Coming Home

Chapter 5

Chapter 5

A knock suddenly woke Maggie up and the door slowly opened. Anne peaked inside the room and when she saw that Maggie was awake she bounced inside, carrying something in her arms.

"I have something for you." She excitedly announced.

Maggie slowly sat up and stared at Anne with a sleepy look on her face. Anne then revealed a stunning cream dress.

"You need to hurry and put this on so that I can help you with your hair and make-up. You are about to have dinner with Uncle Earl and Luke. You are going to look fabulous in this dress!" Anne gushed.

After Anne had helped her get ready, Luke soon arrived to pick her up. His eyes widened slightly when he saw her. At his look, Maggie felt a blush creep up her neck.

The rich color of the cream dress brought out her fair looks and blushing only made her eyes look like they were sparkling.

"We need to hurry. Uncle Earl does not like tardiness." Luke smiled at her with a twinkle in his green eyes.

"Fine," Maggie snapped back, suddenly sullen. She didn't feel like she was ever going to be 'ready' to meet Earl.

Again Luke led her through hallways and doors until he finally stopped and opened massive double doors. In front of them was a huge dining room. A table covered in fine cloth took up most of the space. The waiting table was set with beautiful cutlery, made of the finest porcelain.

Luke pulled out a chair at the table and motioned Maggie to sit down. Only moments later the door opened again. An elderly man walked in, followed by Mrs. Roxanne. Maggie quickly stood up and Uncle Earl started rushing towards her. Tears stood in his old, kind eyes and his arms opened wide as he neared Maggie. He embraced her and pulled her close while silent tears streamed down his face. After a few awkward moments for Maggie, the older man moved her an arm's length away from himself.

"Look at you! You are a beautiful, young lady! You look just like your lovely mother." Earl exclaimed. "Oh how I miss her." He continued softly. "But you are now finally with me. I have dreamed about this moment for a long time!"

Maggie was speechless. This graying old man had managed to steal a place in her heart. It was as if she had known him forever. She couldn't force herself to refuse him. He had managed to soften her in only a few minutes.

"Let us celebrate this day and our reunion!" The sniffing Earl exclaimed. He quickly ushered Maggie back towards her seat and then seated himself opposite of her.

"Luke, come sit down, sit down. No need to stand!" he invited the smiling Luke. Soon maids hurried to fill their waiting plates with the delicious food Mr. Carter had created. Maggie was impressed with everything and Uncle Earl started telling her stories about her mother. How they had been close friends, the separation and his devastating feelings when he had heard the news of their crash.

Time flew by as first sadness, but then laughter, filled the room as they chatted like a happy family. Soon though, Uncle Earl took on a more serious tone. He reached for Maggie's hands and gently held them between his own calloused ones.

"My dear Magdalena," he suddenly started. "I have always loved you like you were my own child. And I tried to give you the love you lost from your parents, but I can never replace them. Yet I am happy that we can now be together and that I can depart in peace, because I now have someone I can leave everything with." Uncle Earl's eyes filled with tears again.

"I beg you for your help in return. I'd like to get your word that you will take care of this mansion and that you will take over my businesses; once I die or am unable to take care of things myself. I am an old man and I don't have much more time left to live, and I'd like to know that my efforts, in building things up, weren't in vain."

When Maggie started to protest, the older man squeezed her hands gently and shook his head.

"I don't want anybody else to have what I worked hard for, because if you are anything like your parents, you will use this heirloom for good... I am very sure of that."

"With the help of Luke you can slowly take things over. He will teach you everything that you need to know and he will guide you through this journey you are about to begin. You can start training tomorrow for there is little time, yet a lot to learn." He continued on.

"Will you promise me that you will take over everything that I own?" Uncle Earl's eyes bored pleadingly into her own. Her heart had softened and there was nothing she could do about it.

"You really loved my parents didn't you?" She asked softly.

He nodded, smiling kindly. "And I have come to love you just like them."

Maggie couldn't handle it anymore, and gave in.

"I promise," she whispered quietly. As soon as her whisper reached his ears, Uncle Earl came around the table and pulled her up into a hug once more.

"Thank you Magdalena, I can now go on living in peace, knowing that everything is going to be in good, capable hands."

Moments later Earl seemed to become exhausted and he bid her a good night and left the dining room to go rest.

She was left alone with Luke, who was gently staring at her.

***

The next days flew by in a rush and Maggie was forced to meet a lot of people. She had a hard time keeping up with everything and she was getting irritated from the responsibility Uncle Earl had placed on her. She didn't know if she could handle everything which had been placed on her slim shoulders. Businesses had to be taken care of, all of Uncle Earls jobs had to be overseen, and then she had to learn all the rules and ropes of this new place. She felt overwhelmed at times and didn't know if she could ever make it. But Luke was there with her the entire time, teaching her patiently and kindly, yet never giving in to her angry moments.

There were moments where she wanted to strangle Luke for forcing her to come here, but her traitorous heart was softening up even to him! She had gotten to know him fairly well while he taught her and gave her lessons. They had gone from one business to another and during these times she had seen a different side of Luke. Not the dominant, dangerous boy who she had first thought him to be. There was something comfortable, compassionate and gentle about him. The way he treated Uncle Earl; his way of talking with the servants; the respect he showed to others... This side of Luke scared her and it made her wonder about him even more. He was constantly around her, and thus, often on her troubled mind.

Her stubborn heart sometimes whispered that she was falling in love with him, but she quickly squashed such thoughts down, by remembering Luke's chase. Yet it was becoming harder and harder every day, to see the dangerous Luke. The boy who had forced her to come was slowly fading away into the background, as she got to know the other side of Luke.

They still argued, and Maggie loved to pick fights with him, but it was becoming hard to pretend that she still hated him. His easy banter was warming to her and there was nothing she could really do about it. They were quickly becoming close friends.

What Maggie didn't understand, was that even though Luke was not rich, he never was jealous or envious of what she was going to later own. He never showed even a spark of resentfulness and it made her like him even more. He treated everyone with an utmost of regard and always considered their opinions.