Endless love

London 1,923 "I will not marry her to my best friend." "What's the matter? The Barton family is wealthy, they have numerous estates all over England," Her happiness was stamped on her face. "And my dear James, every single rich man needs a wife." It took him a few moments to process the information. He didn't understand his mother's sudden obsession with marrying his adopted sister to his best friend. Nor why she insisted on including him in this plan. Martha sat down on the sofa and pointed to the other armchair for him. "I need you to help me get your sister married. Meg will be eighteen soon. It's about time she got married." "She is not my sister. And she is still a child." "Angelina married you at the same age." A long sigh escaped his lips. "But, Mama, she keeps you company. Will you be alone in this huge house? That worries me.” Martha ignored his question, leaning her body toward him as if to confide a great secret. "Mr. Barton confided

In trying to correct one mistake, James made another, but recent events absolved him, he was an innocent culprit. William asked with a suspicious look if they were all right. Meg quickly hid her face, feeling embarrassed. She didn't want her visitor to notice her red cheeks, trembling hands, and guilty look. "What are you doing here?" replied James, irritated. She pulled herself together quickly, noticing William approaching. He greeted them with a discreet nod. Then he explained, with an annoyed expression, that his father had forgotten his hat and had forced him to come and get it. "That, couldn't it wait until tomorrow?" James asked, drinking the rest of the whiskey in his glass. "He's been pacing the room and cursing for over an hour," William turned to Meg."I thought that Miss Margaret might be able to help me look for him," the visitor argued. "Sure," she answered, trying to keep her voice steady. "In the garden?" questioned James, irritated. “Yes," W

The days passed slowly and lonely for Meg, inside that room. James avoided her, and this made her even more distressed, and she remained under the care of the maids, until she recovered. Every now and then she heard Angelina's irritated voice echoing through the corridors, complaining about something. And Angelina always complained. While looking at the walls, Meg thought about her uncertain future in that house, and in that family. She knew that her days there were numbered, for Angelina would not allow her to stay for long. And Meg didn't want to marry William, because she didn't love him. So she had to find a solution. She thought that maybe she could work as a piano teacher, a maid, or as a worker in a textile factory. And all of these options looked bad. Her reflection in the mirror told her that she was still down. She left her room for the first time since she had been ill. She sat down on the stool to play the piano in an empty room. Meg played Martha's favorite tune, s

William and Angelina were sitting at a table in a teahouse, enjoying the discreet and refined atmosphere. Angelina's blonde hair was pinned up with several bobby pins around her head, giving her a sophisticated look. William looked at her. "It is always a pleasure to be in your company, my dear friend," he said. "But I feel there is a reason behind our meeting." Angelina smiled and took a sip of tea before speaking. She was an elegant and underhanded woman, shaped by the standards of the society she was in. "In my new residence, there are many servants, so I wanted to avoid unwanted gossip," she said. "Enjoying your new residence?" She smiled satisfied as if she had just won a prize. "The mansion is magnificent, indeed, however, managing it all requires a lot of work." He looked at her puzzled. "Tell me, what is the reason for this sudden meeting? I am curious." She leaned toward him. "I won't be evasive, we don't have time for that. You and I share a common goal: I also

"Why did you ask me to come here?" asked William, puzzled by the choice of place. Angelina smiled enigmatically, seemingly unconcerned about the people around her. "My dear friend, your father is a major funder of the charity ball, and I am one of the organizers. We can't risk being seen together in suspicious places, like the tea house. We need to keep up appearances, after all, I am a married woman." she explained, in a soft, persuasive voice, as they walked through the large hall in which the ball would be held in a few weeks. "You are very perceptive," William complimented, admiring Angelina's cunning. She smiled as she arranged the small hat on her head. "The next step in our plan is to act as if you have lost all interest in marrying Meg," Angelina said, with a determined look. William smiled back. "That's easy. I never had much interest in Meg anyway." "Good," Angelina said, satisfied. "We can set everything up for the day of the ball." "You're a Machiavellian woman," he