Thomas glowered at me for a moment and when I didn't stand down he headed for the door, stopping at Leah, "Are you going to move or do I have to move you?" he snapped.

            Leah shrugged and moved beside me.  Thomas forcefully opened the door and headed for the hall.  We heard some exchange before Isaac reappeared in the doorway, "Is everything all right?"  he inquired looking at us.  I nodded and sank back into my chair.

            "Do you need me to follow him?" Leah offered.

            "Just make sure he leaves the house, I don't care after that," Isaac said giving her shoulder a squeeze.  "Thank you, Leah."  I watched him smile at her and she beamed back at him before she left the room. 

            I tried thinking of all my time here and the differences between them and trying to decide when it was Isaac and when it was Thomas.  Leah was far more comfortable around Isaac, even from the short time this evening, it was obvious that he cared about her . . . Thomas seemed only to care about Thomas.  "Penny for your thoughts," Isaac said kneeling beside me again.

            "I'm just trying to put it all together," I said clasping my forehead.  My mind was racing over everything that happened tonight, everything I saw . . . everything I heard.

            "Are you sure you are okay?  Did he hurt . . . "

            "It was just a kiss," I breathed shakily and then looking at him, "How many times have you kissed me?"

            His worry seemed to melt for a moment and a smile began to spread, "More than five but less than ten?"  I narrowed my eyes at him.  "The first time was in the hall . . . in front of Leah.  The second was day after your debut when I gave you the perfume, when Faith returned.  Then there was day of our picnic in the park . . . and when I left with Philip."

            "But that's only four."

            "After the picnic I kissed your cheeks, your nose and then your lips . . . that brings my count to seven."

            "But you're counting each one," I started to argue.

            "A kiss is a kiss," he smiled for a moment before lowering his head, "I only wish that mine were not marred by his."

            "But it was just," I stopped myself when he looked up at me again.  There was something in his eyes, he was troubled perhaps thinking about Thomas and how he acted with me. Isaac though, he remembered every kiss we shared, with fondness.  "There is no comparison," I smiled.  His smile widened easily when he saw that I spoke honestly and brought the palm of my hand to his lips.  "That's eight," I whispered.

            "I hope you know that I am sorry it happened like this, but maybe it was for the best," he sighed.

            "But didn't you want to tell me before?"  I was still baffled that I hadn't known for months.  That I hadn't even considered the possibility that . . . but how could I?

            "Desperately," he breathed as he moved closer, "I desperately wanted you to be mine . . . to love me . . . to say my name," he leaned his forehead against mine and I felt my eyelids fall and I concentrated on our nearness.

            "Why didn't you just tell me?  I would have understood," I argued.  Granted I couldn't be sure, I was still struggling now, even though I saw them side by side.

            "I cannot offer you what Thomas can," he replied simply, "I have no title, my inheritance is humble compared to what he shall receive . . . how could I expect you to accept so much less?"

            "Do you love me, Isaac?" I pulled away so I could look into his eyes, those brilliant pools of blue.

            "With every beat of my heart," he started, "which is considerable as it speeds up when you are near."

            I found myself laughing with him, "You shouldn't mock, not when we're talking about love."

            "I am not mocking, if you could feel my heart now, it is racing." 

            I gently placed my hand over his heart, "I cannot feel anything," I sighed disappointedly.

            He let out a small laugh and cupped my face, kissing me fervently, "Do you feel anything now," he smiled cunningly as he parted from my lips.

            "Now you are mocking!" I chided.  I could not complain though, it seemed like a weight was lifted from both of us.  He seemed lighter.  "Isaac?"

            "As much as I love hearing you say my name, you need to call me Thomas," he said kissing my fingers.

            "I can still call you Isaac here, in this sanctuary," I corrected.  I sat silently for a moment wondering how to ask, but finally the words just came tumbling, "How will I know it's you?"

            "I don't think we'll need to worry about him, so long as he gets his funds," Isaac asserted.  When he saw worry still on my face, he pulled up his sleeve again, "My scar?"

            "But you can't show it," I disagreed, "others might see and recognize it."

            "I was thinking more that if you needed the reassurance, you simply slide your fingers inside my cuff."

            "Won't that be bold?"

            "It might be if we were not engaged," he rationed, "I'm sure no one would notice . . . or better yet, violets!  Oh yes, violets!"  The sudden happy exclamation startled me as he stood and looked around the room.  "I have been the only one to give you violets!  Now where did I leave it?  Aha!," he said reaching for the book that Leah had brought in earlier.

            "I was wondering why did you needed the book," I mused mostly to myself.

            "Here, let me show you why," he held the book out to me as he knelt next to my chair, "Read this..."

...Thus the Frost-King lost his kingdom,
And his power to harm and blight.
Violet conquered, and his cold heart
Warmed with music, love, and light;

I stopped and looked at him thinking of the multitudes of violets he had given me.  "Keep reading," he smiled as he continued reciting aloud:

And his fair home, once so dreary,
Gay with lovely Elves and flowers,
Brought a joy that never faded
Through the long bright summer hours.
Thus, by Violet's magic power,
All dark shadows passed away,
And o'er the home of happy flowers
The golden light for ever lay.
Thus the Fairy mission ended,
And all Flower-Land was taught
The "Power of Love," by gentle deeds
That little Violet wrought.*

He stopped and looked at me, "That is why I give you flowers, that poem."

            "It is very special to you if you have it memorized," I smiled at the excitement in his eyes.

            "It's from the story of the Frost King," he explained, "and how little Violet melted his cold heart and let love in."  He set his hands on the book and was hoping so hard that I would understand.  "Margaret, what is another name for frost?"

            "Ice?"

            He turned the pages back to the front cover and on the inside was an inscription:

For My Children:

Thomas Algernon Edgehill

Isaac Christopher Edgehill

Leah Abigail Edgehill

"Mother put all of our names in it . . . I was happy to see I was still listed."

            "Isaac Christopher Edgehill . . . your initials are I.C.E.," I smirked as I understood.

            "Yes and this story, it has always resonated with me . . . and that is why I will always, always give you violets."

            "But you were not cold or hardened . . ."

            "But I wasn't happy or loved either," he moved the book from my lap and held my hands, "You are my Violet."

            I looked from his eyes to the book, "Is that why you kept urging me to read it?"

            "I was hoping that you'd see the inscription as well as the story," his smile took an odd curve in one corner.

            "So you were trying to tell me . . . "

*From "The Frost-King and Violet or The Power of Kindness," "Brighter Shone the Golden Shadows" by Louisa May Alcott