"Maybe his love finally did run out," Winnie said to herself. She was
finally seventeen, but he hadn't come back. Mother was constantly worrying
over her too. She was always asking why Winnie wasn't out catching suitors
like any other seventeen year old.
"Girls your age should be catching suitors, not running wild about
the woods," she quoted her mother. "Well what if I don't want any suitors?"
No one would ever replace Jesse, never. Of course, her mother would never
know that. Her mother would always think of the Tucks as the evil
kidnappers who murdered a man trying to save her daughter and ran away from
jail. Not to mention they manipulated her only daughter. She was glad they
would probably never come back. Even with that in mind, she had insisted
there be a guard by their gate up to a year after the kidnapping.
"Mother is too protective over me. She wants me to enjoy my life, but
it's hard when she's always hovering near me."
She quickly finished lacing her boots and walked to the automobile
where her mother was waiting. It had practically turned into a tradition.
Every Saturday afternoon at ten o' clock in the morning they would go to
town to buy bread and tea cakes and other sorts of things.
"Being present in town is always a good way to catch a suitor," she
once again quoted her mother.
"I thought today we could have you fitted for a new dress," Mother
was saying as they climbed into their car.
"Why? I'm not going to catch any man's fancy," Winnie replied.
"You could if you tried. Girls your age should be catching suitors,
not running wild about the woods," her mother scolded.
Winnie rolled eyes and looked out the window. She wouldn't mind
having a suitor or two. What girl would? She never would pay any serious
attention to things like that though. Her thoughts were only occupied by
Jesse when it concerned men. But what could she do about her mother? She
always pestered her about manners and clothing and such. Why couldn't
everyone just leave her alone?
