Into the woods

Emmy could not recount all the words she said to her mother she just remembered falling into her mother's arms weeping. They had arrived after dinner so it was too late to start back to Boston but Mrs. Pembers had the cook make them a light meal but Emmy ate only to bites before she felt sick to her stomach. The next day Fiona spent the day making arrangements to stay at her friend's house and Fiona made sure a nurse and doctor were on call in case anything happened to Grandma Danford. Mrs. Pembers said she could handle everything but Fiona felt better knowing the house was well maintained. Emmy still didn't eat much of any meals and went to bed right after dinner exhausted from not being able to sleep the last couple of nights. She still couldn't sleep though and until the sun rose she just paced the floor. Once the sun was up she got dressed, did her hair in a loose bun that she could manage on her own and snuck outdoors to her woods, the only place she felt she could get peace.

            "Ah Miss Emmy there you are," Mr. Foster said finding her in the woods.

            "What are you doing here?"

            "Your mother sent me looking for you. She said you would be here."

            "Is everything all right?"

            "Oh yes. She wanted you to know she would be ready in the hour and then after lunch we should take off."

            "Who can think of food at a time like this?"

            "You must stay healthy Miss Emmy, you will be no good to your sister if you too are ill."

            "I am no good here."

            "Yes you are, you are bringing her mother to her."

            "Yes I am a good messenger."

            "Miss Emmy you are much more than a messenger."

            "No much more."

            "What would your sister say if she heard you talking like this?"

            "First she would be upset I was walking in the woods and getting my dress dirty. She hated these woods."

            "Really? When I was here last she seemed rather fond of them."

            Emmy remembered that conversation from what she overheard, Laurel had spoken more to Ethan than she had to her own sister about her desires. Then she remembered what Laurel had said about her being so naïve. Emmy couldn't help but giggled when she thought about she had acted.

            "What are you giggling at?" Mr. Foster asked.

            "I overheard one of your talks, when you and Laurel walking out here once, she called me naïve and how I had my head in the clouds most of the time. I guess I was, I guess I am naïve and a silly dreamer. You see, I never had to grow up Laurel was always grown up for the both of us."

            "I think you are pretty grown up."

            "Only because I have to be, if Laurel was healthy and strong , I would still be in my ignorant ways, but circumstances have charged and the world feels so different now."

           

            "But still you find comfort in these woods? Miss James now Mrs. Danford can dress you up in fancy clothes and teach you how to do your hair and your sister's sickness might have forced you to grow up but don't ever lose what makes you, you. These woods, your stories and your heart for adventure that is truly who you are and all the rest is just additional."

            "You were not here for Miss James' trip, who told you that?"

            "She did, she boasted about how she had dolled you up but I rather prefer you with your hair down and rather unruly then a doll who looks to perfect to touch."

           

            Emmy turned around feeling a flush upon her cheek. "You shouldn't talk that way."

            "In what way?"

            "It is almost flirtatious and anyone who didn't know you were in love with Laurel would question your loyalty." She had said it faster than she could think and now that it was there she couldn't take it back.

            "What?"

            She turned back around to face him. "I am sorry Mr. Foster, I should not have accused you of flirting you are only too kind. Please don't tell my sister about any of this."

            "I won't."

            "Especially not about-"

            He cut her off "Don't worry Miss Emmy, I will not say a word, discretion is my greatest flaw. But I am surprised for a girl who lives in the clouds how well you notice things here on earth."

            "I do not mean too."

            "It was all right, " he turned around and walked away leaving her in the woods by herself.

            The ride back to Boston was in silence though Fiona tried to make small talk. Emmy was completely embarrassed for what she had said, she could not believe she had spoken so harshly to Mr. Foster when she had been nothing but kind to her and her family. Little did Emmy know Ethan was also embarrassed for what he had said and done. He thought himself very horrid man. He was also a very trapped man. He was also a very trapped man, he could not believe anyone had noticed his affections for Laurel, it would now be ever harder for him to confess his engagement to Sally Lawrence. He had wanted to do it the morning he came over, he wanted to be up front with Laurel and tell her everything but when Emmy came down and told him of Laurel's sickness his heart hurt. If she died no one would ever know of his true feelings.

            They did not make it back to Boston before night fall so they had to stay at an inn on the side of the road. They agreed they were to have an early breakfast then be back in Boston by lunch time. Emmy tried to sleep but no matter how much Fiona stroked her hair she could not fall asleep. She would pace the floor, lay down then sit back up again.

            "Emmy love are you all right?"

            "I am horrible?"

            "What is the matter?"

            "I should be in Boston caring for Laurel, I should not be here. I should not have said the things I did and I should definitely not felt what I felt."

            "What did you say? What did you feel?"

           

            Emmy sat down next to her mother.

            "Mr. Foster came to find me in the woods this morning and he began complimenting me and how I have grown up. I felt he was flirting with me well I immediately snapped at him and when I did I saw how hurt he looked. He has been nothing but kindness to us and I treated him as if he was a pebble in my shoe. The worst of it was that he was complimenting me and I thought he was flirting I wanted him to kiss me. Even when he looked hurt I still wanted to kiss him. What a horrible sister am I?"

            Fiona giggled.

            "What is so funny?"

            "You are my sweet," Fiona said as she watched her daughter pace the floor."You thought a man was flirting with you and you wanted him to kiss you that is completely normal."

            "Mother?! This is Mr. Foster, Laurel's Mr. Foster, I had no right to think of any way beyond brotherhood."

            "He is still a man and you are growing up, this is the time in your life when your heart and your head won't make much sense. No tell me honestly do still want to kiss him?"

            "Of course not?"

            "Then you are fine."

            "Oh mother," Emmy curled herself up into her mother's side. "I am nearly seventeen years old and I still feel I have so much growing up to do. I feel like I am still making great errors and I will never perfect what I am doing."

            "You are not suppose to be perfect," Fiona gave her a hug.

            "Laurel is."

            "No she is not. She has taken one path and you have taken one path but neither of you is perfect. I am not perfect, no one is, the point is we try."

            Emmy cried until she fell asleep and she actually did sleep that night curled up in her mother's arms.

            The next morning before the party took off Emmy and Mr. Foster were alone as Fiona finished re-packing her trunks.

            "I am sorry Mr. Foster."

            "No Miss Emmy, you have nothing to apologize for, I am sorry."

            "You have been so generous to me and my family and I should not have excused you off flirting with me and I should not have snapped at you either."

            "No, no Miss Emmy, your family has been ever so generous with me, I should not have talked to you in such a way, it was inappropriate, you were right. I think these woods have a magic spell on them, I feel so free when I am there I forget all senses of propriety and it was not at all right."

            "Yes those woods do have a touch of magic there."

            "Friends?" Mr. Foster put out his hand.

            "Friends," Emmy shook it.

            She felt nothing there except for the touch of brotherhood she had always felt for Mr. Foster and took a sigh relief.