It had taken some
serious persuading, but Mary had been wn over by Melissa's weak as a
kitten attempt to stagger out of bed ad follow her. Within a few days
of careful nurturing, Melissa was able to sit on a sofa in her
dressing room. A few days more and she had convinced Mary that not
only did she need a chaperone, but that Mary was the only suitable
candidate.
Once she had agreed,
Melissa summoned the dressmakers to clothe Mary appropriately for her
new role. She also took the opportunity to win Mary over by arranging
for a series of charitable donations and arranging for a fund for
doctors. Initially, she had assumed that throwing money at the cause
would resolve the problem and it was all she had the energy for to
begin with. However, when interview after interview between Mary and
prospective doctors failed, she began to feel the frustration Mary
had indicated. Doctors were very keen to be associated with the money
she was offering, but once it became clear they would need to mix
with fallen women, they lost interest. Some even proclaimed their
offence that she would consider it appropriate to consider they would
want to mingle with such people.
Soon she lowered her
sights from the best doctors to any doctors with a respected
practice. Lowered them still further to the mediocre. She then drew
the line at one wastrel who was clearly willing to do anything for
money but could not disguise the fact that his words would not
translate into the actions of a caring individual. In the absence of
a dedicated professional to help them, Mary suggested funding a
series of nurses to care for the worst of the girls and then setting
up a boarding house for the newcomers to the city.
Melissa was taking an
interest in her new hobby, providing and caring for the girls who had
no-one else to turn to. For the first week it occupied ever waking
moment of her days – albeit she slept more than 16 hours each day.
Eventually she was once more healthy enough to participate in a
social life and carry out activities beyond those that could be
squeezed into her bedroom. Her neighbours began to visit again once
the doctors assured them that there was no danger of contagion. She
still engaged with her plans for the girls, but she was willing to
entrust the greater part of the arrangements to Mary's wider
knowledge and experience.
Her neighbours were not
overly impressed with her new companion to begin with. Mary's
appearance was not beautiful, however fine the garments she donned.
However, Melissa felt her presence – after so long being dependent
on her for everything she found it soothing and safe when all else
still confused her – and entrusted her with every aspect of her
life. Mary alone knew of her lonlieness, of her wish that Andy would
visit – not for any amorous intention as she didn't have the energy
for such an encounter, but merely as someone who knew and could
understand.
She was hale again
before she saw him and when she did she was shocked at his
appearance. Like her, he had been struck down by an illness. Unlike
her he had only had a few paycheck driven servants keeping him alive
and they had resigned themselves to a very brief employment when his
fever had been at its height. A few days later he had broken through
his illness mostly unattended and the sustenance he had receive was
only upon request. Without an equivalent of Mary's bullying he had
remained uninterested in eating and his physique, already on the
slender side, had wasted into skeletal.
He seemed tired and
uninterested in his life in this time. He had been relieved to see
she had not died from her infections – like her he had felt
isolated without a companion who understood where they had come from
and how utterly alien everything in this world was. Unlike her, he
had found no new purpose lying alone and miserable in his chamber.
He seemed so lacking in
purpose that she cast her mind back to remind him of how fun it had
been – the parties, gambling and revelling in their new found
experiences. He was uninspired. Castingmos her mind back further she
reminded him or the reason they were here in the first place – the
goal of saving the world from the disastrous future Andy would
create. And when such a goal seemed to him to be fiddly she pointed
out with some asperity that the very least he could do was to rescue
his other self from the French forces. They'd already missed the date
of his capture, so he would need to be broken free. At first it made
no difference, but when she began suggesting ways and means; arguing
against the suggestions she made herself he became engaged and the
two of them developed a lively discussion.
There was no
possibility that he could travel while still so affected by his
recent illness, but she convinced him to build his strength and make
the preparations.
Within a week, he had
informed his new best friends of his intentions and they had signed
up to the adventure. In total there were four of them – two who had
been inseperable since their early days at school, Paul and James,
Andy and another newcomer to town Michael. Michael had taught Andy to
play picquet in his first week and the first proper game had been
against Paul and James. They had played for five hours and drunk for
an additional three before singing and dancing through the town in
the early hours of the morning. The four of them became a band of
brothers and while Andy was ill Paul and James had been inducting
Michael into their world.
Andy had only to
announce his plans over a few drinks and they were keen to join. When
he reiterated the plan sober, the three of them had queried it at
first but soon entered enthusiastically in the idea of things. Andy
had only told them that he had heard a friend of his was in French
hands and that he wanted to extract him. They'd suggested official
routes first, but soon all were convinced it was best to take the
city of Paris by storm and recover the lost man.
Their knowledge of the
realities available maade all the difference to Andy and Melissa's
plans. At first the others had been surprised by the inclusion of
Melissa in Andy's thoughts, but soon his pragmatic, blithe, and
wholly certain belief that he was doing the normal thing convinced
them and they accepted his assurances that her input was important.
It wasn't long before
Melissa recognised that although they carried the physique and
trappings of men, they were boys inside and what they sought more
than anything was a way to assert their independence and prove their
manhood. Beyond that, they followed the strongest character and,
having been shown they had no shame in considering her a member of
the team she became the de-facto team leader.
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