Chapter 5 Part II

Hetty King, September 1876, Aged 17

"Oh it's going to be so much fun Hetty, why don't you come with us?" My roomate was currently practicing her odd version of the Waltz in the free space of our room. Tonight was what she kept referring to as "the big night" as her newest beau was coming over from across across campus (our school being a small offshoot of the Prince of Wales College) where he was studying Latin or something equally as useless.

"I wouldn't feel right, intruding on your big evening with Norbert" I said, somewhat sulkily, from the chair and desk in our little shared room.

"You wouldn't be intruding! Norby's bringing a bunch of his friends along. It will be fun. I bet you're great at dancing!" I hated to admit it, but her smile was infectious, and I really hadn't any beaus since Romney.

"I don't dance Anne." It was the truth

"Then don't dance. Just come and flirt like mad with all the attractive boys. Please?! It won't be any fun without you.

Honestly, the thought of going to a dance scared me. I had never really been to one with people I did not know. But, that was why I left Avonlea, wasn't it? To meet new people, learn about the world beyond Avonlea.

"I guess it would be fun to meet some people..." I had little time to say anything else as Anne came bounding over to hug me. "I promise you'll have the best time. Maybe we'll even find you a beau"

"And maybe one day pigs will fly." I said under my breath. Thankfully Anne did not hear me, I thought she was rather flippant, but she was so very kind, and being away from Avonlea I needed all the friends I could find.

What I thought would be a night to forget began at 6pm that night, when Norbert came to pick up Anne and myself. The group of attractive men that Anne had gone on about turned out to be one man; Wallace Duncan. Taller than me he had black hair and beautiful blue eyes, he had yet to outgrow that awkward gawky manner of most young men, but somehow, with him it seemed natural, and not in any way abnormal. From the moment Norbert and Anne were together, they forget about us, instead focussing so intently on one another I thought I might have seen smoke coming out of their ears at some point during the night. However, Wallace was quite handsome, so I did not particularly mind.

"You must be Annes' roommate, I'm Wallace Duncan.

"Glad to make your acquaintance, I'm Hetty. Henrietta King."

He smiled at me then, a completely goofy smile that made my heart feel odd for a second. "I see Anne and Norbert aren't going to be much company tonight." He said as they began walking away from the two of us.

"I suppose not, but we better catch up with them, I have no idea where we're going."

He began laughing and offered his arm to me "Me neither." And so we walked.

The night outside was one of those perfect fall nights where the air has just got a chill to it, but not enough to be uncomfortable. However, despite our previous rapport, Wallace was not as talkative as he had been when we first met.

"Hetty, there's something I've got to tell you."

"Hm?"

"Well...you see...the thing is..."

"Yes..."

"I'm a lousy dancer. The only reason I came along to the dance was because Norbert said there would be free cookies. I'm sorry if you wanted to dance or anything...Not that you still can't...I mean ... you're free to dance with whomever you like. Just so long as it's not me. I'm sorry I didn't say anything earlier. You're just so pretty and me ... I just have two left feet and didn't want to see like such a fool."

Honestly I blocked him out after 'you're just so pretty'. In my life I had always been complimented on a number of features and attributes: punctuality, precision, perseverance, etc. But, never once in my life had anyone called me pretty. "Pretty"

"I'm sorry, what?"

I couldn't believe I had said that outloud. I was a future teacher, maybe, a future teacher should have better control over herself. "The sky" I said, grasping desperately for the words, any words to make it better. "The sky is really pretty tonight."

He looked up "it is, isn't it? You know back where I'm from there's this beautiful beach and sometimes my friends and I all go out there and just look up at the sky and the stars."

"Sounds romantic." Would I ever stop putting my foot in my mouth?

"Maybe" he said in a tone that almost sounded wistful "I've been so busy lately I haven't gone in a long time. I'd almost forgotten about it until you mentioned the sky."

So as to not bore anyone the conversation continued on like that for the next ten minutes until we finally reached the barn where the dance was held. True to his word Wallace did not dance at all, and even though I was asked by several gentlemen - including poor Norbert who was probably doing so under the threat of Anne - I turned them all down, choosing to stay with Wallace instead. About halfway through he looked at me, with his head cockeyed. "You know you didn't have to."

"Didn't have to what?"

"Stay here with me. I promise I'll behave if you go dance with someone else." I wondered if he ever really stopped smiling.

"To be honest, I don't really dance either. Too frivolous for me."

"Frivolous? Goodness girl is your vocabulary is any indication of your brain, you'll win the gold medal for sure!"

"You really think so?"

"Sure, you seem very intelligent, and if what you tell me about your siblings is true then you're very dedicated as well. Intelligence and dedication go a long way to earning that medal. Or, so I've been told."

"Well, I appreciate your faith. Thank-you."

"You're welcome." As we continued to talk his mind seemed to be miles away, though he did manage to continue a coherent conversation. But, eventually he came back into focus, and we talked for hours. Talking to him, at least for me, was an odd experience. Never before in my life had I met someone who was interested in the same things that I was. Here was a person I had never met before, that I wasn't related to, and really had no general reason that demanded that he pay attention to me, and yet he did, despite several young ladies who tried to attract his attention otherwise. Except for a brief period he focused on me and accepted me for who I was, and asked nothing in return except for a bit of intelligent conversation. I don't think I could really remember the last time that had happened. And, before I knew it the dance was over, and it was time to go back to our dormitories.

Like any proper young gentlemen of their day, both Wallace and Norbert escorted myself and Anne to the outside of our dorm building. It was late of course, about 10 pm, but we had gotten special permission and on a Friday night, such as that was we were allowed out until 11pm, as that was when matron Taylor - our house mother - went to bed. To give them the utmost privacy, and because neither of us wanted to hear what they were saying, Wallace and I stood off to the side of Anne and Norbert as they talked to each other.

"Miss King, Hetty, I want to thank-you for tonight, I had a good time."

"I had a lovely time as well."

"You know, I was wondering if ... well if..."

I couldn't imagine what he would ask of me, maybe it was needed some tutoring. I raised my eyebrow at him - like I would if one of the children were avoiding a topic. "Yes..."

"Would you like to step out with me some time?"

"Step out? With you?" I wondered if I was hearing him correctly. That is to say ever since mother had died no one had even looked at me in a romantic way, never mind anyone asking if I wanted to step out. After the children came along I became untouchable, never to be approached by the young men of Avonlea. It had prematurely aged me in both spirit and humour, even I could recognize that. And, as sad as it may seem to some, for me it was cold hard fact. It was safe. Not having a beau meant not having to expose yourself to undue emotions, moments of weakness, heartbreak. I always assumed I would be an old maid, no matter what I had thought about going to school, teaching and being married, I only believed that those first two would happen. I had my siblings to take care over, by the time Olivia would be eighteen, I would be thirty-one and beyond the age of confirmed old maid.

As I reasoned with myself I wondered how long Wallace had been standing there, how long I had been thinking inwardly. He must have thought I was an imbecile not saying anything, perhaps not even looking at him. Yet, as I came to my senses, and looked around I realized that he was still looking at me, intent as ever, waiting for my reply. As we locked eyes I instantly directed both my eyes and my entire head downward, and then back up to look at him.

"Stepping out with you sounds lovely." I smiled at him, praying that he hadn't changed his mind. It took several seconds for my words to sink in, but, as they did his face lit up like Ruths on Christmas morning.

"Oh Hetty! You've made me so happy. Oh what shall we do? Where can we go? When are you free?"

With all of his excitement it was my turn laugh at him, and what a funny sight it was. There stood Wallace, all six, or more, feet of him, tall and lanky, smiling like he had just one first prize in a county fair, I swear his voice rose about two octaves as he spoke going from it's normal baritone to something resembling Alec's voice which at it's age of twelve years was beginning to crack with hilarious results.

It was then I realized that, as I had forgotten, we were not alone.

"Seems like you've cast quite a spell on him Hetty King."

"I have done no such thing Anne Marland, he asked me if I would step out with him sometime and I accepted." The goofy smiles on not only on Wallaces face, but also on the faces of Anne and Norbert as well were all quite endearing. "Now Anne we best get inside Matron Taylor will be going to bed soon."

"I suppose" she said, quite glumly as if I was the one who invented the term of curfew "Goodnight Norbert" she smiled at him as she made her way up the stairs. I swore I could already hear Matron tutting at us. "Goodnight Wallace" Anne called from the top of the outside steps.

"Goodnight Norbert. It was nice meeting you." Wallace still looked a bit in a daze, but a happy daze at least. "You better get him home" I said nodding towards Wallace "before he forgets to walk home." I smiled at Norbert "goodnight." I looked at Wallace and smiled, not truly sure if he could see me. "Goodnight Wallace" I said as I turned to walk up the stairs, but as I did he grabbed my hand.

"Goodnight Hetty King" he smiled at me then, as he usually did as if he saw no one else but me. He lifted my hand then and kissed it. After that I don't remember much of what happened. I know Matron Taylor came flying from the building - in her great black dress it did in fact look as if she was literally a great giant black crow. She ushered both Anne and myself into the building, but I was not there, not in spirit anyway. All I could see was Wallace, as focused on me as I was on him. There was no world beside him. At least, no world that I was in anyway conscious of. In those moments it was just Wallace and I, as it would be for almost the entirety of that term. The only time in my life when I had time for any sort of young foolish romance, and with the only boy I would choose to have it with.

A/N - Hi everyone. Hope you're enjoying. This part of the story has really taken on wings of its own -more than I thought it would. So, just for the sake of soothing my writing soul there will be two more chapters about Hetty and the normal school.

In that same vein there is something I would like to mention. Silly me forgot that it was mentioned in RTA where Hetty (and Muriel Stacey) went to college. The school that was mentioned in not only this chapter, but the previous one is, or was, a normal school and associated University that were located in Charlottetown and in operation at the same time as when Hetty would have been going to school. So, in going for historical accuracies I made more story even more AU than I had meant. Sorry about that. Either way I hope everyone is enjoying! Reviews are still always loved! 3's V