*WARNING: This blog is intended for a mature audience. Its contents may include adult situations, violence and sensitive issues that some people might find disturbing. Please read at your own discretion.

29 November 2013

A Pair of Brown Eyes: Chapter 14

********************

*WARNING: A rather lacklustre and purely informative chapter ahead ;-P.

********************

"I've had the most wonderful idea," Ethel proclaimed enthusiastically as both she and Claire were finishing their tea. "I may already have told you about the women's association in which I take part. "Claire nodded her agreement. "Well, each year we prepare a small recital for Founder's Day. It's nothing too fancy, just some small entertainment for our neighbourhood to enjoy themselves. Founder's Day? Ethel must have sensed Claire's blank expression, because she immediately offered a more detailed explanation. "That's our local festivity, in case you don't know."


Claire nodded again, in anticipation for what Ethel wanted to tell her. "And we'd be delighted to have you there. How would you feel about playing some of your music? Do you think you can find some time to spare us? I'm sure it would be a fun distraction for you, and I miss so much to hear you play."

Claire wasn't expecting such an offer, and therefore didn't know what to answer. Was Ethel really asking her to perform in front of an audience? It was ages since she had last done that, and then it had only been for a few of the girls at school. She wasn't sure she had it in her to do that sort of thing again, and as she fidgeted with her half-eaten muffin, she tried to come with an elegant refusal. But then she remembered the promise she had made to herself a few days before. She was going to grasp life and do as she wanted.


"Alright. I'll do it. Count me in!" she finally answered, with much more self-assurance in her voice than she actually felt.


"Good!" Ethel's happiness was obvious as she ate the last remnants of her muffin and licked her finger clean. "The Claire I used to know would have shown so much initiative. We'll have a great time, you'll see..."

********************

Ethel's upright piano was perfect for Claire's rehearsals, and that's why she had been spending the most part of her spare time at her friend's house pulling at the keys of her old but reliable instrument. She was sometimes graced by Caroline's presence to keep her company while she played. It still amazed her that the child showed such a keen appreciation of music at so young an age.


"So Caroline, how about I take a break and you show me this new song you've been telling me you've recently learnt?" Claire asked the child as she finished the tune she was playing and let its last beats fill the room.

Caroline's ample smile was enough of an answer for Claire, who waited patiently for the girl to go to her room to retrieve the sheet music she needed and come back to play it for her.


"That sounded beautiful, honey." Claire encouraged Caroline when she was finished. She, in turn, smiled proudly and went to find her sister to tell her how accomplished a player she was becoming, much to Claire's amusement.


Once again on her own, Claire proceeded to practice a little more before calling it a day. She had been at the instrument for some minutes when she heard the main door open and a gust of wind swept through the whole room. And even despite the sudden chill, she was glad to feel the cooler evening air. It meant that autumn was just around the corner and it relieved her not to feel at odds for wearing such warm clothes. She heard some voices coming from the hall and fast approaching.

"Have you come to see Jack?" Claire heard Ethel speaking to her visitor. "I see he has lured you again to his yearly manly-thing escapade?"

"You know how persuasive he can be," the visitor answered back. "He's been telling me about a new fishing spot he's discovered. And I absolutely can't say 'no' to that! Anyway, how's my favourite sister been doing lately?"

Oh, no, it was Andrew. Claire hurriedly got up from the piano just in time for them to approach the parlour. The surprise in his expression at seeing her there was evident.


"Claire, I didn't expect to find you here!" He exclaimed while adjusting his already perfectly knotted tie.

Claire lowered her head, trying to calm herself and collect her thoughts. This was the first time she saw him outside of  work since the evening of the concert, and it made her weary not to know what reaction was expected of her. "Yes... I-I was... I've been..."

"'Claire'? Are you on a first name basis now?" Ethel chimed in, beaming. "I see you two are getting along."


Ethel brought a finger to her chin and looked at her brother, as if wanting to elicit a certain response from him. She seemed satisfied to see him frown, and then added, slightly smirking, "Claire is going to perform at the festival, that's why she was rehearsing just now. Didn't you know it, Andrew?"


"I had not the slightest clue," was the only answer Andrew gave her, but his eyes were scrutinizing Claire as he spoke.

An uncomfortable silence ensued, and Claire's heart started beating furiously imagining what she might have done wrong. After a while, Ethel cleared her throat and spoke again. "Well, now that you're here, how about I tell cook to prepare a cup of coffee for the three of us while we wait for Jack to arrive?" And with that she went out of the room leaving both Claire and Andrew to deal with their uneasiness by themselves.


"Weren't you going to tell me?" Dr. Stuart suddenly snapped, and Claire could tell by his tone of voice that he was mildly annoyed.


"I... I'm sorry. I just thought... it wasn't important," Claire tried her best to make her excuses, mortified of having angered him somehow. "I wasn't sure you'd want to know that I..." And ironically, the truth was that she had wanted to tell him all along, but had just assumed he wouldn't be interested in hearing such news.

His features immediately softened, however, and answered in a much more subdued tone, "Of course I would have wanted to know it. And I just thought... Weren't you showing a little more trust in me lately?"


He then started to idly scratch at his jacket, and smiled for the first time that afternoon. "I'll make sure to be at the festival now that I know I'll have the chance to hear you play again."

*******************


Jack arrived home soon after their coffee was over, so both men went to his office to discuss the details of their outing. Ethel motioned for Claire to sit beside her at the sofa, a suspicious snigger already spreading across her lips.

"So... are you and my brother... very fond of each other?" The blatant question took Claire off guard, and turned in her seat to look at her, a little apprehensively. "It seemed to me a while ago that you two were stealing glances at each other."


"I... well... he invited me to a concert the other day." Claire closed her eyes briefly, inwardly smiling at the recollection of the whole event.


"Indeed? That's my brother!" Her unexpected gleeful outburst caused Claire to open her eyes just in time to see her friend beaming. "I mean... You may have already noticed he can be a little quick-tempered sometimes, but he's a great man. Would you allow me to tell you that you two would make a terrific couple?"


"Couple? It's not what you think... He was just trying to be polite." There was something in that word, couple, that made Claire feel suddenly drained and bewildered. She had been too busy dealing with her conflicting feelings ever since that day when he'd kissed her, to approach the matter in a more rational way; but the moment Ethel pointed that out, Claire was made painfully aware of the delicate situation in which she had put herself, and started pondering over the dire consequences that might follow her reckless actions.




Chapter 15Chapter 13



********************

Author's note: This is going to be long, perhaps I should have made it a separate post. Well, anyway... First of all, sorry for the delay, mostly due to the fact that this set of pics is the most heavily edited I've done to date. Many things went wrong went wrong with them that I had to (try to) correct.


Secondly, I'm afraid that, from now on, one chapter (or so) a month will roughly be my average posting rate. They're getting increasingly more difficult for me to put together, and there are some new sets I need to build, so I can go any quicker than that. I hope it won't be much of an incovenience, and that you'll continue to read (and hopefully enjoy) this story.


And lastly, I discovered the other day, quite by chance, that I had accidentally reverted Chapter 09 to draft *facepalm* LOL. I think I sorted it out and it's back to normal, so if there's any one who's not read it yet, they may do so now.

Thanks for your patience and continued support :-D.

48 comments:

  1. So not sure I like how Andrew snapped at her. I know he doesn't know Claire's history, but still on its own that behavior is a little troubling. :( Poor Claire already afraid of men, confused by him and he goes and does that. Bad Andrew.

    It was nice of Ethel to ask Claire to perform and Claire is so good with Caroline it's very sad that that monster she was married to had damaged her and she can't have children now. :(

    And now she's terrified at the idea of being a couple. She never considered this to be proper courting poor girl and now she's in trouble since I'm guessing she's still very much married to that man. :(

    I really want her to have her happy ending.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Bad Andrew! Hehe. Not to speak on his behalf, but he was more irritated at his sister than anything. Perhaps Claire was just the nearest "victim" to project his anger to... ;-) Besides he was feeling a little left out: that must hurt someone as smitten as he is. Anyway, yes, his reaction was completely uncalled for.

      As for Claire's reaction, well, we were perceiving this scene through her eyes, after all, and she's not always the most reliable person to judge other people's behaviours ;-). On the other hand, it may be a useful "lesson" for her to learn that people sometimes get mad at you (for no reason), and that doesn't mean it's your fault or that they want to harm you in any way.

      Claire is great with Caroline. And so is Caroline with Claire. I wanted to show how most of the time children instinctively know who they can trust ;-).

      Poor girl, what does she know about courting? :'-(. We'll come to that in due time :-)

      Thanks so much for reading.

      Delete
  2. Any time I get to see Andrew's handsome face, it's a good update! I really wish you wouldn't sell yourself short. Let your readers decide whether a post is lackluster or not. I always love to read your story, and I always want more. I understand what an undertaking it can be, however, so I'll take what I can get when I can get it. :D

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hehe. He's really handsome even when he's angry, right? ;-) Deep down, I know you're right :-D, but I just can't help feeling a little self-conscious about my stuff.

      Thanks so much for reading and for your encouragement, I truly appreciated it :-D.

      Delete
  3. I'm pretty much on a one update a month schedule too myself, so I feel you on that. *hugs*

    It's kind of like Jane Eyre, except it's the woman who's still married and also her husband was a horrible abusive person instead of a sad person who probably didn't want to marry Rochester any more than he wanted to marry her.

    I like this story very much, you know.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It relieves me to read so. *hugs*

      Hmm, I hadn't thought of that, but there may be similarities there, yes. Anyway, I don't think it's a secret the Brontës are a great inspiration for me ;-). But this story bears more of a resemblance to a work by a different sister, not Charlotte ;-). By the way, have you read "Wide Sargasso Sea"?

      Thanks so much for reading, and for your insightful comment.

      Delete
    2. Ah, The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, right? I love the Brontes, too. =)

      Delete
    3. Hehe, you're absolutely right! ;-) Anne is the least known out of the three sisters, I'd say, but yes, it's precisely "The Tenant..." that's been my "main" inspiration.

      Delete
  4. Poor Claire, like Jazen, I really want her to be happy. After the terrible past she's had, no one deserves to be happy more than she does. Looking forward to see her play at the festival.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I absolutely agree. And I'm sure Claire appreciates your words too ;-) :-D. And so you shall! The festival will be coming to town in a couple of chapters or so.

      Thank you so much for reading.

      Delete
  5. I'm glad that Claire is able to begin moving forward with her life, I know it's still baby steps a day at a time but it's so nice to see how happy she is now even if she's still so conflicted. Your pictures and sets are gorgeous so no one would ever rush you because the quality of your work is so high. Anyway, I'm looking forward to seeing how the festival pans out for them all and how Claire gets on with her performance. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Claire has a problem dealing with her own feelings, that's for sure. And she's learning many valuable life lessons all at once, so it's sometimes too much for her to handle. But she's getting there... Aww, you're too nice *blushes*.

      Thank you so much for reading and for your feedback.

      Delete
  6. Awwww Claire. I feel for her because of the little things I see when she jumps at things like Andrew snapping, and her immediately thinking it's her fault, or her thinking of "couple" as a horrible thing. I felt bad when she thought he was mad at her, and so glad when he softened his tone after that. I'm happy he's going to the festival to see her play. =)

    No worries, I'll read your stuff no matter how long it takes you to update. =)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Aww, yes poor Claire, always thinking the worst :'-(. You summed the chapter up extremely well :-D.

      Thank you so much for reading and for your encouragement.

      Delete
  7. Accepting the invitation to play at a festival was a big step for Claire. Then Andrew had to go and be all clumsy and scare her. bleh. I am sure he was surprised to hear it, but his reaction seemed a little possessive. I hope he can curb his boyish tendency a bit so that she can see he is not a wicked man.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It was a big step, yes. Hehe. Boyish, clumsy Andrew! As I told Jazen, feeling left out and being teased (yet again) by his sister got the best of him, and ended up snapping at Claire in a not particularly elegant way.

      Thank you so much for reading and commenting.

      Delete
  8. Aw, Claire! I'm happy she's coming out of her shell a little and performing at the founders day event, but I wish she'd realise what Andrew thinks of her! I understand that how we saw Andrews reaction was through Claires eyes, so he may have said it firmly, but I doubt it was as angry as she saw it.

    I'm glad she's so good with little Charlotte, especially if she ran off to tell her sister she was an accomplished musician! hehe!

    Sorry I took so long to get here! And don't worry, your pictures looked as amazing as always, and this most certainly wasn't lacklustre! I know what you mean, though, I always hate my own work ;)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, Andrew might as well have just been slightly irritated, but Claire would always be making much more of his reaction :-(. It's good she has accepted to be a part of that event, though.

      Hehe, Caroline is just adorable <3. That line came practically out of the blue, but it kind of fitted the whole scene, imo, hehe.

      No worries there, it also took me ages to answer, so... *hugs*. Thanks, you're always so nice. I had the "greatest" idea ever, making my sims pose really close to the windows facing the #@€%&# ROAD! *rolls eyes* LOL. Sooo, I had to hide it in my pics and, argh! Yeah, I got a little frustrated >:-(.

      Thanks so much for reading and commenting.

      Delete
  9. Uh oh. Andrew is a little quick tempered huh? I realize that is a common failing, especially when you think someone you care for is hiding things from you, but with Claire's past I have a feeling that will come back to bite him. Hopefully Claire will be able to accept it one day. ;)

    I loved the scene with Caroline coming to have a lesson with Claire too. Her gentle spirit really shines when she's around kids.

    Will we get to see this festival? Will there be other gentlemen who note her abilities at said festival? ;)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, exactly! Andrew was just mildly annoyed, but his was just the "natural" reaction that many of us would have if we felt "left behind". But of course, when it comes to how Claire interprets things, it's a completely different matter altogether :-(. Hopefully she will: she has to, anyway, because anger is a very common feeling, and we all have to come to terms with having people we care about being mad at us from time to time...

      Awww, Claire and Caroline... They are so adorable together, they share a common interest, after all.

      Yes to the first question, perhaps to the second ;-).

      Thanks so much for reading and for your lovely comment.

      Delete
  10. Oh, I am in love with this story! Anne of Green Gables meets Pride and Prejudice, I definitely see some similarities between Andrew and Darcy ;-) I'm sad to have to wait a whole month until the next update, but I'm looking forward to it already!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Aww, I'm positively beaming right now :-D. LOL, that was a good one. In that they're "destined" to be misinterpreted, they certainly are similar ;-)! So sorry to keep you waiting for so long :-(, but it just can't be helped. I sometimes feel this is too difficult a challenge for me, as there are many things I have to take into consideration now that the story is fully developed, so I need the extra time from chapter to chapter to have a talk to myself about where I want the story to go LOL. Sorry for the random rant.

      Thanks so much for reading and commenting. It means a lot to me.

      Delete
    2. No need to apologize! Doing a period piece, especially one as detailed as yours, must be so time consuming. Just not enough Sim hours in the day! I wish I could turn my settings to "Epic" ;-) Lately if I'm not playing my legacy, I'm writing about it or thinking about it, it's nice to know I'm not the only one having talks with myself!

      Delete
    3. Oh, it is time consuming! *nods vigorously to make her point* LOL And, hey, I have very lively conversations with myself ;-). Thanks for understanding :-D.

      Delete
  11. I hope Ethel's comment about her brother's quick temper won't discourage Claire's growing affections. :/

    I'll be sad that this will only have about one update a month, but believe me, I understand where you're coming from. There doesn't seem to be enough hours in the day anymore!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sorry it took me so long to answer, I'm getting too easily distracted these days... *rolls eyes*

      Hopefully it won't. Anyway, she was frightened enough to hear her friend talking of she and Andrew as an item, and she would have been even if Ethel had told her Andrew was the tamest of men! ;-)

      Yeah, I'm sorry about that :-(... It's not as much lack of time as it is stage fright, seriously! As I told kimeleon just above your comment, I need the extra time to collect my thoughts, and make sure that I'm the one "in charge" of my own story and not the other way around. I know that didn't make any sense at all LOL, sorry for the rant...

      Thank you so much for reading and for your feedback.

      Delete
    2. Sorry for the double comment. I'm still having a horrible time commenting on this blog for some reason. :( /cry.

      Delete
  12. Awww this wasn't a lackluster chapter at al!! I like informative chapters, it makes you learn more about the characters. After all, that's real life! I felt awful for Claire how Andrew snapped at her. Claire has such a good soft heart, and it bugs me to see her treated that way. I know Andrew doesn't know her background or anything, but still. Andrew, shame on you.!! *tsk tsk* He's still super hot to look at though! And take all the time you need for your chapters. I'll read it no matter how long it takes. Your quality is amazing!!! :)

    ReplyDelete
  13. Awww this wasn't a lackluster chapter at al!! I like informative chapters, it makes you learn more about the characters. After all, that's real life! I felt awful for Claire how Andrew snapped at her. Claire has such a good soft heart, and it bugs me to see her treated that way. I know Andrew doesn't know her background or anything, but still. Andrew, shame on you.!! *tsk tsk* He's still super hot to look at though! And take all the time you need for your chapters. I'll read it no matter how long it takes. Your quality is amazing!!! :)

    ReplyDelete
  14. sorry for the double comment. I'm having a lot of trouble getting these comments to post. When I hit publish it disappears, and makes my computer freeze for a minute or so, then evidently posts it later. haha.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Poor Claire, right? And poor Andrew, he doesn't know what he has just done. Hehe, he's handsome, eh? I shouldn't take so many close-ups of him, I get distracted too easily LOL, but I'm so in love with his face and the default eyes I have in my game I simply can't help myself <3 <3...

      Awww, poor thing! You keep having trouble commenting :-(... I think it's just the way Blogger works, so don't fret if you get a blank page: the post will most likely have been posted. Have you tried refreshing your page right before posting? In any case, as I already told you, feel free to comment on my Wordpress blog if it goes any easier on you, or don't comment at all, I'm just happy to know you're reading :-D.

      Thanks so much for reading, and for your nice feedback.

      Delete
  15. Yay! I finally made it to this story! I've been behind on everyone's stuff but I'm almost up to date!

    Awww, even I thought that little spat between Andrew and claire was sweet. I wasn't sure what angered him so, even if it was for a little bit. I think she doesn't need to worry so much! If she feels like Andrew is worth the possible consequence she should give it a try!

    Give love a chance! That's what Aeon would say.

    Also this was not a lackluster chapter! You know that it wasn't!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yay for you! Hehe, no worries there :-D.

      Hmm... Even YOU thought it was sweet? Hmmm, okay, I don't quite know what to make of that LOL... Is that good or bad? Just wondering LOL... Anyway, no, Claire doesn't need to worry. As for Andrew's reaction, we'll see more of that soon enough.

      Ah, Aeon is a romantic, then. Hehe, I loved that line.

      Do I? Well... let's just say I'm glad it's out so I can start thinking about the next one. *rolls eyes*

      Thanks so much for reading and for your comment, it just cracked me up!

      Delete
  16. My heart just breaks for Claire, the simplest interactions are so difficult for her, because of her past experiences. I'm gld that Ethel is pushing er to perform, I hope that Claire will gain some confidence from playing again.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh, Claire does need a little pushing, and it's kind of funny that Ethel is not completely aware of how a good influence she actually is for her friend.

      Thanks so much for reading and commenting :-D.

      Delete
  17. Well, it seems as though we are getting ready for her to tell wonderful Dr Andrew to back off. :(
    I cannot blame her though, I understand her feelings completely. I can only feel bad for her and for him since he doesnt have the slightest clue. If he knew, I'm sure he would find a way to persuade her that not all men are horrible, and that he certainly isnt. Haha.
    Well, until your next chapter. I'm glad I was able to catch up so quickly as my free time for this kind of thing is limited. I wish I had more time to read.
    Great story!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Wow, you got here super fast :-O.

      Poor Andrew, I really feel bad for the things I 'make' him do. His part is difficult to write, as I can actually understand how Claire's reactions have him rather confused, but I don't always know how to deal with that confusion of his. Besides, he's so smitten, poor guy, hehe.

      Thanks so much for reading and for your words. They mean a lot to me :-D.

      Delete
    2. Didn't get updated on your 15th chapter but came to check and found it... good start to my year! ;)

      Delete
  18. Well this is getting interesting. Are you sure you are taking extra time to build the sets or are you trying to torture us to keep us panting for more? j/k lol I am rooting for a happy ending here so don't disappoint me lol. I will keep checking back and hope to see another update as soon as possible.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hehe, it's absolutely true, I struggle a lot to have my chapters out! LOL. Well, I hope I won't disappoint you, but I'm not making any promises ;-). The next chapter will be released right before Christmas... hmm... hopefully! Hmm, no, it HAS to, because... hmm, well, you'll see why.

      Thanks so much for reading, and for your lovely feedbacks. They have meant a lot :-D.

      Delete
  19. Hey I totally get taking lots of time to get chapters out. >.< Don't worry, take all the time you need!

    Anywho, Andrew's little temper flare must have been so confusing for Claire. I think his reaction would not really be something to note except that Claire is extra sensitive so it seems so harsh to her.
    Don't back down now Claire! She is getting spooked again, but I hope she doesn't back-pedal too far.
    :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, I'll try not to worry ;-).

      Definitely! Every little thing comes out as harsh to her :-(. Her feelings are ever spiraling, so there's no telling where they'll take her.

      Thanks so much for reading :-D.

      Delete
  20. Hmm. Well Ethyl's observation seems to have given rise to Claire's feelings of fear about "relationships" because of her bad connotations of what happens between men and women :-/

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Well, Claire is certainly afraid of many things, and she feels guilty, on top of that. I wonder why that might be... ;-)

      Thanks so much for reading.

      Delete
  21. I can completely relate to chapters taking awhile to publish. I've gotten that way myself lately but I hate rushing because then I feel that it's not my best effort. I'm sure we've all gotten to that point at some time in our story writing process. :)

    I was slightly confused by Andrew's initial reaction but I suppose that could be due to seeing it through Claire's point of view. Once he relaxed a little though, I figured it was more so that his feelings were a little hurt? That seems a possibility also.

    I love seeing Claire and Andrew together! Ethel is right, they make a nice couple. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, rushing things would never do for me, either! And I struggle with so many things..., I simply need to step back from time to time, and relax for a while... and then go back to writing.

      Let's say... Perhaps Andrew is a little hurt... or perhaps Claire is making too much of his reaction... or perhaps both things? ;-P

      They sure make a nice couple!

      Thanks so much for reading.

      Delete
  22. "dire consequences that might follow her reckless actions." Poor Claire. Her inner voice carries so much suffering, too intense and dramatic. Her past clouds her present, it's a pity.

    Music and its power. Bringing people together, opening them up, connecting them -- music can be so healing, and I'm sure it will help Claire heal. What a wonderful gift she brings inside her, and it's so lovely that she is helping Caroline develop it too.

    (Just a side note... Andrew and his way of wearing boots and costumes... makes him so sexy!)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Claire's inner voice is dark, and overbearing, and foreboding... not at all a happy place! :-(

      Music is incredibly powerful in bringing about all sort of changes (mostly for the better) in people. Claire can very much benefit by her artistic gifts.

      I'm glad you find Andrew sexy, yay! ;-)

      Thanks for reading :-).

      Delete