The Arrogance of Elegance

Part the Thirty-Fourth

The next morning, I was awakened by a knocking at my door. I let out a long yawn before hopping out of bed. Throwing on my robe to cover my nightgown, I opened the door to reveal Audra. She was already dressed. 

"My dear, Magdelline," Audra started before pausing to look at what I was wearing. "Are you not ready?"

I rubbed my eyes with a shrug. "What time is it?"

"It is nearly nine!" Audra exclaimed, turning me by my shoulders to push me back into my room. "I was hoping we could eat breakfast together in the parlor to chat--just you and me."

"Of course," I said, nodding as I shooed her out of the room. "Let me ready myself. I don't need your help with that."

After I got dressed, I exited the room to enter the parlor to see that Audra was there waiting for me. 

"Good morning, Audra." I sit down beside her on the loveseat, picking up a cup of tea that was set aside for me on the table. 

"Good morning, Magdelline," Audra greeted me as she picked up her plate of food. "How did you sleep?"

"I slept very well," I replied, taking a sip of my tea. It felt very good to warm my body up.

"I'm surprised," Audra noted, biting into her pastry. "If I was in your shoes, I'd be far too elated to sleep."

"I've had many sleepless nights due to worry or excitement regarding your brother," I admitted, setting my cup down to pick up the egg cup. "But this time I had peace. I had nothing to fret over so I could finally sleep."

"Ah, I see." Audra went silent as she ate her food. The breakfast was quite delicious. The warmth of it all felt quite nice as it seemed to be bitterly cold outside otherwise.

The mail was brought into the room by the maid and Audra took it to look through. Her fingers trembled as she stopped at one letter. 

"Whatever is the matter, Audra?" I asked, setting my plate down before wiping my mouth with a napkin. "You're trembling!"

"I-- I do not know yet," Audra answered, opening the letter. "It's from Mr. Brunswick."

My eyes widened at the notion. "The clergyman?" Were they closer than I had known?

"The very like." Audra nodded, shakily opening the letter before closing it again. "Oh, I can't read this."

"I'm not surprised. You're shaking so much that it'd be hard to read anything in your hands."

Audra gave me a look before she skimmed over the letter quickly. "It seems that he is to be leaving the area for a while, so he sent me a list of some of his favorite sermons that he recommended last time we spoke."

So the clergyman just wanted to send her a list? He obviously wanted to let her know that she meant enough to him to write. 

"Ah, I hope he will be back in town for the wedding," I said with a shrug. "I'd hate to have another officiate it."

"I should hope so as well."

"You know, I was also thinking of inviting him to the breakfast after the ceremony."

"Really?" Audra asked, voice turning a pitch higher. "How kind of you."

"I know," I said haughtily before shooting her a wink. "I mean, he will probably be hungry after officiating the wedding. He might also be bored due to not knowing many people. At least he'll know you, me, and Nicolas."

"How fortunate."

"Well, if you really think about it, Nicolas and I will be busy probably staring into each other's eyes." I chuckled at her raised brow. "To save from his awkwardness in watching, I think that it would be best that you, in fact, distract him with your discussion. Probably regarding the sermons he recommended."

Audra's face turned red with a blush. "Oh, now, I don't know--"

"Of course!" I hit the side of my head as if in thought. "You haven't read them yet. But regardless of if or when you do, you must distract him. I will be too busy talking to my husband to do so."

"Magdelline."

"Audra." I tilt my head to the side at my dear friend. "I see your blushing cheeks. You are interested in the fellow."

"He is kind," Audra muttered with a shy smile on her lips. "Kinder than any man has been to me. And he is so devoted to the Lord, which is something so dear to me." 

"Then you must go for it, dear," I reply softly, placing a hand on her arm. "You must not hide from your feelings. It could lead to him missing you entirely."

"Alright," Audra said after a moment of silence. "I shall try."

I give her a smile and a nod. "Good." 

--

After breakfast, Nicolas offered to walk me home, and of course, I accepted. I have always enjoyed the walks Nicolas and I had been on, but now I could enjoy them more as his betrothed. The foggy air was dense around us, so Nicolas offered his arm to me. I knew that was a pitiful excuse but I allowed it. I knew that regardless of the fogged air, he would have offered his arm anyway--he was a gentleman. 

"What do you want the wedding to be like?" I turned to look up at Nicolas, who stared straight forward as the wind fluffed his auburn hair about his face. "Big or small?"

"Small, I would think." He stared on ahead, eyes swarming in deep thought. "I don't want random acquaintances to be there. Just the important people."

"I agree." I nodded, leaning closer to him as the cold breeze nipped at me. "It used to be I wanted it to be grand. But now, I see that it doesn't matter. I just want a few trusted friends to be present."

"Have you thought of where you'd like to go after?" Nicolas asked, looking down at me. "On the wedding tour?"

I smiled at him before letting the thought settle in my mind. "We'd have to visit London perhaps to see my sister's family, but I'd love to go to Scotland."

"I know some people there," Nicolas stated, as the wind whistled in our ears. "It's so beautiful over there."

"I want to visit the places you visited whilst staying there."

"Of course, my darling," Nicolas stated, kissing the side of my head. I blushed.

"Your darling?"

Nicolas's face flushed red as he hid his face from my view. "Sorry, I was trying something."

"I like it, my sir," I said with a smirk as his head whipped around to face me.

"Your 'sir'?" He scoffed.

"Hmm, you like it?" I looked away, fighting a smile. 

"Not particularly. You should really work on that--" He was cut short by a gasp. I turned to see what the problem was, finding that he was staring on ahead.

"What--" I asked, before looking to where he stared, finding ruins of a tree. Our tree. 

"Our tree," he breathed out, letting go of my arm as he rushed forward to look at the fallen memory of ours. 

"The storm must have caused its fall." I grimly neared Nicolas as he knelt before it, plucking a branch of it off of a limb. 

"Of all trees, it had to destroy this one, didn't it?" He stood up to face me, sadness encompassing his face.

"I'm sure that there are other trees that I could push you from, Nicolas," I teased, trying to lighten the mood.

"Are you not sad?" Nicolas asked, hand coming up to brush the hair from my face. "So many memories were formed around this tree. Just yesterday..."

"Of course I am, but how could I let it show when I am happier than ever?" "I am engaged to Mr. Nicolas Burns. Nothing could deter me from such happiness. And I still have you to help me remember."