The Lord in Blue

Chapter 13

That night I can barely sleep. I can't stop thinking about what happened. Mason in my house. Mason holding my nephew. Mason and my mother talking, laughing.

At breakfast, I'm too nervous to eat something, but still try manage to do it. I don't want to faint in front of him. Again.

"You should have worn the lilac dress. It looks nicer on you" my mother says.

"He likes blue better" I say, her eyebrows instantly rising in questioning. "It's his family's color" I quickly add.

This is why I didn't talk yesterday. I could say something that would give away that we are close. Too close.

"I think I'm staying inside with the kids" my sister says when we finish having breakfast. "It still is too cold for them."

"But you can't let your sisters unchaperoned!" my mother says. "What will people think?".

"They'll be fine, mother. They can chaperone each other. And people will probably think that she is the chaperone since she is the older sister" she says while pointing at me. And she isn't wrong about that. To everyone who knows me here, I'm a lost cause, a spinster.

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Even though our house isn't far away from town, we take the carriage. I'm sitting on one side with my little sister, Mason in front of us. They just talk and talk during the whole journey.

The carriage leaves us in the main street, where most shops are.

"I think we should show Lord Mount some of our favorite shops first, and then we could have some tea at Lady Barbara's. The church is really nice too, and the garden. Though at this time of the year it looks a bit boring" my sister says. Looks like I won't be the tour guide after all.

As we walk, everyone is looking at us. Some say hello to us, but most just stare, and I hate it.

"Oh, Mickey's!" my sister says when be pass by. "I'm going in to get our cousin some of those sweets she likes so much. I'm sure she misses them."

"She's really nice" Mason says once my sister is inside the shop. He's looking stupidly handsome today. His beard is back, and he finally got a trim.

"Why did you shave?" I blurt out.

"What?" he asks, confused.

"Your beard. I like it, don't shave it. And thank you for cutting your hair, it was starting to get a bit wild"

"Judging by the way you hold onto it when we are together, I thought you liked it being like that" he says with a smirk, moving closer to me.

"We are in the middle of the street, my lord. Behave yourself" I say. I try to sound as serious as I can, but I can't help and smile.

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We are finally back at the house. When we get out of the carriage, my sister turns to us.

"My feet are so sore..." she says. "I think you are going to have to show Lord Mount the riverside all on your own."

"I, what? Mother won't be happy about that" I say.

"Don't worry about her" she says, giving us a very naughty smile.

That's it. They know. They all know. I turn to look at Mason, and he is just there, looking back at me, trying not to laugh. I start walking towards the river, cursing under my breath.

We walk in silence for a while, looking at everything but each other. "What are you doing?" I finally manage to say.

"What? I'm just walking" he says.

"What are you doing here. With my family. And don't say that you just came to pick me up."

"The Queen did ask me that though, I am not lying" he says. "But since you had met my family already, it just felt right that I met yours too. Especially if I want to have you as my partner at the wedding."

"You... want that?"

"Of course I do!" he says, stoping to hold my hands. "I want this. Us. And I want to do it right." I don't know what to say. I'm just staring at him, probably looking like an idiot. "Do you think your mother will agree to it? To me officially courting you?" he asks, getting closer.

"You have her eating out of your hand. She'll do anything you ask her to do."

"Good" he says, closing the space between us and kissing me.

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When we make it back to the house, my mother doesn't say a thing about Mason and I being alone. She just asks him to have lunch with us.

"Your walk took too long" she says. "If you leave now, it'll be too late when you arrive at the palace, and it can be dangerous." No one argues against it.

After we are done eating, it starts pouring with rain, and we all end up spending the rest of the day around the fire, talking. He is, again, invited to have dinner with us, but goes back to town to spend the night.

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It's Saturday now. Mason doesn't show up until is almost lunch time, which means that we aren't leaving today either.

"I'm talking with your mother today" he says.

I watch them walk into what should have been my father's office, frozen in place, my eyes fixed on the door. I'm too nervous to do anything else.

After a few minutes, I hear them laugh, and they come out.

"Daughter, go find your sisters. Ask them to join us at the living room" my mother says. "There is something we need to tell them."

I look at Mason, wondering what to do. He gives me an encouraging nod, and I leave. It's happening.

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"Lord Mount has asked for my permission to officially court your older sister," my mother says "and I have agreed to it."

Silence. It probably only lasted a couple of seconds, but it felt like an eternity. When everyone process what is going on, they start cheering, hugging me, hugging Mason. And again, I just stay there, smiling, not knowing what to do with myself.

Once everyone has calmed down, my mother speaks again.

"I think you should join us tomorrow for church, my lord. Stay a bit longer. I'm sure my niece won't mind once she hears the good news."

Mason agrees to it, and meanwhile, I try to understand what my mother is doing. She wants people to see me with him. To parade me around, to let people know that I am not a disappointment anymore. I know I'm going to hate every minute of it, but I also know Mason will charm them all.