Wildflowers | S.Jy

| 17 |

Friday afternoon I was focused on setting up a proper flower arrangement in the dining table vase. I had even been out to pick new flowers as the ones I had picked with Jake had started to look tired and sad. This time I had made sure to pick more Primroses than last time.

"Ah, some inside mr. Sim," my grandfather greeted out in the front hall, making me glance out towards the hallway as I continued to stand and focus on the flowers.

The announcement of Jake having arrived was enough to make Mira emerge from the kitchen to suddenly set the table, moving me down the table a bit so that she was closer to the hallway.

"The dining room is just on your right," my grandfather's voice remarked as their footsteps neared and Jake soon stood in the door opening with my grandfather.

"Oh, mr. Sim," Mira happily gasped, maybe a bit too theatrical.

I smiled in amusement as Mira tried to seem busy with setting the table, even though it already had been done quickly. So in reality she just stood and turned the same glass time and time again if not fixing a fork she coincidentally noticed wasn't laying properly.

"Miss Young," Jake nodded extending his hand towards her.

I kept glancing at the two as Mira happily extended her hand and laid it in his, only to get the horrid surprise that Jake merely shook her hand. Stepping past her to marvel properly at the dining room.

"This is very nice mr. Young," Jake remarked and looked back at my grandfather before continuing down towards me.

"Spent years renovating it when my wife and I still were in our early thirties," my grandfather proudly hummed of approval.

"Miss Kirk," Jake softly muttered and extended his hand towards me.

"Sorry... my hands are all covered in flower juices," I excused and grabbed the small cloth beside the vase, drying off my right hand in a hurry.

"I'm patient," Jake assured with a small smile before I had finally deemed I had wiped off as much flower juice as I possibly could.

Once I extended my hand towards him, expecting to have it shaken as Mira did I was pleasantly surprised. Jake grabbed my hand properly and lifted it up towards his lips, planting a gentle kiss on the back of it before letting my hand drop down again.

"Ah, mr. Sim," my grandmother happily called out as she entered the room with the dinner onf a tray.

"Mrs. Young," Jake happily smiled and greeted her politely.

"We've been excited to have you join us for dinner," my grandmother revealed as I turned back to the vase and finished putting the last few flowers in it before quickly cleaning up the stray flowers on the table top.

"I've been looking forward to this afternoon as well," Jake agreed before looking towards the flowers, "and I see miss Kirk remembered my favourite flower to be the Primrose," he smiled as I slid the vase down to where it was supposed to stand.

"Please sit with us," my grandmother nodded as she placed the dinner down and I walked down to sit in my usual spot. Mira taking her seat beside mine. Grandfather across from me, grandmother at the end of the table. All of it leaving one empty spot for Jake, across from Mira.

"It looks delightful mrs. Young," Jake complimented as he sat down and the dinner was dished out one by one.

I was mainly focused on my dinner, but everytime I had glanced up Jake had done the exact same and looked towards me. The first half of the dinner had gone by quietly. Not too many words from Mira and barely any from grandmother or grandfather.

"Mr. Sim, you must understand I'm a bit curious," my grandmother spoke up and gently wiped her mouth with her napkin as Jake immediately looked over towards her with interest, "you've been spending a lot of time with my granddaughter this summer."

"I have," Jake nodded and looked towards me with a smile, putting down his cutlery to pay full attention to my grandmother.

"So I do find it fitting that I ask you what you have been doing and what your motive is," my grandmother remarked and I widened my eyes slightly in horror as I looked back down at my plate.

"Well... your granddaughter and I have been enjoying each other's company. We've been on a few walks around the area and she's shown me all the beautiful places Ailea has to offer. I'm sure we still have a lot of places to go," Jake explained and I nodded slightly to myself, "I'm not sure I can give you a direct motive but your granddaught has got me curious. There's something intriguing about her which I can't quite put my finger on," I smiled quietly to myself as I looked over towards my grandmother, anticipating what she had to say now.

"And how does it look as far as courting?" my grandmother questioned, directing her fork up to her mouth with a small piece of pork on it, "you see mr. Sim... we do not expect to continue to care for her."

That was news to me.

"As far as courting goes..." Jake trailed off and looked towards me with slight uncertainty in his eyes, "I've asked miss Kirk what she thought about it herself. As of now she would like to get to know me more, which I intend to give her the chance to. I believe our walks and the one tea we had together already has done a lot," he stated and I immediately nodded at him in assurance, "as of now, if the question of courting was to come up again I would gladly sit down with her father and discuss it."

"But it has only been a few weeks," Mira stated and I had to lay my hands down in my lap to hide my sudden clenched fists, "perhaps you should seek out other ladies in Ailea as well."

"I think I've got my mind set on miss Kirk for now," Jake shook his head calmly.

"But it's not right," Mira declared before looking down to my grandmother, "with Millie's status wouldn't it be more right if perhaps she was to be courted by a man who posses estate?"

"That is up for Millie herself," my grandmother calmly replied, a slight hint of frustration in her face as she answered Mira.

"Mr. Sim you must understand. My cousin has nothing to offer you. There's nothing about her courtship that would be beneficiary for you," Mira immediately started catching me off guard, "my father on the other hand owns plenty of estate-"

"Mira, please," I quickly whispered and reached over to nudge her hip.

"Millie however-" Mira continued.

"Mira, please," it was more of a beg now that she had decided to continue.

"No!" Mira abruptly declared as she snapped her head to me, "have you even told him?"

"Am I missing out on something here?" Jake spoke up with a slight frown, his eyes flickering back and forth between Mira and I.

"All of this is completely irrelevant to the connection I have built with mr. Sim in the past few weeks," I calmly reminded Mira.

"How can it be irrelevant if mr. Sim desired to court you. I am only trying to do the right thing here," Mira decided loudly before straightening in her seat, "fact is that my cousin has nothing to her name-"

"Mira," I sternly spoke.

"She has no right to any inheritance or whatsoever. Even the Green Hill house here will go straight to my father. There's no money you can inherit," Mira continued, "in fact-"

"Mira please just stop," I tugged lightly on her sleeve.

"Let go of me!" she had almost screamed before she stood up, "fact is that the only thing you can give your future husband is possible death and infection. Maybe even that horrid blue dress you insist on keeping as your only heirloom!"

It went completely silent in the dining room as Mira looked down towards me with fury in her eyes. I had turned all my attention towards the table as I had noticed the way she looked at me.

"Excuse me," I whispered queitly.

I quickly got up from my chair and rushed out of the dining room and down towards the back patio. There I could sit in silence and look out towards the field stretching out towards the sea.