"Are you ready, Wendy?" James voice called from the bottom of the steps.
It was the night of the dance and Mr. and Mrs. Darling had left with their
business party already. James and Wendy were supposed to meet up with them
there.
Wendy descended the stairs in a midnight blue gown, a lacey trail following her. She looked sadly into his eyes, "Should we even be going?"
"You mean John and Michael?" James replied perceptively as he led her outside.
Wendy nodded and closed her eyes in grief, "How can I go out and enjoy myself knowing they are in distress?"
"Lady, I assure you, they would not want you to be unhappy. And until a demand is made, there is nothing that we can do for them but go on living."
Wendy sighed and linked her arms, "It is kind of you to take me."
"Hardly kind," he replied mischievously. "Mostly self-serving."
Wendy smiled into the night sky as her heart fluttered, a sensation common to her in his presence. She couldn't imagine what she would have done if she didn't have him to look after her.
"Wendy," James said softly, so meekly she looked into his eyes, "why do you look to the sky when you are with me?"
Wendy's breath caught, she hadn't realized that she had.
"Is it because you're wishing for something else? Am I not enough?" A touch of anger or envy, she couldn't tell which, subtly laced his tone.
"James, it isn't that at all," Wendy replied, unable to explain why she continually looked up, not out of hope, but more of mockery. She realized when he had asked her about it that she wanted Peter to know she was happy without him. And she was happy. Even with her brothers missing, she still felt content so long as James was there, and he always was. Faithfully he followed her and took away her guilt and sadness.
"Then why?" he asked, resigned.
"I couldn't explain it even if I wanted to," she replied. "Now let's go on to the party, they'll start to wonder about us."
"I doubt that," he replied with an attempted smile, "They know how long it takes you to get ready."
Wendy playfully swatted him, "Oh, you."
Wendy descended the stairs in a midnight blue gown, a lacey trail following her. She looked sadly into his eyes, "Should we even be going?"
"You mean John and Michael?" James replied perceptively as he led her outside.
Wendy nodded and closed her eyes in grief, "How can I go out and enjoy myself knowing they are in distress?"
"Lady, I assure you, they would not want you to be unhappy. And until a demand is made, there is nothing that we can do for them but go on living."
Wendy sighed and linked her arms, "It is kind of you to take me."
"Hardly kind," he replied mischievously. "Mostly self-serving."
Wendy smiled into the night sky as her heart fluttered, a sensation common to her in his presence. She couldn't imagine what she would have done if she didn't have him to look after her.
"Wendy," James said softly, so meekly she looked into his eyes, "why do you look to the sky when you are with me?"
Wendy's breath caught, she hadn't realized that she had.
"Is it because you're wishing for something else? Am I not enough?" A touch of anger or envy, she couldn't tell which, subtly laced his tone.
"James, it isn't that at all," Wendy replied, unable to explain why she continually looked up, not out of hope, but more of mockery. She realized when he had asked her about it that she wanted Peter to know she was happy without him. And she was happy. Even with her brothers missing, she still felt content so long as James was there, and he always was. Faithfully he followed her and took away her guilt and sadness.
"Then why?" he asked, resigned.
"I couldn't explain it even if I wanted to," she replied. "Now let's go on to the party, they'll start to wonder about us."
"I doubt that," he replied with an attempted smile, "They know how long it takes you to get ready."
Wendy playfully swatted him, "Oh, you."