“I don’t know, Ma. Sean’s a man of his word and I can’t see him backin’ out.”
“Then you must let him know you’re willin’ to release him from his promise, in a very soft-spoken and ladylike way, but only if that’s truly what you want. It is what you want, isn’t it?”
Silence greeted her question.
“Well, daughter, you’d best make up your mind. That was a very angry man on the telephone from what I could hear, and I doubt he’ll be one to let that sort of thing go by without dealin’ with it.”
“Do you think Sean will be a cruel husband?” Maeve asked, leaning forward in her chair.
Margaret was quiet so long Maeve thought she wasn’t going to answer and slumped onto the table dramatically.
“I don’t think The O’Malley has a cruel nature, but he does strike me as a man who’d be extremely firm on some matters. He’ll soften with age, most men do, but in the beginnin’, it would be best to mind him if you can. You won’t be able to twist him around your finger as you’ve done with your da, but Sean does have a sense of humor.
“I’ve observed the twinkle in his eye when he watches you finagle your own way, but I doubt he’ll allow you to outright disobey him. There’s a certain sternness about him you shouldn’t underestimate. You’ll toe the line, mindin’ your P’s & Q’s as his wife. By the way, did he get the job?”
“He doesn’t know yet. They’ve called him back for another interview, so it looks promisin’.”
“When would he have to start work?”
“I’m not sure about that either. Everythin’ seems to be a big secret. I expect he’ll know more after Tuesday.”
“Well, in any case, you need to return to school. Whether you marry him or not, you need your certificate.”
“I know it’s my own stubborn pride that keeps gettin’ me into trouble,” Maeve admitted.
“You don’t say.” Margaret laughed.
* * *
In the coming weeks Maeve found her mother’s plan was much more difficult to adhere to than she’d imagined. She hated the dowdy clothes and it was a wonder she had any bit of her tongue left she’d bitten it so often. The worst part was that instead of Sean growing bored with her, he seemed to be genuinely charmed by her new subdued and conciliatory attitude.
Apparently he found her new personality so delightful, he decided to forego the spanking he’d dreamt about administering and settled for a good scolding. By the time Christmas rolled around, Maeve began wondering whether he’d ever liked the ‘real’ her at all, which was somewhat depressing.
To make matters worse, Maeve found in some instances she liked the new gentle and courteous way Sean treated her, even if it was under false pretenses. Gone were the warnings and threats of discipline, the narrow-eyed looks, the raised eyebrow daring her to say another word, just one. They were replaced with a gentle hand under her elbow lest she slip; frequent words of praise for her forbearance in dealing with his mother and a prideful smile whenever she was on his arm.
His kisses, however, could only be described as chaste, and a great disappointment to be sure. Their mundane conversations seemed designed to keep the fragile peace between them. Her supreme effort to be boring had backfired, and she now found him slightly boring as well.
Whenever a topic of conversation came up that was capable of starting a disagreement, she deferred to his opinion while he looked at her suspiciously. Eventually, as time went on, his shoulders stopped tensing waiting for her explosive temper to show itself.
They attended Mass, went to movies, skating and several holiday parties, all without issue. Their relationship moved to a new, almost platonic level, and Maeve could see their parents written all over them. Was that where they were headed? Heaven forbid.
Sean had taken on the habit of ordering for her when they went out for a meal, and despite her softly spoken request not to, he continued until she was tempted to stick a fork in his eye. It was at that point she knew with certainty she wouldn’t be able to continue much longer.
She hadn’t been sure she wanted to marry the dominant, bossy man in the first place and now the mild mannered gentleman seated at the table with her, annoyed the hell out of her. When he pulled a small box from his pocket and placed it on the table, she eyed him warily. When he took an emerald ring from that box and slipped it on her finger with a bland expression, she wanted to kick him under the table to see if he had any genuine emotions regarding her. Sadly, she looked at the glittering stone he placed on her finger and sighed.
“You seem disappointed? Don’t you like it?”
“It’s lovely, Sean. Exactly what I would have picked out myself had you asked my opinion,” she answered.
“Then why aren’t you pleased?” His curiosity was genuine.
“Because you didn’t.”
“Didn’t what?”
“Ask me.”
“I’m sorry,” he apologized. “It seemed the last few months you’ve come to trust my judgment. I thought it would be allright,” he explained, taking her other hand. “We’ll take it back, and you can choose another.”
