Marrying the Man in the Dark

Would Lennon think that she was humiliating him?
A sense of unease crept over Cherise at this thought. She bit her lip.
“Mr. Belcourt, I didn’t mean to... You know that I suffer from amnesia. After I lose my memory, I often find myself confused.
Somehow, I keep forgetting about social cues and etiquette...”
She turned to him with a sincere gaze. “Please don’t take this to heart. Don’t feel bothered by this. I’ll ask Frances to change this
for you...”
Frances pursed her lips as she approached and reached for the half-full plate of pierogies before Lennon, only to be met with his
glare.
His eyes narrowed, and his tone was cold. “I said there’s no need for that!”
He lowered his head. Gazing at the food on the plate, a bitter smile filled his face as he began to eat.
Cherise was speechless.
She innocently turned her eyes to Damien and mouthed, “What should we do?”
“Ignore him.”
Damien narrowed his eyes and said plainly, “He has a tendency to blow up like this.”
He glanced at Cherise. “What did Lucy come for?”
“She came to take Alexis with her.”
Cherise pursed her lips. “She said that they’d found her. So, this time, she’s going somewhere they would never find. She won’t
return for a while.”
Her reply caused Lennon to pause momentarily from eating.
After a moment, he forced another bitter smile, lowered his head, and began stuffing the pierogies into his mouth.
“Um, Mr. Belcourt, please be careful not to choke.”

Worried that Lennox was enraged, Cherise kept an eye on him while talking to Damien.
She could not help but give Lennon advice when he began wolfing down the pierogies.
Lennon stopped while keeping his head lowered, asking, “Did she mention when she would re
“Ah.” It took Cherise a moment to process that Lennon was talking about Lucy. Is Mr. Belcourt and Lucy acquainted?
She looked at Lennon carefully. “Are you acquainted with Lulu as well, Mr. Belcourt?”
Lennon furrowed his brow and mustered a wan smile. “I’m not sure if you can say we’re acquainted,” he said.
“Cherise.”
Beckham, sitting at a side quietly, could sense Lennon’s apprehension. He interrupted the conversation to stop Cherise. “Have
you remembered anything lately?”
Cherise pursed her lips and promptly responded, “I did recall some things, but there isn’t much that I’ve remembered, and the
memories are hazy.”
“Very well.”
Beckham nodded.
“Damien told me that you’ll be heading to Shawbury tomorrow. That’s a good plan. I will be traveling to Europe for a while for
some work. If visiting your former residence helps with your memory, when I return, I’ll take you to visit the Tanner Residence
and the places where your mother and I used to bring you.”
Cherise nodded earnestly. “All right. Then I’ll rely on you, Dad.”
“There’s no need to say thanks between a father and his daughter.”
Beckham smiled and lifted the wine glass on the table. “Let’s toast for our wishes to come true.”
Damien nodded, raised his glass, and clinked it with Beckham’s. “I toast for your safe journey, Beckham.”
Lennon set down his spoon and raised his glass as well.

Beckham shot a look at Lennon.
“There’s no need to be so downhearted, you young one. Losing something important to you is not frightening; What’s worse is
staying in the situation and refusing to do anything to salvage it.”
Lennon raised his head and met the earnest gaze of the middle-aged man. “I think it’s too late for me. to do anything.”