Chapter 11
"What's it like?" Mary looked up and saw Bash standing by the exit door of the pavilion. She went out for some fresh and cool air because it got too warm inside, and maybe the couple of drinks of alcohol contributed to her feeling of warmth.
"What's what like?" Mary asked, "And do you enjoy creeping up on people?"
"It's one of my many talents," He smirked, "Being a bastard and hidden away from the world will do that to you."
"Stop being dramatic," She rolled her eyes. She knew his story – or at least what she heard from Francis when they were young – but she never really got to know Bash, himself. "You weren't hidden from the world."
"And how would you know?" He arched an eyebrow at her.
Mary tried to formulate an answer to that, but seeing as Francis and her were only little when he told her those stories about Bash, she couldn't defend herself right now. Time changes people. That she knew very well.
"Doesn't matter," She shrugs him off. "Back to your first question, what's what like?"
Bash stared at her with his eyes so blue and yet with a glint of turquoise and teal that Mary couldn't help but admire them.
"What's it like for other people to say who you're going to marry?" He asked.
"What do you want, Bash?" She asked, deflecting him. This was strange for Bash. He never minded her before, why would he know?
"An answer to my question would be nice," He replied with his trademark smirk.
Mary took a deep breath; the cold was getting to her now. She wrapped her arms around herself, trying to keep the cold away but even with her coat, she still felt frizzing. Maybe going outside wasn't the best idea.
"It's fine," She answered turning her back away from him. She didn't want him to see the lie in her eyes. "I'm fine."
"Just fine?"
"Well…" Would she really open up to her fiancé's brother? "I'm not fine as in 'fine', but I'm fine as in 'people don't have to worry about me' fine."
Apparently, yes.
"Must be hard, then." She heard Bash say, a huff in his tone.
"You have no idea," She breathed in, the thought of Francis always got her confused but she knew she was going to marry him. She had to. But maybe, one day, she'll find the man she fell in love with so many summers ago.
"Mary, Francis loves you," He said, to her surprise. But was it really a surprise that Francis loved her or was it just surprising because Bash said it. "I'm his brother, I love him. I don't want him to get hurt."
"What are you trying to say?" Mary asked, a little offended by his statement. If anyone was going to get hurt, it was her.
"Hey, calm down," He said, her tone was getting louder and more annoyed, "I just want –"
Mary let out a mix of a frustrated groan and moan, "Why is it always what others want?" She turned to him and looked at him in the eyes, the look of surprise by her outburst evident in them. "Why can't it be what I want? Do you have any idea of how I'm feeling about this?"
"No." He answered, "And I don't wanna. Must be hell inside your head."
"Worst," She replied, he took in the scent of him, he smelled like tonic and cinnamon. "People are expecting so much from me, that I don't know who to follow anymore."
"Try following your heart, Mary Stuart." Bash replied and there it was again, the feeling in her stomach when she heard him say her name in such a way that sounded like music.
Xxx
After the party, Mary went back to their house with Francis – Bash however, was nowhere in sight.
"Can we talk?" Francis asked as the both of them entered the dark room of the visitor's area. The only light available was of the street lights outside and the moon.
Mary didn't like this. She knew where this was going. She was afraid.
"Mary, I love you." Francis said, and for a moment, Mary wanted to say she loved him back but when she was about to open her lips to speak, he said something so unexpected that Mary actually heard her heart drop. "But, I don't think I can marry you."
"Why?" It was the only thing she could choke out.
"Tonight, I saw something in you that cleared up something I've been wondering about," He said, standing in front of her, their distance painful in away because she wanted so bad to touch him at the moment. "You belong here, in Scotland and you belong with your friends and I belong in France. I hurt you before; I don't want to hurt you now by taking you away from your friends. Your family."
His mouth was moving but she couldn't understand a word he said, because with every word, Mary could feel her heart crack into a thousand pieces of emotions.
"You're doing it again," She said, her voice hoarse. Her breath caught in her throat. "You're pushing me away, again."
"But I want you to be with your loved ones," He explained. The words he let go were painful to him but he knew it was worth it. Seeing the smile on her face tonight was worth it. She was worth it.
"But I love you!" She said suddenly. "And I want you, not just part of you. You. Whole because I love you."
There it was. The words she hadn't said in so many years that it foreign on her tongue, but there it was. And it felt good to say because it was true. She loved him. She still loved him.
Mary didn't know what he was going to do next, he took a step forward and he paused in front of her, his hand running the length of her arm as he leaned down to touch her lips with his.
The both of them inhaled a deep breath the second their lips met. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him to her, welcoming him back into her life.
This wasn't there first kiss and surely wasn't going to be their last, but there was something special about it. There was a promise in it. An unspoken understanding between them.
"I love you too," He breathed with a smile when they pulled apart. The light in the smiles on their faces were enough to illuminate the dark room of the house.
"I love you," She said again, almost like testing the word on her tongue but when she looked up at him again, she knew she was certain about it. She loved him. "I love you. I love you. I love you."
She repeated the words over and over again and with each 'I love you' a kiss was pressed to her lips.
"Well, this is romantic," He said after a moment. Both of them still in one another's arms.
"This is hardly romance," She joked with a roll of her eyes, "We haven't even been on an official date yet, and we're already getting married."
And then, Francis suddenly looked pale with the mention of those words, "We're getting married," He repeated.
"Yes," Mary answered with hesitation. "Why? Do you… do you not want to?"
The hurt in her voice was present and it pained Francis to know he caused it.
"No, I want to, but I want to do something else, first." He said and he got to one knee and Mary already knew what was going to happen, "Mary Stuart, whenever I see you, time freezes and the world stops spinning, my heart willfully smiles because of you. You're the love that was given to me by fate, destiny or whatever you want to call it but, you're the grace in my life. You are my happiness and my love. Will you marry me?"
"Yes," Tears were in her eyes and she couldn't stop herself from crying. She loved him so much. "Of course, I do. Yes!"
He got up and hugged her tightly before kissing her senselessly.
Xxx
The morning after, they woke up in each other's arms on top of Mary's bed. After a night filled with emotions and love, both of them finally felt…harmonious.
An arm snaked around Mary's waist and she could feel Francis' breath on her neck.
"Before, I remember wishing that 'Maybe I'll wake up and you'll love me again' and now we're here." Francis confessed, and Mary's heart fluttered.
"Maybe I never stopped loving you, though," She admitted, turning to caress his bare chest. He was all messy hair, midnight ashes, and morning sun. "I tried so hard to forget you but it was impossible."
"I love you," He said again and with the countless time he said it, he never got tired of saying it.
"I love you too," She answered, "Francis, do you think we can do it?"
"What do you mean?"
"Run our companies," She replied, "When we get married, our companies will be merged together and then what?"
"Then we can run one of the most successful businesses in the world," He said, "We'll just be like Kings and Queens."
She laughed at his words and slapped his chest, "I'm serious! Work is very important."
He groaned in mock frustration, "Work, work, work. Do you want me to teach you how to enjoy life?"
"How?"
"Like this," He kissed her until he was on top of her, time paused for her — in that moment it was like the sun had stopped shining, the earth had stopped its movement on its axis and that this was the only thing happening in the world.
Xxx
"We want to get married sooner," Francis said to James Stuart and Marie Guise while he held Mary's hand tightly. It was an intimidating sight but with Mary besides him, he could do anything. He didn't have anything to fear.
"I knew it!" Marie cried with joy while James just nodded in agreement, as if he already knew what they were going to say.
"That's good, have you told your father yet?"
"No, I haven't." Francis replied, "We plan to fly to France tomorrow and tell him and my mother, in person."
"Good, that's good." James repeated, "And when you're back there, Mary, please tell your brother that I need him back here in Scotland."
"Why can't you just call him or –"
"I have no time for that," He cut her off. "Now, I need to do some work."
And with that, he left. As if hearing his only daughter was getting married didn't faze him at all.
Mary turned to her mother, "Don't mind him." She said.
It was the only response she ever gave when it came to her father.
Marie stood from her chair, "Before I forget, I have something to give to your mother, Francis. Just wait. I'll be back."
And with that, she left, too.
It was just Mary and Francis again, but that was fine because that was all they needed. Each other.
Xxx
"Where have you been?" Francis asked Bash as he entered their shared guest bed room, his tone a mixture of worry, annoyance and anger. "You've been gone all night. This isn't France, brother. I wouldn't know where to look for you if you've gone missing."
"You worry too much, brother." Bash replied, "I went home with a lovely lady after the party."
"Really?" It was Mary who stepped out from the guest bathroom connected to the room, "Who?"
"I think this conversation is getting a bit too personal," Bash answered and looked at them. "I'll go pack my things for our flight home tomorrow."
"How did you know?" Mary asked in surprise.
"Thin walls, Mary," He answered, as if that was the only explanation to it, "Thin walls."
I TRIED FOR FLUFF!
AIN'T THAT SOMETHING NEW.
HAHAHA
As you can see, I didn't include the preview from the last chapter because changed some scenes from the draft.
I'll probably use it in the next chapter.
Review!
