The Wonderful Bouquet

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR: Poor

Mary was fidgeting with her fingers as she waited for the opportune moment to go to her husband and tell him what she must say. Though she knew no opportune moment would come knocking on the door, she still waited, hoping mayhap the universe would give her a sign of some sort.

She was not afraid to tell him because she feared his reaction, but rather because she did not want to make it so true – not now. She had enough worries as it was, she did not need another one.

With a sigh and a shake of her head, she rethought that. The matter on her mind was not a worry, not truly. But at this moment, it was a worry. If it had come at any other moment, it would not have been. But now...

And she must tell Eli. There was no possible way she could hide her anxiety, but also no way she would be able to hide the signs once they showed themselves.

Mayhap she should look at this with a positive mind. This was a good distraction, was it not? A new worry – somehow a happy worry – that would help them forget their daughter was missing.

She shook her head. No matter what happened, she would never be able to forget her daughter was missing. True, she had two more children to care for, and she did care for them. But in the back of her mind, the pain of not having Nora with them was very present.

A servant passed by and woke her from her thoughts. Yes, she must go to Eli. She must tell him what was playing her mind. She must be honest before he had to find out because he was too smart. Though it was a bad time, she must be the one to tell him.

So with one last sigh, she walked to the study and knocked on his door. Eli had been hiding there ever since he was home for Mary and the children. She saw him more now than before, but since she was not mentally present, she could not fully appreciate it.

Lord Byron, his father, had taken over the play. Ada was caring for her new-born child and Eli was caring for his family. There was no one else they could think of who would want to take the play in his hands and not make it different from what it was before.

The play had not suddenly boomed, but there was an obvious increase in viewers once they heard lord Byron had the play in hands. Mary was not certain if Eli was annoyed by the people's lack of respect for him, or if he was too far off in sadness to even think of the play. Either way, he never mentioned anything of it to her or Ada.

"Enter," Eli's weak voice said through the door, and before Mary could change her mind, she opened the door and entered the room. Quickly she closed the door behind her, for no one else ought to hear this conversation.

A weak smile played her husband's lips and she walked to him to kiss them. Then she nervously walked back to the other side of the desk.

He looked at her expectantly. "What is the matter?"

"Nothing," she said without thinking, then silently cursed herself, for that was not true at all. Everything was the matter, and twas obvious he knew that.

"You do not look at ease," he told her, and reached over the desk to grab her hand. "What truly is the matter? What are you keeping from me?"

She sighed in despair, for she could not hide her anxiety from her husband indeed. "I must tell you something," she started. "It is the worst moment ever, but I fear I have no control over it. And I hope that although we are not prepared for it, it will be welcomed nevertheless."

"Mary, you are speaking in riddles," he told her with a soft smile. "What is it?"

She took a deep breath and slowly blew it out. Then she looked her husband in the eye.