Bewitched

Chapter 14

I awoke to someone knocking on my door. I sat up straight in my bed and looked at the door. Who on earth was doing that?

"Wake up, Suze! Dad's waiting outside," came Jake's tired voice. I knew he hated getting up this early just as much as I did.

I groaned, then replied, "Okay! Let me just change!"

He grunted and I heard his footsteps as he walked away down the hall. I turned around to go to my wardrobe, but when I did, I saw that I was not alone in my room. Then I remembered I had asked Jesse to stay with me last night, and he did.

I smiled as I walked over to him, wrapping my arms around his neck. He smiled back down at me, not saying a word. Not that there really was anything to say, anyway. He leaned down and kissed me lightly, then pulled away and said, "I really must get going. Call me if you need me." And then, before I could even get a word in, he dematerialized, leaving me all alone in my room once again.

I sighed and went back over to my wardrobe, picking out my work dress and hastily put it on. Then I fumbled with my hair, putting it up with the ribbon on top of my vanity, as I ran down the stairs to meet with my step-brothers and step-father.

"Good morning, Suze," Andy greeted me. For the past week, his voice was devoid of the usual cheery-ness it held, but it had come back after the news of my mother.

I smiled at him as we walked back to the plantation, getting ready to work. "Good morning, Andy." No matter how long I have lived with this man, I still could not muster up the strength to call him 'Father', like his sons do. It just does not feel right, what with my father still hanging around somewhere. I figure he is probably watching over my mother in the dungeon-like room that they keep all of the convicted.

After work, Andy asked David and I to go to the market to get some food for supper. I agreed, but told him I wanted to go wash up first. He just nodded his head and went back to talk with his eldest sons.

Once I was finishing washing up, I put on one of my nice dresses and shoes, and went back outside. The sun was fully up now and it was bright. There was not one cloud in the sky. It was a beautiful day for a walk to the market.

I smiled at David as I came down the stairs. "Ready?" he asked. I nodded and we walked out of the house and down to the market. It took about a half hour to get to the market, as usual. It was about a mile and a half away, plus the temperature was beginning to rise. I could feel the perspiration beginning to form along my hairline.

Finally we got there and bought the stuff we needed for supper. It was as David and I were leaving that we saw some people we knew—or rather, I knew. I saw them and tried to steer David and myself away from them as quickly as possible, but they saw us.

"Suze!"

I turned around and plastered a smile onto my face. "Kelly. What a pleasant surprise."

She smiled at me, but I could instantly tell that it was fake. She never liked me, and I could safely say that I returned the favor.

"What are you doing here, Suze?" she asked in that sickly-sweet voice of hers.

"Just picking up some items for supper with my brother," I answered in the same tone as she used. If anyone were to walk by and hear our conversation, they would think we were friends; but just hearing me and her...it was all so fake. So many times I have wanted to just punch her in the face, but I do have some self-restraint—well, maybe not when it concerns Jesse, but that is completely understandable.

She nodded politely. "So..." she said. Now I know why she wanted to talk to me. There was some gossip going around, or something she wanted to know from me. I was so sick of her asking about my step-brother Jake. She has a major thing for him.

I raised my eyebrows. "Yes?"

She paused, not quite sure if she should continue or not. Believe me, I would have been happy if she did not continue, but, alas, she did. "What is this I hear about you and Paul?" she asked.

I seriously should have known. But...how did she find out? "What about me and Paul?" I asked cautiously.

She flicked her hair back over her shoulder as she spoke. "Well," she said, avoiding eye contact with me, "I hear a rumor that he asked you to marry him."

I heard David gasp beside me. That was something I had yet to tell my family. I looked over at him and gave him a glare; he immediately shut his mouth.

"And where did you hear this rumor, Kelly?"

For a second she looked afraid. I can understand; I can be very intimidating when I want to be, and that was one of the times that I wanted to be. "The source is unidentified," she said in a cutting tone. "So, is it true?"

"I'm not quite sure, Kelly. If the source is unidentified, then perhaps the source is wrong."

She sighed. "Fine. Debbie told me, okay? Apparently Brad overheard you talking to someone about it and he told her."

Brad? Oh, I am so going to kill him when I get home. I am serious. He will be dead.

"Well, maybe Brad should get his facts straight before he starts telling Debbie about things he does not know. No, Kelly, Paul did not ask me to marry him. Now, if you will excuse me, David and I have to be heading home." My tone was so cutting and edgy that Kelly was rendered speechless. Of course, I was lying to her. Paul did ask me to marry him, but what she does not know will not hurt her.

I grabbed David's arm and quickly dragged him away from the market place. When we were completely away from Kelly and everyone else, he turned to me and asked, in a very quiet voice, "Is it true, Suze? Did he really ask you to marry him?"

I sighed. I knew this would come up, but I was hoping he would forget about it. "David..." I sighed again. "Yes, it is true."

He bit his lip, as if he was deciding whether or not to say anything else. Then he took a deep breath and asked, "Did you say yes?"

I turned sharply and looked at him. I saw apprehension on his face. I sighed once again and mumbled, "Yes."

He was silent for a few moments, but then he said, "...but you do not love him, do you? You love someone else."

I tried not to let any of my emotions show, but it was way too difficult. Tears were started to well up in my eyes as I tried to push them back. "It would never last," I found myself whispering.

David put his hand on my shoulder and I turned to face him. "Suze, if you really love this man, then it will last. You just have to tell Paul that you changed your mind."

I smiled through my tears. I remember what it was like to be young and ignorant. I shook my head at him. "David, it is just not that simple. I agreed to something and I have to follow through with it."

He nodded. I could tell by the way he was looking at me that he really did understand what I was talking about. "But...what about this other man?" he asked quietly.

I stopped walking and stared straight ahead. "I think he will try and understand." At least, I hope that is what will happen.

David nodded in understanding. He asked no more questions on the way home.

- § -

I was surprised to see that when I got home, someone was waiting for me. It was not one of my family members, or one of my friends, but someone I really did not want to see right then. I am sure you can guess who.

"Suze," Paul greeted me as I walked into the room. He smiled brightly and stood up.

I attempted a smile, but it was not all that bright compared to Paul's. "Hi, Paul. What are you doing here?"

"I came to ask your step-father a question, actually. He said yes, if you were curious."

My eyes widened. I did not even have to ask what question it was that he asked Andy. "Y-you did?"

His grinned. "I figured it would be best to ask for his blessing before I properly proposed to you." He walked closer to me; I could actually feel his breath on my face. Of course, his breath did not smell bad, like some men I know (one of them being Brad).

Then he knelt down on one knee and produced a little box from the pocket of his cloak. "Susannah Simon," he said in a voice I had never heard him use before, "will you marry me?"

(A/N: I was not really sure when men started kneeling down to propose (or even giving rings as they do), but if it was way after this time, I'm sorry. I tried looking it up, but Google failed me.)

I just looked down at Paul. I really wanted to say no, but I could not. I had all ready agreed to it, after all. But, really, what future could Jesse and I have? He was dead and no one could see him (with the exception of Paul and Father Dominic). I loved him, but it would never work out.

So I did what I had to do. I said yes.

Paul grinned as he slipped the small band on my finger. He stood up and kissed me. Luckily there was no other people in the room at the time, or it would be highly inappropriate. I tried to kiss him back, to show him that I really wanted to marry him, but I felt too much like I was betraying Jesse, which, in all actuality, I was.

Paul pulled away and looked at me curiously. "What is wrong?" he asked softly.

I shook my head. "Nothing," I said, not too convincingly. "I think I am just ill. Maybe I should go lay down."

He nodded. "Yes, that might be best." He leaned down and kissed my forehead. "I will see you tonight. Father Dominic said he wanted to speak with you."

"Oh," I said. "All right. I will see you then." He nodded again and then he left.

Now Kelly definitely had some gossip. Brad had to have known about this and he was probably going to tell Debbie. Which reminds me, I have to go talk to him.

I sighed and walked up the stairs toward the bedrooms in the house. When I got to Brad's bedroom, I knocked on the door, waiting for an answer. When I received none, I knocked again and called through the door, "Brad! What are you doing? I need to talk to you!"

Still I received no answer, so I twisted the doorknob and pushed his door open. The sight that was before me as the door swung out of view was enough to make me pass out.

Brad was on the floor, and so was Debbie. Both of them lay there, and I feared they might be dead. I went over to them and felt their necks for a pulse. Brad had one, but Debbie's was slowly diminishing.

"ANDY!" I yelled as loud as I could. I really hoped that he was in the house and not outside, or else he probably would not hear me. "ANDY!" I yelled again.

I looked to the window of the room and saw the last person I wanted to see then. Mary grinned evilly and said with complete malice, "I warned you," and then she disappeared.

A moment later I heard loud, fast footsteps coming towards me. "Suze?" came Andy's soothing voice. "What's wr—?"

He stopped when he saw Brad and Debbie lying on the floor, both unconscious. He turned to me quickly and said, "Go find Jake and tell him to take Dorado" (our horse) "to the doctor. We need him here as soon as possible."

I nodded and fled down the stairs. I found Jake out by the stable and told him what happened and he was on that horse in a heartbeat, riding toward the doctor's home.

Completely distressed, I walked up to the front of our house and slumped against the door. Today was just a complete mess.

As much as I disliked Brad and Debbie, I hoped that they would be all right. I did not want them to die because of me and my curse.