Alexandra has accepted Anthony's marriage proposal despite just discovering she is pregnant by another man. Her family is supportive of the match as Anthony proves he genuinely loves Alexandra. Meanwhile, Eddie has returned from an upsetting trip with anger in his heart but finds solace playing piano with Theo and Stanley at the campus lounge.

1. Hello and welcome back to part b of chapter 15.3.
I really do suggest that you have at least read part a, unless you want to be thoroughly confused. If
confusion is your thing however, welcome, let's get stuck in.

2. Alexandra wiped away her tears. "Mama, what am I going to do?" She whispered.
"I am not sure yet princess, but you will not be alone, I can promise you that. Now let me help you finish
getting dressed and we will go and speak to your father.“
Alexandra was silent for a moment. "He is going to be so disappointed with me." She said in a small
voice.
"That is a distinct possibility." Replied Beth. "You just have to remember that he loves you very much."

3. Beth left Alexandra putting the finishing touches to her hair, and ran into her husband on the landing.
"How is she today? Has she gotten dressed?“
"Yes darling, but there is something she needs to tell you." She took his hand. "Come on downstairs to
the morning room. We can wait for her there."

4. Alexandra walked down the stairs with a heavy heart. She knew she had been stupid, and that she
deserved censure, but she was dreading her father's reaction to her condition.

5. "Ah Alexandra good to see you dressed..." He stopped when he caught sight of her belly.

6. "WHAT THE BLAZES!" He shouted jumping up from the settee.
"ALEXANDRA ALLYN LEGACY I AM FLABBERGASTED AT YOU!"

7. "HOW COULD YOU BE SO STUPID?" Alexandra dissolved into tears at her father's words.
"William..." Said Beth trying to interrupt him.
"I THOUGHT BETTER OF YOU; I THOUGHT THAT YOU HAD A BRAIN, BUT NO!“
"William..." She tried again.

8. "YOU HAVE BROUGHT SHAME UPON THIS FAMILY!" He roared causing Alexandra to sob harder.
"WILLIAM STEVEN LEGACY!" Shouted Beth.

9. That finally got his attention and he whirled round. "WHAT?“
"Stop this! I know that you are understandably angry, but you should be taking that anger out on the
correct person, not Alexandra!"

10. "HE IS NOT HERE!" Bellowed William.
"And because Alexandra is, you think that you should shout at her?" Asked Beth. "She knows that she
has been foolish and she regrets it, and has to live with the consequences. You shouting at her is not
going to change this situation!"

11. "She has not been foolish, she has behaved like a common harlot!" Hissed William.
The last vestiges of Beth's temper fled.
"NO SHE HAS BEHAVED LIKE A WOMAN IN LOVE!"

12. Beth took a deep breath to try to regain her temper before continuing. "It may surprise you to know
William Legacy," she said in a quiet but deadly voice, "that had you asked me into your bed before we
were wed, I would have gone willingly.“
Despite himself a cocky smile pulled at William's mouth. "You would?“
"Yes. Do you think any less of me now?“
"No. But we were in love.“
"And Alexandra believed that she was in love and that those feelings were reciprocated.
She made a mistake William, but she is still your daughter."

13. William lapsed into silence, and it was then that he became aware of the sound of his daughter sobbing
behind him. All his anger at her faded at the sound of her distress.
"Oh princess. Papa is sorry for being angry at you." He said "We will get through this will we not Beth?"
He asked looking at his wife.

14. "Yes." She replied, even though she had no idea about what they were going to do.
At least William was no longer shouting at their daughter, and that thought brought a small smile to her
face.
She was watching William making amends with his daughter when the front bell rang.

15. She answered it to find Anthony Smith on the doorstep.
"Oh Mr Smith, good day. What can I do for you?“
"Good day Mrs Legacy. I was wondering how Miss Legacy is today?"

16. "Not too good again I am afraid. I will pass on your..." Started Beth, but at that moment Alexandra came
into the hall.
"Mama, Papa and I are going to make pancakes..." She stopped when she saw Anthony at the door, then
turned and ran back into the morning room.

17. Alexandra hadn't been quick enough though and Anthony had seen her swollen abdomen. His jaw
muscles clenched and he had no idea that Beth was currently talking to him.
"...is not a good time for...“
"Mrs Legacy, I will be calling on your husband at three o'clock this afternoon."

18. "Mr Smith," Beth tried again, "I am very sorry, but as you can see, circumstances do not permit us to
receive visitors at this time. I will certainly tell Mr Legacy that you have called on us, but I cannot sanction
you coming here this afternoon."

19. Anthony fixed her with a steady gaze, and said in a firm, calm voice. "Mrs Legacy, I will be calling on your
husband at three o'clock this afternoon. I expect him to see me." With that, he turned and walked down
the path to his waiting carriage.
Beth watched him go. She really didn't think that William would want to see him, but he was giving them
no choice.

20. Beth was heading to the morning room where she could hear Alexandra once again crying when the
telephone rang.
"Good morning Regalton one double zero." She answered.
"Mother it is Edward. How is Alexandra this morning?“
"Oh Edward, she is not good."

21. Beth proceeded to explain what had occurred to her son, whilst he listened in stunned silence.
"But...I cannot believe she...That ...man took advantage of her. Mother this is awful." Eddie was getting
angrier than he had ever been in his life, but he was making a real effort to stay calm for his mother's
sake.
"Yes it is." On the other end of the line, Beth sounded close to tears.

22. "What are we going to do?" Asked Eddie.
"I do not know.“
"It will work out Mother.“
"I hope so, Eddie, I really do.“
They stayed talking for a few more minutes until Eddie made an excuse and rang off.

23. He walked into the dining room where Theo was finishing his breakfast.
"I am going out." He said. Theo took one look at his face. "I am coming with you.“
"No, I do not need you to, and it is best if I do this on my own.“
"Eddie, if you think that I am going to let you go off on your own, when something is so obviously wrong,
you do not know me at all.“
Eddie mulled this over for a second before nodding curtly at him. "Very well.“
"Do you want to wake Stan?“
"No." Eddie shook his head. Normally he would want Stanley with them, but considering the type of man
they would be dealing with, he thought it best if Stan wasn't with them.

24. It was a little while after they had left that Stanley awoke and headed downstairs.
"Eddie and Theo not here?" He asked Timothy.
"No, they left a note: they've gone out. You are up late.“
"Yes, well, you know how it is. I got in late.“
Timothy did know how it was.
"Anyone you have seen before?“
"Now, you know as well as I, that a gentleman never tells.“
"And you have been a gentleman since when?“
Stanley laughed before leaving the room to have a shower.

25. Back in Regalton, Beth and William were sitting at the dining table, waiting for Alexandra to bring out the
pancakes she had insisted on making without their help. It had taken a little while to calm her down
again, but she was starting to act with more of her customary vigour than they had expected.
"He really was very insistent William. I tried to tell him that you would not see him. But he did not listen."

26. "I have only met Mr Smith on a couple of occasions, but he has never struck me as rude or impudent. He
obviously believes that what he has to say is worth disturbing us." He paused. "Yes I will see him when
he calls." He decided.

27. As Beth and William were having this conversation, Anthony was waiting for Joe to open the front door.
He had been thinking about what Joe had done the entire journey, and so was not in the mood for
pleasantries when Joe finally answered the door.
"Anthony, I did not expect to see you. You were right all along, I really should have told Alexandra that I
had no feelings for her, rather than letting the charade go as far as it did."

29. "What...?" Asked a stunned Joe as he tried to get to his feet. "Why did you do that?"

30. "Just stay away from Miss Legacy, and stay away from me." Said Anthony through gritted teeth as he
walked away.

31. At three o'clock exactly Anthony was back in Regalton waiting for William to answer the door.
"Ah Mr Smith, my wife said that you were most insistent about seeing me today.“
"Yes Mr Legacy. If I may, I would like to discuss an issue of great importance with you.“
"Very well. Do come in."

32. "What did you wish to discuss with me Mr Smith?" Asked William once they had sat down in the drawing
room.
Anthony could almost not believe that this moment had arrived.
"Mr Legacy, I wish to ask for your daughter Alexandra's hand in marriage.“
William regarded him for a moment.

33. "You are aware of her...situation?" He asked.
"Yes, and I care not a jot about it." Replied Anthony. "To be honest with you Mr Legacy, I was planning
on having this conversation with you at some point in the future anyway. Her...circumstances have
merely caused me to bring my plans forward."

34. William regarded Anthony. "Then my first question to you will not come as a surprise. Do you love her?“
"Yes.“
William smiled. "You did not pause." He said quietly.

35. "Of course not. I have loved Miss Legacy since the day we first met. She is bossy, pushy, spoilt, yet
vulnerable, and the most wonderful creature on the face of the planet.“
"You forgot to say beautiful in there." Said William amused.
"Her beauty goes without saying, but it is not the primary reason I love her so.“
"I am very pleased to hear it." Said William truthfully. This was going much better than the last time
someone had asked for Alexandra' hand in marriage.

36. "And what of my grandchild?" He asked hesitantly.
"It will be the child of the woman I love and I will raise it as my own." Said Anthony simply.
William nodded. He believed him.
"I have to ask you now what your prospects are, and if you are able to take care of my daughter and
grandchild."

37. "I am a very wealthy man Mr Legacy." Replied Anthony. "My father owned a substantial estate in
Simbridgeshire, which I inherited on his death, but I prefer to spend my time at my town house in Simdon.
I have secured a good job with good promotion prospects, so financially I will be able to provide for my
family. More importantly though, I adore your daughter and will be able to care for her and our children
until my dying day."

38. William smiled at him. "Mr Smith, you have my blessing to ask my Alexandra to be your bride. I would
however ask that I may be allowed to speak to her first.“
"Of course." Said Anthony beaming. "But if I may be so bold, I would ask you to speak to her soon.
Given her situation I feel that if she agrees to be my wife, then we should make plans to marry as soon as
we can.“
"I agree, which is why I plan to speak to her now." With a smile and a nod to Anthony, William left the
drawing room to speak to Alexandra in the morning room.

39. "Alexandra princess, Mr Smith is here to see you." He said to his daughter
"Papa I cannot..." She started
"Princess, please, I realise that you would rather not see him, but I urge you to listen to what he has to
say."

40. Alexandra looked at him. She wasn't silly and she realised from the tone of her father's voice what it was
that Anthony wanted to speak to her about.
"He wishes to ask me to marry him, does he not?" She asked
"Yes.“
"Then I see I have no choice." She said sadly. "I will have to marry him."

41. "Princess, you always have a choice. If it is truly odious to you, then you do not have to marry this man."
Pointed out William
"But...my situation..."
"We will find a solution to it, and one that does not make you unhappy, I promise you.“
"Thank you Papa." She smiled weakly at William.
"Shall I send him in?“
"Yes. I will see him now."

42. Once William had walked out of the room, Alexandra turned to her mother.
"Mother, what do I do? I fear I have no choice but to accept his proposal."

43. "Alexandra, as your father says, you do not have to do anything you do not want to do. If you have no
feelings for this man, and do not want to marry him, then do not. We will find an alternative solution."
Said Beth patiently.

44. "But how do I know what my feelings are? After all I thought that I loved him, but I was mistaken.“
"Alexandra, you will know whether or not it is the right thing to do when he asks you." Answered Beth
with what she hoped was more confidence than she felt. After all Alexandra had accepted Joe's proposal,
and that had turned out to be a disaster.
"I suppose you are correct."

45. "I will leave the two of you alone." Said Beth as the door opened to admit Anthony.
"Mr Smith." She nodded at him as she passed.
"Mrs Legacy."

46. "I understand that you wished to see me Mr Smith." Said Alexandra getting up.
"I do, yes.“
"And that there is something you wish to say to me.“
"Yes. Your father has briefed you well." He said, a smile pulling at his mouth.
"Papa is very thorough when he wishes to be." She replied.

47. "Before I discuss the reason for my visit with you Miss Legacy, please allow me say that I have loved you,
completely and utterly since the day we first met. Seeing you with another, especially one who was not
worthy of you, was like a knife to my heart."

48. Alexandra looked at him in wonderment. For the first time she knew what it was like to have someone
who genuinely cared for her, share those feelings with her.
"Why did you not say anything?" She asked.
"Would you have listened?“
Alexandra thought for a moment before shaking her head. "No. I would have said that I was very
flattered but..."

49. "That you were in love with someone else." Finished Anthony.
"Yes." She gave a wry smile.
"I know, which is why I kept my silence. If I had thought that you would have listened, then it would have
been a different story."

50. "But, you are listening now." He said dropping to his knees. "Miss Alexandra Legacy, will you make me
the happiest man in the world and consent to be my wife?"

51. "Yes." She replied. She had expected to have to think long and hard about her situation and whether she
could marry as a solution to it, but instead she hadn't even thought about her baby. All she knew at that
point in time is that she wanted to be Mrs Anthony Smith more than anything else.

52. Impulsively she threw her arms around Anthony. For the moment she was happier than she had ever
been.
As for Anthony, he was ecstatic. The woman he adored had agreed to be his wife, and for the time being
he decided not to dwell on the possible reasons behind her decision.

53. Alexandra opened the morning room door to tell her parents that they could come in. Anthony then
proceeded to tell them that Alexandra had accepted his proposal.
William gave him a hearty pat on the back.
"I thought that she would accept you." He said quietly. "Welcome to the family Mr Smith.“
"Thank you Mr Legacy, sir."

54. Beth hugged her daughter. "Congratulations my dear. I think that you have made a wise decision.“
"Thank you Mama. I hope that you are right."

55. At Sim State University Eddie had been unusually quiet once he and Theo had returned from their trip that
afternoon. Even the news that his sister would be marrying the next day had done little to lift his spirits.
Stanley had wisely decided not to push for details, instead suggesting a trip to the Campus Lounge. At
Theo's urging, Eddie had agreed and now found himself playing the piano, wishing that his knuckles
weren't quite so sore.

56. Theo meanwhile was quite happy singing. Since he had spent a week in Riverblossom Hills and met Doc,
he had become far less self-conscious about his singing voice. He no longer needed to be full of juice in
order to be persuaded to sing, and often told Doc when they were heading to the Lounge so that she
could make the journey to watch them all perform.

57. As for Stanley, well he was busy being Stanley that evening.
"Miss Creelman, I was wondering if I could buy you a drink at some point before I graduate?" He asked
hopefully.
"Mr Legacy, I know exactly what you are like, and how many ladies you have asked out for drinks."
Pointed out Elise.
"I am a friendly man, what can I say?"

58. They had a good evening at the Lounge, but it did mean that Eddie was up slightly later than he wanted to
be. He did after all have to make the journey into the City for his sister's wedding. Therefore he wasn't in
the best of moods when Stanley joined him for breakfast.
"Good night last night, was it not?" Asked Stanley.
"It was a distraction, certainly.“
"A good distraction. I am certain that Miss Creelman will soon be amenable to going out for a drink, or
even a meal with me.“
Eddie looked at him. "How can you act so? You are always on the look out for another girl to chase."

59. "Yes I know but there is nothing quite like the thrill of reeling in a new lady friend Eddie. The will she?
Won't she? How long will it take before she does? It is...exciting." Explained Stanley.

60. Eddie regarded him for a moment. "Excuse me. I do not think that I can stand to be in the same room as
you at the moment." He said getting up.

61. "What did I do?" Asked Stanley bewildered as Eddie walked out, and into he study.

62. Theo entered the dining room as Stanley was clearing away his and Eddie's breakfast things. "Ah Theo
old chap, am I pleased to see you. I fear that I may have upset Eddie, but I am blowed if I know how.“
"Eddie is just a bit upset at the moment, over his sister." Replied Theo.
"Yes I realise that but this is more. I was explaining about how I enjoy the thrill of the chase, when
he...got upset.“
Theo rubbed his hand over his eyes. "Ah, perhaps I should explain..."

63. Stanley slipped into the study where Eddie was staring at the chess board, trying to get his brain working.
"Mind if I join you?“
Eddie just grunted in reply, but Stanley took this as acquiescence and sat down.
"I have just spoken to Theo. He explained what has happened to Alexandra. I am sorry, I had no idea."
Eddie was silent.
"I understand why you reacted to me as you did, and in fact," he took a deep breath, "it has made me re-
evaluate how I live my life. I am thinking about getting engaged and married."

64. Eddie stared at him in astonishment, not sure he could believe what he had just heard.
"I beg your pardon, but did you just say that you were going to settle down with one girl?"

65. "Yes Eddie." Said Stanley, "I do not want to end up getting a girl into trouble and then abandoning her.
What sort of a despicable man would I be then? I would be just like the man who did that to Alexandra.
No the best thing to do is to pick one of my lovely girls and spend my life with her." He rubbed his chin
thoughtfully.
"The question is who? I have loved Amber for years. She is so witty and unconventional, but then there
is Laura. So petite, but so, so feisty. I love that about her. Or my darling Karen, the life and soul f the
party or..."

66. Eddie interrupted him, suddenly struck by a thought. "You love all your girls do you not?“
Stanley looked at him in amazement. "Of course I do!“
"Then you will never be like him. He never cared for Alexandra. He tried to use her for his own gains,
caring not one jot for her or her feelings. You do care, and so you are different."

67. Stanley glanced up at him. "I hope so Eddie. I really hope so."
"I am sure of it, and so I think that you should do what you want. If you want to still see your girlfriends,
then do so.“
Stanley looked at the board. He wasn't sure what he would do yet, but it was nice to have his cousin's
confidence in him.

68. As noon approached in Regalton, William and Beth were waiting for their daughter to come downstairs.
"Perhaps you should go and see if she needs any assistance Beth." Said William.
"No, she shooed me out of her room earlier saying that I was fussing too much and that she wanted some
time to herself.“
"But if we do not get a move on..." He stopped as he heard the sound of an upstairs door opening.

69. Alexandra came down the stairs and smiled nervously at her parents. "What do you think?" She asked,
pointing to her dress.
"You look so beautiful princess." Replied William. "Just as beautiful as your mother did when she wore
that dress on our wedding day."
Alexandra smiled and bowed her head. "Thank you Papa." She was actually extremely happy to hear
that. She had had a panic the night before when it had turned out that all of her formal dresses were too
tightly boned for her to wear because of her bump. It was only when her mother had remembered that
her wedding dress wasn't lined with whale bone that a disaster had been avoided.
"The carriage is here. We had better be off." Said Beth.
Alexandra nodded at her and gave a tight smile.

70. When the carriage pulled up in front of her future home, Alexandra was sure that there had been some
mistake. When Anthony had told her that he owned a town house in the city, she had envisioned a
modest house such as the one her Aunt Evie lived in. Instead she found herself in one of the most
wealthy areas of the city staring up at a four storey townhouse.
"This cannot be correct." She muttered.
"It is princess." Said her father. "Mr Smith is from a very wealthy family." He put his arm around her.
"Come on, let us get you inside."

71. The little ceremony was taking place in the main drawing room of Anthony's town house, and as her
family went in, leaving her outside the door, she couldn't hep but reflect on what she was doing. This was
not the wedding she had planned for herself, but she was surprised to realise that she felt much more at
ease with this ceremony than the previous one. Perhaps she had always had an inkling then that things
would not go well.
Just then she heard her brother start playing the piano and knew that it was time for her to stop pondering
such things and enter the room.

72. Anthony stood under the wedding arch waiting for her, his heart hammering like mad. He had dreamed of
this moment for four years, and now it was about to happen.

73. Alexandra turned and smiled at him when she reached the wedding arch. She was gratified when he
returned her smile and leaned forward to whisper to her, "you look absolutely beautiful Miss Legacy.“
"Really?" She asked.
"Truly. I am the luckiest man on the planet."

74. This ceremony went off without a hitch, and as Anthony promised to love, honour and cherish her,
Alexandra realised just how lucky she was to be marrying this man. Not many would be willing to marry a
lady in her situation.

75. Her family looked on, happy to share this moment with her, as she became Mrs Alexandra Smith. William
clapped the hardest of all, fervently wishing his daughter and son-in-law the same happiness he had
found with his wife.

76. After the ceremony Anthony cut the cake, and Beth held her breath when she realised that he was
planning on shoving a handful of it straight into her daughter's mouth. Such behaviour would normally
earn the person a stern stare and a few choice words from Alexandra.

77. Not today though. Maybe it was relief, or maybe it was happiness, but Alexandra actually found it
amusing, rather than vexing. She laughed along with Anthony, even wiping a dollop of icing from her chin
and flicking it at her new husband.

78. As Alexandra sat down with her slice of cake she smiled at her family. She had always wanted a large
wedding, but her attempt at that had gone horribly awry. Now she was more than content to be sharing
this day with her immediate family.
"I like this one, Alexandra." Said Vicky quietly as she sat down beside her.
"He is nice, is he not?" She responded equally quietly.
"Mr Smith, I am amazed that you managed to procure a cake at such short notice." Said Beth taking a
slice.
"I had Cook brought here last night from Simbridge." Admitted Anthony. "All of the bakers were closed
when I arrived back in the city.“
"She has done a splendid job."

79. Her family didn't stay long after the ceremony, mainly because Alexandra, now in the very late stages of
her pregnancy, was feeling extremely tired. Once they had left and she had changed into her everyday
clothes, Anthony sought her out.
"There you are Alexandra. I hope you are looking forward to being the mistress of this house."

80. She smiled softly at him. "Yes I am. I also wanted to thank you again for marrying me Mr...Anthony. Not
every man would have risked their reputation to help out someone like me." She gestured at her swollen
belly.

81. Anthony looked at her. "But I love you Alexandra. That is the reason I wanted to marry you, not to be
charitable.“
"I know." She replied, and she did. Now she was no longer thinking about Joe, she could see that there
was something unmistakable about the way Anthony looked at her. "My point is that given the
circumstances, you could so easily have walked away, ending our friendship.“
He shook his head at her. "No I could not, because you mean the world to me."

82. Alexandra knew that she should respond in kind, but she had gone through the pain of being left at the
altar by Joe, before being plunged into the shock, panic and shame of expecting an illegitimate child, to
the relief that her child would not be born out of wedlock.
Now, although she was happy, she was still numb and unsure of many of her feelings, including those
feelings about Anthony.
She smiled at him. "I...am very tired. The day has quite worn me out. I hope you do not mind if I retire
for the night.“
"Not at all." He said. Truthfully he would have liked to spend some time with her, just the two of them, but
he would not push it. After all they had the rest of their lives to spend together.

83. Alexandra didn't make it up to her bedroom without some more excitement though.
"Ow.“
"Alexandra, are you well?"

84. "Argh, no. I think, ARGH, the baby is coming. ARGHHH!“
"Oh my. Hang on, I will get some linen." For the first time Anthony regretted not keeping a permanent
staff at the townhouse. He could use some help at that moment in time.

85. Thankfully Alexandra instinctively knew what to do, and as her husband was searching the linen closet
upstairs, she delivered a healthy baby boy.
"Hello little one." She said quietly. "You have your grandmama's eyes." She smiled at her son,
conveniently forgetting that Joe also had green eyes. "I think that I will call you Christopher William. Ooo."
She winced as a new pain shot through her abdomen.
"I think that we should go and find my husband."

86. Anthony was in the back drawing room, looking around slightly absently, his arms full of cloths when
Alexandra found him.
"Can you please hold my son?" She asked.
"Our son," he countered, "and of course I can. Hello there my little man." He dropped the cloths on the
floor and took possession of his step-son.
"Owww." Cried Alexandra.
"Alexandra?" Asked Anthony worried.
"Another...baby." Panted Alexandra through gritted teeth.

87. Just as with her first child, Alexandra found that she knew what to do, and was soon holding her daughter
in her arms.
There was no mistaking her father: like her brother she had Joe's hair colour and his and Beth's green
eyes. She also had his skintone.
"She is beautiful." Said Anthony as he gazed on her.
"Yes, she is." Replied Alexandra. "I was thinking of calling her Bethany Elise." She said.
"A beautiful name, for our beautiful daughter."

88. Within the space of a day, Alexandra had acquired a husband and two children. She glanced over at
Anthony as she cuddled Bethany. She had been slightly worried about how he would actually react once
she gave birth. Saying that he was willing to raise another man's children was not be the same as doing
it, but as she looked at him murmuring soothing words to his step-son, those worries evaporated.

89. With the twins bathed, fed and put down for the night in the nursery, Anthony and Alexandra slipped into
their respective beds.
Anthony would be lying if he said he had never thought about what his wedding night with Alexandra
would be like. Somehow though, he had never figured on it including new born twins and separate
bedrooms.

90. A couple of months passed, and the boys were nearing the end of their final year. All three were excelling
in their degree subjects, but that did not mean that they were neglecting their social lives.
"Miss Hutchins, it is Edward Legacy. I was wondering if you were able to come to the Legacy Society this
evening? My father is coming you see and I would like to introduce you to him...Well, yes it is short notice
I suppose...Oh really? It does not matter then. Perhaps we could go out for a meal tomorrow instead?...I
will book a table then...Where? Why do I not surprise you?...Good. I will see you tomorrow evening at
seven then. Goodnight Miss Hutchins."

91. William arrived about half an hour later. Alexandra's situation had meant that he had somewhat neglected
his other children, and when Eddie had said that he wished to discuss something with him, he had
decided that it was time to pay a visit to the Legacy Society.
"Alexandra seemed happy when I spoke to her." Started Eddie.
"Yes, she is. I think that she finds the twins exhausting, but she loves them dearly despite of who their
father is. Her husband is also a good man.“
"He is." Agreed Eddie. He paused. "Father, speaking of husbands, and marriage, I would like your
permission to ask Miss Hutchins to marry me."

92. William smiled. "I was hoping that we would be having this conversation at some point before you
graduated.“
Eddie returned his smile and ran his hand through his hair. "There was a time when I did wonder if this
conversation would take place, I must admit, but here we are.“
"Yes here we are. Before I say anything else, though Eddie, I am disappointed that neither myself nor
your mother has met Miss Hutchins."

93. "Hmm, I know Father, but Miss Hutchins could not make Alexandra's first wedding, and her second
wedding, was just the immediate family. I did try to have her here this evening, but again she is busy.“
"That is no bad thing." Mused William. "Legacy spouse is no position for a lazy woman: there is far too
much responsibility, and much work to be done.“
"I know Father."

94. "And you love this woman?“
"Yes Father.“
William smiled at his son. "Then you have my permission to ask her to be your bride. Now that we have
got that out of the way, tell me, do you still have that poker table here?“
Eddie laughed. "Yes Father. Would you like to play?"

95. They entered the games room to find Theo and Doc slightly preoccupied. When William had arrived Theo
had insisted that he and Doc would stay out of the drawing room to give Eddie a bit of privacy whilst he
broached the subject of marriage with his father. Eddie had just smiled and thanked him for his
consideration, but he had known that Theo just wanted an excuse to spend time alone with Doc.
As William passed them on the way to the poker table he let out a chuckle that surprised his nephew.
Theo couldn't know it, but William was remembering the times he and Beth had tried to make excuses to
be alone in this house.

96. It was a typical night in at the Legacy Society, apart from when Sergeant Kauker turned up to initiate
Timothy into the Landgraab Society. As soon as he had entered the games room and William had seen
him the atmosphere had turned frosty.
Luckily William was still a member of the Landgraab Society and would not interfere with the rituals that
took place. He stayed stock still, waiting for the "arrest" to finish.

97. For poor Timothy, the "arrest" was every bit as traumatic as it had been for Eddie. He had spent his
formative years living in with his mother in the house of the clicky person's simself. The simselves there
weren't perhaps the most careful or discreet, and so he had known from an early age that his father had
been arrested for attempted murder.
As the steel bit into his wrists, he felt the familiar shame of his parentage, and vowed as always never to
become like his father.

98. He did soon cheer up though when he arrived at the Society house he was greeted by Marie Tsang and
some of her fellow female members.
He was soon making friends and getting to know what the perks of joining the society were.

99. Stanley had missed all the excitement that night. After a lot of soul searching he had realised that he
couldn't give up his girlfriends and stay true to one. Instead he continued to add steadily to his list of
girlfriends.
He had, for example, met Lexie Mamuyac here on a trip downtown. He had told her where he lived whilst
they were chatting, and he had been gratified, if a little shocked when she had rung him up asking him if
he wanted to do something. He had, and so she became another one of his girls.

100. The following night a slightly nervous Edward was waiting for a table at the Palisade with Miss Hutchins.
He had noticed her smile falter slightly when the carriage had pulled up outside the restaurant, so he
asked "I hope that you do not mind dining here?"

101. "Hmm? No." She answered untruthfully as she scanned the restaurant. Last time they had been here
she had run into Edward's Uncle Henry. Not only was he an old flame of hers, but she had in actual fact
been instrumental in helping him try to kill his brother William in order for him to take over as heir. She
had no idea if Henry would ever choose to share that information with anyone, but she dreaded the day if
he did.
"Good." Said Edward relieved. There was a reason he had chosen this restaurant, and he would hate for
her not to like it.

102. The maitre d' soon showed them to their table. Marielle looked slightly disappointed when she saw that
they were tucked away in a corner of the room.
"This is not as nice a table as the one we had last time we dined here." She pointed out slightly
petulantly.
"I asked for a more...secluded table this time." Said Eddie with a smile.
"Oh." Marielle supposed that it was better that Edward had requested this table than him having no
influence over where they were sat, but she liked people to see her dining with the next head of the
Legacy family. She had always been drawn to influence and power.

103. Once their plates had been cleared Eddie started fidgeting and tugging at his tie.
"Are you well?" Asked Marielle concerned. "Was there something wrong with your prawns?“
"No, no, there was nothing wrong with the food at all." He took a deep breath and started into his
prepared speech. "Miss Hutchins we have been stepping out for well over a year now, and as you may
recall this is where we first dined together.“
Marielle nodded. "I will never forget it.“
"Really? That is...good."

104. "The thing is, as you are well aware, I am the next head of the family, and I have to find a wife." He
pushed a velvet box containing his great-grandmother's engagement ring across the table towards her. "I
can think of no other woman I want by my side. I love you Miss Hutchins, will you marry me?"

105. Marielle snatched the box up and opened it. A gleam appeared in her eye. At last this was it. The
position of legacy spouse, and all that went with it, was within her grasp.
If Eddie saw this gleam, he misinterpreted it as he waited for her answer.
"Yes, of course I will marry you Edward Legacy." She said placing the ring on her finger and moving her
hand to see how the light caught the diamond in its setting.

106. Eddie let out a breath he hadn't been aware he had been holding.
"You will?" He asked relieved.
"Yes." Her eyes danced as she smiled at him. 'Soon,' she thought, 'soon..'

107. The meal paid for, they made their way to the dance floor, where they danced for hours. It was only the
fact that Eddie had an important class the next day that meant they left as early as they did.

108. Eddie was more than a little surprised to find that Theo was still up when he returned home.
"You are up late." He said joining him at the chess board.
"I have been speaking to Doc on the telephone." Replied Theo smiling.
"That explains it then." Said Eddie with a laugh.

109. "Are congratulation in order?" Asked Theo as he waited for Eddie to make his move. Eddie had confided
in him about how he planned to ask Marielle to marry him before he had gone out.
"Hmm? Oh yes, I suppose they are. Miss Hutchins accepted my proposal. We are to be wed once I
have graduated.“
"Then congratulations my friend." Said Theo, genuinely happy for his cousin.
"Thank you Theo. Did you know that Stanley mentioned to me once that he was thinking about getting
married?" Asked Eddie as he moved his piece.

110. Theo paused, his hand hovering just above the board. "Stanley? Marry?“
"I know." Said Eddie laughing. "It was after Alexandra, he had a bit of a crisis. I think that it is resolved
now though, given the fact that he never seems to be in in the evenings lately.“
"I think I am glad. Our cousin would not be our cousin without his bevy of girlfriends.“
"I agree."

111. The next morning, after his class, Edward was surprised to see his friend Miss Leong wandering by. They
had not had the chance to speak properly for months so he was quick to ask her to join him at the campus
tea parlour.
"Miss Leong, it has been far too long. How are you keeping?“
"Well thank you Mr Legacy. And yourself?“
"Very well. In fact I have some good news I would like to share with you.“
"Oh?“
"Yes. Last night I became engaged to be married to Miss Hutchins. I think I have spoken to you about
her?"

112. Carmen nodded. She tried to smile and congratulate him, but her voice and facial muscles wouldn't co-
operate. She cleared her throat and tried again.
"Congratulations Mr Legacy." To her ears the cheerfulness sounded forced, but she did not know why.
She should be happy one of her dear friends was getting married, but for some reason she was not.

113. Eddie didn't seem to notice her tone of voice. "Thank you Miss Leong. You are of course invited to the
ceremony.“
"Thank you, but I do not know..." She started.
"Please Miss Leong. You are one of my oldest friends, it would not be right if you were not with me to
experience that happy day."

114. Carmen looked at him conflicted. She had meant to say that she would love to attend, and didn't know
why she had almost rejected the invitation. Of course she wanted to be there to share such a happy day
with a dear friend.
"I apologise, I would love to attend." She smiled.
"Good." Eddie smiled at her, and changed the subject.

115. Before anyone knew it, it was the end of the semester and time for Eddie, Theo and Stanley to sit their
final exams. All three passed with flying colours, gaining first class honours degrees.
This meant that it was soon time for them to throw graduation parties. Eddie's was thrown first and he
smiled as he saw so many people he cared about under one roof.

116. The party was a roaring success, and it also gave Eddie the opportunity to introduce his fiancée to his
parents for the first time.
"Mr Legacy, I do apologise for not meeting you before." Said Marielle, smiling sweetly. "I have
unfortunately been extremely busy and opportunity never presented itself."

117. William smiled at her: he could see why his son liked her so much. She seemed like a very nice young
woman.
"Miss Hutchins, that is quite alright. I understand that life can get busy. As a family we too have had a
very busy year."

118. Beth however was not so taken with Marielle. There was something about Miss Hutchins that she did not
like, but she could not put her finger on what it was.
She sighed. 'I am just being over-cautious because of what happened with Alexandra and that man.' She
thought. 'I am scared that another one of my children will get hurt, and so I am seeing things that are not
necessarily there.'

119. Speaking of Alexandra, she had settled into married life nicely. She was still unsure as to her feelings for
her husband, but she acknowledged how lucky she was, and was genuinely happy. This happiness was
evident in the music she played on the violin for entertainment at the party.

120. Where there is music, there is of course dancing. By now it should come as no surprise that 1) Doc was
once again a guest at the Legacy Society, and 2) that she and Theo had eyes only for each other all
night.

121. As the party drew to a close Beth sought out her son to tell him how proud she was of him.
"Mother I know." He said laughing when she told him.
"I know you know Eddie, but I wanted to tell you myself. I love you so much my baby boy.“
"Mother have you been at the juice?" He asked suspiciously.
"Oh, just give your mother a hug Edward." She said with a smile.

122. As the party finished it was time for Edward to change and leave for home. When he got there he would
be taking over the reins as head of the family. He did not know how good an heir he would make, but he
was willing to give it his all.
***
And thus ends the final chapter of generation three's reign. Thank you everyone for reading, I hope you
enjoyed me getting all melodramatic on you with Alexandra's storyline. I really do appreciate your support
and value the comments you leave me at Boolprop.com.
As always thanks go out to Judie at All-About-Style and the creators at MTS2 whose CC I use.
Thanks also to those of you whose simselves and legacy sims I use.
Join me next time when I finally move into generation four's reign.
=>

123. Oh come on, I can't be the only one who enjoyed this!