Chapter 2: 9 years later
On an early September morning, a girl with long raven black hair and pale skin lay in the grass staring at the sky, watching the clouds pass. "Charlotte! Get in or you'll burn!" a boy about her age called from a small house. Charlotte got up and dusted off her dress and slowly made her way to the house never taking her eyes off of the sky. "Charlotte! Get you head out of the clouds and come join us from breakfast, before your father has to leave." A woman with amber hair yelled at Charlotte. "He's not my father." Charlotte grumbled. She tightened her coat, that she was made to where constantly to hide her wings.
"What took you so long?" The boy asked her as she took her seat at the large wooden table that filled the room.
"Nothing, its so nice out today."
"Nicky pass me the sausage, your fathers going to be down soon and I don't want to hear him complaining."
"I'm already down. Ooh sausage, my favorite. Thank you, dear." He took his seat at the head of the table. "How are you lot this morning?"
"Fine father, I plan on asking Belinda out today, that is if it is alright with you father?"
"Oh, yes. Belinda is a fine girl." Gaylen took another bite of his sausage.
"Yes and the girls hardly 14." Charlotte commented while taking a small bite out of her eggs.
"So?" Nick asked.
"She's a child. Your nearly 20, I think that's hardly appropriate for someone your age."
"Charlotte, that's enough. If your brother wishes to pursue this courtship then let him, you should be supporting him instead of insulting him. You would have been lucky to find a young gentleman like Nicky at Belinda's age if it weren't for your problem." Yes, Problem is what they called Charlottes wings. Ginny didn't really like them, so they were a problem. Ginny said from her end of her table.
"That if she weren't so picky."
Charlotte smacked Nick's arm. "I am not picky, I just prefer wait and marry someone my age than some ugly old bastard."
"Charlotte!" Ginny shouted at Charlotte.
"What? Its true."
"Mind your tongue, young lady. Family or not, I will not tolerate you speaking like that." Gaylen scolded inbetween bites of sausage and eggs.
"Yes, Sir. I'm sorry. May I leave for town? Mrs. Abbey wishes me to help her in her pie Shoppe today and I need to get over there if I am to help make the crusts."
"Alright fine, Gaylen?"
"Go ahead, I'm afraid I'll be leaving for work as well. Have a good day my angel." Charlotte smiled as she got out of her chair. She kissed Gaylen on the cheek before leaving. 'Angel' had always been her fathers' nickname for her ever since she was a baby in arms.
Abigail Abbeys Pie Shoppe was well known for its Apple crumble pie (drools). "Good morning Miss Abbey." Charlotte said as she came in through the back door. She took off her overcoat but not her wing-covering coat.
"Oh Good Morning Charlotte! You look pleasant this morning. Did a young prince ask you to marry him?"
"Nope, I've scared them all away."
Mrs. Abbey laughed. "Well that's a shame, a beautiful girl like you would make a wonderful wife." She held Charlottes chin lightly.
Charlotte smiled; Mrs. Abbey had been more like a mother to her than Ginny had been, probably because she didn't know about her problem. "So, what pies are we making today?"
Mrs. Abbey pulled out a list from her apron pocket. "Here, I'm sure you can handle these. And this." Mrs. Abbey took off her apron and put it around Charlotte's neck.
"Wh-What are you doing?"
"It's called taking a day off, and I haven't had one since this place opened. You can handle it dear. Besides, this old broad could use a few hours extra rest. All you have to do is make the pies on that list and do what you do everyday." She said as she put on a coat over her muti-layered dress. "And don't forget to open up the front door at 9:00. If people ask, say I'm out sick."
Charlotte let out a long awaited sigh. "Yes, ma'am. Have a good day." Mrs. Abbey left the Pie Shoppe and went home, leaving Charlotte in charge.
Everything went fine, the customers went about they're business while they sat in the small tables that flowed around the inside of the Shoppe. It was dusk and business was winding down when a stranger walked into the Shoppe, near closing time. "Be with you in a minute!" Charlotte called from the back. She was weaving the top crusts of an Apple crumble pie. She finished the pesky pie and went to the front where the man was waiting rather impatiently. "Yes?"
"Yes, Hi. Uh…the lady across the street said that I could find good pie here."
Charlotte put on her salesman smile. "The best in 3 provinces." The man smirked; he leaned forward and put his weight on the display counter.
"Well, what's your best?"
"The best? You want my real opinion?"
"Sure, why not."
"Sit down and I'll bring it out to you with a cup of coffee, on the house."
"Thanks."
Charlotte went into the back a grabbed 2 pieces of pie and one cup of coffee. She came out balancing the two plates on one arm and the coffee she held in the other. She took a look at the man in the candlelight. He was young, somewhat tan, and had long brown hair that was tied in a ponytail with a leather strap.
"Here we go, the absolute best pie in this place." She down his coffee and put his plate in front of him. She set her plate opposite to him.
"Uh…forks?"
"Oh. I'll go get them, I'll be right back." She went in the back a grabbed 2 forks.
"So, uh…what kind of pie is this?" The man said loudly so Charlotte could hear from the back. She soon came out with two forks in her hand.
"Here," She handed him his fork. "Take a bite and guess."
The man looked at her warily. He cut off the tip end of the triangle piece of pie. "Mmm! This is great! The taste! It reminds me of my grandmothers' kitchen. She use to bake pies all the time."
Charlotte smiled with a bite of pie in her mouth. "It's Pumpkin cheesecake. Miss Abbey says that the best is the Apple crumble but it's really this."
"You know my mother?"
"Your mother? What's your name?"
"Charles Abbey. I'm in town visiting my mother, she said that she'd be here today but I guess she's gone home for the day. What's yours?" Charles took another bite of pie and followed in with a swig of the black coffee.
"Charlotte. I-I work here obviously, as your mother's assistant. I baked all the pies here." Charlotte looked over at Charles plate; there wasn't even a crump on it!
"You must have been starving! I can get you another slice if you like. I got plenty uneaten pies in the back if you want one."
"On no. By the time I leave to go back to school, I'll have my fill of pies."
"Very well." Charlotte stood up and took their plates. "You said you go to school, right?"
"Correct. In the next town over."
"What do you study there?"
"Medicine, with my father. He's the medical professor up there."
"Oh…I've wondered what Mr. Abbey did all day, and you stay up there all year round?"
"Yes, in the dormitories up there."
"I've been there before. My brother, well he's not really my brother, went up there to look at the school. We couldn't afford it of course but I do go up there a lot."
"What do you mean he's not really your brother?"
"Well I suppose I could talk to you about these sorts of things, it'll help you understand why nobody likes me. I'm adopted."
"Oh, OH! Your, your, what's-her-face. You're the girl the children use to call all those names aren't you?"
Charlotte looked hurt. "Yes, thank you. I'm what's-her-face. Look I'm closing up shop, so if you could leave now, that'd be great."
Charles stood up and bowed "I'm terrible sorry if I offended you, It was a great pleasure meeting you."
Charlotte had no excuse but to curtsy after he bowed, after all those were manners. "As you." Charlotte looked outside and saw that it was nearly pitch black. "Goodnight." She slammed the door and was lucky the glass panes didn't break. She hurried when she wiped all the counters down and rid of the extra pies that were left over. She had to run all the way home with out stopping to make it in time for dinner.
Charles slowly stepped down the few steps that were on the outside of the small Pie Shoppe. "Charlotte, why does that sound familiar?" he asked himself as he walked to his parents house, where he was greeted with hugs and what do you know it, pie!
