The lighthouse was beckoning them from across the way. They could not
help but be drawn to it. Inside it was gat, full of youth, life, and
laughter. Una was sure she couldn't imagine a more perfect place for a
dance. The waves lapping against the rocks surrounding the light house had
a beauty of their own. And the music, who would have suspected that such
beautiful melodies could be coaxed out of such battered old instruments.
Though she could not dance, she felt her spirit soar listening to the
music. It was not her first dance, but somehow it felt as though it was.
Faith and Jem did not even come inside, preferring the privacy afforded them by sitting of the rocks and watching the waves. As soon as they had entered, Rilla had been whisked away for a dance by an over the Harbor boy. Minutes later, someone had already cut in. Una looked at Rilla admiringly, she had surpassed even Faith today. Perhaps it was her naivety or her delight in the little things, but Rilla was certainly incomparable. She watched her dance with Ken Ford. He was indeed handsome. And although, Rilla appeared to be oblivious of it, many of the other girls were casting biting glances her way, full of jealousy and spite.
From her corner, Una could see everything. She saw her brother lurking around Miranda. She did not know how else to characterize it. For she knew, he did not overly care for her. And poor Joe, he was quite besotted. If it wasn't common knowledge, it was widely apparent during their walk over. She rather wished Carl did not feel the need to prove that he could get the girl. She hated to think that her brother could be so cold and calculating. But then he was not so very old. And hadn't Jem been quite the dare-devil in his days.
Una saw Walter dancing with a girl she had never seen before. She was very stylish. Her clothes were most certainly not from the Glen, nor could Una remember seeing her in church. She was a new girl, a city girl. She was undoubtedly wealthy and witty and clever -- his perfect compliment. But then what did she expect, Una asked herself. With Ken captivated by Rilla, and Jem off of the market so to speak, Walter was the only other truly handsome boy present. It was only natural girls would want to dance with him. She knew all to well how mesmerizing his eyes could be. How poetic his words could be. Had she honestly expected him to resign himself to a quiet evening standing in the corner -- with her? She railed at herself for even entertaining the possibility. He loved beauty, and the girl he was dancing with was truly beautiful.
Shirley noticed Una's troubled expression, and saw she was looking at Walter. She was a good sort, he considered. He enjoyed her company far more than his sisters. She did not pester him with questions or force him to listen to the details of her latest shopping expedition. He wondered if she did ever go shopping. Somehow he could not imagine it. Though she did look remarkably fine in her dress tonight. A midnight blue, matching her big bright, if somewhat wistful eyes. She did not have the sunny prettiness of Faith, the dusky beauty of his sister, or the more obvious beauty of the girl Walter was dancing with, but she had something. She had an earnest beauty; there was no other word for it. You could see her heart in her eyes, on her face.
So she had gone and fallen in love with Walter. He could have told her that was a mistake. Walter was too much in love with the idea of love, to fall in love with someone himself. Or even if he did fall in love, he would be too blind to recognize it. Blinded by his passion for truth and beauty. As much as he loved his brother, and he certainly did. He thought Walter was far too prone to flights of fancy. Oh, he did have a way with words, but it did not pay to live in a perfect world. The world is not perfect, Shirley thought cynically, and the sooner one realizes that, the better off they will be.
Una accepted the punch offered her. He bent his head down to her, "Irene Howard. Her name is Irene Howard. She is from the Glen. But finds being considered a country girl beneath her. Apparently, she has a some relatives in Montreal and has decided to cast herself as a city girl." Una looked up at Shirley startled. He watched color suffuse her face, and saw the confusion in her eyes. He silently raged at himself, he should have let her be. After all, didn't she let him be. "I am rather surprised to see Walter with her. She does not seem at all his type." An undecipherable noise escaped Una's lips. "Her beauty is too showy, too gaudy. Can you see her sitting in Rainbow Valley watching the stars with us? I certainly cannot." Una felt as though she had to say something. "Oh, but she is beautiful. And I have heard people speak of her. She is quite accomplished. Can sing and play to perfection." Una still looked too downcast for Shirley's liking.
"Perhaps, he is just blinded by her appearance. But what is it that they say, 'beauty is only skin deep'. I am sure in her case it is quite true." Shirley looked down at her smirking, "I too had the unique pleasure of dancing with her." Una thought, the way he said pleasure makes it seem as though it were anything but. "She can speak of nothing but herself and her home in the city. And the way she bats her eyelashes, makes one wonder how she can see at all." Shirley proceeded to imitate Irene, and Una could not help but laugh. Her laughter was a beautiful thing, but rarely heard, a light twinkling laugh, that lingered in the air even after it was gone. As she was laughing, Walter looked over at her and caught her eyes with his. She felt as if time had stopped; she couldn't breathe. He had seen her, really seen her, as though he never had before.
There were murmurs from the corner of the room. Una craned her head to see, but she was not tall enough. Shirley left her side to see what it was, promising to return. Una felt herself wishing she could love Shirley rather than Walter. In some ways, they were far better suited. And he cared for her. She wondered if friendship were enough to build a marriage on. But then she was jumping ahead a little too fast. Shirley was not unattractive. It was possible he had someone, a sweetheart, back at Queens. He had never given any indication that he harbored any feelings towards her stronger than friendship. Walter's voice broke her out of her reverie. She did not know what they were speaking of, but his voice sounded peculiar, haunting. It was war. She heard the whispering around her, Canada was now at war too.
Faith and Jem did not even come inside, preferring the privacy afforded them by sitting of the rocks and watching the waves. As soon as they had entered, Rilla had been whisked away for a dance by an over the Harbor boy. Minutes later, someone had already cut in. Una looked at Rilla admiringly, she had surpassed even Faith today. Perhaps it was her naivety or her delight in the little things, but Rilla was certainly incomparable. She watched her dance with Ken Ford. He was indeed handsome. And although, Rilla appeared to be oblivious of it, many of the other girls were casting biting glances her way, full of jealousy and spite.
From her corner, Una could see everything. She saw her brother lurking around Miranda. She did not know how else to characterize it. For she knew, he did not overly care for her. And poor Joe, he was quite besotted. If it wasn't common knowledge, it was widely apparent during their walk over. She rather wished Carl did not feel the need to prove that he could get the girl. She hated to think that her brother could be so cold and calculating. But then he was not so very old. And hadn't Jem been quite the dare-devil in his days.
Una saw Walter dancing with a girl she had never seen before. She was very stylish. Her clothes were most certainly not from the Glen, nor could Una remember seeing her in church. She was a new girl, a city girl. She was undoubtedly wealthy and witty and clever -- his perfect compliment. But then what did she expect, Una asked herself. With Ken captivated by Rilla, and Jem off of the market so to speak, Walter was the only other truly handsome boy present. It was only natural girls would want to dance with him. She knew all to well how mesmerizing his eyes could be. How poetic his words could be. Had she honestly expected him to resign himself to a quiet evening standing in the corner -- with her? She railed at herself for even entertaining the possibility. He loved beauty, and the girl he was dancing with was truly beautiful.
Shirley noticed Una's troubled expression, and saw she was looking at Walter. She was a good sort, he considered. He enjoyed her company far more than his sisters. She did not pester him with questions or force him to listen to the details of her latest shopping expedition. He wondered if she did ever go shopping. Somehow he could not imagine it. Though she did look remarkably fine in her dress tonight. A midnight blue, matching her big bright, if somewhat wistful eyes. She did not have the sunny prettiness of Faith, the dusky beauty of his sister, or the more obvious beauty of the girl Walter was dancing with, but she had something. She had an earnest beauty; there was no other word for it. You could see her heart in her eyes, on her face.
So she had gone and fallen in love with Walter. He could have told her that was a mistake. Walter was too much in love with the idea of love, to fall in love with someone himself. Or even if he did fall in love, he would be too blind to recognize it. Blinded by his passion for truth and beauty. As much as he loved his brother, and he certainly did. He thought Walter was far too prone to flights of fancy. Oh, he did have a way with words, but it did not pay to live in a perfect world. The world is not perfect, Shirley thought cynically, and the sooner one realizes that, the better off they will be.
Una accepted the punch offered her. He bent his head down to her, "Irene Howard. Her name is Irene Howard. She is from the Glen. But finds being considered a country girl beneath her. Apparently, she has a some relatives in Montreal and has decided to cast herself as a city girl." Una looked up at Shirley startled. He watched color suffuse her face, and saw the confusion in her eyes. He silently raged at himself, he should have let her be. After all, didn't she let him be. "I am rather surprised to see Walter with her. She does not seem at all his type." An undecipherable noise escaped Una's lips. "Her beauty is too showy, too gaudy. Can you see her sitting in Rainbow Valley watching the stars with us? I certainly cannot." Una felt as though she had to say something. "Oh, but she is beautiful. And I have heard people speak of her. She is quite accomplished. Can sing and play to perfection." Una still looked too downcast for Shirley's liking.
"Perhaps, he is just blinded by her appearance. But what is it that they say, 'beauty is only skin deep'. I am sure in her case it is quite true." Shirley looked down at her smirking, "I too had the unique pleasure of dancing with her." Una thought, the way he said pleasure makes it seem as though it were anything but. "She can speak of nothing but herself and her home in the city. And the way she bats her eyelashes, makes one wonder how she can see at all." Shirley proceeded to imitate Irene, and Una could not help but laugh. Her laughter was a beautiful thing, but rarely heard, a light twinkling laugh, that lingered in the air even after it was gone. As she was laughing, Walter looked over at her and caught her eyes with his. She felt as if time had stopped; she couldn't breathe. He had seen her, really seen her, as though he never had before.
There were murmurs from the corner of the room. Una craned her head to see, but she was not tall enough. Shirley left her side to see what it was, promising to return. Una felt herself wishing she could love Shirley rather than Walter. In some ways, they were far better suited. And he cared for her. She wondered if friendship were enough to build a marriage on. But then she was jumping ahead a little too fast. Shirley was not unattractive. It was possible he had someone, a sweetheart, back at Queens. He had never given any indication that he harbored any feelings towards her stronger than friendship. Walter's voice broke her out of her reverie. She did not know what they were speaking of, but his voice sounded peculiar, haunting. It was war. She heard the whispering around her, Canada was now at war too.