𝓢𝓸𝓶𝓮𝓽𝓱𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓐𝓫𝓸𝓾𝓽 𝓨𝓸𝓾 Theodore Laurence X Female OC

10

Cherry was deeply embarrassed by the actions of her former dear friend Laurie. Not only had he embarrassed himself, he embarrassed her and Matthew. Matthew was good to her and a friend to her when she had no one else by her side and although she would always love Laurie, she loved Matthew as well.

Cherry sat in a large room surrounded by plants and beautiful flowers, she had been planting and tending to the flowers before she began playing the piano softly. Suddenly Laurie walked through the door, "Hello, Charity" he said normally and unapologetically.

"I don't want to see you" she said without looking over in his direction and continuing to play.

"Cherry, don't be mad at me. I'm sorry for how I behaved" He said walking towards her as she stood up and began to walk away.

"Have you been drinking again" She said over her shoulder.

"Why are you being so hard on me, it's only 4 PM?" Laurie said.

"Well, someone has to do it" Charity walked back towards the piano sitting back down on the bench.

"So, when do you begin you great work of art, Mozart?" Laurie teased her loved of music.

"Never" she said shortly.

"What- why?" he said surprised for it had been her dream to play great pieces of music for large audiences.

"I'm a failure, the girls are all over the world doing great things and I'm a failure" she said in grief.

"That's quite a statement to make at 23"

Charity turned in her seat to finally face Laurie, her face stricken with worry and disappointment, "Well, they took all the vanity out of me in Paris, made me realize I'd never be a genius. I'm giving up my foolish hopes and musical dreams" she sighed.

Laurie looked at her with shock, "Why should you give up, Cherry. You have so much talent and energy."

"Talent isn't genius, and no amount of energy can make it so. I want to be adored, or nothing. And I will not be some common-placed virtuoso, so I don't intend to try anymore" she said with a sense of failure lingering in her tone.

Laurie watched as she shut the cover on the piano and organized her music sheets, tucking them away. "What women are allowed into the club of genius anyway?" Laurieasked.

She walked across the room silently for moment. "The Bronte sisters?" she responded.

He smiled a chuckled for a second, "Is that all?" he asked, finding the lack of female figures comedic.

"Yes, I think so" Charity nodded.

"And who always declares genius?' Laurie looked at her.

"Men, I suppose"

"They're cutting down the competition" he smiled. Charity laughed before getting up again, "That's a very complicated argument to make me feel better" she said continuing to clear up the room.

"Well, did it make you feel better?" he asked hopefully watching her roam around the room. "I do think male or female, I'm of middling talent" she said slowly.  Laurie raised an eyebrow in disbelief, "Middling talent?" he said running up to her and sitting on the bench of the piano, "Then may I ask your last composition to be about me?" he said causing the girl to laugh.

"All right" she smiled at him.

"Now that you've given up your foolish musical hopes, what are you going to do with your life?" he asked still sitting at the piano where he played  childishly with the notes. Pressing down on a white, ivory key every now and then.

"Polish up on my other talents and be an ornament to society" she said, setting her sheet music in to a cabinet. 

"This is where Matthew Robbings comes in, I suppose?" He said. 

"Don't make fun!" She said cutting in. 

"I said his name" Laurie said defensively, "You're not engaged yet, I hope?"

"No..." Cherry said cautiously.

"But you will be? If he gets down properly on one knee?" Laurie asked, observing Cherry's red face.

"Most likely, yes" she said, careful to avoid eye contact. Laurie's face was struck with grief at her response, "He's rich, far richer than you" Charity repeated the information she had given to him in her letters.

Laurie looked away, "I understand queens of society can't get on without money. But it sounds odd coming out of my Charity's mouth" he said bring his gaze back on to the beautiful Charity.

She couldn't bare to meet his eyes, the eyes she loved so much. She couldn't understand why he didn't understand her choice, "Since I moved here, I've always known I would marry rich. Why should I be ashamed of that?"

"There's nothing to be ashamed of, as long as you love him, the way you loved me." He said quite plainly.

She found this act to be cruel of him, "Well, I believe we have some power over who we love, it isn't something that always just happens to a person" 

"Well, I believe the poets might disagree" he said pursing his lips at the girl.

She brought her eyes to the ground, "Well, I'm not a poet. I'm just a women." at these words she met his gaze, "And as a women I have no way to make my own money," she paced the room, "Not enough to... earn a living or to... support my family. And if I did have my own money, which I don't, that money would belong to my husband the moment we were married," she watched as Laurie shifted uncomfortably, "If we had children, they would be his not mine. They would be his property. So don't sit there and tell me that marriage isn't an economic proposition, because it is. It may not be to you but it most certainly is for me." she said staring into his eyes.

They looked at each other for a moment before the sounds of horses and a carriage came from outside, "Oh, that would be Matthew, would you unbutton me? I had been planting before you arrived" she wore an apron with dirt flung upon it.

She turned her back for the boy as he slowly worked down on the buttons, the distance between them being only an inch. She felt his soft, comforting breath on the back of her neck and her heart skipped a beat. He looked at her, he really looked at her for the first time in years noticing her beauty. He began to untie her ribbon, getting everything undone she quickly helped him loosen the apron.

"Thank you" she whispered walking off. Laurie shifted his weight putting his hands in his pockets. He grabbed his coat from a chair, "How do I look, do I look alright?' Cherry said quickly, in a rush to get tot he carriage.

Laurie turned to look at her astounded by her sweet and beautiful look, "You look beautiful" he nodded, looking her up and down as she tied a shawl around her shoulders. He fidgeted nervously, "You are beautiful" he smiled slightly.

She suddenly blushed, and smiled in thanks before walking off to meet Matthew. As she turns to to walk out the door he looks at her up and down again, smiling to himself this time. 

Charity met Matthew  on the lawn, "Matthew, I've missed you" she said embracing him. Laurie watched her from the door as she climbed into the carriage along side Matthew. So many years ago he felt as if he wanted her to marry and be happy, acknowledging the fact he couldn't marry her. Now he wasn't sure what he felt.