A Royal Ryde

One Deed Away From A Saint

Mary Belle carefully shut her bedroom door. She tiptoed down the squeaky stairs.  A small sigh of relieve escaped her. The house was silent. No sight of Bliss. After last evening's events, Mary Belle was dreading the next encounter with her niece. She turned toward the kitchen and drew herself up short at the sight of her niece sitting at the kitchen table. Bliss had a cold cup of tea in front of her, Mary Belle determined this when she saw there was no steam rising from the cup. Bliss sat at the table, tea forgotten, staring out the kitchen window.

Mary Belle almost left her niece in the kitchen. She didn't want to know what her reaction to last night would be. Just as she was turning, Bliss spoke. 

"Water is in the pot."

Mary Belle was still unsure if it was safe to fully enter the kitchen. She studied Bliss' perfectly calm demeanor for several long seconds before moving into the kitchen towards the pot. Bliss didn't speak as her aunt poured herself a cup of tea and buttered a slice of bread. Finally, Mary Belle took a seat at the table across from her niece.   She stirred a spoon of honey into her tea before she finally gathered the courage to speak. "You got home rather late last night."

Oh dear. That was not the right thing to have said under such circumstances. Belle sat tense in her seat as Bliss looked up and met her aunt's eye. Neither one spoke. The clock was the only thing that dared to break the silence. "He broke his window."

Belle let out a soft breathe. "That is a shame! He always had such nice windows, even if they weren't always the cleanest."

"You owe him a window."

"Because he broke it?" Belle argued feebly. She knew her niece was right, even so she tried to keep the conversation on a safe topic. That being anything except what she and her friends did last night.

Bliss didn't bother responding. She just continued to study her aunt. 

"He must've done something more besides breaking that window." Belle remarked, gesturing to Bliss' face.

"Meaning?"

Belle laughed. Her niece was very seriously-minded this morning. That was a surprise. Usually Bliss was joyful and bubbly. This morning, however, she seemed rather distracted. Of course, Belle thought, it could be a good kind of distraction. Perhaps it was Jude and his kisses that had her dear niece so distracted and out of sorts. "You've got yourself quite a rash goin' round bout your mouth." Belle chuckled. "I don't imagine there was much wind last night in Jude's house. Nothing to account for that except some good old fashioned sparking." 

Bliss stared wide-eyed at her forward aunt. What was she talking about? How had her aunt known that Jude had kissed her? 

Belle chuckled at Bliss' bafflement. "My dear, my dear. You forget. I once had a sweetheart of my own."

"But he isn't-"

"Now tell me," Belle smoothly interuppted. "Did you like it? " Belle clapped her small hands together as she stood and began pacing the kitchen. "I just knew if we could get you two together, he would loose some of his starch. Jude's a very nice fella, mind you, but he does need to live a bit. He needs a happy ending, Bliss. The girl's and  I decided to help him out some. And just see how much good it did! This is already off to a wonderful start-"

"Auntie!" Bliss interuppted. She stood and walked over to where her aunt stood. "Don't you realize how dangerous that was? Didn't you even once stop to think of what my mama would say? Of what could've happened?"

"Of course not!" Belle laughed heartily for a woman in advanced years. "Jude ain't no common ruffian, dear! Why that man is only one deed away from a saint!"