Lunette was well packed and as she looked over herself in the far mirror she thought for a moment she looked like her mother. Her hair was wild, and not pinned back as it usually was and her teal blue eyes sparkled with excitement that had not been in them in quite some time. She walked to the mirror and raised her hand to touch her reflection. She had almost forgotten what her mother looked like and she looked at the faded picture that she had tucked into the frame of the mirror. She touched it, her fingers rasping over the curling edges.
She missed her. She lifted her head and then pulled her hair back to pin it into place. There, she looked nothing like her mother. She had spent years trying to not look like her because she wanted to pull away from the rumors that surrounded her mother. That her mother had supposedly slept her way to a senator's bed and seduced him into marrying her. And she turned away from her reflection and decided to grab her bag and not look back. It was time to go. And she headed straight out the door and eased outside after locking her door behind her.
She walked calmly through the empty streets. As it was early and she needed to be at the port in nearly an hour's time. They would be leaving very early today, earlier than when the merchants would open their shops. She carried her bags with ease, knowing she had packed enough for the mere two weeks that she would be gone. She wondered what she would find at Tortucana. Were the stories she had heard as a child really true? Were there women in the streets and drinking all day? Was it merely a place for a 'good time'? And she continued towards Amelia's home. As she arrived she found the children wishing her a farewell and as she approached a lackey picked her bags from her hands and loaded them into the cruiser.
A hand touched her shoulder and she turned to find Delbert. His eyes held worry, but also, excitement for her. She smiled for him and said, "I need to do this." He nodded and pulled her to him, to hug her. "Be safe," he said. And as he pulled away another hand caught hers and lips touched hers for a moment's time before they pulled away and she found Jackson once more, standing before her with his doggish smile. "Come back to me," he said sweetly and she frowned at him before she pulled away. "Don't do that," she groused. And as she eased away from him she turned and her eyes fell upon Jim. Who was watching them rather closely. She blushed madly and hoped he had heard her words to Jackson. But when he abruptly turned away, allowing them privacy, she realized he hadn't. She inwardly cringed. And eyed Jackson as she stepped over to the cruiser until he caught her arm and whispered to her, "Don't fall for Uncle Jim. He'll break your heart." Her eyes widened at him and she smartly said, "You know me better than that."
And the lackey pulled the door open for her and took up her hand in a formal fashion to let her step up and into the cruiser. And in short time she found herself sitting next to Amelia while Jim took a seat across from them. The ride was quiet, as the early morning was. But it was uncomfortable as well. Until Amelia said, "I hope my son's paws do not roam too much." Lunette blushed madly but said, "He enjoys to jest with me. And it does make me a bit uncomfortable."
"Yes, I've noticed dear. Especially with my husband trying to play matchmaker with you two," Amelia said as she peered out the window. Lunette felt Jim's eyes on her, but she refused to let her eyes meet his. "I do not view Jackson in such a fashion," Lunette admitted. Amelia nodded. "You've requested him to stop?" Jim's voice cut through and Lunette's head turned to look at him. She smiled sweetly. "I have asked him plenty of times to stop. But recently he seems rather persistent lately," she said. Amelia laughed for a moment. "It has nothing to do with your father requesting you to find a husband," she mentioned and Lunette groused out, "I hope not." Jim looked at her and saw Lunette's eyes flash with anger while her chest took in a deep breath. "He wants me to marry because he believes I am lonely."
"Are you?" Jim asked. Her eyes looked into his and she said truthfully, "Of course." She rested her elbow onto the edge of the window and peered outside. "But finding someone to love me is difficult. I am not a woman a man will love." The cruiser jostled a bit and Amelia looked at Lunette and asked, "Do you not fancy Jackson in that manner?"
"I never have Amelia," she reasoned. "And your son is too young," she added. And then Jim asked a question to Lunette that she was not prepared for. "Well, what kind of man do you fancy?" Lunette's eyes went wide. Her head snapped back to look at him and she shook her head. Before she sadly said, "I have no answer for that." And with that they pulled into the docks and the cruiser came to a halt. "We are here Captain," the lackey announced and Jim watched as Lunette escaped the small cabin of the cruiser. Her door left open for Amelia. He had seen the loneliness in her eyes and knew then she was just as he was.
Lonely.