Steps

She ran to her house, skirts in her fists, hoping she wouldn't trip over them. She was late. Alice had promised her mother she would be on time but learning how to mend a broken leg was more interesting and useful than learning how to fold napkins. Time flew by faster when one did something they enjoyed.

Alice finally got to the door of their house in Kensington. She tried to calm her labored breaths, ran her hand over her tied hair to flatten the unruly strands. Wiping the sweat off her forehead she reached for the doorknob, but the door opened before she could. She was welcomed by the footman. His mustache frowned disapprovingly at her state but gave her a polite bow.

“Miss Thompson, I thought I heard you coming. Your mother and Mr. Knightley are waiting for you in the drawing room.”

“Yes, thank you,” not having any gloves or a hat to give him, Alice walked past him as quickly and quietly as she could manage. Her mother hated it when she ran. She cringed at the thought of her high-pitched voice when she raised her voice at her to remind her, she wore a dress for a reason.

Walking toward the open door of the drawing room, Alice only heard her mother’s polite laugh reserved for strangers or acquaintances. A muffled male voice said something. She frowned, took a silent step forward and tilted her head forward, thankful for the door hiding her. The voice sounded familiar.

“Are you going in, Miss? a maid asked from behind her in a quiet voice.

Alice jumped, turned her head in the maid’s direction. She saw her looking at her with big curious eyes, carrying a tray with scones and jam. She gestured for Jo to go in first. The maid shook her head, raised an eyebrow and pointed her chin in the direction of the drawing room, where her mother was telling the stranger about the upcoming Swan Lake premiere. She nearly talked Alice’s father ear off with hints of ‘take us to the ballet’. Jo was right – Alice needed to go in first since Jo was only a maid.

Alice took a deep breath and stepped inside.

“Alice, where have you been?” asked her mother loudly, disregarding her own rudeness by raising her voice at her in front of a stranger.

A stranger that not only sounded familiar but looked familiar too. Now she knew why. Mr. Knightley and his brown eyes now stared at her when he stood from the beige armchair. They widened for a second when they recognized her green ones, but he quickly composed his expression to show polite curiosity on his soft brown face. Her name may have been different, but she couldn’t fake her appearance.

“Is that mud on your dress, Alice?”

Why him? Out of all the people in London! Alice thought she froze when she noticed his eyes flickering at the specks of mud on the bottom of her skirt’s hem.

“You really don’t want anyone to propose to you, do you? Looking like that…”

Alice’s breath got quicker, heart beating restlessly, her ribcage seemed tight all of a sudden and her already warm cheeks got even warmer. She swallowed and blinked. Alice felt Jo walk past her. The maid placed the silver tray on the coffee table and left.

“Uhm…” she glanced at her skirt, then her frowning mother.

“Miss Thompson?” Mr. Knightley cleared his throat, diverting both their attention from Alice’s state.

“Yes…” she slowly looked back at him. But it wasn’t him who spoke next.

“Alice, this is Mr. Theodore Knightley. Mr. Knightley, this is my daughter Alice who is, I’m sure, sorry for being late.”

“Ah, yes!” Alice exclaimed, noticing her mother wincing in the corner of her eye. “I am sorry. Did you wait long?” she asked with as much air of nonchalance as she could muster.

Before her mother could open her mouth and respond, Alice sat down opposite both her mother and the familiar stranger who sat after she did and straightened his jacket and tie.

“And who are you exactly?” she asked him.

“Alice!”

Theodore Knightley, ignoring her mother, kept his gaze on Alice, his body turned towards her and answered, “My father knows your father. They were colleagues in Oxford.”

Of course. Out of all the people in London! But that still didn’t explain Mr. Knightley’s, or Theodore’s, presence in their drawing room.

“Me and your father were thinking…”

Never a good sign, Alice thought.

“… it’s time for you to marry. We’ve been through a list of potential candidates and well…” her mother gave a dramatic sigh. “Your father wanted Mr. Knightley to be at the top of the list.”

Alice raised an eyebrow, carefully watching said gentleman’s reaction. He tried not to show any, but she didn’t miss the tiny tick in one corner of his mouth. He decided to take a scone, put a thin layer of strawberry jam on it and eat it. The cheeky…

“Not only were they friends, they still are,” her mother continued, “and we have heard Mr. Knightley here has prospects in medicine. He is very smart and quite popular with his mentor… what was his name…”

Dr. Roland.

“Dr. Roland, Mrs. Thompson,” the young man finished for her.

Alice wanted to get out of this stupid cage constriction she was wearing and breathe slow and deep before screaming.

---

After a whole hour of mother’s chattering and not-so-subtle suggestions to go see the Swan Lake, Mr. Knightley agreed they should go see the ballet. Mother was happy and Mr. Knightley said his goodbyes. Alice barely looked at him but still felt her hand warm from when he put his lips to her knuckles.

Before she could run off to her room, her mother stopped her.

“Not so fast!”

Alice sunk down into the armchair and glared at her mother who took the last sip of her cold tea. The sharp green eyes stared back at her.

“Why?” Alice asked.

“You know why. I didn’t keep my desire to have you married a secret,” she replied, calm despite her strict demeanor.

Alice played with her cuffs, she found a loose thread and rolled it between her fingers.

“Yes, like you said – your desire.”

“So far he’s only one of many I invited for tea and scones. He seems pleasant. Despite his background,” her mother muttered the last sentence.

“Do you really think you can get to know a person over tea?” Alice asked with raised eyebrows. “And what about his background? He’s a man just like any other, and you said yourself he’s educated,” Alice couldn’t help but raise her voice. “I don’t see a reason why his background should be brought into this conversation!”

She didn’t know why she felt defensive. It wasn’t her business and Mr. Knightley never asked for defense when other people made comments. He could defend himself on his own.

Her mother put down the teacup with a clank. “And do you think you can run around London for the rest of your life?” she asked, avoiding the other problem Alice’s mother had that hung in the air.

Alice looked at the windows. She could barely see a few black tophats and bright parasols.

“Besides, I don’t even know where you’re always running and sneaking early in the morning. I know your father does, but he won’t tell me!”

Was that why father suggested Mr. Knightley?

“If father doesn’t tell you, I won’t either,” Alice said and quickly walked out of the drawing room before her mother could stop her again.

---

She went to her father’s office a couple streets away. But when she neared the black entrance door, two of his fellow lawyers stepped outside, they bowed to Alice and walked away. Her eyes were narrowed at the young man behind them. Mr. Knightley froze when he saw her.

“Are you here to see your father, Ms. Thompson?” he asked, using the surname he didn’t know until today.

Alice glanced at the door, then back at him and put her hands behind her back.

“I was, but while you’re here perhaps we could talk,” she said, lifting her chin up a bit.

“I agree.”

They sat on the nearest bench, sunset slowly approaching illuminated the white building of her father’s office in warm light.

“Did you tell my mother?” she asked, looking at the pigeons pecking at the ground.

“No. Did you?”

“No. It’s not a secret you’re Dr. Roland’s apprentice. It doesn’t have to be, Theodore,” she called him by the name he introduced himself by the first time they talked to each other.

Theodore sighed. “How many other suitors do you have?” he asked out of the blue.

Alice looked at him, then away when he turned his head in her direction. “I don’t know. Mother said many, but… Is it important?”

He shrugged. “You can’t tell her what you do in your free time. Most likely no one else will ever know but me and your father. Meanwhile, Dr. Roland was generous enough to let me study with him.”

Alice wondered if he would spit on the ground too, his anger at Dr. Roland understandable… to a degree. Dr. Roland was generous to her as well.

“But unlike you, my prospects in private life don’t look as good as yours. Marriage is an opportunity we both might benefit from.”

She frowned at him and opened her mouth, but he continued, “I know you never wanted to marry,” his gaze softened, and went on with a quieter voice. “But think about it. You won’t have to sneak anywhere; you won’t have to hide. Not with me,” he looked at the people mingling about around them, “We can both continue saving people.”

“And how would you benefit from it?” she asked and folded her arms.

“I would get out of the house. Live without my father breathing down my neck,” he rubbed the back of it as if he could feel him there.

“He must be terrible when you think being married to me is the better option,” she glanced at his hands what were in his lap, gripping black leather gloves.

Theodore chuckled. “It’s quite adorable that you think you would be worse.” His brown eyes gazed into her. They sparkled with bitter humor. She looked away and silently cursed her blood for rushing into her cheeks.

“I won’t do what other wives are told to do.”

“I’m not asking you to.”

“Maybe one day you will.”

“You don’t know that. However, to be fair… I don’t know that either.”

The silence was filled by other people chattering, few birds in the trees and the pigeons cooking next to their feet waiting to be given pieces of bread. It was getting darker, and Alice’s father would soon walk out the front door.

“Why not start with Swan Lake?”