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“Mmm. You don’t have to do this, you know, dearest?” Elizabeth murmured, gasping slightly as a pointed tug pulls her corset tighter.
There are other servants in the house that can attend her, but Justine usually insists. Helping Elizabeth dress in the morning is one of the few tasks that Justine still truly performs, as Elizabeth attempts to relieve her of all the others – secretly, of course. Though Justine, the darling, usually sees to all of William's needs as well. Alphonse, though a good and kind man of the house, is very practical, and does not wish duties to slip. Besides, Justine absolutely adores William, and she couldn't possibly imagine anyone else caring for him. As for Elizabeth -- well, Elizabeth's morning routine with Justine, leaves her a little breathless, even after all these years.
“Yes, I know. But I don’t mind.” Justine responded, and Elizabeth can feel her tracing her fingers along the laces of the corset once she’s done – faint whispers gliding up and down, spiraling.
Her hands pause on Elizabeth’s hips for a moment, and there’s a catch in Elizabeth’s throat. She watches Justine’s fingers slide forward until she’s hugging Elizabeth’s waist, and then she presses a brief kiss to the back of Elizabeth's neck. Elizabeth places her hands over Justine’s, their fingers criss-crossed over each other. To the touch, Justine’s hands are rougher, made that way from years of work at her mother’s house. But, like this, it’s hard to tell whose fingers are whose, looped together, their skin so closely matched. They’ve always felt like they were connected, ever since they were children. All four of them, Henry and Victor too. Her and Justine, though, they’re friends, family, one.
As best as she can manage in her dress, Elizabeth turns herself in Justine’s arms so that they are facing one another. She’s struck by Justine’s beauty, as she is every time she sees her. Elizabeth remembers the first time she noticed that Justine was beautiful.
They were children, around 10 years old probably. The two of them were out in the woods behind the house with Henry and Victor, running around and playing as children do. Elizabeth can’t quite remember what the boys were doing, but she does recall that Henry jumped off a rock. His landing was betrayed by both his childish enthusiasm and balance, as he shot up into the air and fell hard, skinning the palms of his hands in the process. This moment stands out in Elizabeth’s memory because it distracted her from where she was playing in the stream with Justine, letting the water run over their toes.
As Victor rushed Henry over to the water to clean out the scrapes streaked over Henry’s palms, Elizabeth watched the two of them. Victor announced with great authority that he knew just how to deal with such wounds, and he gently swished Henry’s hands under the water of the stream. The water became tinged pink with Henry’s blood, and Elizabeth watched it swirl away.
Suddenly a shout tore Elizabeth’s attention away from the two boys. Turning back toward Justine, she saw her with her arms over her head, the hemline of her dress dragging in the water after letting it go. Justine’s mouth was stretched wide in a grin. Mesmerized, Elizabeth had watched the sun glitter off the water and shine in Justine’s black hair. In the bright light, the freckles across the bridge of her nose stood out against her brown skin. In her 10 year old mind, the image was the prettiest thing that Elizabeth had ever seen.
“Lizzie! Did you hear me?” Justine asked, obviously having repeated herself who knows how many times.
“Sorry, Justine!” Elizabeth said, feeling her cheeks heat up in a blush and hoping it wasn’t noticeable or could be written off because of the sun’s heat.
“I said, I skipped a rock! The first one I’ve ever been able to do!”
“That’s great, Justine!” Elizabeth said, rushing over to her, completely forgetting about Victor and Henry and blood in the water.
The freckles scattered across Justine’s nose and her hair that shines in the sun still make Elizabeth’s cheeks flush.
“What are you looking at?” Justine asks, small smile playing on her lips.
“You.” Elizabeth answers, matter of fact.
Justine smiles, dimples forming at the corners of her mouth.
“What should we do today?” Elizabeth asks, touching her fingers to Justine’s cheek lightly.
Justine pretends to think for a moment, before suggesting they take William out for a walk near the woods. It’s hardly a surprise that that is what she suggests, as it is customary for the two of them to take William on adventures. One would be hard-pressed to find someone who delights in the young boy more than Elizabeth herself and Justine. Since Caroline Frankenstein’s passing, they have become more like mother figures to the boy than a cousin and a servant. Simply put, William is their light and lives.
“Darling, I think that’s a wonderful idea.” Elizabeth responds, and they hold each other’s gazes for a moment, content to smile at each other.
Elizabeth muses about how it’s a wonder her cheeks are not always cramped or sore, for all the time she seems to spend smiling at Justine. They leave Elizabeth's room, arm in arm, to go tell William of their plans for the day. Unsurprisingly, he is overjoyed and filled with enthusiasm at the prospect of an adventure amongst the trees and wildflowers.
When the triad exits the house, William bolts off towards the edge of the forest with the speed only a small boy can possess. Shading their eyes from the bright sunlight, Justine and Elizabeth watch as William runs straight to his favorite tree -- a slightly crooked white birch tree. If one looks closely at the trunk, one can see where the color has faded from the bark because of William's tiny hands attempting to climb.
Keeping ever-vigilant eyes upon William as he plays around the trees and flowers, Justine and Elizabeth slowly make their way around the perimeter of the property, following the edge of the forest. Their walk is mostly silent, again arm in arm, broken only by Justine's habit of stopping to pick every flower that she finds particularly beautiful.
“Beloved, I never thought it would be possible to be this happy in my whole life.” Justine states, suddenly and simply, weaving a wildflower behind Elizabeth's ear.
Elizabeth brings her hand up to Justine's, which lingers on the flower, and touches her fingers briefly. She smiles softly, feeling all the comfort that Justine brings her. The sun is shining, bright and powerful, on her face, but it holds nothing to the warmth that she feels when she is with her Justine.
“Me too, dearest Justine.”
They hear a small cough from across the field, which carries over to them with the breeze. Justine gives a start and touches her hand to her heart.
“Oh! I didn't know anyone else was out here!” She exclaims.
Turning around, the women see a head just barely visible amongst the flowers, sat at the roots of a willow tree. Henry. Since Victor left for his studies at Ingolstadt, Henry had not been his usual cheery self. He tries to hide it sometimes, but his smiles are no longer as bright as the sun. Instead, his moods tend towards the melancholy, and he spends much of his time sitting beneath that same willow tree where he used to sit for hours with Victor. Today, he appears to be writing something in a small leather-bound book.
Oh, I do hope he's writing his stories and poems again, Elizabeth thinks, worried for her dear friend's health and heart.
As they watch Henry scribble away in his book, Justine exclaims again and grabs Elizabeth's hand, smiling.
“Look,” She giggles, pointing to the shadows created by the willow's tendrils.
Out of the veil of darkness, William is slowly creeping forward, towards Henry's back. Grinning at each other and trying to suppress their laughter, Elizabeth and Justine quietly yet quickly make their way towards William and his unsuspecting victim.
They're still a few yards away when they see William make his move, but they're close enough to see Henry's book fly out of his hands as he's startled by the young boy. Immediately following his roar, William leaps onto Henry's back, circling his arms and legs around Henry's neck and torso as best he can given Henry's position near the tree trunk.
“Oh, well, hello Master William! What a pleasant, er, surprise!” Henry says, and then adds, “Good morning, ladies!” as Elizabeth and Justine finally make their way under the willow's shade.
“Hello, Henry!” Justine waves, and joins him on the grass near the trunk.
William runs over to her and drops himself heavily into her lap, hugging her around her middle once he is comfortable.
Before joining her family on the ground, Elizabeth retrieves Henry's book from where it was unceremoniously flung during William's attack. For a moment, before the cover falls closed on the pages, Elizabeth sees the words “yearning” and “love” diffused numerously within his writings. At once, she is both soothed and troubled. It is wonderful that Henry is writing again. Months and months have gone by since Victor left, and this is the first she has seen Henry with a pen in his hand. However, she did wish that the lines of his poems were not filled with such grim emotion. Though, she supposes, she understands why he feels the way he does. Of course, Elizabeth misses Victor greatly too. She writes him often, even when he does not reply. Further, she cannot even imagine the sorrow she would feel if she had to be separated from Justine for a great length of time. It pains her to even envision such a scenario.
So, she smiles at Henry and hands him his book, but does not press him to talk about anything. They've grown up together; they're family, and they are the only two people in the world who understand Victor Frankenstein. If he desires to talk about anything at a later time, she will be there for him. She hopes her smile conveys that message.
“Oh, Henry!” William cries, “Tell me a poem!”
All three of them smile at the young boy, unable to resist being charmed by his eagerness.
“I do believe that I have the perfect one for you, William,” Henry starts. He takes a deep breath before reciting the following:
“There once was a dear boy named William,
who had the soul of an an explorer,
if ever there's one that I've seen.
He was sat upon the lap of Justine,
and oh! He just adores her.
Hurrah! That William, he's one in a million.”
After Henry finishes reciting, William bounds from Justine's lap into Henry's, flinging his arms around the poet's neck. Elizabeth and Justine applaud the masterpiece, bright grins on their faces.
“Henry, it was wonderful!” William exclaims, eyes wide and shining.
“I'm glad you enjoyed it.” Henry responds while ruffling William's hair affectionately.
If only Victor were here, Elizabeth thinks, and then the moment would be absolutely perfect.
They pass the rest of the morning with Henry, laying about the wildflowers and grasses, pleased and warmed under the sun. Once the sun climbs higher in the sky, however, they are called in for lunch. William spares no moment, and takes off immediately, already shouting the types of food he hopes await him indoors.
“You're welcome to join us, Henry. It would be a delight if you would.” Justine offers.
He takes her hand in his for a moment. “If only I could. Regrettably, I have prior engagements. In fact, I should not have passed so much of the morning already with you as is. Doubtless, Father will be irritated already.”
Henry's mouth ticks up at the corner and his eyes sparkle. He seems lighter, after their morning together, and Elizabeth hopes it lasts. He drops Justine's hand, gives a small bow, and spins to head towards his father's house. Once he hits the edge of the property, he turns back once more to wave. They return the gesture, and themselves turn toward the Frankenstein house.
“I do believe we've taken so long that William will have eaten all the food that's been set out.” Justine jokes.
“Oh, I'm sure he's already moved on to the food that has not even been prepared yet.” Elizabeth laughs.
They turn towards each other, smiling, with fond looks. Fond for one another, fond for the young boy to whom they've both devoted their lives. Alone again, Justine's hand swings out and grabs Elizabeth's, squeezing gently. In her chest, Elizabeth's heart speeds up slightly, always ready to flutter when Justine is around. Out of the corner of her eye, she sees Justine's cheeks flush a lovely shade of pink.
Just inside the door of the manor, they part ways. Elizabeth moves to make her way to the dining room where lunch is set out. Justine takes her meals with the other servants. She insists upon it, so as to not arouse any suspicion or mentions of favoritism. Elizabeth's heart aches to see her walk away, to see Justine separated from herself due to social standing and expectations. Once, Elizabeth had voiced these feelings to Justine – at night, under the canopy on her bed, candle burning low, when fears and secrets seem to slip out easier. Justine's eyes had softened and a small smile played at the corners of her mouth.
She had reached up her hands to cup Elizabeth's cheeks, and said, “My lady, my love. So long as we know what is true in our hearts for ourselves, I do not mind what others have to say. The only true judgment can come from the Lord, and yet I praise him every day for granting me the opportunity to live my life here with you and the Frankensteins. You are all too good to me, and surely that is not cause for a curse or a damnation.”
Tears glistened in Elizabeth's eyes, she could feel them. They wavered on her lashes, about to fall onto her cheeks. As they did so, Justine's thumbs swiped them away. They laid together after that, silent, simply staring into each other's eyes. Nothing tremendous happened. It was mostly a night like any other. However, it stands out in Elizabeth's memory, unlike most other nights, because she knew then that she could never love another the way she loves Justine.
That night and that conversation is brought to the forefront of her mind yet again as Justine begins to walk down the hall. Unexpectedly, Elizabeth feels a thrill of anxiety in the pit of her stomach. She hastily reaches out and grabs Justine's hand, spinning Justine back towards herself.
“Until later, darling.” Elizabeth whispers.
Justine looks a trifle confused at Elizabeth's seeming urgency but smiles all the same.
“Of course, my Elizabeth.” She squeezes Elizabeth's hand, and then disappears down the hall.
Elizabeth knows not why she suddenly felt fear, particularly after passing such a wonderful morning with those she loves the most in the world.
Another servant passes by her in the hallway.
“Oh, good afternoon! Has the post arrived yet? Anything from Victor?” Elizabeth calls out.
“I'm afraid not, my lady.” He replies, bowing slightly as he hurries on to his intended task.
Elizabeth's eyebrows crease with worry. She feels like she will never hear back from her cousin, and she is fearful that he is not well. Right then, she makes up her mind to pen another letter to Victor that afternoon, urging him to write her back, even if it just a few short sentences. Perhaps she will ask Henry if he has anything he would like to send, and Justine too. If Victor sees how much he is loved and cared for, it is possible that it might stir his reluctant fingers to pick up a pen and respond. Plan set, Elizabeth makes her way into the dining room at last.
When Elizabeth is seated, Justine brings a carafe of wine into the dining room. Elizabeth did not request it and Alphonse is not dining with them. From the mischievous smile of Justine's face, she is simply using the wine as an excuse to come into the dining room. Coming around the table, she leans over Elizabeth's back and holds the carafe over Elizabeth's glass.
“Would you like some wine, my lady?” Justine murmurs low.
Elizabeth simultaneously feels a thrill down her spine and feels the need to suppress laughter.
“Oh, yes. Thank you, Justine.” Elizabeth replies, voice strained due to her reactions to Justine's question.
“My pleasure.” Justine fills the glass and steps away.
Elizabeth hears Justine snort quietly as she finds her way back around to the other side of the table. Their eyes meet, and they're wearing matching grins. As Justine slips through the door, Elizabeth finds herself hoping that her life is always this full of happiness and love.