jacqueline "the infant wonder" macnair (madrugada) wrote in blurred_lines, @ 2009-01-13 23:42:00 |
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When Walden had asked her, she had almost refused, wanting to tell him that he didn't have to try and woo her--they were consigned to this union, for better or for worse. Still, it seemed silly not to try and get to know the person she was going to spend the rest of her (his?) life with before marriage. If they were going to do all the things that...came after marriage, it would be easier if she could be comfortable around him. She felt very awkward, waiting in the sitting room next to her mother and father. Cadmus seemed, if nothing else, thoroughly amused, reading his Evening Prophet as if there was nothing odd about a man who was his senior coming to take his eighteen year old daughter to dinner. Still, she had made her parents promise that she could answer the door and leave--none of this "meeting the parents," come in for tea tomfoolery. He was due at eight o'clock and the clock showed five minutes til. She smoothed her hands along her thighs, resisting the urge to twist her skirt nervously in her hands, not wanting to wrinkle the delicate fabric. She had made an effort to appear as grown-up as she could, wearing a dark crimson dress (her mother had said unmarried girls could not wear black) in the most daring cut her mother would allow--which wasn't terribly daring. She had swept her hair back into a loose chignon, and was wearing the ruby necklace her sister had given her for their last birthday. Until the week before she had usually worn the key necklace Aquila had gifted her for that same birthday, but had decided following her betrothal that it would be inappropriate to wear jewelery given to her by another man. How was it possible that he was engaged? Walden was the type of man that grew old all alone and was happy for it. Somewhere along the way there had been a change and now he was engaged with less than a month left before the actual wedding. And she was 18. Walden stood in front of one of the last remaining mirrors in his home and he inspected his reflection. How was a 52 (soon to be 53) year old man supposed to hold the attention of a beautiful girl like Jacqueline Wilkes? His usual attire had been put aside for the evening and instead he wore a dress jacket and a pair of pressed trousers. His hair was still a mess, though he had attempted to tame it a bit. Walden sighed. He was dressed up. Well they had said it was a new beginning, hadn't they? Walden glanced at his watch, noting that he had just under ten minutes until he was expected at the Wilkes home. He took one more moment to calm his racing heart (why was he nervous?) and then Apparated just outside the property. Another stolen moment and he was at the front door and without further delay he tapped his knuckle against the door and waited. She jumped a bit at the knock on the door, on her feet in a moment. With a glare of warning to her parents, she picked up her cloak and stepped into the foyer, pausing for a moment. She took several deep breaths, trying to slow her pounding heart so that she didn't appear a frazzled twit when she opened the door. Finally feeling a bit more collected, she nervously smoothed her already smooth hair and nodded to their elf to open the door. "Good evening." He gave her his most charming smile at the greeting and he even managed a polite bow of the head. It was such an odd situation for him, escorting a woman to dinner. He had not been out with a woman socially in years and even then it had not been dinner and they had not been planning on getting married. This was something completely new to him. "Good evening to you as well. You look lovely." The closest Jacq had ever come to an evening like this were her teas with Gaius, which had led to such an awkward relationship that she did not want to compare them to her time with Walden. He looked...nice, like he had made an effort. She still felt impossibly young and naive next to him, but it felt good to see that he had tried for her. She returned his smile and stepped forward, offering him her hand. "Thank you, you look quite well yourself." "Thank you." He continued to smile as he took her hand and placed it in the crook of his elbow. For a moment he tried to imagine how they looked together, whether it looked rather natural or horribly wrong. He imagined it was something like a father who was taking his daughter (who looked nothing like him) out for a meal. He decided to ignore that and focus on Jacqueline entirely. It did not matter what the general opinion of the new couple was. Walden had decided that he did not care. "Shall we?" She rested her hand lightly on his elbow, glad she did not feel dwarfed by him the same way she did by Rodolphus. She too was thinking about the pair they made, and whether or not it looked ridiculous. She could probably benefit from adopting his philosophy, though she felt the weight of the eyes of society a bit more keenly than he seemed to. "Yes, of course." The lack of parents waving them off helped to set Walden at ease. He wasn't sure how comfortable he would be waving to Cadmus as he walked away with the man's daughter on his arm. Once the pair was well away from the doorstep he pulled his wand from one of his pockets and thought the name of the restaurant. Moments later they were standing in front of the place he'd been recommended and he turned his head to look at Jacq. He gave her another smile and then led the way inside where they were quickly seated. "I'm glad you agreed to have dinner with me." She tightened her grip on his arm as she felt the familiar pull of Apparition, only loosening her fingers when they materialized safely. She followed where he led and sat when the waiter pulled her chair out for her, returning his smile as they settled in to their table. "I am glad you asked me." She returned, simultaneously glad the talk remained light and feeling like an idiot for not striving to say something intelligent and impressive. He suddenly found himself in a terrible position. One of the few reasons he avoided all social gatherings was his hatred for mindless small talk and he could see that this dinner was dangerously close to plummeting into a chasm of forced conversation and awkward silences between questions and answers. It wouldn't always be so formal, or so he hoped. The voice in the back of his head told him dinner was not the appropriate time for the conversation he wanted to have but he ignored it. He had to let her know what he was thinking and Walden had always been a very forward man. It seemed unnatural to censor himself, especially to his future wife. "I know this can't be easy for you, Jacqueline. I promise you that I am going to do everything thing in my power to make you happy. Please know that." She was surprised by his bluntness, though she appreciated it. Jacqueline was never one to censor herself so it put her at ease that he would speak his mind around her as well. His words settled the queer feeling of unease in the pit of her stomach that she had been trying to ignore since she had spoken to Ferdinand. That night had turned her into an emotional wreck--he who had always kept her at a distance suddenly needed her to confess her feelings, just as she became untouchable. It would have been easier to bear if she had thought Walden didn't care about her, but she knew he did. She knew he wouldn't have said yes without a reason. She leaned forward, her smile genuine. She knew some of the art of flirtation but thought it would be silly to use it on him. He didn't seem easily beguiled, and she didn't want him to think her immature. "Thank you, Walden. I assure you, it is not as hard for me as you might be imagining." He returned her smile and found that a very small weight was lifting from his shoulders. He might not have been her first choice but she was there nevertheless and not completely unhappy with the idea, as she had just told him. They weren't a pair desperately in love but they seemed to like each other well enough and perhaps there was room for growth. Stranger things had happened, though Walden had never been the type to grow attached to women. The last serious relationship he'd been in was with Rita and that was so dysfunctional he hardly thought it counted. Of course Rita was the devil and Jacqueline was bright and pleasant. "That is very good to hear. I feel that we should start off being honest with each other, or as honest as we can be. I believe that everyone requires their own private corners of the world so I won't keep you from your secrets but know that you can trust me. You can come to me with anything." She thought about her secrets, the things she kept hidden from the world for her own self preservation and to protect those she loved--Ferdinand, Julianne and Sirius, her rebellious ideas. She wondered, would he still want her if he knew those things? Could she tell him about her sister and he would understand, or would he go off and destroy her for the betrayals she had committed? She knew, rationally, that Walden had killed. He had probably killed a lot. One does not get to where he was in their society without doing so. In fact, she hardly thought there were any men she did know, apart from her father, who hadn't murdered someone. But it was in the name of good, and doing what was right. Could she grow to care for someone who was so deeply dichotomous? Was he really as gentle and understanding as he seemed? She tilted her head to the side, appraising him. She nodded. "I kissed Gaius Travers." The waiter came over with a bottle of wine for the couple and then left again when Walden gave him a nod of thanks. "Travers, you say?" He smirked as he reached forward for the freshly opened wine and poured some into his glass before pouring some for her. He wasn't sure if she even liked wine but he poured it nevertheless. He placed the bottle back into it's ice bucket and then picked up his glass, his amused smirk still tugging at his mouth. "You were the topic of a conversation he and I had not too long ago." She smiled, inclining her head slightly to acknowledge his chivalry. Taking her glass, she took a sip and found herself immediately gratified--at least, if nothing else (and she was sure that wasn't the case), he had excellent taste in wines. "Yes, several months ago now. It's the worst thing I've ever done, and my most shameful secret. I wanted you to know what you were getting into." She replied, a smirk in kind on her lips. She resisted the urge to roll her eyes at his bit of news. "Yes, I imagine he sung my praises." She said dryly. "He thinks that you, or any woman for that matter, should not be offering your help. If I recall correctly he did say young women so I think that means he's not fixing to insult Bellatrix. He's not impressed with your interest, at any rate, and he was afraid that you would come to one of us with your concerns about him." He took a sip of his wine and shook his head. "I assured him that you were more than capable or I would not have been told to meet with you and that seemed to calm him down. I haven't heard a word from him on the subject since." She decided, for the sake of being a better person, not to tell Walden about Travers calling Bella "mental." Apparently, his desire to voice his opinions on the role of women in the Dark Lord's service only extended so far as the women who wouldn't gladly tear him limb from limb for doing it. "Then he clearly does not know anything about me, as I have told him repeatedly. I'm not one to carry tales simply because I dislike someone. I did tell him there would be consequences for his disloyalty, but I meant that, in the long run, everyone's true character reveals itself." She allowed herself the small gesture of pressing her fingertips against the edge of the table, not wanting to fidget but needing an outlet for her nervous energy. This was going as well as can be expected, but what did he really think of her? Did he find her to be a silly, immature little girl? "Yes well, I'm afraid I have heard several words since. I am glad you didn't allow him to color your opinion of me, however. I would like you to think highly of me." Walden also felt it was going well, far better than he had hoped at any rate. They were chatting comfortably enough and he found that he was having no issues being open with her. "I am not the type of person to base my opinions of people on the reports of others and even if Mr. Travers claimed you were the worst sort of person, I could not believe him. I find it much more effective to judge people by what I see personally. So far I find myself enjoying your company very much." He took another drink of wine and thought calming thoughts to manage his nerves. Walden was never the type to get nervous so when it happened he took it very seriously. Sitting across from his 18 year old future wife was one thing he thought he couldreasonably be nervous about, no matter how well it was going. She studied him as frankly as she could without making it obvious, her eyes free of appraisal, only taking in his features. He was handsome in a way she didn't usually think about--it was youthful or boyish, but older, more refined, and more...masculine. She was intimidated by his manliness, so used was she to dealing with boys. Unbidden, she thought about what it would be like if he kissed her, which he must at some point. It would probably be completely unlike her two, passive and fleeting, previous kisses. It would probably be like the kind Rousseau wrote about. Would she be any good at it? Could he enjoy kissing her? She flushed slightly, averting her eyes to keep her embarrassment from showing. She couldn't believe she was thinking like this. "Do you like to read, Walden?" He wondered how he should go about answering the question. He had a big enough library, or so it was by his standards. He read occasionally but he doubted that she meant the newspaper or the two books he'd been slowly chipping away at over the past year. "Not as much as I should, I'm afraid. You'd think that being close to Rodolphus would lead to more time reading but it's just not the case." It was now his turn to study her, though he did it as he spoke to her. He wondered if she could tell he was watching her intently or if he was doing a well enough job focusing on his apologies that he was not well read. She really was lovely and he was quickly overcoming the age difference. At first the idea of such a young wife unsettled him but she was mature for her age, as he'd said to many people, and they seemed to suit. "I have a library at the manor but it's not very large and it's depressingly out of date. I take it you're a reader?" She nodded, her face not registering disappointment but wondering, internally, what it is they would find to talk about if she always had her nose in books. Oh Merlin, what if he didn't like that she read all the time? Would he try and change her? He seemed well pleased enough with the way she was, but she would just have to hope that extended to her hobbies. "I am, yes. I mean, I'm not one for throwing garden parties or embroidery and it's the only genteel pursuit I find I genuinely enjoy." She wondered if it would be appropriate for her to continue with what she thought of next, but if they couldn't talk about their married life now, there would be a bigger problem at hand than her reading habits. "Perhaps...perhaps I could undertake to update and expand the library after we're married? If you would be amenable, I'd enjoy the task immensely." Walden couldn't help but grin. There was just one more thing to add to Jacqueline's appeal and that was the fact that she didn't plan things. She read books and supported The Cause, amongst her other redeeming qualities. "That's funny, because I don't throw garden parties or do embroidery either. What a pair we make." He gave her a nod at the idea of redoing the library. "That would be fine. Perhaps you can pick out a few things that I should add to my list of books to read once you have things in order. I'm horrible when it comes to selecting something that will hold my interest." "I'm sure you could embroider something quite lovely and meaningful onto a throw pillow if you were so inclined." She said, the corners of her lips tugging up into a smile. What a pair we made he had said. They were a pair, they would always be a pair. That was a hard concept to grasp, but it was becoming easier the more time she spent with him, the more at ease she felt in his presence. Her smiled widened. "I would say, for your own well being, that you should reconsider saying something like that to someone who advocates reading as I do, or you will end up with a stack of tomes on your bedside table within the hour." "I think I am up for the challenge, though it may take me a decade to get through your stack. I imagine that by the end of that list you'll have another library full to add on to it." He finished off his glass of wine and then filled it once more before placing it back in the ice bucket. The book conversation was interrupted by the waiter and the two ordered, talked a bit more, and then finally their meals came. The actual dinner portion of the evening was rather quiet, each of them commenting on their meals and not saying much else. Walden took the time to reflect on the evening and all the evenings they had ahead of them. Rodolphus had been right. This marriage would not be difficult and Walden found comfort in the fact that it was Jacqueline he was marrying and not one of the more vacant purist women. He pushed his plate away from the edge of the table and picked up his napkin, glancing to his sides nonchalantly. "How was your meal?" he asked, finally bringing his gaze back across the table. She set her fork down and delicately dabbed her napkin to the corner of her lips, the picture of daintiness. Jacq may be inclined to speak her mind but her mother had made sure she could behave well at a table. Setting her napkin down beside her plate, she smiled at him, tilting her head to the side. "Excellent. Did you enjoy yours?" She asked, her quicksilver mind already thinking about what would come next. She knew the night that Regulus had asked Julianne to marry him, they had gone for a walk after dinner. Would Walden want to go for a walk or would he bring her straight home? What was normal after having dinner with your fiance? "Yes I did. It was quite good. We will have to come back again, I think." He gave a small smile at the thought and as the waiter walked by Walden flagged him down and asked for the check. It was still fairly early in the evening and it seemed almost a shame to end it so soon, especially when they seemed to be getting along so well. "I was just thinking that it might be nice to take a short walk now that we've finished dinner. It will give us a chance to talk more and I think I could use some fresh air. What do you think?" She was touched by the gesture of his saying they should come back--it was almost romantic that he would want them to return to where they had spent their first evening together as a couple. She had expected many things from Walden Macnair, but romance was not one of them. He was constantly surprising her. She returned his smile at his suggestion, inclining her head in agreement. "That's a lovely idea. Of course I would enjoy a walk." "Excellent. We will be off as soon as our waiter returns with the check." It was only a few moments and the waiter was at the table with the bill. Walden removed his money pouch and paid. The waiter thanked him and wished them both a goodnight. Walden rose to his feet to round the table, assisting Jacqueline up from her chair. He held her cloak open for her and his eyes moved to an older couple nearby who seemed to be rather taken with the couple. He gave them a nod and then looked away, bringing his full attention back to Jacqueline. She was, once again, impressed with his elegant manners. Standing with her hand in his, she walked to the door of the restaurant with him and slid her arms into her proffered cloak, smiling up at him as she pulled it securely closed. Her eyes followed his and she caught sight of the older couple, who seemed to think they made a good pair--but she couldn't help but hope that it was as a husband and wife and not as a father and daughter. Refocusing on him, she brushed her hair back behind her ear and waited for him to lead her outside, keeping her breathing even to keep her nerves from getting the best of her. Walden took her hand and placed it in the crook of his elbow, just as he had earlier in the evening. He'd secured his own jacket before they'd left the restaurant and now the pair of them meandered slowly and without destination. The regular January chill seemed to be absent and it made the stroll even more pleasant. There were other couples and families out and about and Walden noticed them but didn't pay much attention. Instead he turned his head down to look at the young woman on his arm. "I've been so caught up in things this weekend that I've forgotten to ask how it feels to have your father home with you. He must be quite happy to be back with his family." She rested her hand there lightly, not wanting to seem forward by tightening her grip. It was unusually mild out and made the walk seem like an excellent idea; she was glad he had suggested it. She raised her eyes to meet his when he looked down at her, feeling like six inches was still quite a difference in height, even if it wasn't on the level of a Lestrange. She was much more comfortable around him now than she had been at the start of the evening, and she hoped they could only continue on this path. "Well, as I'm sure you saw when you met with him, he's still his same, businesslike self. I feel like he must have spent his whole time in that place planning." Pressing her lips together, she looked away as she felt she might be overcome with emotion. "It's good to have him home." She said, a hitch in her voice. He noticed the very slight change in expression and the sound in her voice but he pretended as if he hadn't. He knew exactly what she was feeling. Before that Friday he could not remember the last time he'd cried, even just a tear, but the sight of his sister had stirred him. She looked so thankful to see him, clutched him as if he might disappear at any moment and that had slayed him. He was so glad to have her returned to him. "I'm very glad to hear it. I'm sure there are many families who feel the same way, though even those two months should not have happened." He sighed. "It's no matter now. Everything is being fixed." He'd switched into conversation about his work and decided against it, hastily changing the subject to something else. "I've told you about my reading habits, or lack thereof, so now I shall ask you about a hobby of mine. How are you with horses and riding?" She nodded, taking a moment to compose herself before looking back up at him. She knew he must understand what she had felt while his sister and her father rotted in that miserable place. The relief of having them home. "Everything is being fixed. Everything is right." She affirmed, looking around them as if the world should look different because they had won. "I enjoy riding quite a bit! I'm afraid, living in town we have not had the same opportunities those who live in the country might have had, but Julianne and I were regularly on horses growing up and I still indulge in the pleasure when I have the opportunity to." "That is very good to hear. Riding is very nearly one of my favourite things to do. I've been familiar with horses ever since I was a boy and even when I was very young I was never afraid of them. My uncle always told me that I must have some calming effect on his horses because they never showed any sign of irritation towards me." He smiled a bit at the mention of his uncle and continued on, rather glad that he had a new riding partner. "I have stables at the manor with more than enough stalls. You are welcome to ride anytime you'd like and your sister is also more than welcome to come to the country whenever the two of you wish." She gave him another smile in thanks for his accommodation, glad that they could have another passion in common. She noted his expression when he talked of his uncle, filing that away as a topic to bring up later--he seemed to be a favorite relative. "Thank you so much for your consideration. I will be sure to tell Julianne, and I look forward to riding with you." She tilted her chin toward him, exaggerating their height difference to tease him. "I hope all your horses aren't giant geldings!" He laughed and shook his head. "No, I have normal sized horses. One day we'll sneak into Rodolphus's stable and I'll show you the world's largest horses. Mine look like ponies in comparison." He laughed again and sighed. The teasing and laughing was nice, he decided. It was good that they were already feeling so comfortable with each other. They had already crossed some sort of line, past the awkwardness and weird silences. Those would return, possibly, once they shared the same living space but Walden was determined to keep things as light and good as possible. "What is your position on hunting?" The notion of them sneaking into anything together was so ridiculous she couldn't hold back her laughter. "I hope you don't mind if I forgo that particular caper. I think Mr. Lestrange is much more fond of you than he is of me, so you might be more comfortable with the idea of trespassing on his property than I am." She pressed her hand below her throat, trying to suppress her laughter. All things considered, if things continued like this, this evening could be considered a rousing success. His next question made her lips turn down ruefully. "I'm afraid I don't enjoy hunting very much at all--I have never had the heart to harm animals." She hoped he wouldn't be too disappointed if this was a great passion of his. "Muggle hunting, however..." She said with a smirk, hoping to lighten the mood if he was put out. He would have been surprised if she'd said she enjoyed hunting so her answer did not upset him all that much. It was also one of the few hobbies he had that allowed him to get away from people (aside from his hunting friends). "See, I thought that was a very reasonable bill to be passed but I suppose that is why I was never accepted into politics. It also might be because I never tried politics. I'd be far too impatient for it." She was glad he didn't seem disappointed by her answer, because if he expected her to run out and hunt for her supper on Saturday mornings they would not have a very happy life together. She pulled her cloak around her tighter against a breeze, though the air was still quite mild. "I have a feeling neither you nor I possess the ability to obfuscate our true thoughts in the manner required of successful politicians." He smirked and gave a nod of agreement. "No, I don't think we do. It's really amazing that I do so well playing cards, as I am usually very easy to read. I daresay it's one of my faults, being so readable although I've survived all these years as a normal Ministry worker with absolutely no sordid background so I must be better at hiding things than I give myself credit for." "I hope you're not too hard to read. My job will be so much easier if I am able to sort out your moods and habits quickly." She replied, looking up at him with a smile. "I'll try my hardest to make it as easy as possible for you, never you worry." He gave her a smile and then looked ahead for a moment as they continued to walk. He considered mentioning the fact that he occasionally had a temper flare which resulted in the breaking of household objects but decided against it. He would try to keep his rages private so he would not startle her. That pleased her more than she could articulate--Walden Macnair was going to try for her. It would have been so very easy for him to marry and then forget her, leave her at home while he wandered all over the world doing god knows what, returning only to bed her and then sleep in a separate room. There was no law that said a man of his age and experience had to try to make things easy for a girl like her. The fact that he would was making her begin to realize that there might be benefits to this match that she never would have had if she had married someone her own age. "I will try my best not to, then." It was funny, how well the two of them seemed to fit. There was an extreme age difference but it already seemed like that was being forgotten. There was no strange formality when they spoke now as there had been at the beginning. He found that he could talk to her without worrying that his meaning might be lost or his words misunderstood. It made the entire thing even less of a worry. "I imagine our announcement has caused a bit of an upheaval within your social circle." She looked down, her free hand twisting her cloak, trying to hide the nervous energy that was brought out by the truth in his words. "Upheaval...I suppose, yes. I feel like some people would like very much for there to be a scandal." "Some people have nothing to do with their time but create vicious rumours and hope and pray that someone slips up and says something slightly off-colour or wears last year's fashions to an event. If they want to stir up the waters I say let them. Hell, I'll march into their next floral arrangement party and join in on the gossip if it will make them happy. I apologize ahead of time for mentioning the seven unborn children we'll have in a month and a half." Walden gave her a smile at the end of his rant, regretting his mini-rant for just a moment. He worried for a moment that he might've offended her with his lack of decorum and the sarcasm and bitterness in his tone but if he couldn't be himself in front of his future wife then who was he allowed to say such things to? There was no use in hiding himself from her, especially when they were so close to being married. She stopped walking abruptly, looking up at him for a long moment of silence, eyebrows knit together in the perfect picture of confusion. And then, just as suddenly, she began to laugh, covering her mouth with her hand her shoulders shook, unable to stop herself from giving in to the mirth that bubbled through her body. After about a minute, she finally took a deep breath and calmed herself, wiping away a tear of laughter that threatened to spill from one eye. "I don't know what is more incongruous, the thought of you arranging flowers or the dark magic and biological sorcery that would give us a passel of seven children in a month." Her laughter surprised him and he couldn't help but join in, ignoring the few people passing by who seemed none to pleased that they seemed to be missing out on something rather humorous. "It makes me unhappy that I even know that such things as flower arranging exist. If I had my way I would know nothing of the world of the purist woman. In this case I am quite sure that ignorance truly is bliss." He shook his head and looked down at her as they stood in the middle of the walkway. "I'm not sure such magic exists, much to the dismay of half of the Wizarding population. I, for one, am glad. Can you imagine a pack of Narcissa Malfoys running about? She is a lovely woman, truly, but one is more than enough." She wrinkled her nose, thinking about what it would be like to be yelled at seven times instead of the usual once every time she said something controversial. "I don't think my nerves could handle it. Although I don't think I could handle any person sevenfold." She tilted her chin to look up at him, wanting to meet his eyes as she continued. "As much as I want to have children--and I do--I think I would like to have them one at a time, if that is alright with you." He mentally flinched at the serious mention of children. He shouldn't have, seeing as that was the sole reason he'd agreed to marry in the first place, but saying the words aloud seemed to solidify what was happening. Jacqueline was prepared to give him an heir, whether the idea pleased her or not. How would she feel about giving herself to him, a 52 year old man? Her first and only lover would be old enough to be her father and she had still agreed. She didn't look at him with disgust or fear. As far as he could tell she saw him not as a revolting old man but an aged gentleman. "Yes, I suppose one at a time would be the best way to go about things. It would be no good if we had more than we could count on four hands." She would never say that the idea of marrying Walden hadn't shocked her at first--he was, after all, much older than she and had been considered up to that point a confirmed bachelor. She might have remained uncomfortable with the idea if not for his unexpected kindness and the respect he had shown her after the announcement; he seemed to genuinely care what she thought and was concerned with her happiness. His anger about the possible rumours circulating had confirmed that clearly enough. The idea of what would happen after the marriage, the business of making children, was still a tender subject for her and one she had yet to conceptualize. Despite having warmed to the idea of marrying him, that was still one area he would have to show a great deal of patience and attention for her. "Well, I'm glad we agree." He felt a chill run over him and he wondered if she was warm enough. It was odd, wondering about the well being of another person. She seemed well enough, though he supposed they should turn and head back towards the entrance of the park. He looped his arm once more and he walked at a relaxed gait in the direction that they had just come from. He couldn't believe that they had just discussed having children while they stood in the middle of a park path. It was something he'd never expected to do. "While we're on the subject of preferences, is there some place you have in mind for the honeymoon? I've done my fair share of traveling, seen places that I've always wanted to see, and so I think I should be able to do the same for you. Is there some place in the world that you'd love to visit?" She fell into step next to him easily, less shaken by the frank discussion of the production of heirs. Jacqueline longed to be a mother and was less far-removed from the lessons repeated ad nauseum about her duties as a wife and pureblood lady. She had never traveled much, beyond the obligatory trip to Paris and so his next question made her pause and think. There were so many places in the world she had read about but had never seen, and he had probably seen most of them. Picking just one place to go was daunting--and what if he thought her choice was boring or conventional? She bit her lip for a moment and then stopped herself, not wanting to show outward signs of fretting. "I've always wanted to see Rome...or Athens. The homes of the great philosophers." He knew very little about the books and things that she loved so much. Most men would find her passion for knowledge to be a nuisance, for who wanted a woman with a mind? Walden found it refreshing. There were things he could learn from her. Midway through his life and there were still so many things that he didn't know about. "Rome is beautiful and interesting. I believe you would thrive in Rome, even just for the short holiday. There is so much to see and never enough time. Greece is also lovely. We can always take another holiday in the spring or summer if you wish." He took a moment to reflect on his past travels. He hadn't gone on a pleasure trip since his younger days. "I miss traveling." The idea that she would soon be able to just do things because she wanted to was exciting. She and her sisters had always been provided for but the idea of just taking a holiday because one could was still a little foreign to her. When they were married, she knew that she would have a much greater degree of freedom than ever before, and the thought that he would do something like take her on a holiday simply because she wished to was enough to make her smile. "Rome would be lovely, for now. And I would love to visit Greece when it is warmer, if you would like to take me. There is so much of the world I have never seen; if you would like to begin traveling again, once things are more settled politically, I would be honoured to accompany you." He was grinning. It would be nice to have a companion, a friend to travel with. He'd seen all the sights by himself, able to silently reflect on the wonders of the world but it would be a whole new experience to see things alongside someone else. "That would be nice. Once things are in order we will travel." They were nearing the start of the path now and he could see the restaurant not far off. He found that he was a little disappointed to leave her company, especially since things were going so well, but they had all the time in the world ahead of them. For now he could go home and revel in his last days as a bachelor. "I should return you home, I think, before the chill settles in. I don't want your family to worry." She was also surprised by the odd disappointment she felt, knowing the evening was at an end. She was certainly not yet experiencing feelings of burgeoning romance, but she felt quite comfortable around him, talking to him. It lifted the melancholy she had felt since Ferdinand had come to see her, gave her an assurance that she had made the right choice. "Thank you for a lovely evening." She said, gently squeezing his arm where her hand rested--it seemed the most sincere gesture she could give at that point, knowing that neither one of them were quiet ready for a kiss just yet. |