The Periods of Being

Chapter XIII

Chapter XIII

     It is real now. A will is only opened with death and Mark's is set to be opened tomorrow. In front of her and Mark's brother, Neil. Olive called him right away when she finished the telephone call with the lawyer.

     Neil's voice cracks at the mention of it.

     "So, it's finally becoming real?" He asks. Behind the line, she can hear him frowning, creating deep wrinkles to run down the nose to the chin. She licks her lips in a nervous tick as she listens to him sigh at the news. She does the same. They lost the same person. They loved the same person.

     "I don't know how to feel about it either," she tells him, sending over her emotions through the line. She runs a finger below her nose to catch the liquid snot she is trying to hold back. Her eyes sting with suppressed tears from the last call and now the tears she is actively trying to hide with this call. She'll have to hang up soon so she doesn't explode.

     "He said tomorrow, then?" There is a slight pause through the line, as if he is thinking over what is happening, or waiting for her to reply back to him about tomorrow. "Are you coming here—?"

     "I was hoping you would come here," she offers. She gulps down balls of nerves as she lets the offer out. He can say no, making her have to go back to Garthen manor. She isn't ready to face the manor, because Mark won't be there. Just his brother and the servants. "I'm not sure if I'm ready to go back home," she adds. Her voice cracks slightly at the words. Her eyes sting a little more.

     She hears a huff behind the line.

     "I understand," he says. "It's not the same without him here." She nods and then realizes how foolish she is to do so; he can't see her. "The staff misses you, though. They worry about you."

     "I'm fine, I promise," she tells him. "Just..."

     "Mourning," he finishes for her.

     She doesn't answer.

     "He was a great man. He didn't deserve to—" His voice cracks at the end, making her unable to hear the end, but she knows what he was going to say without having to hear it.

     He didn't deserve to die.

    She takes in the statement and then immediately wipes it away from her mind. A single tear escapes and she lets it trail down her cheek.

     "He was. I miss him."

"We all do," he speaks. She squints as she thinks if he is making a jab at her sorrows, or if he is agreeing with her. She brushes it away, along with the tear, as he speaks again. "I can take the earliest train in the morning to get there. It's been a while since I've been at Blythestone. It'll be nice to have a change of scenery. Your family is fine with me coming?"

    "I haven't told them yet..." She glances over to the entryway to look for them, but they are long gone. They are possibly in the library or in one of the drawing rooms by now. "I called you right after I spoke to the lawyer."

     "Oh," he answers. "I hope it's fine—"

     "No worries. I'm sure they will be fine with you coming over." She offers. She takes in a deep breath and glances back to the mouthpiece she is holding with a death grip. Her fingertips are white and her hand is shaking from the tight grip. The same goes for the hand holding up the earpiece to the ear. Her arm aches, but she can't let go yet.

     "Will you be able to bring something for me from the manor?" She clenches her teeth. The question slipped out before she was ready to ask it. She wasn't sure she was going to, but as the question leaves, she hopes he'll say yes. She has already asked for so much from him: to take care of Garthen Manor, and now to come to Blythestone to speak with the lawyer. She doesn't deserve to ask another favor to anyone, but this the last one. She swears to it.