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ALL CREATURES GREAT AND SMALL | Series 4 Episode 7 — On a Wing and a Prayer

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Jennifer Anne Ehle 𝒂𝒔 𝑬𝒍𝒊𝒛𝒂𝒃𝒆𝒕𝒉 𝑩𝒆𝒏𝒏𝒆𝒕 | Pride and Prejudice 1995 BBC Miniseries — Part 1 of 6

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Siegfried Farnon in every episode 1/35 / "You've got to dream"

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ANNA MADELEY 𝒂𝒏𝒅 SAMUEL WEST | Lorraine (3 October 2024)

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As you know, I love these prompts, so:

If you're so inclined, I'd love no. 13 "You think you're untouchable, but you're not."

:)

Good evening and hello!

I did my best to fulfil your wish. The execution is not really new, but sometimes it is nice to uncork a classic trope, lol.

"I know you think you're untouchable, but you're not." With a hint of exasperation in his voice, Siegfried Farnon stared at his housekeeper and shook his head. To her big dismay this was a situation, in which she couldn't present him with a valid argument to rebut his claim.

It wasn't even eight o'clock in the morning and she was sitting on the exam table. One half of her face was bruised and battered as if she had been caught in a fistfight and her right arm was hanging in a sling, hurting even worse.

For the last couple of minutes he had treated a nasty abrasion on her cheek and temple and had made sure her shoulder wasn't dislocated or broken, just strained. He had done all of this in silence, but now that his task was finished, his restraint was a thing of the past.

"You could at least try and not look too happy about it," she retorted briskly. Aside from the fact that she was in a lot of pain, her right arm being secured in a sling meant that she was also pretty much indisposed. She wouldn't be able to work for days, if not longer, and she also couldn't do her blackout warden rounds. In other words, she would be confined to bed or to the sofa. She would be useless and being useless was one of her worst nightmares.

So, there was no need to put any more salt into her figuratively wounds.

"I'm not happy," he assured her. "But I told you so."

With furrowed brows she stared at him. It was true. He had told her not to cross the yard before he had cleared it from the snow and the ice that had built up over night. "I asked you to wait for a couple of minutes before you went out, but, of course, you thought you had to ignore my advice."

"Just because I know your 'a couple of minutes' and mine happen to differ quite often," she shot back.

"Mrs Hall, you wound me," Siegfried gave back. "Just admit that your reckless actions caused this, not my idle way of ignoring your orders."

She rolled her eyes, more annoyed with herself than him. Of course, he was right. He had offered to clear the backyard after making a phone call. It had been her own impatience, her inability to move cautiously over a layer of snow and ice just to get herself some fresh eggs from the barn. The way to the barn had been tricky, but she had managed not to slip. Only on her way back, she had lost her balance, and now her face, her shoulder and the eggs were toast - literally. They didn't even have breakfast yet, and while she had lost her appetite, Siegfried's stomach was audibly rumbling. To make it all worse, the smell of burnt toast and salted eggs were reaching her nostrils. Helen tried to cook. It was a disaster in the making, but with her bad arm she wouldn't even be able to crack an egg.

"I'm so angry with meself," she finally admitted.

"You're human, Mrs Hall," he said and she noticed that his voice had lost its mocking sound. "I know, you don't like to hear it, but taking things a little more slowly would do you good."

"More slowly?" She repeated, scoffing. What was he even talking about? As slowly as he and others took it when the phone called? The notion was absurd, coming from him it was nothing but ridiculous.

He took his time before he answered, and she sensed that he was about to give her a piece of his mind that she wasn't quite ready to hear. "It's been six weeks since you know that Edward has survived the sinking of the Repulse. In fact, you know he's on his way to back to England for further treatment and while we all know that you like to keep busy to distract yourself until he's finally here…" He sighed, struggling to get the words out. "I guess what I want to say is, there's only so much a person can…well…bear." He established eye contact with her and she did her best to swallow her rising tears, but her throat was hurting. A big lump had built inside of it, making it hard to breathe. Her instinct hadn't failed her. She hadn't wanted to hear this. Quickly she lowered her eyes, because she couldn't stand the worry and the righteousness that plainly written all over his face, and stared into her lap.

"I'm not saying you should put up your feet and read all day, not that you'll have much a choice for a couple of days now, but you could take it a little more easy," he suggested. "And trust us to help you."

"Leave Helen the cooking?" She sniffed.

"I wouldn't go that far." He cleared his throat. "But I'm serious. You've been exaggerating it for a while now, and it's eating at you." At least he didn't mention that he thought she looked haggard or awful, but sometimes she felt his eyes on her, knowing he was concerned, but too well-mannered to voice his opinion. She had lost some weight and when she looked at her own reflection in the mirror, she saw a grey face and lines of worry that had spread all over her face.

She wasn't blind, just unwilling to reset. She wouldn't, not until Edward was back on English soil.

She wiped a lonely tear from her face as he slowly placed her pinny over she shoulders and gave her healthy one an encouraging squeeze. "You're not alone. We're here for you." He reached inside his pocket and gave her his hanky.

"I know," she nodded. "But I…"

"I know," he assured her. "I do. I invented this mood. I'm an ostrich and the whole world is sand."

Now he had managed to make her chuckle. "Ostriches are very elegant birds," she said and let her eyes travel along his deep red waistcoat with the fitting tie. It was one of her favourite outfits on him, and she loved ironing that tie.

"You'll feel better in a couple of days," he assured her. He pulled one of the drawers open and gave her a couple of pills. "For the pain."

"Are you sure that's not just for cats?" She asked, rolling the pills in the palm of her hand.

"It's not. I won't poison my pick of the bunch."

"You're afraid you could end up at Helen's mercy for the foreseeable, aren't you?"

"You know me so well," he conceded, but then his face sobered up. "But you will rest for a couple of days. Read a book, listen to some records. Give yourself time to heal, and if you feel the need to vent, come to me. I can take it."

She didn't doubt it. He had proven time and again that he was able to take whatever mood she was throwing at him. Why he did put up with it all she didn't know, and she didn't dare to ask him. With a heavy sigh, she nodded. He passed her a glass of water, watching her closely as she obediently swallowed the painkillers.

Just when she wanted to hop from the exam table, he placed his hands on her waist and helped her down. Ever so gently she glided down to the floor, supported by his steady grip. For a moment their bodies touched, and she held her breath upon the unexpected and intimate gesture. She hadn't felt a body against hers in ages. It felt surprisingly good, even life affirming.

"Thank you," she whispered, unsure what she was thanking him for. Stitching her up? Pep-talking her? Touching her in way no man had in over a decade? It had been a gesture that suddenly made her feel daringly feminine and somewhat beautiful, despite her soiled appearance. A warmth, consuming and bold took hold of her.

"You're very welcome, Mrs Hall," he replied, looking deeply into her eyes. "If we hurry, you can coach Helen on making scrambled eggs without burning down the scullery."

"Yes," she agreed, still a bit irritated by the emotions his touch had evoked in her. It was dangerous terrain. The line between them had been recklessly challenged this morning and it wasn't even eight o'clock. "Yes," she repeated, still standing only an inch apart from him. "Let's save what's left to save."

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LADIES IN LAVENDER (2004) Written and directed by Charles Dance Based on a 1908 short story by William J. Locke

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Audrey noooooooo

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View and download the PDF version of the magazine here

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ANNA MADELEY 𝒂𝒔 ESTHER | Aftersun (2006)

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ANNA MADELEY 𝒂𝒔 ESTHER | Aftersun (2006)

(for @gwyneira)

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CRANFORD Series 1 (2007) Episode 1 — June 1842

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ANNA MADELEY 𝒂𝒏𝒅 SAMUEL WEST | Lorraine (3 October 2024)

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ANNA MADELEY | All Creatures Great and Small Cast — Vulture Festival 2022

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RUFUS SEWELL 𝒂𝒔 WILL LADISLAW | Middlemarch (1994)

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Audrey Hall in every episode 1/35 "You've got to dream"

"I know you're the patron saint of lost causes, but really..." "And what exactly is that supposed to mean?"

"That you care about people who ... who sometimes don't deserve it." "Oh on that we must agree."

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ALL CREATURES GREAT AND SMALL | Series 2 (2021) "Green Carpet"

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ANNA MADELEY 𝒂𝒏𝒅 SAMUEL WEST | Lorraine (3 October 2024)