A Beauteous Flower

Chapter 46 - The Search for Knowledge

At breakfast the next day, Madison played it coy as she sensed that overnight a small connection had formed. Breakfast came with a glow of warmth from Daniel as he cozied up to her and listened as she talked about the news. As they both reached for the maple syrup, a little spark passed between them, and Madison let her fingers linger on Daniel's for a Lady and Tramp moment. When Daniel didn't pull away, Madison's heart got a little fluttery and when he left the breakfast table, Daniel told her he loved her before she told him she loved him. A gleeful Madison felt sure she was on the right track.

While she wanted to bask in this little victory, Madison avoided Daniel to give that spark a bit of room to breathe and grow. In the meantime, she implemented a new phase of her plan although she didn't look forward to this new phase quite as sanguinely because it involved humility on her part. It was time for her to learn about Daniel and the best people to learn from were the people that knew him best. To that end, Madison got out her phone, prepared herself to take a few well-deserved lumps, and dialed up the first person on her list of people in Daniel's tight inner circle.

As phone rang, Madison pictured Burt's bemused face when he saw her name on the caller ID. Madison reasoned that since Burt was Daniel's best friend since his college days, Burt probably had some insights into Daniel. The only question was if Burt would share them with Madison and that was a big "if".

Honesty required Madison to admit that her relationship with Burt, if one could call it that, mirrored her relationship with Gandalf the cat. Madison and Burt had never connected on any level. Burt was a good and gentle giant of a person and had never said or done anything offensive to Madison and he had been polite and respectful of Madison's relationship with Daniel. Burt had simply been himself, which might have been a touch quirky, but was ultimately a kind, gentle soul.

For her part, Madison had not put any effort into a relationship with Burt, because like other aspects of Daniel's life, she considered Burt Daniel's friend and therefore, not a part of her life. Actually, she had even viewed Burt as a mild impediment to her pretty life with Daniel, and, to remove that impediment, Madison had taken many opportunities to take digs at Burt directly and indirectly, publicly and privately.  It had been Madison's previous opinion that it just wouldn't do to try and mingle Burt with the kind of people she thought she and Daniel should associate with and, therefore, he had to go.  As a result, in Madison's estimation relations between herself and Burt were, at best, coolly polite. If she was to get any kind of information or aid out of Burt, Madison had to mend some fences and as Madison listened to Burt's phone ring, she cringed a little at the memory of how shabbily she had treated Burt. This wasn't going to be easy.

"Hello?"

"Hi, Burt ... it's Madison."

Burt went silent on the other end. Madison visualized that a frown gathered on Burt's big expressive face at the sound of her voice.

"Hello," Burt responded cautiously.

"Burt, I'm sorry to bother you, but I need some help. Help with Daniel."

More silence from the other end of the phone and Madison pictured Burt's big face pinched into an expression of mistrust and distaste.

"I don't think I can help you, Madison."

"But Burt, you know him so well and ...."

"No," Burt interrupted in his measured, pensive voice.  "I mean I don't think I can help you ... in particular."

That rocked Madison a bit. She might have deserved it, but that didn't make it any easier to accept. Old Madison would have told off Burt and hung up, but thanks to Mrs. Sheena's story, new Madison realized that if she wanted anything from someone she had wronged, then she would have to show a contrite heart. That meant her way forward with Burt was the same as her path Daniel's heart; accept responsibility, apologize, and show she meant it by a change in behavior.