Blue Willow Skies Ch. 2
K .here's part 2. please comment thanks.
Chapter 2
London 1882.
Disclaimer: All characters belong to Syfy.
A/n: Amy Catharine Robbins was a real person and was the “real” H.G. Wells’s lover and later wife at about this period. (1882). She was called Jane by the family.
Fear. She sidled along London’s busy though fare. The young woman didn’t notice cradling her belly until she brushed up against another woman and they exchanged glances. Firmly Helena took her hands from her belly and forced herself to relax. At this stage, she reassured herself it would not harm her small passenger to be jostled just a little. She increased her pace, turning into the street where Charles lived. Coming up the steps she knocked and was unsurprised to find the door opened by Amy, Charles’s lover and not a servant.
“Helena!”
“Hello Jane” Helena smiled “Where are you off to?”
“I’m off to picket with Eminaline”
“ I enjoy Miss Parkenhurst’s company myself” Helena smiled. Emmaline was a very fierce woman and Helena liked her.
Jane moved past her, back into the house and then paused.
“Helena. Why have you not joined us?”
“ I support you of course in your cause. However I find myself unable to accompany you at the moment.”
“Oh!” Jane smiled in understanding, ushering the other woman into the house. “That is wise indeed. It can get extremely rough. You wouldn’t want to risk your child”
“Child?” at the sound of her brother’s voice Helena smiled. He came around the corner from the study area holding a sheaf of papers. “ I still say that we could structure the idea more as though it were a Roman Republic”
Helena responded, falling into the rhythm of collaborator as easily as breathing. “Well , I thought we had agreed doing that way would be-”
“Charles” Jane cut her off with a sharp look.
“Apologies, little sister” he came closer. “You are once again proof doctors know absolutely nothing.”
“Ah, yes. My womb is very healthy as you see” she patted her belly and Jane laughed.
“I’m off.”
“oh dear. Now I’ve offended you, Jane”
“Hardly” Jane came closer and embraced Helena from behind. “Find the wonder of the modern world for me” she strode off. Charles looked after her and Helena laughed. “Ah Charles you silly man. For all your boasting, how adorable you are in love”
“She is the most wonderful woman” He turned and she laughed again. “Oh Charles. You give me hope”
“Because most men are hopeless” he is grinning.
“Most men are- oh never mind.” she turned away suddenly not in the mood for the old argument, or indeed, the old game.
“You know I merely jest, little sister” he came around and knelt near her feet, a gesture of intimacy that he did not usually indulge in. she looked up, surprised.
He said: “ How do you feel?”
“Not unusual at the moment”
He nodded. “Shall I play the concerned elder brother and ask whom the responsible party might be?”
“No one of consequence. A mistake.” she cradled herself again without thought.
“well that’s a relief” he quipped. “might have been someone important .”
She laughed, but there was a blank behind her eyes that had not been there before. “Dear Charles. We should work now?”
“Of course” he picked up the sheaf of papers again. “ I have questions for you as always..”
Seven years earlier…
The young man stared and fidgeted. This was difficult. He turned at a quick footfall to see his ten year old sister appear around the corner.
“Charles? Are you all right?” she stood in the doorway, shifting from foot to foot.
“Little sister. I’ve broken it” he gestured to the toy train and the wheel lying beside it. “I’m too old for such things now, of course and so I was going to store it away-” he stopped as she bounded across the floor to drop down before the train. He watched her dark eyes dance over it. After a few moments she turned to him.
“I can mend it.”
“Truly?” he knelt beside her.
“yes” she twisted, already absorbed in her task, and he followed her movement.
“What would you need-” he paused as another footfall came down the hallway and Joseph Wells came around the corner.
He addressed his son. “Charles”
“yes Father?” Charles darted a glace at Helena who was completely absorbed in her task quick fingers moving and speaking to the toy, asking how it was put together and receiving answers. This had always fascinated Charles for he had no such repore with mechanical things.
“Why are you allowing her to do that for you Charles?”
“Father, I-”
“Helena” she looked up, unseeing.
“Charles ought to do that. It’ll be good for him” he looked down at his daughter, watching her nimble fingers. For a moment they all felt it, a palpable hesitation in Joseph. The relaxing of something within. Then the moment snapped and he spoke harshly.
“Helena. Get up”
She obeyed, leaping like a startled otter to Charles’s side but not to hide behind him.
“Father” even at ten her voice was low pitched and cool especially when speaking to men.
“That is for men Helena. Not you. Leave it” he turned away abruptly and walked out, his shoulders hunched low.
Charles watched him go and then turned back to his sister. She was not sobbing or seeming particularly distressed by this outburst, but was staring closely after her father’s retreating back.
“Helena” he said. She didn’t move, still gazing after their father.
“He’s frightened”
“What?” Charles stared at her.
“he’s frightened Charles. He’s frightened of me” she turned to face him and he met her dark gaze slightly unnerving in its intensity.
Chapter 2
London 1882.
Disclaimer: All characters belong to Syfy.
A/n: Amy Catharine Robbins was a real person and was the “real” H.G. Wells’s lover and later wife at about this period. (1882). She was called Jane by the family.
Fear. She sidled along London’s busy though fare. The young woman didn’t notice cradling her belly until she brushed up against another woman and they exchanged glances. Firmly Helena took her hands from her belly and forced herself to relax. At this stage, she reassured herself it would not harm her small passenger to be jostled just a little. She increased her pace, turning into the street where Charles lived. Coming up the steps she knocked and was unsurprised to find the door opened by Amy, Charles’s lover and not a servant.
“Helena!”
“Hello Jane” Helena smiled “Where are you off to?”
“I’m off to picket with Eminaline”
“ I enjoy Miss Parkenhurst’s company myself” Helena smiled. Emmaline was a very fierce woman and Helena liked her.
Jane moved past her, back into the house and then paused.
“Helena. Why have you not joined us?”
“ I support you of course in your cause. However I find myself unable to accompany you at the moment.”
“Oh!” Jane smiled in understanding, ushering the other woman into the house. “That is wise indeed. It can get extremely rough. You wouldn’t want to risk your child”
“Child?” at the sound of her brother’s voice Helena smiled. He came around the corner from the study area holding a sheaf of papers. “ I still say that we could structure the idea more as though it were a Roman Republic”
Helena responded, falling into the rhythm of collaborator as easily as breathing. “Well , I thought we had agreed doing that way would be-”
“Charles” Jane cut her off with a sharp look.
“Apologies, little sister” he came closer. “You are once again proof doctors know absolutely nothing.”
“Ah, yes. My womb is very healthy as you see” she patted her belly and Jane laughed.
“I’m off.”
“oh dear. Now I’ve offended you, Jane”
“Hardly” Jane came closer and embraced Helena from behind. “Find the wonder of the modern world for me” she strode off. Charles looked after her and Helena laughed. “Ah Charles you silly man. For all your boasting, how adorable you are in love”
“She is the most wonderful woman” He turned and she laughed again. “Oh Charles. You give me hope”
“Because most men are hopeless” he is grinning.
“Most men are- oh never mind.” she turned away suddenly not in the mood for the old argument, or indeed, the old game.
“You know I merely jest, little sister” he came around and knelt near her feet, a gesture of intimacy that he did not usually indulge in. she looked up, surprised.
He said: “ How do you feel?”
“Not unusual at the moment”
He nodded. “Shall I play the concerned elder brother and ask whom the responsible party might be?”
“No one of consequence. A mistake.” she cradled herself again without thought.
“well that’s a relief” he quipped. “might have been someone important .”
She laughed, but there was a blank behind her eyes that had not been there before. “Dear Charles. We should work now?”
“Of course” he picked up the sheaf of papers again. “ I have questions for you as always..”
Seven years earlier…
The young man stared and fidgeted. This was difficult. He turned at a quick footfall to see his ten year old sister appear around the corner.
“Charles? Are you all right?” she stood in the doorway, shifting from foot to foot.
“Little sister. I’ve broken it” he gestured to the toy train and the wheel lying beside it. “I’m too old for such things now, of course and so I was going to store it away-” he stopped as she bounded across the floor to drop down before the train. He watched her dark eyes dance over it. After a few moments she turned to him.
“I can mend it.”
“Truly?” he knelt beside her.
“yes” she twisted, already absorbed in her task, and he followed her movement.
“What would you need-” he paused as another footfall came down the hallway and Joseph Wells came around the corner.
He addressed his son. “Charles”
“yes Father?” Charles darted a glace at Helena who was completely absorbed in her task quick fingers moving and speaking to the toy, asking how it was put together and receiving answers. This had always fascinated Charles for he had no such repore with mechanical things.
“Why are you allowing her to do that for you Charles?”
“Father, I-”
“Helena” she looked up, unseeing.
“Charles ought to do that. It’ll be good for him” he looked down at his daughter, watching her nimble fingers. For a moment they all felt it, a palpable hesitation in Joseph. The relaxing of something within. Then the moment snapped and he spoke harshly.
“Helena. Get up”
She obeyed, leaping like a startled otter to Charles’s side but not to hide behind him.
“Father” even at ten her voice was low pitched and cool especially when speaking to men.
“That is for men Helena. Not you. Leave it” he turned away abruptly and walked out, his shoulders hunched low.
Charles watched him go and then turned back to his sister. She was not sobbing or seeming particularly distressed by this outburst, but was staring closely after her father’s retreating back.
“Helena” he said. She didn’t move, still gazing after their father.
“He’s frightened”
“What?” Charles stared at her.
“he’s frightened Charles. He’s frightened of me” she turned to face him and he met her dark gaze slightly unnerving in its intensity.