“I feel like that is still not enough,” Marjorie admitted. “Yes, Alex and I will provide a roof over their heads, a warm bed, good meals and even work for those who are old enough, but– “
“But what?” Edith wondered. “They know how much you care about them. They can sense it. Don’t think they cannot. What you are doing for them, it is not just providing food and shelter, to put it in very simplistic terms. You are doing so much more for them. You are giving them hope. You are the light in a long, dark tunnel which many of them have believed to be endless. You proved them wrong. You brought light to them, hope, a soothing sensation which they haven’t felt in a long time. So, if you ask me, you are doing enough.”
Marjorie looked at the children again. She felt so fortunate that she found a man who understood what these children meant to her. She wanted to see them all have better lives, to grow up happy and make something of themselves. She wanted them to know that there was always a possibility of leading a good life, and it all depended on them. Their lives were in their hands. That knowledge was irreplaceable.
“Oh, my dear, sweet Edith, what ever would I do without you?” Marjorie wondered, unable to stop smiling.
“Fortunately, you shall never have to find out,” Edith replied, and at that very moment, Alexander walked out of the house with several of his servants, carrying the creamed ice.
He did not even need to announce his arrival. Jonathan was the first who had noticed them. He pointed his eager little finger at them and shouted for everyone else to hear.
“Creamed ice!” There was so much excitement in his voice, so much of that innocent, childhood longing that Marjorie could feel herself equally desiring creamed ice as if she had never eaten it before.
A swarm of children flocked towards the table, gathering around Alexander before he had even brought the treat. Their enthusiastic voices kept demanding to know what flavors he had brought, listing any that they could remember ever seeing.
“Any flavor you come up with, I’ve got it!” Alexander informed them, with a few gasps audible.
“Any flavor?” one of the children asked in awe.
“Any,” he confirmed. “Now, let us see what are we in the mood for, young ladies and gentlemen?” All the children had their hands up in the air. “All right then… Clara?” Alexander pointed at a girl of about seven, with two long braids on either side of her face and big, doe-like eyes.
“Caramel?” she whispered shyly.
“Why, we most certainly have caramel,” Alexander assured her, then turned to the servants. “A caramel iced cream for the little lady, if you will. Next? Uhm… Jonathan?”
“Chocolate?” Jonathan voiced his desire much more confidently than Clara, which made all the adults chuckle.
“Straight for the posh stuff, eh? Chocolate it is,” he smiled. “Now, let’s see… Lizzie?”
“Do you perhaps have lavender?” Lizzie was another shy girl of about nine, small statured but with a mind that seemed to soak up everything around her.
“Does the sun rise in the east, Lizzie?” Alexander wondered, to which she only nodded importantly, blushing ever so slightly. “How could we not have something as crucial as lavender? Gentlemen…” He turned to the servants again, and kept taking more orders for ice cream, as Marjorie gazed on.
As she watched him reveal that he knew every single child’s name by heart, she could not help but notice that everything about him was beautiful, even his fingers which so deftly found the right container of creamed ice and served it to the child in question. Every single part of his body and his mind attracted her attention, making her focus solely on him and nothing else.
She wondered how she did not see this man for who he was before. Perhaps they were both hiding their true selves from each other, afraid of what they might feel. The man she saw before her now was strong, unafraid to show his soft side. In other words, he was the epitome of a good man, the kind of man she wanted to cherish for the rest of her life.
He was also the man who knew everything about her. He knew her past, her present, and it was in his hands that her future lay. She no longer had to fear whether she would be accepted by her future husband once he knew the entire story of her life. Alex knew her, body, mind, and soul. He knew her, and he still loved her. And to her, he was also beloved, cherished, vital.
Once all the children’s hunger for creamed ices was satiated, he brought two goblets for her and Edith.
“Ladies,” he smiled at them, serving the creamed ices. “I have taken the liberty of choosing the flavors for you. I hope I have chosen well.”
“I chose you,” she smiled back. “Any other choice in life for me is irrelevant.”
With those words, he pressed his lips against hers. She could taste strawberry and vanilla. The sweetness of summer. The taste of her life forever more.
Epilogue
Alexander looked about. The children looked eager, impatient. He could understand why. They all stood huddled to the side, careful not to step on the street behind them. He had not made any public announcement in the newspapers or anywhere else. He considered it, but then decided against it. The ton did not need to know that a new orphanage was just about to open. If they wished to know, they could have inquired or even offered financial support, which truth be told, he was not in need of. The only persons who truly needed to know about this were already there.
He looked to his right. Marjorie stood there, looking more ravishing than ever. Her dress was the simplest shade of light blue, without any adorning or details, but that was what made it so strikingly effective on an occasion such as this one. Her hat was of a similar color, hiding the fire of her hair and the gentle paleness of her face. Her gloved hand rested in his.
To his right, Edith was accompanied by his friend Timothy, the same friend who served as a witness in the church on the day of their wedding. he could almost feel that there was something unspoken going on between them, the way they would glance at each other, then quickly turn away. But Timothy was too focused on his work and especially his travels to pay any attention to a lady, even a fine lady such as Edith. But he could not bother himself with that right now. If there was any fire there, Marjorie would know.
The rest of the guests were the children themselves. Now it seemed there were twice as many as before. He smiled at this realization. The lack of other adults, especially those belonging to the ton, comforted him. He did not need their appraisal or their applause. The only guests he needed were already present and accounted for.
“Should I just open the door and let them in?” Alexander leaned closer to Marjorie, whispering in her ear.
