06-27-2022, 11:19 PM
Don’t worry?
How could he not worry, when he was sitting at a table with the man he was in love with and the woman he hated most? The mother that had known him in his youth, if not as her son, then as a pest she almost tolerated for her husband.
Malachi wanted to cup his cheek and kiss him. Arthur was still putting in so much more effort for him, for something that would not even matter by the end of the night, than anyone else in his life ever had.
Just because he loved him.
Before spending the last few days with Arthur, Malachi had not truly known that that could be enough.
“I’m serious as well,” he mentioned quietly, staring through the borrowed glasses into his lover’s eyes.
“She is like a child throwing a temper tantrum when she gets upset.”
Arthur’s attempt to lighten the mood was, unfortunately, not always that far off. But before he could explain any further, the door opened, and Miriam returned with her head held high and a smile plastered over her face. Levi trailed behind her, taking his seat only after she did.
“Dessert will be out shortly,” Miriam announced, reaching for her wine glass. “I trust the meal is more to your liking now, Doctor Adams?”
“It was slightly under-salted.”
“Mara. Dear, don’t–” Miriam cleared her throat. “How much longer do you intend to stay in London, doctor?”
“We’re leaving soon.”
“Malachi!”
She drew in a long, deep breath, staring at him as if that would make him disappear. Malachi calmly grabbed his glass of wine, sliding the stem between his long fingers. As he brought it to his lips to take a sip, the servants reappeared, carrying silver trays to replace the ones before them.
“Doctor Adams,” Miriam tried again, flashing yet another sickening smile.
“I am so terribly sorry for my family’s lack of etiquette. You see, dear Mara was raised by a drunkard on the streets, and little Malevolent simply refused to learn anything as a child, no matter how hard we tried. Do you still trip over your letters when you give your sermons, Mal? For as long as it took you to speak the language of our Queen, I am quite surprised to hear you speak so eloquently this evening.”
“Ah, dessert!” Levi set a hand on his mother’s arm, silently asking her to stop. “Why speak of the past when there is good food to be appreciated right now?”
Miriam, however, continued, while the servants did their best to ignore them and place the new trays down.
“I do hope, doctor, that you did a better job keeping him in line during your conference than you are doing here. I am disappointed to see that your friendship has emboldened him to speak in such a fashion to his betters, but that is the unfortunate result of these things.”
How could he not worry, when he was sitting at a table with the man he was in love with and the woman he hated most? The mother that had known him in his youth, if not as her son, then as a pest she almost tolerated for her husband.
Malachi wanted to cup his cheek and kiss him. Arthur was still putting in so much more effort for him, for something that would not even matter by the end of the night, than anyone else in his life ever had.
Just because he loved him.
Before spending the last few days with Arthur, Malachi had not truly known that that could be enough.
“I’m serious as well,” he mentioned quietly, staring through the borrowed glasses into his lover’s eyes.
“She is like a child throwing a temper tantrum when she gets upset.”
Arthur’s attempt to lighten the mood was, unfortunately, not always that far off. But before he could explain any further, the door opened, and Miriam returned with her head held high and a smile plastered over her face. Levi trailed behind her, taking his seat only after she did.
“Dessert will be out shortly,” Miriam announced, reaching for her wine glass. “I trust the meal is more to your liking now, Doctor Adams?”
“It was slightly under-salted.”
“Mara. Dear, don’t–” Miriam cleared her throat. “How much longer do you intend to stay in London, doctor?”
“We’re leaving soon.”
“Malachi!”
She drew in a long, deep breath, staring at him as if that would make him disappear. Malachi calmly grabbed his glass of wine, sliding the stem between his long fingers. As he brought it to his lips to take a sip, the servants reappeared, carrying silver trays to replace the ones before them.
“Doctor Adams,” Miriam tried again, flashing yet another sickening smile.
“I am so terribly sorry for my family’s lack of etiquette. You see, dear Mara was raised by a drunkard on the streets, and little Malevolent simply refused to learn anything as a child, no matter how hard we tried. Do you still trip over your letters when you give your sermons, Mal? For as long as it took you to speak the language of our Queen, I am quite surprised to hear you speak so eloquently this evening.”
“Ah, dessert!” Levi set a hand on his mother’s arm, silently asking her to stop. “Why speak of the past when there is good food to be appreciated right now?”
Miriam, however, continued, while the servants did their best to ignore them and place the new trays down.
“I do hope, doctor, that you did a better job keeping him in line during your conference than you are doing here. I am disappointed to see that your friendship has emboldened him to speak in such a fashion to his betters, but that is the unfortunate result of these things.”
