CHAPTER 11: DARK SECRETS OF EVE
She wanted to sleep in the next day. She didn't want to wake up and remember the events of the night before. She didn't want to come to the realization, that by the end of the day, Jesse would be out of her life forever. And she didn't want to find out, that today she would have to grow up. The adventure was gone. But she did wake up, with the dawn, as she always did. In her quiet thoughts of the morning, as she stared out at the beautiful colors of six A.M, she felt no joy. Her mind whispered attempted comforts to her. She made herself believe that the only reason she held onto Jesse this week was because she wanted adventure, and she was now ready to leave her childhood fantasies, and become Mrs. Tuck.
She looked in the mirror. "High," she said to herself. "I'm Mrs. Tuck. My husband and I are so happy you could meet us today, unfortunately, Jesse has become ill, and I'm afraid we have to cancel because I need to stay by his side until he meets recovery."
"Stupid," she thought to herself. "How on earth is this going to help me get over him?"
She continued to stare in the mirror. She wondered if her mother had ever experienced this. She highly doubted it. "Right mom. You, in love? You wouldn't allow it. You'd send yourself to an all girl Catholics school."
"Winifred!" Winnie cringed at the sound of her name being called by her mother. She entered her room without knocking, as usual, and right away went to Winnie's closet examining her clothes. "Oh, nothing will do. We'll have to take you to the Gab's store and get a new dress for you."
"Mother, what are you doing up? You're never up this early."
"Well Winifred, we have to be up early. We have to get you ready."
"Ready? For what?"
"Well, for your wedding honey. Here, put this one on, and hurry. We're leaving in an hour, and we still have lots to do. I'll send Eve to help you with your corset."
Winnie couldn't move. She stood there helpless, motionless, speechless.
When the sound of voices down stairs brought her back to reality, she crept down the hall to see what was taking place. There were flowers all over her house, and food was being delivered and brought into the kitchen. Her eyes grew wide, as she watched her mother direct men and women where to place everything. Then her mother yelled, "Winnie Foster, you have 5 minutes to get down here ready to help. This is your wedding child."
Winnie jumped as a strong hand grabbed her from behind and pulled her into her room. She turned to see Eve, the maid quickly undressing Winnie. "This is such great excitement Miss. Foster. I can't believe I've known you since before you were born, and here you are, getting wed."
Winnie tried to look Eve in the eye, but she was moving so fast, Winnie really couldn't see anything. She still couldn't speak, but her mind was gradually processing all the events of the morning. Eve put on Winnie's corset, and turned her around so she could tie it. "My miss, how do you feel, this being so sudden?" Her words were deceptive. Winnie could sense something behind them, something other than the question.
"Eve?"
"Yes?" Eve's words were melancholy now, and forcing a note of sympathy.
"Have you ever been in love?"
Eve's hands slowed down on the corset. "Yes miss. Once." No one spoke, and Winnie waited for her to elaborate. "By the name Barstow. Oh, he was a handsome man he was." She smiled at her memories, slowing down the tying even more. "My Henry was beautiful, inside and out. He knew so much poetry, and I'd listen to him as he'd recite it to me for hours under our favorite tree in Gosford Park. 'Mia the Heart of Stoney Creek' was my favorite. He never said anything, but I knew it was about me."
Winnie smiled trying to imagine it all. "What happened?"
Her smile faded. Winnie couldn't see it, but she could feel it in the change of tine in her voice. "We made plans. He didn't really have any family, and my mother was such a free spirit, she encouraged me. She too, had once been in love."
Winnie thought of her own mother, who she knew would never encourage her in that way.
"He packed what little he had and we planned to meet at Bakers Corner. He had enough money to get us a carriage ride to a boat heading to France. He had a cousin who worked in the steaming room, and could get us on. I packed the two dresses I owned, a hair brush, and my Bible, and waited for him on Bakers Corner… For 7 hours." She finished tying the corset, and Winnie turned around and stared wide eyed at a girl who's story she'd made up in her head a thousand times, but never once came close to this. She didn't know what to say, and Eve gave Winnie a reassuring smile, but sadness filled her eyes. "It's O.K miss. It was a long time ago."
Winnie wanted to hold back her tongue, but her curiosity got the best of her. "What happened to him?"
"I don't know Winnie." Winnie couldn't move. Eve had never called her Winnie before. Winnie wanted to touch her. She wanted to give her a comforting hand. But she couldn't bring herself to it, and she slowly walked to her bed, and pulled her dress over her head. "You're not in love with Mr. Tuck are you?"
"Oh but I am Eve. I really am."
Eve shook her head in disappointment and walked to the door. "Eve?"
"Yes Miss. Foster?"
"Why did you agree to run away with him? Weren't you scared?"
"Of course Miss. Foster, but true love conquers all." Winnie looked down, but Eve knew what she had been thinking. She walked over to her, and put her hands on Winnie's shoulders. "Listen to me Winnie. True love is only when two people love each other. It can't be one or the other. I made myself believe I had only been in love with his poetry, but I knew it was alive. So either, Henry didn't love me, or he's still trying to find his way back to me. Keep this to yourself Miss. Foster but sometimes I can feel him calling to me. I can still hear his voice whispering for me to hold on, which is why I remain an unmarried woman. If you listen to your heart, it will guide you." With that she quickly walked out of Winnie's room, leaving her unable to speak.
She wanted to sleep in the next day. She didn't want to wake up and remember the events of the night before. She didn't want to come to the realization, that by the end of the day, Jesse would be out of her life forever. And she didn't want to find out, that today she would have to grow up. The adventure was gone. But she did wake up, with the dawn, as she always did. In her quiet thoughts of the morning, as she stared out at the beautiful colors of six A.M, she felt no joy. Her mind whispered attempted comforts to her. She made herself believe that the only reason she held onto Jesse this week was because she wanted adventure, and she was now ready to leave her childhood fantasies, and become Mrs. Tuck.
She looked in the mirror. "High," she said to herself. "I'm Mrs. Tuck. My husband and I are so happy you could meet us today, unfortunately, Jesse has become ill, and I'm afraid we have to cancel because I need to stay by his side until he meets recovery."
"Stupid," she thought to herself. "How on earth is this going to help me get over him?"
She continued to stare in the mirror. She wondered if her mother had ever experienced this. She highly doubted it. "Right mom. You, in love? You wouldn't allow it. You'd send yourself to an all girl Catholics school."
"Winifred!" Winnie cringed at the sound of her name being called by her mother. She entered her room without knocking, as usual, and right away went to Winnie's closet examining her clothes. "Oh, nothing will do. We'll have to take you to the Gab's store and get a new dress for you."
"Mother, what are you doing up? You're never up this early."
"Well Winifred, we have to be up early. We have to get you ready."
"Ready? For what?"
"Well, for your wedding honey. Here, put this one on, and hurry. We're leaving in an hour, and we still have lots to do. I'll send Eve to help you with your corset."
Winnie couldn't move. She stood there helpless, motionless, speechless.
When the sound of voices down stairs brought her back to reality, she crept down the hall to see what was taking place. There were flowers all over her house, and food was being delivered and brought into the kitchen. Her eyes grew wide, as she watched her mother direct men and women where to place everything. Then her mother yelled, "Winnie Foster, you have 5 minutes to get down here ready to help. This is your wedding child."
Winnie jumped as a strong hand grabbed her from behind and pulled her into her room. She turned to see Eve, the maid quickly undressing Winnie. "This is such great excitement Miss. Foster. I can't believe I've known you since before you were born, and here you are, getting wed."
Winnie tried to look Eve in the eye, but she was moving so fast, Winnie really couldn't see anything. She still couldn't speak, but her mind was gradually processing all the events of the morning. Eve put on Winnie's corset, and turned her around so she could tie it. "My miss, how do you feel, this being so sudden?" Her words were deceptive. Winnie could sense something behind them, something other than the question.
"Eve?"
"Yes?" Eve's words were melancholy now, and forcing a note of sympathy.
"Have you ever been in love?"
Eve's hands slowed down on the corset. "Yes miss. Once." No one spoke, and Winnie waited for her to elaborate. "By the name Barstow. Oh, he was a handsome man he was." She smiled at her memories, slowing down the tying even more. "My Henry was beautiful, inside and out. He knew so much poetry, and I'd listen to him as he'd recite it to me for hours under our favorite tree in Gosford Park. 'Mia the Heart of Stoney Creek' was my favorite. He never said anything, but I knew it was about me."
Winnie smiled trying to imagine it all. "What happened?"
Her smile faded. Winnie couldn't see it, but she could feel it in the change of tine in her voice. "We made plans. He didn't really have any family, and my mother was such a free spirit, she encouraged me. She too, had once been in love."
Winnie thought of her own mother, who she knew would never encourage her in that way.
"He packed what little he had and we planned to meet at Bakers Corner. He had enough money to get us a carriage ride to a boat heading to France. He had a cousin who worked in the steaming room, and could get us on. I packed the two dresses I owned, a hair brush, and my Bible, and waited for him on Bakers Corner… For 7 hours." She finished tying the corset, and Winnie turned around and stared wide eyed at a girl who's story she'd made up in her head a thousand times, but never once came close to this. She didn't know what to say, and Eve gave Winnie a reassuring smile, but sadness filled her eyes. "It's O.K miss. It was a long time ago."
Winnie wanted to hold back her tongue, but her curiosity got the best of her. "What happened to him?"
"I don't know Winnie." Winnie couldn't move. Eve had never called her Winnie before. Winnie wanted to touch her. She wanted to give her a comforting hand. But she couldn't bring herself to it, and she slowly walked to her bed, and pulled her dress over her head. "You're not in love with Mr. Tuck are you?"
"Oh but I am Eve. I really am."
Eve shook her head in disappointment and walked to the door. "Eve?"
"Yes Miss. Foster?"
"Why did you agree to run away with him? Weren't you scared?"
"Of course Miss. Foster, but true love conquers all." Winnie looked down, but Eve knew what she had been thinking. She walked over to her, and put her hands on Winnie's shoulders. "Listen to me Winnie. True love is only when two people love each other. It can't be one or the other. I made myself believe I had only been in love with his poetry, but I knew it was alive. So either, Henry didn't love me, or he's still trying to find his way back to me. Keep this to yourself Miss. Foster but sometimes I can feel him calling to me. I can still hear his voice whispering for me to hold on, which is why I remain an unmarried woman. If you listen to your heart, it will guide you." With that she quickly walked out of Winnie's room, leaving her unable to speak.