By the time Una got home, Faith was already asleep. The stars had lit up
the night sky and dawn was approaching, lending their bedroom an ethereal
glow. She could see the path the tears had left on Faith's face as she had
fallen asleep. Una wished she had not dawdled so with Walter, Faith had
needed her, and she wasn't there. As infuriating as Faith could be, Una
knew that she never truly meant to be. Faith did love her, Una thought,
picking at her dress - the dress Faith had made for her. Una turned and
caught a glance of herself in the mirror. And in that split second she
thought she saw something in her face she had never seen before. It wasn't
the prettiness of Faith. It was something else, something haunting. She
desperately wished she wasn't so insecure when it came to Faith. But then
could anyone help but feel inferior with Faith as an older sister. She
doubted it. "But," Una said resolutely, "I will do my best to stop being so
jealous. If you can bring our boys back to us safely!"
Walter came back to Ingleside and found Jem pacing around agitatedly. Obviously, things had not gone well with Faith. He was not sure what to tell him. Walter had managed to hide the fact that he had fancied Faith from Walter. She was certainly beautiful, but they did not connect in the way, he thought people in love could, or should, or even would. No, she was Jem's girl and he knew it. And it tore at him to see how upset his brother was. Especially when they feel on opposite sides of this conflict. Walter had no great love for the Kaiser, but then he did not want to fight. He did not want war. And though Jem did not want war for war's sake. He would fight; he would see it as his duty. There was nothing he could say to his brother and sound sincere.
It was Jem who did the talking though. "Did you see Una home alright? I had hoped you would get her back sooner, I am sure Faith would have wanted her sister with her." Walter simply nodded his head. "Oh, where is Rilla. Did anyone find her? Her first dance and we managed to lose her so quickly." Walter said with a bit of humor. Jem looked at him, his smile more of a grimance. According to Shirley, she went home with Mary Vance." Walter thought he was going to choke, "Dear Lord. I hope they don't kill each other. I can't think of anyone Rilla dislikes quite so much!"
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It was well past breakfast before Rilla stumbled, though she stumbled quite gracefully, back to Ingleside. Small leaves clung to her hair and dress. Her wreath had long since fallen out, but a few stray flower petals still remained. The wind had played havoc with her hair and curls were frantically escaping from their confinement. Her dress looked damp and dirty. And her kid slippers, the shoes she had been so fond of, were destroyed. But what a death they had had. She had used to dance with her first sweetheart at her first dance. She had worn them when she first heard the news of war, a war that would become one of the worst ever seen (though can any war be better than the one previous?). Her eyes were large and drawn with purple smudges underneath. But somehow her sleepless night had only served to make her look more alluring. More young and beautiful, she looked like a dryad, Walter thought, tall, slim, stately, and melancholy. All the same, Jem thought, she looked quite piteous. (Could two brothers be more different?) He could barely choke back his laughter. But then he knew better than to tangle with a Rilla who was sleep deprived and ornery.
Rilla for her part merely stood by the dining table taking them all in. Waiting for them to speak. And as the silence grew longer her heart grew harder. To be born into such a family. It was too wretched, she was sure! How could they leave her? She understood Faith and Nan must have taken the news of war hard. But what of her? She had three brothers, did she not? And Carl and Jerry were like brothers to her too. All those days they had spent together in Rainbow Valley. And Ken, she did not know what to think of him. She most certainly did not think of him as a brother. And if Walter and Ken were both to enlist . She couldn't bear to think of it. It just was not fair. How could such a glorious night have ended with such gloom and despair. She did not feel the exuberance Jem and Ken had when the news was announced. War was ugly, Walter was right. There could be no pride in war, only shame.
It was her father who first 'ahem'-ed to get her attention. Well, she was prepared to listen and forgive, but first she would make them wait. But before her father could speak, Walter spoke. There was something about his voice that made Rilla's eyes immediately soften. "Rilla, I am so glad you made it back. We did not mean to forget you. It was only that Nan had run off and Faith was besides herself, and Una looked rather faint - I had to walk her home." Something sparked in Rilla's eyes, "You," she said the 'you' most pointedly, "walked Una home." She could feel Shirley's quizzical glance. But Walter for all his acuity noticed nothing. "Why of course," he replied as if it were the most natural thing for him to have done. "We thought Ken might have walked you home, but as it turned out, he was running after his own sister. Really far too many girls in our family circle, are they not." Rilla chose not to acknowledge that last comment.
"You danced with Kenneth Ford then?" Anne asked her daughter. Rilla thought her mother the most beautiful woman in the world. Well aside from Leslie Ford, perhaps, and of course, Aunt Philippa. But Rilla thought, her mom looked like a mom. She hugged like a mom and scolded like a mom and spoke like a mom. She couldn't imagine not having her. When it came to Ken though, her thoughts could not be untangled. She had no idea what he thought of her. True he had called her "Rilla-my-Rilla", and it sounded like a song coming from him lips. But what did it really mean? "Oh, Ken was quite besotted by our Rilla," Walter broke in warmly. Rilla felt herself flush in pleasure and embarrassment. "Not that it is any surprise. I have yet to meet a girl who can hold a candle to our baby sister." Jem couldn't resist tossing in a few words of his own. "Although, I am not sure how Spider would fair in a beauty competition now." Smirking he turned to her, "Say Rilla, did anyone catch a glimpse of you on the walk home. I can assure you, you make quite a sight!" Rilla shrieked an inarticulate stream of works, causing her brothers to double over with laughter, as she stomped up the stairs. Between breaths Shirley said, "You really shouldn't rile her so," pausing, "but then," he considered thoughtfully," what is the point of being older brothers if we cannot?"
Walter came back to Ingleside and found Jem pacing around agitatedly. Obviously, things had not gone well with Faith. He was not sure what to tell him. Walter had managed to hide the fact that he had fancied Faith from Walter. She was certainly beautiful, but they did not connect in the way, he thought people in love could, or should, or even would. No, she was Jem's girl and he knew it. And it tore at him to see how upset his brother was. Especially when they feel on opposite sides of this conflict. Walter had no great love for the Kaiser, but then he did not want to fight. He did not want war. And though Jem did not want war for war's sake. He would fight; he would see it as his duty. There was nothing he could say to his brother and sound sincere.
It was Jem who did the talking though. "Did you see Una home alright? I had hoped you would get her back sooner, I am sure Faith would have wanted her sister with her." Walter simply nodded his head. "Oh, where is Rilla. Did anyone find her? Her first dance and we managed to lose her so quickly." Walter said with a bit of humor. Jem looked at him, his smile more of a grimance. According to Shirley, she went home with Mary Vance." Walter thought he was going to choke, "Dear Lord. I hope they don't kill each other. I can't think of anyone Rilla dislikes quite so much!"
**************************************************************************** **
It was well past breakfast before Rilla stumbled, though she stumbled quite gracefully, back to Ingleside. Small leaves clung to her hair and dress. Her wreath had long since fallen out, but a few stray flower petals still remained. The wind had played havoc with her hair and curls were frantically escaping from their confinement. Her dress looked damp and dirty. And her kid slippers, the shoes she had been so fond of, were destroyed. But what a death they had had. She had used to dance with her first sweetheart at her first dance. She had worn them when she first heard the news of war, a war that would become one of the worst ever seen (though can any war be better than the one previous?). Her eyes were large and drawn with purple smudges underneath. But somehow her sleepless night had only served to make her look more alluring. More young and beautiful, she looked like a dryad, Walter thought, tall, slim, stately, and melancholy. All the same, Jem thought, she looked quite piteous. (Could two brothers be more different?) He could barely choke back his laughter. But then he knew better than to tangle with a Rilla who was sleep deprived and ornery.
Rilla for her part merely stood by the dining table taking them all in. Waiting for them to speak. And as the silence grew longer her heart grew harder. To be born into such a family. It was too wretched, she was sure! How could they leave her? She understood Faith and Nan must have taken the news of war hard. But what of her? She had three brothers, did she not? And Carl and Jerry were like brothers to her too. All those days they had spent together in Rainbow Valley. And Ken, she did not know what to think of him. She most certainly did not think of him as a brother. And if Walter and Ken were both to enlist . She couldn't bear to think of it. It just was not fair. How could such a glorious night have ended with such gloom and despair. She did not feel the exuberance Jem and Ken had when the news was announced. War was ugly, Walter was right. There could be no pride in war, only shame.
It was her father who first 'ahem'-ed to get her attention. Well, she was prepared to listen and forgive, but first she would make them wait. But before her father could speak, Walter spoke. There was something about his voice that made Rilla's eyes immediately soften. "Rilla, I am so glad you made it back. We did not mean to forget you. It was only that Nan had run off and Faith was besides herself, and Una looked rather faint - I had to walk her home." Something sparked in Rilla's eyes, "You," she said the 'you' most pointedly, "walked Una home." She could feel Shirley's quizzical glance. But Walter for all his acuity noticed nothing. "Why of course," he replied as if it were the most natural thing for him to have done. "We thought Ken might have walked you home, but as it turned out, he was running after his own sister. Really far too many girls in our family circle, are they not." Rilla chose not to acknowledge that last comment.
"You danced with Kenneth Ford then?" Anne asked her daughter. Rilla thought her mother the most beautiful woman in the world. Well aside from Leslie Ford, perhaps, and of course, Aunt Philippa. But Rilla thought, her mom looked like a mom. She hugged like a mom and scolded like a mom and spoke like a mom. She couldn't imagine not having her. When it came to Ken though, her thoughts could not be untangled. She had no idea what he thought of her. True he had called her "Rilla-my-Rilla", and it sounded like a song coming from him lips. But what did it really mean? "Oh, Ken was quite besotted by our Rilla," Walter broke in warmly. Rilla felt herself flush in pleasure and embarrassment. "Not that it is any surprise. I have yet to meet a girl who can hold a candle to our baby sister." Jem couldn't resist tossing in a few words of his own. "Although, I am not sure how Spider would fair in a beauty competition now." Smirking he turned to her, "Say Rilla, did anyone catch a glimpse of you on the walk home. I can assure you, you make quite a sight!" Rilla shrieked an inarticulate stream of works, causing her brothers to double over with laughter, as she stomped up the stairs. Between breaths Shirley said, "You really shouldn't rile her so," pausing, "but then," he considered thoughtfully," what is the point of being older brothers if we cannot?"