"I was thinking about going to go watch the new movie Rebecca that is out, would either of you be interested in it tonight?" Rilla asked her two eldest who were sitting around the table doing homework.
"Dad won't take you?" Oliver says curiously.
"He would, but then if you wanted to come we would have to find something for Clara to do or have Mrs. Clarke spend her Saturday evening minding her," Rilla tells them. "I also thought it would be nice for the three of us to do something together. Get ice cream afterwards,"
"I was supposed to go out with Robert?" Rowena says quietly.
"I'll go with you, the book was all right," Ollie says gruffly getting up from the tables.
"You read it?" Rilla looks at her son in surprise.
Oliver shrugs his shoulders, "You left it out and I was bored, the whole gothic house and crazy housekeeper."
Rilla smiles at him. "What are you and Robert doing?" She asked Rowena.
"We were going to go get milkshakes and walk around the park?" Rowena tells her dreamily.
"Well be good, and be safe," Rilla tells her. "And wash off that make-up you think I don't see it?"
"But mom!" Rowena groans.
"No point in lipstick if you're going to let him lick it off of you anyway," Ollie says under his breath.
"Well, at least I've kissed someone unlike you," Rowena bites back.
"I've kissed people," Oliver glares at her.
"Your hand and mom don't count," Rowena mocks him more.
"All right both of you stop it," Rilla warns them both. "Wash off your face Rowena, powder and a bit of pink lipstick is one thing, but all of the other can wait until you're sixteen. Ollie…don't taunt your sister like that." She looks at them both before Rowena stomps off.
Rilla looks around before sitting down at the table, grinning. "So who have you kissed do we know them?"
"Mom!" Ollie blushes, clamming up.
"Oh really, you cannot offer such information up and then not tell me," Rilla grins. "Is it that girl from the dance? Is it Lucy from down the street? Bobbie?" Rilla says it so casually that she doesn't think Oliver even catches on until it sinks in enough as he gets up and takes a glass of water.
"All right then, well the movie is at eight be ready by seven, we'll drive down to the winter theatre?" Rilla tells and waits for Oliver to nod his head.
"Tell Clara I'll help her a bit with her puzzle before we leave if she wants?" Oliver says going towards the dining room where a large puzzle is laid out half finished.
Rilla nods her head, deciding to change now for the movies while she has leisurely time to do so.
"Mummy, why can't I ever go to the movies?" Clara asks as she sits on the bed as Rilla changes out of her dress, fresh from her bath.
"You saw Wizard of Oz not long ago, and there is another Disney movie coming that we can go see together," Rilla tells her. "But tonight Ollie and I need to have some bonding time," Rilla tells her bopping her nose lightly. "You and Daddy can listen to the radio show and have some time together."
Clara pouts and Rilla shakes her head. "We can go to the park tomorrow together where the ponies are watch them."
"Promise?" Clara clammers excitedly to her knees.
"Promise," Rilla smiles and kisses her forehead as you can hear an argument brewing on the floor below. "Now I think Oliver said he was going to help you work the puzzle?" Rilla tells her pulling on her robe over her undergarments.
"Oh goody!" Clara chirps, jumping off the bed and running down the hall and stairs.
"You are not wearing that sweater, it's too small," Ken's voice bellows below.
"It's perfectly fine, and fitted," Rowena's voice raises. "All the girls wear them these days Dad, it's the style and fashion!"
"And you are not wearing it, I don't remember even buying it for you, because I would have never allowed it, and neither would have your Mother Rowena, so go change or you won't be doing anything tonight and not going out with that boy dressed like that!" Ken threatens.
"Then what am I allowed to wear that doesn't make me like a frumpy old lady or a little girl!" Rowena counters back.
"You are a little girl, Rowena, you are fourteen years old! Be happy that we allow him to be around at all!" Ken reminds her. "What happens when he turns eighteen? What happens then Rowena when other boys ask you to the dances and graduation and he's off in France somewhere trying not to get blown up?"
"Then I'll write to him just like mom wrote to you all those years, he's half of the age difference you and mom were. "Rowena snaps back at him as there is a knock on the door.
"Don't you dare answer that," Ken tells her. "Go change now, or you will be grounded."
Rilla watches her daughter pass her on the stairs storming by in her sweater and loose trousers.
"I hate him," she says angrily. "It's a sweater! I have a shirt under it!"
Rilla just raises her eyebrows. The sweater was tight, but at the same time, it wasn't entirely inappropriate. "Put on your nice new dungarees the ones with buttons down the side and I will calm down your father," Rilla tells her trying to calm her down.
The boy in question was looking oddly nervous in front of Kenneth, dressed in a pair of denim pants and a large plaid jacket.
"I was going to take her to get something sweet and then meet up with friends at the park Sir?"Robert tells Ken awkwardly.
"Just because I tolerate you, that doesn't mean I like you, she's fourteen…" Ken tells him not caring.
"Kenneth!" Rilla admonishes him.
"Have her home by nine, not a minute later," Ken tells him as his eyes narrow and the boy nods his head solemnly.
"Seriously Ken, scaring the boy will not help you," Rilla reminds him as Rowena races out of the house before Ken can say anything. "Fighting with her will only make her want to sneak around, just relax a little, she's a good girl. She knows the boundaries but she is going to grow up Ken."
"And all he's going to do is break her heart, especially when he goes off to war and realizes that it's not pretty and you're stuck there and the threat of being gassed or blown up is higher than ever," Ken says.
"Then let him figure that out, and if we have to put together a broken heart, we put together a broken heart," Rilla says caressing the side of his face gently. "Come on, let's just rest for an hour, Oliver is helping Clara with the puzzle."
"Kids are around?" Ken cocks his head at her suggestion.
"That never stopped you before," Rilla whispers in his ear, before walking away from him and towards the stairs. For a short moment, you could only hear laughter in the house, the sound of the radio being turned on and if you listened carefully enough, the sound of a lock clicking into place.
"Two for Rebecca please," Rilla asks the attendant at the window. "Why don't you go get some popcorn?" She asks Oliver handing him a few coins who nods his head.
There aren't many boys in the theatre, but that doesn't seem to bother Oliver as he finds them seats. He takes her coat from her and places it on the back of the chair before doing the same to his own.
"I'll be right back Mom," He says once she is seated and she nods her head and watches him leave, mostly likely to the men's room. The film is a splendid mix of romance, gothic tones and mystery, with the ever so slight undertones of female sexuality that is not quite the norm with Mrs. Danvers, motherly to the point where motives are questionable if you look hard enough at them.
Instead of going home, she drives down to the lake, parking the car as they finish the popcorn in silence, despite it being February and cold outside.
"What did you like about the movie or even the book?" Rilla nudges him gently. "I feel greatly for the second Mrs. De Winters, but at Mrs. Danvers and that whole plot. I understand that they couldn't put it all within the movie, but they played it off well, even if it went more into a strange motherly sort of infatuation?"
"I guess so?" Ollie says quietly after a moment. "You didn't mind that plot of the book? I mean it is not completely obvious. I doubt Auntie Nan or Persis would get it but it's interesting how she wrote it."
"Sexual attraction is many things Oliver, and sometimes we fall in love with people even when society deems it wrong or not proper," Rilla says after a moment. "The only thing we can do is try our best to ensure that we are not harming people in our quest for resolution of our feelings. It's okay to feel what we feel, but you always have to look at the bigger picture and for your safety?"
"Dad told you didn't he?" Ollie says quietly.
"He wasn't sure when he asked about it," Rilla tells him honestly. "From your writing, not about how he feels about it. He just wants clarification, some sort of information before bringing it up to you," she corrects herself.
"He doesn't get it though," Ollie says quietly. "He told me so."
"He's trying though because he loves you," Rilla reaches to run her hand through his hair lovingly. "All I can say, Ollie, is to be careful the world is not kind to men or women who lead those sort of lives. If you have inclinations towards both sexes, that is common enough as well and maybe it will be easier for you in the long run. To be able to live a…regular life that doesn't have to be hidden in the shadows? Because I may understand, your father in his way, and Jimmy… but other parts of the family may not, most of the family would not."
"Jimmy though?" Oliver says quietly.
"Jimmy is your brother, and as long as you don't give him a real reason to use the laws against you, he will most likely look the other way," Rilla tells him.
"You knew I read the book didn't you?" Oliver asks quietly. "You knew Roe has plans?"
"I just wanted to a chance to talk to you with it seemingly out of the blue," Rilla tells him before leaning towards him. "You never did tell who you kissed though, and I am dying to know?"
"She's still not home," Ken mutters pacing the living room floor as Rilla comes in at ten-thirty with Oliver from the movies.
"What do you mean she's still not home?" Rilla asks concerned as she looks at the time.
"She's not home and I told her to be home by nine!"
"Have you tried calling anywhere?"
"Of course I have! I called his bloody parents' house and got nothing!" Ken slams his hand on the table.
"Calm down," Rilla says to him going to the phone as Ollie stands there. "Is there any place that you know of where kids will hang out?"
"The roller rink sometimes? But people like him just hang around in parks and or drive around in sometimes if there a truck or car available?" Ollie says quietly as the phone rings.
Ken reaches for it.
"Rowena?" He says into the phone. "Where the hell are you!"
"Yelling won't make it better," Rilla says shaking her head and taking the phone. "What happened? Where are you, are you okay?" Rilla asks slightly more calmly before nodding her head.
"They were driving and ended up dodging an animal and drove into a ditch, snow bank. She's okay, they are all alive, the person who found them took them to the hospital to be sure. One, person has a broken arm and has some bumps and bruises. She was in the back seat, it took a while for someone to happen upon them." Rilla relays the information.
"I'll go pick her up," Ken says in a panic.
"I'll come with you, Ollie, stay for Clara will you?" Rilla looks at him, kissing his cheek and grabbing her coat one more, and Kens.
"I knew she was too young for this sort of thing, dating, driving around," Ken mutters. "He got her into a car accident."
"I'm sure he's just as shaken up over this Ken, but just breathe and calm down," Rilla tells him taking his face into her hands. "She's okay, apparently he stopped her from flying out of her seat when it happened."
The drive was quick, being late as it was, and when they were brought to the emergency department they found her sitting on a bed, looking shaken up but unscathed except for her hair being a bit wild, and while three other kids, two boys and another girl were waiting for their parents as well. Except one boy's arms were bandaged up, waiting to be plastered, the girl had a bandage on her forehead and the boy that Ken hated had a bandaged wrist.
"I'm am so…" Robert begins.
"Save it," Ken says cutting him off.
"Daddy please," Rowena speaks up.
"Sir I promise we were on our way to the house when it happened," the other boy spoke up. "My sister has a strict curfew, I wouldn't like Rowena to miss hers. It was an accident truly."
"Of course it was," Rilla says nodding her head. "All that matters is everyone is alive and not badly hurt." She says as other parents begin arriving angry and concerned as the other boy's father smacks him on the side of the head for potentially wrecking the car and making health bills.
While the other girl's mother goes to comfort her daughter.
"Where are your parents?" Rilla looks to Robert not seeing them.
"Mom doesn't drive and Dad is away," he says quietly. "I'll take a taxi home?"
"Nonsense, you live near us don't you?" Rilla says. "We can give you a ride home."
"Pardon! We are not!—" Ken looks at her and she lightly swats his arm. "Yes, dear." He says sighing.