Two Loves

Chapter 43

Sorry for the long break. Chaos is ahead. The quality has left. We are doomed.

ATTICUS

When Ada finishes her presentation, Cymbeline almost bounces out of her chair.

"Only over my dead body!" she exclaims before crossing her arms in front of her, like a pouting child.
Ada rolls her eyes and Isaac - who is still pale, but looks a lot better after sleeping for a couple of hours - hides his face in his hands, trying to stifle a hysteric laughter. I don't really know what to say.

"Darling", Ada starts again, trying to calm her companion down, "I really thought it through. Think of all the advantages! You and Isaac will be financially stable, no one will doubt the status of our relationship anymore, you and I could do whatever we want because our husbands allow it to us and we could all live together. Wouldn't it be grand?"

"Then why can't you marry him?!" Cym interrupts, gesturing at Isaac and me. "It fits much better, and -"

Isaac lifts his head up and grins. "She can't, Cym, she is already engaged to me."

In a last plea for mercy, her eyes finally fall on me. "Atticus, could you say something, too? It's your hand Ada is putting on sale here!"

Now that I look at her, I can hardly find any resemblance between her and Isaac. Cymbeline is standing, one hand on her hip, the other fingers nervously drumming on the lean of a chair, and with absolute disdain in her face. I must admit, I also don't feel much desire to marry her.

Isaac nudges me with his elbow. The smile as not fully vanished from his face. He likes the plan.

"I, ah, uhm-" I say eloquently before shifting forward in my chair, careful to avoid Ada's stare, "I also see the advantages that would have, but I don't know whether it will work. My mother wouldn't object, I guess, but - What will your parents say, Ada?"

Ada huffs and looks down on her hands. "I fear my parents have already disowned me. But - It's fine, they will get over it. We just have to wait until my sister marries Lucien, then they'll slowly accept it. Which also means that we have only a short interval of time to get this plan through. Right now, I am the ultimate disgrace of the family. I can do whatever I want."

It's hard for her to say that. To lose all her family over the course of a day, just to now be criticized and yelled at for her plan - poor Ada.
With a loud huff, Cymbeline falls down into her chair again. That her girlfriend is in distress does not seem to bother her particularly.
"Still" she says, "And what after the wedding? People will expect that one of us gets children, and we have no idea whether Isaac and I will ever be accepted by you guys circles of society. And think of what will happen when we get caught!"
"If we get caught", Ada corrects. "That's another thing. When things get too risky, we can still leave England. Go to France, Italy, something like that. Where we can be more free."

Isaac starts playing with a ring on his finger. He is grinning. I could look at him all day.
"Picture it" he says. "We could visit the French boy and Ada's sister. That would be an interesting society."

"I don't know how you can joke about that" Cym says grumpily. Isaac shoots her a devious glance.
"I don't know, maybe I think that you deserve it."

Before this can develop into a full-blown family fight, Ada leans over the table and looks over the round.

"So" she says. "Are we content? I see no other solution."

"There must be another solution than you marrying my brother and me marrying Atticus."

"I like weddings" I say, dumbly. Cym looks as if she wants to murder me with a fish-fork. Well, that is something I will have to get used to as a husband.