“All right,” he finally said. “I will marry you. I will come tomorrow to see your father.”
Her long eyelashes, wetted by the invisible onslaught of tears, lifted upward and her eyes gazed at him gratefully. He just nodded one more time, unable to say anything else. He didn’t want to be here. He didn’t want to keep looking at her as she was.
He knew this was not right, but he couldn’t remain there any longer. He turned around and started walking away. As he did so, a subtle melancholy whispered through his thoughts. The image of Phyllis, standing vulnerable yet resolute, remained in his mind, evoking an unfamiliar tug at his emotions. A fleeting sense of sadness nestled in the recesses of his consciousness, but he swiftly brushed it aside, unwilling to confront the complexities unraveling within him.
He swiftly closed the door to his carriage, as if in an effort to conceal himself from the rest of the world, and he remained lost in thought throughout the entire journey home, wondering what all this could mean.
CHAPTERTHIRTEEN
Alexander could barely focus on anything that day. Not only that, but he barely had any sleep. The following morning, he got up without any appetite. Instead, he decided to simply go about the business he had promised to do.
Still, the preparations for this moment did not come without a price. The threads of his formal attire seemed to tighten around him mirroring the tension that coiled within. Each garment, carefully chosen for the occasion, bore silent witness to the internal struggle that was playing out beneath the surface of his calm demeanor. He was still wondering what urged Phyllis to change her mind, what forced her to arrange the clandestine meeting in the park, instead of merely coming to see him here.
His reflection in the looking glass betrayed the unease etched across his countenance. As if sensing that something monumental was happening, Leonard appeared knocking on the door. As soon as he saw Alexander dressed like that, he knew what was happening.
“Is this a bad time?” Leonard wondered, standing in the doorway.
Alexander locked gazes with him in the looking glass. That one look spoke more than words ever could. Leonard had always been perceptive to other people’s emotional undercurrents, but most of all to his brother’s. This time, however, he broached the subject delicately, which was not his forte.
“So, the time has come?” Leonard wondered. Alexander nodded. “Are you truly sure about this, Alex?”
Alexander nodded yet again. He felt words were taking up too much of his effort, but Leonard deserved a response. “I’ve given it careful consideration and I believe it’s the right course of action,” he affirmed, the gravity of his words resonating in the quietude of the room. “She is a… means to an end.” The moment he said it, he knew it wasn’t true. Otherwise, why would he be so affected by seeing her sad the previous day? Still, these words were meant to convince not only Leonard, but also himself.
“A marriage of convenience, you mean,” Leonard corrected him.
“Yes,” Alexander confirmed.
“You know, she seems like a lovely young lady,” Leonard spoke in a rarely serious tone, without the underlying message of any joke that was about to come.
“I suppose she is,” Alexander mumbled, pretending not to have noticed any of it, which was yet another lie. He hoped Leonard would not see through him.
“You know she is,” Leonard tilted his head, forcing Alexander to turn around and face his brother’s gaze, not only through the looking glass as he did moments ago. “I would hate for either of you to get hurt in this… arrangement.”
“No one will get hurt,” Alexander frowned. “I don’t see why you would even say that. It is all about arranging everything in such a way that this arrangement benefits everyone involved.”
Leonard shrugged. “If you say so.”
“I do say so,” Alexander grumbled. “Now, if you will excuse me, I have to get going soon.”
Leonard didn’t hold this against him. Instead of replying in the same manner, he approached Alexander and laid his hand on his shoulder attentively. “I know I might sound like Mother now, but I just want you to be happy, Alexander. I know that as the older brother, you have been burdened with the task of saving our family from the financial predicament our father left us in, but that doesn’t mean that you need to sacrifice your happiness, too.”
Alexander could see the compassion in his brother’s eyes. They had always been bound by ties of blood and mutual understanding. He knew that his brother, just like their mother, meant well. They were both cognizant of the complexities involved, and he respected Alexander’s decision.
“I know,” Alexander nodded. “Please trust me that I know what I am doing.”
The two brothers lingered like that for a moment, then they smiled at each other. Alexander wanted to believe that everything would be all right. Leonard squeezed his shoulder, then silently walked out of the room.
About an hour later, Alexander found himself in the drawing room of the St. Clair home. Although he was told to be seated by the butler, he preferred to pace about the room instead. The motion soothed his nerves. He had to admit that he didn’t believe he would be this nervous. After all, this drawing room would set the stage for a moment that would shape the destinies of two families. Once again, he reminded himself that it was just a marriage of convenience. However, there was a slight unease about the whole thing.
At that moment, Norman St. Clair appeared in the doorway, stopping there as if for dramatic effect.
“You Grace!” the man exclaimed, only then choosing to walk over to Alexander and greet him appropriately. “It is always such a pleasure to see you.”
“Thank you, Lord Cregstone,” Alexander replied, returning the greeting. “I do believe that you know why I am here.”
The man’s upper lip flickered in a hint of a smile, but he remained grave. “I believe I do.”
“I come to you with a sincere request. I wish to ask for the hand of your daughter, Phyllis St. Clair, in marriage,” Alexander spoke, his voice steady yet carrying a hint of anticipation.
