Page 14 of A Sonata for the Fiery Lady
“Thank you, Mr Quinn. I appreciate the kind gesture,” Melisa replied as she bit into the date, the tender flesh sweet.
“It is the only way I could think to say thank you in return for referring me to Magistrate O’Reilly. I had the chance of getting to meet him yesterday. It seems he has taken pity towards me and has agreed to look into the murder of my father,” Mr Quinn explained. Though he smiled, it looked strained to Melisa.
“I am glad to hear that things went well when you called upon the magistrate. But forgive me for being so forward, Mr Quinn. I can see the pain written on your face,” Melisa said, resisting the urge to reach out and comfort him by placing her hand on his. Instead, she focused her hands on eating the dates.
“Indeed, Miss Melisa. After our meagre meal, I will make my way to the cemetery at the church to see my father put to rest. Then, off to another performance, this time for Lord Birtley,” Mr Quinn said, his eyes cast down to the ground in front of them.
“You are truly kind for seeing me this morning, Mr Quinn. I fear that I have put you out for saying I’d come to see you again. You must think of me as rather forward since I am now engaged,” Melisa said, feeling rather foolish for inconveniencing Mr Quinn on the day of his father’s funeral.
“I will agree that our meeting is rather unorthodox, Miss Melisa, but I won’t deny that I’ve very much looked forward to it. I fear that I have very little to look forward to, so I must find some sort of pleasure in life again, even if it means taking a risk or two,” Mr Quinn admitted, locking eyes with Melisa. They simply stared into each other’s eyes, feeling a common pain as they were faced with many struggles ahead. “And I needed to warn you about this Saturday,” he added.
“What is happening this Saturday?” Melisa asked as her interest was piqued. She was already surprised that Mr Quinn had admitted to their meeting as pleasurable, and she felt very warm from the idea.
“Magistrate O’Reilly agreed to help me discover my father’s murderer if I agreed to perform this Saturday at his dinner party. He explained that Lord Stanton would be in attendance, and I’m afraid to say that the magistrate is under the impression that your father referred me to him, and not you,” Mr Quinn explained with a grimace.
Melisa sighed heavily as she realized the error in the matter. If her father discovered that she’d referred Mr Quinn to Magistrate O’Reilly, then their meeting would be found out as well.
“That is a problem,” Melisa said as she finished eating. “Perhaps I could attend the dinner party with my parents. If I suggest that we invite the Duke to the party as well, I’m sure that my parents would be keen to the idea, and it would flatter Magistrate O’Reilly as well. As long as I’m there, I should be able to steer the conversation away from you if Magistrate O’Reilly brings you up in conversation.”
“That sounds like an awful amount of trouble,” Mr Quinn said.
“Well, I do believe we’d be in a lot of trouble if we were discovered. I’m afraid that our meeting has put too much risk on you, Mr Quinn. If my father found out, he could ruin your good name as a musician. No matter how much we might enjoy each other’s company, surely the risk is too great, for the worst that could happen to me would be rude gossip,” Melisa said, rising to her feet to leave. She’d never done such a foolish thing in her life. But when Mr Quinn stood and grabbed her hand, she couldn’t help turning to face him once more.
“Please, Miss Melisa. Don’t feel bad,” Mr Quinn said as he continued to hold her hand. “We already feel so much pain; let us not regret this small moment.”
Melisa smiled at him as she laced her fingers with his, enjoying the warmth it provided her. She knew that this was what it was meant to feel like to really come to like someone. Never before had she ever felt like this towards anyone, not even her parents. By Mr Quinn’s side, she felt safe. As though she could say or do anything and not have to worry about being judged. She reasoned that this was what freedom from high society must feel like.
“I don’t regret for one moment spending this time with you, Mr Quinn, when I know what my future holds for me. Just the other night at the ball I saw the Duke kissing another young lady. It truly broke my heart as he explained what married life will look like. He plans to take mistresses, and I’m sure once I’ve produced him an heir, he’ll pay me no more attention,” Melisa confessed, her heart rising into her throat as she fought off a sob.
“Surely Lord Stanton would call off the engagement once you told him the truth,” Mr Quinn said, seeming to be appalled at the idea.
“My father and mother will hear no ill will towards the Duke. I tried to explain what I saw to my father, but he assumed I was lying. You see, my mother has a way of affecting my father by lying and being overdramatic. I’m sure he thinks that I am the same way and often ignores me,” Melisa explained, tears coming to her eyes.
Mr Quinn pulled Melisa’s hand till her arm was tucked in his. “Let us take a stroll through the park, Miss Melisa. For just a few moments, let us forget about the world and just enjoy each other’s company,” Mr Quinn said as he started to lead her further down the trail.
They walked in comfortable silence, both of them looking out over the blooms. At one point, Mr Quinn stopped their progress so he could bend down and pluck a daisy, handing it to Melisa as he straightened again.
“Thank you, Mr Quinn. This might be surprising to say, but it’s the kindest thing a person has ever done for me,” Melisa said as she held the flower to her nose, taking a deep inhale of the sweet smell.
“That is hard to imagine since you are of good breeding. Surely you had many suitors during the Season,” Mr Quinn reasoned, giving her a warm smile.
“I never attended a Season, Mr Quinn. I’ve been betrothed since I was twelve, so there was no need for me to attend balls or dinner parties to get to know other gentlemen. I’ve lived quite a lonely life since my parents are more concerned about appearances than anything else,” Melisa said, watching the path in front of them. It hurt her to admit such things, that her parents were rather insensitive, but since most children from prestigious families were raised by nannies instead of parents, her blight wasn’t that uncommon.
“You’ll have to forgive me for my lack of understanding, Miss Melisa, since we were born into two different worlds, though we grew up in the same area. I will never take for granted the love of my father,” Mr Quinn said in a soft voice.
They returned to silence then as they continued to walk at a leisurely pace. Melisa’s mind started to wonder, remembering the frantic idea that had passed through her mind when she’d fallen in the garden, her pain of being rejected by her father almost too much to bear. She’d thought of running away, thinking it would be wonderful to run away with a man such as Mr Quinn. Though she knew that the idea was rather farfetched, she’d never chastised herself for dreaming. And as she walked beside him now, she could easily envision herself living a happier life with him by her side.
“Miss Melisa!” the voice of Miss Thorsten called out, causing Melisa to stop dead in her tracks.
“My God, it’s my lady-in-waiting. You must go back the other way, quickly,” Melisa urged, letting go of Mr Quinn’s arm as she stepped several feet away from him.
“Till tomorrow morning, then,” Mr Quinn said with a smile and a wink, causing Melisa to blush. She didn’t know what to say to that, thinking this would be the last time she’d see Mr Quinn until the dinner party on Saturday. But she didn’t get a chance to say anything as Mr Quinn took off down the trail just as Miss Thorsten came around the bend.
“My goodness, there you are, Miss Melisa. I’ve been looking all over for you,” Miss Thorsten said, panting for air as she stopped and fanned her face. “What on Earth are you doing at the park by yourself?”
“Seeking some peace and quiet, Miss Thorsten,” Melisa said as she straightened her posture. “Care to escort me back home, then?”
“Indeed, Miss Melisa. I’d hate your parents to discover you missing,” Miss Thorsten said as they made their way towards the park’s main gate.
