leave him. He
hoped, in time, he would have been able to draw her back into his life, but now,
with that opportunity gone, he felt the acute pain of separation truly for the
first time. “Oh...I see, well...umm good luck,” he stammered.
She gave him a small smile. “Thanks.”
She tried to sound casual as she added, “By the way, I appreciate the flowers.”
Her understanding why he bought that type of flower was written all over her
face for him to see.
William shrugged, seemingly trying
to match her casualness. “I bought them before...before I saw your note.”
Elle reddened at this, looking away
from his gaze again, with embarrassment.
“I thought you may appreciate them,
better than I do, under the circumstances.” Looking down, as he fiddled with
something bulking out his jacket pocket, he struggled to compose himself once
more. When he looked up again a moment later, he caught Elle staring at him
wistfully. “I will leave you in peace. I had better get going before the traffic
gets too heavy as I am heading to Kent.” He continued to stand in the same
spot, rather than moving towards the door, as if still deliberating something
in his head.
As Elle stood up from the sofa, William
finally moved from his spot, catching her unaware - he was standing in front of
her, before she had time to react. He brought his arms up to rest on either
side of her waist, pulling her close, as his lips brushed against hers urgently
before releasing her from his grip. “As much as this hurts, I know loving you
means I have to let you go, so you will come back to me of your own accord.”
Dazed by the turmoil of emotions the
kiss invoked, Elle did not get a chance to reply as Cate interrupted them by
entering the room.
“Cate, thank you for allowing me to
descend upon your home uninvited; I will not intrude any longer,” William said
turning stiffly from Elle, to focus on her sister, his unreadable mask of emotions
in place once more, as he strode from the room.
Cate followed him out into the hallway,
leaving behind a quivering Elle, sobbing in the drawing room, as she finally released
the tears she had been holding back, since he arrived.
After shutting the door behind a retreating
William, Cate had stood outside the drawing room, listening to Elle’s sobbing
for a couple of minutes, allowing her to get the worst out of her system,
before she re-entered the room to comfort her.
Outside in the driveway, a desolate William got back into the
driver’s seat of his car. Clutching so hard at the steering wheel, he made his
knuckles go white, as he tried to compose himself. Pulling the object from his
jacket that he had been fiddling with earlier, he hurled it across the car in
frustration with such force that it fell into the foot well of the passenger side.
The outer box breaking and creaking, revealing its contents; a double banded single
solitaire diamond ring.
Seeing the ring sparkling in the remains
of the box, cracked his composure altogether as he brought both hands up to his
face and sobbed uncontrollably.
Life changes
December 2003
On the second
day after William’s visit, Elle pulled off a controlled performance of a lifetime
worthy of any award-winning actress, as she stepped onto the plane leaving her
life in England behind for a fresh start.
After a gruelling six-hour flight,
the wife of her mother’s brother, Annette, greeted her at the other end of the flight.
Despite losing her mother just six weeks before, Elle had never been exceptionally
close to her, and looked upon Annette as more of a mother so it did not take
her long to get behind the facade of her cheerfulness.
“Elle, you know you don’t have to put
a front on for me. William contacted Lorry yesterday saying you had parted ways
extremely distressed -” Annette began softly as Elle’s smile was replaced by
uneasiness. “Do you want to tell me about it?” The older woman leaned over and
touched her niece’s arm, as an offer of
hoped, in time, he would have been able to draw her back into his life, but now,
with that opportunity gone, he felt the acute pain of separation truly for the
first time. “Oh...I see, well...umm good luck,” he stammered.
She gave him a small smile. “Thanks.”
She tried to sound casual as she added, “By the way, I appreciate the flowers.”
Her understanding why he bought that type of flower was written all over her
face for him to see.
William shrugged, seemingly trying
to match her casualness. “I bought them before...before I saw your note.”
Elle reddened at this, looking away
from his gaze again, with embarrassment.
“I thought you may appreciate them,
better than I do, under the circumstances.” Looking down, as he fiddled with
something bulking out his jacket pocket, he struggled to compose himself once
more. When he looked up again a moment later, he caught Elle staring at him
wistfully. “I will leave you in peace. I had better get going before the traffic
gets too heavy as I am heading to Kent.” He continued to stand in the same
spot, rather than moving towards the door, as if still deliberating something
in his head.
As Elle stood up from the sofa, William
finally moved from his spot, catching her unaware - he was standing in front of
her, before she had time to react. He brought his arms up to rest on either
side of her waist, pulling her close, as his lips brushed against hers urgently
before releasing her from his grip. “As much as this hurts, I know loving you
means I have to let you go, so you will come back to me of your own accord.”
Dazed by the turmoil of emotions the
kiss invoked, Elle did not get a chance to reply as Cate interrupted them by
entering the room.
“Cate, thank you for allowing me to
descend upon your home uninvited; I will not intrude any longer,” William said
turning stiffly from Elle, to focus on her sister, his unreadable mask of emotions
in place once more, as he strode from the room.
Cate followed him out into the hallway,
leaving behind a quivering Elle, sobbing in the drawing room, as she finally released
the tears she had been holding back, since he arrived.
After shutting the door behind a retreating
William, Cate had stood outside the drawing room, listening to Elle’s sobbing
for a couple of minutes, allowing her to get the worst out of her system,
before she re-entered the room to comfort her.
Outside in the driveway, a desolate William got back into the
driver’s seat of his car. Clutching so hard at the steering wheel, he made his
knuckles go white, as he tried to compose himself. Pulling the object from his
jacket that he had been fiddling with earlier, he hurled it across the car in
frustration with such force that it fell into the foot well of the passenger side.
The outer box breaking and creaking, revealing its contents; a double banded single
solitaire diamond ring.
Seeing the ring sparkling in the remains
of the box, cracked his composure altogether as he brought both hands up to his
face and sobbed uncontrollably.
Life changes
December 2003
On the second
day after William’s visit, Elle pulled off a controlled performance of a lifetime
worthy of any award-winning actress, as she stepped onto the plane leaving her
life in England behind for a fresh start.
After a gruelling six-hour flight,
the wife of her mother’s brother, Annette, greeted her at the other end of the flight.
Despite losing her mother just six weeks before, Elle had never been exceptionally
close to her, and looked upon Annette as more of a mother so it did not take
her long to get behind the facade of her cheerfulness.
“Elle, you know you don’t have to put
a front on for me. William contacted Lorry yesterday saying you had parted ways
extremely distressed -” Annette began softly as Elle’s smile was replaced by
uneasiness. “Do you want to tell me about it?” The older woman leaned over and
touched her niece’s arm, as an offer of
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