The children all listened to their mother on the phone. "A boy Anna?." Mary questioned surprisingly. The children all shared surprised glances. "Tis another suitor for you to marry Wendy!"
Tootles exclaimed. The others instantly shushed him harshly.
"Now with aunt gone, Mother and Father will decide which suitors are good enough" Nibs countered courageously. "I think this one is different" Wendy suddenly broke through with a smile. The boys all turned to her, confused. However, she did not answer, for she remembered that Peter told her that the Keating's adopted him as their own son.
"Oh yes, Anna. I'll arrange a meeting!" Their mother's voice sounded excited now. They all watched on from where they sat huddled on the stairs. "Tomorrow afternoon sounds wonderful!."
They heard their mother agree, Wendy's smile widened. "We're looking forward to it Anna. Alright then, good day Mrs. Keating" and with that, Mary elegantly placed the phone back into its place.
As she turned around, the children all saw that Mary had a surprisingly big smile on her face. She was obviously happy with the description of the boy Anna had told her about. "I think this is finally the one" she said softly to herself, however the boys heard it from the stairs. They watched their mother disappear into the kitchen, and turned back to Wendy.
Surprised to see a equally big smile on their sister's face. "Good day dear brothers!" she said and hurried up the stairs towards her room. After sharing a confused look among them, the boys hurriedly followed her, however, her door was already shut over and locked. "Come on Wendy!" they shouted as their fists banged against the wood of her door. "What's going on?".
Wendy lied happily on her bed, her smile widened as she listened to the chorus of angry shouting and banging of fists against her door, from her brothers. She always found it annoying, but now that her spirits were quite higher, she made no move to stop her brothers' nagging please, and just rested on her comfy bed, daydreaming about the next afternoon.
Supper was announced hours later, and again Wendy came out with usually high spirits. Everyone was already at the table, and could hear her happily bounce down the stairs, her gleaming face suddenly appeared behind the door.
"Good evening family" she greeted happily. Before she took her place at the table, Wendy went over and kissed both her parents on the cheek. "Than you darling" Mr. Darling said, watching his overly happy daughter take her seat. The boys all shared a knowing look.
Dinner began after grace, and everyone dug in hungrily, or the boys did at least. Despite sending her aunt away in fury, Wendy sipped at her soup in the most lady like of ways, which surprised everyone greatly for she hated Millicent's ways.
"What good manners you have daughter!" Mr. Darling commented, unknown to him that his sister was sent away by his once furious daughter, along with the fact that a suitor was to appear at the door. The boys gave their father a curious look as to how he could be so blind, but watched their mother intently.
She too was sipping her soup in a lady like manner, her eyes downcast, almost as if closed, and her expression calm and seemed to be oblivious to the boys' curious stares. However she did notice, and knew they were bound to ask sooner or later. A smile cracked her cherry lips as she continued to act oblivious.
"More bread Curly dear?" she asked sweetly, seeing as the curly blond had chewed up the last of his bread unknowingly, while watching his mother intently. Curly hesitated for a moment, still watching the woman closely, however his hunger gave in and he took another slice, rather greedily. With a smile, Mary watched as he hurriedly chewed that too, before turning to John.
"More soup John dear?" she asked again sweetly. As if snapped out of a trance, the oldest boy glanced down at his bowl, now almost empty. He too was so intent on his mother, that he was surprised he'd finished his dinner so quickly. Usually, he'd excuse himself from the table with dinner half done.
"Um…yes mother" he said, holding out his plate stupidly while Mary ladled more soup into his outstretched bowl. John too, hungrily began eating away at his soup, continuously stealing glances at his undisturbed mother. "You boys worked up a appetite I see!" George suddenly spoke. John and Curly started to blush slightly at their father's knowing comment.
Wendy giggled at her brothers' embarrassment. "Mother, I would like some more soup please?" she questioned her mother. Again with a smile, Mary ladled more soup for Wendy. "Anyone else?" she questioned, eyeing her sons individually, but they all nodded.
"I would like something!" Michael suddenly piped up. Mrs. Darling's eyes suddenly shot towards her youngest. "Yes darling?" she questioned sweetly. However, Michael didn't give in. He cleared his thoughts determinately, and questioned again.
"Mother, what did Mrs. Keating want on the phone this afternoon?" Michael's childlike, curious voice suddenly rung through the room. All the children's eyes, along with Mr. Darling's, suddenly shot towards the woman. She was unaltered by this.
"Why, Anna was just telling me of a nice young man she just met" Mrs. Darling answered, she eyed all at the table before resting on her husband's. "Well, that's nice. She took in another?" Mr. Darling also questioned innocently.
"No, no dear, she was caring for him, while he had no home" Mrs. Darling continued. " But now he has found his place, and wishes to see Wendy before he must leave" Mary eyed her daughter, Wendy shooting her now a curious look. Peter must leave?.
"Another suitor for Wendy mother?" asked Nibs now, contagious to his mother's sweetness in her voice. "Perhaps." Mary nodded, her eyes returning to her husband's, who's expression faltered, but nodded in understanding.
"He is to come tomorrow afternoon, around three o'clock to meet with us" Mrs. Darling finished, shooting her gaze between her daughter and her husband. Mr. Daring nodded, however seemed to be bugged by something.
"What about Braden Andrews?. Wendy was courting him last time I checked" Mr. Darling questioned his wife curiously. "What ever happened to him?" he suddenly turned on Wendy and asked.
Both women hesitated at first. "They broke darling, I few days back" Mrs. Darling answered first. "Yes, we found our relationship to be unsuitable for us both" Wendy said, again sipping at her soup. "I'm sure this new boy will be quite pleasant" Mrs. Darling eyed her husband. "A real charmer" again turning her eye to Wendy.
Wendy shot a knowing smile to her mother, before finishing off her dinner. "Excuse me, but I have much homework to do" she excused herself, after placing her bowl in the kitchen, running up gracefully to her room. A soft bang was heard in the silence of the dinning room. The other Darling's finished up their dinner, before Mr. Darling suddenly broke the silence once more. "What ever happened to Millicent?" she questioned. The boys all erupted in laughter. However, by a quick angered glance from their father, the boys picked up their finished bowls and scraps, and hurried for the kitchen. Silence once more before there came the patter of hurried feet running up to the nursery.
Nursery
The boys gathered around the small room, swords in some hands, some bouncing happily on the bed. Noise erupted the room, as battles were begun against pirate and lost boy.
"So, another suitor is to come tomorrow?" Michael suddenly asked, breaking through the noise. The boys almost stopped completely. " Another suitor to run through, you think?" asked Nibs, evilly imitating running his sword through someone's body.
"But Wendy really seems to like this one!" Tootles piped up innocently. The boys all nodded in understanding, they had all seen their sister's loving face. The battles were stopped, and the boys piled around the beds in thought. "Who do you think that boy Mrs. Keating was talking about, is like?" asked The twins suddenly.
"We'll have to wait until tomorrow afternoon I suppose" commented Curly. There was silence until John spoke again. "There is another way to find out" he said evilly glancing now at the wall to one side, the other's giving him curious looks.
Wendy was now sitting on her window seat, happily gazing up at the stars. Once in a while, she'd gaze to the Keating's Manor to see of Peter would pass by the window once more. However, now the window laid dark and shut, no signs of life what so ever. Wendy just shrugged it off, thinking him asleep, but she remembered that it always seemed dark and shut. Like when Peter had disappeared momentarily, without a trace, the window seemed to always shut and dark. Wendy let these thoughts drift as the wind lightly blew across her face. A sudden slight burning started in her cheek, surprising her, and she sat up.
Placing her cool hand on her cheek in confusion, Wendy raced over to the mirror on her burrow, to see what had caused the burning. Slowly she removed her hand, only to be surprised to see that the kiss mark was the cause of the burning. She was also surprised to see that it suddenly seemed to glow with a darker rosy colour then before.
Wendy studied the rosy spot intensively, until her door suddenly being flung open broke her musings. "So this is the work you had to do?" she turned to see John and the others peering in the doorway. Wendy turned to them annoyed, placing her hands firmly on her waist.
"You had to check for pimples?" he asked again laughingly, the others joined in. Wendy shot them all a narrowed glare. "I was checking my kiss mark, for it burned!" she countered. The boys all stopped. "It burned?" the twins questioned, innocently. Wendy nodded, replacing her arms by her sides.
"Let me see it?" John suddenly walked towards her, and turned her chin, gazing at the intense rosy spot glowing on her cheek. "How strange!" he concluded. Wendy rolled her eyes. "Why are you here?" she asked, batting his hand away.
"You know something about the suitor that's coming tomorrow, don't you?" asked John, now becoming more serious. At this, Wendy's cheeks began to turn a furious red, causing the kiss mark to burn once more. She gasped in pain, and her hand flew to her cheek.
The boys stared at her surprised. "It seems like the suitor that's coming tomorrow is her true love!" Curly inquired. The boys exchanged excited looks. "He has the identical kiss mark!" The twins shouted happily. The boys all talked widely among themselves, while Wendy recovered from her pain.
"Out!" she shouted annoyed, shoving the boys out of the room with her free hand, the other still covering the kiss mark. "Good Night" she shouted once all were out of the room, and slammed the door shut. Wendy rested against it tiredly, still clutching her cheek in slight pain.
Her gaze turned to the window, where she could barely see Peter's darkened window from where she rested against the door. "I hope they are right and you do have the identical one Peter" she said softly to herself.
The Next Afternoon
It was only an hour passed lunch, Mr. And Mrs. Darling eagerly awaiting the grandfather clock to chime three, in the drawing room. Their nerves were high, along with their excitement, but they knew this was the right young man for their daughter.
The boys all played in the nursery, also very excited for the revealing of the new suitor. They played their games of Pirates and Indians, once and a while glancing with nervous excitement at the coco clock that was high on the wall. They too knew they could trust this one. They also had a vague idea of who the suitor might be. John and Curly retelling of what they saw at the ball. The boys excitement lifting.
Wendy was quietly sitting in her room. She sat at her burrow, gazing at her reflection in the mirror, wondering how she should perfect herself for later this afternoon. Unlike Millicent, the Darling parents entrusted Wendy to prepare herself for the suitor her own way. Knowing that she put up with Millicent for too long, and finally granted her freedom. Mrs. Darling even offered if she needed any help, but Wendy just shook her head in mock laughter.
A sigh escaped Wendy, and her eyes traveled to the clock at her bedside, her heart pounding harder as she saw how close it turned, minute by minute, to three o'clock. Turning back to the burrow, Wendy's eyes fell upon the Neverland rose, still beautifully placed, standing tall in the water she'd put it in. Then her gaze traveled to the woven crown the Indians had given her when Peter took her to back to that magical Island, during the ball.
Turning back to the mirror with another huff, a smile suddenly spread across Wendy's lips as she suddenly knew how to present herself when Peter finally came, late in the afternoon. First, she locked the door, wanting privacy in perfecting herself, and wanting it to be a surprise to everyone.
Finally, the grandfather clock, and the coco in the Nursery chimed three, and all, except for Wendy of course, hurried towards the front door, eagerly awaiting for the knock on the door by the suitor. The family waited and waited, Mr. Darling checking his watch constantly for the time.
"He's thirty seconds late" Mr. Darling said irritably, he always hated when people were late, even within seconds. Mrs. Darling was about to comment on his rudeness, when all were interrupted by a sudden knock on the door. Three soft knocks to be precise, and all rushed to gather around the door to see the suitor.
"Now Boys" Mrs. Darling said, motioning for the boys to step back from the door. The boys all rushed to gather in a line, farther from the door, to let their mother have room to open in, and the suitor walk in. With a pleased smile, at the boys fixing themselves in preparation. Mrs. Darling turned towards the door, and delicately placed her hand onto the brass knob, and turned it slightly, pulling it open. Her smile widened as she was met with the very young man Anna Keating had described.
"Hello dear" she greeted. "Please come in!" motioning for him to come along inside. As Mrs. Darling pulled the door wider, the boys all got a first look at the young man coming to court their sister.
They took in everything about him. His fancily combed hair, his sparkling blue eyes, his wide glowing smile and rosy cheeks, the beautifully brushed out suit that he wore.
However they did recognize that he was their former leader. By the way his eyes sparkled, longing for adventure, away from the gritty old world, and he mischief in his happy, curved smile. "That's who you saw at the ball?" asked Michael, quietly whispering to Curly.
The curly blond seemed to be in shock for a moment at how clean Peter looked. "Yes, that's Peter" Curly whispered back.
"Pleasure to meet you…" Mr. Darling stepped forward and extended his hand in welcome. " Peter Keating, Mr. Darling sir" Peter greeted back, shaking the man's hand tightly. The boys saw that their father was quite pleased with Peter already. "Welcome to our home" Mrs. Darling greeted, slightly curtsying to him.
"I'm very honoured to be in this most elegant of houses Mrs. Darling" Peter said with confidence, taking the woman's hand and lightly kissing it. "I'm delighted to meet you too" Peter continued, when he straightened once more. Mrs. Darling gave out a shy laugh before going to the staircase and announcing to her daughter that the suitor was here. Peter didn't hear a response for her greeted the boys.
"I'm here" Wendy's heavenly voice came to the bottom of the stairs and everyone looked up to her. They watched in silent wonder as she swiftly made her way down the stairs.
Peter seemed to be speechless, for he found she was absolutely stunning in her flowing blue dress, he hair in a braid, thrown over one shoulder, tied together with, what he noticed was the ribbons attached to the woven crown the Indians had given her. Her glowing face was touched with perfectly even and light coloured make up, her lips coloured of cherries.
Suddenly he was broken out of his thoughts, as he found she had stopped before him. Her beautiful cheery smile never faltering, but she giggled nervously as she noticed his embarrassment. With a smile coming to his own lips, he bowed low to the beauty, Wendy beautifully curtsying back to him. Her parents watched proudly, the exchange between the two, knowing that there was instant chemistry.
"Boys, why don't you go up to play in the nursery while we go have some tea in the drawing room?" Mr. Darling asked the boys.
The boys nodded sadly, hoping to have some time to catch up with Peter., but they knew they must obey, and filed up to the nursery.
"You will join us Mr. Keating?" Mr. Darling asked, breaking Peter and Wendy from their loving gazes. "Yes Mr. Darling sir" he answered, turning back to Wendy. "I'd be delighted" he finished, offering his arm to her. With a slight, nervous laugh, Wendy linked her arm with his, and they followed the Darling parents into the sunlit drawing room.