Clandestine: A Story of Three Sisters

Chapter 18

Chapter Eighteen- A Beginning

A couple months went by, the rain outside thundering away. But continuing being stuck inside did not negatively affect Charlotte the way Jed thought it would. She began to eat regularly, stroll around the cottage to drink tea in one corner and then knit in another, and slept comfortably. Her cheeks began to round again, shining a little pinkly. And her stomach had grown just the slightest bit. Charlotte insisted it hadn't, but Jed told her her hips were rounder and she should just accept it.

Meanwhile, Madison seemed to retreat into her own shell. She would lock herself into her room and keep quiet, lost in thoughts and the pages of her notebook. If she ever left her room, she'd wear a shawl around her shoulders and hide the notebook under the shawl to keep it by her in case something new came to her.

At first, this bothered Jed. He felt he should talk to her, remind her again that they had made a mutual agreement so as to look after Charlotte's wellbeing. But he never caught her alone, and he had become busy getting to know Charlotte anyway.

It was amazing how they had gone from practically hating each other, to being friends. They chatted the days away, discussing topics that ranged from favorite colors to politics. It made him smile to think they could talk about anything together now, and actually enjoy talking to each other.

It surprised Charlotte, as well. Jed may have been uncomfortable with her, but she had actually hated him for the longest time. Getting over that hatred, however, had been easier than she'd thought it would be. Before, she looked at Jed and saw a threat. Then, she'd seen the man responsible for Will's death. But those images had slipped away and she hadn't even noticed. Now she saw someone who made the rainy, dull days fly by in merriment. For once, she didn't cry herself to sleep or have constant headaches due to stress. She actually smiled, laughed, and felt alive again.

Part of Charlotte, and part of Jed, felt guilty. Every time she laughed, Charlotte had to remind herself to stop because it wasn't right. Will and Abby were gone, what right did she have to laugh? But sometimes she forgot to stop herself, and it became harder and harder to remember.

Every time Jed found himself smiling at Charlotte's laugh, he felt a pit of guilt in stomach widen. He should be missing Abby's giggles, not causing someone else's giggles. But Charlotte's laugh was just as enchanting as Abby's giggles had been. It was dryer, fuller, not quite as musical, but still gurgling with joy. And after some time, the pit of guilt shrank and shrank, until it was nonexistent.

One day over tea, Charlotte decided to comment on their growing friendship. "I can't believe we're here today."

"Neither can I," Jed told her, clearing away their teacups. "I never thought I'd see an expression on your face other than one of pure disgust."

"It wasn't disgust!" Charlotte defended as he took her cup from her. He raised his eyebrows at her and she conceded, "Well, maybe it was a little bit of disgust."

Jed chuckled as he handed the tray of tea things to the maid, who dashed away with it all. He turned back and noticed Charlotte grimacing a little, raising her feet up onto on the sofa.

"Is something wrong?" He asked, immediately worried.

"No, nothing serious." Charlotte responded sighing in an almost annoyed manner. "I just don't understand it. I am not that far along at all, and my feet are already swelling to twice their size! And do not tell me that I am round all over, because I am not!"

"Alright, alright." Jed chuckled again. "Why don't I rub your feet to reduce the swelling?"

"That'll help?" Charlotte asked, unsure.

"Yes. Or it should reduce the pain a little, at least."

"Even a little would be a lot right now. Thank you," she told him as he sat at the other end of the sofa, raising her feet onto his lap. Jed took one of her feet into his hands and began to rub it all over, pressing the swollen muscles. Charlotte winced a little, but it didn't take long for the pain to subside and relief to flood her senses. "Thank you," she sighed out again, and Jed nodded in response.

He was looking at his work carefully, rubbing where he felt swollen muscle and massaging it as deeply as he could. He massaged the swelling down, then followed it to Charlotte's ankle and then her calf. Soon, he was massaging her entire lower leg, and Charlotte lay back against the sofa in relief. Jed dropped the one foot and began kneading the other, careful not to hurt her too much, but also trying to rub away every bump. He must've pressed one too hard, because Charlotte gave a small yelp of shock.

"Are you alright?" Jed asked, sitting forward and looking at her intently.

Charlotte made a face, and then looked up into his worried eyes. She couldn't help it; she began to snicker at the concern plastered across his wide eyes and mouth open in an O. "I'm fine," she managed to say between giggles. "Sorry, it was just a bit of a shock."

"Why're you laughing?" Jed asked, completely dumbfounded.

"You look like a puppy dog with your face like that," Charlotte chuckled out, and then imitated his animated expression.

Jed gave a snort, but said, "That is not funny." Charlotte could only laugh and nod in response.

They were both chuckling now, Charlotte holding her sides and Jed hanging on to her legs. Absentmindedly, he was running his hands up and down her lower legs, and inching closer to Charlotte. Before either of them knew it, their faces were only inches apart and the laughter suddenly ceased.

Charlotte and Jed kept eye contact as Charlotte visibly swallowed and tried to seem nonchalant. Jed only stared back at her, unsure what to do. Without thinking, they both leaned in and began to kiss each other. It was a little sloppy, rushed, and too heated. Jed tangled his fingers into Charlotte's brunette mane and got a better hold of her face. Their lips smacked against each other, and both of them suddenly felt as if they were burning up.

Almost together, they broke apart and sat staring at each other again. They were breathing heavily but silently, their chests rising and falling visibly. Their lips were red and chapped, and Charlotte's hair was now disheveled. But neither knew what to say or do.

"I'm sorry," Jed blurted out, not knowing if that was the right thing to say.

"No, um. No," Charlotte managed to say, shaking her head and taking a deep breath after, her eyes squeezed shut. She opened them again quickly and said, "Thank you for the massage," before standing up off the sofa and disappearing up the stairs.

Jed slumped against the sofa and shook his head. He only hoped his stupid mistake hadn't cost him his newfound friendship.