Bound

Lucia sat in her wheelchair, the cushion growing tiresome on her bottom. She stared down from the window, twirling her long braid in her fingers. Her pale skin almost made her appear translucent and the dark circles beneath her eyes gave her the appearance of constant exhaustion. She watched cars as they went by, ignoring the sound of the servants as they went from room to room, cleaning fretfully.

A knock came at the door and Lucia gave a jolt in her seat. She turned the wheelchair around to face the door and called out, “Who is it?” She rested her hands in her lap, twiddling her thumbs together as her mother entered, a cheery smile stretched across her pink painted lips.

“It’s just me, my darling,” she said in a gentle voice. “I’ve come to see how you’re doing today.” She closed the door behind her and fully entered the room, arms outstretched. Lucia did not return the hug as her mother embraced her.

“To be frank, Mother, I’d feel much better if I was able to go outside,” she replied with a chilled voice. Her mother took a step back, her eyes flashing with disdain.

“Darling, we’ve been over this. You know you aren’t permitted to go onto the grounds. Not after your little accident.” Lucia rolled her eyes and turned herself back towards the window.

“And who’s fault was my accident, Mother? I was just five years old after all. Surely, you’re not going to continue blaming me for what happened.” The mother shook her head in dismay, rubbing her temples as a tension headache came on.

“I was in no way saying any part of your accident was your fault, my dear. I would never insinuate such a thing, but I also don’t want to risk something happening to you again. Is that so wrong of me? Wanting to protect my daughter’s life?” Lucia’s eyes stung with tears and she pursed her lips, willing them back.

“Well, clearly it won’t. I can’t climb anymore, remember? I can hardly walk much less climb.” The silence in the air made it cold and unavoidably uncomfortable. The mother wrung her hands together anxiously, a tear or two silently falling down her face.

“I just don’t want a repeat. It’s been fifteen years, Lucia, perhaps you can find it in your heart to let go of my indiscretion…” Lucia straightened her back and turned herself halfway, lifting her head to gaze hatefully into her mother’s eyes.

“Your indiscretion is the reason I no longer can walk. It is also the reason for my father running off and unfortunately enough, leaving me with you.” Her voice was frigid, unforgiving. Her mother sniffled and cleared her throat, fighting back tears.

“You have a new tutor that’ll be coming today. Her name is Amelia. She should be here this afternoon,” her mother said before exiting the room. With the door closed behind her, Lucia allowed her own tears to fall. She covered her mouth to muffle her sobs. Fifteen years. That’s how long she’d been confined to that damned chair.

Later, when the sun was at its highest peak, Lucia watched as a red car pulled into their driveway, her lunch sitting beside her on a tray. The food had gone uneaten and cold while her milk had grown disgustingly warm. The car disappeared from view and Lucia propelled herself for her bedroom door. She opened it with ease and quietly guided herself down the hallway towards the stairs, where she could get a better view of this Amelia person.

She activated the brakes on her wheelchair and patiently waited for someone to open the door to allow in the newcomer. A loud bell tolled through the house and Gerald, the butler, rushed to answer the door. He gave a short bow and moved aside, making way for a petite young woman to cross the threshold.

Lucia couldn’t make out what they were saying, but judging from Gerald’s frantic hand gestures, he was rushing off to retrieve her mother. The young woman who Lucia assumed to be Amelia glanced around the house, not noticing Lucia parked at the top of the stairs.

Amelia’s flaxen hair gleamed in the random rays of sunlight filtering through the many windows in the entryway. Windows Lucia had not gotten to look through for a very long time. Lucia watched as her new tutor jumped, turning to face her mother. The two shook hands and began to walk towards the stairs.

When they climbed up to the landing, the two women froze at the sight of Lucia. Her mother gave an encouraging smile and began to lead Amelia towards her. “And this is my lovely daughter, Lucia!” Her mother’s tone was one of faux excitement, for Lucia knew just by gazing upon her face, she was still hurting from their altercation from before.

Amelia’s hair fell over her shoulder as she leaned over, holding her hand out. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Lucia. I’m-” she began to say.

“Amelia, I know,” Lucia interrupted, never lifting her hand to complete the shake. “Also, I’m in a wheelchair not shorter than you, but then again, in both instances it’s rather rude to hunch over just to shake my hand. Just stand.”

“Lucia!” Her mother started, but Amelia waved her hand as she stood straight.

“No, Ms. Fagen, she’s perfectly fine. She has a point. If I do something that upsets her, I’d rather her tell me outright. I apologize, Lucia, I wasn’t being considerate,” her voice was naturally soft with a touch of sweetness.

“Apology accepted,” Lucia said, unlocking her brakes. “Come, I’ll show you to the study. That is unless, Mother, you have an issue with that?” Her mother’s eyes were downcast as she shook her head.

“No, darling, that’s quite alright. You two go ahead. I’m going to finish helping Mrs. Largen in the garden.” She turned, hurriedly retreating down the stairs.

Lucia led her down the hallway, opening the door to her father’s long abandoned study. They entered quietly and Amelia closed the door quietly behind them. “This is a beautiful study,” she complimented. Lucia felt a warm feeling shiver up her back.

“Thank you. It was my father’s.”

“Oh…I’m sorry for your loss.” Lucia shook her head and propelled herself towards the desk.

“He’s not dead. Just not around. Hasn’t been since my accident.” Amelia nodded her head as she bit her lip in thought.

“Would it be rude of me to ask what happened? Your mother really didn’t give me much to go on…” Lucia tipped her head up to the ceiling, slowly turning herself around to face Amelia. The study’s radiant natural light casted soft glows about Amelia’s face and eyes, the shades of indigo and violet shining brightly.

Lucia froze for a moment, lost in those eyes. She blinked a few times, tearing her eyes from Amelia’s. “I um…I fell,” she admitted, her stomach suddenly bound with nervous fluttering. Amelia gave hear a saddened smile as she nodded her head. Lucia forced herself to look back at Amelia, her palms slick with sweat. “I was five and climbing around the outside of the house. I…saw something and fell onto the fencing outside.”

Amelia covered her mouth as she omitted a soft gasp. “You mean those spikes on the top? You fell onto those? H-how aren’t you dead?” Lucia gave a chuckle, gripping the wheels of her chair nervously.

“The spike I fell on nearly severed my spinal cord. Luckily, one of the maids found me and got help. The doctors fixed me up…I can walk, but barely. So, my mother keeps me locked up in the house. She’s worried I’ll get hurt again.” Amelia’s heart fell into the pits of her stomach.

“You…don’t go outside?” Lucia dropped her hands into her lap and stared longingly at them as she shook her head. Amelia slipped the bag from her shoulders, discarding it onto a nearby loveseat. From the bag, she withdrew a large book. “Why don’t we start with some Shakespeare today?” Lucia glanced up and smiled softly.

“Please.” She came to the loveseat and sat beside Amelia as she sat herself down. Their knees touched as they sat close to share the text. Lucia felt her stomach doing somersaults at the mere closeness.

A few weeks passed and Lucia had grown accustomed to sitting at the top of the stairs while she waited for Amelia to arrive. Gerald would let her in with a bow and take her coat. The two women would lock eyes and Lucia’s stomach would instantly begin to do flips. Amelia would waste no time bounding up the steps to greet her and the two would adjourn to the study.

They went over many subjects during the weekdays. The weekends were rather lonesome for Lucia as she had no real company to sit and chat with until Amelia’s return on Monday afternoon. One Monday afternoon, Amelia let herself in and Lucia gave a cheery smile as Amelia hurried up the stairs, concealing something in her coat. Lucia followed her to the study and jolted when the door was slammed behind her.

She turned herself slowly and Amelia gave her a sheepish smile. “I’m sorry, I’m just very excited. I have something for you,” she admitted with a bashful smile. Lucia was taken aback. No one brought her gifts unless it was Christmas or her birthday. She parked herself beside the mahogany desk, placing her hands together in her lap. “Close your eyes.”

Lucia smiled at Amelia’s excited whispering and shut her eyes. She heard Amelia’s footfalls as they drew nearer to her and she took one of Lucia’s hands in hers. She turned each hand over and placed something heavy in them. Lucia opened her eyes and gave a soft gasp. In her hands was a small vase with several daisies in water. Amelia’s face flushed a soft pink.

“I thought perhaps you’d like to have some flowers to brighten up your room. Your mother said it’s rather dark in there.” Lucia smiled up at her, a little color coming to her face.

“Thank you, Amelia,” she whispered, happy tears coming forth in her eyes. “This is a wonderful gift.” Amelia tucked her blonde hair behind her ears.

“You’re very welcome. I picked them from my garden.” Lucia set the vase on the desk and moved herself to Amelia, throwing her arms around her in a tight embrace. Amelia leaned into it, wrapping her arms around Lucia gently, worried she’d break her somehow. The two withdrew from the hug slowly, neither really wanting it to end. Their eyes locked, soft blues against dark grays.

Amelia reached out, tucking some auburn hair behind Lucia’s ear. Her fingertips traced down Lucia’s jawline, causing her hair to stand on end. Without any rational thought, Lucia leaned in and tenderly planted her lips against Amelia’s, who was caught completely off guard by this display of affection.

Amelia reached up, cupping Lucia’s face as she returned the kiss while the fingers of her other hand found their way into Lucia’s mane. The kiss was soft and tender, carried on for what felt like mere seconds, and caused both women to feel fireworks sparking in their bellies.

Suddenly, Amelia pulled away while Lucia stared back at her in shock, a hand touching her reddened lips. Their faces both glowed pink with blush and without another word, Amelia grabbed her things and bolted from the room. Lucia hurried after her, but the stairs, ever her enemy, stopped her from going further. She watched as Amelia slammed the door behind her. Her mother and Gerald came into view. Tears stung Lucia’s eyes as she watched Gerald chase after Amelia while her mother turned, meeting her heartbroken gaze.

Her mother began to slowly approach the steps, having not seen her daughter cry in quite some time. Lucia quickly escaped to her room, locking the door behind her. A concerned knock came at the door. “Darling, are you alright?” Her mother called and attempted the knob.

Lucia choked back a sob. “Go away! Please just go away,” she said with a quivering voice. She threw the drapes closed, leaving her room in darkness. The rest of the week dragged on with no visits or calls from Amelia. Lucia never left her bed unless it was for some necessity. Her pale skin only grew paler and without the sun’s rays to give her body vitamin D, her lips became chapped and near blue.

One morning she awoke to find the daisies from Amelia on her bedside table. Lucia stared at them longingly, tears building in her eyes again. When her breakfast came in, it was her mother who brought it instead of Gerald or Rowena, the head maid. She gave her daughter a cautious smile and slowly approached her.

“Good morning, my darling, I’m hoping you’ll eat today,” she said in an encouraging voice as she set the tray on her lap. Lucia wrung her hands together and raised her eyes to meet her mother’s.

“Has Amelia called? Is she coming back? It’s been well over two weeks,” Lucia asked in a small voice. Her mother’s smile faltered and she looked down at her feet before answering.

“She hasn’t I’m afraid, sweetheart, and I do wish you’d tell me what happened between you two. You seemed to getting on so well.” Lucia shrugged her shoulders and remained silent as she stared at her tray. Buttered toast, two fried eggs, three pieces of sausage, and a short glass of milk.

“Mother, I’m not really hungry. Could you take this out with you please?” She asked, her voice was barely above a whisper. Her mother sighed heavily and moved the tray to her daughter’s side. She planted a quick kiss atop her head before departing.

After another week and Monday afternoon was arriving. Lucia having refused her lunch was sent to bathe by her mother’s orders. Her kindly bath nurse, Bethanne, silently helped her with washing. Lucia mustered some of her strength to help Bethanne get her from the tub back to her wheelchair. Lucia said a soft thank you and Bethanne gave her curt nod before helping her dry off and dress.

Lucia was placed back in bed and she tilted her head back, closing her eyes. Bethanne exited in silence, leaving Lucia to her morose thoughts. Somewhere downstairs, the clock chimed one o’clock and the doorbell rang. Lucia released a heavy sigh and folded her hands together over her abdomen.

A soft knock came at her door. “Go away please. I wish to be alone,” she said in a firm voice. The door opened against her wishes and closed again. Lucia kept her eyes closed as the person walked through her room. The curtains were pulled aside, letting in more light. Lucia scrunched up her face and sat up. “Hey! I said-” The words died in her throat for standing before her, was Amelia dressed in a blue and white floral patterned dress that fell just above her knees.

Her hair was tossed over one shoulder in a loose braid. The sunlight casted against her back making the minute details of her face near impossible to see. “I hope you don’t mind…I let myself in. Your mother said you’ve not been yourself lately,” she said in her soft sweet voice, the sound of it caressing Lucia’s ears. Lucia gave no response, just stared back at her almost hatefully.

Amelia fiddled with the skirt of her dress and stepped closer to the bed. “She’s hoping…that perhaps we can work out our differences so I can continue tutoring you. I assume you didn’t tell her about the kiss?” Lucia looked away and shook her head solemnly. Amelia gave a sigh in response. “I do think I owe you an apology…I was hasty to just take off like I did. It was wrong and I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me for it.”

Lucia did not lift her eyes. “You stayed away for so long. I thought you’d quit,” she said in a quiet voice. The weight on the bed shifted as Amelia sat on the other side of the bed.

“I won’t lie to you…I thought about it. A part of me just wasn’t sure how I’d be able to go on tutoring you.” Lucia turned to face her to find Amelia was staring at her bare knees.

“Over a kiss. It didn’t have to mean anything,” Lucia said shamefully.

“But it did,” Amelia said in a firm voice, her cheeks becoming a flushed red. She looked into Lucia’s eyes then and a new emotion had overtaken them. “If not to you…then to me it did. It meant something to me.” She reached out slowly, taking Lucia’s hand in her gingerly.

“I never said it didn’t mean anything to me…I just didn’t realize it meant so much to you,” Lucia said softly. “I mean for me it was…well my first kiss ever. I haven’t been out of this house in nearly fifteen years…I’ve never had a friend before. Then I go and kiss the first one I make.” Amelia chuckled softly and squeezed her hand.

“I took a liking to you when we first met. A strong willed young woman who wasn’t afraid to correct someone when they’ve acted a fool? Be still my ever beating heart!” Lucia chuckled softly, her eyes brimming with tears. “I stayed away for so long, because well…I wasn’t sure I’d be able to tutor you without the strong desire to kiss you again.” Lucia’s eyes widened in surprise, her hands suddenly growing sweaty again.

“Really?” her voice was softer now, filled with nervousness and excitement. Amelia nodded her head, a coy smile growing on her face. Amelia leaned forward, planting a short gentle kiss on Lucia’s cool cheek.

“My! Your face is chilly!” Amelia exclaimed. “You really haven’t left this room since I’ve left have you?” Lucia shook her head shamefully, looking down at their joined hands. Amelia placed her free hand underneath Lucia’s chin, tipping her face up so their eyes may meet again.

“I didn’t realize my absence would affect you so…I’m terribly sorry, dearest,” Amelia whispered, her eyes growing a shade darker with sadness. “Can you find it in your heart to forgive me for leaving you for so long?” Lucia nodded her head sadly.

“As long as you don’t stay away that long again without good reason.” Amelia nodded her head, a traitorous tear spilled from her eye. Lucia reached out, wiping away the tear and then traced her fingers along Amelia’s jawline. Their gaze never faltering.

“I’d like to kiss you again…may I?” Amelia whispered, emitting a soft giggle. Lucia nodded her head gleefully in response.

“I’d be sad if you didn’t.” Amelia leaned forward and their lips touched ever so softly. The kiss grew with intensity, hands finding their way into hair, and Amelia slowly laid Lucia back against her pillows, her hands never releasing Lucia’s face. Their bodies drew closer and Lucia’s hands found Amelia’s slim waist.

When they parted, the ladies gazed into each other’s eyes dotingly. Amelia laid on the bed, resting her head on Lucia’s chest. “I did have an idea,” Amelia said, a mischievous look on her face. Lucia raised a brow.

“Such as?” Amelia sat up and rose from the bed, hurrying to collect the wheelchair.

“Why don’t we go to the beach today?” She suggested excitedly as she brought the chair before the bed. “It’s very sunny and warm out. It’s the perfect day for it!” Lucia’s hopes began to rise.

“I…I would, but my mother would never allow it. I told you she hasn’t let me leave this house in years.” Amelia smirked.

“She’s not here,” Amelia said softly. “She went into town and Gerald and Rowena are busy doing other things around the house. I’m sure we can sneak you out. You can walk a little so I’ll help you down the stairs and we’ll stash you away in my car and be back before she gets home.” Lucia’s stomach grew nervous, but she nodded her head.

After transferring into the wheelchair, Lucia propelled herself to the stairs and parked it. She grabbed hold of a banister and Amelia helped her rise to her feet. Amelia wrapped her arms protectively around Lucia’s waist, helping her down the stairs. They were a quarter of the way down the stairs when Gerald manifested on Lucia’s right side, practically carrying her down the stairs.

Lucia and him exchanged smiles and tears built in Lucia’s eyes, for this was the longest she’d walked with help. Quickly, Lucia was loaded into the car, her wheelchair stashed in the trunk. The two women set off down the road in a light blue convertible, the top down and the wind whipping through their hair. They held hands and Lucia tipped her head back, enjoying her time in the sun.

When they arrived at the beach, Amelia pulled Lucia’s wheelchair backwards through the sand and dirt. Lucia’s feet were stripped and her pants were pushed up, exposing her calves. Amelia placed her near the water’s edge and sat beside her, their feet getting wet with the cooled waves.

The day was spent laughing, telling jokes, and exchanging many kisses and lovers’ glances. The hour grew very late and Amelia helped Lucia back into the wheelchair.

They arrived back at the house to find an enraged Ms. Fagen, her face quite red. Amelia parked the car and Gerald was immediately outside, transferring Lucia back into her wheelchair as Amelia stood before Ms. Fagen being berated and scolded.

“I believe my one rule, Ms. Levinston, was that my daughter was not to leave the house! You seemed to understand that quite well yet you still disobeyed me! You’re fired. You’re no longer permitted on these grounds!”

“No!” Lucia screamed, her outrage finally overpouring. “You will not take my only friend from me too!”

Ms. Fagen sighed heavily. “Not now, Lucia. You don’t know what’s in your best interest.”

“Yes, I do!” Lucia protested. “And if I didn’t, at least Amelia does! She’s the only person who seems to care I’ve spent most of my time inside! She cares about me! If you send Amelia away, then you’ll be sending me away too.” Ms. Fagen’s eyes widened fretfully.

“Lucia,” Ms. Fagen began, but Lucia raised her hand silencing her.

“No, Mother. This isn’t up for debate. You scared my father away with your affair and I can barely use my legs if you’ll recall, it was you I saw naked that startled me to fall. You’ll give me this one thing or I shall leave home and never return! You don’t want Amelia to be my tutor, then she’ll just be my girlfriend instead.” Lucia grabbed Amelia’s hand firmly, never dropping her mother’s gaze.

Her mother nodded her head in defeat and sighed heavily, ignoring the horrified look on Amelia’s face. “Let’s go inside, darling,” Lucia declared and Amelia cleared her throat, guiding her wheelchair inside.

Later on, Amelia crawled into bed next to Lucia, planting a sweet kiss against her temple. “You really saw your mother?” Lucia nodded her head embarrassed.

“Unfortnately yes. Forever scarred, mentally and physically.” Lucia lifted her shirt and exposed a horrid scar across her abdomen. Amelia gave a gasp. “I’m lucky anything works down there.” Amelia leaned over and laid a soft kiss against the scar, sending shivers through Lucia. She came back up and laid her head on her shoulder.

“I think I like you, Lucia,” Amelia said quietly. Lucia chuckled.

“I certainly hope so!” she teased. “I like you too, Amelia. Thank you for today.” Amelia took Lucia’s hand, stroking it gently.

“It was my pleasure.” With that, they shared another kiss.