The Brooch

A Liason Of Love

What happened that night, between Maple and Tator, Maple could not explain. She couldn't for the life of her, understand her attraction to Tator. But it was there. No matter how much she tried to deny it. She found herself always returning to him and wanting more...

For her sanity of mind, Maple felt compelled to explore her indescribable feelings further...

For several months Maple and Tator, somehow managed to not only keep that night a secret from her parents and no doubt Mrs. Crowder, but the bond, they now inescapably shared with each other. And could you believe, they kept it very well hidden from all prying eyes. Nonetheless, there was no denying it was growing more and more each with waking day into something neither one could no longer deny...

But to Tator's dismay, there was still someone in the way. And it wasn't their families. As one would expect, it was rather Andrew Wellington the third. To his bitter disdain, Maple continued to be pursued and openly courted by Andrew. And that burnt Tator's britches to the core...

He knew in part, it was to keep their families off their scent and finding out how they really felt towards each other. Especially his prying Nana, who kept a very close eye on him for the past several months. But he also knew, Maple in time, perhaps even against her will, had started to develop feelings for Andrew as well. He too continued to pursue her, like there was no tomorrow...

The funniest thing, is some would say Tator and Andrew, were almost one in the same. They both came from wealthy families, and were both well educated. The only difference was Tator was a Lexington. Maple even compared their secret rendezvous to Romeo and Juliet. The only difference was, she wasn't about to drink poison for anyone. Let alone stab herself in the heart.

But that's exactly what she felt like, being caught between her undeniable feelings for Tator and her unexplainable affections towards Andrew...like being stabbed in the heart...

She knew, in time, her and Tator's liaison and their hidden arrangement, could not last much longer as it had been going. On top of that she did not want to continue to hide things from Andrew. She knew she would have to soon come to a conclusion and make a heartbreaking decision.

Her reasoning, was in the wake of the last thing she ever wanted or imagined could possibly ever happen to her, was to be in a triangle of love. Because that's what was exactly happening... love. And not just one, but for two.

More than that, Maple felt what held her back was her family. Needless to say, Mrs. Crowder. And of course the brooch...

Maple had come to the conclusion she would end things not only with Tator, but with Andrew as well... But when she did, it did not settle well, either men...

As a consequence, you can bet that didn't settle well with not only her family, because of their affections for Andrew, but Tator's indisputable heartache. Aside from that, when Mrs. Crowder learned the news, Maple had rejected Andrew's marriage proposal, she became even more unhinged. A very vexed, Mrs. Crowder was now more on edge and high alert than she had ever been before...

Nevertheless, as time went on, Maple felt like she was beginning to heal. She even started to make other changes in her life. She felt it was time to be a little more on her own. Even if it was as small as switching bedrooms. She moved from the downstairs bedroom near her parents to an upstairs one, that one of her sisters used to occupy.. In consideration, she felt had a little more privacy and for their fortune, so did her parents...