Mae

Mae blushed and turned to look out into the night again, unable to hide the smile.

Ruth laughed a full belly laugh. "I'd say our Mae returns his interests! Wouldn't you, uncle? Oh, Mae, what should we wear tomorrow?!? I know JUST what you should wear! The light yellow one that was delivered earlier today!"

Ruth went on, but Mae had stopped listening as she looked at Isaiah staring out the window. Why did he look so upset? Almost as if he were about to cry?

When the carriage rolled to a stop, he jumped out quickly to help them out, then pulled Mae's hand to his arm as he led her inside, Ruth still talking. "Ruthie," Isaiah called softly. "Why don't you run check on Lilli? I would like to speak to Miss James a moment," he called softly, then waited as Ruth smiled and hurried up the stairs.

Mae waited patiently for him to let her arm go, but he stood watching until Ruth was gone, then turned to look down at her.

"Miss James, it is not so late yet, would you take a walk with me in the garden?" he asked softly, his cheeks going red.

Mae pulled her hand from his arm with more force than necessary, then stepped back. "I... don't think so. I'm sorry... I should check on Lilli and the baby and go to bed," she called breathlessly, fleeing up the stairs.

Why wouldn't he let it go? Why did he keep persisting? She had said no! She felt like she was going to have to go home, sever contact with Ruth and Lilli before he would leave over.

Or maybe...? If Callan were to ask after her? And she were to find that she enjoyed speaking to him and being with him as well as she liked looking at him? Maybe then Isaiah would let it go?

As soon as she saw that Lilli and the baby were both asleep, she hurried to her room, telling Ruth she was too tired to sit up and talk tonight. Instead, she dressed for bed and sat down at the desk to write a letter to her father. She hadn't started it, or even lit the candle before her mind drifted and she sat leaning on the desk and daydreaming about Callan and his stunning smile. Imagined his arms around her and his hands on hers as he taught her to play croquet, which in her head she imagined as a version of a game she used to play with her brother where they tried to keep puffweeds in the air with sticks.

She was yanked out of her reverie when a noise made her turn. The lamp next to her bed was still on and it cast just enough light to show the door as it opened. She assumed it would be Ruth, coming in to whisper with her, too excited to sleep, but it was Isaiah. He looked concerned as he looked over her empty bed, then turned and left.

Getting up quietly, she went to the door and peeked out as Isaiah listened at Ruth's door. After a moment, he peeked into Ruth's room, then shut the door, looking concerned still. He hurried away down the stairs and Mae wondered if she should let him know she was in her room, she had just been sitting across the room in the darkness. Shaking her head, she decided not to as she quietly shut the door and blew out the lamp before climbing into bed.

Curling up, she was tired, but her mind was still working furiously as she thought about the next day. She couldn't calm her mind and make herself sleep at all! She was just starting to think she should get up and go make herself a soothing tea when her door opened again. No soft knock, just the door opening.

Quickly, she closed one eye, but kept the one that was hidden by her arm and pillow open to see. It was Isaiah again and he looked relieved now as he crept closer with a candle. She forced herself to stillness as he reached out and stroked her hair back off of her face, then let his fingertips stroke her cheek. He let out a soft, almost agonized sigh, then bent low and kissed her brow gently before slipping out of her room as quietly as he'd come in.

Mae opened her eyes and stared at the light under the door, feeling anxious and unsure. The old man had real feelings for her, she no longer really doubted that... but what she worried about was how to make him leave off. She simply did not feel the same and his advances and attentions were unwanted.

She finally fell asleep stressing over it.

When morning came, she'd hardly slept at all and she didn't want to be overly tired for the afternoon, so she sent the servant away telling her she wanted to sleep in, then went right back to sleep.

It was Ruth that woke her, almost in tears. "Mae! Mae, are you alright?"

"Mmm?" Mae asked, trying to blink away sleep.

"What's wrong?"

"I... nothing? What is it Ruth, why are you crying?"

"Uncle Isaiah said you were sick! Too sick to go to the lawn party and he is sending a messenger to decline the invitation! I hope it isn't too bad? Is there something I can get you? One of your teas you always talk about, or...?"

"No! No, I'm not sick, not at all! I was just so excited I couldn't sleep, then I did sleep and I didn't want to be tired later so I slept in! I'm not sick! Tell him not to cancel!" Mae cried, sitting up.

Ruth jumped up and fled down the stairs to try and catch her uncle.

Isaiah came in moments later and Mae jerked her blankets up high. "Miss James, it's alright. I know you didn't sleep last night, we can arrange to do something another day! You get your rest and once you have slept a bit more, we can spend the day with Lilli and the baby! You've been enjoying your time with them so far, wouldn't that be a lovely day? I will order in some pastries and..."

"I feel just fine, I didn't sleep well, but only because I was excited about this afternoon! I do want to go!"

"Miss James, even if we left as soon as you were dressed, we might still be late and..."

"Then I will hurry!" Mae called, jumping up out of bed.

Isaiah turned, blushing. "Very well, Miss James... if you are determined. I will let Ruth know."

Mae didn't answer him as he left, deciding to leave him and his wounded pride for later. She wore the yellow dress, but decided she was going to be more herself today and did her hair the way she always did it. She tied it back off of her face, but left her long auburn curls hanging down her back.

Ruth tried to get her to let her fix her hair, but Mae declined emphatically. "If this fellow is going to know me, then he is going to know ME and not some pretend girl that doesn't exist. I'll not try and pretend to be anyone I'm not, not even to catch the eye of a man. He'll know who I am and he can take it or leave it," she told her friend as they settled into the carriage.

"Of course he'll know the real you, hair won't change that! And I do love your hair, but it looks so wild and unkempt! And there is a breeze today as well! Uncle, tell her!"

"You'll not hear a word of it from me, Ruthie. A man who could love her could take a single look at her in her simple farm clothes with her hair completely wild from a day in the forest and still ask her to step out exactly as she was. No matter who he was."

Mae felt her face heating, knowing he was referring to himself the day he met her.

"Of course he could, but this is a lawn party! We are supposed to dress a certain way, even if we aren't from here and..."

"Ruthie, my sweet niece, you'll not win this one. Miss James is perfect exactly as she is and any man who doesn't see it is a blind fool."

Mae realized then that Isaiah was hoping that Callan wouldn't like how she looked. He would think her too unrefined and wild and 'country'. She didn't really care. If Callan was that sort of man, it didn't matter, she didn't want him anyway, but if he wasn't... she would finally be able to put Isaiah in his place.

Surprisingly, when they pulled up, it was Callan who met them at the door and opened it for her to help her out. "You DID come! I was beginning to fear you might not! Look at you! You are stunning, Miss James! A true sight on this wonderfully carefree day! Ruth, it's nice to see you again! Ray is waiting round back with the others! Isaiah, old boy! My parents are inside with a few of the other older people!" he called happily, leading Mae away around the back of the huge house.

The large garden had a full dozen youths in it, all people Mae's own age. Up by the house on a large patio, some of the older folks were sitting to tea to watch the younger adults from above, but they seemed far away to Mae. She felt a small thrill as Callan led her to the others and introduced her. When she looked again, Isiaiah was with the others on the patio, standing at the railing and watching her as he talked to another man.

"She's never played croquet!" Ruth told Callan. "You'll have to show her!"

"Of course," Callan smiled. "But first! First we are playing forfeits!" he laughed. "Kiss your love, but no one must know!"

"Oh I love this one!" A girl Mae couldn't remember cried happily.

"How's it played?" Mae asked.

"You've never played forfeits?" another man asked incredulously.

"It's a game," Callan told her. "Each man here must kiss the girl he loves, but when no one else can see it or know it. If another see's you, or knows who your love is at the end of the day, you lose the forfeit! If you lose, you must play Three Questions!"

Mae blushed as she looked around. "And this is... real? Not a jest? A way to tease me for not knowing?"

"Of course not!" Ruth laughed, then she went still as she looked at Mae in worry. "Mae? Have you never been kissed?"

Mae swallowed hard. "Of course I have! I... I... was to be wed once. He kissed me twice! The day he asked me and the next Sunday after dinner."

"You didn't marry him?" a girl asked softly.

"He was killed the next week, building our house," Mae half whispered.

"How awful! I'm so sorry!" the girl cried, then hugged Mae close, though Mae didn't even know her. "Was it recent?"

"It was... more than two years gone now," Mae told her, hating the feeling of everyone's eyes on her. "But... anyway, yes. I've been kissed... but never by someone I wasn't engaged to."

Callan caught up her hand and kissed it again. "Well think of it this way, Sweet Mae. The game is about kissing the girl you love. If there is a girl you love. If there isn't, then that is that, but if there is? Then you will know how he feels and you won't have to worry that his intentions are less than honorable. And even so, it is all in fun, right? In these times, a woman needs to know a man can kiss before she knows if she can marry him, right?" he teased.

Mae looked down, her face burning. "So what is three questions?"

"That one is easy! We ask three questions, but you don't know what they are! You have to answer yes or no, THEN you get to find out the questions and your answers to them!" Ruth laughed.

Mae only smiled and shook her head. That seemed incredibly silly!

Callan had entirely too much fun teaching Mae to play croquet, using every opportunity to put his arms around her and her hands as well as he leaned over her and showed her how to hold the mallet and hit the ball. He kept doing it long after she learned, making her laugh and giggle with Ruth and the other girls as they all played.

When the game ended, a man named Paul called out, "Now we play Reverend Crawleys!"

"What's that?" Mae asked, laughing with Ruth as she drank her lemonade.

"Miss James?" Isaiah called, walking down the long steps from the high patio out to where the youths had all been playing.

Mae turned to him curiously.

"Old boy, you didn't have to make that long walk!" Callan called. "Your young charge is in good hands!"

"So I have seen," Isaiah told him coldly. "Miss James, might I have a word?"

"Of course," Mae agreed softly, stepping away from the group. Isaiah offered an arm, but she pretended not to see it as she kept moving until they were out of earshot.

"Miss James," he began, looking tortured. "I realize you are not from here and you don't understand how things are here, but there are certain ways a lady must act and..."

"I am not a lady," she reminded him quickly. "Even so, all of those ladies out there? They are much more worldwise than I am, I assure you. I'm the only girl out there who hasn't been kissed by more than one man. At least, willingly. I mean, who can say what manner of man might slip into my room in the night and steal a kiss when he thinks I wouldn't know? That is what you mean, isn't it? You think I am allowing liberties I should not allow? I have noted every young man out there taking similar liberties with the young ladies, even Ray and Ruth, yet I am the only one you are pulling aside to be admonished for decorum."

"No! No, Miss James I am not admonishing you! No... I am asking you to have a care. Have a care for yourself. You said it yourself, you are not as worldwise as these others at all and I know this. I know you had only kissed a single man... that is why I fear for you. What they do so casually is not casual for you and I wouldn't like to see you trifled with."

"I will be careful," she nodded, blushing. "Really though, you shouldn't be climbing all of those steps so much! You don't need to come down again, it is too far for you to..."

"Miss James, I'm as fit as any man here," he scolded. "I know your young friend thinks he is getting his jabs in, always trying to twit me with his 'old boy' routine, but he is quick about to learn that that is going to bite him in the ass. In fact, I would say in less than an hour," he snapped. He turned and marched back up the stairs, still affronted.

Mae returned to the others and learned how to play this new game. It set them all off in gales of laughter as they tried to untangle and weave in and out of each other without letting go.

Mae was breathless when dinner was announced and they all went up to join the others on the patio to eat. Callan held a chair for Mae and sat next to her as the older adults joined all of them to talk as they ate.

"Cal," his father called. "We were just speaking about you wanting that position as an attorney?"

"Oh, yes! Yes, they said I would need three letters and I can get them easily, but I thought just speaking to you directly, Isaiah, would be much more efficient! Easy enough to put in a good word, right old boy?"

Isaiah sat up and looked Callan over and Mae knew this was what he had been referring to earlier. "I don't know, young man. It seems to me I could only vouch for someone who knew how to show respect, especially for social standings. I mean, if a man were to constantly belittle another man in the guise of 'joking' while laughing up his sleeve with his friends, he might stop to consider the harm he was doing to himself if the man he were laughing at were clever enough to know it. If the man he was laughing at was the one he wanted a job from. If the man he was belittling was the man who could make sure he never worked in this city at all, as anything. So tell me, young man, do you think I could vouch for you? I think that this 'old boy' will certainly have to think on it."

The table was deathly quiet as everyone looked at their plates in horror. Callans face was red and his jaw was clenched as he looked down at his plate.

Mae wasn't sure why Isaiah's words had upset everyone so much, she knew he had to be bluffing. He was always nice, always polite. Just sniping about not liking to be called 'old boy' surely wasn't something that would have everyone so upset?

She decided it must be something she knew nothing about in their social weirdness, so she ignored it. "Isaiah?" she called. "Perhaps you need a nap? You seem a bit grumpy."

Isaiah stood, his face red as he looked at her, then his fury drained away as he looked her over. She was teasing him! Her smile and relaxed posture told him she was joking with him and she had completely missed the social queues around her.

He managed a small chuckle as he sat down. "Perhaps I do," he nodded at her, giving her a smile. She grinned at him and that seemed to make the entire table relax as people began eating and talking quietly.

He found himself glancing at her several times as they ate, trying not to be too noticeable. He was understanding her a bit more now, seeing what he hadn't before. She was smart, incredibly smart, but lacking in the social graces he was used to and most especially in the subtle game the nobles played with each other. The game of maneuvering and backstabbing and trying to provide jabs in public without being too disrespectful. She was very face value, she told it like it was without trying to play any games at all. He'd known it already, but now he also understood that she had no idea what was happening around her. The way Callan was toying with her simply because Isaiah cared for her as he did. The way the others were all being so saccharine sweet nice to her and laughing behind her back. His own niece, while a sweet girl, was even a part of this. Mae had been a fun diversion while they were visiting him, but their invitation to come to the city hadn't been real. Mae took it at face value and Ruth was nice about it, but she was also being a bit petty with her friends now and watching as Callan wrapped Mae around his finger to toy with her. Giggled with the others at Mae's wide eyed innocence and ignorance of so many things they took for granted.

When Callan walked Mae back down to the gardens with the others, he looked over at her several times as his fingers trailed over hers on his arm. "Sweet Mae?" he finally called softly. "I hope you know I have every intention of kissing you today."

Mae looked up at him in a stunned surprise as her cheeks went pink and he grinned at her.

"It is beginning to get dark," he called to the others. "I say we play blind man's bluff! Ray, you will go first!"

"I don't know this game," Mae whispered quickly as they watched two others blindfolding Ray.

Callan quickly told her and they played well into the evening. When it was Callans turn, he quickly found Mae and his hands trailed over her face, his thumb gliding over her lower lip as he smiled. She was taken aback when he pressed his thumb between her lips and into her mouth, softly pressing against her tongue. "Suck," he demanded softly, still smiling.

Mae was uncertain and had no idea what it was he was doing, but she closed her lips around his thumb and sucked gently.

"Mmmmm, my Sweet Mae," he purred, yanking the mask off and leaning in to kiss her quickly. "My beautiful little Mae," he whispered into her hair, pulling her close to him. "Say you will stay here with me? Say you will consider me a match for you and... think on allowing me to court you and make you my wife? I have not known how badly I have needed you in my life! You are so perfect and loving and gentle and good! And so incredibly beautiful! Say you will stay and consider me?!?"

Mae was breathing too quickly as she stared up at him with wide eyes, amazed and shocked as she tried to think.

"You needn't answer now, my love! Let's go back to the others and finish this, then take a walk. Just you and I? While the others go in for parlor games now that it's dark? Come," he breathed, pulling her back to where the others were to say he had found Mae and guessed correctly and that they were moving on to forfeits before they went inside.

Mae found herself laughing at the men and their silly answers to the questions that had been put to them. Ruth hugged Mae, she was laughing so hard as Ray had answered yes to liking to kiss pickled herring before he ate them. When it was Callans turn, Mae knew his questions had been contrived.

"Let's see here," Ray called with a laugh. "I have his answers right here, now for the questions! Cal! Are you madly in love with a young lady here today? His answer? YES!"

Everyone went off in gales of laughter as Callan looked at Mae with a seemingly embarrassed smile, but she knew it was a set up. She also didn't care as she smiled shyly back.