Rough Gentleman

by Maggie Carpenter

  The store immediately buzzed with the arrival of Constance Mead, formerly Constance Clifford, the falsely accused, extremely brave young woman, and her handsome husband. The salesclerks eagerly waited on her, but after the first hour Malcolm had become irritated. It seemed Connie and Mary had to discuss every aspect of every dress in minute detail. Halfway through the second hour, with an array of new dresses bought, he thought it would finally be time to leave, but Connie stared up at him with confusion filling her deep green eyes.

  “Malcolm! We can’t possibly head home. What am I expected to put on my feet and in my hair? I need new shoes and accessories to match each of these dresses and gowns.”

  “Then, my dear, I must leave you to it,” he said firmly. “If I stay in this store another minute I will positively explode. Do you remember which exit to take to find the carriage?”

  “Of course I do. It’s the one nearest ladies’ coats.”

  “I’ll tell Henry to keep a sharp lookout for you. I’m happy to walk home. In fact, I must! I need the bracing air to clear my head.”

  “If you must, you must,” she said, twinkling up at him. “Goodbye, husband dear.”

  “Please don’t take too long. I’ll be picking up your wedding present on my way. If you’re home too late, I might decide not to give it to you.”

  “Malcolm, you can be such a beast.”

  “Indeed,” he replied with a wink, then turning and taking a relieved breath, he marched out the door.

  What he’d told her was true. He did have a gift waiting to be collected. He’d planned to stop the carriage on his way back to the house, but carrying it home on foot wasn’t a problem. The box would be light, and the weather was holding.

  With a jaunty stride, he made his way through the bustling city, occasionally stopping to study the displays in the shop windows. Collecting the gift, he continued on his way, disappointed he’d been unable to find the second present he longed to give her.

  But as he turned down his block, he broke into a wide smile.

  * * *

  Well versed in the art of shopping, Connie and Mary were able to make the right selections quickly. Though initially Connie had enjoyed Malcolm’s presence, his impatience had become distracting, and she was greatly relieved when he’d left.

  And she had an errand of her own to run.

  Ordering her purchases to be delivered, she and Mary walked out of the huge department store to find the weather had turned wet, but Henry spotted them right away. Hurrying over with an umbrella, he escorted them to the carriage and whisked them home, stopping briefly for Connie on the way. As they walked in the front door, Corbin quickly removed their damp coats and suggested they go into the drawing room.

  “Mr. Mead has just ordered tea,” he declared, “or would either of you prefer coffee?”

  “Tea, I think,” Connie replied.

  As Corbin walked away, Connie started down the hallway, but Mary hesitated.

  “Mary? Don’t you want to join us?”

  “It’s not that. Forgive me, but I find myself caught between two worlds. I’m your maid, and by rights I shouldn’t sit in the drawing room and have tea with you and the master of the house. I’d like to, but it makes it awkward for me with the other servants.”

  “Mary, you saved my life!”

  “And you have saved mine, and my son’s. We’re on equal footing as far as that’s concerned, but in this house I’m here to help and serve you. Society has drawn the lines, and they should be respected.”

  “The last thing I want to do is make things uncomfortable for you,” Connie said softly, “and as much as I hate to admit it, you’re probably right. From now on we will play the game, but know this. Before you are anything, you are my dearest friend.”

  “As you are mine, Connie.”

  “I will go and have tea with my husband...”

  “And I will go and have tea downstairs.”

  They hugged before separating, and letting out a sigh, Connie walked down the hall. Still deep in thought, she pushed open the door and entered the drawing room, but came to a quick stop and let out a squeal of delight. Standing next to Malcolm, wagging the biggest, furriest tail she’d ever seen, stood a large white dog wearing a huge red bow.

  “Surprise!” Malcolm exclaimed. “I promise he’s clean. I know because I was the one who bathed him. He’s been drying by the fire.”

  “How marvelous!” she said excitedly, dropping her small handbag on the table and moving quickly over to meet him. “What’s his name?”

  “That’s up to you.”

  “Is this the gift you said you were picking up?”

  “Actually, no. I found him on my way home. Poor thing was starving. Who knows how long he’s been on the streets, but he’s not very old.”

  “Isn’t he lovely? I adore him. Thank you, so much! What am I going to call you, sweet boy?” she murmured, stroking his soft fur.

  He licked her face, then sat down and raised his paw.

  “Look. He’s so clever! Oh! I know exactly what to name him. Isn’t it obvious?”

  “Your tea,” Corbin declared, walking in carrying the tray.

  “Isn’t he a lovely dog, Corbin?”

  “He is, Madame. The staff have already become very fond of him. Will there be anything else?”

  “No, thank you,” Malcolm replied, “but Constance was about to name him.”

  “Waggles,” Connie declared, “because of his feathery tail and how wonderfully well he wags it.”

  “I’ll let everyone know,” Corbin said with a rare smile, then with a slight nod, he turned and left the room.

  “You just missed Frank,” Malcolm said. “He stopped in to share some news.”

  “Good news, I hope.”

  “He’s just accepted a terrific job with the British Museum as head of their security. It’s a great deal of responsibility and very prestigious. He’ll even be working with the palace on occasion.”

  “Goodness. Isn’t that marvelous,” Connie said happily, then paused as a faraway look crossed her eyes.

  “What’s going through that clever brain of yours, Connie?”

  “The second curse. If you hold the statue and you have a loving, pure heart, it will bless you with great happiness and a long, prosperous life. It’s hard not to believe in it after everything that’s happened.”

  “Do you really want to know what I think?”

  “Of course.”

  “Life is a series of choices. Make a bad choice, bad things happen. Make a good choice, good things happen. It’s not complicated.”

  “How do you know if a choice is good or bad?”

  “Instinct.”

  “That’s all very logical, Malcolm, and undoubtedly true, but I keep thinking about that wonderful warm feeling when I held the statue in my hands.”

  “Probably something to do with the mix of metals they used, and speaking of things feeling warm and wonderful,” Malcolm said with a grin, picking up the box lying next to him on the couch, “this is the gift I picked up for you. I’d like you to sit next to me and open it.”

  “I’d love to,” she said happily. “You stay by the fire, Waggles. You’re still a bit wet.”

  Settling next to Malcolm, she placed the package on her lap, lifted the lid, then looked up at him with wide eyes.

  “Drawers? You bought me drawers?” she said with a giggle. “How very naughty.”

  “Several pair in different colors, but can you guess what’s special about them?”

  She paused, and as the realization took hold, a warm blush crossed her face.

  “No! Malcolm! You didn’t!”

  “I certainly did. They’re bottomless. Tomorrow night we will be attending our first dinner party as husband and wife, and you will be wearing a pair beneath one of your new gowns.”

  “This isn’t a present for me, it’s a present for you.”

  “No, my love, it’s a present for us both,” he said with a devilish grin, “b
ut look underneath the top pair.”

  Lifting the white silk fabric, Connie found a small, dark green velvet box.

  “Oh, my goodness,” she murmured, feeling her heart skip as she lifted the lid, then caught her breath as a glittering emerald ring stared up at her.

  “It wasn’t ready in time for the wedding,” he said softly, lifting it out and sliding it on her finger. “I know you said my mother’s ring was all you wanted or needed, but I simply had to buy you one myself. The moment I saw the stone I knew it was for you. The color matches your eyes.”

  “It’s the most gorgeous thing I’ve ever seen. Thank you, Malcolm. I shall treasure it always.”

  “As I will treasure you.”

  “Um, Malcolm... do you still feel betwixt and between?”

  “I suppose I would if I thought about it, but it rarely crosses my mind these days. Why do you ask?”

  “If you were a gentleman like every other gentleman, though I might like you well enough, you probably wouldn’t hold the same appeal, and if you were a simple groundskeeper, I’d still find you exciting to be with, but you’d lack the manners and grace so necessary in my world.”

  “Connie, I—”

  “Stop. Sorry, but there’s something else. The union of your two worlds makes you very special. I don’t want you to ever think of yourself as somehow lacking because of the circumstances into which you were born. Your humble beginnings make you more, not less. I have a wedding present for you too,” she said, reaching behind her back and pulling out a highly polished, square wooden box.

  Taking it from her hands and opening the lid, he found a gold ascot stick pin and matching gold cufflinks shaped in a unique design.

  “If you look closely, you can see two capital B’s interwoven,” Connie said softly. “Betwixt and between. Yes, Malcolm, you are a rough gentleman, but you’re my rough gentleman, and for me, being betwixt and between makes you absolutely perfect.”

  The End

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