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Speechless § Part 4
by LeeLeeS (no login)
Isabella had been dreaming when a ruckus awoke her. Adjusting her eyes she turned toward Chelsea-Lynn's bed, it was empty. Where in heaven's was her sister? Pannick arose in her as she pulled herself from bed. She was rushing toward the door when a noise came from her left.
"What do you think you're doing this early, Chelsea-Lynn?" Her sister was hunched over with a pile of frocks around her.
"If Shawn-Douglas is to come today, what will he think if I'm not ready for him?"
Although she couldn't see why anyone would care what he thought, she decided to use that theory to get some rest. "You haven't any sleep, what will he think of the shadows beneath your eyes?"
"Dear god, you right!" Chelsea-Lynn rushed back into her bed and willed herself to sleep. With her eyes closed she was unable to see the victorious smirk on Isabella's face as she got back into her bed.
Daybreak came as the sunlight swept through the room. Isabella fought the urge to open her eyes but the sun was too menacing. Letting her eyes meet the light, her eyes focused on the lace canopy above her bed. After an exhausted sigh, she reached for the pitcher of water on the washstand beside her bed.
Just then the door swung open and Sarah appeared with a bright smile on her face, "Here's your breakfast, Miss Belle." Setting the tray on the small table beside the bed, she turned toward Chelsea-Lynn who was still fast asleep. "Miss Chelsea, rise and shine. Ain't Mr.Brady sending you a visit today?"
The girl slightly stirred, then abruptly sat up from bed in realization. "Sarah, how could you let me sleep away the day like that? You know todays important for me." Throwing her sheets aside she quickly washed her face.
"You have hours until--" Isabella chided embarrassed that her sister was that vain.
"It will take hours to get ready. Just because you want to be an old maid the rest of your life doesn't mean, the rest of us do. Sarah come help me." Approaching pile of frock in which she had made before she began picking at them, once more.
Sarah joined her on the floor picking up the dresses. "But you're breakfast--"
"I haven't time to eat," she snapped as she threw dresses aside one by one.
Unlike Chelsea-Lynn, Isabella was starving and grateful for the eggs and ham before her.
Isabella sat there in her nightgown, taking in the silence.
"Isabella, why aren't you dressed!" Chelsea-Lynn squealed as she entered the room in her most extravagant dress. "He'll be here any minute."
"He said sometime after midday. I have my doubts he'll appear at the stroke of 12:01."
Not hearing her sister's arguments, Chelsea-Lynn pulled her out of her comfortable bed. "Sarah, we need you in here. Isabella needs to be laced up."
"What dress will you be planning on wearin' today, Miss Belle."
"She will be wearing her mint cotton she wore at the Shaws' last week." Her sister pulled out the dress and set it aside.
"But Miss Belle looks best in blue--"
"I am looking for a husband not her, therefore she musn't look better than me."
With that said she left the room leaving Sarah and Isabella with shocked expressions upon their faces. Belle the most, she found it utterly unbelievable that her own sister had said that. Seeing the hurt in her mistress's eyes, Sarah spoke, "Don't worry Miss Belle. She only say that cause she knows you could be wearing a rags and still be a beaut."
"Thank you, Sarah." Turning around she held onto the bedpost as Sarah pulled at the strings limiting her air supply. Slightly gasping as the whalebone stays bit into her ribcage she gripped onto the bedpost. All this because of Shawn Brady.
"--you ladies sure look pretty today." Shawn had just arrived when Chelsea-Lynn pulled him toward the veranda with Isabella behind them.
"Oh, Shawn-Douglas,you're just sayin' that to be mannerly." Her sister was the playing her role as the flirtatious southern belle, as Isabella herself sat their with her needlework trying to keep her food down.
Shawn turned to Isabella expecting a mere 'thank you' of some sort but all he was got her enraptured in embroidering a hankerchief. "Isabella."
"Yes, Shawn-Douglas." Still her eyes failed to meet his as she concentrated on the little flower.
He leaned a little closer to her, "You know over the course of three days, your loviness has only deepened."
Finding herself without words to respond, she glance at her sister who seemed to only glare at her. Pulling at Shawn's arm, Chelsea-Lynn spoke, "You are just so kind, saying that to her so she won't feel bad."
'She' as you say is sitting right before you! Returning to her embroidery she had no words for her sister's ruthlessness. The conversation drifted to all sorts of different things, as Chelsea-Lynn continued thorwing herself at Shawn. Keeping her anger within, Isabella took it out on her stitching. but as she pushed the needle into form a petal it pierced into her finger.
Shawn immediately froze and turned to Isabella after hearing her gasp. As the blood dripped out, he grabbed her hand before she could stick it into her mouth. Keeping his eyes on hers, he reached into his pocket and pulled out his hankerchief.
"You must excuse my sister, she is known for her clumsiness. Now continue with your story."
He looked at her questioningly as he let go of her hand. She gave him a thankful smile and held the hankerchief around her finger. "I seemed to have forgotten where I left off. So be it."
After the bleeding stopped Isabella continued with her stitching, keeping her mouth shut; just as her sister would've wanted her to.
"Have you heard?Robbie asked Miriam for her hand."
"And I presume she accepted." Leaning forward to pick up his tea cup he snuck a peak at Isabella who seemed to be in a world of her own. Why was she being so seclusive?
"Well of course, no lady would turn down an invitation like that." Turning to her sister she hoped, Isabella got the message. She had never approved of Isabella declining that invitation from poor Richard. He had an inheritance that could've served them both well.
There was that little opening in the door Shawn had been waiting for. Using it to his advantage he turned to Isabella. "Well then, Isabella, why did you deny Richard?"
"Because she's too prude--"
"Forgive me, Chelsea-Lynn." Putting his hand up to stop her, his eye fixed on Isabella, "I would like to hear the reason from her."
Caught in the trap she slowly glanced up from her needlework. How did he find out about that? How dare he? Her mouth just dropped open and looked towards Chelsea-Lynn for salvation, but found none.
The corners of his mouth twitched upward as he attempted to hold back his grin. "Was it love?"
With a glare she replied. "I don't believe in love."
Chelsea-Lynn could've choked her sister. "Isabella! How could you say such a thing?" Shawn seemed to be interested in hearing her explanation, as his eyes looked right through her.
"Love ultimately ends in misery." She said it was so much confidence it frightened him.
Raising an eyebrow he let the grin surface. "Well then you obviously have never been captive of it."
She had had it. Throwing her needlepoint onto the table before them she turned her body toward his, "One may love another and go through life sharing that love, but once one is taken away, through death or adultry, the other is left is misery. Now why would one want to be captive of such an exquisite plan?" Her face was cold towards him as he sat there in awe.
"If you truly believe that, there's a life of affection and lust that you will never experience."
"Well then tell me Shawn-Douglas, have you ever been a captive of love?"
"Isabella!" Chelsea-Lynn couldn't believe the things coming out of her own sister's mouth. How dare she interrogate him like that? She had learned to keep her anger to herself over the years, why now of all times to neglect her teachings? Chelsea-Lynn shot her sister a look that was anything but loving, but Isabella ignored it.
Now this was getting interesting. Shawn was up to the challenge as he returned her stern and determined look, "Once or twice."
"Once or twice? If you say love is so grand, how is that you fall in and out of love so easily?"
Her hands were balled into fists as she saw the hint of a smile on his face. Is he mocking me? Why must he act so immature at times like so? She wanted to slap that smile of his face but hesitated to do so for Chelsea-Lynn.
She was the one that had to share a room with Chelsea-Lynn and she knew after that fiasco today, her would be jumping all over her for being so ill-bred before, 'her' Shawn-Douglas.
"Isabella." The look on her face was murderous as she continued, "Father is coming."
Reaching forward she retrieved her needlework, "Well then you two don't need me as a chaperone."
Chaperone? Shawn stood up and bowed to her slightly confused. She just looked at him full of spite, "I fear I won't be here when you say your good-byes, so I bid you a safe trip home." In hopes, that you fall off Savannah and break your neck.
"'Till we meet again."
John caught her as she walked past him, "Isabella, where are you leaving off to?"
"To help mother with supper." Shawn watched as John gave her a fatherly kiss on the cheek before letting her go toward the house.
"Well it was kind of you to drop by today, Shawn-Douglas." John shook his hand, as he looked around for Isabella. She gone off and disappeared again. "Although Isabella has disappeared."
"She has already bid me a safe trip home." His eye caught something moving at his far right. Her dress swept over the high grass as she ran toward toward the fence that lie between her and Lightning.
"Has father not fed you yet?" She held the carrot out to the large beast, finding she was quite short of stature she took a step onto the fence. As the horse continued eating from her hands, she found herself startled as the fence slightly shook.
"It's only me, Belle or should I call you Isabella these days?" He was right beside her, his arms resting on the fence, as he looked up at her.
Her answer to the question wouldn't matter, and she knew it. He would call her what he wanted regardless of what she wanted.
"Call me what to your liking, just don't expect me to swoon for you. Just because my sister has taken more of a liking in you, doesn't mean I have, or ever will." Gripping the fence, she reached over to pet Lightning.
"Well then I must be going." Taking a step back he pulled his coat on and stared at her as she climbed down from the fence. As the soft breeze blew her hair ever so slightly, he felt his breath quicken.
"Then go you must." Turning to face him, she looked at him curiously as he played with the rim of his hat.
Backing away from her a menacing grin covered his face, "For the record, I never said I fell out of love."
It was then that fury arose in her. The scalawag. Her hands resisted the urge to slap him once more, "Then how dare you lead my sister on by calling on her this afternoon."
"Whoever said I came to see her?" Placing the brown hat on his head he tipped it toward her as a loud peal of laughter errupted from him, "Wish me a safe trip Belle."
"I will not." She turned her head stubbornly away from him, waiting for him to walk away on his own.
"Then so be it." He left her side, but not before he let himself have a couple last words. "But mark my words, you will love one day, and heaven help the fool that is a captive of it." With that said he just strolled away casually leaving her utterly speechless.
