The title and the estate were the last thing on his mind. They were all second to Marjorie’s happiness and the assurance that she would be well taken care of as a wife.
“I have not seen her in two weeks, since she has been on bedrest,” Percival admitted, “but I have been writing every single day.”
Alexander felt as if a dark talon clutched at his heart and refused to allow it to beat. He wrote to her every day? Marjorie never mentioned it.
Why would she?A little voice asked him. It was, after all, none of this concern whether she was writing to the man who was courting her. The green-eyed monster roared from somewhere inside of him. He tried to subdue it, keep it in its cage, but the monster was growing more and more restless with each passing day. Perhaps the best option would be for him to completely remove himself from their sight. Once the orphanage was finished, Alexander would take a long vacation, somewhere abroad. Yes, that would be the best for everyone involved.
“Haddington?” Percival’s voice brought him back to the painful, present moment, the one he could escape from only in his dreams.
“Sorry, old boy,” Alexander approached him, and patted him on the shoulder cheerfully. This act was more effortful than he thought it would be. “I’m afraid I haven’t slept well these past several days, so I am not much of an audience these days.”
“To be honest, I am quite eager to get going…” Percival could not stop smiling, and it irritated Alexander immensely. He tried reminding himself that what was about to take place had little to do with him. Whether he felt irritated or calm mattered little. He was only supposed to be there out of societal propriety, nothing else.
“I am ready when you are,” Alexander managed a smile, although every drum of his heart sounded like someone was hammering his head.
The carriage ride to Marjorie’s home was short and filled with Percival’s comments regarding the couple’s marriage arrangements and their prospective vacation destinations. Alexander did his best to listen. He nodded occasionally. He looked at Percival straight in the eyes, not straying to the side even for a moment. Percival’s voice was cheerful, even annoyingly so in some moments, but Alexander reminded himself that was exactly what a man in love sounded like. Marjorie was a fortunate woman to have someone care so deeply about her, to be so overjoyed at the thought of her becoming his wife.
The carriage stopped. Percival held Alexander’s gaze. The silence that reigned in the carriage was disconcerting, as if there were something teaming underneath the surface of their friendship. Alexander felt guilty, knowing that he was to blame for ruining this moment. He was not handling it as well as he had hoped he would. The situation felt as foreign as the emotions inside of him, and yet, none of it felt wrong. His love for Marjorie was not wrong.
Searched his mind for something to say to his friend, but he could not find any. His mind was a blank. It had failed him.
Percival smiled at him. “Come, old boy.” The way he said it made Alexander believe that Percival was a better man than he was. As such, he certainly deserved Marjorie’s love and devotion.
The two were welcomed into Marjorie’s home by Annie, then led to the drawing room. Percival took a seat on the sofa. Alexander could not force himself to sit down. Instead, he walked over to the window and glanced outside. He could see the garden. He closed his eyes, remembering the children’s laughter, little Jonathan’s handshake, his hug, the way he looked at him. This all happened because Marjorie came back into his life. She made him a better man, far better than he ever thought he could be. He was finally the man his father always saw him as… all because of her.
To distract himself, Alexander looked at the artwork on the walls. The chandelier was simple, but effective. The entire room was minimalistic, but every piece was carefully chosen to make a statement. He would gladly continue with the overview of the room, had it not been for the appearance of Marjorie at the door.
She looked breath-taking in a light green gown, which seemed to make her blazing red hair even more noticeable. She didn’t walk over to them. She seemed to float, like a dream, caught between two realities that threatened to collide.
“Gentlemen,” she beamed at them, like a beacon of hope in the darkest of nights. “It is always a pleasure to see you both. I have arranged for tea to be brought shortly.”
“Marjorie,” Percival immediately got up and walked over to her. He took her hand possessively, placing a kiss on it. “I am glad to see you up and about.”
“It truly was not as dire as others would have you believe,” she smiled. “Alexander just made a bit of a fuss.”
“Hedoestend to do that, doesn’t he?” Percival laughed, but Marjorie only smiled gently. He released her hand, seeming slightly nervous.
Alexander swallowed heavily.Here it goes. If you have anything to say, say it now, or forever be silent.That little voice was right. If he wanted to tell her about his feelings, he ought to do it right this very moment. His lips parted. He could already form the words in his mind, but those same words never reached his tongue. Only empty breaths left his lips, as he watched Percival say the words he himself yearned to say.
“Marjorie…” Percival started, carefully choosing his words. “You came into my life for a reason, and I know that reason is to have you by my side, as my wife.” He turned to Alexander, gesturing at him with his hand. “With Alexander here, as our witness, I want to ask you something special, something that would change both our lives…”
She listened, breathless, motionless.
“Marjorie Leeson, would you make me the happiest man on earth by becoming my wife?”
The question echoed in the drawing room, reverberating against the walls, then coming back to Alexander, so he would keep hearing it repeatedly, until Marjorie finally broke the wicked spell.
She looked at Alexander first, then at Percival. Her face was the face of an angel, her words the soft whisper of the mountain river. Alexander knew he could listen to her forever, no matter what she was saying, even if that meant hearing her say yes to Percival. But she shocked them both with her response.
“Percival, I… I am deeply flattered by your proposal,” she started, her voice trembling. Alexander knew her well enough to know that she felt uneasy. She was asked too soon. “But with the children still not taken care of, and the new orphanage, I feel like I need a little bit of time to give you my reply. If that is all right with you, of course.”
It was evident that Percival was not expecting her to say that. His gaze flew about the room frantically, while he searched for the words to say. Alexander could notice his fingers trembling. Marjorie could notice it, too, so she took his hands into her own. That made Percival face her. His eyes searched for hers for a sign. Alexander wondered if he found what he was looking for.
“This is not a no, dear Percival,” she smiled at him. “I simply need some time to sort out my affairs first, then my heart. May I ask you to be patient a little while longer?”
Percival’s good mood seemed to return instantly. He was smiling.
“Of course,” he nodded. “You may ask anything of me. If time is what you need, then time is what you shall receive.”
