A Ripple In Time | Captain James Nicholls

Chapter Twelve

The Nicholls Estate, London; September 3, 1913.

Izabella was thrilled when he returned her sentiments, expressing his love openly after her admission. Their time together never seemed to last long enough before they had to part, even if was only for a single day. Even Adam had grown to enjoy being around the Captain to the point where he decided to share his music. James may have not realized what an honor it was to hear Adam's compositions but he always appreciated what he heard, especially those pieces on the piano. His interest in history was keen as well and that was Izabella's specialty more so than the arts. Now after weeks of anticipation for his birthday it was here, it had arrived swiftly.

A party was to be thrown for Izabella's darling Captain on his birthday. He had been two nights prior to tell her of the small event that would be taking place, though he loathed to leave her estate the next morn. She had neglected the offer of her coachman to take her to the Nicholls Estate, settling on riding Glaurung across town. Her hands gripped the reigns with faded leather gloves and despite the dress she wore she rode normally.

In a saddlebag she had his present, still neatly wrapped in parchment and tied together but she had added a card of sorts as well, if a folded piece of paper could be called such. In the other bag was a flask of blood and a thin night dress as James had asked her to stay the night with him after the festivities were done, under the guise that they would occupy separate rooms to appease his father, even though he was away for the week. Izabella arrived early, as she had meant to, and without being noticed she secured her horse in the empty stable next to James's Bill.

In the open windows she could easily make out Olivia and Katherine rushing back and forth with utensils and salvers in their hands. At the time she opened the front door, the younger of the two girls stumbled forward, nearly dropping the precariously decorated cake to the foyer floor. Izabella's arms extended, balancing the corner of the platter in one hand and James's present in the other. "Izabella! I must say you have impeccable timing." She smiled and fell in step with the sisters, mindlessly helping with the final arrangements and decorations, doing everything they asked of her.

An hour had passed since she arrived and to her dismay James was nowhere to be found in the house. When Olivia noticed she seemed to be looking she grinned and pulled Izabella to a window looking out over the pasture, in the distance she could make out three horses, one of which she knew to be Topthorn. "Jim, Jamie, and Charles all went out this morning. Who knows what they have been plotting but they'll be back shortly." The three ladies carried on, enjoying tea and biscuits. Minimal gossip was shared, but when Belle asked how the suffragette movement was moving along the lighthearted conversation took a more somber turn. Peaceful protests and cries for rights had been silenced, some even thrown into prison. The notion was completely ridiculous and that began a philosophical discussion in regards to the patriarchy that lasted until they heard riding boots click on hardwood floor.

"Oh dear! Katy will you help me wrap Jim's present? Izabella will you keep Jim occupied?" Izabella gave a breathy laugh before slipping from the room and shutting the door quietly behind her. She looked over the banister railing from the second floor as the three men continued on their conversation. James looked up and caught her eyes smiling, dashing up the stairs two at a time like man in a desert upon seeing water.

She laughed when he picked her up by the waist and spun around once, but when settled back on her feet she kissed his cheek, leaving her arms around his neck. "Happy birthday, James." The Captain grinned and abandoned decorum as he kissed her, soundly, until Belle had to push him away to regain her composure and breath.

"Indeed it is now that you are here," the vampiress rolled her eyes at his never ending flattery. "Come with me?" Wordlessly Izabella followed him down one of the halls into his own room, she smiled at the clutter as she had only been in this room once, granted she was not observing her surroundings at that time. His sketches were pinned over the walls, around a map of England and the world, there was an old picture of who she knew to be his father and decidedly the woman in white must have been James's mother. Her hair was dark, but she could not determine the color though it was obvious the Captain had his mother's eyes as even on the paper they seemed to gleam with life.