Page 12 of A Christmas Miracle for the Frosty Marquess
“Welcome, Cousin,” he said, turning to face Thomas.
His cousin frowned, studying Julian’s expression.
“Lost in thought again?” Thomas asked softly, taking a position beside him by the window.
Julian exhaled slowly.
“I’m thinking of Mother,” he said. “Of how much she loved this time of year.”
Thomas nodded sympathetically.
“She had a way of making Christmastide magical, didn’t she?” he asked. “She helped me to fall in love with the holiday, even after Mother and Father died.”
The weight in Julian’s chest intensified. He hesitated for a moment before voicing his anxieties.
“I feel trapped, Thomas,” he said. “This marriage... It feels like another chain, binding me to a future I would never choose, but can never escape, nonetheless.”
Thomas glanced around the room until he spotted the small liquor cabinet. He gestured for Julian to talk as he fetched two tumblers and a bottle of whiskey from within.
“What’s making you feel trapped, Cousin?” he asked.
Julian sighed.
“Father has decided that I must marry,” he said. “Moreover, he has already chosen my bride for me.”
Thomas’s surprise was evident as he had to struggle to keep from spilling the drink. He turned to look at Julian with wide eyes before returning his attention to pouring the drinks.
“That is rather sudden,” he said. “What brought this about?”
With a sigh, Julian told him everything his father had said about the reasons for the arrangement. Thomas finished pouring the drinks, which he had poured rather generously, for which Julian was grateful.
“I see,” he said as he carefully handed Julian one of the glasses. “Are you afraid of the commitment or afraid of being unhappy?”
“Both,” Julian said, his voice a raw whisper. “Everything already feels bleak. I’m struggling to see how marriage could ever change anything. Certainly, not for the better.”
Thomas placed a comforting hand on Julian’s shoulder.
“I won’t pretend to know how heavy this burden feels,” he said. “I can’t fathom any situation where I would find myself considering marriage. But remember, there is strength in accepting what we cannot change, and even more in finding happiness within it.”
Julian turned to face him, the enormity of his worries evident in his eyes.
“But what if Clara and I are a mismatch?” he asked. “What if we’re destined for a lifetime of unhappiness?”
Thomas thought the question over for a moment.
“What if you’re not?” he asked. “Life is rarely a singular, straight path. It’s filled with twists, detours, and certainly surprises. Not all of them good, of course. But perhaps, they are not all bad, either. And maybe Clara feels the same trepidation. Perhaps together, you both can find a way to transform this unexpected turn of events into a happier future than you can see right now.”
Julian stared into the distance, the words slowly sinking in. The future was uncertain. However, in sharing his fears with Thomas, some of the weight had lifted. And his father had made a single good point. He did know Clara at least a little. It wasn’t as if she was truly a stranger to him. But would that help their marriage? Or would that be the reason it failed?
Thomas’s last words hung in the air, still fresh, the comforting message slowly processing in Julian’s mind. But before the two could engage any further in their heartfelt conversation, an all too familiar cacophony echoed through the hallway. The parlor door burst open with the energy that only young children possessed.
Sarah and Edward, their angelic faces flushed from their journey and animated with excitement, hurtled into the room. Close on their heels was Elizabeth, her radiance undiminished by the travails of travel, with Stephen following with an indulgent smile.
“Uncle Julian,” Sarah said, her small figure launching herself at him. He caught her, laughing and holding her close, his surprise giving way to genuine delight.
Edward, not to be outdone by his younger sister, piped up, wriggling to get between his sister and his uncle.
“Uncle Julian,” he said. “We’ve brought you something from Bath.”
