'1882: The Start of Something New'
Lawrence looked nothing like Morgan to me.
He had gorgeous, long, blonde hair, which he kept back in a low ponytail, and blue eyes that made the colors of the reef look dull. His hands were callused in all of the right places, letting on that he had known the harshness of hard work. He wasn’t tall and lanky like Morgan; he was medium height with muscles that came from building houses with his father. He was everything I had dreamed of meeting, and felt he had my heart though I was too shy to talk to him.
I tried to relax myself, and sit down to work on my drawings, but found myself straying away from the scene I was trying to draw, to a more confused one. The reds and pinks, that were supposed to be the flowers around me, suddenly became blue and yellow. The long green stems, turned to medium bulky stalks. The song the bluebirds sang went to the tune of his voice. I was mesmerized, which was new to me, and I was a little afraid of it.
I was awoken from thought as I heard my mother call for me to come in.
“Clara! It's lunchtime!”
“I'm coming mother!”
I grabbed my stuff and headed down the hill.
“Good afternoon honey. Who let you out of the house without your corset on? Did anyone see you?!”
I didn’t know what to say, yes or no…
“No mother, no one,” I tried to smile.
She sighed, “Honey, there are rules to being a lady that you must abide by if you're ever to find a man to marry you.”
“I’m sorry mother, I’ll try harder.”
“That’s my girl, now let’s eat. Mrs. Baker made seafood linguine for lunch.”
She kissed my head and ushered me up the stairs first, to put on a corset under my dress of course.
“I don’t understand why I have to wear this stupid thing. It’s not like my dress isn’t its own form of a corset anyways.”
“I’m sorry miss, I do sympathize with you,” my maid said, as she tightened my strings further.
“So I guess I don’t get a choice between breathing and being a lady.”
“Guess not, miss.”
All through lunch,
Genie couldn’t stop talking about Morgan’s proposal. She was still 'pondering' I assumed, but I knew she wouldn’t take it. She liked being asked, and the day she said yes meant no more attention from suitors, so it was likely she would stretch saying yes as long as she could. I on the other hand, couldn’t stop thinking about Lawrence, and as if she could read my mind, Genie brought him up.
“Morgan’s brother was quite handsome as well, I wonder if I'd turned Morgan down, if he’d ask me?”
“I doubt it.”
It slipped before I could catch it. Oh no, how was I going to explain it?
“What?” My mother and sister asked at the same time, staring at me.
“Uh, I’m sure Morgan’s brother wouldn’t be rude enough to ask you after his brother had. No distinguished man would, would he?”
They eyed me for a second,
and then accepted that I was just 'trying to join the conversation.'
“Well Clara, good point. If he did, you wouldn’t want him anyways Genine,” my mother stated.
Genie stared at me, like she was trying to read my mind. I could feel her prying with her body and eyes to get me to bust myself, and say I had met Lawrence. I wasn’t going to give in. He was my secret, not hers. Some of the time, Genie and I were very close, but lately the suitors had preoccupied so much of her time and thoughts we had been bickering about every little thing. I missed my sister, and wanted to be close to her again, but understood her anxiety and distance.
After lunch, I quickly grabbed my stuff, and ran back up the hill, to work on my drawings. I could feel myself thinking about his blonde hair, and blue eyes. I prayed that our paths would cross again. God this corset is tight I thought to myself. I loosened my dress and corset strings, and listened to the waves' crash against the sand.
As I traced a cloud,
I heard a carriage pull up to the house, behind me. I was sure it was another suitor attempting to please Genie, so I didn’t pay much attention to it. Suddenly a gust of wind swept across the hill, taking my drawings and spreading them all across the beach below.
“Oh no!” I pouted.
As I picked up the skirts of my dress, getting ready to run down to the beach, I was shocked to see Lawrence running along the beach picking up my drawings. I ran down to the beach and started helping him. In five minutes we had them all.
“Thank you,” I said as he handed them to me. Then I blushed as I realized my dress was still undone in the front, revealing my corset, and part of my chest, and to make it worse I had left my cloak up on the hill. I used the drawings to quickly cover my front, though he’d already seen.
“You're welcome. They’re quite nice.”
“Excuse me?” 'Was he really commenting on my breasts?!'
“Your drawings. They’re nice.”
“Oh. Thank you,” I sighed. I felt a tinge of hurt, as I realized he wasn’t talking about my chest. Had I been hoping he was?
“Do you have an art tutor? Or are you that good naturally?”
“I had an art tutor, for a while, but he quit. He said he was tired of running after me, every time I wanted to go somewhere he didn’t.”
He laughed.
“Were you not just here?”
He laughed again.
“Morgan couldn’t stand to wait until tomorrow to see Genine again, so we came back.”
“Ah.”
“If you mind, I’ll go back in the house.”
“No! I don’t mind.”
I blushed and turned to walk back up the hill. He followed me, smiling to his self.
“So, do you have any siblings other then Morgan?” I asked. I figured this conversation couldn’t be considered unladylike.
good story writing.thanks for sharing.
Thank you! I hope you'll keep an eye out for the exerts!
Followed you!
-Frolicking Raptors
it's ok.wellcome.