Bloom

Surprises in the Night

"I am telling you, Rose, it seems like we are repeating the past all over again. I thought that Adeline had finally moved on and was now interested in someone in our type of society, but I'm sad to say that that is not the case." Her father lit his pipe, something that he only did when he was upset.

"Now Edmond, I am sure you just misunderstood the boy. What was his name again?" Her mother said softly, coming to sit down next to her distraught husband. She gently put a hand on his shoulder, patting it.

"Hugh," he spat, standing up abruptly as he began pacing the room. Adeline shrank away from the tiny crack in the door, fearful that while her father paced the room, he would notice her eavesdropping. If he discovers me snooping around, only God in Heaven could help me then.

After crying for quite some time and not being able to sleep, Adeline had heard her parents arguing downstairs and had decided to investigate the racket they were making.

"Dear, do sit down. I fail to see how this boy, Hugh was it, has riled you up so much." Her father whirled around, nearly spewing fire as he fumed at his wife.

"That boy was trespassing on our property as well as engaging in conversations with our daughter, alone," he looked at her pointedly, "and he purposefully made Adeline infatuated with him by fixing her 'broken arm', which I highly doubt is even broken!"

"Edmond! First and for mostly, you have no reason to be so rude to that boy. Adeline's arm may not be broken but it is certainly damaged and he made a sling for her so that it could not be injured further. And secondly, she is not infatuated with the boy, Edmond, for goodness sakes give your daughter some credit! And finally, why are you so upset with this boy when all he did was help our daughter when Lewis has nearly stolen Camilla away from us and you don't even care!" Adeline nearly gasped at her mother's courage, standing up to such an imposing figure like her father was quite a heroic act.

"Rosemary," her father said calmly, sitting down on the couch right beside her mother, "I am as upset as you are about Lewis and Camilla, that man should have had the decency to at least ask us beforehand before they decided to get married. But, darling, they are long gone by now." Her mother stifled a sob as he continued. "But, this incident with Adeline can be stopped before it has time to build into anything more than a coincidence. I don't want Adeline to elope with this boy, I am not hinting that she will but the way the two of them were carrying on, it seemed like she had some feelings for him already." Adeline's cheeks grew warm at the observation. Feelings for him? What a preposterous thing to say! Father's not a brilliant observationist anyway.

She heard her mother huff, the candlelight catching her face so that the wetness of her cheeks shined. Adeline heard the floorboards creak as her mother got up, beginning to walk towards the door. Dear God in Heaven!

Adeline scuttled away from the door and into an empty bedroom just in time. Her mother swung the door open, her shadow elongating down the hallway. "Good night Edmond," she hissed, stalking down the hallway, out of sight. Adeline heard her father sigh, slowly closing the door as the darkness enveloped the hallway once more.

She reached for the bedroom door, beginning to open it wider as Adeline prepared to go back up to her room when a hand stopped her, resting on top of her hand on the doorknob.

"Please, don't go. I have something to discuss with you." Adeline whirled around, nearly letting out a shriek at who she was looking at.

Lewis!?