End of Chapter 5

“Hello Charles” I spoke directly to him.
    He smiled at me. “Hello Esme. How are you?” The way he looked at me. . .he looked like he was in love but maybe I was just exaggerating.
    “I am fine thank you,” I replied to him. Then turning to everyone else I said “Why don’t we go get comfortable in the sitting room?” Our small group moved through the hallways of our largish house until we reached the sitting room just off the hall. “I’ll go put on a record to listen to”
    The parents started up conversation as I made my way to the record player. It was sitting on a small mahogany table with a built in shelf in it. I kneeled down and started looking through are records.
    “Which one is your favorite?” A voice asked suddenly next to me. I jumped, startled. “Oh I’m sorry.” The voice said again. “I didn’t mean to scare you”
    I looked over to see Charles kneeling down beside me but behind me a bit so I didn’t see him in my peripheral vision.
    “Its alright. I really like Jazz but I am open to pretty much everything.” I replied.
    He smiled another smile at me. “Jazz is my favorite too.” He seemed very happy of this fact.
    I decided I’d had enough of the chit-chat. I wanted to discuss his “offer”.

Chapter 6

    “Charles, my father informed me of your request.”
    “Ah, yes. And what did you say?”
    “I told him I would consider it and I shall tell you the same” I replied in my most lady-like manner.
    “Well, that’s better than a ‘no’” He replied. I smiled slightly at his optimism.
    Think of how happy your father will be I thought to myself. He would be very pleased. And my mother would be excited about the wedding. She’d want to arrange it of course. What would it hurt if I did marry Charles? At least I’d have somebody. Why not? I’ll do it! I’ll marry Charles!
    I finally made my decision. I wasn’t in love with him but in a few months or years time I could learn to be.
The thing was though, when would I tell him. Not today. It was to soon. Maybe in a few days time when we get to know each other even better I would let him know. For now I would pretend to think about it.
    “You can pick the record” I said to him.
    He shuffled through the collection until he found one of our jazz records. I put it on the record player and we moved to the couch to chat with the rest of our family.
    “Mother I’ll go get the snacks from the kitchen”
    “Alright Esme. Thank you” She replied. I stood up and made my way to the kitchen. I pulled out our silver tray and started loading with fruit, cinnamon rolls and things my mother had made this morning. I was about to go back into the room but I froze when I heard their discussion. The men-John, Charles and my father-had gone outside and my mother and Annika were chatting now.
    “I hope she does say yes. It would be good for her.” My mother sighed.
    “Yes. It would be very good for Charles too. He seems very set on your daughter. He likes her very much.” Annika replied.
    “I’m glad. I used to think Esme liked him too. I guess I was wrong. I think she might say yes though”
    “Why do you think so?”
    “Did you see them earlier? He is very charming and Esme will want to please people so I think she’ll say yes” I chose this moment to walk into the room. I’d had enough of my mothers hopeless gossiping habit.
    “Here are the snacks mother. Where are the men?” I asked though I was pretty sure I already knew.
    “They went outside,” I knew it! I’m good. “Thank you for getting the food, honey.”
    “Your welcome mother”
    “Esme, have you decided what your going to say to my son?” Annika asked me.
    “Um…” Shoot! What do I tell her? I thought to myself. “No, not yet?” My uncertainty of what to say made it sound like a question.
    “That’s quite alright dear” She laughed “I was just curious”
    “Oh” I really hoped she wouldn’t tell him what I said. Just then, the fellows came back into the house.
    “Oh yum,” John said reaching for a cinnamon roll “That looks delicious, Carol!”
    “Thank you, John” my mother replied. “Esme, can you go get some eggs from the hen house? I only need about 3 or 4. You can take Charles with you”
    “Okay mother” I replied. I knew what her scheme was. She was trying to get me and Charles to spend some alone time together. “Come on Charles” I said as I turned towards the door. As we walked out, the sun touched my skin warming it. I closed my eyes as I stood on our front porch just basking in the sun. I opened my eyes when I felt eyes on me. I glanced towards Charles to see him staring intently a my face with a slight smile on his lips. It made me feel uncomfortable under his gaze so I started walking quickly towards the hen house. I could hear his footsteps behind me.
    “Could you help me?” I asked him. I wondered if he had any farming experience.
    “Of course.” he replied heading towards a hen. It seems he did know what he was doing. He picked up the hen holding its wings, grabbed the egg quickly then placed the hen back. He turned to me after he had done this.
    “Are you going to help or am I doing it all?” He smirked.
    I rolled my eyes and collected two eggs that didn’t have hens sitting on top of them.
    We finished shortly and made our way back to the house. Good thing my mother only wanted a few eggs because we could only find three. She must have collected eggs recently.
    I took our eggs into the kitchen and when I walked into the sitting room, I was absolutely shocked at the scene before me!