Peter was having a hard time being mad; how could he be, he did nothing wrong. If anything he was a reluctant spectator-slash-participant. He didn't say no, he didn't resist her advances. He sighed. He did feel something deeper though, something that assured and scared him at the same time. He felt that his heart would break if she ever left, he… "Peter? We should talk." Peter snapped, "No and that's the end of it." He internal smacked himself, she was right but even after the fact he didn't want her to stay in this place, his home, now that he knew wasn't her people. The ones around them, his friends, were his. He stayed focused on the road, they needed to be at the Lewis's by noon for lunch, Mrs Lewis insisted they stop in before heading home. Char hated being brushed off like that but she knew by Peter's demeanour and fewer words than normal, as few as they were on a normal morning, he was in a mood. She, when she left him almost asleep the night prior, he seemed alright, she thought he had a good night. She certainly did… "Well I'm going to talk and you're gonna listen." She huffed and then calmed herself. "I came to you last night because I was happy, happy that you found out about me in a way, that you could see that I wasn't all entirely helpless or a useless as a person. That I was someone who truly got into a bad situation and wanted to run away from it all. I wanted to vanish for a bit to think things through, I, I wasn't expecting to find you or everyone so kind and willing to leave me be, to do all that thinking and soul searching while I healed." She sighed. "I was happy that, that weight was lifted," She glanced over to Peter who had his eyes fixed on the road and was emotionless. "I wanted to know if I could still be with someone." He didn't even blink. He was stone. "I'm sorry if I used you like that, I didn't even stop to consider that, and I'm sorry." He gave a nondescript grunt. She turned her eyes to the road and the place that they were heading to, the Lewis estate. She wanted to tell him that she wasn't going to settle for just anyone, not after what she had been through with James, she wanted someone that she had grown to trust; someone that she truly cared about but with Peter in his non communicative mood and her unwillingness to divulge anything about James, she stayed silent. Peter knew that he'd been to the Lewis estate before, he was a bit too young to recall the whole visit; he did remember that it was the one time his mother was with him and pa, and how absolutely strict she was with him to be on his BEST behaviour because she didn't want to be embarrassed, she wanted to be invited back. His mom never was invited back, no matter how much she tried for a second invitation. It wasn't his fault, he remembered he was scared stiff at a whipping if he dared speak out of turn or move without being instructed to do so. He once mused that Mrs Lewis probably noticed how terrified he was and took it out on his mom. He pulled into the circular drive and hopped out of the cab and quickly went around to open Char's door for her. He watched her eyes look about the place in all its grandness. "The Lewisis do very well." Char muttered under her breath, 'Good for them, hard dedicated work should be rewarded.' He also noticed how she glanced down at what she was wearing; no they didn't pack any nicer clothes for a visit and he quickly gathered that Char was feeling the same as he did, under dressed. "They are salt of the earth people Char, don't let the place say different." - They were greeted at the door and quickly showed into the cooled air conditioned entry. The Lewis's led them to where lunch was waiting for them in the atrium that was two stories high with a glass roof; it was flooded with light and filled with all sorts of plants. Peter watched Char as she quietly listened to Mrs Lewis, she hardly looked at the rooms they had walked through. It was a stark contrast from when his mother first saw the place, she guacked at every little thing. They sat down at the set table and plates set with food were being placed in front of them. Mrs Lewis was beside herself, "Did you have fun at the party Charlotte?" Char assumed right, she would be the centre of attention for this visit, "Very much. Your friends were so kind Mrs Lewis, I can't thank you enough for introducing me." Char noticed the boys already digging into the food. "I'd also like to thank you for the invite today." "Oh my dear, think nothing of it. I wanted to visit with you a little more before you went off again around the world." Char gave her head a shake, "No, no more world tours for me now sadly," She shrugged, "it was very stressful being on them and I guess I have come to love the slowing down of life recently; not being the one on a stage every night gives me more time to compose. Did you like what I played last night, it was my latest piece." Mrs Lewis's eyes grew, "I thought so and yes I did. I started picking out your technique even before I saw you were at the keys." Peter piped up, "Sorry darlin', when did you compose it?" He was very certain he'd never seen her with a notebook or any scrap of paper. Charlotte gulped and Mrs Lewis spoke up, "I thought Mrs Evans would of told you, probably too modest I guess but she is a fluid creator. It's all in her head and has been since she started playing at a young age; a modern day prodigy." Char scooped some of her lunch into her mouth and hoped the conversation would take another direction but Mrs Lewis continued, "She completed highschool at a very young age and moved on to music studies quickly after. I do believe there were other minor studies degrees she accomplished. There were world tours and playing for heads of state as well as dignitaries, it was quite the career she had before she vanished and ended up with you Peter." Mrs Lewis almost sounded as if she was scolding Peter, for stopping her very public career. Char started feeling nervous about being asked to fill in the blank but Mr Lewis chimed in, "Which all lead to the finest event of the year, the 'Cattlemen yearly gala'. The boys snorted and kept eating and talking amongst themselves. "I did have a lovely time last night, so glad I made it out for it." Char caught Peter glancing at her a few times as Mrs Lewis was speaking to the waiter and Mr Lewis was getting another helping of string beans. She was still glad that Peter was learning about her from people he knew and not from her; doubting her honesty. Truth be told, she would have been glad if no one recognized her at all. "The roses at the entryway were very lovely Mrs Lewis, what are they called?" She had enough sense not to attempt to pick through her last few years of her whereabouts. Mrs Lewis started spouting off Latin names and the breeders of the specimens as Char nodded and took it all in; she of course knew the translations of the names and could have probably picked out all the flowers from the names she was given. Mrs Lewis then decided to give her a tour of the gardens after their meal. — By the time they left the place and were headed back home Peter was a combination of spent and irritated. He hated leaving Buster and Sam in the care of Vicky even though he knew they were in the best hands possible. He did have it firmly in mind to see Charlie as soon as possible to let him know all he found out about Char; he was conflicted though. They reached home and Char jumped out of the cab before the engine was turned off and went to the barn to see Buster Peter guessed. He then saw Vicky at the barn door and decided that he wasn't going to have any of that and called for Sam. Sam appeared at the barn door, tail wagging. Peter grumbled and went inside to see what culinary disaster Vicky left for them. Char could tell that Vicky was all curious as to how the weekend went so she started spilling, "I found the place you told me about but they didn't have my size in what I wanted; the lady was so nice and called around and they sent me to another place that did have the dress. The shoe place was perfect and when I told them where I'd be going to get my hair done they called ahead and sent a car… I was floored." Vicky squealed, "I'm so glad it worked out, I was so stressed about it all weekend. The hotel was nice huh…" Vicky pressed. "Very nice! They, Mr and Mrs Lewis had our room upgraded!" Char didn't have the heart to tell Vicky of all the exotic places she's been and all the luxurious hotels she stayed at; she wanted to let her have her excitement for the moment. She was sure the truth would reach her soon enough. Char most certainly didn't want to share what happened the night before. Vicky squealed again in her excitement. "Ugh, I'm so glad you had a nice time in the city, what a treat!" Vicky put away the brush she was using on Buster so he could go sniff Char. They didn't spend too long chatting so Vicky gathered her things from the house and took off leaving them to have the supper she prepared for them. Peter had sampled and tossed what was inedible and whipped up something extra for their supper. Neither of them were that hungry but it was just as well that they ate something. He was debating picking up the phone and calling Charlie when Char came in; she set herself to setting the table and getting some cold tea poured. He thought it would be fine waiting until they went to town in a few days, waiting would not hurt anything.