The Curious Swan

by Kenzie Hart

  “It has,” Klara agrees. “I will miss the days spent out in the meadow, picking flowers or wandering through the forest with Grandfather’s journals.” Klara sighs for her mind flashes to spending her days doing those things with Edward. Getting caught in the rain together. Edward holding her close in front of the fire in her bedroom. Her stomach flutters at the memories, but it drops when she thinks back to the present. She thinks of Edward often, that she should fix things. But, now, it seems too late. Her heart aches each and every day, but she hopes that, with time, the pain will heal. She and Edward share beautiful memories, and Klara wonders if she should be braver, listen to Grandmother, and go to see him.

  “You will have many more summers like that, Klara,” Cordelia replies. “But, as with all things, including seasons, they must come to an end before a new one is to begin. This fall will be filled with just as many wonderful memories, many including your father.”

  “Of course you’re right,” Klara says, moving back next to her. “It will be filled with delightful new adventures. Now, I’m going to help Mrs. B with the dessert preparations and spend a little time in the garden before getting ready. Mrs. B is even going to serve the cherry pies that we baked together yesterday.”

  She put on a smile for Mrs. B, but baking the cherry pies reminded her of Edward. She took a piece of the pie to her room that night and couldn’t hold the tears back any longer.

  Cordelia waves Klara away. “Go and have fun. And make sure those rabbits aren’t getting into my tulips again! They’ve already eaten half of the leaves from them.”

  “Only if you promise to relax about tonight, Grandmother. Everything will be perfect; I just know it,” Klara replies, her hand resting on the doorframe.

  Of course, she won’t scold Beatrix for getting into the flowers; after all, Klara knows that they must taste divine if she keeps coming back for them. It is always an ongoing fight, keeping her satisfied with the vegetables, so she doesn’t get into the flower beds, or Cordelia wouldn’t be so lenient with having just a fence to urge her away.

  Cordelia raises her eyebrows at Klara but finally agrees to meet her halfway. “I agree to trying to relax, but nothing more.”

  “Good enough for me,” Klara says as she slips out of her grandmother’s room and down the hallway toward the kitchen.

  Eddie rubs his hands against the sides of his pants, trying to calm his nerves. Even though Charles told him that Klara missed him, sometimes, she could be hard to read, and his biggest fear is that, when she sees him again, her face won’t reveal anything. He’s imagined her locking eyes with him, even giving him a smile, but continuing on like nothing has bothered her. As though their past were actually in the past and not something to be worked through now. But Eddie pushes that feeling aside, deciding he is better off with trying and being let down than not trying at all, and so it is at this moment that he opens the door leading into the Kentwood Estate.

  “Edward?” Cordelia gasps at the sight of Edward moving into her entryway.

  He’s holding a large bouquet of wildflowers encased in brown paper. Cordelia notices his tuxedo fits against him just right, and he’s parted and gelled his hair back.

  “Cordelia,” Eddie says, and a grin comes to his face. It isn’t the most appropriate reaction after having not seen her in a couple of weeks, but he can’t help it. He walks toward her and pulls her into a hug, causing Cordelia to gasp. As Eddie pulls back, Cordelia’s shocked expression does nothing to remove the smile from his face. “I’m sorry. I couldn’t help myself,” he says with a laugh. “I’ve missed you.” He takes Cordelia’s hand and places a kiss on it.

  Cordelia’s shock turns her heart warm, and she raises her lips in a smile. “We have missed you as well,” Cordelia replies, trying to piece together the situation. “Did Klara invite you here?”

  Eddie shakes his head. “It’s sort of a surprise visit,” he replies, unsure of if he should admit that Charles came to him or if Cordelia already knows that.

  “You’re dressed quite appropriately for just popping by,” Cordelia says, narrowing her eyes at him.

  Eddie’s grin comes back, and he teases Cordelia a little. “You know as well as any that, half the time I’m here, these are the clothes I’m in. I’ve just decided to embrace the uniform anytime I show up unannounced; at least I will be doing so properly dressed.”

  Cordelia narrows her eyes even more until they’re small almond slits kept at bay behind her glasses.

  “Very clever,” Cordelia notes, but her voice becomes serious. “Edward, why now? It has been weeks.” Cordelia doesn’t believe that the time passed has changed anything for Klara, except for she seems to pretend like not being with Edward doesn’t hurt her. She acts as though their relationship was just a series of beautiful memories once shared, but Cordelia knows better. Klara is hurting in her own way, and Cordelia doesn’t want her to get hurt again.

  Eddie drops his shoulders slightly, fidgeting with the flowers. “I thought that if Klara wanted to see me, she would come to talk things through. When she never did, I thought that she just didn’t want to see me. But the truth is, I was a coward. I still love Klara, I always will, and I want to fix things with her.”

  Cordelia crosses her arms, listening intently to Edward. “I’m glad to hear so, Edward, and I think Klara will be pleased to see you here tonight.”

  Eddie’s heart feels happy. He thought for a moment that Cordelia might tell him to go, but he wasn’t sure even if she did that he would listen.

  “And you’ve missed me, too, yeah?” Eddie says with a sideways grin.

  Cordelia just rolls her eyes, but she loops her arm through Edward’s and gives his forearm a nice pat. “Come. Why don’t we go find her together?”

  Klara sways to the music, feeling as though she were floating along the waves of sound. She adores live music, and tonight, her grandmother made sure that the band would be playing the entire evening. People dance around her, swaying back and forth, and Klara enjoys getting lost in it. She could get lost in the feeling of the music moving through her. With her eyes closed, she twirls around, opening them up every now and again to watch that she isn’t running into anyone, but it is a struggle to keep them open each time she does.

  Her grandmother wanted the theme of their end-of-summer party to be about celebrating summer and apparently all things floral. Flowers from their gardens are draped across doorways and artistically hanging down from the ceiling. The aroma is intoxicating. They have opened up the ballroom for the evening, and candles are lit in every corner. Everything feels light and wonderful, and Klara appreciates the celebration.

  It was something for her to look forward to, to occupy her thoughts over the last few weeks without Eddie, and her grandmother even let her wear one of her old dresses that Klara had found in the attic. It is a floor-length tiered gown with a wide banded top that sits off her shoulders. The dress is floral-patterned, almost reminding Klara of thick curtains. The material is anything but light, but the way the dress moves out around her while she twirls is reason enough to put up with the weight of it. Her grandmother helped her pin her hair back with her mother’s butterfly clip, and she even gifted her a bracelet with butterflies hanging from its chain. The butterflies have diamond eyes and red rubies sparkling in between them, and shine beautifully on her wrist.

  The band changes songs, playing something softer and slower, and Klara adjusts her speed. She can listen and dance to the music for hours, feeling intoxicated by the whole evening. Klara feels a hand slip around her waist, and she jumps slightly, her eyes flicking open.

  Klara sucks in a breath. “Edward?”

  Memories from the last time she saw him flood her mind along with the look on his face the night she fell apart. Her face flushes, and she drops her gaze, trying to turn away from him, but Edward keeps his grip firmly around her waist.

  “Klara, wait,” Eddie says, his voice sounding desperate. He’s worried she will tell him to leave, but when he
pulls her closer, she doesn’t resist. “Just dance with me, please.”

  Eddie puts his other hand around her small waist, pulling her directly against him.

  Klara’s body aches to be closer to Edward’s, and she rests her hands on his shoulders, leaning her cheek against his chest. It’s the most familiar feeling in the world. It’s like she’s coming home to someone.

  Her body fits perfectly tucked against his as Eddie starts to sway to the music. The people around them dance more formally, their elbows pointed out, spinning slowly across the floor, but it doesn’t matter. Eddie and Klara stay together, barely moving.

  Klara wonders why Edward is here. She can’t face him after everything that happened. She’s embarrassed, but in some instinctive way, she burrows herself farther into his chest, allowing him to hold her. To hug her. It’s a strange thing, finding comfort in the person you’re most scared to face, but that’s exactly what Klara does.

  Eddie tightens his grip around Klara’s waist, moving his hands so that they are laced behind her back. His whole body is buzzing, being pressed against hers. All he wants to do is scoop her up and carry her away, kissing her all the while, enjoying the moment.

  Dipping his head, Eddie’s face is mere inches from Klara’s. Her rosy lips catch his eyes, and he looks into her gaze. Klara’s eyes get soft, but her brows furrow slightly. A tear escapes, and she can feel the weight of it rolling down her cheek. The way Eddie is looking at her is too much for Klara. It’s with such warmth, and Eddie moves his head in, kissing the tear away. Klara closes her eyes, feeling his hot breath on her cheek, and her body shudders.

  “Shh,” Eddie whispers, his lips still lingering on her cheek. He looks into her cool blue eyes. “I love you, Klara.” His stomach does flips at his admission, and he chastises himself for making Klara cry. He doesn’t want to see her cry.

  He wanted to talk with her first and sort everything out. But they could get to that later. Right now, all Eddie wants to do is kiss her, and he hovers over hers, hesitating for a moment. Then, he places a gentle kiss on her lips.

  Klara stays frozen in place. She takes in the kiss, Edward’s soft lips against hers, but she doesn’t kiss him back. She wants to feel if anything has changed. To see, after everything they’ve been through, if Edward feels differently about her. She knows she can tell such things from how he kisses her.

  But she doesn’t. The kiss is perfect.

  Eddie pulls his face back, searching her eyes, trying to get an indication of her feelings. He dips his head back down, placing his lips on hers again. Another tear escapes Klara’s eye, but this time, she presses her lips against his, kissing him back.

  Eddie sighs out at the feeling, his insides heating up, and he grabs on to Klara’s cheek, pulling her face closer to his. A smile comes to his face, and Klara giggles at the feeling. She’s always loved how Edward smiles while kissing her. It makes her just as happy that he feels happy.

  Klara leans away, taking in Edward. He looks as dashing as always in his formal attire. His eyes are still warm, his freckles still splayed across his nose. She stands up onto her tiptoes to place a kiss on his cheek. On one of those freckles.

  Klara smells like tea and rose petals, and Eddie buries himself into her neck, breathing in the familiar scent. Her hair engulfs him, and he runs his fingers through it and across her exposed upper back. Her shoulders are bare, and he holds on to her, kissing the exposed skin of her neck and down onto her shoulder. Klara flushes, and a small gasp comes out of her mouth at the feeling of Edward’s lips moving across her. Her whole body heats at the sensation, and goose bumps move down her arms.

  “I’ve missed hearing those noises,” Eddie says into her ear, an easy laugh coming from his lips. He loves teasing her, and he had better tease her than keep his mind on Klara and the other noises he wants to hear her make again.

  “I’ve missed you, too,” Klara replies, trying to calm her pounding heart. It feels as though it is going to rip out of her chest and fly away, and she’d much prefer to keep it. Especially now.

  “Do you want to go somewhere to talk?” Eddie asks, his heart feeling lighter.

  Hearing Klara say she missed him gives him hope. He knows that kissing is the easy part; it always will be. But just because Klara kissed him back doesn’t mean that she wants to be with him even if that’s what he wants.

  Klara nods, and Eddie grabs on to her hand, moving to lead her out of the ballroom.

  “Wait,” Klara says. Edward turns back toward her, his head crooked to the side. “Can we dance to one more song first?” she asks, wanting for Edward to hold her close a little while longer.

  “Of course,” Eddie replies, a smile tugging at his lips. He pulls Klara back up against him, wrapping himself around her and moving to the music.

  Klara sits down on the swing in the garden. The warm air surrounds them, and the music from within the ballroom drifts out through the open French doors and floats through the air. Edward said he would meet her here, and she decides to swing while she waits. It is one of the most wonderful feelings in the world, your body flying through the air. Her insides flutter with each swing, and Klara pushes herself back and forth, dragging her feet along the ground.

  “Sorry,” Eddie says, jogging into the garden. “I wanted to give you these.” He moves in front of Klara, handing her a bouquet of wildflowers.

  “They’re beautiful,” she says, taking the delicate flowers and inhaling their fragrance.

  “I picked them all. Even managed to sprinkle a few of your favorites in there,” he replies with a smile, a light blush coming to his cheeks.

  “Foxgloves,” Klara breathes out, moving her fingers over the drooping petals. “Thank you,” she replies, staying seated on the swing.

  “They match your dress quite nicely,” Eddie says with a nervous laugh, not sure how to transition their conversation. He decides to just jump into it, and he walks behind her, slowly pushing her on the swing. “I want to apologize properly to you, Klara,” he says. “I’ve been on my way to come talk to you so many times, but in the end, I always chickened out. And what you said—that I was a coward—well, you were right. I was scared to tell my dad the truth, and then I was scared again to face you after everything I said that night.” Eddie keeps pushing Klara, and even with her back to him, he can hear her suck in a breath. His hands are shaking. Moving them is his only solace, so he keeps himself focused on pushing the swing back and forth.

  Klara’s instantly shocked. “Edward, if anyone was a coward, it was me. I thought you’d never want to speak to me again after seeing me that way. The whole night was utterly embarrassing,” Klara says, dropping her chin to her chest.

  Eddie’s slightly taken aback. He heard those words from Charles, but he wasn’t sure if Klara would admit them to him. “Don’t be, Klara. You reacted as anyone else would have in your situation. Your whole world had fallen apart, and I wasn’t there to help you pick it back up.”

  Eddie gets mad at himself again at the thought. Klara holds on to the ropes at her sides, mindlessly running her fingers over the woven spirals.

  “Are things better with your father?” he asks.

  A smile comes to Klara’s face. “Things have been hectic but good. Father and I have been seeing a counselor together. He’s here every week, and he’s even opening a practice in town.”

  “That’s a big change,” Eddie says, relieved that Charles really is stepping up for her.

  “It is,” she agrees. “There has been a lot going on at the house, to say the least. Grandmother even took another trip to London.” Klara raises an eyebrow, knowing Edward will enjoy hearing about the news.

  “That’s shocking.”

  “It is quite curious. But she won’t let on about what she’s been doing there.”

  “We might just have to work her down together,” Eddie says hesitantly, his words having a deeper meaning in them.

  “I think we just might,” she says, turning around and grinning a
t him. “I’ve missed you, Edward.”

  Eddie strides around the swing and pulls Klara against his chest.

  “I’ve missed you,” he replies, his chest rising. “And I’m sorry about what I said. About our wish. I was just scared. Scared as much as I think you were. It was horrible of me to say, and I didn’t mean it. That’s what I want, Klara. To go to university. To be with you there. And I told my father that.”

  Klara’s eyes go wide, and she pulls back to look up at Eddie. “What was his response?”

  “He was furious at first. And then he was hurt. But he got over it and is starting to accept that it doesn’t have anything to do with him or his business. It just isn’t what I want.”

  “I’m so proud of you, Edward.”

  “Thank you. I also feel completely terrible that I pushed you about your mum. I should have seen the signs, Klara. Looking back, you tried to tell me. The yew tree, that you had to hide photos, not being able to go in her room. I shouldn’t have pushed you like that.”

  Klara slightly rubs her arms, thinking about what to say. “You couldn’t have known, Edward. I didn’t know. Or I didn’t want to remember. And it wasn’t your fault. You understood that I needed time.”

  Eddie nods his head as Klara stands up from the swing and pulls him down to her lips. She squeezes Eddie tightly, her heart pounding as she opens her mouth to him.

  Eddie traces her lip with his tongue, and he dips it into her mouth, feeling his heart soar. Every time Klara kisses him, he gets lost in her. Lost in her scent, her hair, in her lips. Eddie pulls back, feeling slightly dazed. He runs his hands along the sides of his pants when he remembers something.

  “I never got to give you your birthday present,” he says, dropping his hand into his pocket. “Would you like to open it now?”

  Klara’s eyes get bright, and she can’t help herself. She smiles wildly and giggles. “Of course!”