Sharing a Pavilion With You
Chapter 78: Arranged Marriage?

Chapter 78: Arranged Marriage?

Bai Li nodded at Tan Bowen, and he fished out a tangren, a cute little sugar figurine of a bunny rabbit.

Tan Bowen carefully lowered the tangren down on a thin fishing thread, the string so fine it could barely be seen.

Meili, whose eyes were opening and closing steadily as she tired at the ungodly hour, opened her eyes to see a toffee-coloured bunny rabbit suspended before her face.

She gave a little gasp and covered her hands with her mouth.

For a moment, she closed her eyes tight shut and reopened them, checking if she was dreaming.

Nope, the rabbit remained suspended there.

She kicked her slow brain into gear. How could a tangren rabbit fly? She looked upwards to see what held it there.

Up above her, peering through a hole in the roof of the ancestral temple, were the faces of Tan Bowen and Bai Li.

Both of her favourite friends waved at her through the little opening, giving her big cheering smiles and jiggling the bunny rabbit like it was hopping.

She stifled a giggle, and carefully unhooked the rabbit, tucking it into her sleeve for savouring as the long night drew on.

Her heart went from rock bottom to flying high. She realised it was actually the opinions of these two and the second prince that she had been so upset about, imagining that they looked down on her and thought she had lax moral standards.

As she watched the two pull silly faces, trying to make her laugh, everything felt absolutely right in her world once again.

Her sore knees and bottom were a trial she could easily bear, so long as her friends remained by her side.

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Yu Yan sat with her husband, a letter in her hand.

"Husband," she read with surprise, "the Tan family wish to commence betrothal discussions for Meili to be promised to Tan Bowen after the concubine selections are over".

"You can’t be too surprised, wife. After all, ever since that child met our Meili, he’s been hanging around her like a bad smell at every chance he gets."

"Yes," Yu Yan said slowly, her mind ticking over the idea. "He’s an interesting potential suitor. We’ve known him since he was a little chap and he definitely has a good heart, although he was full of naughtiness as a child."

"We can’t hold that against him forever," laughed her husband.

"He might be very well suited to our Meili," she mused. "They share a similar sense of humour and a certain lightness in their approach to life."

"I completely agree wife. From the moment he asked for my permission to take Meili out boating, I thought it might come to this. We should seriously consider him. Why don’t you ask Meili what she thinks about the idea?"

Lord Mei knew that his wife and daughter’s relationship had been strained since she punished her to kneel, so he hoped this discussion might help them to reconcile.

"I will, husband," she nodded resolutely. "I think this is a good thing," she called over her shoulder as she left the study.

"Your mother’s here to see you," called Manni to her young mistress.

Meili put down her book and joined her mother in her garden pavilion, where Manni had already served the Madam tea.

Old Nanny joined Manni, out of earshot, but close enough to be called if they were needed.

"Meili," said her mother, still somewhat distant in her tone since Meili’s harsh punishment, "we’ve received a letter from the Tan family. They’re seeking to commence betrothal discussions."

Meili’s mother searched her daughter’s face for her immediate reaction to the news.

There was nothing but genuine surprise written across Meili’s face.

"Oh! Really? Oh! Goodness me! Gosh, what do you plan to say to them?"

"Your father and I haven’t decided yet, but part of our considerations is how you feel about the idea, Meili?"

"How... I... feel..." Meili stalled for time as her mind raced to catch up to the news. "Hm. I really don’t know. My instant reaction is surprise. I don’t detest the idea..." she voiced her thoughts out loud. "But I know that I don’t love him, we’re just very good friends. I would hate for this to spoil our friendship," she finished.

"You can’t expect to love someone at the start of a marriage Meili, I’ve told you that before. Love comes with time, the building of trust, shared experiences, children, going through life’s trials, hardships and happy times together. That’s how a solid foundation of love is built in a lifetime of marriage. The question for you to consider, is whether you think you have the foundation from which to build that with Tan Bowen? How do you feel about him in comparison with Commander Bai as a suitor?"

Meili blushed, and her reaction was not lost on her mother.

"I don’t know, I don’t know," she said quickly. "I do like both men as friends. When I first met Commander Bai, I didn’t know him at all. As I’ve come to know him better, I like him more."

"Well that’s a good start with both men," said her mother. "In that case," she sighed, "I’ll let Old Master Tan and his wife know to come by tomorrow. Manni!" her mother called.

"Yes, Madam?"

"Have Meili prepared for more betrothal discussions tomorrow. Don’t worry about the veil for these ones; Tan Bowen has seen Meili’s face many times before."

Manni nodded and curtsied as her Madam rose and left with old Nanny.

Meili sipped on her tea and looked up into the green branches of her cherry tree, half expecting Tan Bowen to appear and tell her he had overheard the entire conversation with her mother.

Her mind was hopping all over the place like a rabbit. What to do? What to do?

She knew she was extremely fond of Tan Bowen. Just thinking about him filled her with warm, happy feelings; but they weren’t romantic feelings, they were the same feelings she held for Sofya.

He felt safe, predictable, manageable... He was kind, funny, handsome, smart... and as her mother had said, love comes with time.

Perhaps she should just agree with these discussions and let her parents make the decision for her.

They knew her better than anyone else in the world and would make the best decision, right?