This one was the very first prompt challenge for me on Tumblr, I think. The exchange went like this: Anonymous said: Prompt: Patrick buying Shelagh’s engagement ring. BWAHAHA! You’ll never sleep.

Bedtime was late that night, anonymous. You big chicken.

The gate in front of Shelagh’s boarding house creaked as Patrick held it open for her. He suspected Mrs. Trevell kept it that way to better keep an eye on her boarders. Either way, the sound meant the end of the evening, and he had grown to hate that sound. He had such little time to spend with Shelagh and the house’s curfew was just another limitation.

“I had a lovely time tonight, Patrick. Timothy’s violin playing has progressed so nicely. You must be so proud,” Shelagh said quietly. She, too, was aware of the net curtains twitching in the window. Not for the first time she wished for a little privacy.

“Well, he’s certainly been practicing. I suspect he’s trying to impress you.” With a smile, Patrick took her arm in his as they walked the last few steps to the door. “When can I see you again?” he asked.

She met his eyes, the clear blue regretful. “I meant to tell you. I have to make a visit to Chichester. Fred is making a trip out there tomorrow and offered me a ride. I’ll have to say good-bye until Saturday.”

“So soon?” Patrick knew this trip was coming up, but the thought of her being so far away, even for a day or so was unsettling.

“I know, Patrick. Fred just told me today, and it would save me the bus fare,” she apologized.

He nodded. “I understand. I’ll miss you.”

Shelagh sighed and forced a smile. “I’ll miss you, too.”

 

---

The walk home was always a lonely one. No matter how tired he was, he looked forward to the evenings spent with Shelagh, and the end of those hours left him feeling empty. Since her dramatic return, they had been able to see each other nearly every day, although most of those meetings had been far too brief. Even the nights when he was able to get home early enough to spend hours with her, it was never enough.

He knew how he would change that, if it were up to him. But it was so soon. Less than two weeks had passed since her return. Her life had already changed so tremendously, he wasn’t sure if she was ready for more change. He stopped suddenly. “Bloody hell,” he thought. What if it wasn’t time she needed? What if this was as much as she would ever want? What if her feelings were only slightly warmer than friendship?

Shaking his head to clear it, he lit a cigarette and continued home. His insecurities were getting the better of him. He reminded himself of their time together, how she looked at him when she thought no one was looking. The smile she had that was only for him. She had called him, after all, when she left the sanatorium. Relaxing, he sighed. She was completely certain. He knew his Shelagh.

It was too soon. They still had so much to learn about each other. Whole lives to share, though he admitted, his was much longer than hers. But why wait? he asked himself. They were supposed to be together. He knew that and he believed she knew that. Even Timothy believed it. Why wait to be a family? Together, they could handle anything.

Tomorrow he would go shopping. And Saturday, he would ask her.

 

Part Two

As usual, the day had run away with all of Patrick’s time. The plan to shop for an engagement ring was slowly disintegrating. He couldn’t risk going in to a jewelers in Poplar; he would be spotted and news would spread. It would take too much time to cross London at this hour. Even if he didn’t see another patient, Patrick knew he would never make it to the jewelers before they closed for the day. Having made up his mind to propose, Patrick resented these delays. Shelagh didn’t need a ring, he knew. She had eschewed material goods for so long and still did not long for them. But a ring would make it real to the world. He wanted the world to know. A ring was a declaration to the world of their intentions.

Shelagh had told her former Sisters, who in turn told the nurses, but outside of Nonnatus House, few in the community had any real understanding of the nature of their relationship. It was only a matter of time, though, before gossip started and an engagement would help as an antidote to that particular poison.

He took another file and looked out the door of his surgery. “Mr. Stone?”

A small wiry man stood. He was covering one eye and was joined by a woman. The two quietly followed Patrick in to the surgery. “So, what seems to be the problem with your eye, Mr. Stone?”

The man took the cloth from his eye, revealing a classic case of pink-eye. Patrick assured him, “No need to worry, Mr. Stone. We can have this fixed up in just a few days. I’ll write you a prescription for an antibiotic, and by Monday, you’ll be right as rain.”

“Oh, thank goodness, doctor. It’s been aching me something terrible. I was that worried I’d lose me sight, I was. And then what kind of a jeweler would I be?

“You’re a jeweler? Here in Poplar?” Patrick didn’t remember this man running any shop on his rounds.

“Oh, no, doctor,” answered Mrs. Stone. “We were just here for the niece’s wedding. We have a shop in Portobello Road. Prettiest diamond rings you ever saw. Been there nearly thirty years, we have.”

Finishing the last of the prescription Patrick told them, “Now that is a funny coincidence. I was hoping to get to a jewelers today, but it doesn’t seem to be possible, now.”

“Ooh, what you looking for then?” Mrs. Stone asked.

Patrick glanced at the closed door. Something about the old couple made him share his secret. “I wanted to buy an engagement ring.” He smiled sheepishly at them. “I’m free next Tuesday, maybe I’ll come out to your shop.”

“Tuesday!” cried Mr. Stone. “But that’s days away, man. If you’ve decided to ask your young lady, you can’t let four days go by! If you know, you know. No use wasting time waiting around.” Apparently, Mr. Stone was a jeweler as much for the romance as the gems. “We’re going back home now. Come to the shop tonight and we’ll fix you up good and proper!”

Thinking for a moment, Patrick agreed. “Mr. Stone, I am going to take you up on that. If I have to wait one more day, I think I might burst!”

Mrs. Stone giggled. “Ooh, we do love a good romance, doctor. Helps pick the best rings.”

 

---

 

Three hours later, Patrick and Timothy pulled up in front of the small shop. Mr. Stone stood at the doorway, a nefarious looking patch over his infected eye.

“Come in, come in, doctor. And this must be your boy.”

“Yes, I couldn’t do this without him. Timothy, this is Mr. Stone.” Patrick practically crackled with nervous energy.

“Hello, sir. I’m sorry to hear about your eye,” Timothy greeted him.

“Yes, yes, well, if it weren’t for me eye, your dad would’ve gone to some other shop and bought the wrong ring entirely. Not bragging, but it’s a gift I have. Tell me a few things about your lady, and sure enough we’ll have just the thing!”

They entered the brightly lit shop, but Timothy and Patrick were amazed to see very little if any jewelry out. There were few counters as well. Mrs. Stone reassured them, “I know, it looks a bit strange, but trust us. Doctor, my Mr. Stone’ll just ask a few questions, pop back behind the magic curtain, and ta-da reappear with just the thing. You look nervous.”

Patrick shrugged his shoulders. “He is nervous,” Tim told them. “He’s worried he’s going too fast.”

“When you know, you know, right, Mr. Stone?” asked his wife.

“Life is all about that leap of faith, doctor. Trust your instincts.”

Patrick nodded, feeling more hopeful than ever before.

“Right then,” started Mr. Stone. “First the easy questions.  Is she big or small?”

Timothy answered. “Small. Not much bigger than me. Her hands are exactly my size, too. I checked.”

“You checked? How on earth?” Patrick asked.

“I didn’t give anything away, Dad. I pretended it was an experiment for school. I even have a string that measured her finger.” Timothy proudly presented the evidence of his cleverness.

“I’m not even going to ask,” said Patrick.

“Small, then. Hair color?”

“Blonde, with blue eyes. Aquamarine, actually,” Patrick added sheepishly.

“Aquamarine, Dad?” Timothy teased. Patrick gave his son a dark look.

“Calm or emotional?” Mr. Stone continued, beginning to look very intent.

“Oh, calm. Nothing rattles her,” Patrick said proudly.

Mrs. Stone smothered a laugh. “Just wait ‘til she moves in with you two!”

“Modern or old-fashioned?” Mr. Stone asked.

“Old-fashioned. Very much so,” came Patrick’s answer.

“All right then, This last question’s a bit personal-like. You might want your son to step out of the room for a moment,” explained the old jeweler.

Patrick could see the disappointment in Timothy’s face. This last question could very well be embarrassing, but in order for this marriage to work, the family it built would have to work, as well. “No, Tim can stay if he likes.”

Timothy’s sigh of relief told him he had answered well. He took a deep breath to prepare for the last question.

“All right, then.” Mr. Stone looked away, as if the question embarrassed him as well. “It has to be asked. When you kiss your young lady–”

“I’ll be outside!” cried Timothy, and he dashed out of the shop.Patrick flushed to his ears.

“I’m sorry, Doctor, but the answer to this question will tell me a great deal. Hopefully, this will be the last question. When you kiss your young lady, are her eyes opened or closed?”

Patrick couldn’t help but recall kissing Shelagh. In their short time together, they had grown closer in intimacy, although she was still reticent about any display of affection in front of anyone. Alone, however, she had shown a willingness to be close to him. Their last night before her visit to Chichester he had felt the beginnings of a surrender that gave him concerns for his self-restraint. He stammered his answer, “Closed. Yes, closed. They sort of, flutter closed,” he was remembering, “and then they open again…after a sigh.”

Mr. Stone nodded. “I will be right back, Doctor.”

Patrick used the moment to try to calm his body down. The old jeweler’s question was odd, but Patrick’s instincts told him to trust him. Besides, it wasn’t unpleasant to consider Shelagh’s reactions to his kiss. But those thoughts should be put aside, he reminded himself. His focus now should be on how to convince her to accept him.

Mr. Stone returned, and called Timothy back to the room. He carried a dark wooden tray, upon which rested a diamond ring.
“This is the ring for your lady,” he announced.

Patrick took it in his hand.

“It’ll be the right size,” Mrs. Stone said. “Classic round diamond in a gold setting. Your lady has an elegance that comes from kindness and serenity. You could go larger, you said you could pay more than this ring, but your lady loves you. You have her heart, and will for the rest of your lives. Everything else comes second.”

Patrick smiled. The ring was perfect. Anything larger would make Shelagh uncomfortable.

“No turning back, now, hey Dad?” Timothy asked, looking over his father’s shoulder.

“No, TIm. No matter what, this is the way we go.”