Engaged
Cambridge
Charlie was on his way to the dining hall for the evening meal when he bumped into Quincy. Though they no longer went out together socially, as Charlie had been able to stick with his resolve to stay focused on his studies, they still had several classes together and remained friends. A few months before, when Quincy had feared he’d gotten a young woman pregnant, he had rushed to Charlie for help and advice. Though it turned out to be for nothing, the incident had brought Quincy back to earth a bit, and Charlie noticed that he was not spending as much time at parties as he had been before. It had also brought them closer together.
“How’s life?” Quincy asked. “Have you heard from Mary Margaret lately?”
There was a time when Charlie would have assumed the question was asked in ridicule, but not anymore. When Quincy realized that Charlie was serious about his obligation, he had begun to take his side, even though he had been unable to understand why Charlie didn’t give up after Mary Margaret dodged his visit.
“Yes, I received a letter today,” Charlie replied, his hands buried deep in his trouser pockets.
“Really? What did she have to say?”
Charlie wasn’t about to share the entirety of the letter, since parts of it were a bit embarrassing. If he told his friend Mary Margaret had hinted at needing some money for a proper engagement party she would like to throw at her next birthday—a party he certainly couldn’t attend because of his studies—and money for a motor coach so that she could be escorted about Southampton properly, he would think she was nothing but a gold digger. Rather than revealing all that, he said, “She only said that she is excited about our engagement and looking forward to spending time with me.”
“Wonderful,” Quincy said, patting him on the back. “And is she planning on coming over soon?”
“She said that her mother was considering a trip soon, though she wasn’t sure when that might be,” Charlie replied. What she had actually said was that her mother would consider Charlie’s offer to permanently move to New York City and live in one of his family’s homes, but again, he didn’t feel that Quincy needed to know all that. “What about you?” Charlie asked as they approached the dining hall.
“Oh, I’m doing well,” Quincy said, stepping inside. He cleared his throat and looked a little uncomfortable. Charlie stopped in his tracks and turned to look at his friend, a questioning look on his face. Finally, Quincy said, “Charlie, I need to tell you something.”
“What is it?” Charlie asked, moving out of the way of another pair of young men entering the hall.
Quincy cleared his throat again, still looking quite uncomfortable. “Charlie, I’ve asked someone to marry me as well.”
Unable to believe his ears, Charlie beamed, patting his friend roughly on the shoulder. He never thought Quincy would settle down, and now here he was engaged to be married. “That’s wonderful, Quin! I didn’t know you were seeing anyone seriously.”
“Well, it’s sort of been off and on…”
“I’m so happy—I don’t even know what to say,” Charlie exclaimed. “Quincy Cartwright, finally becoming a proper gentleman….”
“It’s Stella.”
Charlie caught himself, thinking perhaps he misheard. His hand froze in midair, just about to pat Quincy on the shoulder again. “What’s that?” he stammered.
“It’s Stella,” Quincy said again, his eyes focused on the ground between their pristinely polished loafers.
“Stella?” Charlie choked. “Pettigrew?’
“I wanted to tell you, I really did…”
“No, it’s fine,” Charlie managed.
“It’s just, we were afraid you’d be upset.”
The use of the word “we” when it came to Quincy and Stella—or Stella and anyone, for that matter--made Charlie feel queasy. He took a few deep breaths and tried to pull himself together. “No, I’m not upset. I’m just surprised, that’s all. I didn’t realize you were seeing each other.”
“We haven’t been for long,” Quincy replied, “but I’ve always liked her. And well, things just sort of... happened.”
Yes, that seemed about right. Things did just sort of happen when it came to Stella Pettigrew. “Quincy, I’m not upset, believe me,” Charlie replied, though he really wasn’t sure if he was troubled or not. He wasn’t certain what he was feeling, other than shock. “Stella and I were never formal. It’s perfectly fine that you’re going to… marry her. I’m happy for you. Honestly.”
“Are you sure, Charlie?” Quincy asked, hesitantly. “Because your friendship means so very much to me….”
“Yes, I’m sure,” Charlie nodded. “Congratulations, old man.”
Quincy let out a sigh of relief. “Oh, thank you,” he said, pulling Charlie in for a quick embrace. “We are intending to wait until after graduation, so it will be a year or more before we actually wed.”
“That seems like an ideal plan,” Charlie said, though he was having trouble listening to his friend go on about marrying the girl he once thought he might love.
“I would be honored if you would stand with me when we make it official,” Quincy said as they began to walk again.
“Yes, of course,” Charlie nodded. “It would be my privilege.”
As Quincy thanked him and continued to ramble on about their plans and how he was so happy that Charlie wasn’t angry, he had to tune him out. His thoughts went back to the letter and the odd tone Mary Margaret had taken. Though she wasn’t outright demanding money, she was beginning to ask for a lot of expensive items. It had never crossed his mind to think that she might only be interested in marrying him because of his money, though it probably should have; she wouldn’t be the first woman to want a piece of the Ashton fortune. Still, he had thought she was different. Perhaps it was the fact that she had always known she had no choice that made her press forward now. If she had been imagining spending his money all along, now would be the perfect time to begin spending it in reality. He intended to write her again as soon as he returned from dinner so that he could get a better feel for exactly what she wanted with his money and how much she thought she might need. If nothing else, focusing on Mary Margaret would take his mind off of Stella and Quincy.
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