A Victorian New York Romance (3 page)

We strolled through the park arm and
arm, but did not talk of the marriage or pregnancy. Bailey told me about how he
got into science and how he got a job at the museum. He didn’t brag about it,
but I knew it was one of the most prestigious museums in the world. I was
impressed, by his passion for his work.

Finally we emerged onto Fifth Avenue,
the Christmas shopping mecca of the world. I immediately felt excitement when I
realized where we were.
 

“Come on, this way,” he said leading me
down the street.

Bailey was careful to guide me when
crossing the street and he always walked on the outside of the sidewalk. He had
manners and that was a fact. I was not used to being treated like this. I
wondered about his mother, she must have taught him how to be a gentleman, or
maybe he was a copy of his father. Whatever the reason, it was ingrained in
him.

We finally arrived at a massive building
and we slowed our pace when arriving to the front of it. Then, I saw where he
was taking me, Bergdorf Goodman.
 
He
was taking me on a tour of New York’s iconic Christmas windows. I squealed with
delight at the sight and ran toward the glass.
 
The window displays were beyond words.
It was an outdoor Victorian White Christmas scene. The setting was a winter
forest, to be exact.
 
The mannequins
wore sequined long Victorian gowns. They were draped in white fur capes that
trailed several feet behind them. The background was full of Christmas trees
and various branches and shrubs all decorated with artificial snow, which also
covered the ground. Everything was white and the light reflecting off the scene
made the entire window glow. Even the accessories were white, including the
glittering diamond bracelets and necklaces worn by the mannequins.
 
There were small white reindeer and one
of the mannequins was reaching down toward it. It was a magical scene and I
could scarcely stand the intensity it had on me. So much so, that I forgot I
wasn’t alone.

“Do you like it?” Bailey asked.

“I love it! It’s everything I could have
hoped for. This is what I longed to see with my own eyes. Really experience it.
Such an old tradition to decorate these window displays,” I rambled on.

Bailey laughed at my enthusiasm and
said, “I’m so glad. I rush by here everyday and never really stopped to take a
closer look.
 
I guess because in the
back of my mind I knew I only wanted to stop here if I could share it with
someone.”

I looked up at him. Every second I was
falling for this man, and it was scaring me. I watched him look at the window,
smiling. I could stare at him forever.

“There’s another one just down the
street, if you want to keep going?” He asked.

My eyes widened, “Macy’s?” I said in
barely a whisper.

Bailey laughed so loud the other
onlookers all turned to look. He was so amused by my enthusiasm. “Yes, Macy’s.
You are too cute,” he said.
 
Then he
looped my arm in his and led me down the busy street.

We stopped at a street vendor along the
way.

“We can’t see the Macy’s display with
out hot chocolate,” he said.
 

“But I’ve already had one today,” I
said.

“Oh, do you have a chocolate limit? You
need hot chocolate for two now,” He joked. “It’s the holidays! Enjoy yourself.
One more hot chocolate is a necessity.”

“Well, I am a bit cold, and having a hot
cup of chocolate while enjoying the Macy’s window sounds like it should be a
Christmas tradition.
 
I like taking
part in traditions.” I said.

Then, under his breath right before he
ordered, I swear I heard him say, “Our tradition.” I can’t be sure though.
 
He said it so fast and as though he
didn’t want me to hear. Honestly it would be a little fast that he’s already
thinking of us in the future tense, but as I already know, he says what comes
to mind. I was reeling. I stared at him expecting him to elaborate or explain.
There was nothing. He bantered with the street vendor a little.
 
He had that affect on people; he was
able to talk to them like they were old friends.

All the time I kept thinking, “this is
our tradition, our new Christmas tradition.”

We walked until we came to the Macy’s
building.

“Wait, hold on,” he said as he put one
hand over my eyes and one arm around my back to guide me. I couldn’t believe
it. This was too adorable! He really wanted me to get the full experience.
 
I slowly shuffled my feet as he
positioned me in front of the window. Then he took his hand away from my eyes
and said,

“Okay, open your eyes.”

I opened my eyes. It took me a few
seconds to process what I was seeing. I couldn’t believe it. In the first
window was the setting of a Victorian living room, or parlor, as they must have
called it then. There was a Christmas tree in the corner of it and on the wall
a sign that read, “
Twas
the Night Before Christmas.”

Bailey stood beside me and said, “It’s a
story, each window is a scene from the classic prose,
Twas
The Night Before Christmas.

My eyes watered over. This was the most
special Christmas moment I had ever had. Macy’s really got the window display
down right in my opinion. I stepped closer completely hypnotized by it.
 
In the center of the parlor was a
fireplace, with “stockings hung by the chimney with care.”
 
The stockings must have been real
vintage stockings with red and green patterns, not the commercial Christmas
stockings we have now, but actual socks. The green garland above the
fire place
was simple and thin, but vintage. The Christmas
tree was decorated with hand made vintage ornaments. Each ornament was
different from the other and made of wood or paper. There were a few glass
ornaments, but not many as it would have been a luxury to have those during
that time period. A small toy train and tracks went around the bottom of the
tree.
 
An old vintage train set that
circled around intricately wrapped presents with red, green, and gold paper and
velvet ribbon. There were only a few presents, maybe five total.
 
The large winged back chairs were set
before the fire place with a cozy blanket throw across the back of it. A small
table near the chairs had an old book on it, “
Twas
The Night Before Christmas.”

I looked at Bailey, and smiled, “It’s
the best thing I’ve ever seen.”

“I’m glad you like it,” he said. “Come
on, see the whole story.”

“Wait,” I said.

He stopped and looked back at me.

“Thank you, Bailey. For all of this.”

“It’s my pleasure,” he said as he put
his elbow out for me again. I encircled my arm around his, took a sip of my
creamy hot chocolate and continued on.

The next window was the children’s
bedroom. They were snug in their beds it adorable night clothes in a wrought
iron bed.
 
Sugar plum fairies hung
from the ceiling and sprigs of holly hung from the corners.

The next window had a white powdered
rooftop with smoky chimneys, and the man himself.
 
There was a large sled being driven by
Santa Claus, as it landed on the roof.
 
He wore the iconic Victorian dark maroon suit, not the bright red and
white one, which is common today.
 
He had rosy cheeks and a thick white beard.
 
Next to him was the large velvet bag
full of intricately wrapped gifts. The reindeer were so lifelike and each one
wore Christmas bells.
 
I stared at
it for along time. It was pure Christmas magic.
 

The next window was again, the parlor
scene only this time, Santa Clause was in it and he was adding more gifts under
the tree.
 
A man dressed in a
nightcap and nightclothes peeked in at him from around the corner.
 
The store really went out of its way to
make this classic Christmas story come to life, and I was grateful to them.

I had just experienced a New York
Christmas in a matter of hours. The intoxicating magic from the window displays
was leaking over onto us. I wanted to thank him over and over again.

“So, is it all you hoped for?” he
asked.”

“It’s more than that. I never dreamed it
would be this way. I’ve seen pictures, but seeing and experiencing it in person
doesn’t compare,” I said.

We walked home through the length of the
entire park. When we came to the north end and exited, I felt like we had
entered a different world. I almost forgot that I was in a big city because the
nature and tree lit paths of Central Park made me feel like I was in a fairy
tale.

We finally got to the townhouse. The
valet, in his elegant suit and hat held the door handle, ready for me when I
was ready to go in.

“This is it,” I said.

“Margaret, I am sorry it all happened
this way.
 
I did not mean for it
too, but I do fancy you very much. I am grateful to make you my wife.
 
I would like to take you to dinner
tomorrow?”

“Yes, I would like that. Great, I will
pick you up here at 7.”

He stared down at me and continued,

“Margaret, what is happening here? This
is so unreal. I’ve never connected with anyone this instantly.”

I tensed up again thinking he was
playing with me and he would disappear. I already had one engagement that
ended, why wouldn’t this one? Nothing was final until we were married.
 
What was wrong with me? This is every
girl’s dream come true. A handsome young scientist walking through the winter
wonderland of New York, completely and honestly devoting himself in the moment,
and I was questioning it.
 
I blamed
it on the break up and pushed those thoughts away from my present state of
mind. Then he leaned in and hugged me. A soft gentle hug, because the doorman
was watching.
 

“I’ll pick you up tomorrow,” he said.

Then we parted ways. He stood there
watching until I went inside and then he disappeared.

At seven
o’clock sharp, the doorman rang up. Bailey was downstairs waiting for me. I
breathed out a sigh of relief.
 
I grabbed
my coat and went down.

Bailey stood
in lobby and I was shocked at how I immediately felt hypnotized by him as soon
as I locked eyes with him.
 
He stood
there, his tall figure towering in the brightly lit lobby. He wore an elegant
black suit and his black wool pea coat. He topped it off with a red silk scarf
around his neck, a perfect compliment to my dress.

His eyes were
wide as he looked at me up and down.

“Margaret,
you are stunning,” he said as he hugged me hello.
 

The doorman
stood next to me and held his hand out to my coat offering to help me put it
on.

“Allow me,”
Bailey said.

“Yes, of
course Sir,” the doorman said.

Bailey slid
my coat on and then planted a sweet light kiss on my cheek. “Shall we,” he said
as he offered me his arm. I looped my arm in his and he led me outside.

A carriage
was waiting for us. I was confused as I thought we would surely be walking.
What a surprise.

He opened the
door and I got in. The carriage drove away. We had light banter in the back
seat, talking about what we did with our day.
 
However, it was small talk because we
mostly sat in silence staring into each other’s eyes. We weren’t in the car
long and arrived a few minutes later at our destination, The Plaza Hotel.

I stepped out of the car and nearly gasped
out loud at the beauty of this hotel. Dinner at the Plaza is a treat for
anyone, but during Christmas is was astounding. The entire entrance was
decorated in holiday décor and lights. It was intricate and elegant, and had
that Victorian feel I so longed for.

Bailey put his arm around me and said,
“You mentioned you longed for a Victorian Christmas feel. This was built only
last year in 1907.”

I looked up at him. He was the sweetest
man that ever lived. This was maybe the most perfect moment I could ever have.
He looked down at me and grinned that brilliant grin. He put his hand on the
small of my back and led me inside.
 

The lobby was alive with Christmas cheer.
There were several Christmas trees elegantly decorated. There was a table with
a toy train, of the vintage kind, surrounded by vintage toys. The lobby was
buzzing with people enjoying the holidays. The restaurant is this way. He said
leading the way.

I was in complete awe of the place.

Then I stopped as we approached a large
table. There my aunt sat with all our relations and Bailey’s. They all yelled,
“Congratulations!”

“You’re engaged! So happy for you!”
another yelled.

I could not believe it. It was a surprise
engagement party. I was so relieved,
this made it feel
official. Now I could relax. It surely would happen now. Bailey would not go
through all this trouble and have a party announcing our engagement only to not
marry me.

We had the most festive dinner in the
Christmas tradition. We had roast and vegetables and brandy. It was quite
refined and elegant. For dessert we had Christmas pudding and a cup of nutmeg.

After dinner we stood in the lobby
surrounded by all the Christmas décor and festive cheer. Even in heels he still
towered over me. He looked down at me, and in one fast motion he kissed
me.
 
There in the magic of The Plaza
surrounded by all things Christmas, he gave me a magical New York kiss. It was
a magical moment. He pulled away suddenly.

“I’m so sorry, I couldn’t help myself.
Forgive me,” he said in all politeness.

I didn’t want him to stop, and though I
loved his politeness and how much of a gentleman he was toward me in public, I
wanted to keep kissing him.

It was absolutely perfect. I had forgot
all about my ex-
fiance
and my mistrust of Bailey. It
had all vanished with this one magical night. Walking around New York exploring
a new place was exactly the kind of thing I needed to get a different perspective
of how my life could be. This man, in a matter of weeks had changed my life. I
was finally allowing myself to feel with out any doubt. It felt great and it
felt relieving. Now I was going to be his wife and have his child. I had to let
go of that doubt that had been instilled in me because of my last engagement.

At the end of the night we said our
goodbyes at the door. It was exactly the way old-fashioned courting should be.

The next day I went for daytime walk
through Central Park with a new female acquaintance. I was in the best mood and
I smiled and said “Hello” to every passer. When I got to the middle of the park
I saw the museum. I remembered the pretzel stand and thought I would grab one.
I crossed the street to the museum and immediately saw Bailey sitting on the
steps, with an attractive female.

I stopped in my tracks. Was this what he
did all day? Was this his pick up spot? I was furious. Even worse, my heart
broke a little. I watched as they talked to each other. They seemed comfortable
with each other and smiled a lot. I debated in my head whether I should go up
to him or not. Confront him, or should I just let it go and leave and never
talk to him again. After a few minutes of staring and not knowing what to do I
watched as they both stood up. It was unbelievable! They were going inside! I
was so upset I nearly burst into tears. This was his thing. This is what he
did.

My sadness turned into extreme anger and I
stomped off in their direction. I stood at the bottom of the stairs as I
watched them walk up together. They were laughing and talking loudly. I willed
him to turn around and see me. Just then he turned.

He locked eyes with me and smiled. I could
see him mouth my name. My eyes darted to the woman and back at him. He saw my
discomfort and the smile disappeared from his face. My eyes narrowed and I
stormed out. I ran down the steps and back into the park. I wanted to disappear
as soon as I could incase he was coming after me. I didn’t want to hear his
excuses.

I ran all the way home. I was in shambles.
Everything suddenly felt sad to me. The once cheery Christmas tree in the
living room, felt sad.

I headed downstairs to the lobby where the
doorman stopped me.

“Margaret,” he said. “You have several
messages from a Mr. Bailey.” He handed me a few small envelopes.

“Thank you,” I said as I grabbed them as
soon as I saw a trash bin, I tossed them. I didn’t open them. I didn’t need
too.

I sat down. I thought of Bailey. I wanted
to cry in that moment. I was only kidding myself with all these distractions.
It wasn’t working. It was then, in that moment of thinking about him that I
heard a familiar voice say,

“May I?”

I looked up to see Bailey towering over
me. He was gesturing at the empty space beside me. I didn’t say anything.
 
He sat anyway.

“Margaret, I’ve been trying to get a hold
of you all day. The doorman wouldn’t let me up no matter how much I pleaded
with him. I tried for an hour at least,” he said.

I just looked at him and my eyes watered
over. He was beautiful to look at and his sincere way of talking to me was
enough to make me feel overwhelming sadness. I wanted things to be as they were
before. But they couldn’t, I did not trust this man. I don’t think I trusted
any man at this point.

“Why did you run out of the museum?” he
asked.

“I watched you, on the steps. Talking to
that woman and then I watched you take her up the stairs,” it was a familiar
scene. Is that what you do to pick up women? It works. It worked on me, I was
stupid enough to fall for it, as the woman today was.”

I could barely get the words out. My voice
was shaking and I began to sob.
 
Bailey’s eyes were wide. At first I thought they were wide at having
been caught, but I later learned why.

“Margaret, that’s not what that was,” he
said. “I’m sorry if that hurt you. That’s the last thing I would ever want to
do, but if you would just let me explain.”

“I don’t see the point in an explanation.
I could never tell if you were lying.”

“That is true,” he said. “Would you like
to meet her then?”

“Meet who?” I asked.

“The woman you saw me sitting with
earlier, Rebecca. That’s the only way you’ll know that she’s not a romantic
interest and that I’m not lying about it. She’s at my place now,” he said.
“She’s my sister,” he said.

My heart sank. I felt like a complete
idiot. I was kicking myself for acting so rash earlier.

“I’m so sorry. I feel dumb,” I said.

“It’s okay. Don’t be. Actually I’m kind of
glad it happened,” he said.

“You are? But why?” I asked.

“Because I wasn’t sure if you felt
anything for me. When we look at each other I can feel a deep connection, but
you haven’t said anything to me about love. Do you love me because I love you?”

“Oh Bailey! I do. I know that now, after
seeing you with another woman. I know I love you.”

“I felt the same after watching you dance
with another. I was so jealous. You had to be mine forever, therefore I’m glad
I got you pregnant, now you are mine.”

A week later we were married and had many
children. What started as a bout with a scoundrel ended with a happy marriage
and happy family.