Atticus couldn’t get Natusko Mountbatton out of his head. Ever since he’d laid eyes upon her at Poppy’s debut, he knew in his heart that she was the person he wanted to spend his life with; she was everything he could have hoped for and more. He wanted to get to know her before he made the leap of a marriage, although he’d already made his mind up that Miss Mountbatton was the sole person he wanted to see walking down the aisle toward him. He’d asked her at the opera to court him, to be his, but Atticus had acted too late - the matchmaker had already been paid and Natsuko Mountbatton slipped through his fingers like sand.
Atticus loathed the idea of watching her be by someone else's side. Would she be cruel enough to invite him to the wedding?
The idea had haunted him for days, keeping him awake as he pondered a way to stop this madness; it had been Poppy who had planted the idea of meeting with the matchmaker because three families were looking for English matches before taking them back to Japan, possibly forever. It hadn’t taken much as he was what most families looked for when trying to marry off their daughters, but he only had eyes for Miss Mountbatton. If she wasn’t the one he was going to be with by the end of the night, then he’d be leaving by himself.
Mama had accompanied him, although the thought of forcing Anthony to come with him had crossed his mind; his poor cousin was a hopeless romantic and the idea of women being forced to marry someone they didn’t love didn’t sit well with him. It was fine. Anthony had helped him in other ways; he’d been the one to clue Viola in that Atticus was in love, and then his mother had given him the ring his own father had proposed with. “For a lifetime of happiness.” The ring had been heavy in his pocket for weeks.
The process had been explained to him although the words had been a flurry in his mind, in one ear and out the other. He settled into one of the chairs near the front with his mother at his side, watching with bated breath as the curtain finally raised; disappointment settled in his gut when he couldn’t immediately spot the woman who had walked away with his heart. The first two women were beautiful, but they weren’t Natsuko - and when her veil was raised… his heart pattered against his chest. She was the one. There was no doubt about it. Atticus smiled at her, and had she been able to do anything outside of the script, he would have waved at her. Instead he was forced to watch her stand on the stage when there was nothing more he wanted than to wrap her in his arms.
He knew after this was dinner, although he doubted he’d be able to explain himself to her; instead Atticus hoped she understood he was here just for her, that he needed her like he needed air to breathe.
Here Atticus was clumsy, and he followed suit of what the other gentlemen were doing as the ladies were finished presenting; he wondered if anyone else looked at Miss Mountbatton as their future wife - he hoped not. They were in for a rude awakening.
Atticus loathed the idea of watching her be by someone else's side. Would she be cruel enough to invite him to the wedding?
The idea had haunted him for days, keeping him awake as he pondered a way to stop this madness; it had been Poppy who had planted the idea of meeting with the matchmaker because three families were looking for English matches before taking them back to Japan, possibly forever. It hadn’t taken much as he was what most families looked for when trying to marry off their daughters, but he only had eyes for Miss Mountbatton. If she wasn’t the one he was going to be with by the end of the night, then he’d be leaving by himself.
Mama had accompanied him, although the thought of forcing Anthony to come with him had crossed his mind; his poor cousin was a hopeless romantic and the idea of women being forced to marry someone they didn’t love didn’t sit well with him. It was fine. Anthony had helped him in other ways; he’d been the one to clue Viola in that Atticus was in love, and then his mother had given him the ring his own father had proposed with. “For a lifetime of happiness.” The ring had been heavy in his pocket for weeks.
The process had been explained to him although the words had been a flurry in his mind, in one ear and out the other. He settled into one of the chairs near the front with his mother at his side, watching with bated breath as the curtain finally raised; disappointment settled in his gut when he couldn’t immediately spot the woman who had walked away with his heart. The first two women were beautiful, but they weren’t Natsuko - and when her veil was raised… his heart pattered against his chest. She was the one. There was no doubt about it. Atticus smiled at her, and had she been able to do anything outside of the script, he would have waved at her. Instead he was forced to watch her stand on the stage when there was nothing more he wanted than to wrap her in his arms.
He knew after this was dinner, although he doubted he’d be able to explain himself to her; instead Atticus hoped she understood he was here just for her, that he needed her like he needed air to breathe.
Here Atticus was clumsy, and he followed suit of what the other gentlemen were doing as the ladies were finished presenting; he wondered if anyone else looked at Miss Mountbatton as their future wife - he hoped not. They were in for a rude awakening.
![[Image: cBAJGlb.png]](https://i.imgur.com/cBAJGlb.png)