“You’ll think my predicament is silly,” she whispered.
“Can’t you tell me first what it is?”
She released a long breath. “It’s not a secret that I’m a spinster.”
He didn’t see what her marital status had to do with archery, but anyway.
“My mother and… another lady started bickering about the fact a proper lady shouldn’t shoot arrows. The lady claimed I wouldn’t be able to find a husband if I showed everyone I used a bow. Mama defended me in her own way, but I got angry and…” She waved a hand. “I’m sorry. Telling the story out loud makes me realise how silly the whole affair is.”
He disagreed. “I wouldn’t consider myself an expert in how people get married or when a lady should be considered a spinster, but it seems obvious you’ve had enough of hearing about your chances of finding a husband. The conversation between your mother and the lady was the last straw.”
She gave him a genuine, bright smile that lit her whole face. “I shouldn’t have stormed out of the field.”
“I really liked your energy.” He mimicked her shooting an arrow. “Your precision when shooting is commendable. Your speed is astonishing. You made quite a scene and left the other competitors stunned. Well done.”
Her smile vanished. “I’m not sure it’s a good thing. See, deep down, I think the lady is right. I’ve never had a suitor, and today’s performance won’t help.”
“Do you want to marry?”
It was astonishing that she didn’t have a queue of suitors at her door. Not that he complained. Thinking about Angeline married to someone like North was no small source of anxiety.
A blush the colour of dawn crept over her cheeks. “Yes, but I want to find someone who really loves me, someone I can build a family with. I want children and dogs, too.” She chuckled nervously. “I don’t want to marry just to marry. It’s a simple dream, but it’s all mine.”
“Simple but powerful. You want to be happy. Who doesn’t?”
“And you? Are you looking for a wife?” Her big obsidian eyes became larger, perhaps with interest.
“I don’t know.”
He stroked the fluffy seed of a dandelion carried by the wind. It soared over Angeline’s shoulder and caressed her cheek before drifting off towards the trees.
She laughed at the feather-like seed, and the sound was like that of blown-glass bells. He acted on pure instinct and caressed the gentle curve of her cheek with a finger.
She froze, her eyes growing even larger.
He lowered his hand. “Sorry. It was the blowball.” Well, not his finest explanation.
She touched her cheek. “It was nice,” she whispered. “I would say… thank you.”
“I would say you’re welcome.”
They burst out laughing, and the tension between them dissolved.
She leant closer to him as they walked onwards through other promenading couples and vendors.
“Why don’t you know if you’re looking for a wife?” she said.
“Growing up in a brothel showed me the worst of our society. My mother was always miserable. Her jockeys didn’t help her feel better. It’s a dark past I don’t know how to leave behind.A burden I’m not sure I should share. And I’m focusing on my business at the moment.”
The whole speech sounded like a pile of rubbish to his own ears although he was scared of sharing his past with a wife. But, a voice inside him argued, the right person would understand, and he wouldn’t have anything to fear. No judgement, only love.
“But…” She trapped her bottom lip between her teeth. “Forgive me.”
“Please, go on. What did you want to say?”
“If your father hadn’t left your mother but had married her, her life would have been different. Your life would have been different. Happy families are quite common.”
“That’s true, but married men are the largest part of a brothel’s clientele, which makes me think about how depressing marriages could be. Frustrated wives, bored husbands, everyone lies to everyone. I’m sorry. My words don’t make any sense.”
