Wendy's eyes shot open as she heard knocking on the bedroom door. She glanced to her side and gasped when she saw Peter's face inches from hers. The knock came again and this time a woman's voice followed.
"Wendy? Are you awake yet?"
"Peter," she hissed, flinging the blankets off and sitting up. "Peter!" He gave a little moan in his sleep and shifted his arm over her stomach. Mrs. Goldberg knocked again.
"Wendy, dear, it's half past ten. Will you open the door?"
"Er, just a moment, Mrs. Goldberg!" She slapped Peter on the back and his eyes snapped open.
"What?" Her finger flew to her lips and she gave the door a pointed look. Peter's eyes widened as he woke up immediately and scrambled to get out of bed. Keeping the covers wrapped around his waist, he tripped in his panic and went crashing to the floor.
"What was that?"
"I just fell, I'm alright. I'll be downstairs right away, Mrs. Goldberg!" Peter rubbed his bruised shin and Wendy glanced over the edge of the bed with a smile.
"Morning sweetheart." Peter's eyes narrowed in mock anger at her as he rose, keeping the covers wrapped around his naked waist. Wendy watched him with a grin on her face as he cautiously opened the door, looked both ways, and ran down the hall back to his bedroom. Laughing, Wendy hurried to get dressed and rushed downstairs where Mrs. Goldberg and Victoria were waiting.
"Well good morning dear, I hope you slept well?"
"Very well, thank you!"
"Wendy, we're going to town to buy you some dresses," Victoria said with excitement.
"Oh, Mrs. Goldberg, please, I don't need—"
"Nonsense, of course you need new things to wear. A bride must always look new and beautiful for her new husband." Wendy stopped in her tracks.
"Bride?" Mrs. Goldberg frowned.
"Did he not…" she trailed off, looking horrified. "Oh dear now I've done it! Me and my mouth. Oh Wendy, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to say that." Wendy blinked several times, her heart racing a million miles a minute. Peter was going to propose? When? And why had he waited? Had he changed his mind? Did he still want to marry her after the way she had acted last night? A thousand questions flitted through her mind and she rubbed at her temple, staring at the floor.
"Good morning," Peter announced to the room as he entered it.
"Good morning, Peter, how did you sleep last night?"
"Very well, I thank you Mrs. Goldberg. I hope you ladies slept soundly as well?"
"Not me. I keep having these strange nightmares about a man with a hook for a hand." Wendy's and Peter's heads snapped up and stared at Victoria in alarm. Mrs. Goldberg only chuckled.
"A hook for a hand? How silly, Victoria."
"It's not silly, Mummy, he looks quite frightening. And in my dream last night he was hurting Peter," she looked up at Peter with a frightened expression. Peter and Wendy exchanged worried glances but Mrs. Goldberg waved a hand.
"No one shall be harming our Peter, least of all a strange man with a hook for a hand. Peter, some breakfast?" Peter didn't hear her. Why had they both had dreams about Hook last night? Something wasn't right, he thought.
"Peter, are you alright?"
"Hm? Sorry Mrs. Goldberg, what did you say?"
"Heavens lad, where is your mind this morning?"
"I'm afraid it's flown out the window, Mrs. Goldberg," he said with a smile but Wendy saw past the smile and knew how worried he was.
"Well we're going into town today. Peter, would you care to drive us?"
"I'd be delighted, ma'am. Actually I was going to ask Victoria to accompany me to town anyway. I wanted to get Mr. Goldberg a thank you gift for all he has done for me." Victoria gave him a puzzled expression but Mrs. Goldberg missed Peter's wink as she replied, "oh that's lovely dear. Wendy, you and I shall have a grand time picking out dresses then." Wendy tried to smile but the thought of being stuffed in a dress shop with Mrs. Goldberg all morning was not her idea of a good time. Peter grinned at Wendy before he went to prepare the coach. He helped Mrs. Goldberg and Victoria up into the coach before he turned to Wendy. His hands went to her waist as he pulled her to him.
"Not in public, Peter," she said, her hands prying his from her waist.
"Let them see. Let them know how much I adore you." She smiled but shook her head and moved away from him. Peter pulled on the reigns of the mare before him and patted her muzzle.
"I wanted you to meet an old friend of mine, Wendy. This is my favorite mare, Darling." Her head shot up at the name and he grinned broadly. "Mr. Goldberg brought her home a couple of months ago and allowed me to name her. I didn't know why I picked the name then but now it makes perfect sense. Her pretty blonde mane reminds me of those curls I love to wrap my fingers around." He pressed his lips to hers before she could stop him and pulled back just as quickly, grinning. He offered her his hand and helped her up beside Victoria. He jumped into the driver's seat and clicked the reigns. He had quickly counted the gold coins in his velvet pouch before he left and hoped they would be enough to get a nice ring. He had used a good bit of money to bail Wendy out of prison and didn't have a lot left but he wouldn't confess this to the Goldbergs.
He parked Darling and the carriage outside the dress shop and helped the women down. Mrs. Goldberg waved as she and Wendy disappeared into the shop, and as soon as they were out of sight, Peter grabbed Victoria's hand.
"Tori I need your help. You have to help me pick out a ring for Wendy." Victoria squealed and clapped her hands together and Peter had difficulty in calming her down.
"Oh Peter this is so exciting! Of course I'll help. Come on!" She yanked on his arm and dragged him into the jeweler's shop.
Victoria had a very good eye but of course liked the most expensive jewelry. The first three rings she showed Peter he had to discourage her from because they were far beyond his budget. The next two seemed much too plain for Wendy. Victoria sighed and rested her elbow on one of the velvet pillows on the counter.
"Peter, you're much too picky. These are beautiful. Surely she will like one of them."
"I know Victoria but I need something…special. Something that IS Wendy, you know?" She raised a brow at him.
"Alright let's try this. What is most beautiful about Wendy to you? What do you love most about her?" Peter opened his mouth but felt very awkward discussing this with a seven year old.
"I knew I loved her the first moment I looked into her eyes. Bluer than the sky, they were. They could put all the oceans to shame with their lovely color." He felt the words roll off his tongue and for some reason, Victoria looked excited.
"Come with me." She dragged Peter to the back of the shop and shoved him toward a velvet pillow with a single ring lying on it. It was perfect. It was cut in the shape of a heart but one side of the heart was sapphires while the other side was tiny diamonds. Peter knew he had to see that ring on Wendy's finger. It would make her blue eyes shine brighter than any diamond. Victoria watched him with a smile on her face while he ogled the ring. She went to inquire about the price and came back with the sales man at her side.
"Your lady friend has exquisite taste. A rare ring, that one is. Only one of its kind and I have it in me shop." He lifted it from its pillow and placed it in Peter's palm. His insides squirmed. He didn't want to know the price. He knew he'd never be able to afford it. Reluctantly, he pulled himself away from the shelf and cleared his throat.
"Can you show me the, er…less rare rings, please sir?"
"Peter! This one is perfect."
"It may be, Tori, but I'm not the richest man in the world." Tori took the ring from him and studied it closely.
"It's so beautiful." Peter started to get really uncomfortable.
"I think I'll go look over here."
""Oh Peter, stop being such a ninny. How much do you need?"
"Tori, I-"
"How much do you need?" The little girl's eyes flashed and Peter actually took a step back. The jeweler chuckled.
"Victoria, I won't ask you—"
"You're not asking me. Daddy gives me loads of money every week! And I haven't paid you a single coin for all those riding lessons. Those don't come cheap, you know. Now, how much more do you need?" Heaving a great sigh, Peter glanced in his moneybag and handed it to the jeweler. Silently, he counted out the coins and then announced the remaining balance, making Peter's jaw drop.
"Done," Victoria said, handing him her little velvet bag.
"Victoria, no—"
"Peter! It's done." The jeweler carefully put the ring in a velvet box and wrapped it up, gently handing it over to Peter. With shaking hands, he put the box in his pocket and turned to the little girl at his side.
"Victoria…I don't know what to say."
"Just tell me you'll make Wendy happy, Peter. I see the way she makes you glow. You've become like a brother to me, I just want to see you happy." Peter dropped to his knees and hugged Victoria tightly.
"How are you going to ask her?" She asked eagerly.
"Er, what do you mean?"
"Oh Peter, you know! You have to think of some wonderfully clever way to ask her." Peter swallowed. This whole marriage thing was proving to be more difficult than he thought.
"A clever way? You mean I can't just ask her outright to be my wife?"
"That's so boring. And you're anything but boring. Think of something exciting to do with her and then you can ask her. Ladies love excitement, you know." His brow raised at Tori's romantic tone. He sighed and decided they should get back to Wendy and Mrs. Goldberg.
They found the ladies at the back of the dress shop. Mrs. Goldberg had stacks of dresses around her and several bags at her feet. She jumped up when she saw the two of them and hugged her daughter.
"There you are, I was starting to think I wouldn't see you two on this shopping trip. Come Victoria, you need to be fitted for your new dress."
"Oh Mummy, really?" Mrs. Goldberg gestured to the attendant, who held up a lovely gown of blue brocade with lots of ruffles near the bottom. Victoria gasped and followed the attendant behind the screen. Wendy stepped out moments later and Peter gasped. She hadn't seen him but went straight to Mrs. Goldberg and waited for her opinion.
"And this one, Madame? What do you think?"
"Why don't you ask for your love's opinion?" Mrs. Goldberg said with a smile, gesturing toward someone across the room. Wendy's eyes widened when she saw Peter standing a few feet away and his eyes traveled up and down her form. The dress Mrs. Goldberg had selected was very elegant and Peter thought Wendy looked like a true lady in it. Not that he was a fan of the elegant fashion but he thought she should be dressed like the well-bred lady she was. Or had been. Would be again, he decided. The dress was pale pink lace but darker pink trimming. She had long white gloves and her hair was loose around her shoulders. He walked over to her and bowed low.
"My dearest lady, you look stunning." Wendy blushed as Mrs. Goldberg let out a girlish giggle.
"You'll love the rest of the wardrobe we have picked out, Peter. Her slender figure is a dream come true for the dress makers." Wendy did not like to be talked about in this manner. It reminded her of when the men would haggle for her in the whorehouses around Europe.
"Very skinny, we need to fatten her up to make her a tolerable fuck," one would say. Marco would throw her down onto her knees and force her to take the paying customer into her mouth. He would direct her as she was forced to pleasure him in front of the other men. Wendy had a very pretty face so she was kept very busy and Marco kept it that way. If one of his whores was used more than once, no business of his as long as he received his pay.
The memories of it made Wendy sick and she clutched at her stomach. Peter moved toward her quickly, sensing something was wrong but she held up her gloved hand and shook her head.
"I'm fine. Just a little hot, I think."
"Look at this Mummy! Isn't this perfect?" Victoria came out and spun around, admiring her new dress. Mrs. Goldberg clapped and nodded.
"You look beautiful, my sweet girl. Let's let Ms. Mallory alter that for you now." Ms. Mallory bowed low and followed Victoria back behind the screen. Wendy came out, dressed in her own clothes and handed the dress and gloves to the attendant, who quickly wrapped them. She still looked a little pale to Peter and he continued to watch her carefully. When Victoria was dressed, Mrs. Goldberg finalized the purchases and handed the boxes and bags to Peter and the girls to carry. Wendy tried to argue against her paying for everything but Mrs. Goldberg ignored her and handed over a bag of coins identical to Victoria's.
The girls followed Peter outside to the carriage. He loaded their purchases into the seat across from Victoria and Mrs. Goldberg and helped Wendy up onto the seat beside him. Grasping her hand in his, he clicked the reigns and drove the family back to the Manor.