My fake fiance

At First Sight

Adam rushed upstairs to Paul's room and almost dropped his heavy medical book at the top of the stairs. As he passed Rachel's room he doubled back and stood there near the door for an instance. The door was ajar, which afforded him an easy view into the room. The light wooden furniture looked plain against the pale green walls. There were only a few ornaments on one of the bedside tables, a landscape hanging above the bed. Flower boxes with petunias in various shades of pink and purple provided some additional splashes of colour. The French doors were wide open and framed with white cotton lace curtains.  A young woman, which he knew to be Paul's cousin Ida, was lost in thought sitting in front of the dresser, brushing her long, chestnut brown hair,  humming a melancholy tune. He was captivated by her. Could this really be the same girl who visited a few years ago. He didn't her remember her to be that beautiful.

Adam stood there, he couldn't say for how long and kept staring at her reflection in the mirror.  Unexpected thoughts swirled in his head, which made him feel like a hundred butterflies were in his stomach and he couldn't help but smile. Blinking,  he noticed Ida noticing him in the doorway. She jumped up, an alarmed expression in her pretty pale face, moving towards the door and intent on closing it in the intruder's face. After all, a young lady needs her privacy when dressing and doing her hair. Startled, he quickly returned his attention to the books in hand again but couldn't avoid them dropping noisily to the floor.

'My apologies.' He stammered. 'I am Adam Holland.'

'I know. I remember you. We met three years ago.'

'Of course.' In truth, Adam didn't remember much of the scrawny 13-year-old and her previous visit to Redcliffe. Back then, he had just finished his first year of medical school, his grandmother was very sick - and had passed soon after. He didn't pay much attention to Paul's little sisters and cousin. But now she had his full attention. Her round face bore a resolute expression. Her lips were pressed together and her eyes looked at him quizzically. He felt drawn towards her in a way that he had never felt before. He couldn't seem to move from her door and looked at her with keen interest, forgetting about the books at his feet, waiting for her to speak. He wanted to get to know her, wanted to know everything about her.

Ida cleared her throat and nodded her head at the books.

'So...I take it...you had a good journey.' He said eventually and bent down to pick up his reading materials. It wasn't often that words failed him. He wanted to keep her talking and see her smile but he was literally lost for words. He could not think of one intelligent thing to say to her. 

'It was long...but on the whole, it was good, thank you.' Ida said in a tone that implied that she'd rather have her peace and quiet now. 

'Of course.' He cursed himself inwardly because he could not come up with anything more interesting to say than "of course." And the last thing he wanted was to be a nuisance to this lovely creature.

'Don't you have somewhere to be?' Ida pointed at the books in Adam's hands.

'Of course.' There it was again! 'Paul and I...'

'What's all this ruckus?' Paul came into the hallway. 'There you are! I thought I'd heard you coming in! What's keeping you?'

'Coming!' Adam replied. To Ida he said 'sorry, again to have bothered you.'

Ida gave him a curt nod and closed the door firmly.

Adam rushed into Paul's room. 'I need your advice on something. I think I am in love.'

'Interesting. Who is it?' 

'Someone I could see myself spending my spare time with, maybe more...'

'Is it my sister Rachel? If it is, it's about time. She'll be over the moon and I will be eternally grateful that I have to no longer listen to her telling me how dreamy you are anymore and asking me to put in a good word for her with you.'

'I adore your sister, I adore your whole family but...no, what makes you think that I would feel that way about her?'

'Only because you spend most of your spare time with her when you're not studying with me. Last week you went swimming in the creek almost every day.'

'You came along! And Benjamin and Marianne, too!' 

'A couple of times, yes...'

'Then you spend hours helping her with her homework or talking with her in the kitchen or the orchard...'

'What are you saying?'

'It seems you have entangled yourself.'

Adam thought about the truth of Paul's words. 'What am I supposed to do now? I don't want to hurt her feelings. Maybe I should stay away for a while, not make things worse, not give her any more reason to hope...we could study at my house for a change.'

'Just talk to her...and she'll get over you eventually.' Said Paul. 'You're not that great, you know!' He added jokingly. 'So, tell me and don't keep me in suspense any longer, will you? Who's the girl you like?'

'You'll never guess.'

Paul mentally ran through a list of girls it could be. It was a fairly short list. Adam didn't often associate with young women unless his parents insisted he attend a social or had guest over for a business dinner. None of them had spent any significant amount of time with Adam that he could have formed a serious attachment.  Adam spent most of his time with Paul, his brothers or Arthur Robinson, Jonathan Bennett and Ellis Best from his graduating class at the Redcliffe school.

'Well...?' Paul prompted Adam. Not for one second did Paul think that the girl his best friend liked was his cousin Ida. Not that he didn't see her as a girl who could be liked but she was his cousin. She was always getting invited to dances or picnics or for walks by young men when his Mother or Rachel read out her letters to him. She had a pretty face, kind eyes and a cute button nose, slender features and a good nature, although, personally, he preferred someone like Norah Fraser or Constance Whitehead, if he had to choose. They were both active members of the Lady's Aid Society and were considered a good match. Mr. Fraser worked for the railway and Constance's father owned the local sawmill. 

'You're right! I would have never guessed!' Paul shook his head and laughed about the irony of the situation. 'I think you have zero chance with her! She must be the only girl in Redcliffe who isn't head over heels crazy for you but good luck!'

'You know that as my best friend it is your duty to support and encourage me in anything I do!' Adam said in mock earnest as he slumped down on an armchair by the window.

'Ida seems pretty set on being a modern, independent woman. She will be working with my father at the paper and she'll be studying via correspondence. She is not as  superficial or silly as half the girls in Redcliffe, who'd be at your beck and call if you snapped your fingers. There's no room for the likes of you in her life.' Paul teased.

'What do you mean when you say ''the likes of me"?' Adam laughed.

'You know I love you like a brother and wish you every happiness but your charms won't work on her, believe you me!' 

'But who could resist this handsome face?'