed red with anger, “I assure you that I am doing perfectly fine and that is all I care to say….and all you should care to know”
With that, she excused her absence of tea and insisted they come another day when she could better prepare herself. They disregarded her pleas, and just when she’d begun to think they would never leave, Christine heard a knock at the door. She slowly opened it, revealing a very bloody and very bruised Thomas. Christine dropped the bouquet of roses she’d been holding and barely noticed the women quickly excuse themselves. Her heartbeat slowed more than she thought possible.
“I’m sorry,” Thomas could barely speak as tears rolled down his cheeks, “Christine…..James-”
Christine backed into a bookshelf on the wall behind her, eyes wide. Everything seemed to happen in slow motion, books fell and their pages surrounded her. She felt Thomas’ hands clasp hers as he fell to his knees in front of her.
“It’s all my fault,” he whispered, “I let him send himself to die….he made me promise….I should have ran after him….why didn’t I run after him….I am so sorry….so,so, sorry….”
Thomas went on stuttering and Christine said nothing, only stared wide-eyed at the floor behind him. She could muster no words, no thoughts.
“Thank you,” she finally whispered, “for telling me”
Christine slowly and silently walked to her room. She breathed deeply and sank to the floor, back against her bedroom door.
“Oh God,” she whispered, “How could we let this happen?”
