"It is dreadful; truly dreadful. Poor Miss Thorpe - what terrible luck she has suffered!"

Helena took another sip of tea through pursed lips. In her opinion, Margaret's plight had nothing to do with luck and everything to do with one hateful Mr Roach - but she had not the energy to contradict Louisa.

"Indeed," she replied mildly instead.

It had now been three days since the evening they had returned from the opera to find baby George unwell; and unfortunately, the infant's situation had in no way improved since the doctor's first visit. Between them, Margaret and Mary had been continuously attending to the little boy, dutifully dampening his forehead with a wet cloth in a futile attempt to bring down his fever. With each passing day, the sombre atmosphere in the house intensified, as the rise and fall of little George's chest grew ever more laboured, its dreadful rattling sound ever more pronounced.

"I cannot imagine how agonising it must be for Miss Thorpe, to watch her son suffer so," murmured Louisa darkly.

Helena shared Louisa's sentiments. She felt desperately sorry for all that Margaret had suffered. Although Mary claimed that Margaret had chosen to enter into physical relations with Mr Roach, there was always the danger that he had pressured her into it - and after her own harrowing experience with the brutes at the inn, Helena would not wish such an ordeal upon her worst enemy.

"I feel it rather improper, almost, to speak of anything but little George," said Louisa, bouncing her own John gently on her knee, "yet there is something I must mention, Helena."

"Oh?" replied Helena, interest piqued.

With Louisa's next words, however, she lost interest entirely.

"It is about Joseph..."

"I cannot think what you could have to tell me regarding Joseph," interrupted Helena curtly. "I believe all which needs to be said has been spoken between us."

Louisa tutted irritably, startling the child on her knee.

"No, Helena!" she snapped. "I will not have it!"

Now it was not only John who was startled; Helena's eyes widened at the sharpness in her friend's tone.

"Louisa!" she gasped. "Whatever is the meaning of this?"

"The time has come," announced Louisa dramatically, "for explanation."

"Explanation regarding what, pray tell?"

Louisa uttered another tut, eyes flashing.

"Regarding your reasoning for eschewing my brother and breaking his heart, when it is very well known to me that you have for many years been ardently in love with him!"

"I..." spluttered Helena incoherently, taken completely aback by Louisa's outburst. "I am not in love with Joseph! I cannot think where you might have gathered such a peculiar notion..."

"Enough with these falsehoods!" exclaimed Louisa fiercely.

"You cannot conceal the truth from me," she added, in a softer tone. "We have known each other far too long for that. I only wish to understand why you insist on inflicting such unnecessary pain on both yourself and Joseph."

"Unnecessary?" spluttered Helena incredulously. "Louisa, if you claim to know I have been in love with Joseph for many years, then surely you must understand why I cannot continue our friendship as it was prior to his Grand Tour!"

"No," replied Louisa, "quite the contrary, in fact - I cannot see any reason for you to end such a remarkable friendship."

Helena uttered a cry of frustration; could Louisa truly not see how difficult it would be to remain friends with Joseph, whilst always aware she would fall second to his wife?

"He is married, Louisa!" exclaimed Helena.

Louisa's face worked through a number of expressions in rapid succession.

"Married?" she echoed, shocked. "What on earth gave you that idea?"

Now it was Helena's turn to be confused.

"I... he..." she stuttered helplessly, firmly quashing the minuscule glimmer of hope alighting within her.

"It was Mary who informed me," she told Louisa. "And, if I recall correctly, it was you who informed her, on the day of our arrival in London."

Louisa bristled indignantly.

"I did no such thing!" she countered, "for there is no truth to it! Married, indeed! Can you truly not see that it is you who Joseph wishes to marry?"

Helena shook her head, determinedly ignoring Louisa's words.

"Mary would not tell a falsehood; certainly not one relating to such an important matter!" Helena protested.

"I truly cannot think how she came to such a conclusion," insisted Louisa, "for our conversation was in fact on the matter of whether you were betrothed to Lord Carningsby, as Joseph believed you to be."

Helena frowned, puzzled.

"How came Joseph to know of Lord Carningsby?" she asked. "He had embarked on his Grand Tour when Lord Carningsby first came to Cheshire."

Louisa's lips pursed in displeasure.

"My scheming sister-in-law," replied Louisa grimly. "It would seem that Sally had Simon write to Joseph upon his return to England, informing him that you were Lord Carningsby's betrothed. Upon hearing this news, Joseph elected not to return to Cheshire, unable to bear the thought of witnessing you marry another when he loves you so fiercely himself."

Helena's cheeks flushed beetroot-red. Her heart felt as though it had taken leave of her body to float somewhere above her head - but still she forced herself to remain calm, refusing to raise her hopes just yet.

"Simon wrote to Joseph - informing him I was engaged?" she squeaked.

"Yes," affirmed Louisa. "Although Mary assured me that this is not, in fact, true."

"Indeed it is not!" replied Helena. "Lord Carningsby had made his intentions clear, and I was expecting a proposal - however, I could not have accepted while I knew there was still some small chance of Joseph returning to Cheshire. But then Sally informed me that Joseph was married!"

Louisa shook her head in frustration.

"If this were not a cause of such distress for two people whom I hold very dear, I should find it all terribly romantic!" she sighed. "To think that you have been waiting for one another all this time, despite each believing the other to be attached!"

Helena blinked blearily, still attempting to process the unthinkable.

"It was Sally," she murmured, to nobody in particular. "All the pain I have suffered these past months is due to falsehoods told by Sally Godwin."

"It would appear so."

Helena uttered a cry of outrage.

"Oh! Never have I felt so vexed!" she exclaimed. "To think that woman masqueraded as a companion, warning me against pursuing Joseph further - yet all the while this was part of her grand façade to prevent Joseph and I from forming a union! And for what purpose? What could she have possibly hoped to achieve in denying us the opportunity to marry?"

"Perhaps we shall never know," replied Louisa matter-of-factly, "though that is of little concern now!"

"Of little concern!" echoed Helena shrilly, aware that she was becoming quite worked-up.

Under any other circumstances, Helena would have near died of mortification at the thought of creating such a display - but at this present moment, she was fully consumed by feral rage towards the blasted Sally Godwin for daring to interfere in her relationship with Joseph.

"Please calm yourself, Helena, so that I may explain," pressed Louisa.

With a heavy sigh, Helena forced herself to comply.

"I cannot imagine how vexing it must be, to discover a woman you regarded an acquaintance has used you so ill," said Louisa soothingly. "Yet what you must remember, dearest Helena, is that Sally Godwin did not succeed."

Helena considered this a moment.

"You see, you know it in your heart to be true," continued Louisa, gathering momentum. "For was it not Sally's aim to thrust both Joseph and you into the arms of respective others? Did she not endeavour to prevent each of you from fully accepting your love for one another?

"This she attempted, yet her scheme met with failure. Despite her devious meddling, you and Joseph both remain unattached, and in love. There is no longer anything preventing you from forming an attachment at long last!"

It was as if the drapes had been pulled open across Helena's mind, illuminating her world all of a sudden to the most glorious sunlight.

"He is truly unattached?" she clarified, needing to hear it with the utmost certainty before she allowed herself to hope.

"Truly unattached," affirmed Louisa, "for there is none but you with whom he would wish to form an attachment."

Helena's breath shot out in a great whoosh as she drank in her friend's words. A great bubble of elation was fast forming in her stomach, and she hardly knew how to cope with such levels of happiness.

All her hopes and dreams come true, in the most unexpected of moments! And Louisa was right about Sally - vexing though it was to know that she had been meddling in Helena's affairs, she could revel in the knowledge that Sally had not succeeded. For she still loved Joseph - and he loved her!

"I hardly know what to think!" said Helena breathlessly. "Truly, Louisa, you have made me the happiest woman in the whole of Grosvenor Square - nay, the whole of London!"

Louisa's lips quirked in amusement.

"I believe the power to make you the happiest woman in London rests, in fact, with Joseph," she replied.

Helena's face fell as she considered this.

"I have behaved abominably!" she wailed, bubble of elation disappearing without a trace. "Throughout my time in London, I have made it very clear to Joseph that I no longer wish to continue our friendship! Oh, Louisa - whatever am I to do?"

"There is but one thing you can do," Louisa told her firmly, "and that is to explain your mistake to Joseph, and ask forgiveness for your behaviour since being in London."

Helena's heart sank. Louisa was, unfortunately, right again - but Helena had no desire to face Joseph after the mortification she had caused herself.

"You are right," replied Helena sullenly. "I shall simply have to swallow my pride and make my apologies, whenever Joseph and I are next together."

"But dearest Helena, there is no time quite like the present!" sang Louisa, who seemed to be enjoying this rather too much for Helena's liking. "Joseph is hurt by your cold behaviour, it is true - but you now know him to be in love with you, and so you know that he will readily forgive you once an apology is made.

"You have waited far too long, Helena - why wait a moment longer?"

It was true, Helena realised - why wait, indeed?

When Sally had informed Helena that Joseph was unlikely to be returning home, she should, within all sense and reason, have given up on him entirely. Yet somehow, inexplicably, she had not found it possible to do so, despite the knowledge she was likely confining herself to the existence of a spinster. She had never entirely given up hope.

And now, finally, there were no obstacles in the way - other than her own cowardice, of course. The same cowardice which had prevented Helena from ever making her own decisions on any matter of importance before, allowing those around her to shape her life.

Not anymore.

With a surge of determination, Helena rose to her feet.

"I shall speak with Joseph directly," she informed Louisa, speaking with an unfamiliar sort of authority.

"Then I wish you the very best of luck, my dear."

Without further ado, Helena swept out of the room, momentum carrying her halfway upstairs to Lord Eldham's study, where she knew Joseph to be, before her courage failed her upon reaching the landing. Hovering outside the study with her hand poised to knock, Helena debated whether she truly wanted to go through with this - when the choice was taken away from her by the abrupt opening of the door before her, followed by the emergence of none other than Joseph himself from within!

"Good day, Helena," he greeted her, without any of his usual warmth. Although it was none but Helena's own fault, Joseph's tone of disinterest made her positively cringe with misery.

"I suppose you are here to speak with Lord Eldham."

Helena swallowed anxiously, feeling her face grow hot.

"No," she replied meekly, wishing for some of the earlier authority to return to her voice. "I came to speak with you."

Before Joseph could make his reply, Lord Eldham appeared beside him, with an inexplicably smug smile upon his face.

"By all means, make use of my study," he told Helena, stepping out onto the landing. "I was just now headed out to take my afternoon walk."

"Oh!" murmured Helena, taken aback by his offer. "I - thank you."

With that, Lord Eldham made his way downstairs - leaving Helena and Joseph alone.

"Shall we?" squeaked Helena, gesturing towards the compact room with its lavish mahogany furnishings which reeked of male power.

A rather bemused Joseph made his way into the study, and Helena followed, very dearly wishing her mind had not chosen this moment to take leave of its senses.

Once inside the confined space, the tension between its two occupants was palpable. Helena felt her palms grow moist as she desperately willed herself to utter a perfect speech which would put this horrible matter to rest at once.

Instead, she found herself gazing with sorrow at the dullness of Joseph's grey eyes, knowing it was she who was solely responsible for his despondency.

Would he truly forgive her? Dare she hope?

"Joseph," she began, without any clear idea of where she was heading. "I have come to offer my sincerest apologies."

Joseph's eyes widened in surprise; clearly this was not at all what he had been expecting. He made no reply, forcing Helena to continue with her precarious explanation.

"There is no excusing the cold and distant way I have treated you since my arrival in London," admitted Helena, "only that I mistakenly believed you to be married."

Joseph's eyebrows shot up still further, in danger of disappearing into his mass of jet black hair.

"Married?" he echoed incredulously.

"Yes," replied Helena, mortified, "and - and it caused me great distress to hear so."

A brief flicker of hope passed across Joseph's face, causing Helena's heart to stir.

"What on earth led you to believe that?" muttered Joseph, perplexed.

"A combination of insinuations from your sister-in-law, and a misunderstanding on Mary's part," Helena told him.

"Sally?" replied Joseph angrily.

"Yes - but what matters is that I now know it not to be true," continued Helena, courage returning with each word she spoke. "As you, I believe, now know that I am not, in fact, betrothed to one Lord Carningsby."

Joseph affirmed with a nod.

"We are both, therefore, unattached," concluded Helena.

Heart hammering, Helena waited with bated breath as the full extent of her words sunk in. She watched as Joseph's face moved from confusion, through disbelief, before finally coming to rest in the most glorious smile of elation Helena had ever witnessed.

"My dearest Helena!" he uttered breathlessly, enclosing her palms within his own as his gaze searched her face intently. "Do your words truly carry the meaning I most desperately hope them to?"

Helena responded with her own giddy smile, heart feeling as though it were about to take flight.

"I love you, Joseph," she told him. "I cannot recall the exact moment my feelings for you surpassed that of a friend - only know that I have waited an eternity for the opportunity to utter these words to you. I could never have married Lord Carningsby, nor any other man - for you are the only man I ever have, and ever will love."

The sense of release at finally having her deepest secret out in the open was utterly overwhelming. Helena could not even bring herself to feel the mortification at having spoken so boldly - for it was the gentleman, of course, who should make the declaration of love to the lady. But such had never been the way with Joseph - although he was nothing less than a perfect gentleman, he also viewed Helena as more of an equal than any other of his sex had, and so Helena knew he would not view her speech as improper.

Moments later, Joseph confirmed this to be true.

"Oh, Helena!" he replied delightedly, "you have no idea how happy you have made me! All this time, I dared to hope, thinking it to be in vain..."

"As did I," murmured Helena softly.

"Yet it matters not now - oh, truly, I feel as though all my troubles have suddenly become insignificant!" Joseph told her, enveloping her at once in a warm embrace.

Helena pulled back, wary.

"Does this mean we are now courting?" she asked uncertainly.

Joseph laughed, the sound youthful and full of joy.

"I believe it does! Only if is your wish, of course."

Helena did not even pause to consider her answer.

"I would like nothing more."

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A/N: This chapter ended up as quite a long one! I hope the Jelena shippers out there enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed writing it. ;) I figured we needed a little moment of joy at Grosvenor Square, with all the drama and misery that had been going on there!

As always, I'd love to hear your thoughts - all comments and votes are much appreciated! :)