Remarkable

by WritingIsASoothingBalm

Summary:

Siegfried didn't think he could keep Audrey from hearing about his Christmas toast forever, did he?

Notes:

I wrote out the first draft of this story right after the Christmas special, then, as is my habit, left it sit for awhile.

Meanwhile, Emolo wrote a lovely story with a similar title, ("Remarkable - Shortbread and Cheese") and one other similarity. I delayed finishing mine for awhile to put some time between them, but I've decided to go ahead and post it now, and I hope that it's different enough to be worth a read. Meanwhile, if you haven't already read Emolo's, do be sure to go check it out! 🙂

Chapter 1: It Started Off Quietly

Helen Herriot made her way down the staircase at Skeldale House, weary after a night of ups and downs with her newborn son, Jimmy.  Reaching the tiled ground floor, she turned and entered the main hall of the house, surprised to see the waiting area was empty, despite the in-house veterinary surgery being open this morning.  The doors between the hall and living room were wide open, and she could see their current resident student, Richard Carmody, already curled up with a pile of textbooks next to him, trying to digest as much more information as possible before his next foray into practical animal matters.  As she pondered the particularly light workload for the lone fully qualified vet on hand, the door to the front examination room opened, and said vet entered the hallway, whistling a jaunty tune to the ball of fur and tail he held in his hands, which Mrs. Herriot recognized as Siegfried Farnon's much doted upon pet rat, Vonolel.

"That your next student, Siegfried?" she asked cheekily, her dimpled smile not quite bright enough to hide the bags under her eyes.  

"You joke, Helen, but I assure you, I've come across many a so-called veterinary candidate with less intelligence than this handsome fellow."

"So he comes to surgery with you, now, then?"

"I'll have you know, that Darrowby boasts yet another Rattus norvegicus domestica aficionado, and they stopped in this morning when their own murine friend acquired a very minor injury.  Having been able to fix it in short order, and having no other pressing matters at hand," he gestured to the empty waiting room, "I decided to let the little chaps engage in some rodent socialization.  And it was a smashing success!", he declared with a gleeful grin, hoisting Vonolel into the air in triumph.

Helen shook her head in amusement.  "Glad you're enjoying yourself, Siegfried.  As for me, I'm knackered.  I'm off for a cuppa.  Can I make you one?"

"No, no.  I had one at breakfast, and I don't wish to rush through my daily allotment, lest Mrs. Hall start trying to pass off her rations to me before the day ends.  She's been making a habit of things like that and she seems to believe I don't notice."  Pausing in consideration of the morning thus far, he looked pensive and added a query. "Where is Mrs. Hall?  I haven't seen her passing through for some time now."

"Oh, she mentioned needing to do some shopping.  Apparently our holiday leftovers are finally dwindling. Who knew a rationed Christmas could still create leftovers?" She shrugged her shoulders, then added with a wink, "Must be because Tristan weren't here." 
 
"And because I held back some of Mrs. Pumphrey's contributions to bring home." Siegfried bragged with a mischievous crinkling of his eyes.  The two shared fond smiles thinking of both the younger Farnon as well as the ever-generous Mrs. Pumphrey, then Helen gave a small wave and she started towards the back of the house, Siegfried following to return Vonolel to his cage in the office.
 
They'd each taken only a few steps, however, when the front door opened with a surprising slam against the adjacent wall.

"Siegfried Farnon!"  Audrey Hall's voice rang out, before it even registered with her that the man she was seeking was just down the hall from her current location.  Her voice filled the entry and front hall, reaching the adjacent rooms, a style of entrance more typically associated with her somewhat mercurial employer than with the typically placid housekeeper herself.

Chapter 2: A Temporary Respite

Summary:

Helen diverts Audrey's attention---for a moment or two, at least.

In the sitting room, Richard Carmody, only recently habituating in the residence, had his nose in a fascinating chapter about bovine digestive systems when Mrs. Hall's rather spectacular entrance startled him from his studies. He looked up open-mouthed and wide-eyed in shock and alarm at this newest experience at Skeldale House.  He fervently wished that Helen was in here to advise him on what would be a proper move to make next.  But alas, he was on his own, and so decided his best course of action was avoidance. He simply turned his body sideways in the armchair, placing his back towards the open doors of the room, and put his nose back into the book, where it knew exactly what to do, rather than anywhere near the housekeeper's anger with their employer, where his nose had no idea how to proceed.  

Luckily for the quivering nerves of the veterinary student, Mrs. Hall was at that very moment being interrupted by someone else instead.  Helen had quickly backtracked, pushing past Siegfried to hiss out a warning to her friend.  "What's the matter?  And can you tell us more quietly?  I only just got Jimmy down to sleep."

Chastened, Audrey deflated a bit and offered a quick and sincere apology.  "Oh, love, I'm so sorry.  I weren't thinking.  I still forget sometimes that we have a baby in the house."  She smiled fondly at the thought before her brows furrowed in concern.  "I hope I didn't wake him!"

Helen shrugged off the apology.  "I'm sure he's fine.  He's been changed and fed and given he barely slept a wink all night he should be sleeping soundly now.  Come evening he'll be back to having no idea what the word "sleep" even means, though."  She blew out a frustrated breath that caused the curls around her face to flutter.

Audrey ran a comforting had down the young woman's shoulder and gently patted her upper arm.  "It'll get better, Helen.  I promise.  Oh day they're suddenly smiling and playful and they spend more of the night sleeping then, too."

Helen face showed the often changing emotions of a new parent at Audrey's promise of smoother days ahead--hope and relief followed closely by guilt. "I hate to rush things along, especially when James is missing them, but I do look forward to some more shut-eye at night."  She steadied herself, trying to shrug off the momentary sadness talk of James' absence caused.   "I were just about to make a brew.  Fancy one now that you're home from your errands?"  She glanced down at the basket laden with various brown paper wrapped items that Audrey had set down after her dramatic entry.

"Oh, no thank you, Helen.  I still do need to speak to Mr. Farnon, who I know full well is hiding in the dispensary."  She raised her voice just a touch at the end, given that Siegfried had left the door open when he had used Helen's interruption to dart into the room and out of plain view. He mentally rolled his eyes at himself for ever thinking that Mrs. Hall might miss a trick.

"Oh, there you are, Mrs. Hall!", he returned innocently to the hall, strolling out of the dispensary and stopping in front of the two women, an unlit pipe now clenched between his teeth, his hands still around Volonel, who had now snuggled up against his owner's chest.

Audrey's mood switched immediately from the loving concern she had just been showing Helen to her earlier ire with her employer.  "Siegfried Farnon." she began, levelling him with a glare that would send stronger men than him scurrying.  Siegfried began to slowly back up, hoping she wouldn't notice.  Helen, deciding to forgo her tea momentarily, retreated back through the doorway to the staircase, where she sat down on the third step from the bottom, hoping to stay a safe distance away, yet still hear the show unfolding in the nearby hall.

"What on Earth have you been saying to people about me?!" Audrey demanded, marching one step forward for each step Mr. Farnon took in retreat.  

Chapter 3: Hell Hath No Fury Like A Woman Praised?

Summary:

Siegfried's praise of Audrey lead to unintended consequences.

Siegfried was legitimately flummoxed.  "Mrs. Hall..." he began in what he hoped was a calm, and sincere tone.  "I assure you I have no idea what you mean."

"I've been to the markets for the first time since the holiday and suddenly half of Darrowby are following me about or coming up to me saying things that suspiciously remind me of the drunken conversation Mr. Carmody had with me in the kitchen on Christmas evening."

In the sitting room, said Mr. Carmody, panicked at having heard his name come up as part of this tirade, stood and quickly turned the entire arm chair ninety degrees, putting the back of the chair towards the doors, and then resuming his reading, albeit, in a noticeably more slouched position, to be sure no part of him might be seen from behind the chair.  He sat there, book in hand, finding it increasingly difficult to actually read it.

In the hall, Audrey continued on.  "And do you know which half the village suddenly had such an interest in speaking to me?"

Siegfried removed the pipe from his mouth & rubbed the stem against his temple, transferred Volonel into the spot between his shirt & waistcoat with his free hand, and answered carefully,  "I wouldn't have a guess, I'm afraid."

"The male half! Single men, widowed men, all interested in my new status." She paced back and forth across the short width of the hallway as she spoke, her words clipped in aggravation.

Siegfried's eyes widened in shock and horror at the idea of Audrey (his Audrey!) being pursued, yet again, by someone other than himself.

"At first I just thought it must have finally been printed in a newspaper. That someone round here must've seen and now folks felt the need to comment."

Sliding his pipe down into his front pocket, Siegfried brought his his two open hands out in front of him, in what he hoped was a calming gesture.  "I admit that I had been keeping an eye out for any word of the divorce making the paper, and I did indeed see a very small mention of it.   But that was several weeks ago, and I absolutely assure you, I have not discussed the change in your "status" with a single soul." 

Siegfried's words failed to have the desired effect.  Audrey ceased her pacing right in front of him and pointed a still-gloved finger in his direction.  "Oh, but that's not all.  You are behind this sudden idea that I'm somehow "remarkable"?   Because that's what several of them kept saying---along with your name." 

"I..."

"And don't you dare deny it!  It's the same thing Richard said to me Christmas night and he said it were you what had said something about it then, too.  Then you rushed him off to bed, if I remember properly---which I do!"  Her face was lined in agitation, her eyes were flashing with indignation.

"I can speak to the men in question, Mrs. Hall.  They have no right to be bothering you."

"It seems to me that your talking to them started all this!  More than one said summat about what "Mr. Farnon said" or "Mr. Farnon were right".  And that's just what Richard said that night! He said "Mr. Farnon were right"!"

Book now completely abandoned, Carmody sat stone still, caught between the terrible instinct to point out that he actually said "Mr. Farnon was right." and the more self-preserving thought to instead try to calculate just how far down the hall the older two residents of Skeldale were currently located, and if they would notice him if he attempted to escape the house completely via the dining room and study and then back through the kitchen.

"I'm not sure the boy even had any idea what he was saying." Siegfried gave a half-hearted chuckle in hopes of invoking Audrey's soft fondness for the student.  He was to be disappointed.

"I'm not blooming interested in what the boy has been saying!  I want to know what you've been saying!"

From her spot on the stairs, Helen clapped a hand over her mouth to keep herself from being heard as she lost the ability to keep from reacting as Audrey batted back every retort Siegfried delivered.  It was rare to see Audrey angry, and rarer yet to witness a situation in which it was so one-sided.  Usually when their banter turned argumentative they both gave as well as they got, but this time Siegfried's responses were subdued and obviously meant to placate, although they weren't succeeding on that point in the least. 

Audrey impatiently peeled a glove from one hand, freeing it to swipe across her forehead, where a strand of hair had come undone from its pins, and continued with her accusation.  "Whatever you've been saying's got every other unmarried man in the Dales paying me attention that I don't wish to be paid, Mr. Farnon!"  Her face was flushed pink with embarrassed upset.   "You knew I were concerned about people taking if I got a divorce.  You knew I wanted to stay quiet about it.  I thought it would be the women talking, but this...this is worse!"   There was a change in her voice towards the end, as she felt a sob threatening to find its way up through her anger, and she bit it back, refusing to let it loose. She wasn't done being mad, and she certainly wasn't about to give in to tears here in front of the infuriating man who caused this nonsense in the first place.  She'd have herself a cry alone in her room once everyone else was gone to bed that night.

"I'm begging you to believe me, Mrs. Hall, aside from my blunder the day of the garden party, (Siegfried felt ever so loathsome to have to bring that up again.) I have not uttered a single word to anyone about your divorce.  Not one."  Siegfried's whole demeanor practically screamed out to her that he was being truthful.  That he was surprised and sorry by what had happened.  And part of her wanted to stop giving him grief, seeing such care in his features as he spoke to her.  But she still didn't really understand what had happened, or why, and she wasn't ready to let the conversation end with her not having that knowledge.

Still, feeling slightly deflated in the face of his sincerity, Audrey's last question came out a mere whisper in comparison to her earlier volume. "And what about this "Remarkable Mrs. Hall" nonsense, then?"

Siegfried sighed, and took a step back towards the woman he considered to be so much more than just his housekeeper.  "I admit to being the origin of that bit, but it's not nonsense."

"Oh, aye?" Audrey sounded resigned, weary.  "And summat about forgetting Jesus because of me?  And on Christmas no less??  Were that you, too, then?"

Siegfried groaned and from her spot at the bottom of the staircase, Helen raised an eyebrow at the change in tone from both players in the match she had been covertly following.

Taking one more step forward, Siegfried let out a slow breath.  "I admit to both the "remarkable" part and to tacking Jesus on to my toast rather belatedly, but..."

"Your toast?"  Her shoulders slumped and she shook her head as she looked down and finally removed her second glove.

"Yes, I made a toast to you for putting together the community dinner, and I admit I did use the word remarkable.  But I never imagined it would cause you any trouble.  I certainly never intended or expected anyone to start bothering you because of it." 

"But it weren't just me!  Mrs. Pumphrey worked with me right from the beginning!  And you and Mr. Carmody helped.  Poor lad couldn't sit properly for days after your trip to get the goose.  Why weren't any of you in the toast?  Maggie handled rounding up extra help at The Drovers to serve and clean up after.  Why weren't she and the girls in your toast?  Everyone said you were just talking about me."  Her words were pained, and she absent-mindedly wrung out the gloves she now grasped in her hands.

Siegfried noted her anxious fidgeting and wished they could sit down together. That he could some how comfort her.  That he could make her understand that never once did he wish to do anything to hurt her.  But even he had the sense to see that right now she needed the full story. She needed to understand why things had played out as they did.  But first he gently reached out and eased the gloves from her hands.  "Why don't you at least take off your coat, Mrs. Hall?" he suggested.  "Then I'll explain."

She nodded tersely, eased the coat from her slim frame and handed it to Siegfried, who had extended his hand in invitation to accept it from her.  He set both coat and gloves aside and turned back to her, hoping his rendition of the story would leave her feeling slightly better about the entire situation.

"Mrs. Pumphrey stood to make a toast--to me of all people--thanking me for the entire meal, and I had done nothing more than carry over food and dishes.   I stood up to correct her, but recalled that earlier on, when I attempted to thank Mrs. Pumphrey, she immediately indicated she'd rather I not mention her contributions.  And so I found myself rather stuck.  I couldn't possibly take credit myself and couldn't give credit to both you and Mrs. Pumphrey, either.  I opted to simply thank you alone."  He paused, and noticed how attentively she was listening to his every word.  And he loved that about her.  She had been so angry with him, yet here she was allowing him a chance to explain himself.  

"You are right, of course, that it did not occur to me to thank Carmody, or Maggie, or any of the others.  Primarily it was because I didn't know the specific ways in which the others were involved.  Except for Carmody, of course. And I apologise for that.  I should have known.  I should have paid closer attention.  I only knew that you and Mrs. Pumphrey had planned it all so beautifully, and that you had single-handedly done so much of the cooking. And that was what I was thinking about when I thanked only you."  Siegfried finished his statement quietly, then bowed his head slightly in concerned anticipation of what Audrey might say next. 

Beyond the hall, Helen slowly stood, turned, and made her way up the stairs, careful to avoid the parts that creaked, sensing that the couple in the hall were moving into a portion of their discussion that deserved some privacy.

Chapter 4: When the Arguing Ends...

Summary:

Siegfried attempts to explain himself.

Siegfried waited as patiently as he was able for Audrey's reply, realising by the set of her jaw that he wasn't out of trouble yet, even before she actually spoke.  "Mrs. Pumphrey didn't want to be to thanked, so you left her out of your toast."

"I did, yes." Siegfried agreed, immediately seeing where Audrey was headed with her question, but waiting for her to make the point herself.

"But you didn't think about if I'd want to be singled out."  

He lowered his head briefly before meeting her eyes and apologizing.  "No, I didn't, and I am truly sorry, Mrs. Hall.  I never meant to embarrass or upset you.  Again, I will gladly have words with anyone who spoke to you out of turn today, if you think that would be helpful."  

"I don't need you to go speaking to anyone.  That'd likely only make things worse.  I'm perfectly capable of telling a man I'm not interested on me own, and that's what I did.  I just weren't expecting owt like that when I went out and I got overly upset."  She took a deep breath.  "I'm sorry, Mr. Farnon."

Siegfried's face contorted in confusion.  He took one last step forward, close enough to to gently take one of her hands into his.  Then he looked at her, questioningly, to be sure he was still welcome to reach out that way with her.

Her mouth was still pressed into an unhappy line, but she squeezed his hand slightly before continuing.  "I shouldn't have spoken to you like that. And it weren't near as many people as I made it out to be, really.  It were just a few.  I weren't ready for it, and I got more and more annoyed with it all till I found myself marching home determined to yell at you." Her eyes glistened slightly and she bit her lower lip as she switched their positions in the discussion and began shouldering blame for her own actions.

Siegfried took up her second hand as well, and vehemently whispered his words into the small space between them.  "You never have to apologise to me for how you feel, Audrey. Never."

She looked up in shock at the use of her first name and blinked rapidly to try to chase back the gathering tears she still wasn't willing to welcome.

"I do.  I were wrong to take it out on you what others said and did.  You aren't them.  I were frustrated that I didn't know what they were talking about and unhappy with the attention.  I came in here screaming me head off.  Poor Helen, tired as she is, having to remind me not to wake the little one.  I've acted a fool." She gave a little grimace and Siegfried decided that it must be a sign of how lost his heart was to this woman that he found it to be utterly endearing.

Talking about his feelings wasn't Siegfried Farnon's strong suit.  Showing the people he loved the depth of his regard for them wasn't one of his talents, either.  But hearing Audrey come down so hard on herself spurred something inside of him, and he found that the words he had been keeping locked away in his heart seemed much easier to voice aloud in that moment. 

"I cannot imagine a word less applicable to you than "fool".  I said you were remarkable on Christmas because I believed that to be true then. And I still believe it to be true right now."

Audrey shifted her weight and gave a small snort of derision.  Siegfried smiled, squeezed her hands.  "If you please let me finish, then I'll stay quiet while you tell me how wrong you think I am.  Would that be agreeable to you?"  He gave her a wink and she couldn't help but smile.  

"I suppose it's fair enough." Her words were lighter now than they had been since she first slammed her way into the house at the beginning of this whole altercation.

He gave her hands one more squeeze and started fresh.  "You are remarkable.  The amount of work you do here, on even the most typical of days is impressive.  It's not a small house, and you keep it running perfectly.  You have single-handedly kept Tristan & I alive for years, now. You fed us, you clothed us, you made sure we didn't murder one another."

A quiet chuckle rewarded him and his heart warmed in the knowledge that his words had pleased her.

"And you help with the practice.  You make the clients feel welcome and comfortable, answer the phone, keep my lists and messages under control.  Not to mention your magical ability to almost always know where I've left all of my belongings."

"And the fact you do all of that is above and beyond what others would ever do..." 

Siegfried could practically feel her rebuttal attempting to burst fee, and he lifted one pair of their joined hands, extracted his forefinger, and held it aloft as a gentle reminder of her promise to hear him out. "And we both know that to be true because we both know I went through plenty of other housekeepers before that most fortunate day when you arrived.  I had applicants who wouldn't even take the job when they heard the practice was involved.  But you never complained.  You never minded having a shed full of animal boarders, nor did you mind cleaning Jess's hair off every surface of the house. Not to mention cleaning up after Tristan, which must have been like having yet another animal in the house."  He gave a smirk to let her know that he was mostly teasing about the Tristan portion of his little speech.  

"When we started trying to hire an assistant--that was all you.  You were the one to take the calls, to set up appointments, to find them places to stay.  And for as long as they lasted, you were the one who cleaned up after them when they returned covered in muck, tracking half the mud in Yorkshire over your clean floors.  And when you convinced me to keep James on, you added another full time resident to your roster of people to feed and clothe and clean up after, and you were happy to do it."

"I was. I wanted you to have help.  And it were James that convinced you to let him stay on, not me."  She chuckled again.  "I know--I'm supposed to be quiet. I can't help it."

He grinned at her, eyes twinkling at the sight of her smile.

"It was you that convinced me to give him another chance, and you know it.  Then Helen moved in, and we added Dash to the household, and now Carmody, and the baby, and you just keep adding to your workload without a word of complaint and without doing less of a job with anything.  I don't know how you even manage from day to day on how little sleep you must be getting. Especially since we're pushing in on eight years together and I have yet to find a way to convince you to consistently return to your room and get some rest while any of us are out on night calls." 

"I never needed much sleep," she shrugged, and it was her turn to grin in acknowledgment that she had interrupted yet again. 
 
"And on top of all of that, with the war on, you're sending out letters & packages to the lads, going to Women's Institute meetings, helping with clothing drives, and cooking up community suppers."  

"The amount of time and effort you devote to so many people is [truly] nothing short of remarkable.  The very fact that you are able to do all that you do is remarkable. And then that you truly want to do it is even more so."  He rubbed his thumbs tenderly over the knuckles on both of her hands, and looked at her with a mix of quiet tenderness and fierce sincerity. "You're remarkable, Mrs. Hall.  There can be no other conclusion." 

She shook her head, though she could not hold back a soft appreciative smile.  "I'm not..."

Siegfried gave a teasing demand "Ah, ah, ah!  Not quite finished yet, Mrs. Hall. You'll have your turn soon."  She rolled her eyes good naturedly, but stopped speaking and gave him back the floor.  

Their hands still linked, Siegfried took a breath to steel himself for the last thing he needed to say.  The one thing he felt he still needed to acknowledge.

Notes:

In writing this I realized that I had no idea what time of day it was when everyone came together at The Drovers, and therefore had no idea what meal it was supposed to be. So I went ahead and called it something different each time I mentioned it. 😄

Chapter 5: The Making Up Begins

Summary:

Siegfried takes a chance.

Siegfried took a breath and gathered up his courage before making his final point. "And while you're busy adding more tasks and responsibilities to your life, never complaining, never failing to get things done, the only thing you chose to let go was something that was all for you--the time you spent with Mr. Hammond.  You gave up something that you wanted--to go to the Lakes with him.  So not only are you remarkable, but you are utterly selfless.  And so under no circumstances, do you ever need to apologise to me for anything.  Not when you give everything, do everything, every day, and the only person you ever deny is yourself.  

Audrey began shaking her head, vehemently.  "No.  No! You're wrong.!  I never truly wanted to go." She saw the skepticism written on his face and stumbled over her words trying to make him hear the truth.

"I didn't!  That's why it took me so long to even tell you. I...I kept hoping summat would happen...that there'd be a reason to make it so I wouldn't have to leave after all.  So I wouldn't have to tell you.  I couldn't tell you.  It...it felt so wrong!"

Siegfried tried to tell her it was all right, that she didn't need to continue, but she saw him about to cut in and shook her head, ploughing on. "Even though it were me who decided to go...I had barely said it when I started panicking at the thought of not being here--in me home, with me family--where I belong." She gave a pained smile, hoping she was making sense. "I did like spending time with Gerald, I did.  But I didn't give owt up when I decided to stay here. Just the opposite---I kept what were most precious to me---and who were most precious to me."  

She managed to say her peace, but in doing so lost her battle with the tears that had been gathering throughout their conversation, and a few spilled down over her cheeks before she could once again stifle the flow.

Siegfried brought their joined hands up to her face, and while still keeping hold of her, once again gently extended his index fingers to wipe the few tears that had made their way to her jawline.  Then bringing their hands towards himself, he pressed a kiss on the knuckles of her right hand, then her left.

Siegfried had made it through the topic of Gerald with far better results than he could have ever imagined, and he felt compelled to keep going with this miraculous conversation they were having, lest they slip right back to normal day to day life and he be forced to watch another year or more go by before they both found themselves ready to say these things again.

"You are precious to us, as well.  You are precious to me.  You are remarkable to me.  And while I promise to stop giving toasts in public saying those things, I want you to know I plan on telling them to you, here in our home, over and over again until you believe me."

He brought their hands down and rested them against his chest as Audrey stood there quietly, trying to absorb what was happening. what she was hearing and experiencing.  She could still feel the brush of his beard and lips on her hands, and she was trying valiantly to formulate a somewhat coherent response when she suddenly yanked her hands back from Siegfried and jumped away, startling him, and leaving him desperately worried he had overstepped.  "Mrs. Hall??"

With one hand pressed against her own chest, she pointed the other towards him.  "Vonolel!!", she gasped out.  "I forgot he were even in there! He popped out and scared the wits out of me!  You really are the most ridiculous creature, Siegfried Farnon!"

"Ha!",  Siegfried chortled, relief filling every cell of his body.  "Ha!" He barked out another laugh and another, and Audrey, giddy with a mix of exhaustion and exhilaration after their long emotional exchange, dropped her hand to her abdomen, as she leaned into her own laughter as well.

From his latest hiding space, nestled in the long drapes between the dining room & study, the furthest he made it in his attempt to flee to the kitchen, Carmody perked up at the sounds of laughter now making its way to his ears; and he slowly extricated himself from his curtained cocoon, making his way cautiously from the study to the hall.

Meanwhile, Helen, who had settled herself on the upper hallway floor in front of the bedsit door, also heard the sound of laughter and began to make her way back down to check on her friends.  She made it to the doorway to the main hall when she spotted Carmody trying to sneak out of the study.  Easily skirting behind Siegfried and Audrey, who were clearly fine other than being rendered rather oblivious by their own laughing fits, Helen beckoned to the young student as she passed him. "Come on, Richard. We'll go have a brew.  I think we both could use one, don't you?"

Chapter 6: Time for Tea?

Summary:

Emotional conversations are hard work! Once over, one most certainly deserves tea--rat-free, though, if you please.

Straightening back up, Audrey looked up to see Siegfried, pink in the face, and smiling from ear to ear.  He had returned one hand to cuddling his pet rat, and he silently held out his other hand in her direction.

She didn't know what he might be planning next, and she certainly hoped it didn't involve Vonolel, but she was reminded that she trusted this man, even when she was temporarily furious with him. Even when he was cuddling a rat. And she trusted him now when her feelings for him were far from fury, well beyond friendship, and frighteningly close to something she wasn't sure she was ready to face.

But she might be ready to face it soon, and she felt very sure that she could face it more easily hand and hand with him.  So she reached her hand out towards his and grabbed on with a force that took him by surprise, filled his heart with hope, and made his eyes and smile both twinkle with happiness.  And without considering it beforehand, he gave their joined hands a pull, bring her closer to him, leaned towards her, and placed a kiss on the tip of her nose.  "That's from Vonolel.  He's sorry for frightening you, and hopes that someday the two of you might be friends."  

She smiled then--a full smile, complete with dimples--the smile that made every single part of his existence better.  "You can tell Vonolel that I accept his apology, but our friendship needs to start with him in his cage.  I will not be carrying him about the house in me hand like you do." And she took a step back away from man and tiny beast.

"In that case Vonolel accepts your relationship parameters and thanks you for your friendship."  Siegfried barely made it to the end of the sentence before he gave in to a chuckle again.  "I suppose I can be ridiculous occasionally," he admitted.

"Only occasionally?", she teased.

"I can't help it, Mrs. Hall--you seem to bring out the ridiculous in me."

"Oh, Heaven help me!"  She grinned and changed topic.  "What do you say to a cuppa?"  Then drawing her free hand up to waggle an index finger towards Siegfried, she reminded, "Only if my new friend goes back in his cage first."

"That can be arranged," he chuckled. "I declined the offer of a cup with Helen earlier, but now I would very much like to have one with you.  Shall we take it in the sitting room?  Perhaps sit on the settee and enjoy the fire for awhile?," he suggested somewhat boldly, and whole-heartedly optimistically. "You've had a long morning.  Some time to sit and relax seems more than reasonable to me."  

"What about you?" Audrey belatedly realised that in her state of brief tantrum she never even asked anyone how their morning had been, and vowed to rectify that with Siegfried right now.  She'd beg forgiveness from the younger residents of the house when she next saw them.  "Have you been busy while I were gone?"

"Surgery's been surprisingly quiet all day today.  I find I've been rather enjoying the change of pace for at least one day."

"And no visits?," she questioned further, making sure he wasn't setting himself up work late into the evening in order to sit with her now.  

"I have only a few on my list, and since they're all very minor, I decided to save them for tomorrow.  We must save petrol, after all."  He winked to indicate that petrol-saving wasn't necessarily his main reason for putting off visits for a day.  They were all tired these days, and sometimes one simply didn't want to mention the fatigue yet another time.  If they had to put up with the rationing, then he might as well use it for an excuse when it suited him.   

"I even gave Carmody the day off to spend poring over his books."  Siegfried added, seeming particularly proud of himself for thinking to give Carmody time to engage in his favorite pastime and it made Audrey's heart swell to see him so obviously fond of the relative newcomer to their household.

"In that case, tea and a bit of relaxing sounds very nice.  Thank you for suggesting it.  Why don't I get things started while you put that rat back where he lives." She threw him a cheeky smirk and set off for the kitchen, leaving Siegfried, his hands carefully enclosed around said rat, beaming with mirth in the hall.

Chapter 7: Relationship Parameters

Summary:

Our lovely duo continue their conversation.

Notes:

I'm well aware that in any one of my stories, I have these two talk with one another more than they have over the entire 4 series of the actual show. But since their lack of any major conversing hasn't yet resulted in them getting together in the actual show, I'm going to keep having them do things my way instead. 😉

A short while later Audrey entered the sitting room, Jess and Dash trailing behind her.  "Daft beggars! I told them there's no biscuits, just tea, but they still wanted to be sure they weren't missing owt."  She carefully handed one cup to Siegfried, placed her own down on the side table, and then lowered herself to the sofa.  

"I found Helen and Richard hiding from us in the kitchen, by the way. I've sent them off to The Drovers, so we'll have peace and quiet as long as the phone don't ring and young Jimmy stays sleeping.  Helen's left the bedsit door open so we can hear him if he starts to fuss." 

Siegfried nodded.  "Did you send them from your purse or theirs?"

"Mine of course.  It were us they were hiding from," she reminded him with a sideways glance. 
 
"You should reimburse yourself from the pint pot, as it was my fault they were scared off," Siegfried insisted firmly.

She shot him an incredulous look.  "It weren't your fault and I won't be taking any money from the pot!  It were me that came slamming into the house like a maniac. I feel awful for how I acted."

"Please," Siegfried was pained at the thought of her heading down the path of self-blame again. "We both stood in that hallway rather oblivious to the others, wouldn't you agree?"  Without waiting for a response he offered a compromise. "We can go half and half. Would that be acceptable?"

She looked resigned, but agreed.  "Aye. That'll do."

"Thank you, Mrs. Hall--for that, and for the tea.  Biscuits, or not, this is exactly what I need right now--a hot beverage, a warm fire, and time to relax."  And as if to prove his point, he reached down for the nearby pouf and pulled it over, propping his legs upon it with an exaggerated sigh of bliss.  "And if the phone rings," he began conspiratorially, "I vote we ignore it!"  He waggled his eyebrows like a child up to no good.

She watched his antics with affection, and then thinking on it for just a moment, she gave a dimpled grin, tinged with a touch of mischief, herself, and followed suit. She carefully toed off her shoes, and rearranged herself, tucking her legs up under her, pressing her stockinged feet against the arm of the seat, and in doing so, placing herself her slightly closer to Siegfried.  "If I'm going to relax, I might as well do a proper job of it," she announced.  

"Righto!", he agreed and held out a hand in invitation.  She placed her hand in his, and once again he brought it to his lips in a short, sweet kiss. "I am fully in favor of you taking more time to relax, my dear.  You don't have to be remarkable every moment of the day, after all."  And he gave a saucy wink.  

She took back her hand, giving him a playful smack on the shoulder along the way, then reached for her tea and cradled the warm cup in her hands, breathing in the fragrant steam rising from the beverage.  After a careful sip, she returned the cup to its saucer on the table, and turned back to her companion on the sofa.  

This time she reached out for his hand, an apprehensive look upon her face; and she licked her lips in preparation for whatever it was she was trying to work up the nerve to say.  Siegfried's breath caught in his throat at the vision of her--her body looking so relaxed next to his, yet her face indicating that perhaps there was yet still more for the two of them to achieve today; and her hand, soft and warm around his own.

"I.."  Looking down at their entwined hands, she started again, quietly, a bit timidly. "Do you remember what you said about Vonolel?  About us being friends and setting out our---what did you call them?"

Surprised and a bit confused by her segue, Siegfried thought back for a moment. "Ah! Yes, 'relationship parameters', I believe."

"Yes, that. I want to thank you for your friendship, as well, Siegfried.  It's meant so much to me, always, but especially this year what with the war, and our lads being gone, and me...well...with the divorce."  Her words started off slowly, hesitantly, then finished in a rush as if trying to get them out before her apprehension won its battle and caused her to change her mind about saying these things to him.

"You're ever so welcome.  Your friendship is one of the things I hold most dear and I'd like to always be here for anything that you need."

She nodded gratefully, thoughtfully.  "And maybe, in time, maybe we can talk about those..." She trailed off again, still feeling indecisive about the sudden change in the way they were relating to one another. To the monumental things they had been sharing and admitting. To the shock of moving from just occasionally holding hands to repeated tender kisses in the space of just one conversation.

Siegfried could certainly understand her trepidation, as bringing all of these feelings out into the open was also terrifying for him. "Are you perhaps wanting to establish new relationship parameters between us as well?"  Hope continued its new habit of flaring up in his chest, and he tried to hold back on his enthusiasm for the idea, as not to scare her off, nor to cause himself as much pain if he was wrong in his cautious assumption.

Audrey looked up at him, worrying her lip again, as she contemplated her next words.  Siegfried reached out to touch the corner of her mouth. "You'll hurt yourself doing that," he whispered.  She looked at him with wide eyes, then smiled softly, but with concern marking its presence in the lines between her eyes.

"You once told me there was a line between employer and employee.  I don't know where that line is anymore, Siegfried."  Her words were barely above a whisper, vulnerability weighing them down, making them ever so difficult for her to voice. "I don't know where you want it to be. I don't know where I want it to be."

Siegfried closed his eyes and for a moment, mentally flogged his past self for ever uttering such nonsense in the first place.  Opening them again, he did his very best to assure her of his feelings in regards to the "line".  "I loathe that bloody line.  I've done so from very nearly the first moment I mentioned it's supposed existence." 

He noticed her gaze had lowered again, and he felt determined to ensure that she understood and truly believed what he was saying. Reaching out tentatively, he brushed the back of his index finger down the lovely sweep of her cheek.  She looked up at him, and he restarted his response, making sure to maintain eye contact as he did so.  "I only said that ridiculous drivel because I felt bombarded by people suddenly trying to convince me to do things I wasn't sure I wanted to do.  I said it for no reason other than to try to have the last word, and I apologise." He waited for her acknowledgment and she placed a hand on his forearm, indicating that she was still listening, that she had no reason to question his words. 

He covered her hand with his own and continued, deliberate in his delivery. "As far as I am concerned, that line can officially cease to exist.  And whatever new relationship parameters you are comfortable with, I will gladly agree to, because I am so incredibly pleased to have you here with me."

"This is the only place I want to be Siegfried.  I just don't know how or what to think right now, or how I feel, exactly." Her brow furrowed further in frustration over her inability to express herself as eloquently as she'd like.

"You don't have to know right now.  And you certainly don't have to explain anything right now."  Siegfried, sensing Audrey could use a chance to settle herself,  opted to try to lighten the mood for a moment.  "I do realize establishing a new set of parameters with me is a bit more complicated than with Volonel after all."  

Audrey rewarded his efforts with another slight giggle, and Siegfried felt as though his face might begin to ache from smiling so broadly as he facetiously asked her what she found so funny.  "What did I say?", he asked, his words laced with innocence, as if he didn't know. 

"It's so ridiculous, and yet so right that we're here, trying to talk about our feelings and we've wrapped the entire thing around a rat!  Only with you, Siegfried Farnon! Only with you!"  Her expression turned soft and affectionate, and Siegfried had to take a moment to sternly remind himself that she had only just said that she wasn't yet sure what she wanted, what she was ready for; else he would have absolutely honored his own ardent wish to kiss her senseless.

"The fact that you're willing to have this conversation, and 'wrap it around a rat', as you say--and furthermore a rat I know you'd prefer lived somewhere other than our house--is just one more way in which you're remarkable."

His repeated easy referral to Skeldale as "our house" soothed places inside of her that she rarely stopped to notice required such care.  She knew that line of thought was a road best travelled another day, however, so she opted to keep things light and cheerful by giving him her well-utilized look of mock annoyance instead. "Don't even start with that again!", she laughed.  

Siegfried held out one arm towards her. "May I?" And at her nod of assent, he forgo the pouf and moved closer to this most remarkable woman, placing one arm around her upper back.  She smiled shyly and tucked her head against his shoulder.  

"I'm not really upset about that any more," she murmured softly, nestled against his side.

"About the toast?", he clarified.  She nodded against him.  

"I'm glad."  He paused a moment.  "Does that mean I may keep calling you 'remarkable'?", he gently teased.  "Perhaps we can work it into our relationship parameters?"

She glanced up at him with a bemused shake of her head.  "Can we work in how often I can call you 'ridiculous', then, too?"

He let out a laugh and pressed a kiss into her hair.  "As often as you'd like, my dear.  As often as you'd like."

Notes:

Most of the chapters will be quite short, but I will likely post them a few in a row because of it.