“No, I don’t want to lose any more time,” Aurelia insisted, running her hands over her eyes and holding back a yawn.“Let’s keep working.”
Marmee joined Elinor and Aurelia, reaching out a hand as if to rest it on Aurelia’s arm as she said, “There is a particular story about your Aunt Marigold that I have yet to share with you.I think it might be time for you to hear it.”
“I thought I’d heard all of Marigold’s stories by now?”
“I was not inclined, at first, to share this particular story.I thought if Marigold hadn’t told it to you, perhaps she had her reasons.But I see now that it may benefit you to learn about this chapter in her life.Shall we make ourselves comfortable?”
Marmee gestured to the mezzanine.Aurelia looked to Vronsky, who nodded, refusing to rescue her from what Aurelia suspected was the lecture she’d avoided earlier.She reluctantly followed Marmee and Elinor up the spiral staircase and by the time they sat down on the window seat, Rachel and Marianne were right behind them.
“May we join?”Rachel asked.“We sensed some intrigue on offer.”
They arranged themselves across the window seat, with Marmee and Aurelia in the middle.
“As I’ve told you, I knew your Aunt Marigold,” Marmee began.“I met her during the first year that she owned the shop, and I visited her many times throughout her lifetime.I considered her a dear friend,” Marmee added warmly, leaning toward Aurelia.
“Not long after she had been running the shop, I appeared one night and met a dashing young man named D’Artagnan.”
Aurelia’s breath hitched at the name.It had been weeks since Mark had mentionedThe Three Musketeers, and she’d completely forgotten to ask Marmee about it.
“D’Artagnan was from a French novel calledThe Three Musketeers,” Marmee explained to Elinor and Marianne, whose own book was published before Dumas’ novel.
“Like Count Vronsky, D’Artagnan was the only character to appear from his novel.Also like Count Vronsky, D’Artagnan first came to the shop feeling the pain of knowing that a woman whom he loved had lost her life.”
Aurelia only vaguely remembered the novel, but she tried to conjure up the storyline as she listened.
“It wasn’t long before all in the shop understood the deep feelings that were developing between D’Artagnan and Marigold,” Marmee continued.“They made each other very happy and spent many hours talking and laughing together.”
“They were inlove?” Aurelia asked incredulously.
“They were indeed,” Marmee said with a smile.
Aurelia found herself smiling, too, at the thought of her aunt’s secret romance.
“I visited the shop many times over several years, and each time I could see that Marigold and D’Artagnan’s love was just as strong.”Marmee paused.“And yet, there came a time when they began to argue, and it was difficult not to hear the nature of their arguments.”
Hypnotized by the story, Aurelia gave a nod, encouraging Marmee to continue.
“Time does not pass for us since we remain just as we were at the end of our story.D’Artagnan was a noble man, something like a knight, and he began to feel that his love for Marigold was keeping the rest of her life in abatement.She had to sleep at odd hours in order to stay awake every night, and she spoke less and less of her friends and family.Marigold insisted she would not trade her love for D’Artagnan for a normal life, but he would not relent.He asked her again and again to take his book off the table and allow herself to maintain a life outside of this shop.”
The small audience gathered around Marmee had hardly taken a breath.Marianne wiped a tear from her eye and Rachel clasped her hand consolingly.
“Marigold was heartbroken, truly.But I think a part of her knew that he was right.What kind of life could they share with Marigold shut up in the shop and D’Artagnan living his novel during the day, their only contact happening during the few hours between midnight and dawn?”
“And did she accede to his request?Did she cease to place his book upon the table?”Rachel asked.
“She did.For a time, he refused to speak with her until she agreed.Their last week together was very difficult, but they made their peace with one another before parting.”
“That is the most tragic tale I believe I have ever heard,” Marianne said, sniffling.
Rachel placed an arm around her and they rested their heads together.
“It truly is a sad story,” Elinor agreed.
“I think Marigold mourned D’Artagnan for a long time,” Marmee continued.“But I also think they were right to let each other go.Marigold later admitted that she had indeed spent so much time with him and the rest of the people who gathered in her shop each night that she had let her friendships and family fall to the wayside.Do you not see a parallel in your own experience?”Marmee asked cautiously.
“You’re not suggesting…?Count Vronsky and I are just friends—”
Aurelia could hardly get the words out in her shock at thinking anyone would interpret their friendship as something romantic.
