Imbecile
As soon as he entered his room, Charlie took off his jacket and tie, tossing them on the back of the sofa before collapsing into his usual chair, his head in his hands. Despite having spent most of the last week feeling like a fool, nothing could possibly top this level of idiocy.
Molly was perched on the arm of the sofa nearby, giving him a moment to collect himself, no doubt. When he didn’t speak, she finally said, “Listen, Charlie, there’s a lot more to this story than you realize.”
“I hope so,” he finally muttered. “Otherwise, I am simply the biggest imbecile ever to walk the face of the earth.”
“Oh, come on now,” she scolded, “that’s not true. Charlie, when you hear her side of the story, I think you’ll realize this has a lot less to do with you than you think it does.”
“Less to do with me?” he asked, sitting up straight. “Molly, we were engaged for three years. Time after time, my parents sent for her so that we could get married at last, and there was always some excuse. Finally, I sail across the ocean to collect my bride, and she’s not there. She’s nowhere to be found. Are you telling me the rumors about the servant boy aren’t true? That she really was kidnapped? Because she seems to be strolling around the promenades pretty independently.”
Molly gave him a moment to calm down before she attempted to answer his questions. “What I meant was there are parts of the story you have no knowledge of, darlin’, and if you listen to her, if you let her tell you why she made the decisions she did, I think you’ll realize your anger is misplaced. Yes, Meg made some bad choices—that’s for certain—but there were some pretty good reasons that led her to those choices.”
“Well, I’m not going to…. I can’t…”
“Take a deep breath and simmer down now, honey.”
He took her advice, trying to call himself the best he could, but he was having a very difficult time controlling his emotions. His hands were shaking and he began to feel tears stinging the corner of his eyes.
Molly stood and poured him a brandy, handing it to him before pouring one for herself. He downed it, and she refilled his glass before sitting back down on the arm of the chair. After a few moments, he finally said, “I don’t understand why she didn’t just tell me.”
“She said she tried to,” Molly replied.
Charlie considered the statement. Meg had been trying to tell him something last night, something he refused to hear. She’d made him promise not to be angry at Daniel and Kelly once he found out—which told him she knew how he would react. “But why didn’t she tell me before? For example, when I first met her?”
“I don’t know,” Molly admitted. “Maybe she was afraid you’d tell her mother where she’s at. Maybe she didn’t see the point. She probably didn’t think you’d keep running into each other, what with her in Steerage and you up here in First Class. Maybe the real question you need to be asking is, why were you so insistent in pursuing her, even when she told you she had a secret that would push you away?”
“Well, that’s simple,” he replied. “She’s… incredible.”
“Do you mean she’s beautiful—or do you mean she’s an incredible person?”
That question took a bit more thought, but not much. “I mean, of course she’s stunning. But the Meg that I met, the one I’ve spent the last few days with, she’s one of the most interesting, well-spoken, intelligent people I’ve ever known.”
Molly nodded. “And what if that Meg—the one you’ve gotten to know—is the real Meg. And the one that left you in Southampton is the façade?”
Charlie’s brain hurt. He ran his hand through his hair and took another sip of brandy. “I don’t know, Molly. It’s just… I don’t understand how she can be the same person. The Meg I knew isn’t capable of treating someone with that level of disregard.”
“Well, once you hear the full story, I think you’ll understand. I think you should go talk to her—tonight. But if not tonight then tomorrow. I know you’ll feel better when you do. Now, I am going to go rejoin the ladies, see what they have to say, see what rumors I can quell, that sort of thing.”
Charlie stood to escort her to the door. Before he opened it, he wrapped his arms around her and she patted him on the back the way she would her own son in a similar situation. “Thank you for all of your help, Molly,” he said quietly.
“Oh, sweetie, I hope I didn’t do anything to make it worse. You’re a good kid, Charlie. I want you to be happy. You deserve to be happy. And I think Meg’s the one for you. But if not, life goes on, my boy. It really does.”
He nodded and kissed her on the cheek before opening the door for her and bidding her goodnight. Once she was gone, he retrieved his glass, poured another brandy, and fell back into his chair, wondering absently where Jonathan was, and going over everything in his mind again. The whole thing seemed so surreal. He had attempted to get over a broken heart caused by a runaway bride, with that very same woman—without even knowing it. How could he feel anything except for foolish?
* * *
The C Deck promenade was fairly busy with families and couples out and about enjoying the evening after dinner, preparing to return to their cabins in just a bit, or perhaps to another party similar to the one the night before. While she couldn’t say she didn’t catch a few stares, dressed as she was, for the most part, she was able to keep to herself and wound her way over to a less busy part of the boat.
She ended up leaning against the railing not too far from the bench she had shared with Charlie the night prior. Perhaps, subconsciously, she had thought he might know to look for her there, should he choose to give her the opportunity to explain. Or perhaps she simply knew the view here was spectacular. Either way, she was alone now, staring out at the dark blue abyss below her, hoping that Molly was able to handle whatever damage she had left in her wake.
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