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TITLE: Jenny's Lesson By Jennifer Langley 10/02/08 |
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Charlotte walked beside the sea, its rolling motion like soft music. Her straw hat in her hand, holding it by the brim, with a worn green book in the other hand. She wore a white blouse with a long green skirt, accompanied by bare feet.
It was the year 1891, and she had come here with her friends to Ireland, to see the sights, and to breathe the fresh air. They planned to go the castle ruins and see the much talked of sites.
Charlotte would prefer to stay behind and just sit by the ocean all day just as she was, but it wouldn’t be polite to come along on the hospitality of others, and not spend any time with them, so she went along.
She glanced back, and saw her young friend, Abigail running to catch up with her, her bright red hair blowing behind her. She was laughing as she ran to catch up with Charlotte.
She smiled back at her, laughing at Abigail’s antics, and ‘unladylike’ behavior. “Abigail! What are you running for?” Charlotte called as she caught up with her.
“The sheer excitement of being her in Ireland!” She shouted.
Charlotte laughed, “Yes, it is exciting!”
“I can’t wait to see the cathedrals, the castle ruins, and the delightful little shops.” Abigail exclaimed.
“Me either, I’ve only heard the stories about the ‘haunted’ castle ruins, and how the dead kings who use to rule there, whose ghosts have come to haunt the place.” She said mystically.
“Oh Charlotte, don’t start with those horrid stories again, I declare I shall faint right off!”
Charlotte laughed, “Well, suppose there really are ghosts, but in the day you can’t see them, only at night.”
“Well, I don’t think there are ghosts. Only silly people who don’t have good sense believe in ghosts.” Abigail said firmly.
Charlotte just shook her head and laughed. “Let’s have a race, whoever reaches that piece of driftwood first, wins!” And with that, they both raced off.
Charlotte and Abigail, and several other friends, rested in the chairs that sat around the sitting room in the beautiful hotel. They were exhausted after a day of sightseeing, and looked forward to a good nights sleep.
It was quiet in the room until Jenny Carter broke the silence, “I waited till we were all gathered before I told you the news.” She said excitedly.
Mrs. Lavender sat up in her seat, “News? What news?”
“Well, I received word from a friend of mine, that has lived in Ireland for quite some time, and he wishes to come see me, and meet all my friends.”
“He?” Charlotte asked.
“Oh yes, his name is Walter, and he and I have been friends since we were young.”
“But how could you be friends when he lives here in Ireland?” Charlotte asked.
“He moved to Ireland three years ago, but before that we were very close, you could even say we were a bit more than friends.” She said slyly.
“My dear,” Mrs. Lavender said, “Do you mean, that you have formed an attachment?” She said gently.
“Well, you could say that. He and I were so close, almost always together, and I think Mama and Papa were much in favor of the match.”
“This is an interesting occurrence indeed dear, Jenny!”
“Well, yes, I suppose it is of great interest to you all.” She said pridefully.
“Do you think that you will resume that ‘friendship’ when he comes?”
“We shall see, only knows how he has changed, he might have another girl that he is fond of.”
Charlotte started, “Jenny, it seems that you don’t much care about him, if you are so calm about the one that you feign to love, having another girl.”
“My dear Charlotte, you can’t expect me to truly have formed a serious attachment to one who chose to go to Ireland for three years, and not write, but once a month.” She said angrily.
“I’m sorry Jenny, it’s just that I thought you were indifferent to him.”
“Well, how should I be towards him, when he doesn’t seem to care much?”
“Never mind Jenny, it’s none of my affair. I think I’ll go take a walk.”
“Humph!” Jenny said.
Charlotte left the hotel, and went out onto the beach. It had been three days since she had walked on the soft sand. Since she had last walked, they had seen too many castles and ruins to count.
She was afraid to admit that she was thoroughly tired of them. But she contented herself with walking on the beach and staying to herself as much as she could.
As she walked, she thought about Jenny’s prideful attitude. How could she be so terrible to him? She asked herself. I could never treat someone with such spite. I daresay she is just having him here to tell him what she thinks of him. Charlotte laughed at this thought.
She was only seventeen, and much resigned to the idea of being in a relationship with a man at that age. I would rather be free to walk about in bare feet, and not grow up so fast.
Life for Charlotte seemed simple, and she was happy with the way it was. She lived in a modest house with her parents and three brothers. She went to school, went to country dances, and did her chores about the house.
It was rather a shock for her being invited to go to Ireland to experience the society life of her friends, and the different culture of the Irish. But she rather liked it for a while, but was ready to go back to her quiet way of life.
After walking for a while, she went back to the hotel, and snuck up the back stairs so that no one would see her filthy feet that were covered with sand.
She held up her long blue dress, and walked in to the room with a flushed cheek, and sparkling eyes. What met her eyes caught her by surprise.
A young handsome man sat on the settee by Jenny, and all of the girls looked at Charlotte with shocked glances as they saw her dirty feet, and her white boots clutched in her hands.
“Oh, I’m so sorry, I had no idea we were expecting you sir.” She said, embarrassed.
The young man, who was Walter, looked at Charlotte with amusement in his eyes. “Don’t be sorry, I don’t mind at all. Jenny and I used to do the same thing.
“Walter!” Jenny scolded.
“I’m sorry Jenny, but you know we did, and it was quite fun I must say.” He said laughing merrily.
Charlotte didn’t feel quite so awkward, and she was sure that her friends were more embarrassed than she was. “Well, I must go clean myself up.” She said shyly.
She rushed up the stairs to her room, and put on something fresh hurriedly, and made sure her hair was in place. She laughed hysterically in the room, thinking about the bright red face of Jenny.
When she came back down, everyone was quite recovered, and was laughing merrily over tea and cake. Jenny sat by Walter, laughing coquettishly, her hand resting gently on his.
“Oh my dear Walter, we are so glad that you have come, its been simply ages since I’ve seen you last.” She exclaimed, sighing.
“Yes, dear Jenny, but you know the situation surrounding our move to Ireland.”
“Why did you move to Ireland?” Abigail asked.
“My mother has an illness which requires her to be in a cleaner climate, so we were forced to move here.”
“Oh, I’m so sorry.” Abigail said.
“But Walter has no business ignoring me for so long.” Jenny said teasingly.
Charlotte watched Walter closely, and saw a sad and confused look pass over his face, but only for an instant, and then the former happy face replaced it.
That night, as Charlotte lay in bed next to Abigail, she thought of the conversation that had passed between Walter and Jenny. Walter had seemed troubled; he looked at Jenny curiously many times.
“Charlotte, are you awake?” Abigail asked.
“Yes.” She answered softly.
“What are you thinking about?”
“About Jenny and Walter.”
“What about them?” Abigail asked curiously.
“Well, Jenny wasn’t very kind, and Walter looked surprised.”
Abigail asked softly, “Charlotte, you make it sound like there hasn’t been a time in Jenny’s life that she has been kind.”
“Well, has there been that you have known of?” She asked.
“I won’t answer that.” Abigail said, trying not to laugh.
“No, but I’m serious, Walter looked somehow, deeply confused about Jenny’s treatment of him. She was petty, and altogether mean to him last night.”
“I must admit that she did seem rather prideful to him last night, but I thought that it was perhaps her just not understanding his reasons for leaving.”
“Well, perhaps she was just sad that he left her, but perhaps not.” She said sighing, “There is nothing that I or you can do, so we may as well go to sleep.”
Abigail nodded and drifted off into a dreamless slumber. But Charlotte didn’t fall asleep for a long while.
Over the next couple of days, Walter went with the women everywhere. They went sightseeing, on picnics, and even rode horses over the soft green hills and
Ignoring him most of the time.
As they were riding one day with Walter, Charlotte fell behind on purpose. She wanted to be by herself, just to be able to think, and to take in the fresh air without hearing gossip.
She didn’t realize that Walter had rode up beside her until he said, “Hello Charlotte, I suppose you don’t like to be with the flock of young ladies too much?”
“No, it isn’t that…well, I suppose you could say that.” She said shyly.
They sat there in awkward silence till Jenny came riding back, and saying, “Walter, we need you, I don’t, but the young ladies pine for you so.”
He rolled his eyes, and obediently followed. Charlotte laughed softly, but was sad of Jenny’s treatment of him.
What Charlotte had been able to perceive in Walter, was an easygoing, kind, and sensitive spirit. He was kind to Jenny, but all he got in return was a cold shoulder, and unkind words. Yet he bore it bravely.
Walter didn’t pay much attention to Charlotte, except to remind her teasingly of her entry to the hotel when he first saw her. She always laughed heartily when he mentioned it.
Abigail was in raptures over the constant activity they enjoyed. She said that she could never return to the country house that she used to live in. She demanded each time home was spoken of, that she couldn’t bear to think of it.
Charlotte loved to talk of home; she pined for it. She was sick of the constant whirl of gaiety that seemed to fill their every waking hour. But she didn’t say anything, for fear of hurting Mrs. Lavender’s feelings.
Once when they rested at the hotel after a long day, Abigail and Charlotte sat talking away from the others. “Oh Charlotte,” Abigail said, “I don’t think that its right the way Jenny is treating Walter, she treats him like a slave, and I think someone should say something to her.”
“Well, its rather hard to say something to her, when it won’t make her change.”
“Yes, but at least make her aware of how other people observe it.”
“I don’t think it would be wise, I think it would make her even more intolerable.”
“Perhaps you’re right.” Abigail said, sighing.
“He will be leaving soon, in four days, so I suppose he won’t have to put up with her much longer.”
Abigail laughed softly, and looked back at Jenny, reclined on the settee with a bored look. “Walter, tell the maid to fetch me some tea.” She commanded.
“Jenny!” Mrs. Lavender exclaimed, “How dare you command Walter to do something!” She scolded.
Jenny sat up straight in her chair, “I may do as I please, Walter doesn’t mind serving me.” She said angrily.
Walter sat dumbfounded in the chair, his mouth slightly open, looking at Jenny as if she had slapped him. He got up, bowed to the group, and closed the door to the porch softly, not saying a single word.
“Well,” Jenny said, “I suppose he is tired.”
Charlotte got up off the settee and went outside to where Walter sat on the porch. She walked up softly, and just sat there, saying nothing, finally he broke the silence. “Jenny has changed a lot since I first new her, three years ago.”
“What did she use to be like?” She asked softly.
“Well, when I first met her, I was twelve, and she was eleven. I was impressed with her, because she was highborn, and yet possessed a giving and humble spirit.”
“But what happened?”
“We grew up together, when I was nineteen, I left for Ireland, and she was of course eighteen, and she knew the reasons for my leaving, and accepted them gracefully.” He paused and sighed, and didn’t say anything for quite sometime, but then he finally spoke, “But then, when she would write letters, I had sensed that she had changed, but I didn’t want to think about it. I thought that if I met her in person, that she probably hadn’t changed at all, but was just becoming a young lady, but now I see I’m wrong.”
“Walter,” Charlotte said, using his first name, “I want you to know, that Jenny is still that same girl inside, that she still is the docile, kind girl that you use to know.”
“But why has she changed so?”
“Because the people she is around, have made her the way she is. You see, her mother had her go to a young ladies college, and when she came back, she was as you see her now. Prideful, demanding, and altogether, a terrible snob.”
“What makes you think the girl I used to know is still there?”
“Because I have seen that girl at times, I have seen the girl that you describe come out at moments. She is still there Walter, you just must wait.”
The next morning dawned bright and early. All the late risers still resided in their bed, and the early risers had already eaten and were out on horses riding the countryside.
The early risers were Jenny and Charlotte. They were out riding, but not saying a word to each other. Until Jenny brought up the subject of the previous night. “Charlotte, did I treat Walter very bad?” She asked timidly.
Charlotte looked down at the horses’ saddle, “Yes Jenny, I’m afraid you did.”
Jenny sighed and a tear escaped her green eyes, “Oh Charlotte, I feel terrible. I don’t know why I’m like this. I know I’m unbearable, and I don’t know why.”
“Jenny, Walter told me what you used to be like, and I know that you could still be that same girl if you tried.”
“I’ve already tried!” She yelled, angrily jerking the bridle, and taking off on the horse at a wild speed.
Charlotte was startled, but she didn’t remain so long, her good sense took hold of her, “Jenny!” She yelled, “You’re going to kill yourself!” she said, racing after her.
But Jenny didn’t listen; she was too frustrated to listen. As Charlotte watched her race away, something went wrong, Jenny tried to pull the horse to a stop, but she couldn’t, the horse just kept running.
A white fence separated the hotel from the fields, and the horse was running right towards it! It ran faster and faster towards it, and made a giant leap, throwing Jenny off the saddle and onto the ground!
Charlotte jumped off her horse, and ran to Jenny’s side. One look at Jenny’s face, told her something was seriously wrong. She was white, as white as a piece of paper, and her lips were turning blue.
“Someone help!” Charlotte shouted.
Walter rushed outside at the sound of the call, and saw Charlotte kneeling beside Jenny’s twisted body. He rushed up the hill, his face white.
“What’s happened!?” he asked, as he kneeled beside Jenny, tears running down his face.
The hotel room was ghostly silent, broken only from a sigh now and then. The doctor and several nurses worked quietly in Jenny’s room.
Charlotte looked out the window at the beach. It was raining, and outside it was gray and dismal, just how she felt.
They had heard no news since Jenny had been carried into the hotel room, and the doctor and nurses had been called. Walter paced in front of the room anxiously, his eyes fixed wildly on the carpet, pausing now and then to listen.
They had been waiting for an hour now. Mrs. Lavender sat crying softly on the settee, wringing her hands. “Its all my fault.” She would say now and then, twisting the soggy handkerchief.
Finally the doctor walked out, his face showing now emotion. “She will be alright, but rest will be needed, I don’t think there is any reason to call the girl’s parents.”
“Oh praise be!” Mrs. Lavender shouted.
Walter just stood there, looking dumbfounded. Like he couldn’t believe she was actually alive.
“Where is she hurt?” Charlotte asked.
“When she fell, she hurt her back, and twisted her ankle, but both her back and ankle will recover with proper care and rest. But she could have been easily killed, and it’s a miracle that she is still here.” He said.
The next few days, Jenny rested peacefully, with many servants to care for her, and angels to look after her. Walter was always near her, waiting for her to wake up.
Charlotte perceived that perhaps something like this was just the thing that Jenny needed to change her.
Abigail was thoroughly scared of horses now, and vowed she wouldn’t ride again, but one can imagine that was cured very easily.
After two days, Jenny woke up. She was definitely not the Jenny that everyone knew. She was quiet, morose, and kind. Mrs. Lavender secretly believed that it was only sick bed repentance, but hoped that it wasn’t just that.
But Jenny proved Mrs. Lavender wrong. Even after she was recovered, she had changed drastically. One evening she sat talking to Charlotte, “Charlotte, you don’t know what it was like to almost lose your own life. Now I value it so much more than I used to.”
Walter left, saying he had to get back to his mother. He left reluctantly though, and wished that he could stay longer. Jenny was sad when he left, and confided to Charlotte her disappointment. “I know I have ruined every chance of our being happy, because I was mad at him for leaving me three years ago.”
The whole party decided to stay for an extra two weeks, just to rest and do whatever they liked. Charlotte would have preferred to go home, but she didn’t say a word.
Jenny was glad to stay. The cool climate helped her recover more easily, and would have had a hard time if she were moved. The whole party learned a great lesson from the accident.
They were a merry, happy group, and were very close knit now. One evening, a week after Walter had left. Jenny was sitting on the verandah outside with Charlotte, enjoying the cool night air, when the sound of a horse reached their ears.
Afar off it was, and they could see no horse. But soon, a rider and his horse came near. Charlotte stood up, “I think its Walter!” she said to Jenny.
“Are you sure Charlotte?”
“Yes, very sure, for he rides this way, and it is him, for I see his face now.”
Jenny composed herself, and settled herself firmly on the couch, determined to show no ill composure on her part.
Soon Walter came to the hotel, and jumped off his horse, smiling brightly, and his eyes sparkling. “Jenny! Charlotte!” He called, waving.
“Walter, I thought you were back with your mother?” Charlotte asked.
“She said that she could spare me again.” He said jovially.
“Hello Walter.” Jenny said shyly.
Walter’s face softened, and his eyes lit up at the site of Jenny. “Hello Jenny, how are you?”
“I’m recovering well, thanks to this cool climate.”
“I think I’ll go see what the rest of the girls are doing.” Charlotte said slyly, leaving the porch.
As Charlotte sat inside the hotel room, reading a book. Walter and Jenny entered, their faces radiant as the sun. “Oh Charlotte!” Jenny exclaimed, “Can you guess the happy news I have for you?”
Charlotte guessed at once, “Jenny, I’m so glad for you both.” She said excitedly, embracing Jenny, and then Walter.
Soon everyone new, and there was great festivity those next two weeks.
One can only guess that Jenny and Walter lived happily ever after. The bonds of love joined them.
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