Game Of Bliss

(57)

"Elsie, everything alright?" Malachi questions.

"Yes," Elspeth replies, though Malachi could hear a slight waver in her tone.

"What's wrong, Els?" Malachi asks.

"Nothings wrong, I'll be out in a minute," Elspeth states.

Florence was with Leila, they were looking around the store, Elspeth had found a dress she wanted to try on so Malachi went with her and sat outside her changing room.

"Els," Malachi sighs, "why can't I see the dress?"

There was a moment of silence before Elspeth peeks her head from behind the curtain, slowly pushing it to the side as she steps out, "I don't feel pretty. The dress is nice but it's not nice on me."

"The dress looks beautiful on you, Els," Malachi replies.

"It does?" Elspeth questions, staring up at him with tears in her eyes. She trusted him. If he said she was beautiful, she believed him.

"Of course it does," Malachi says, as she wraps her arms around his neck, resting her head on his shoulder, "thank you."

"Anytime, pretty girl," Malachi replies, his hand coming to rest on the back of her head, as he presses a kiss to her temple.

"I can't get it, Mal," Elspeth says, "I don't have enough saved."

"Why've you been saving?" Malachi asks, "Elsie, you don't have to buy yourself anything, that's what Flo and I do. You've been worrying about money?"

"My mother was always in my ear about it," Elspeth tells him.

"You don't have to worry about saving, or buying you're own clothes," Malachi states, "anything you want in this shop, anything you want in any shop, you can have it."

"You mean it?" Elspeth asks.

"Els... we got you a horse, of course I mean it," Malachi chuckles, "now go out there, try on as many outfits as you want to, and stop worrying."

"If you weren't old and a boy, you'd be a really good candidate for Leila and I's girls picnics," Elspeth says.

"I am not old," Malachi replies.

"You're older than me," Elspeth remarks, grinning at him.

"Have you ever considered that might just be because you're young?" Malachi says, "a lot of people will be older than you, Elsie."

"And a lot will be younger than you... oldie," Elspeth teases, skipping back into the changing room with a smile on her face as Mal rolls his eyes.

-

"Put your money away, Leila," Malachi states, walking over to where the girls were stood at the register, Florence beside him.

"It's refreshing to see a father shopping with his daughters," the lady says, smiling at Malachi, practically ignoring the presence of the three other people stood there.

"Keep the change," Malachi states, placing a bundle of notes down on the table with his left hand so the wedding ring on his finger was visible to the cashier.

Florence smirks slightly, she knew exactly what he was doing. He knew the woman had been eyeing him up since he'd stepped in the store. He knew the woman was attempting to start a flirtatious conversation with him, which would probably end in her making a small, pointed comment towards Florence. He wasn't a confrontational man, but he got his point across. He was spoken for, he was making sure the woman knew that.