Henry

The tears in May’s eyes broke Henry’s heart. He watched her stare after Everett as he walked Lucy from the room. May’s chin and lips trembled. She didn’t see Henry as a source of comfort and love, but perhaps she would welcome friendship. Before he could walk across the room, her brother, James, approached her.

He whispered closely, and she nodded occasionally. Henry saw the anguish on her face, and it mirrored throughout his soul, graying and darkening his heart. He’d lost her. What more he could offer? He offered his lands and wealth, his life and love. Nothing seemed to be what May wanted. He needed to hear it from her own lips. Three of the four friends seemed to be acting normally again. When May was feeling more herself, he would ask her one more time for her hand in marriage.

Only her family knew her better than he did. He’d been a part of her life for more than twenty years, coming with his mother to her home on a summer holiday when she was five. He looked at her, feeling helpless.

Everett left the salon with his arm around Lucy’s shoulders as she buoyed him up.

“Henry. James. In my office.” Simon waved the men toward the door.

May’s hands covered her mouth, and her shoulders shook as she sobbed. Henry knew it was because she watched helplessly as Everett and Lucy were reunited—as helplessly as Henry watched her. Lady Cottrell and Cora rushed to May’s side, pulling her to the corner to talk quietly as the men left.

Henry felt as if he walked like one of the dead—his feet dragged and his body slouched. He was weighted with the guilt of his own actions. He had shamed himself and he’d committed treason against May. Everything about this holiday had been a misery. Two days was an eternity.

The office windows were draped with heavy curtains and the room was comfortably dark as he sat on the leather couch, slumping into the corner. His pulse was calming, making Henry aware of the bruises he’d likely have from the fight moments ago. It was nothing compared to a lifetime of losing May. That pain would shadow him every day and night.

Simon sat behind his desk as James paced the area between the couch and desk.

“Well, we have three of you back,” Simon commented. “But you probably think it’s a lost cause. When Aunt Nellie’s faerie dust flies, the magic takes hold, and it’s hard to let go.”

“Back from what?” Faerie dust? Henry thought it an uncommon remark, having no clue what it meant. He tried to puzzle it out. The three unaffected he supposed we’re Lucy, Everett, and himself. Did that mean that May was still under the blanket of insanity he recognized himself to be influenced by only moments ago? For days until moments ago, he’d forgotten everything about May—every interaction they’d had.

He winced at the devastating pain his recent numerous betrayals caused. Somehow the emotion imposed on his mind had erased the one person who engendered true love and affection. His heart felt shattered at the result.

He had only one hope left. If he could break through and regain his mind, then she could too. His heart longed for her to shake out of the insanity that still held her bound, robbing her of her ability to think and decide for herself.

“What will we do about May?” James asked to no one in particular.

“What is it exactly that brought this on?” Henry said.

James and Simon looked at each other for a moment as if hoping the other would answer the question.

“You got some bad punch. It made you delusional,” James said. “But you seem to be recovered now. Are you still hopelessly in love with my sister?”

Henry closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Of course he was. It was likely to last a lifetime. He gave one nod.

“Cured,” James said.

“Was it the fight? Or the blood perhaps?” asked Simon, cocking his head as if he was considering the remark. He looked toward James who had stalled in front of Simon’s desk.

James shrugged his shoulders and shook his head as if it were a puzzle to him too. “I doubt that’s what happened to release Lucy.”

“Cora told me that Lucy experienced extreme emotion.” Simon and James looked toward Henry with the slightest hope. “So it might have been the emotion of the fight that was the catalyst to your release from the mistaken love potion you drank.”

Henry felt the despair of the situation thickening. “Magic and love potion?”

“That’s the truth of the thing. Aunt Nellie slipped you a faerie love potion, and all the threads in your heart unraveled.” James asked. “Is there any other thing that could have caused you to act like the south end of a donkey?”

Saalfeld had never been as nonsensical as he had been for the past two days. He had acted with pure abandon, and all four of them had been shamefully insane. “No.” He turned to Simon. “Is that completely true. Was magic the cause?”

“On my honor, it was.”

Henry would accept the explanation for now. He had never known Simon to lie about circumstances. He trusted him. He was sure there was more to it, but it was more important to act for May’s sake than discover what Simon thought magic was.

Even if May were to come out of the dream she was trapped in, there was no guarantee that she would accept him this time either. He sat up, resting his elbows on his knees. He couldn’t think of anything else he should have done, any other path to take that might have insured they share a happy life together.

May deserved to know her past and make a decision based on that even if they didn’t marry. He couldn’t bear to see her wallow in the tragedy of this magic. Could there be a strong enough magic to break it for her? Losing Everett hadn’t been enough to break the imitation love and bring her back to herself.

Henry stood up. “I’m going to talk with her. She may think that she has lost all hope, but I want her to know that I will always care deeply for her.”

He walked upstairs not knowing ahead of time what he should do, but when he reached his room he decided to go inside and retrieve the special license before talking with May. Henry’s eyes glanced over the paper, which was both a promise and a threat. Although he may never use it, he wanted May to understand the depth of his commitment. He wanted her to choose. If she gave him up because of magic, he doubted that he could believe that it was sincere. He tucked the paper into his inside pocket.

Several small presents were sitting on a shelf inside the wardrobe. He’d planned to give them to her on Christmas Day tomorrow. He thought back over the events of the past two days. He realized that he’d come so close to losing her. A cold bolt flashed through Henry’s body. His feet were lead as each one clomped down the hallway.

Would Lord Cottrell even allow him to talk to her? He stood outside their door for several long moments. He raised his hand to knock but didn’t connect with the wood and dropped it back down by his side.

He wondered if the emotion that his revelation might bring to May would release her back to herself only to separate her from him forever. He loved her enough to help her choose her life. He knocked quickly on the door before he could change his mind.

Lord Cottrell pulled it open. He looked large enough to fill the doorway.

“Saalfeld,” Lord Cottrell said.

Henry had at least expected him to look surprised, but he didn’t. That gave Henry some confidence. “I would like to speak to Lady May.”

“I’ll ask. Wait here.” Lord Cottrell shut the door, and Henry stood in the middle of the hallway. In only a few seconds, the door re-opened, and Lady Cottrell stood with her husband. “May will meet you in the music room in a few minutes,” she said, then the door shut again.

Henry rushed back to his room for the small gifts before heading downstairs. Fifteen minutes later, Lord Cottrell escorted May into the music room. Her hair had been taken down and lay across her shoulders, curls falling down her back. Her beauty was dizzying. He locked his knees to stay in place though he desperately wanted to move to her.

Lord Cottrell had a warning look in his eye. Henry noticed a slight smile on May’s face when she saw him, but the whites of her eyes were tinged with red. The image burned his heart. He clamped down on his muscles to keep himself from lunging toward her and wrapping her in his arms. Henry knew he would have to take this slowly by offering her friendship only.

With a nod toward Henry, Lord Cottrell said to May, “I’ll be in the room across the hall. When you’re finished, come find me.” Then he kissed May on the cheek and looked at Henry. “Keep the door open.” Then he turned and left.

Henry led May to the sofa, seating her on one side. His heart hammered with desire. More than holding her or kissing her, with all of his soul, he wanted her to be whole again. He retrieved the presents he had brought down and placed them beside her before seating himself on the far side. He had to admit he did want to hold her and kiss her. All of his feelings toward her were wrapped together in what he could only call intense love and devotion.

If she remained in the faerie magic or rejected him, he doubted he would ever get over her. He would do all he could to ease her life.

He felt a lump of worry in his throat and cleared it. “I know it’s only Christmas Eve, and we will likely open presents later, but I brought these gifts never intending anyone else to see them except you.” He had hoped that the memories he cherished of his time with her would have influenced her to accept his proposal.

A genuine smile broke through May’s sad countenance. “You shouldn’t have.” But her eyes sparkled, and she added, “but I’m glad you did.”  May leaned toward him over the pile.

Henry’s chest filled with joy at the slight touch of her hand on his arm. It still made him wonder how he could have ever forgotten this. “There’s a certain order to the presents, he said. He picked up a gift and handed it to her.