Clandestine: A Story of Three Sisters

Chapter 3

Chapter Three- Apple Picking

"Hello," a sweet voice called out to him. "Who are you?"

"Jedediah Crawley," Jed responded. He shook his head to regain conscious thought, feeling stupid at having said his full name. "Jed."

"Well, Jedediah," the beauty responded. "Are you just going to stand there, or are you going to help me?"

Jed only now realized the girl was sitting on a ladder, a basket half full of apples in her lap. He walked forward, rolling his sleeves up, but unsure what she expected of him.

"I can't reach some of the topmost apples, but they seem the most delicious. You sit on the ladder and grab them, and hand them down to me." She hopped quickly down the ladder, but Jed had been standing too close. When she landed on the ground, they ended up being only inches apart from each other, and Jed had to jump back to avoid any awkwardness. He felt electricity crackling through his body, and he couldn't tell why.

The girl merely giggled and stepped aside so he could climb up the ladder. Jed did so, and began picking apples from the topmost branches, handing them down to her one by one so she could put them in her basket. He was careful not to touch her again, not wanting to experience that jolt once more.

"How did you end up here, Jedediah?" The girl called up to him as he worked.

"I was called here," Jed responded. "Sent for."

"How nice," she commented, but it didn't sound snarky at all. She genuinely sounded as if she thought it was nice of him to be sent to the Clandestine Residence.

"Why? How did you end up here?" Jed asked her.

"Why, I was born here!" The girl giggled again, her eyes sparkling up at him. She had beautiful eyes, as blue as the sky on a clear day. They were so expressive, smiling even before her mouth was. Although, Jed thought her mouth was quite attractive as well. Suddenly, the girl's face frowned and she chastised, "Now you stop staring at me like that, Jedediah, and get back to work! Hasn't your momma ever told you it's rude to stare, especially at a lady?"

"Not really," Jed explained as he went back to picking apples. "My parents sent me to a boarding school when I was very young. They haven't taught me very much themselves, and the only things they teach you in school are things you'll never need again, like arithmetic."

The girl giggled again and said, "I hate arithmetic!" Then she stopped and quietly added, "I'm sorry your momma didn't take time to teach you. Momma's are the best teachers."

"Maybe not my momma," Jed told her. "Mother doesn't care much for anything besides parties with other ladies and drinking enough alcohol to get through a day with my father." Jed paused as he reached for an apple, staring off into space. As he turned to hand the apple to the girl, he added, "I apologize, I don't know why I told you that. I hardly ever tell anyone about my parents. I wouldn't want to burden them."

"It's my face," she sighed. "Everyone always wants to tell me their problems and burden me. I have a very trustworthy face, too trustworthy if you ask me. Sometimes I'm burdened with the most ridiculous problems!" She stopped, then said, "But sometimes it's alright for someone else to give me their burdens. It makes their heart a little lighter. Do you feel a little lighter?"

Jed couldn't help it; a slow smile creeped onto his face. "Yes, a bit."

She smiled too. "Good!" She looked down at her basket and laughed aloud, exclaiming, "Oh no! I think we've filled it up so much, I'm hardly going to be able to hold it up!"

"I'll help you," Jed climbed down the ladder and picked up the hefty basket of apples. "Show me the way."

She started walking, and as she did so, she spoke. "You're helping me an awful lot today! The farm is sure going to benefit from you being here."

"You think so?" Jed asked, looking around the farmland. Perhaps marrying this Clandestine girl and inheriting these lands would be nice. Jed did enjoy farm work, and he'd loved the outdoors since he was very young. It was just the matter of actually being married to that Charlotte. She was so...temperamental. Too temperamental. If only she were more like the apple-picking girl; fun, happy, and nice to be around. He looked over at her, her carefree walk and constant smile bringing a smile onto his own face. "Yes, I think I'll like it here very much."

The girl stopped walking and turned to face him. He hadn't even realized it, but they'd made their way to the mansion's backyard. Her smile was bright, but it was smaller, almost nervous. "Thank you kindly. I really hope it wasn't too much trouble."

"None at all," Jed told her, giving her a crooked grin. She reached out to take the basket, and their hands touched again. This time, it wasn't a jolt, but a slow sizzle throughout his body, and Jed felt compelled to step closer to her. The girl didn't step back, instead lifting her glimmering blue eyes up to look into his. She was breathing a little heavily, he could tell.

Jed lifted one hand and caressed the side of her face. She sucked in a breath and looked back down again. Jed slowly, agonizingly slowly, bent his head down and placed his lips onto hers. The sizzle continued to spark, throughout both of them now, igniting so many emotions into that one little kiss. Desire. Bliss. Nervousness.

They broke apart and she quickly stepped back, her eyes wide and mouth in a gasp. She seemed to hold her breath for a second, and then she burst into giggles. Jed was confused, but the sound of her laughter turned his stomach upside down and made him chuckle too.

She stopped giggling and looked at him again. She shifted the heavy basket into her arms and said, "It really is quite heavy." She giggled again, her eyes twinkling at Jed. He smiled widely, wider than he'd smiled in a long time. They shared a moment, just staring into each other's eyes, and then she said, "I hope to see more of you while you're here."

"You will," Jed told her confidently. She giggled again, and then turned and started walking toward the house.

As he watched her skip to the door, he heard Madison running up again, and shouting, "Jed! There you are!"

The girl stopped walking and turned back around. Madison noticed her and said, "Oh, Abby! You met Jed?"

Jed and the girl looked at each other, and this time no one was giggling. "You're the third sister?" Jed asked the beauty he had picked apples with.

"And you're the fiancé." Abigail stated blankly. They simply stared at each other, until Madison cleared her throat.

"Anyone ready for lunch?"