Lois Richer - A Will and a Wedding

Those liquid chocolate eyes were fixed on her, staring deep into the doubts and fears that filled her tortured mind.

“I don’t need to think about it,” he murmured, never breaking the stare. “I feel quite sure we can both achieve satisfaction from this arrangement, but if you need the extra time, I’ll go along with it.” He tugged a small leatherbound booklet out of his jacket pocket and consulted it for several moments.

Cassie wanted to say something-anything. They weren’t having an arrangement, for heaven’s sake. They were getting married!

“Saturday, December 10th,” he muttered. “That would give us time to prepare for the Christmas celebrations afterward.” One long lean finger tapped the book thoughtfully as Jeff glanced up, eyes gleaming. “How is December 10th for a wedding day, Miss Newton?”

Cassie blinked. That was it? He agreed to everything and then checked his calendar? Somehow she had expected a fuss or an argument. Anything but this calm acceptance.

“Cassie? The tenth?”

She stared up at him, bewildered and confused.

“Uh, yes, okay. I think so.”

“Good.” He brushed his lips across her cheek before rechecking his book. “Now. About the ring. I think if we were to go now it would be best. I know a jeweler who will meet with us privately and design exactly what you want. Maybe he can do everything right now, while we wait. Then we can announce it to the children and the staff. I assume you’ll want the Bennets to stay on?”

He was holding her red wool coat out, ready for her to shrug into. Cassie didn’t move. She couldn’t. She could only stand there staring at him. He was moving way too fast.

“Ring? What ring?”

“Your engagement ring, of course.” His tone was soft and gentle. Teasing even. “We are talking about a marriage, you know. A real marriage. And like you, I’m fully prepared to make it work.”

“Yes, but.”

He had her bundled into the coat and moving out the door before Cassie could even think. She stopped on the step, stubbornly refusing to be moved.

“Wait a minute!”

Jeff stopped politely, tugging his collar up around his ears as the cold north wind whipped down from the roof and tugged at their clothes. His eyes were mildly inquiring and he didn’t move his hand from under her elbow.

“Is there a problem?”

“Yes! I don’t need a ring.” She said it fast so she couldn’t retract it.”And there won’t.be any big wedding. This is an agreement between us two. That’s all.”

“I don’t think so.” He grinned boyishly.

Cassie felt the strong warm arm around her shoulders as he hugged her against his side. If he had ordered or hollered she wouldn’t have listened. But this soft cajoling was something entirely different.

“I asked you to marry me. You agreed. That means we’re going to be man and wife. And I’m going to give you a pledge of my commitment.”

“Yes, but.”

He cut her off, blithely ignoring her objections.

“We will now move to the next stage of this courtship which entails finding an appropriate ring for this finger.” He rubbed her ring finger with his hand.

“Yes, but.” Cassie stopped as his lips brushed across hers softly.

“I am not finished, Cassandra.” His deep voice whispered in the still silent evening, effectively stifling her protests. “Maybe we’re not the traditional love match, but we can still go into this as friends. And totally committed to making this marriage work. I don’t want anyone thinking anything else. The ring will solidify our position.”

He sounded so loverlike one moment and businesslike and coldly calculating the next that a shiver of apprehension rippled down her spine to dissipate like the morning dew at his next softly spoken words.

“Besides, I don’t think any bride should miss out on the old traditions. Especially not one as lovely as you.”

Cassie swallowed her nostalgia. A diamond ring didn’t have to mean love, she told herself. It was just a stone. It could signify friendship as well as love; or commitment to making something work. Why not relax and enjoy it?

She curtsied.

“Thank you, kind sir. I would be pleased to accept your ring.”

It began as a fun evening which came as a surprise to Cassie. She hadn’t expected that someone like Jefferson Haddon would be able to unbend so easily. They laughed and joked about the strange customs of marriage as they visited Jeff’s favorite jeweler but neither could agree on just what type of ring Cassie should wear.

“I work with kids, Jeff. I don’t want some big, gaudy showpiece. Something small and practical will be just fine.”

“This isn’t overly large.” He held up an opal close to the size of a golf ball with glittering diamonds surrounding it.

“It’s both ostentatious and pretentious. Besides that, it’s ugly.”

He frowned at her. “All right. You pick one.”

“This is lovely.” Cassie chose a small diamond perched on a thin band of gold.

“Hah! I can’t even see where the diamond is-if there is one. How about this?” He held up a dinner ring that nearly blinded her.

“I don’t like clusters,” she told him, grimacing. The thing would take arm supports just to carry it around.

“And this?” It was a rock the size of a cherry.

She shook her head in dismay. “Jeff, that thing would cost a fortune to buy let alone insure.” She glanced at the display cases once more. “I do like this.” She fingered the tiny sparkling stones imbedded in the thin gold band.

He snorted with disapproval.

“So do I, for two kids in high school maybe.”

She watched as Jeff buttoned up his coat. Then, thanking the jeweler for his assistance, he ushered her out the door without a word. Cassie found herself being led toward a dark and rather intimate-looking restaurant moments later.

“I thought we were supposed to go shopping,” she protested, casting worried glances at his annoyed face. “Are you giving up on our marriage already?” It was supposed to be teasing, but Cassie held her breath until he answered.

“We’ll discuss this over dinner” was all he replied in an exasperated tone.

She watched speechless as the mattre d’ greeted him by name.

“Mr. Haddon! Good evening, sir. I didn’t realize we had a reservation for you tonight,” he added nervously.

Jeff smiled that broad grin that made him look like a mischievous boy and laughed.

“Your memory’s not slipping, George. You don’t. Is there anything available?” Cassie watched him slip the man a twenty dollar bill.

“We’re very busy, sir. I’ll just check.” It took George less than three minutes to return smiling. “We have a small table in the corner, Mr. Haddon. Right by the fireplace. Will that suit?”

Apparently it did as Cassie found herself being seated mere seconds later.

“Cassie,” Jeff said, “George here is a good friend of mine.” He slipped his hand on top of hers and squeezed gently. “George, this is Miss Newton, my flancée.”

The older man beamed down at them both.

“My congratulations, Mr. Haddon. That’s wonderful news!” His voice dropped. “Miss McNaughton would have been so pleased.”

Cassie watched the smile tug at Jefferson’s wide mobile mouth.

“Yes,” he drawled. “Aunt Judith would be very happy.”

When they were alone, Cassie leaned forward.

“I’m really not dressed for such an expensive restaurant, Jeff. And I’m not very hungry, either.” She heard the whine in her own voice and endeavored to get rid of it. “ Why are we here?”

Brisk and to the point, that was better.

He leaned back in his chair, smiling benevolently at her across the candlelight. A waiter arrived with champagne in a silver bucket, forestalling any further conversation.