A Game of Cards.... ((One on One// PRIVATE//CLOSED))

A soft gasp parted Angeline’s lips— the very lips that the divine entity of a man before her had tasted just moments ago. She stared after his retreating back, one hand lifting to graze the spot where their bodies had met, just for a moment. Her heart thundered, pounded out an exhilarated rhythm, and it was in that moment that she knew how hopelessly he had her wrapped around his little finger. Thomas… Angeline could scarcely breathe.

In the gardens, Marcus bent down to pluck a wildflower from the lush grass at his feet. He offered it to Winifred, rising just in time to catch a glimpse of the events within. A large grin broke through his expression. “Oh, Winifred~” he practically sang. “I believe we can call this day a success.”

Wildflower in hand, she held it gently like all the other's they'd collected. "What-" she looked in the direction he did, just as Thomas leaned in and kissed Angeline, leaving her flustered at the table. Winifred squealed happily.

“Oh, that is perfect, is it not?” Marcus laughed triumphantly. “Come, shall we go see how the lady is feeling?”

Winifred threw the flowers into the air like confetti and took Marcus's arm. "Yes, we shall." She smiled brightly.

“Perfect.” They returned to the flustered woman, arm in arm. “Angeline!” Marcus greeted, sitting down. “Where’d Thomas go?”

"Oh, did his break end? I thought we'd have much more time…" Winifred shook her head.. "Well, we'll have to say our farewell's a little late-" She paused. "Angeline, dear, are you alright?"

Angeline nodded hastily, before catching the look on Marcus’s face. “You saw that whole thing, didn’t you?”

Winifred shrugged but thought otherwise of it and nodded. "Well….most of it." she admitted.

Angeline groaned, most unladylike, hiding her face in her hands. Marcus laughed softly, nudging her shoulder. “Hey, it’s fine. Come on, give us the details?”

"Please do…" Winifred shimmied up beside Angeline. "Did he offer to take you to a far away land, to serenade you until you feel nothing but his love, or did he whisper naughty things to you?" Winifred giggled.

Angeline’s blush only deepened. Biting the inside of her cheek, she thought back to the teasing brush of his lips across hers…. “Neither. He invited— he invited all of us to the opera.”

Winifred raised a hand to her lips. "Oh…. the Opera.." She smiled. "Is that all he invited you to?" she asked.

Angeline sighed, removed her hands from her face. “He— he—“

“He…?” Marcus prompted gently, a mischievous light in his eyes. “Asked you to be with him…?”

She merely groaned again. “I can’t believe I’m being interrogated by you two..”

Winifred laughed. "Get use to it hun. Until you tell us you're getting marry, there will always be interrogations." She wrapped an arm around Angeline's shoulders. "Now continue."

Angeline blinked up at her, momentarily surprised, but quickly relaxed into the touch. Over the doctor’s shoulder, she caught sight of a heavenly figure serving another family, and her face turned red. “Oh, this feels so strange to talk about…. yes, to answer your question, Marcus. But— I asked him to, um, take things slowly. Because I’m still trying to sort out some…. things.”

At those words, Winifred looked over Angeline's head and caught eyes with Marcus. "Yes… It's fine to just be friends at first, you know." She gave Angeline's shoulder a small squeeze. "I think that would be for the best, actually."

Marcus nodded in agreement, giving Winifred a questioning look. “Yes, only what makes you feel comfortable.”

Angeline gave a tiny, bashful shrug. “You’re the experts.”

I'll talk to you later… she mouthed to him. She gave Angeline's shoulder a final squeeze and pulled away. "So, no more food?"

“I’ve eaten enough,” she answered with a smile. “Do you two want desert?”

"Do we?" Winifred looked to Marcus. "Honey?" She tilted her head, this was his decision: was it time to go, or should they linger?

“We should probably head back,” he admitted, adding on mentally to the statement. Before my uncle questions where we’ve gone… “I can ask the cooks to make us something, if you still want desert.”

Winifred nodded and stood, placing her had back on her head. "Very well." She smiled to Marcus. Thomas came over. "Leaving already?" He asked.

Angeline dissolved into a flustered, blushing mess, unable to look up at Thomas for more than a few seconds. Marcus, noticing this, nudged her under the table for the fourth time that day and smiled up at the waiter. "Yes, unfortunately. We'll see you soon, I hope– Angeline mentioned something about the opera?"

"Yes, I wanted to go as an outing, for the four of us." Thomas spoke, but his eyes did the true speaking as he looked to Marcus, desperately needing his help. "Perhaps this weekend, I'll have Saturday off."

Marcus gave a devilish grin and a nod of understanding. "Sounds great. I can book us each a private booth, Winifred and I could share one, and you and Angeline the other…?"

"Perfect!-" He cleared hhis throat quickly. "I mean um- wonderful. Very exceptional. Saturday it is then."

Angeline's eyes darted between the two men, settling eventually on Winifred in a plea for help, because how on earth could she do this? How did romance work? How did flirting work? How did love work?

Meanwhile, Marcus gave Thomas a wink, mouthing 'get her flowers' before answering verbally to the statement. "Fantastic. I'll order the tickets."

Winifred gave Angeline's hand a firm pat. "I understand this all may seemed rushed to you. But fear not, I will prepare you for this dat- outing." Winifred smiled.

Thomas nodded. "Great! I wil see you all on Saturday, then…" He looked to each of them, smiling, his eyes lingering only for a second on Angeline before he walked away.

Angeline stared after him, her mouth going dry. “There’s no hope left for me….”

Winifred sighed and nodded. "See, you're halfway there. Once you realize that theirs no escaping him, that he will pursue you and that he loves you and there's nothing you can do with it – It becomes easier to handle. Now, you have limited yourself to two options when it comes to true." Winifred couldn't help that her eyes went to Marcus. "Be his or become his. You can imagine one takes a little longer than the other."