Melinas Men

Chapter Three.

Chapter Three.

Dressed in my cream slacks and a white button up shirt I headed to the courtyard. There sat only my sister with her feet up reading a book.

“What are you doing?” I asked her, sitting beside her. She wore a lilac flowing skirt with a white shirt. She was a girly princess born for this role, unlike me.

“Waiting for everyone else,” she said, not looking up from her book.

“Such a goodie two shoes, you,” I kicked her foot lightly.

She sat up and put her book down, “he’s dreamy, isn’t he?”

Who? Please don’t tell me she knew about Jack. She somehow knew everything in this house, but surely not this.

“Prince Eric you fool,” she must have saw the confusion in my face.

“Oh, him. Do you want to marry him then?” I asked her playfully, but also seriously.

She laughed, “that’s not how it works. I can’t marry until you do.”

“Jessa, what if I never marry?”

“Well,” she thought about this, “you’ll pass your use by date in a couple years, then it won’t matter.”

I pushed her, “shut up.”

“You two at it again,” Michael walked into the courtyard shaking his head as always.

“She started it,” Jessa moaned.

“Grass,” I poked my tongue out her.

“She’s always been a grass you know that,” Michael walked over to the pond, watching the Koi fish.

“What do you think of this?” I asked him.

“Yes, I would love to know what you think of this Carmichael,” my mother came up from behind us, placing a hand on both mine and Jessa’s shoulder.

“You’ve got to stop doing that,” I said.

“Doing what?” she feigned innocent.

“Creeping up on us,” I confirmed.

She chuckled, taking a seat across from us, “what’s the fun in that.”

“You don’t have fun,” I crossed my arms.

She gave me a stern look.

“Your mother is a blast, don’t you know?” Dad walked out.

“Maybe we should go back to being announced as we enter a room,” Jessa said, picking her book back up.

“Maybe I should get in on this too,” King Angus walked out into the courtyard.

“You fit right in,” my mother smiled at him as he walked towards us.

We all stood up.

“No, no, no, please. Sit down. Eric will be out shortly, he’s just with his assistant right now,” Angus declared, taking a seat with us. Michael also came and joined.

“His assistant?” Jessa asked.

“Yes, kind of like how you have your personal maid, it’s quite nice actually. It’s his childhood friend, Jackson. Nice boy, just got into a lot of trouble when he was younger and Eric helped him out,” Angus said.

“That’s very sweet of him,” my mother said sweetly.

Angus laughed, “sometimes I think Jackson is helping Eric more than the other way around.”

We all smiled at him.

“Carmichael, you don’t have an assistant?” Angus asked.

Michael shook his head, “not really. More like a butler I guess.”

Angus nodded slowly.

“Sorry for the delay everyone,” Prince Eric entered the courtyard and sat at the empty seat across from me.

“You look lovely Melina, you all do,” he smiled.

“Thank you,” I finally spoke.

“It’s so nice to see you all again after quite some time,” Eric spoke very proper, “Jessabelle I think you were like ten when I last saw you.”

Jessa laughed, “I don’t even recall.”

“I don’t doubt,” he smiled.

“Eric, why don’t you get to know Melina a bit more,” Angus spoke.

I raised my eyebrows at him.

“Melina, would you like to go for a walk perhaps?” Eric asked, standing up.

“Sure,” I got up and followed him from the courtyard out onto the green property.

“So, how are you?” He asked.

“Don’t you find this awkward?” I asked before my head could stop my mouth.

Eric laughed, “thank god it’s not just me. I hate having to act like this.”

I smiled, “I know right, don’t they know we’re in the 21st century now?”

“I understand it, but it is still so old school,” he claimed.

I shrugged, “I guess they are old school.”

Eric laughed, “I remember coming here when we were kids, riding horses and just mucking around, none of this stuff.”

“Simpler times,” I mused.

“I’d prefer to be like that.”

I looked over at him as we walked and I could tell he was thinking of memories of a simpler time, much like I always do.

“How many times have you met suitors?” Eric asked me out of nowhere.

“Well, that was forward,” I laughed.

He shook his head, “sorry. You don’t have to answer.”

“About three or four times,” I shrugged.

“And nothing came out of it?” He asked, and then answered himself a moment later, “obviously not.”

I laughed, he seemed very nervous to be with me, it was cute, “No, well, my mother doesn’t want me telling men this but, when I was eighteen, I was pretty much engaged, to a duke, I really loved him, we grew up together. But he passed not long after, hunting accident. Ever since then, it’s been kind of hard to enjoy another’s company.”

Eric didn’t answer.

“Granted, all other suitors were at least ten years older than me, and with pot bellies.”

He laughed at my joke that wasn’t a joke.

After a moment he spoke again, “It was the Duke of Hembridge wasn’t it?”

My breath caught in my throat at the thought of his name, “yes.”

“I’m sorry to hear, he was a friend of mine too.”

I couldn’t speak for a while, we just kept walking.

“Well, time heals all wounds,” I finally spoke.

“Hopefully,” Eric smiled a sad smile down to me.

We walked along the meadow before finally heading back to the house.

Dinner was served in the grand dining room, and we all ate together. This didn’t happen as much as you’d think. Very rarely would we all be seated to dinner at the same time unless we had company. I didn’t partake in pleasantries much this evening, ever since talking about Sebastian, the Duke of Hembridge, I wasn’t much for pleasant conversation. I know what I needed, and it was more than just a glass of wine with dinner. But that would have to wait until everyone went to their respected quarters of the house.

As I played with my food, moving my peas back and forwards with my knife and fork across the plate, I watched everyone. They spoke freely together and laughed and smiled. It did seem like such a good union, not just business wise. I liked to see everyone happy as much as no one would believe that, but I’d like to see myself happy too. An arranged marriage didn’t seem like such a happy choice. I wanted to marry for love, much like I would have all those years ago if things had been different.

After dinner and lights out I got changed into my ‘commoners’ clothes. Jeans, a shirt and a big hoodie to attempt to hide myself. I tied my hair back this time to keep the hair off my face, most would only ever see me with a dark swooping fringe so maybe a clear face could be a disguise. I always made sure to wear dark, thick eyeliner as I was never to wear that as myself.

I hurried out the gates, along the grass hedged and off to the pub as usual.

“What a surprise,” Mauve set a beer down as soon as she saw me.

I smiled at her, “thank you.”

I took a sip, and it was glorious, just what I needed.

“Yes, what a surprise,” swivelling on his stool Jack came to face me.

I rolled my eyes, “shouldn’t you be sleeping with the rest of the ‘assistants’ Jackson,” I said his full name very slowly, spelling out each letter.

“I could say the same for you, princess,” he said casually.

“Don’t say that,” I hissed.

“What? Scared you’ll get caught?” He said playfully.

“Yes, actually I am. And you should be too,” I pointed at his chest.

But he held onto my finger quicker than I could pull it away.

“How often do you come here?” He asked.

“Most night,” I slouched back down on the stool, our fiery discussion was over.

He laughed, “how do you get away with it?”

I shrugged, “most know, except for my parents.”

I couldn’t help but watch his lips as he talked, they were so full.

“How does a pri — a girl like you end up with a habit like this?” He asked.

I shrugged, I knew the answer, “I don’t know. It’s stressful being me, you know?”

Jack full on belly laughed, “surely you can’t be serious.”

“Why wouldn’t I be?” I asked.

“Well, you don’t have to do anything for yourself, you don’t even have to find yourself a husband, your parents do that for you.”

I was shocked, “what? And you don’t think that’s stressful? Being told to marry someone you don’t even know, let alone love?”

He thought about this for a moment, taking a swig of his drink, “touché.”

“Are you going to tell him?” I asked.

“Tell who what?” He answered my question with his own.

“Eric. About us.”

“What about us?” His smirk was playful, but his words seemed serious, almost threatening.

“Fair play,” I grabbed my freshly made drink that Mauve had set in front of me and went to walk off to another table. But Jack’s hand grabbed onto my wrist firmly.

It hurt, and I looked down at where his tattooed hand held onto my small wrist, but I wasn’t scared of him.

I looked straight into his eyes, “what do you think you’re doing?”

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to grab you,” he retreated quickly, “I just can’t seem to get you out of my mind.”

I sat back down on the stool beside him, something behind his eyes wasn’t just danger, it was hurt, it was sadness. I recalled King Angus saying how he got into trouble when he was younger and Eric saved him, there was more to that, I could see it tucked away in his head.

“Last night was nice,” I began, “but it can’t happen again obviously.”

“Obviously,” he repeated, “but that doesn’t mean I won’t think about it.”

He was a bit more playful now and it was nice to see.

I laughed, “I don’t doubt.”

“You don’t seem like what you are when you’re out here,” he tried to find the words, so he didn’t say princess again.

“I don’t feel like I am what I am,” I shrugged, “I wish I could just break free.”

“Why can’t you?” Jack asked.

I thought about this, “I don’t know, I’ve never really thought that far into it. Isn’t it like a deep shame on you and your family? Shunned to the outskirts maybe?”

He laughed, “I don’t know, you’re telling the story.”

“I don’t know then. My family and what comes with it is all I’ve ever known.”

He said nothing, just drank, and thought, and watched me.

I couldn’t help but blush under his gaze.

“At least I know you’ll be thinking about me too.”