Here's the second chapter of my new AU story.
I'm pleased that some people are liking it so far.
Keep the reviews, favourites and alerts coming!
I own Marianne & Jack in this chapter.
Note: Some things are completely made up, so don't have a go about any inconsistencies or stuff like that. It's just a story!
By the time the train arrived in Greenwood, West Virginia, Marianne had had time to think about what she wanted, and she definitely didn't want to be stuck with a violent husband. For almost a year, all she had dreamed of was marrying Phillip and settling down to have a family. It was what she had wanted for herself, and also for her late mother. Now that Marianne realised that she had been living a lie, she felt like she was all the way back to where she started. Nothing made sense anymore, except getting away from New York for a while.
"This is your stop ma'am." The ticket collector tapped her on the shoulder gently.
"Thank you." Marianne nodded, glancing out of the window.
Sighing, the brunette stood as the train stopped and smiled as the ticket collector handed her a brown suitcase, which contained everything she had packed for the trip. Marianne had no idea how long she was planning on staying, but she was comforted by the fact that her host was a friend of her father's. Stepping onto the platform and away from the smoke coming from the front of the train, Marianne took in her surroundings.
"Excuse me." Came a southern accent from behind her.
"Yes?" Marianne turned and came face to face with a brunette woman with big brown eyes.
"You're Marianne? She asked. Marianne nodded.
"I'm Mickie. Jack sent me to pick you up. Come this way." She replied.
"Thank you." Marianne nodded as Mickie took her suitcase and headed out of the station.
Mickie walked over to an old truck and tossed the case into the bed. She smiled and opened the passenger door for Marianne, before walking around and climbing into the driver's seat and turning on the ignition. The engine roared into life and they set off down the road and through the town, which seemed to be fairly pleasant from what Marianne could see. There were a few shops and an Inn, as well as a church that sat on a hill. After passing through the town, they turned onto a country road surrounded by fields of wheat and other crops.
"How do you know Jack?" Marianne asked once she felt at ease with the brunette.
"He lets me graze my horses in one of his fields. But I've known him since I was knee high." Mickie replied with a smile.
"You have horses?" Marianne asked.
"Seven at the moment. I love riding. Have you ever ridden on horseback?" Mickie asked her.
"Once or twice, when I was younger." Marianne replied.
"I'll take you out sometime." Mickie nodded as she turned onto a narrower road.
The road eventually led up to a farmhouse with a barn opposite, as well as two trucks in the drive, one white and one red. The farmhouse looked homely from the outside, with frilled curtains on the inside of the windows, and white shutters on the outside of them. A man that looked similar in age to Marianne's father came out of the house and waited as Mickie turned off the engine and both women exited the truck.
"Well if it isn't young Marianne." The man smiled and took a few steps forward.
"That's Jack." Mickie nodded as she took the suitcase out of the bed of the truck.
"Nice to meet you. My father speaks very highly of you." Marianne smiled and shook Jack's hand.
"We were good friends during the last war." Jack explained.
"Thank you for letting me stay here." Marianne added.
"Mickie will show you to your room. When you're all settled in, come out and I'll show you my land." Jack nodded.
"This way." Mickie nodded, still carrying the suitcase.
Marianne followed the brunette into the farmhouse and up two sets of stairs to the attic, which was surprisingly light. A bed stood under the beams, as well as a set of drawers and a writing desk. From the attic window, you could see only fields for miles. Mickie placed the suitcase on the bed and turned to see Marianne's reaction. The New York native was admiring the view from the window.
"Will this be alright?" Mickie asked her.
"Oh yes, it's perfect." Marianne nodded, sitting down on the end of the bed.
"That's good." The brunette nodded.
"Shall we go and see Jack?" Marianne asked.
"Come on." Mickie nodded.
The two women made their way back downstairs and out into the yard, where Jack was busy petting his dog, an old collie type. On sight of the new arrival, the dog walked over to Marianne and sniffed her cautiously, before licking her hand and walking back towards his owner. Jack chuckled and patted the dog as it returned to sit beside him; obviously quite sure that Marianne was not going to be a threat.
"Well, Rex likes you." Jack smiled.
"At least someone does." Marianne smiled.
"Hey, I like you!" Mickie grinned and pulled the New York native into a loose hug.
"You know anything about keeping chickens?" Jack asked her.
"No." she shook her head.
"Well it's not that hard. You can help out with that. You can help harvest the apples in the orchard too, when the time comes." Jack replied.
"That sounds good." Marianne nodded.
"Heath! Get over here!" Jack yelled, causing the New York native to flinch.
A sound of clanging came from the barn, before a young man emerged. He had shoulder length red hair and strong features. He was wearing dirty jeans and a plaid shirt with the sleeves rolled right up, as well as work boots. He seemed deliberately slow in approaching, finally coming to a stop beside Jack and bending down to pet Rex. Jack rolled his eyes and gave Mickie a knowing look, which Marianne caught.
"This is Heath Miller. He lives and works here." Jack told her.
"Hello, nice to meet you." Marianne smiled.
"Greet the lady Heath." Jack raised his brows.
"Hello, it's nice to meet you Marianne." The redhead nodded and wiped his hand on his shirt before offering it for a handshake.
Marianne took his hand and smiled.
"If you need help with anything, you can ask Heath. Isn't that right?" Jack looked at the young man.
"Yeah." Heath replied abruptly.
"Well, I'd best be heading off." Mickie sighed.
"Do you have to?" Marianne asked her.
"I'm afraid so. My boss needs me at work." Mickie replied.
"Where do you work?" Marianne asked her.
"At the Greenwood Inn." Mickie replied.
Marianne nodded, remembering that they had passed it on their journey through the town.
"I'll be grazing the horses tomorrow. Maybe you could help out?" Mickie glanced at Jack.
"I think that's a great idea." He nodded and smiled.
"I'll see you tomorrow then." Marianne nodded.
So far the New York native was feeling positive about her stay in West Virginia. She was unsure about Heath, but thought that maybe he just needed time to get used to having her around. By the time she slipped under the covers of her new bed, Marianne was feeling excited about the next day. Part of her did wonder what Phillip was doing at that moment, but she soon forgot about him as the country air sent her into a deep sleep.
So, you've been introduced to three new characters...
What did you think?
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