Seeing that Mark was listening, Cecil continued.
"Alright, I want you to marry Anabel so the rumors of an indecent relationship between the two of you cease, and she can maintain her reputation."
If Mark's mind were a computer, it would be making that sound it makes when it crashes, and the tone of a busy landline on a phone call.
Seeing that smoke was almost visible coming out of the young blacksmith's ears, Cecil quickly continued his proposal.
"Look, Mark, you just have to marry her and let her live at your house. Nothing has to change! She will still be working for me, I'll just have to pay her a fair wage, you won't even have to take care of her! Just go through with the wedding so the two of you can continue on as normal without the whole village being involved! You are driving her mother to madness!"
Mark recovered while Cecil was ranting, and considered his situation without any further confusion or shock.
"No."
His answer was a simple rejection, and Mark found it to be sufficient, but Cecil was not ready to let it go that easily.
"Why not? I don't understand. Don't you like Anabel? I thought you were happy with our family, considering how often you come around lately."
Mark had to think about his reason for the rejection. Sure, he did like having Anabel around at times. She was a great moral support. They also had fun hanging out together, and she didn't impact his ability to get his work done. Just the thought of a wedding was enough to make him want to get back to work, though.
As he mulled over his thoughts, he subconsciously looked back at his forge, at his sword on the black iron anvil. Cecil noticed this immediately.
"Mark, if you're worried about losing time at the forge, then we can set the wedding up out here while you work. When you're done for the day, we can just have the ceremony part where you say 'I do' as you are walking back to your house to get to sleep."
Mark thought the sound of that was really reasonable, and he did like Anabel. He wouldn't mind having her around for the rest of their lives. They could work at the forge all day when she wasn't at the bakery, and Cecil was already eating into his sleep time. He had some dreams to go catch, so he decided to agree to the proposal from the baker.
"Ok, Cecil, I'll marry Anabel if you can arrange it as you promised."
The two men shook hands, and Cecil left with a happy smile on his face.
Mark cleaned up his forge before heading home to sleep, but Cecil gathered his family in the living room when he returned home. Anabel had already gone to bed for the night so she was a bit tired, while Laured had already been up waiting for Cecil to return home with news.
"How did it go?" Lauren asked as Cecil came into the house.
Cecil first made himself comfortable before answering.
"He was a bit dense, you remember James, but he eventually agreed."
Anabel was still a bit tired, but started to suspect what was happening.
"What do you mean? Where did you go?" She asked, as her sleepiness started to wear off.
"Anabel, you have been hanging around that forge for a couple of years now, and I am sure you have heard the rumors," Cecil said as he prepared to deliver the news.
Anabel nodded her head, as she had heard all the rumors and even had people question her. While she had done her best to clear up the rumors, they had taken root nonetheless.
"Well," Cecil continued, "I talked with Mark today, and he has agreed to marry you tomorrow night when he is done working at the forge for the day."
Anabel's mind stopped working properly, shocked by the sudden turn of events. Her mother and father could clearly see the shock on her face, so Lauren decided to step in.
"Sweety, we know how you feel. I have seen how you look at him; it's the same way I still look at your father."
She then looked over at Cecil, eyes filled with love for the man that she had been married to for the past 25 years.
"Your father and I grew up with James, and we know he had to raise Mark on his own. We knew as soon as you started bringing him around that he would never take the next step without being shoved."
Her mother moved to the sofa she was sitting on and placed a hand on her shoulder, as she continued with the explanation.
"It should have been Mark who approached Cecil, but from the sound of it he had not even been thinking about marriage."
Cecil was nodding his head to the assumption.
"So," Lauren continued, "your father and I decided to do what Mark's mother did, and pushed him in the direction you both wanted, yet neither was taking the next steps toward."
Anabel then looked over at her mother.
"I am marrying Mark tomorrow, then? Truly?"
Her mother smiled at her with warmth.
"Yes, dear. Tomorrow evening, you will marry Mark. Unless you don't want to?"
Anabel jolted.
"Wait, that's not what I said! I mean, I want to marry him, especially if he feels that way for me!"
Cecil then stepped in.
"Then it is official. You two are engaged, and tomorrow you will wed. We already have the cake ready, and the feast will be prepared tomorrow. I already talked to Grom. We just have to set up the altar tomorrow, and you move your things to his home."
Anabel blushed a bright red. Evidently happy, but also overwhelmed with the sudden change of events.
She looked to her parents.
"Thank you, both of you. I don't know when, but I did fall in love with him. I was also worried this would never happen."
She began to tear up at the end of her sentence, and her mother embraced her.
"We know, dear. We are just looking out for your best interests. I hope you are not upset with us."
Anabel, face buried in her mother's shoulder, replied: "Of course I'm not upset with you, just a bit shocked. But I am also happy."f
Cecil even came over to his girls and patted Anabel's back. When she was stable, she looked up at both of them with a happy smile.
"Then," Cecil began, "we should get to bed. We have a long day ahead of us tomorrow."
Anabel nodded her head, and her mother helped her get up as she was still a bit shaken up from the news.
They all went to bed to get some much-needed sleep before the big day.
Anabel couldn't help but feel excitement bubble up from her stomach, like butterflies trying to carry her away.
'Oh! I can't believe they actually arranged our marriage, what a turn of events! I really thought this would never happen, or at least it would have taken a much longer time!'
She rolled over as her thoughts kept running.
'Ok . . . ok . . . I need to sleep. I have a big day ahead, and I need to make sure I am well rested. Still, tomorrow is going to be such a thrill! I'm really going to be Anabel Feng! I knew he loved me just as much as I loved him. I was worried there for a second, but it looks like all my worries were for nothing!'
And she soon drifted off to sleep, her earlier exhaustion creeping back up to force her to rest.
The next morning, Mark was woken up before the sun had come over the mountain peak outside his window, as he had been doing the past few mornings, and prepared himself for the forge.
As he began working on repairs and orders for the villagers, he was woefully unaware of the ruckus going on in the village at the same time.