Run Away With Me
Chapter 1: The Town Hall
Major Jasper Whitlock surveyed the room.
After six months witnessing horrors on the front line in Europe, it felt strange to be home in the U.S. He was on two weeks leave, and while they hadn't let him get all the way home to Texas, he was back in the South, staying in a town called Biloxi in Mississippi.
The town was buzzing to welcome the soldiers, and due to his respected military position, his attendance had been requested at a fancy ball that was being thrown in the Town Hall that evening.
He walked around the room, his posture erect and proper to a fault, the result of years in the army. The prettiest girls in town were here. Eligible daughters of the wealthiest store owners and high society men in Biloxi smiled at him, and their fathers shook his hand and patted him on the back. He had danced with two or three of them, but he still wasn't managing to have a good time. Whirling around with a girl in his arms who smelled of perfume and had cherry red lips was a good distraction, but not enough to ease the heavy burden that had settled on his soul after the things he'd done in battle. The girls didn't seem to notice, they enjoyed his company. He knew how to be pleasant and charming, and did it without realizing, always managing to put everyone around him at ease.
He wandered out onto the back porch of the town hall, brushing his long hair out of his eyes and sighing for the ache inside him. He tugged at the sleeves of his tux, and kept walking around the back porch, until he found himself in a deserted spot. He gazed up at the million stars in the sky above Mississippi, knowing they were the same stars above the front line in Europe, and wondering how many other lonely people were looking at those stars tonight.
A sudden movement to his right caught his attention, and his soldiers' instincts caused him to whip around defensively. His eyes locked on a young woman in a pale yellow dress, her eyes wide and her cheeks flushed. She looked so small and delicate and ethereal that he rubbed his eyes to make sure he wasn't going mad and she was really standing there.
"I'm sorry, I didn't realize anyone else was out here," she almost whispered. Her voice was like music, the prettiest thing Jasper had ever heard.
"My apologies, ma'am," he replied, ducking his head respectfully. His hand reached up to remove his hat, and then he remembered he wasn't wearing one.
"I didn't realize either," he added.
She chuckled, her laugh like tinkling bells. "Looks like we're both trying to hide out," she said. Her eyes stayed wary, but she edged a little closer to him, a small smile on her lips, like she hoped he was a friend.
Hope. That's what it was, he realized. There was hope coming off of her in waves, so strong he could almost see it. She glowed with eagerness and optimism, like a pretty little lamp in the night. She edged a little closer and he felt the brightness of her energy bounce all around him. It was the first thing in months he'd felt stronger than his depression.
"What are you hiding from?" she asked, her dancing eyes looking up into his. Now that she was closer he saw how tiny she was, the top of her head came up to the middle of his chest. For them to be eye to eye, he'd have to pick her up. He stopped his brain immediately, as he began wrapping his arms around her in his thoughts.
"The party," he answered, frowning at himself for having inappropriate thoughts about the fragile girl.
"I like parties," she smiled. Her eyes twinkled at him, as though she could tell what he'd just thought.
"Then why are you hiding?" he shot back, a smile forming on his own lips.
Studied him for a moment, biting her lip, debating whether to trust him.
"I wasn't invited," she said. "I'm looking for someone."
He wondered why he didn't have the urge to press further on what she was doing there uninvited, but more strongly than that, he was overwhelmed with the feeling of enjoying her company. As a solitary man, even when he was making everyone happy in a crowd, this was a new experience for him. He felt warm and complete in a way he couldn't ever remember feeling before.
As he looked at her, he noticed the dress she wore was a little big. It didn't look like it belonged to her, perhaps it was a disguise to help her fit in at the party. How had she gotten there? She seemed to have just appeared beside him.
He realized he hadn't spoken for a few minutes, and she was just watching him, her hands dancing around the fabric of her dress.
"Between you and I," he said, leaning in a little closer and catching her fresh bright smell, so different from the strong perfumes of the girls inside,
"The party isn't up to much, not really worth sneaking into. It's all boring old men congratulating themselves, and a few of their boring young daughters trying to bag a soldier. "
She laughed again. The sound was already familiar to him, and he was sad when it ended.
"I need to find my sister. Cynthia Brandon. Do you know her?" there was urgency in her voice and, despite the overwhelming optimism that shone from her very being, he realized she was worried.
"Cynthia Hopkins?" he offered. He vaguely remembered meeting her. The wife of a banker.
"She got married?" she asked. For a moment she seemed distant and sad.
"Unless there's another Cynthia in there," he suggested. Although he was fairly certain there wasn't, having been introduced to all of the guests at the beginning of the party with the other highly ranking officers, as an honored guest.
"She has dark hair, like me. A little bigger," she rolled her eyes at herself, chuckling despite the seriousness of the situation.
He laughed too, and confirmed that the Cynthia he met had a slight resemblance to her. Nowhere near as pretty and interesting, she looked worn, a wife already, though she was fairly young. Her pointy features were ordinary where this girl's were mischievous and pixie-like.
"Can you get her for me? Can you bring her out here?" she asked.
"Of course, ma'am," he ducked his head again, turning to the party.
Suddenly the sound of approaching footsteps and men's voices made both of them jump.
"Hide me!" she gasped.
Before he had chance to think, she jumped into his arms. Catching her, he lifted her against him, and began moving them around in a dance, though her feet were off the floor.
A group of men from the town came out onto the back porch, talking and drinking, throwing a passing glance to the dancing couple.
The girl kept her head turned as far away from the men as possible. Jasper held her flush to his body, moving them in time to the music. He was enjoying this dance much more than the others he'd had this evening. She seemed to be enjoying his proximity too. Their hearts beat loudly against each other, their stomachs moving together with their fast breathing, although hers could have been due to nervousness.
"They're coming closer," he whispered in her ear, as the men walked around the porch crossing to the other side of Jasper. In a few steps they would see her face. Her eyes darted around for a way to hide.
"Kiss me!" she breathed, suddenly. "What?" Jasper gasped, and almost dropped her, too taken aback to respond politely.
"You heard me," she whispered fiercely, "Kiss me, quick!"
Before his mind could argue, Jasper's lips had already begun to descend upon hers. He brushed her lips lightly with his, and she made a small sound that tugged at his heart. She parted her lips, and wrapped her arms tight around him, pulling him into her. He felt tingles of pleasure run through him. As their lips moved together, it was as if her soul was running into him through his mouth. The feeling made his head spin, and he clung tightly to her.
They heard the men cross behind them and continue around the porch, back into the party. Their lips parted but their faces stayed close, looking deep into each other's eyes. They just looked at each other, breathing, for a long moment, everything else in the world forgotten. Slowly, Jasper released her, guiding her feet to the ground. She looked up at him, still dazed, and reached out a small hand to gently smooth his shirt where her grip had wrinkled it.
Neither of them seemed to know what to say. Jasper tried to find words, but there weren't any that fit the enormity of what just happened between them. The entire focus of his universe was suddenly centered around this little lady.
"I'll go find your sister," Jasper said, finally.
