*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.

21 June 2014

A Pair of Brown Eyes: Chapter 21

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The morning following his outing with Claire and the children, Andrew woke up feeling exhilarated, and he had the inkling his lovely assistant had everything to do with such happiness. Her reserve, which she sometimes seemed to exert at random, was most puzzling and irritating, it was true, but for the most part she had been showing of late more freedom in her dealings with him; and now the only lingering memory was the taste of her sweet lips as he kissed her and she embraced him. How many things he would have told her the previous evening if she but had given him a chance.

If only Caroline hadn't interrupted them at the worst possible moment...! Asking Claire whether she would marry him...! He chuckled despite himself, and shook his head. That kid, bless her! She reminded him so much of her mother. And, quite honestly, the thought of marrying Claire wasn't al all unpleasant. Yes, so many things he would love to tell her; but the wall she had built around herself was still too thick. His smile dropped. He wondered if her always wearing those widow's weeds had anything to do with the matter; but he couldn't very well tell her to stop wearing them, could he? Curiously enough, she didn't strike him as the kind of woman who would strictly observe those customs. If only those two years of full mourning were already over. He smiled again as he imagined how beautiful she would look dressed in brighter colours.

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He found himself whistling while he prepared for work, and it wasn't until he felt the water on his face as he washed that he noticed how cold the air was getting of late. And, while he was only aware of the warmth in his heart, he had to own that this was a decidedly chilly dawn, indeed! And it was just the first Monday in October! Dawn? Oh, that's it! His smile broadened the moment he remembered what he had been humming all morning, despite those elusive first notes he never seemed to get right: Dawn in the mist, that lovely piece Claire had composed for the festival.

But all those thoughts were forgotten when he was called on an emergency which claimed all his attention for the present. There was no time to lose--he couldn't wait for Claire to arrive--so he left her a note telling her he would be absent for a while. He was sure she could handle everything.

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Fortunately, no fatal consequences were to be regretted of his sudden visit to a patient, so Andrew's good mood hadn't suffered much by the time he was back.

The door that led to the clinic was open, and voices could be heard from within. Upon approaching it, he saw her as she walked towards a middle-aged man she obviously had been attending to; how gorgeous she looked in her working attire and displaying her best professional prowess. It suddenly occurred to him how well suited she actually was for the work; who would have thought that of the frail, untrained little creature he had met four, five months before?

"But, aren't you a little quick in assuming, sir..." Andrew heard her as she addressed the man, her voice remarkably firm, "that the police would have been of any service, had she gone to ask them for help?" And after saying that, she pointed to the newspaper the man was holding in his hand.

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Andrew wondered what news they must have been discussing to elicit such a strong response from her. Despite their seeing each other on a daily basis, there was always something new to discover about her: a new layer, a new depth into the personality of that increasingly less mysterious lady called Claire Parker; and on this particular occasion, he had just learned of her shocking dislike for police forces.

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Let that patient delude himself if he chooses to, Claire thought on her way home that evening. She knew what police officers did when such grievances were posed to them by a woman...

A trifling business, he had called it. To be more compliant, he had asked her...

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The building looked impressive, and Claire hoped that the stony glances those lions were casting at her were sympathetic rather than accusing. Be it as it may, she couldn't hesitate now; she couldn't and she wouldn't. She had gone too far already...

She shut her eyes briefly, squared her shoulders, and let out as heavy a sigh as she was capable of. But all the calming gestures in the world wouldn't have prevented her hand from shaking as she reached for the knob and entered the lobby.

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She first caught sight of a rough-looking sailor who kept staring at her in that lecherous way she knew but too well. Claire decided to ignore him, however, and trying not to falter, she headed for the counter, where an imposing, uniformed man stood.

"What can I do for you, madam?" he asked her in a neutral tone. Not deterring her, not encouraging her.

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That was an interesting question. What could he do for her? Claire herself didn't know for certain; her hands were sweaty, and her breathing, quick and shallow. "I..." She wasn't sure she had said it out loud: the man's expression gave away nothing. "I..." she tried again, a little louder this time. "I've come to... I want to..." The stranger was now staring at her. "I've come to report... a... an aggression."

"Is that so?" The policeman seemed a little more interested at last, but Claire had expected him to start taking notes, which he didn't. "And who would the aggressor be?"

Obvious as the inquiry was, it had never occurred to Claire she would have to answer that. "My... husband."

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The sigh he released upon hearing this reverberated in her ears, even though she had the feeling it hadn't been audible at all.

"Your husband, right?" he frowned "And that would make YOU the victim, I guess?"

Claire didn't like how he eyed her next, in a way which was anything but flattering. She faintly nodded her response.

"I can see no signs of ill-treatment about your person. Are you sure you know what an aggression is, Mrs...?"

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"Richardson." Five years of marriage, and bearing his name was still hard.

"Look, Mrs. Richardson, I hope you understand you need some proofs to support what you're claiming. Can you offer any?"

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Offer proofs? Claire was immediately reminded of the heavily made-up woman she had seen upon entering the police station: even her cleavage was showing! How was she to offer proofs without exposing herself in such a way?

Of course she could offer no proofs! The only thing left for her to do was to remain silent.

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The officer must have interpreted her hesitation as a negative, because he merely said, this time in a gentler tone, "I thought so. There, there. I'm sure he's sorry for having been a little too harsh on you, and is presently waiting for you to come home so he can apologise." He then proceded to escort her to the door, giving her a little smile--which did nothing but add to her predicament.

"Don't you think, madam," he added, "that Scotland Yard should be concerned with more important things than to intervene in such a trifling business as a quarrel between lovers? I have no doubt you are a great comfort to your husband. Perhaps you could try to understand him better and be a little more compliant to him?" He gave her hand a light squeeze. If that remark was meant to reassure her, it failed miserably.

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That night Claire's sleep was again haunted by her horrid, disturbing dreams...





A Pair of Brown Eyes: Chapter 22A Pair of Brown Eyes: Chapter 20



This chapter is dedicated to my s/o, who's taking a very important exam just as we speak (write), and made me promise I'd have this chapter published by the time he was finished, so he'd have something nice to read afterwards. Isn't he a dear?


32 comments:

  1. Quiero leerlo en español... Mientras tanto, me coformaré con mi pobre inglés, sin google por favor, que es peor aún T.T
    Un saludo!

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    1. Jeje, si, Google mejor que no... Ay, un poquitín más de paciencia, prometo tenerlo listo enseguida... ;-).

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  2. I don´t know this book. Is it a novel or an invented story?. It is quite good. Thanks for sharing.
    Kisses.

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    1. If I tell you it's mine, would that change your opinion of it ;-)? Well, you may call it whatever you like, but it doesn't change the fact that it's actually ME who has written it. I'm glad you think it's good :-D, thanks.

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  3. I understand why Claire would react in such a way. Whatever that 'man' did to her was his 'husbandly right' according to the laws back then. I do however applaud her for trying to get help out of that situation. 5 years...5 long years she's suffered his abuse. Bless her. :( Andrew is exactly what she needs in her life, if only she felt she could really open up to him.

    And awwww...Andrew is in love! He doesn't know it yet, but he is!

    hope your s/o did well on his test!

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    1. Yeah, I bet that "man" is not the least bit ashamed of what he's done to Claire. And, well, he would have met with social approval, to some extent, but the laws were actually pretty much against his behaviour (in theory, at least): some day I might explain why I chose this time period in particular ;-). Five years... and more than that... that flashback was not... hmm... close to the present! :-(

      Well, Andrew must be aware of his feelings if he's... you know... contemplating marriage... somehow... ;-)

      Oh, thanks, I hope so too :-). And thanks for reading.

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  4. So frustrating that Claire had the guts to go to the police and report her husband but then couldn't follow through. The police officer thinks she should be a little more 'compliant'? Ugh. Just so wrong.

    I wonder if Andrew overhearing Claire's conversation with that patient will help him better understand her situation at some point. I hope so.

    It's a good thing I wasn't born in the Victorian era. My big mouth would've gotten me in big trouble. ;)

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    1. Oh, yes, unfortunately women were "expected" to be submissive and... compliant! It's very wrong, I agree :-(.

      I hope so too... but, let's say there's a good reason why I couldn't very well "let him" hear the rest of the conversation ;-).

      LOL, it's very good, then, that you weren't born in that era.

      Thanks for reading.

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  5. No surprises there. Woman had no voice against what is now called home violence until around the 60s I believe which is when the law started to change in our favor thanks to Francine Hughes. You could read her story is called The Burning Bed, or you could watch the film by the same name.
    Great chapter as always!

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    1. Wow, I just googled a little since I had no idea who this lady was, and, wow! She set her husband on fire! :-O Thanks for pointing it out to me, I'm very interested in (appalled by, rather) cases like hers. And, you know? I'm glad she was found not guilty.

      Thanks for reading.

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  6. ¡Hola!

    Estoy leyendo los capítulos y me están encantando :) Congrats!

    ¡Un beso!

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    1. ¿De verdad? ¡Qué ilusión! :-D Eso si, son unos cuantos capítulos ya...

      Muchas gracias :-D.

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  7. Ah, another chapter! How sad that women have had to fight for so long just to be heard, and the fight is long from being over. Poor Clare, such bravery to go to the police only to be told to be "more compliant". Sadly, this attitude is all too common, even today. PS - I hope your s/o's exam went well!

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    1. Yes, it's all very sad, and unfortunately there's still much to be done :-(.

      Thanks for your kind words, we're still waiting for his results, but we're hoping for the best :-).

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  8. This is fantastic! I've just started reading chapter one and I'm totally hooked. I get so excited when I find Victorian stories, because that's what I write too! Feel free to check out my blog (I literally JUST started it) if you love historical stories too.http://trustingdesire.wordpress.com/ I can't wait to read more of yours! :)

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    1. Hey, thanks for dropping by! I've just checked out your blog, and it looks great! :-)

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  9. Poor Claire, I can certainly understand why opening up to others about her painful past is so difficult, I mean if a police officer can trifle the abuse she endured at the hands of the man who was supposed to love and cherish her, what hope does she have? Sad update, sad flashback scene, but exquisitely done.

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    1. Yes, unfortunately, the only "logical" outcome of it all is that she simply can't bring herself to trust anyone :-(. So sad...

      And thank you for your kind words :-).

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  10. Hope the exam went well :)
    It's unfortunate that Claire cannot open up a little to someone. I guess though after being shot down so much it's hard to trust.
    The police are so bad. So typical that the wife was only a possession.

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    1. Thanks, we hope so too :-).

      Yes, wives were only thought of as possessions... Fortunately, though, things were changing at the time... Only, perhaps just in theory...

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  11. The policeman's response was sadly not unexpected. Women were considered the property of their husbands. Even laws against rape were to protect a man's property of wife and daughters, not to protect the women themselves.

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    1. Very true! However... what that man had done to Claire was actually punishable by law (as far as my research has gone, anyway). Only I didnt expect Claire to know that :-(.

      Thanks for reading.

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  12. So excited to see a new chapter!

    So sad that was the response she got, but it's so typical of the time. It's heartbreaking to think that it still happens today.

    I hope that at some point she realizes that not everyone is like that though.

    Sad but chapter but wonderfully done. :)

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    1. Yes, unfortunately many men (and women, for that matter) would still believe that being bullied and abused by your husband is a matter of no importance... >:-(.

      Thanks for your words :-).

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  13. Poor girl, of course no one would listen to her during that time period, but still... it just seems so inhumane that no one had any sort of conscious towards what was happening to women back then. No wonder it took so long for women to gain any rights.

    Also, since this is the first time I am posting on on of your chapters, I wanted to say that I love the camera angels you have done. :)

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    1. Yes, unfortunately women had a rough time back then. Besides, since they were treated as children, their grievances were accordingly treated as "childish" >:-(. Great, right?

      Thanks for dropping by, and for your kind words :-).

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  14. LOL, I loved your note at the end, it's so nice of your s/o to say that about your writing.
    Wow O_O it's no wonder Claire doesn't like police officers. It seems strange that the officer would get annoyed simply because Claire came in with a potential case of her being the victim, as if he was sick and tired of hearing women whine about being victims? From his attitude, it seemed like he thought women were inferior anyway, so wouldn't a woman claiming to be a victim sound like something he thought? I hope that made sense, LOL. Sorry if it's confusing. >_<
    As always, Andrew is a cutie. :D

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    1. Awww, he's great ♥. I know it may sound a little clichéd, but he truly is my biggest fan :-D.

      As usual, your supposition about the police officer thinking all women are whiners is... correct! A lame excuse for him to behave in that way, right? But there you have it! You made PERFECT sense, by the way :-).

      Glad you liked Andrew, and thanks for reading.

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  15. Aaw, poor Claire. But I guess this is just how things were for a married woman back in those days. I'm still eager to find out, how she widowed!

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    1. Well, yes, unfortunately I imagine many women must have suffered Claire's fate—back then, or even nowadays :-(. Thanks for reading :-).

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  16. Poor Claire, the police officer didn't seem all that eager to help her out there huh? I mean I guess asking for proof is understandable, but he just assumed at the end that she should be more compliant maybe! It's too bad he didn't have more effort in helping her out, that is his job after all!

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    1. That police officer doesn't seem to hold women in high regard, right? I agree, he should be doing his job better.

      Thanks for reading :-).

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