CHAPTER 7: PLAYING MILES
The next morning was another date with Miles. She stared at herself in the mirror along time that morning, trying to figure out who she was. "You know what you want Winnie." She told herself. "Why don't you take it? You spent your whole life waiting for last night, and it was offered to you on a silver platter. You're becoming your mother Winnie. Traitor."
She got dressed and headed downstairs surprised to see Miles waiting for her, with a bouquet of flowers. "I know I'm early, but your mother told me you weren't feeling well, and I was determined to make you feel better. I'd like you to come meet my family tonight Winifred, and then I have tickets to the opera in Franklin. I don't know if you've ever been there, but the drive is only an hour away.
She smiled, almost genuinely this time. He was very sweet. She took his arm, and her mother took the flowers, and they headed to his house. The Tuck residence was astoundingly huge. It reminded Winnie of a castle. He opened the door and they walked in. "Hello?" He called out, and like a flash, appeared Jesse Tuck to greet them. "Jesse, what are you doing here?" He asked.
"I live here remember? Besides, I wanted to meet the famous Winnie everyone's been talking about. "It's Winifred, Jesse Tuck. She likes Winifred." She stared up at Miles. Something stared gnawing inside her. She stared back at Jesse, who stared back with all too knowing eyes. "Let me take your coat," he offered. She was reluctant, but Miles told her it was fine. Hesitantly she gave Jesse the coat, and as they walked forward, she looked back at him standing by the door.
Miles led her to the sitting room. "Why don't you wait here while I go see if Mother is ready." he stated rather than asked. "Mother?" Winnie questioned. "Why yes of course. I asked to her be our chaperone. Though walking alone in the daytime in town is perfectly fine, together in a darkened room alone Winifred? I wouldn't want any harm come to your reputation." He smiled lovingly at her, turned and closed the door behind him.
Winnie plopped herself down an nearby settee, with a look of anything but anticipation on her face. "Wonderful," she thought. "A whole night with Mrs. Tuck." Winnie rolled her eyes. Mrs. Tuck embodied everything that Winnie was supposed to be, and ultimately what she hated. Mrs. Tuck, the esteemed ambassador's wife. Mrs. Tuck, the hostess. And, her favorite, Mrs. Tuck, the wife who knew how to please her husband, run a household, raise her children and still have time for tea with the Committee To Feed Poor , of which she was president. And of course, seeing how Winnie was soon to be her daughter in-law, Mrs. Tuck had taken it upon herself to groom Winnie to follow her footsteps. " Winifred, dear, always sit upright, a lady of stature must never slouch." " Winifred, dear, what is that hanging from your head?! It must certainly not be a ... oh to even think it is a ... Braid! Young ladies your age must never wear braids! Winifred put your hair up with this pin immediately! To think my son saw you like that...." Every time Winnie saw her all she said was " Winifred, dear" followed by her latest indiscretion. It was ten times worse than her lessons with her mother, and Winnie had grown a new abhorrence towards her name.
As Winnie sat pondering the night ahead she heard soft, familiar laughter coming from behind her. She turned with a smile and looked up at Jesse. "How did you get in here? I know I would have heard the door open." "My little secret." He said with a grin. "Let's just say I got here quick enough to see the lovely look on your face when my brother announced his plans for the evening." Now the grin had turned into the full blown smile that Winnie loved so much. Winnie blushed, but instead of dropping her head to hide it, as she normally would, she stood to face Jesse, pink cheeks and all. "You are very pretty when you're embarrassed," Jesse said "I'll have to make sure to embarrass you more often." He said with a wink. And turned toward the window. "Jess!" Winnie called after him. Turning at the sound of the shortened , much more familiar version of his name, he smiled. "Where are you going?" Winnie asked walking to him. "My little secret." Jesse said and disappeared behind the pulled back drape. Winnie laughed and went to move the drape when the door opened.
Winnie whirled around to see a distraught Miles standing at the doorway. "Miles?" Winnie asked. "What hap..." Miles cut her off. "Mother's ill." He said. "We can't go to the Opera with out a chaperone, and if we don't leave soon we will miss the first act!" He nearly cried. "Well I'm sure we can find someone else to come, what about your father?" Winnie asked trying to hide her relief that her nightmare had suddenly disappeared. "Away on business." Miles responded sullenly. "Then again," Thought Winnie, "If he is going to act like this all night, maybe my nightmare has just begun." A voice suddenly interrupted her thoughts. "I'll go." it said from the doorway. Both Miles and Winnie looked up. There stood a calm Jesse leaning up against the door post. "I'll go," He repeated, "If you're really in a jam." "Absolutely not." Miles stated and resumed his sulking with his head in his hands. Winnie looked at Jesse and Jesse flashed her a grin that said "I know you wanted to go with me." Winnie turned and approached Miles. With her best acting skills she dropped to the floor and on her knees looking up at him she asked. "Miles, dear, why don't we go with him. I really was looking forward to going to the opera...with you." She nearly choked on those last two words. Miles looked at her with hope in his eyes. "Really?" he asked. Winnie forced a smile and nodded. "Well then, how quickly can you get ready?" He asked Jesse not bothering to look at him. "I'll be down in no time." Jesse said with another secret smile for Winnie and then turned to go change. "Boy what a night this will be." Winnie thought as Miles helped her to her feet.
The next morning was another date with Miles. She stared at herself in the mirror along time that morning, trying to figure out who she was. "You know what you want Winnie." She told herself. "Why don't you take it? You spent your whole life waiting for last night, and it was offered to you on a silver platter. You're becoming your mother Winnie. Traitor."
She got dressed and headed downstairs surprised to see Miles waiting for her, with a bouquet of flowers. "I know I'm early, but your mother told me you weren't feeling well, and I was determined to make you feel better. I'd like you to come meet my family tonight Winifred, and then I have tickets to the opera in Franklin. I don't know if you've ever been there, but the drive is only an hour away.
She smiled, almost genuinely this time. He was very sweet. She took his arm, and her mother took the flowers, and they headed to his house. The Tuck residence was astoundingly huge. It reminded Winnie of a castle. He opened the door and they walked in. "Hello?" He called out, and like a flash, appeared Jesse Tuck to greet them. "Jesse, what are you doing here?" He asked.
"I live here remember? Besides, I wanted to meet the famous Winnie everyone's been talking about. "It's Winifred, Jesse Tuck. She likes Winifred." She stared up at Miles. Something stared gnawing inside her. She stared back at Jesse, who stared back with all too knowing eyes. "Let me take your coat," he offered. She was reluctant, but Miles told her it was fine. Hesitantly she gave Jesse the coat, and as they walked forward, she looked back at him standing by the door.
Miles led her to the sitting room. "Why don't you wait here while I go see if Mother is ready." he stated rather than asked. "Mother?" Winnie questioned. "Why yes of course. I asked to her be our chaperone. Though walking alone in the daytime in town is perfectly fine, together in a darkened room alone Winifred? I wouldn't want any harm come to your reputation." He smiled lovingly at her, turned and closed the door behind him.
Winnie plopped herself down an nearby settee, with a look of anything but anticipation on her face. "Wonderful," she thought. "A whole night with Mrs. Tuck." Winnie rolled her eyes. Mrs. Tuck embodied everything that Winnie was supposed to be, and ultimately what she hated. Mrs. Tuck, the esteemed ambassador's wife. Mrs. Tuck, the hostess. And, her favorite, Mrs. Tuck, the wife who knew how to please her husband, run a household, raise her children and still have time for tea with the Committee To Feed Poor , of which she was president. And of course, seeing how Winnie was soon to be her daughter in-law, Mrs. Tuck had taken it upon herself to groom Winnie to follow her footsteps. " Winifred, dear, always sit upright, a lady of stature must never slouch." " Winifred, dear, what is that hanging from your head?! It must certainly not be a ... oh to even think it is a ... Braid! Young ladies your age must never wear braids! Winifred put your hair up with this pin immediately! To think my son saw you like that...." Every time Winnie saw her all she said was " Winifred, dear" followed by her latest indiscretion. It was ten times worse than her lessons with her mother, and Winnie had grown a new abhorrence towards her name.
As Winnie sat pondering the night ahead she heard soft, familiar laughter coming from behind her. She turned with a smile and looked up at Jesse. "How did you get in here? I know I would have heard the door open." "My little secret." He said with a grin. "Let's just say I got here quick enough to see the lovely look on your face when my brother announced his plans for the evening." Now the grin had turned into the full blown smile that Winnie loved so much. Winnie blushed, but instead of dropping her head to hide it, as she normally would, she stood to face Jesse, pink cheeks and all. "You are very pretty when you're embarrassed," Jesse said "I'll have to make sure to embarrass you more often." He said with a wink. And turned toward the window. "Jess!" Winnie called after him. Turning at the sound of the shortened , much more familiar version of his name, he smiled. "Where are you going?" Winnie asked walking to him. "My little secret." Jesse said and disappeared behind the pulled back drape. Winnie laughed and went to move the drape when the door opened.
Winnie whirled around to see a distraught Miles standing at the doorway. "Miles?" Winnie asked. "What hap..." Miles cut her off. "Mother's ill." He said. "We can't go to the Opera with out a chaperone, and if we don't leave soon we will miss the first act!" He nearly cried. "Well I'm sure we can find someone else to come, what about your father?" Winnie asked trying to hide her relief that her nightmare had suddenly disappeared. "Away on business." Miles responded sullenly. "Then again," Thought Winnie, "If he is going to act like this all night, maybe my nightmare has just begun." A voice suddenly interrupted her thoughts. "I'll go." it said from the doorway. Both Miles and Winnie looked up. There stood a calm Jesse leaning up against the door post. "I'll go," He repeated, "If you're really in a jam." "Absolutely not." Miles stated and resumed his sulking with his head in his hands. Winnie looked at Jesse and Jesse flashed her a grin that said "I know you wanted to go with me." Winnie turned and approached Miles. With her best acting skills she dropped to the floor and on her knees looking up at him she asked. "Miles, dear, why don't we go with him. I really was looking forward to going to the opera...with you." She nearly choked on those last two words. Miles looked at her with hope in his eyes. "Really?" he asked. Winnie forced a smile and nodded. "Well then, how quickly can you get ready?" He asked Jesse not bothering to look at him. "I'll be down in no time." Jesse said with another secret smile for Winnie and then turned to go change. "Boy what a night this will be." Winnie thought as Miles helped her to her feet.