Chapter 28: What a Gentleman Does
After being restrained, taken away, and spoken to about my inappropriate behavior in front of guests, the Christmas atmosphere was in peace once again. It was a good thing that Adam had controlled my uncontrollable fury, or I would have clearly made a bad impression to the entire Locke family. In fact, I still think I made a bad impression by just threatening Roland. I wondered why I could never act like a lady and just keep things in. Boys were never harshly scolded for picking fights with one another. It was always supposed as their "nature," but it was superbly evident that girls liked to provoke tiffs with one another, except, whenever fights did break out, girls were severely punished. It was the difference in what a gentleman does and what a lady does that greatly influenced their punishment for a crime. And I had to experience that all too well.
It was well into the night. All the candles were nearly spent or dying in the grand living room, and many of the Locke children had deserted the boring place for the parlor: a place where they could play their games and say what they wanted without the watchful eyes of their parents. The smells of Christmas dinner still hung about the room, most likely because the smells from the kitchen and dining area had attached themselves to our clothes. If I wasn't full of Lisa's succulent and flavorsome cooking, I would have thought the smell was absolutely appetizing and delicious, but I was nearly sick to my stomach in figgy pudding.
I was still dressed in my pirate wear, and thankfully, neither Mister Locke nor his wife objected to their son courting a woman who enjoyed the sea adventures of outlaws. More precisely, when they requested a personal moment with me, they said that I balanced out Adam's persona well, with him being very polite, quiet and caring, and with me being loud, temperamental and perhaps too affectionate. "He needs a different and persevering young woman as yourself to keep him in line," they said. Their compliment earned a special place in my heart, for I appreciated the fact that they even liked me. It was a good thing that they did not poke into the secret life of their son, for Adam and I have had quite a bit of fun together. Of course, I made sure things never got too far. I, unlike Roland, knew what extreme measures took a woman; straight to the pain and possible fatality of childbirth.
Adam wasn't sitting with me at that time. He was chatting with Roland, most likely about manly stuff: lasses, ships, adventure, voyages and perhaps even weapons. He'd take a glance every now and then at me and I'd just smile back, reassuring him that he could go on and talk with Roland until the sun rose. This worked for my benefit though, for I still wanted to speak with Natalie about her past, disastrous relationship with Stephen Westley.
Over the past months, Stephen came and visited me, but I never really gave him what he was looking for in his visits. By the way he'd look at me, I was never sure if he was thinking that he wanted more than friendship from me, or that he was just inspecting me because I was very different from other girls. Nonetheless, he remained kind, polite and conceited, but he also remained quite handsome and very charming. It surprised me even more that he never considered that I was courting someone else. It was as if the things in my life didn't matter to him, except for myself. He'd bow and pay his respects to my mum and dad, and he'd do his best to avoid Roland's wrath, but he was never interested in the people I interacted with. Things were quite clear that he had his eye on me, and me only, which, depending on how one would look at it, could have been very good or very bad.
Ian and Natalie sat near the burning flames in the fireplace, laughing and giggling with one another. I was not the type of person who'd interrupt such a tender moment between such a beautiful couple, but I was aching for some more information about exotic Stephen Westley. At last, I had my chance when Ian pulled out his flute again and started playing a lulling melody. "How long have you been playing?" I asked. Ian moved the flute away from his lips and both he and Natalie stared at me. Their stares were not the ones purposefully sent to make you uncomfortable, but more of gentle inquisitiveness.
"Since I was a lad," he answered in his heavy Scottish accent. "Been playing since I were 'bout seven years of age, Miss." I nodded as I got up from my seat and approached the couple.
"Adam told me that you can also play the violin and harpsichord."
"Aye, I can," he said, bringing the flute back up to his lips to play a tune. I could see why Natalie married him. He was kind, calm, smart and had a light and soothing voice. His eyes were green and his hair was brown, and I was sure he'd be considered a fine-looking lad by many a lady, for indeed he was to me. But I was already very content with my Adam. "'Twas a fine trick ya played on yer brother, Miss," he added, slightly laughing. Natalie smiled too and nodded in agreement.
"Has Adam been behaving with you?" she asked, just out of jest.
"Yes, he has. I make sure of it. He's a very nice young man, your brother."
"At least he has managed to find himself a young woman he actually likes. You cannot imagine how many girls had their eye on him. Poor lad. I wish I could have been there to see him erupt in rage to get the flocks of maidens away from him." I laughed and took a quick look over at Adam, and he was peering suspiciously in our direction, wondering what we could have been laughing about.
"It's no surprise that so many girls gawk at him. He is a very attractive young man, Miss," I said. "The thing that he told me that surprised me the most was that he said many a lad was ogling me at those parties we attended."
"You never noticed that you were beautiful, Astrid?" she asked, shocked herself.
"No," I said simply. "I thought what made men think a lass was pretty was if she walked about in those awful dresses and laughed daintily and smiled despite the suffocating corset around their abdomen. I hated all that stuff."
"Well, those do catch a man's attention, but one's face and body play a large part as well. But, you are still young and unsuspecting, so do not press the matter, Astrid," she said. I waited a while before actually putting forth my real question to her. I didn't want to seem too forward and the pause in between would signal the importance of the question.
"Miss Natalie," I began. "Is it true that you courted Stephen Westley?" Her pale face became rigid and her blue eyes seemed to glitter with unwanted memories, but she smiled timidly and gently turned to her husband.
"I'm sorry, Ian, but you've already heard this story and I'm sure Miss Astrid has a more personal reason as to why she is asking this."
"All right, love," he said, leaning forward and kissing Natalie on the cheek. "I think I'll jus' check on the little ones in the other room. Ta, Nattie," he said.
"Bye." At his leave, Natalie looked at me, her smile gone, and she pulled on a ringlet of her light brown hair.
"Yes, I did court Stephen, Astrid," she said. "When I was fourteen and in the early blooming of womanhood, just like you now. We met at a party, of course, and I thought he was very handsome and lovely. I said yes immediately to him when he asked to take a small walk with me around the fort. From then on, things went through a course of very good times to very bad." She paused and narrowed her eyes on me, but not cruelly.
"Why do you ask?" she questioned.
"Because he has been coming to this house to visit me, Natalie, nearly everyday. When I was sick for a week, he came to this house every single day," I said in a very hushed tone.
"Call me Nattie, Astrid. You are Adam's suitor and therefore will be like a sister to me. It is all right to be informal." I nodded weakly and continued on with my story.
"Whenever he stops by, he requests about an hour's time with me and all we do is talk. I can tell he doesn't just want to talk, but I do not like him in the suitor way. When Roland told me that you two once courted, I thought I could ask you about him and to find out if he is really the perfect man he appears to be."
"He is most certainly not perfect," said Nattie sternly. "Everyone has their faults, and he has his share of them. From what you say, I cannot really explain his behavior. With me, Stephen never did anything like that. He'd come by perhaps three times a week at most to say hello and to walk with me, which would ultimately end up in something a bit more, but he never stopped by my house days on end." Her stare became a tad bit shadowed in seriousness and she began to clamp her fingers into fists, only to stretch her fingers out again. It must have been her sign of uneasiness.
"Really? Do you know of anyone else who courted him and might have had a similar experience?"
"No," she said. "Even with the woman he betrayed me for, he never showed that large an interest. Astrid, does he know that you are Adam's suitor?"
"Yes. I have told him many times, and he always replied with, 'Of course he is, Astrid. But I'm just looking for friendship. That's all.'" A sharp sigh escaped her nose and her balled fists never uncoiled.
"Astrid, I worry for you. I do not think Stephen has ever been so enamored by a woman such as you, even though you are clearly resisting his advances. If he is foolish enough to disregard the fact that you have a suitor, then he has gone completely mad." For a moment, I processed what she said into my head. It was clear that Stephen was interested in me, but I was still a girl compared to him. He was eighteen, well raised and handsome. I wondered if he even considered the fact that he was attracted to a childish and untraditional fourteen year old girl. After thinking it over, I decided that the next time I would see Stephen, I'd tell him straight off that I was not interested in the relationship he was offering.
"Nattie," I began. "What ever happened to you two? I mean, you are a gorgeous woman and he is a gorgeous man. Roland told me that he thought you were too plain." She laughed lightly at that.
"Well, where to begin? Stephen was indeed very handsome as a young lad. He was a bit bony—"
"Like Roland?" I interrupted. She laughed again.
"Yes. Like Roland. Anyway, when we first began courting, we were very happy, or at least, it seemed that way. I was very happy and excited that he, out of all the boys, had an interest in me. After all, I always pictured him with some radiant, rich and perfect blonde woman. But he chose me." I bobbed my head, interested in the tale. Stephen surely had an active life. "In the beginning, he was very sweet. He would come at least three times a week to see me and take me around and during the holidays he'd buy me the most extraordinary gifts. He was a very good lad, but looking back on it now, I didn't think we connected very well."
"In what way?" I asked.
"He is very passionate about the things he enjoys, and the man enjoys many things. I, on the other hand am very prudent. I don't like to take risks. The biggest one I have ever taken was going to back to England. Stephen is not like that. He is very proud of his ego, and well, that can make him conceited. He began to think that he could do whatever he wanted, and I always advised him not to. We'd bicker over that and things fell apart from there."
"But wasn't he involved with another lady when you were still supposedly courting?"
"Yes, that part is true. He began to charm my friend, Cornelia, but by the time the two actually got together, Stephen and I had lost touch with our past infatuation, so I did not mind. In fact, I let him go very politely, and we remained friends after that. My mother though, was most disappointed. She was really looking forward to a wedding between us."
"But you have Ian now," I beamed.
"Exactly. Of course, Stephen was not the only lad I courted as a girl. It took quite a few trials before I found my match." She hushed after that and looked away, and I wondered why.
"What's this, sister?" said a voice. I turned around and found Adam and Roland standing beside me. Adam had addressed his sister.
"Miss Astrid just wanted a word from me. Now, younger brother, if you can excuse me, I need to join my husband in the parlor." She stood up and the two exchanged nods before she left the room.
"What was that all about?" asked Roland, as the two boys sat down beside me. Roland to my right and Adam to my left.
"Nothing. I just asked her about… Stephen."
"Why?" Adam burst immediately. "What has he done now?" I took Adam's hand with a grin and squeezed it tight.
"Nothing's happened, my dear," I said. "His visits are just bothering me, and since your sister once courted him, I just asked her what he was really like so I would know how to avoid his offerings."
"Offerings!" yelled Adam, his blue eyes sharp with anger.
"Calm down, love," I replied, patting his arm, "I am still completely yours. No need to worry."
"If he even does one thing to you—" warned Adam.
"—We'll beat up the dirty bastard," finished Roland. I sighed at the impudence of men. They always had to show each other who was best through unnecessary violence.
"There shall be no fists flying over me," I said firmly. "And if fists do fly, I'll give both of you bloody noses and black eyes, despite how much you mean to me. Absolutely no fists will fly." I sent each of them a very cross look to enhance my point. I was serious about it. They got it quickly, Roland having been given a few punches from me and Adam just understanding better.
Adam's face pinched slightly and I could tell he was irritated with the matter, despite the fact that I had assured him things were just fine. Dear Adam, you worry too much. To soothe his annoyance, I kissed his cheek, and he only chuckled nervously. We were, after all, still in the sight our parents.
"If you plan on doing anything above that, please retreat to a room," suggested Roland, boredom and vague disgust in his voice.
"Unlike you, we behave in company," I retorted. "Stephanie looks lonely, brother. Comfort her," I laughed. He pushed my head so that my hat fell off, but he stormed away and sat beside dainty Stephanie anyway. At Roland's leave, I whispered in Adam's ear, "I think he likes her."
"He does. He told me. He thought she was "tamed brilliance," but you know how Roland is," replied Adam into my own ear.
"I know all too well," I moaned. He sniggered heartily and gave me a kiss on the cheek and neck. Watch yourself, Adam.