by Cee, DW
“Right here.” I led her to my favorite cousin whom I knew would take good care of my gal while I had to go take formal pictures. “Estelle, meet Wyatt. Wyatt, this is my Estelle. Behave!” I warned my Lothario cousin.
“You talking to me or to your stunning woman?”
“You. Maybe I shouldn’t have you sitting next to Wyatt.” I pretended to pull her away while Wyatt pulled her down.
“Sit, Beautiful. If all the girls at Oxford look like you, I might have to move to Oxford.”
“Are you a student, or maybe a doctor, too?”
“Naw. I’m a golfer who pretty much lives at St. Andrews. Have you been to Fife?”
Estelle nodded her pretty head.
“Don’t mention Fife. Some duke wanted to marry my Estelle and he had a castle up there.”
Wyatt laughed. “Was he sixty-five and about to keel over?”
Estelle laughed with him. “No. He’s about the same age as Jerry, I believe. He’s not a duke, yet.”
“You chose my cousin over a castle in Fife?”
“Watch it, Wyatt. You, too, will have to introduce your girlfriend to me one day.”
“Naw, Mate. I’m going to find the right girl and take her to Gretna Green like the old days. We’re going to have some blacksmith marry us over a bowl of water.”
Estelle giggled some more. “I’m sure you win over many ladies with that line.”
“Don’t you have somewhere to be?” Wyatt tried to push me out of the way. “Once he leaves, I’ll tell you all my lines, Beautiful Lady.” It was when Wyatt tried to place his arms around Estelle that I was about to pummel my favorite cousin. What saved him was Estelle’s quick reflexes. As soon as Wyatt stretched his arm out, she leaped over and stood right beside me. “I see your lady prefers the brown-haired, brown-eyed, average-looking man.” Wyatt gave off his signature grin that had the ladies mooning over him.
“You’ll be all right with this joker?” I asked.
“I’ll be fine, but I don’t think your brother’s going to be fine if you keep standing here. You’re holding up the engagement pictures.”
“As soon as that’s over, I’ll introduce you to my parents.”
“I can’t wait.”
*******
Estelle
I was extra nervous about meeting Jerry’s parents today. I feared they might not like me and my fears came true. Jerry’s mother became our biggest obstacle.
“I think you should concentrate on your studies until after you’re a doctor, Jerry. Look at both your brothers. They’re only now getting engaged. What’s the rush?” Mrs. Reid never addressed me. She spoke to her son most of the time and then excused herself to greet the guests.
“That wasn’t how I envisioned this meeting happening.” Jerry was upset. “At least Father was more cordial to you. I’m sorry, Estelle.”
I wasn’t sure how to react to such a greeting. But if I thought that was bad, meeting my parents was even worse.
Mother hardly acknowledged Jerry and spoke only of her tea with Duchess Bennington. Father tried to make up for Mother’s rudeness, but he only made the situation worse.
“Did that just happen?” I asked Jerry when we were both back on the train.
Jerry chuckled. “It did. Mine were not opposed to you, per se, they were opposed to me dating before becoming a doctor. Yours want you to be a duchess. That damn Harry Bennington won’t go away.”
“You have no reason to be worried about Harry. Mum is dreaming when she says Harry still wants to marry me. I haven’t talked to him in more than three years.”
“She sounded pretty convincing to me, Gorgeous.” Jerry let out a sign of exasperation. “Do you want me to let you go to your future duchy? Is that what should happen? I give you up so you can live like a princess?”
The serious tone he took scared me. “Is that what you want, Jerry? Are you afraid to fight for me as well as business school? Shall I stay away and let you focus on your future?”
As inappropriate as it was, Jerry kissed me on the public train and declared, “I love you, Estelle Cowper. Unless you want to leave, I am here with you for life. Even if you said you wanted to leave, I might lock you up so only I can have the privilege of loving you.”
“Are you sure, Jerry? As much as it’ll hurt, I’ll stay away if that’s what’s best for you.”
“This is only a minor setback, Gorgeous. We’ll be together for life. Trust me.”
Trusting Jerry wasn’t hard. He was as dependable as men came. It was life and its circumstances that threw us into the most confusing phase of our lives.
Jerry. Estelle. Roland.
Harry
“So you defied your mother’s wishes and continued to date that weasel? She told you I was still waiting for you.”
I laughed at my husband’s indignant tone. “Yes, but I was in love with Jerry. We both knew we would marry and live the ultimate love story.”
Regardless of the fact that she was mine, it still hurt something fierce to know she loved Jerry Reid that much. “What was it about him that made it all right for him to declare he was going to marry you from the onset, but not me or Roland? You rebuffed us with the belief that it was too soon for any of us to know.”
“True,” she agreed. “But Jerry and I had the time to date. He courted me that school year and when he asked me to marry him, I knew for sure we were ready to take that final step.”
“So...had I continually chased after you, you could have thought the same about me?”
She shrugged her shoulders. “Maybe? It’s hard to say, Harry. Seeing as how I’m married to you now, I wasn’t opposed to you, ever. Time was our biggest enemy when it could’ve been our ally.”
“Damn!” I spit out. “Several times, I had Mother meet with your mother to get an understanding of where your heart was at concerning marriage. Each time, Mother claimed you weren’t ready. She never told me you were seeing Jerry. Had I known, I would’ve made an appearance sooner.”
“I can’t imagine Mum telling the duchess about my relationship with Jerry. She was still rooting for you. What mother doesn’t want her daughter to become the Bennington Duchess? She’s probably up in heaven right now throwing a wedding breakfast in our honor.”
“Did you know I went to Paris when I finally found out that you and Jerry had parted?”
“You did? I never saw you there.”
“I did. I saw you, happy, with Roland of all people, and left with the pieces of my heart in my hand. It was one of the worst feelings—knowing I could’ve had you but was a step too late. I’ve had one too many of those in my life.”
“Harry,” my wife called me with much affection. “I am truly the most fortunate woman on earth to have been loved by you for this long. Thank you.”
“I just wish we could’ve had more time here on earth, but I figure when we enter the heavenly gates together, you’ll be mine. I’ll show Jerry Reid and Roland Ascot that I had the last laugh.”
Estelle literally laughed at that statement. “Let me tell you about how much I made Jerry suffer when he left me. You might be grateful that you didn’t have to deal with me as a crazy girlfriend.”
“I doubt it, but I’ll sit and listen anyhow.”
*******
Jerry
“I got in! I got in!” I ran to Estelle’s dormitory the moment I received the post. “Estelle. Look! I will be the newest member of Harvard Business School.”
“Congratulations, Jerry! You are on your way to a happier future.”
“I’m so thrilled, Estelle. This is a dream come true. I only have one last dream to realize, and my life will be complete.”
“What other dream, Jerry?”
I had waited for this letter to arrive. Whether I was accepted or denied, I knew today would be the perfect time.
“Estelle. You know my heart. You know how much I love you. There’s not a day I can think of, where you wouldn’t be
a part of it. You are everything to me. Would you do me the honor of becoming my wife?”
“Yes!” she stated loudly and clearly!
We would be husband and wife one day very soon!
“I love you so much, Estelle. Every facet of my life is headed in a perfect direction.”
“I have some good news, too. This might make your day even better.” I couldn’t imagine this day getting any better, but I was open for anything.
“Tell me.”
“Harvard recently opened a School of Design, and I applied when we first began dating. I figured if you were right about us getting married, it wouldn’t hurt to be prepared.”
“And?”
“And I just received my acceptance post, too. We can marry here and go together as students.”
“You are incredible, Estelle!” I couldn’t believe her foresight. “But what about Paris? I don’t know anything about the school at Harvard, but I’m sure it’s more theory than practice.”
“You’re right. It is more of a doctorate type of program, but I can take a class or two at Rhode Island School of Design simultaneously. It’s about an hour train ride. We’ll make it work.”
Could I love this woman any more than I already did? “I don’t want you to give up on your dreams because of me, Estelle. If you want to study in Paris while I’m in America, we can make it work. It’ll only be three years. I have no doubt we will marry as soon as school is over, if we choose to be apart.”
She shook her head no. “I don’t want to be separated from you, Jerry. You can take me to Paris after we’re settled. I’ll be fine studying in the States with you.”
“Are you sure?”
“Positive!”
“All right. Now that I have my life settled with you, I need to inform my parents of our plans. Do you want to go with me?”
She didn’t look like she did, but with a brave face, she answered, “Yes.”
“What brings you home, Jerry? Hello, Estelle.” Father greeted us with surprised enthusiasm.
“Hello, Dr. Reid. I hope you and Mrs. Reid have been well?”
“We have been doing very well. We’re about to sit for lunch. Why don’t you join us?”
The short walk to the dining room was like a walk to my sentencing. I had an ugly premonition where this was headed.
“Jerry. Estelle.” Mother’s greeting was strained. She, too, knew this wasn’t going to be a good visit.
While my parents had grown to accept and like Estelle, Mother knew I was still itching to leave medical school. My brothers supported my decision and helped where they could, but it wasn’t a topic anyone broached easily.
“Hello Mrs. Reid.” Estelle’s smile was always a welcomed sight.
“What brings you two here unexpectedly?”
“Mum. Dad. We’ve come to bring you some fantastic news.” Neither said a word. “First and most exciting of the news is that Estelle has agreed to be my wife!” I could hear a sigh of relief in both my parents. It was like they were happy the news wasn’t as bad as they expected.
“Congratulations.” Mum stated and asked, “I assume you’ll marry after med school is done?”
“No,” I answered firmly.
“No?” Mother put her fork down and watched what I had to say.
“Estelle and I both received more good news this morning. She was accepted into the School of Design at Harvard and I will be attending the business school at the same said university. I’m sorry for having wasted all our time and money, but medical school is not for me. In a couple of weeks when the school year is over, I’ll be heading over to the States to start my education. I’m late already as is. It’s possible I can make up a year if I take summer courses.”
The chilling silence from Mother was daunting.
Father, on the other hand said, “Is this truly what you want, Son? Wouldn’t it be better to at least finish medical school, try your hand at being a doctor, and then switch occupations if you hate it that much?”
“No Father. That’ll be too late. I want to be self-sufficient and support my family. I have Estelle to think of, too.”
“If that’s how it’s to be, after we’ve supported you through three years of medical school, then so be it, Jerry. We will cut off all monetary support since you want to be self-sufficient. You go ahead to Cambridge and try surviving on your own. You’ll understand why your father and I want a safe and secure profession for you.”
“Dear,” Father tried to assuage this potent situation. “That’s a bit extreme. How are two students supposed to attend school and make a living?”
“Maybe his wife can get a job and support our son while he’s studying to be a successful entrepreneur.”
“Estelle will be attending school, Mother. I will not have her give up her dream so I can reach mine.”
“A small price to pay, Son. We can’t have it all.”
I knew Mother would have a difficult time with my decision. I didn’t think it would be this bad.
“Since this conversation is not a pleasant one, we will leave for now. Perhaps we can discuss this again at a later time.”
“No.” Mother answered resolutely. “Those are our terms, Jerry. We have no problems with you and Estelle getting married. But, if you want our help, you need to stay in medical school.”
*******
Estelle
“Oh my gosh! What just happened in there?”
“Mother put her foot down is what happened.”
“Will she change her mind?”
“Probably not. Once she decides something, it’s done.” I sighed, frustrated at the turn of events. This morning was such a happy time for us. “Worry not, my future bride. We will be all right.”
“We will be because Mum and Dad can support us while we finish our graduate degrees. They were going to pay for Paris. I’m sure they’ll have no issues making the bank note to a different institution.”
“Absolutely not!” was what Mum declared when I told her about Harvard. “You’ve been accepted to the school of your dreams in Paris but you want to move to the States? Why would you do this, Estelle? You have a man willing to give you everything your heart desires. Why settle for a man whom you will now be supporting?”
Mother never took to the idea of Jerry Reid. She was still in love with the idea of her daughter becoming the Bennington Duchess. Though Father wasn’t against Jerry, he wasn’t thrilled with me dating anybody.
“How can you say those mean words, Mother? Especially with my fiancé right here, you’re being extra cruel.”
“I’m stating how I feel. It’s bad enough that you want to marry a commoner. It’s even worse when you come asking us to support you and your husband because he’s dropping out of medical school to pursue some entrepreneurial fantasy. You tell me which parents would support this farce?”
“Mother!” I yelled in anger. “Fine! Forget I asked you to support us. I’ll give up my dreams and help my fiancé achieve his. I’ll work in the States and support us while he’s in school. Since you’re not fond of us as a couple, don’t be surprised when I stop communicating with you. Good-bye!”
I ran out of my parents’ home in tears. What started as the most beautiful morning had turned into a nightmare.
“Estelle!” Jerry caught me before I ran far. “I know you’re upset, but I don’t want you to leave this way. Your mother is crying, too.”
“Good. I want her to be as miserable as I am. I can’t believe all the words she said in there.”
“Let’s go back in and say a proper good-bye.”
“No.”
“Estelle, my sweet girl. It’ll break your heart to leave like this. You won’t be able to sleep tonight. Come in with me. Let me say a few words to your parents and we will all leave with a smile on our faces, all right?”
I didn’t want to follow, but I also didn’t want to make it any harder on Jerry than it already was.
&nb
sp; *******
Jerry
Man. This day wasn’t getting any easier. How did everything go so wrong in the course of an hour?
“Mr. and Mrs. Cowper?” I addressed my future in-laws. “I’d like to promise you that I will provide for your daughter once we are married and in Massachusetts. I will not make her give up her dream of becoming a designer. She will not work and support us. She will be loved, cherished, and taken care of like a princess. I might not have a castle in Fife or an apartment in Paris right now, but that doesn’t mean I’ll love her any less. She will be the most important person in my life and I will work to make sure you’ll approve of me in the near future. I’m sorry to break up your dream of your daughter becoming a duchess, Mrs. Cowper. All I can promise is that your daughter will know what it means to be loved.”
“Why don’t we talk again another time, Jerry,” Mr. Cowper led us back to the door. “Hopefully, Penny will calm down and we can work something out. I can’t support you without Penny’s willingness, but I’ll talk to her.”
“You don’t need to support us, Mr. Cowper. We’ll figure something out.”
With those words, we left with one person willing to fight for us. The distraught look on my fiancée’s face made me want to go out and conquer the world for her.
“What are we going to do now, Jerry? School ends in two weeks. Neither of us has any money to move and to start a new life.”
“I have a few ideas. Why don’t we go see my brother, Stephen, and his fiancée, Melisse, and talk to them? They’re always a sound couple to bounce ideas off of, don’t you think?”
“Sure. Maybe they can come up with a brilliant idea we haven’t thought of ourselves.”
While Melisse and Estelle went out to the garden, I asked my brother for help.
“I knew something like this might happen so I had some money saved, Stephen. I can pay for the first year of business school, but I wondered if I might get a loan from you if things don’t work out?”
“Of course, Jerry. I’ll give you the money if you need it, but I’d like to hear your plans, first.”