CHAPTER 10: Keeping Miss. Foster
After the opera, Winnie and Jesse waited quietly for Miles to finish mingling with all the other important people. Winnie tried to talk to Jesse but he ignored her, or he'd glare at her, or just not look at her at all.
Finally, as they were all set to go, Winnie looked out the window for Jesse who was walking towards the front of the carriage. "Aren't you riding with us Jesse?" She called to him. "No," he answered. "I always found the atmosphere out here less stuffy than inside. Don't you think Winifred?" And with that he crawled up with the driver. "Pay him no mind." Miles told her. "He's not worth fussing over."
"He's your brother. Don't you care for him the least bit?"
"Of course I do. Don't think me wicked dear Winifred. I've done all I can to help him, but he's useless. He refuses to live in this world. That's his choice. He needs to make his own mistakes. He's still a child Winifred. Just a child."
After that there wasn't much said for the hour drive. He dropped Winnie off without even letting her say goodnight to Jesse. They stood on her porch for a while, and she waited impatiently for him to leave. "Do you know how powerful I am Winifred?" She stared at him confused. "I'm rich, and I'm handsome, and I'm far from vain. I know how you look at my brother, how you admire him. I wish you wouldn't. Not because it makes me jealous, but because he's dangerous. He has nothing to offer you Winnie. Nothing." His voice was a mix of concern and warning. "I can give you the world, if you'd just have me."
"I can't Miles." She'd said it. She'd finally said it. She knew it was over now. She new she could finally escape him.
"Well, that really doesn't matter does it? You really don't have a choice. You can't fight this my dear Winifred, you're only a girl, and soon, I will make you my girl. If you even try to get out of this, I will ruin you, and I will ruin your parents. You'll have no place left in this town, and your family will be looked upon in shame. They wont even let your family, or the generations following be buried here. I'll see you tomorrow."
And with that he left. She couldn't move. She was frozen. The night was warm, but her blood froze stiff in her body. Then, like a bolt of lightning, a feeling aroused and she took off to the watering hole. When she got there, she found Jesse sitting on the boulder. Part of her wasn't even surprised. He sighed and brought his glare down from the sky to the water.
"Jesse I..."
"Without even looking up he responded calmly, but angrily, "How could you let him touch you like that? How could you, and then even dream of what we had."
"What we have Jesse."
"What we have... We still have it? Than run away with me Winnie." He had moved, and was now face to face with her. He stared at her, his expression gentler now.
"You scare me like this." She told him.
"Winnie, don't you know I love you? Don't you know I would do anything for you? Don't you know how completely amazing I think you are? Run away with me Winnie. Don't become his practical wife. You're not practical, you're not meant to slave away for someone all day, and not be respected. I can see you Winnie. I see you." And with that, pushed his lips against hers and held her face tightly. He breathed her in, and caressed her neck, and her back, and he tried to give her all he could, tried to make her feel all he had for her... and she did.
"I can't Jess. I'm sorry." She said crying, as their lips parted.
He let her go. He backed up slowly without being able to speak. She turned and ran. Ran all the way back to her house without stopping. When she got to her room, she jumped on her bed, and covered her head with her pillow, and tried not to wake her parents with her tears. She thought about Miles, what he had told her, she thought of Jesse. He was leaving tomorrow. How could she survive without him? She thought of the crystal. The electricity that had gone through their bodies when they both put their hands on it. And she thought Paris and Italy, and Ireland, and he thought of the children, and the red head, and of wigs, and of candy, and of all her poofy dresses, and she thought of marriage. Her thoughts stopped there. Marriage. With the wrong man, marriage meant the end. She could feel her life coming to an end. She wanted to end everything, right there, but instead she closed her eyes, and fell into a dreamless sleep, for the first time.
After the opera, Winnie and Jesse waited quietly for Miles to finish mingling with all the other important people. Winnie tried to talk to Jesse but he ignored her, or he'd glare at her, or just not look at her at all.
Finally, as they were all set to go, Winnie looked out the window for Jesse who was walking towards the front of the carriage. "Aren't you riding with us Jesse?" She called to him. "No," he answered. "I always found the atmosphere out here less stuffy than inside. Don't you think Winifred?" And with that he crawled up with the driver. "Pay him no mind." Miles told her. "He's not worth fussing over."
"He's your brother. Don't you care for him the least bit?"
"Of course I do. Don't think me wicked dear Winifred. I've done all I can to help him, but he's useless. He refuses to live in this world. That's his choice. He needs to make his own mistakes. He's still a child Winifred. Just a child."
After that there wasn't much said for the hour drive. He dropped Winnie off without even letting her say goodnight to Jesse. They stood on her porch for a while, and she waited impatiently for him to leave. "Do you know how powerful I am Winifred?" She stared at him confused. "I'm rich, and I'm handsome, and I'm far from vain. I know how you look at my brother, how you admire him. I wish you wouldn't. Not because it makes me jealous, but because he's dangerous. He has nothing to offer you Winnie. Nothing." His voice was a mix of concern and warning. "I can give you the world, if you'd just have me."
"I can't Miles." She'd said it. She'd finally said it. She knew it was over now. She new she could finally escape him.
"Well, that really doesn't matter does it? You really don't have a choice. You can't fight this my dear Winifred, you're only a girl, and soon, I will make you my girl. If you even try to get out of this, I will ruin you, and I will ruin your parents. You'll have no place left in this town, and your family will be looked upon in shame. They wont even let your family, or the generations following be buried here. I'll see you tomorrow."
And with that he left. She couldn't move. She was frozen. The night was warm, but her blood froze stiff in her body. Then, like a bolt of lightning, a feeling aroused and she took off to the watering hole. When she got there, she found Jesse sitting on the boulder. Part of her wasn't even surprised. He sighed and brought his glare down from the sky to the water.
"Jesse I..."
"Without even looking up he responded calmly, but angrily, "How could you let him touch you like that? How could you, and then even dream of what we had."
"What we have Jesse."
"What we have... We still have it? Than run away with me Winnie." He had moved, and was now face to face with her. He stared at her, his expression gentler now.
"You scare me like this." She told him.
"Winnie, don't you know I love you? Don't you know I would do anything for you? Don't you know how completely amazing I think you are? Run away with me Winnie. Don't become his practical wife. You're not practical, you're not meant to slave away for someone all day, and not be respected. I can see you Winnie. I see you." And with that, pushed his lips against hers and held her face tightly. He breathed her in, and caressed her neck, and her back, and he tried to give her all he could, tried to make her feel all he had for her... and she did.
"I can't Jess. I'm sorry." She said crying, as their lips parted.
He let her go. He backed up slowly without being able to speak. She turned and ran. Ran all the way back to her house without stopping. When she got to her room, she jumped on her bed, and covered her head with her pillow, and tried not to wake her parents with her tears. She thought about Miles, what he had told her, she thought of Jesse. He was leaving tomorrow. How could she survive without him? She thought of the crystal. The electricity that had gone through their bodies when they both put their hands on it. And she thought Paris and Italy, and Ireland, and he thought of the children, and the red head, and of wigs, and of candy, and of all her poofy dresses, and she thought of marriage. Her thoughts stopped there. Marriage. With the wrong man, marriage meant the end. She could feel her life coming to an end. She wanted to end everything, right there, but instead she closed her eyes, and fell into a dreamless sleep, for the first time.