Chapter 16

"I asked William if he could provide something special for our morning tea and he sent a note along with Geoffrey when he delivered the tray."

For the first time Mary looked down at the table as Father continued to speak, "His note said that he knew there was a reason there were only two apple tarts left from the wedding reception."

Her eyes brightened at the sight and she sighed, "Oh I just love apple tarts!"

Father smiled at her and handed her the plate with both of them on it. She took one and he was quick to tell her, "They are both for you Mary."

"Oh no! I couldn't!" she insisted. "There is one for each of us."

"I have it on good authority that William is serving oatmeal for breakfast and I am sure you are aware of how much I like it. I will have two bowls when we go to the dining hall so please take both of the tarts," he insisted holding the plate out to her again.

Slowly she reached out to take it, "If you are sure," she said quietly.

"I am." He delighted in watching her enjoy her treat, wishing he had taken the time to do nice little things for her in the past. Just this small gesture of kindness had her cheeks aglow with pleasure. Mentally kicking himself for having his head buried in the sand for so long, he made a personal vow never to let it happen again.

When she had gotten dressed that morning, Mary had debated for quite some time before she had applied a trace of lipstick and blush, but as she daintily finished her first apple tart and with just the slightest hesitation started on the second one, she was thinking that if this was the kind of reaction a little make up could cause she would have to do it more often! Maybe tomorrow she would try a few dabs of perfume!

They both had a second cup of tea while Mary finished her tart and discussed what the day ahead held for each of them. This was their usual morning routine and both of them enjoyed knowing where the other would be at different times throughout the day.

Today however, they both took some extra time to see when their schedules might place them in the same place at the same time. That day is seemed they would not cross paths at all in the morning. But both of them would have a lunch break around 12:30. They promised to meet in the dining hall.

With that settled, Father suggested that they had better get going if they didn't want to miss breakfast.

"Oh Jacob, I couldn't eat another bite after both those tarts! But I would be happy to come along and keep you company while you eat."

"You don't have to make the trip if you are not going to eat, my dear."

"I would like to share the time with you if you don't mind."

"Of course I do not mind! Every moment that we can spend together is special to me."

She gave him a glowing smile as they left the study together.

No one in the tunnels seemed to notice that Father and Mary were making a point to spend as much time together as possible. Most attention was directed at the newly weds and the rest was focused on the relationship between Devin and Jenny.

Devin was a rake and it really didn't take much to see that. Mouse and possibly some of the children had no clue about this, but pretty much everyone else knew it. But what seemed odd to them was that it appeared to be Jenny was keeping things from going forward between them. The majority of the tunnel residents didn't know that she was also dating Catherine's boss.

These two things were what had kept people from noticing that Father and Mary were spending more time together. By the time anyone might have noticed their new routine had become an unconscious 'norm' and therefore taken for granted.

So that was how that over the weeks they had progressed from spending more time together to hand holding then to hugs to say good morning and night until finally after months of tentative courtship while Jacob Wells was working up the courage, or maybe he was just waiting for the perfect moment, to kiss her, that Mary had felt she had waited long enough.

To be continued…..