I Won't Say Yes this Time

"There's no dignity in two brothers marrying off without a mother or father to see to it. I'm still your teacher, after all, half a father to you. Let me handle the wedding for you."

...

I took a step back, my smile not reaching my eyes.

"Thank you for the concern, sir, but there's no need for you to walk me to the wedding."

The moment I said it, Arthur Marshall's eyes went red.

"Nolan, I only want to see you settled and successful. Why do you keep putting me off?"

He sighed. "Is it because you're ashamed of your old teacher, a poor village scholar who can't show his face among the powerful?"

He sighed again. "Now that you're going to marry into money, you look down on me?"

The village head standing beside him frowned, glaring at me.

"Nolan, your parents died young. Your teacher taught you to read and write. His wife cooked for you, mended your torn clothes, fed you when you were hungry.

"And now that you've made something of yourself, marrying the Chancellor's daughter, you're ashamed to be seen with your own teacher?"

He struck his cane hard against the ground.

"Millbrook doesn't tolerate this kind of ingratitude!"

I nearly laughed out loud from sheer anger.

While Mrs. Marshall was still alive, Arthur really had taught my brother and me to write for a few days. But he'd taken five pieces of silver in tuition from my family for it.

And even then, he'd looked down on us for being lowborn, worried we'd tarnish his reputation, and stopped teaching us after only a handful of lessons.

Mrs. Marshall used to show up at our house every few days, dropping the "teacher" and "teacher's wife" titles to help herself to whatever she wanted.

The moment my parents died, he'd cut us off without a second thought.

And now he had the nerve to talk about owing him anything?!

The villagers crowded in around me, all talking at once.

"That's right! Mr. Marshall has kept himself honest for ten years, helping out his neighbors, raising up students all over the county. He agrees to be your godfather is an honor. Don't be ungrateful!"

"If you won't even acknowledge your own teacher, the whole village won't acknowledge you either!"

"That's right! Let's kick him out of this village!"