Chapter 4: Spring picnic
It was a beautiful day for a picnic. Spring was resplendent this year, with bluebells and poppies dotting the fields and the forests green with new growth. Yet Rachel grimaced as she watched George speak softly to Lissa. Lissa giggled and peeked through her charcoal lashes at him and George smiled back, obviously charmed. Rachel turned back to face Edmund as she heard him ask her something. He had been trying to amuse her with some anecdote from college. As usual she hadn't been listening, precedent indicated that this story would be just as boring as the others. She looked up guiltily at Edmund, unconsciously mirroring Lissa's glances.
"I'm sorry Edmund, what did you ask me?" he raised an eyebrow at her and she continued quickly
"I couldn't sleep well… that storm last night kept me awake. I could hear the windows rattling, it was a bit worrying …". Rachel looked coyly away. She hadn't actually been frightened. Quite the opposite. She loved storms, they enthralled her; their power, their raw energy. When she was young she'd used to run out and dance in the rain, feeling tiny amidst the torrent. Unfortunately, she was too old for such antics now, but it didn't mean she couldn't watch. Yesterday evening she had been awake, but her nose had been pressed against the cool glass of her window as she delighted in the wind causing the trees' branches to sway from side to side. She had watched the rain lash against the windows with glee, yearning to go outside.
"On the contrary Miss Darcy," replied Edmund
"You really must call me Rachel, Edmund" interrupted Rachel, placing a hand carefully on his arm. He cleared his throat, blushing;
"Of course, Rachel," he said with a significant look at her "anyway, it's perfectly natural to be worried, storms can cause a lot of damage… Well, of course, not to houses such as yours, you have no need to feel threatened… but to other infrastructure"
Rachel sighed "It's so silly to be worried, nothing could possibly happen to me… I just" she trailed off with another sigh.
"Oh, no" faltered Edmund "I don't want you to think that. You are right, in a way, sometimes damage can be caused, fires started by lightning strikes and..."
"Edmund, you think our house could be struck by lightning?" Rachel exclaimed. Edmund looked confused.
"No, no, I'm sure that wouldn't happen, it was just an example of what could…" He trailed off lamely. Rachel grinned at him – could he even tell she was making fun of him? She shook her head gently and continued.
"Fortunately it's a lovely day today. Look how beautiful the bluebells are" she motioned to where the lovely blue heads were nodding in the breeze. As he looked at where she was pointing, she looked at Pen and emphatically widened her eyes. She needed an excuse to escape this conversation. Pen grinned and called out from where she sat with two other friends;
"Rachel, we have an argument to settle and we need your input! Edmund, could you spare her for a few moments?".
Rachel looked at Edmund eagerly.
"Yes of course, an argument couldn't possibly be settled without Rachel's opinion." replied Edmund smoothly, Rachel raised her eyebrows; that had sounded almost sarcastic. But no, Edmund had turned to smile back at her with his with his usual wide-eyed innocence - he didn't have a sarcastic bone in his body. Rachel ran over to where Pen and her friends were sitting
"Thank-you!" she giggled
"As dull as ever?" asked Pen sympathetically
"Sadly yes." replied Rachel glumly "I really don't know how George can be such good friends with him. I've tried forcing myself to pay attention, but it's absolutely impossible." The girls laughed.
"Maybe he's intimidated?" asked Helen curiously, a blonde-haired friend whom they had known since childhood.
"Intimidated by little old me?" laughed Rachel "Well if that's the case I guess I ought to be flattered!"
"I haven't spoken to him a great deal" said Margaret "but when I did, he was actually quite entertaining, once he'd loosened up"
"Oh Maggie, always so charitable. Even if it's true, I already have trouble enduring a few seconds of his conversation, I absolutely couldn't deal with a few minutes of it until he 'loosens up' as you say" exclaimed Rachel. The girls all laughed, except Margaret. She knew there was no point arguing, once Rachel made up her mind on somebody, it was impossible to change her opinion.
"Maybe what Maggie said is true Rachel, perhaps you should give him another chance?" said Pen provokingly
"I promise I will, once you accept Richard over there …" she replied smugly. They all looked over to the young man in question and burst into giggles. He was a stocky gentleman, who was already showing the early signs of balding.
"Ugh Rachel, don't talk to me about him, no matter what I say it's impossible to discourage him! And you are completely to blame."
"How is Rachel to blame?' asked Maggie with interest
"She told me that if I rejected him, other men would be too scared to talk to me! And now I can't get rid of him." replied Pen heatedly.
"Oh, come on Pen, you were far too encouraging from the start." countered Rachel
"Well what was I supposed to do! Everybody had been ignoring him at Helen's gathering. I couldn't have just let him stand there by himself!"
"No good deed goes unrewarded" chuckled Helen, at which Rachel burst into laughter.
"You two are incorrigible" replied Pen, exasperated. Rachel and Helen exchanged mirthful looks.
"Oh Pen, it is nice having somebody to adore you though, isn't it?" wheedled Rachel
"Maybe for you! At least Edmund is relatively attractive. That can hardly be said for Richard" said Pen grumpily
"Edmund is hardly handsome…" replied Rachel, looking at him properly for the first time in a while. She supposed that he did have nice eyes, but, although his face had lost some of its boyishness, it was still too round for her tastes. Her eyes strayed to George. No, she preferred dark eyes and aquiline features…
"At least you two have admirers." Said Helen petulantly. Rachel forced her attention back to the conversation as Helen continued dramatically "Because if you're not interested, you should set them adrift for us poor souls!". Rachel laughed
"We're hardly at fault, it's not us who steal the attention of all the men" she glanced significantly at Lissa. The other girls grimaced.
"I wouldn't want a gentleman who falls for that act…. Although Rachel, I'd warn your George. He seems quite under her spell" said Helen, with a sly glance at Rachel.
"George is too smart to fall for that." Rachel replied confidently "It's a passing fancy. Men can hardly help being caught up in those lovely cobalt eyes." She continued sarcastically
"She can't help being beautiful" sighed Maggie
"Oh Maggie, if it was just her beauty I wouldn't have an issue with her, but she collects them like toys…and doesn't care who she takes them from" said Pen quietly, eyes narrowed.
All of the girls looked at Pen. There was a slight pause before Maggie finally said
"Pen, Elliot was never a real option." Pen turned fiercely to Maggie
"I wasn't referring to that!" she said sharply. Rachel looked sadly at Pen
"You know he was just after a fortune Pen, it never would have worked …"
"I said this is not about Elliot!" Pen replied tightly. The girls exchanged looks. No matter how much she denied it, they knew it was. Pen had been in love with Elliot. Head over heels, willing to do anything for him, in love. Then Pen's grandfather had died and hadn't left any inheritance to her family. And within a day Elliot's affections had abruptly switched to Lissa, the rich beautiful heiress. And Lissa had welcomed them.
Pen had been devastated and it was one of few times when Rachel had played a truly protective role. The group had shunned any further interactions with both individuals and had been relieved when Elliot had suddenly left the country. Probably to find a rich wife in America, Rachel thought darkly. Even a half year later Pen wasn't over the experience and was yet to show interest in other suitors.
Maggie thoughtfully changed the topic and they began to discuss what they would wear to Rachel's birthday celebration the following weekend. It was the first time since her father's death that people would dine at her house. She felt a pang at the realisation but quickly quelled it. She was ready, and her Aunt had agreed to host the event. Plus, George would be there to help her the entire evening. If George was there she could do it. Rachel looked over affectionately at George but narrowed her eyes as she watched him interact with Lissa. The two had locked eyes and she could just see George being sucked in. Well, Rachel would have to put a stop to that.