A Magical World
"I'll show you a magical world, Jean."
Lucien Blake had repeated those words to her a million times, sparking a million dreams to ease her difficult life. Her mother worked as a maid for the well-to-do Doctor Thomas Blake, and Jean had worked as a kitchen servant since she was a small child. It was brutal work, and at fourteen years old, she came to find that it was only ever made worthwhile by the friendship and tentative romance with the doctor's son, Lucien. He made her believe that something grand and bright and beautiful could be possible, despite their differing stations in life.
But Lucien was sent away to be educated as a doctor and eventually take over his father's practice. During their years apart, Jean and Lucien communicated by letter. The distance was heavily felt, however. It was harder and harder to keep faith in the magical world he used to talk about when he was so far away.
Dr. Blake promoted Jean to head housekeeper when her mother died, but he pressured her to marry Christopher Beazley, who managed the grounds on the Blake estate. Jean could hardly protest—how could she tell her employer that she, a housekeeper, couldn't possibly marry Christopher when she was hopelessly in love with the doctor's son? Reality told her that she and Lucien could never really be together. Dr. Blake would never allow it, and the whole world would shun their union of mismatched classes. It was hopeless.
Jean had tears in her eyes as she wrote Lucien a final letter, explaining that she would have to marry Christopher if she were to have any sort of future at all.
Lucien received Jean's letter, essentially saying goodbye—to him and all the dreams they had for their future together. He still had one more year before he finished medical school, but he didn't care. He took the first train home, praying he wasn't too late.
He rang the bell at his father's home and Jean answered the door.
"Jean! Please tell me you aren't married yet," he begged desperately.
Her turquoise eyes were wide. "No," was all she could say, too shocked at his sudden appearance to say much more.
Filled with hope, Lucien exhaled happily. "Good," he breathed. He stepped forward and placed his hands on her slender arms, giving them an affectionate squeeze. "Jean, I love you, and I want to marry you. Right now. If you'd have me."
Dr. Blake came down the stairs while Jean was trying to regain her power of speech. "Good lord, Lucien? What on earth are you doing here? You should be at school!" the doctor scolded.
"I've come to ask Jean to be my wife," Lucien told his father proudly, standing tall to face him.
"You certainly will not! She's the housekeeper!"
Lucien nodded. "Yes, and I love her." He placed his hand on the small of her back.
"She is engaged to marry Beazely," the doctor smugly informed his son.
But Lucien just smirked. "I'm hoping she'll marry me instead."
Dr. Blake was getting angry now. "Lucien, if you marry her and leave school, you will be disowned and disinherited. I'd like to see you provide for a wife and family in this world without my money!" he threatened.
Lucien smiled softly at Jean. "We'll create our own world. A magical world. What do you say, Jeanie? Care to take a risk on a soon-to-be poor man with no prospects who loves you more than anything?"
She blinked back tears as she removed the simple engagement ring that Christopher had given her. She handed it to Dr. Blake. "I'm sorry, sir," she whispered. "But I've got to follow Lucien to his magical world."
"Our magical world," he corrected, taking her hand and running off down the street to begin their new life.