Page 66 of A Lady’s Fairytale Come True
But there was still hope in his heart. He believed that if he was honest and true to her, she could eventually forgive him and would be glad to reinstate their courtship.
Nathaniel knew this meant he would have to go to Olivia and explain everything. It would be best if he could go to her home and address her with it. He could tell her how deeply he loved her and he could then tell her what his grandmother had disclosed.
And yet he thought there was still a chance that Miss Digby would refuse to see him or that she would believe he was lying. He would have to come up with something clever. He would have to think of a way to tell her how he felt in which she could not deny him.
It was then that the idea came to Nathaniel. He knew exactly how he might woo Miss Digby to himself once more.
The storyteller. That was one of the many beautiful aspects of this young woman. She had told him about the stories she wrote for her sisters, stories about princesses and princes and all manner of fairytales.
When Miss Digby had first told him, he had been surprised. After all, she was a strong young woman with a solid head on her shoulders. The knowledge that she appreciated a good fairytale was quite significant in his recognition of her imagination.
At one of their luncheons, he had coaxed her into reading him a brief excerpt, but even then he had been sad that she had not been more open about her stories. He wanted to hear all of them, to know exactly what it was that went on in her thoughts.
Nathaniel hoped he still might have a chance to. But until then, there was but one thing he could do to initiate a conversation with Miss Digby that she might be more open to.
He would write her a fairytale.
Nathaniel knew he was far from the best of writers, but he did so enjoy reading. And while fairytales were far from hisforté, he was merely going to write down their story, which was already enough of the thing of fantasy that she would be able to enjoy it nonetheless.
Or so he hoped.
“Miss Hobbs!” he called, needing the housekeeper to come to him.
“My lord?” she asked, running from another room into the hall where he was now walking.
“Miss Hobbs, I am going to my study, but I should like it very much if you will bring me flowers from the garden. An assortment. Daisies, roses, lilies, but preferably if the roses and lilies could be of a similar colour I should be glad,” he told her, thinking aloud.
“As you wish, my lord,” she replied.
“And do you think that you might also have the kitchen staff prepare some sweet treat? A cake perhaps?” he asked.
“Of course, my lord. We can do whatever it is that you wish,” she replied.
“I thank you, Miss Hobbs. That will be all.”
Nathaniel went into his study to do his part, knowing that the rest would be taken care of by his staff.
He sat down with pen and ink and wrote out their story:
Once upon a time, there was a beautiful maiden. The eldest of three daughters, her name was Olivia. She was the most beautiful woman in all the land, but because of her family’s status, there were few who had the fortune of looking upon her exquisite face.
On occasion, she would make her way into town and there she had once happened upon a man who noted her in intrigue before making his way about his normal life. Giving little thought to the encounter, each departed.
That is, until one day, when Olivia received the strangest of invitations.
One of the wealthiest widows in all the land had called for her to come. Olivia was hesitant at first, not understanding why she would ever be called to such a place. After all, she knew that society did not deem her the sort for such an invitation. But, you see, Olivia was not aware of the true value that she possessed.
Seeing herself only through the eyes of her station, our heroine had not known that she was something far greater. She was a young woman deserving of love and appreciation. Not for any wealth, but for her own merits.
Nevertheless, when she was called to the home of the great lady, Olivia was anxious. She wondered what it might mean that she had been desired as company for the widow.
Soon, a small piece of the tale was revealed. The grand woman informed Olivia that she had a grandson, a man of great means but of little decency, in truth. But he was spoken of highly and Olivia agreed to meet him at the widow’s behest.
When Olivia met the man, she was shocked to find him a terror. A wretched man he was. However, unbeknownst to our heroine, the man was simply trying to fight against the wishes of his grandmother.
Nathaniel quickly realised that Olivia was the maiden he had seen in the market a week previously, but the idea of an arranged marriage was fraught with nervousness for him. So he fought against it despite himself.
When he began to see that Olivia was truly a kind, brave, and strong young maiden, he felt immense regret. But it was not until his grandmother pushed him to beg her forgiveness that he made his way to Olivia’s home to apologise.
