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Post by Marius on Mar 9, 2008 20:49:23 GMT -5
*One last kiss for Aimee*
"Take care."
*A single hesitant moment, and then he was leaving...heading for the carriage. Several of the housekeepers had gathered in the foyer to see him off, a good number of them looking as though they, too, preferred it if he stayed.*
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Post by Aimée-Cosette on Mar 9, 2008 20:53:59 GMT -5
*Aimee pressed the babies into Colette's arms as the carriage pulled away, tears streaming down unchecked. She ran out into the middle of the street, not caring for the traffic she was holding up, and watched it as it sped down the road with a forlorn, lost look in those eyes.*
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Post by Marius on Mar 9, 2008 20:58:04 GMT -5
*Marius' face appeared at the carriage window. At the sight of the running Aimee, he leaned out and waved to her, calling something out that was drowned by the noise of Paris. It looked liked "I love you" *
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Post by Aimée-Cosette on Mar 9, 2008 21:01:50 GMT -5
*She reached out one hand towards the disappearing carriage. Cab drivers and people in other carriages yelled at her for blocking traffic, but she didn't hear them. She didn't hear anything, only a frightening silence coming from the hole in her heart, the whole she knew would be there until he returned.*
*She stayed there until she couldn't see the carriage anymore, before going back inside and picking up the babies and putting them down for their nap. She sat in the rocking chair, Johanna already asleep in her crib and Alain drowsy in her arms. The golden mid-morning light spilled across the room, and she gazed absently out the window.*
*It was going to be a long time.*
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Post by Aimée-Cosette on Apr 26, 2008 20:43:31 GMT -5
**NEW DAY**
*Aimee sat quietly, embroidering while Marius was out and the babies were sleeping. She hummed softly to herself, a tune she'd made up.*
*The music stopped when a gag was placed in her mouth and she felt a pair of strong arms around her waist.*
"Now, love, just be quiet and I won't hurt you." *Growled a foul voice in her ear. She could smell alcohol. She immediately struggled and screamed as best she could, but the man held a chloroform-soaked rag up to her nose. All went black.*
*Soon, all that remained where Aimee had been was a note in rough hand:*
Monsyer le Barron:
If yew evar wisch to sea yower wiyfe agen, bee in the tewleries gardun at midniyt in too dayz with ten milyun francs IN CASH.
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Post by Marius on Apr 26, 2008 20:51:08 GMT -5
*Aimee hadn't been seen for an awfully long time. Worriedly, Marius headed to where she'd last been seen--in the garden. At first, he didn't see any signs, but once he'd gone farther in among the greenery, he caught sight of a flash of color--Aimee's embroidery, lying where it had fallen on the ground. And on her chair... With a rising sense of panic, he snatched the paper off the chair and read it. The hand holding the page crumpled it a bit, a dark look passing across his features like a thundercloud. Murmuring in dangerous-sounding tones under his breath, he turned on his heel and returned to the house interior* If they harm one hair on her head, I'll have their necks.
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Post by Anne on May 21, 2008 10:20:44 GMT -5
***NEW DAY***
*Finished for the day with schooling, Anne took the opportunity to walk through the fragrant green gardens with a volume of Tennyson's poems in her hand, murmuring to herself the words she knew so well by heart.*
"Now sleeps the crimson petal, now the white; Nor waves the cypress in the palace walk; Nor winks the gold fin in the porphyry font: The firefly wakens: waken thou with me.
Now droops the milkwhite peacock like a ghost, And like a ghost she glimmers on to me.
Now lies the Earth all Danae to the stars, And all thy heart lies open unto me.
Now slides the silent meteor on, and leaves A shining furrow, as thy thoughts in me.
Now folds the lily all her sweetness up, And slips into the bosom of the lake: So fold thyself, my dearest, thou, and slip Into my bosom and be lost in me."
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Post by Mr. Darcy on May 21, 2008 11:17:45 GMT -5
((No idea why Darcy's hanging about Marius'. I'll assume there was some sort of invite.))
*Darcy had always enjoyed gardens, and the Pontmercys kept a nice one. He strolled in it one day, apart from company, thinking himself alone. A low, melodic murmuring came from the other side of a thicket of roses, and Darcy halted to listen. He could not make out all the words, but enough to picture the speaker. He smiled to himself; she was an odd girl.
Best to make his retreat before she saw him. But as he turned, he misjudged her location and rounded a bush to come face to face with her. His expression was set in a mask of indifference to hide his surprise, and he bowed stiffly.*
"Mademoiselle. Excuse me."
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Post by Anne on May 21, 2008 12:49:56 GMT -5
"Of course," *she said, her icy tone a direct and deliberate opposite of the hot flush upon her cheeks. How much had he heard?
Not that she cared.
She picked up her skirt to be clear of the twigs and bushes and edged around him to continue along the path.*
"Excuse me."
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Post by Mr. Darcy on May 21, 2008 13:19:30 GMT -5
((This could continue indefinitely, I fear.))
*Darcy hastily stood aside, wishing he could apologize for his earlier rudeness. But her expression did not permit it, and he merely stood, stupidly and somewhat admiringly, as she walked past.*
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Post by Anne on May 21, 2008 16:08:34 GMT -5
*As she passed, a bookmark fell from her book upon the path, a simple homemade piece of embroidered ribbon with Anne inscribed upon it in curly lettering.*
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Post by Mr. Darcy on May 21, 2008 16:19:15 GMT -5
*For a moment, he stood still, undecided. Then Darcy darted forward and retrieved the bookmark.*
Anne.
"Miss?" *he called. Fearing she had not heard him, he called again.* "Miss Anne?" *He hurried after her.*
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Post by Anne on May 21, 2008 16:28:35 GMT -5
*Shock made her turn back more than anything.*
"How did you--?" *Her gaze dropped to the ribbon he held. Diana had made it for her--and she had made a matching one for Diana.*
"Oh. Thank you," *she said with honest gratitude, her mood softening for an instant.*
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Post by Mr. Darcy on May 21, 2008 16:30:50 GMT -5
*Darcy stared at the ribbon for a moment before handing it stiffly to her.*
"It's very beautiful," *he said, equally stiff, though not from insincerity.*
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Post by Anne on May 21, 2008 16:48:43 GMT -5
"Even if it were not, it would be precious to me," *she murmured distantly, missing Diana desperately and planning to write her a letter when she got back to the house.*
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