This is second chapter.
I forgot in the first chapter to put up a disclaimer. So...
The characters from the Book, Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbit aren't
mine. But Henry, Matthews, the Gregory House and Garden, are from my
imagination.
WARNING: if you want the story, and don't care about personal notes, jump the 3 following paragraphs.
I am sorry if I change the real context of the words in the book. But I only got it when I was at the half of this chapter. So, Winnie has a tomb. It says on it, Dear wife, Dear mother. She dies in 1948. It's here 1914. And to make my story realistic, I might hypothesise, that Winnie's body is actually not in the tomb. The Tucks meet every 10 years. So, they met in 1880, 1890, 1900, 1910, 1920, 1930, 1940, 1950... Like Pa Tuck says Winnie died two years ago, so, the end of the book, it is 1950, and they are going to meet again.
So, I have realised that my story doesn't hold up (yet, until I get an idea to make it possible). So I excuse myself of bringing you frowns and "What she writes is rubbish". So I think I should say now, for the moment, that this is real pure fanfiction. If you don't care, and still want to read... Enjoy.
-Human Nature-
Winnie looked at herself in her bedroom's mirror. She had put a soft colour on her lips and had lined her eyes. Pearls had been put into her bun with delicate blue flowers, intertwined with her strands of hair. She put some more powder on her face even thought she did not need it.
The room had white panelled walls with antic chest-draws against them, mirror and a double bed.
Her dress was light blue, with lace around the neckline and at the end of her sleeves. She stood up, satisfied with her image and then looked down at her bare feet. She was small without her high-heeled shoes. She sat back down, stretched her leg, and delicately put her stocking on and her shoe. She then did the same for her other leg. Standing back up, she had taken about two to three inches more.
"Honey," said someone behind the door, "are you ready?"
She walked to the fruit decorated door and opened it wide.
Henry Gregory smiled when he saw her.
"You are magnificent" he complemented.
Winnie took his arm and let him lead her down the corridor and the stairs.
Matthews was talking with some newcome invited, all well dressed in a fancy ways, with more or less eccentric.
Matthews had his father's eyes. But his hair wasn't brown, like Henry's used to be but auburn coloured. Winnie guessed by his mother's photos that the hair came from her.
The couple moved towards their son.
Her son, looking up at her with Henry's eyes, kissed Winnie on her gloved hand. Winnie gave him a warm welcoming smile. They didn't have any long conversations, but they respected each other with great loyalty without needing to tell the other.
She then turned towards Mr Davon and Mrs Davon, a couple in their sixties. They were gentlepeople that gave money regularly to the poor and gave their name for good causes.
The Hall was soon full of people. Servants presented some Champaign and "entrées" as the French say, to the guests.
Many of them came up to the Gregorys and told them how their family was a model to the United States; a family in a good situation that was honest and participated in the Politics of their State. Winnie didn't think that she was exactly honest towards all these people, and felt lightly guilty when Mrs Davon complimented her.
Henry was a jurist and lawer of good reputation that accepted to defend those that didn't have any money as well as the rich.
Winnie was called in the presence of these people Mrs Gregory and Honey or Dear from her husband. Matthews called her simply Mother.
Dinner followed with good food. They started with vegetable soup. Then came "coq au vin", rooster cooked with wine. One of Henry's friends told them how he used to catch roosters when he was small, by putting a cup of wine out. They came on their one and drank the alcohol until they dropped drunk. He then only needed to come and pick them up, with no difficulty.
Laughter rang out at the long table.
So stories of the childhood of the guests where then told, all sixty eight.
Winnie wondered what she could tell. She hadn't had much adventures except with the Tucks in which she shouldn't tell anyone.
Henry told about his home-made slingshot, that broke his mother's favourite dishes.
It was then Winnie's turn. She hesitated for a couple of seconds then told the audience that her most fabulous adventure had been to stay two days out in the forest next to her House. She had frightened her parents to death from her disappearance. But she had found the excursion very "lovely".
She smiled with the memory, showing her perfect white teeth.
Then came some salad and cheese, "fromage de chèvre", goat's cheese in English.
The talking was divided into groups. Henry and his closer friends were talking about the situation in Europe. Winnie listened attentively.
"England, France and the Russian Empire have lined up with the Serbs," someone said.
"And the German Empire with the Austro-Hungarian Empire and Italy are allies," a man with sandy-hair said. Winnie had heard his name often. He was Sir Guillaume, an English gentleman. "There will be a major confrontation!" he concluded. "I'll be returning to England as soon as possible," he told the group, stamping his fist on the table. "The war won't start without me."
"The death of Frédéric-Ferdinand was only a pretext for The Austro- Hungarian Empire to declare war to the Serbs," Winnie told them.
All eyes of turned towards her with surprise.
"They have been dreaming of invading them for a long time now," she continued.
One of the men shifted uncertainly on his chair and proposed to speak of the matter more privately after dessert.
Winnie felt angry for being excluded such a way. She stuck out her lip in a suborn manner, but then decided to let it go.
She put her mind on the french cheese in front of her and found it had a bad taste.
The men started to talk about less important matters like their holidays or their new cars. Winnie did not find it fair, speaking of such things when there were people that only worried about the problem of having no food the next day. But she said nothing about her thoughts. Instead she listened to the women's talk that wasn't much better. But she then preferred it when they then talked about Women's rights and the liberty to vote installed in the others States. She agreed that it was a very good thing. But they weren't comfortable with Winnie's presence, in which they weren't accustomed.
Then came the dessert; cake and different specialities. Winnie enjoyed them very much, and took some of each, getting strange looks from the female guests that wondered how she kept her slim waist.
Then the guests stood up and drifted to sofas, as Henry and his friends towards the library.
Winnie decided that she would go and walk a bit in the park. She went out without shawl or coat.
The lights were on outside, so she could walk without searching her way in the dark that stood beyond the pretty carved lamp posts. She made her way between well-cut hedges and rose bushes. She finally sat down on a bench and looked about.
She wondered what she should do next. The idea of travelling to France kept tugging at her mind. To try and do something... She could probably help... Someway or another.
"Darling!" someone called. Henry came up to her.
"I was wondering where you had gone," he told her, worry disappearing from his brow.
"I'm fine," she reassured him.
He sat down next to her.
"What's the matter?" he asked her. "You look sad. Did something happen this afternoon that you haven't told me?"
She bit her lip. She had tried as hard as possible to not think about the Tucks. First the impression that she had seen Jesse in the streets of New York, then the memories of her childhood at table. She missed the Tucks. Ma, Pa, Miles and Jesse. All of them. The people that had brought her out of her Touch-me not cottage, that had given her a new path, weren't there.
"I miss my old friends" she told him.
"They have passed over?" he asked.
"I don't think so," she answered.
The air was still; August had come around again, after nice warm breezes and the fast growing of the leaves and the flowers.
"Honey," Henry said. "Could I become immortal too?"
Winnie looked at him with sad eyes.
Henry was good, respectable, loving and caring. His life continuing for ever would be worth it. But did he really want it? "You don't find out how you feel until afterwards." The words echoed in her mind. Henry was wise; he reminded her a lot of Tuck. He'd drink it, then find out afterwards how he would feel. And then, he would hate her for have come into his life, he would regret marrying her three years ago. Winnie did not know what she felt yet, but she knew it was too late to turn back. He would understand. "Wouldn't he?" she questioned herself.
"I won't answer," she said. "I won't tell you."
"Excuse me" he said before leaving.
Winnie looked at him walk towards the house. And she started to cry. She found it unfair, so unfair for him. She could not even say the truth to her husband. She was torturing him with the idea of becoming immortal. She couldn't stand it anymore.
She then decided for once and for all what she would do next. She would leave for France, ask Matthews to keep the forest safe, to make it a protected park, like that, no one would be able to enter it, and no one would be able to discover the spring.
It wasn't the best she could do. But her mind told her to leave, as her heart pleaded her to stay.
I might as well remind you, that reading this means, that you should, in exchange of the story, REVIEW. I don't care what you say (but I do prefer nice ones, and those that explain themselves), I would like you, please, -pretty please- REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW.
Thanks a lot for your time. There will a third chapter, that's for sure.
REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW
Thanks for the Reviews, I wasn't expecting much, (but I did want some, that's for sure, I craving for them)
WARNING: if you want the story, and don't care about personal notes, jump the 3 following paragraphs.
I am sorry if I change the real context of the words in the book. But I only got it when I was at the half of this chapter. So, Winnie has a tomb. It says on it, Dear wife, Dear mother. She dies in 1948. It's here 1914. And to make my story realistic, I might hypothesise, that Winnie's body is actually not in the tomb. The Tucks meet every 10 years. So, they met in 1880, 1890, 1900, 1910, 1920, 1930, 1940, 1950... Like Pa Tuck says Winnie died two years ago, so, the end of the book, it is 1950, and they are going to meet again.
So, I have realised that my story doesn't hold up (yet, until I get an idea to make it possible). So I excuse myself of bringing you frowns and "What she writes is rubbish". So I think I should say now, for the moment, that this is real pure fanfiction. If you don't care, and still want to read... Enjoy.
-Human Nature-
Winnie looked at herself in her bedroom's mirror. She had put a soft colour on her lips and had lined her eyes. Pearls had been put into her bun with delicate blue flowers, intertwined with her strands of hair. She put some more powder on her face even thought she did not need it.
The room had white panelled walls with antic chest-draws against them, mirror and a double bed.
Her dress was light blue, with lace around the neckline and at the end of her sleeves. She stood up, satisfied with her image and then looked down at her bare feet. She was small without her high-heeled shoes. She sat back down, stretched her leg, and delicately put her stocking on and her shoe. She then did the same for her other leg. Standing back up, she had taken about two to three inches more.
"Honey," said someone behind the door, "are you ready?"
She walked to the fruit decorated door and opened it wide.
Henry Gregory smiled when he saw her.
"You are magnificent" he complemented.
Winnie took his arm and let him lead her down the corridor and the stairs.
Matthews was talking with some newcome invited, all well dressed in a fancy ways, with more or less eccentric.
Matthews had his father's eyes. But his hair wasn't brown, like Henry's used to be but auburn coloured. Winnie guessed by his mother's photos that the hair came from her.
The couple moved towards their son.
Her son, looking up at her with Henry's eyes, kissed Winnie on her gloved hand. Winnie gave him a warm welcoming smile. They didn't have any long conversations, but they respected each other with great loyalty without needing to tell the other.
She then turned towards Mr Davon and Mrs Davon, a couple in their sixties. They were gentlepeople that gave money regularly to the poor and gave their name for good causes.
The Hall was soon full of people. Servants presented some Champaign and "entrées" as the French say, to the guests.
Many of them came up to the Gregorys and told them how their family was a model to the United States; a family in a good situation that was honest and participated in the Politics of their State. Winnie didn't think that she was exactly honest towards all these people, and felt lightly guilty when Mrs Davon complimented her.
Henry was a jurist and lawer of good reputation that accepted to defend those that didn't have any money as well as the rich.
Winnie was called in the presence of these people Mrs Gregory and Honey or Dear from her husband. Matthews called her simply Mother.
Dinner followed with good food. They started with vegetable soup. Then came "coq au vin", rooster cooked with wine. One of Henry's friends told them how he used to catch roosters when he was small, by putting a cup of wine out. They came on their one and drank the alcohol until they dropped drunk. He then only needed to come and pick them up, with no difficulty.
Laughter rang out at the long table.
So stories of the childhood of the guests where then told, all sixty eight.
Winnie wondered what she could tell. She hadn't had much adventures except with the Tucks in which she shouldn't tell anyone.
Henry told about his home-made slingshot, that broke his mother's favourite dishes.
It was then Winnie's turn. She hesitated for a couple of seconds then told the audience that her most fabulous adventure had been to stay two days out in the forest next to her House. She had frightened her parents to death from her disappearance. But she had found the excursion very "lovely".
She smiled with the memory, showing her perfect white teeth.
Then came some salad and cheese, "fromage de chèvre", goat's cheese in English.
The talking was divided into groups. Henry and his closer friends were talking about the situation in Europe. Winnie listened attentively.
"England, France and the Russian Empire have lined up with the Serbs," someone said.
"And the German Empire with the Austro-Hungarian Empire and Italy are allies," a man with sandy-hair said. Winnie had heard his name often. He was Sir Guillaume, an English gentleman. "There will be a major confrontation!" he concluded. "I'll be returning to England as soon as possible," he told the group, stamping his fist on the table. "The war won't start without me."
"The death of Frédéric-Ferdinand was only a pretext for The Austro- Hungarian Empire to declare war to the Serbs," Winnie told them.
All eyes of turned towards her with surprise.
"They have been dreaming of invading them for a long time now," she continued.
One of the men shifted uncertainly on his chair and proposed to speak of the matter more privately after dessert.
Winnie felt angry for being excluded such a way. She stuck out her lip in a suborn manner, but then decided to let it go.
She put her mind on the french cheese in front of her and found it had a bad taste.
The men started to talk about less important matters like their holidays or their new cars. Winnie did not find it fair, speaking of such things when there were people that only worried about the problem of having no food the next day. But she said nothing about her thoughts. Instead she listened to the women's talk that wasn't much better. But she then preferred it when they then talked about Women's rights and the liberty to vote installed in the others States. She agreed that it was a very good thing. But they weren't comfortable with Winnie's presence, in which they weren't accustomed.
Then came the dessert; cake and different specialities. Winnie enjoyed them very much, and took some of each, getting strange looks from the female guests that wondered how she kept her slim waist.
Then the guests stood up and drifted to sofas, as Henry and his friends towards the library.
Winnie decided that she would go and walk a bit in the park. She went out without shawl or coat.
The lights were on outside, so she could walk without searching her way in the dark that stood beyond the pretty carved lamp posts. She made her way between well-cut hedges and rose bushes. She finally sat down on a bench and looked about.
She wondered what she should do next. The idea of travelling to France kept tugging at her mind. To try and do something... She could probably help... Someway or another.
"Darling!" someone called. Henry came up to her.
"I was wondering where you had gone," he told her, worry disappearing from his brow.
"I'm fine," she reassured him.
He sat down next to her.
"What's the matter?" he asked her. "You look sad. Did something happen this afternoon that you haven't told me?"
She bit her lip. She had tried as hard as possible to not think about the Tucks. First the impression that she had seen Jesse in the streets of New York, then the memories of her childhood at table. She missed the Tucks. Ma, Pa, Miles and Jesse. All of them. The people that had brought her out of her Touch-me not cottage, that had given her a new path, weren't there.
"I miss my old friends" she told him.
"They have passed over?" he asked.
"I don't think so," she answered.
The air was still; August had come around again, after nice warm breezes and the fast growing of the leaves and the flowers.
"Honey," Henry said. "Could I become immortal too?"
Winnie looked at him with sad eyes.
Henry was good, respectable, loving and caring. His life continuing for ever would be worth it. But did he really want it? "You don't find out how you feel until afterwards." The words echoed in her mind. Henry was wise; he reminded her a lot of Tuck. He'd drink it, then find out afterwards how he would feel. And then, he would hate her for have come into his life, he would regret marrying her three years ago. Winnie did not know what she felt yet, but she knew it was too late to turn back. He would understand. "Wouldn't he?" she questioned herself.
"I won't answer," she said. "I won't tell you."
"Excuse me" he said before leaving.
Winnie looked at him walk towards the house. And she started to cry. She found it unfair, so unfair for him. She could not even say the truth to her husband. She was torturing him with the idea of becoming immortal. She couldn't stand it anymore.
She then decided for once and for all what she would do next. She would leave for France, ask Matthews to keep the forest safe, to make it a protected park, like that, no one would be able to enter it, and no one would be able to discover the spring.
It wasn't the best she could do. But her mind told her to leave, as her heart pleaded her to stay.
I might as well remind you, that reading this means, that you should, in exchange of the story, REVIEW. I don't care what you say (but I do prefer nice ones, and those that explain themselves), I would like you, please, -pretty please- REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW.
Thanks a lot for your time. There will a third chapter, that's for sure.
REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW
Thanks for the Reviews, I wasn't expecting much, (but I did want some, that's for sure, I craving for them)