Ellie giggled.
“Fine day?” Mrs. Kirk laughed shortly, “Where have you been, boy? Surely not in Donners Bend. It’s been raining since the break a’ dawn.”
“But every drop is a gift from heaven in my eyes.”
Mrs. Kirk shook her head, “Then you must be blind.”
“Oh no, my vision is perfect. Mae, don’t you agree that the rain is a wonderful thing? Isn’t that why you moved here, my dear?”
Ellie laughed, “Of course.”
Mrs. Kirk shook her head once more, “Young people nowadays have no perspective.”
Jon and Ellie just giggled.
“Well, now that we’ve gotten over the term ‘fine day’, shall we move on? Mrs. Kirk, can I help you find something, perhaps?” said Jon.
“Yes, yes, I’m in need of some candles. Nice candles, not cheap ones like they sell at that shop around the corner. Do you know what I mean?”
“I think so,” Jon said as he led her over to a shelf full of colorful candles in assorted heights.
“Oh yes, these will be just perfect!” Mrs. Kirk exclaimed as she picked up the ones she planned on purchasing. Jon came around behind the counter and wrote up the exchange on a notepad for Ol’ Smith.
“What are they for?” Ellie asked Mrs. Kirk as she scooted to the side of the counter.
Ellie was now proud to say she now knew just about every citizen of Donners Bend. It wasn’t hard since Donners Bend was such a small town, but still a noteworthy accomplishment.
“They’re for a party Mr. Fanning’s having; a little housewarming gift for him. He just arrived back in town a few days ago, you know.”
Jon nodded as though he understood as he placed the candles in a bag, “Yeah, I heard about that, but I didn’t know he was having a party.”
“Who’s Mr. Fanning?” Ellie asked, but they didn’t hear her. She thought she knew everyone in Donners Bend, but she’d never heard of a Mr. Fanning.
“Oh yes,” Mrs. Kirk said in response to Jon, “Not many people have heard about the party yet, but everyone’s invited. It’s happening next weekend at his house. They say he’s going to stay for good this time and that he’s sick of the city life. I don’t know what to think, because you know he’s always going back and forth: city, Donners Bend, city, Donners Bend. I don’t know. Maybe they’re right. Maybe he’s staying for good this time.”
“Who’s Mr. Fanning?” Ellie asked again.
“I need to go now,” said Mrs. Kirk as she picked up her things, “Thank you for the help, Mr. Smithton! And it was nice seeing you again Miss Henderson!”
“Goodbye!” Jon and Ellie shouted in unison just as Mrs. Kirk walked out the door.
Ellie grabbed Jon, who stood in front of her, by the shoulders and asked impatiently, “Can you please tell me who Mr. Fanning is now?”
“Of course,” he laughed, “His name is Benjamin Fanning and he’s a very rich and successful businessman. He lived in Donners Bend until he was about eighteen, and then he moved to the city so that he could fulfill his dream of starting his own business. Since then he’s moved back and forth between the city and Donners Bend many times. He says Donners Bend, with its hills, countryside, and excessive rain will always be his home and his true love, but he always ends up going back to the city.”
“Is he married?”
“No, but usually when he comes back from the city he’s got another beautiful girl hanging on his arm. They want his money, it’s obvious to see.”
“Where does he live?”
“Between a humongous houses here in Donners Bend, you’ll see it at the party, and an expensive and high-class apartment in the city, but maybe Mrs. Kirk was right. Maybe he is selling his apartment and moving back here for good.”
“Hmm... Well I guess I’ll have to meet this Benjamin Fanning for myself.”
A few days passed and then it was the day of the party. Marcelle decided to come along. She and Ellie dressed in Ellie’s room just an hour before the party was to begin. Ellie dressed in an elegant, deep violet dress with a boat neckline and with it she wore a simple pearl necklace and earrings. Marcelle helped her to pull back her hair into a low, curly ponytail using a beautiful pearl pin.
As soon as Ellie was dressed they started on Marcelle.
“Can you lace this a little tighter, please? I need to look good, for there may be some handsome men there and one can’t possibly look alluring with a huge waist, can they?”
Ellie came behind Marcelle and pulled the strings of her corset tighter while Marcelle sucked in deeply. Marcelle really didn’t have anything to worry about though, for her waist was small even without the corset.
“I still don’t see why you got rid of that Ross man. I thought you liked him.”
Marcelle sighed, rolling her eyes, “He was handsome and all, but good looks can only last you so long. He was just so incredibly boring if you really got to talking with him.”
“Is that so?” Ellie asked innocently, though she knew it was true.
“My God, yes,” Marcelle answered as she pulled her sky blue dress over her head. It matched her eyes perfectly and Marcelle adored the low neckline that showed off her full bust. Without a second guess, Marcelle knew all the men at the party tonight wouldn’t be able to take their eyes off her.
Ellie helped her lace up the back of the dress as she said, “Well, since you don’t have an escort yet, you could always join Jon and I. We could go as a threesome.”
“Oh no,” Marcelle assured her, “I’ll be fine. And besides, I wouldn’t want to disturb you two lovebirds.”
She gave a wink, and both girls laughed.
“Are you sure?” Ellie asked, “Because we really wouldn’t mind.”
“Positive. I’ll be fine on my own. I’ve never had a problem with it before, have I? And besides, I need my side to be free tonight. Who knows what men will be present. I hope this Mr. Fanning brought some of his rich, handsome, city friends with him.”
At that moment, a knock came from the front door and they heard Jon call out, “Hey Mae! It’s me!”
“Come on in! The door’s open!” Ellie called back.
The girls heard him enter and walk to the closed bedroom door.
“Hello,” he said from just outside the door.
“Hello, Johnny,” replied Ellie.
“Hello, Jon.”
“Marcelle, I haven’t seen you in a while. I trust you’re doing well?” Jon asked through the closed door.
“Oh yes, quite well.”
“Are you two getting ready?”
“Yes. We’ll be out pretty soon though. Feel free to make yourself at home for now.”
“Alright, I’ll be in the parlor.”
They heard his footsteps walk down the short hall and a light crash as he fell onto the couch to relax.
Ellie fastened a sapphire necklace around Marcelle’s neck while Marcelle slipped in the matching earrings and fixed her hair one last time. In its perfect, spiral ringlets, her dark hair fell onto her shoulders and down her back like a cascading waterfall.
“Jon?” Marcelle called, “Can I ask you something?”
“Of course, what ‘tis it?”
“How old is this Mr. Fanning supposed to be anyway?”
“He’s thirty-two. Why do you ask?”
“No reason,” and then she lowered her voice and said to Ellie, “A little old, but who knows: maybe he’s got the looks to go with that money of his.”
He certainly did have a lot of money, they’d soon find out. His house was amazingly huge and classy and accommodated all the citizens of Donners Bend wonderfully. While Ellie and Jon danced in the ballroom, Marcelle sat in the parlor with a group of men who’d already become infatuated with the mysterious new woman at the party. She sat on a settee with two men by her side, one leaning over her shoulder from behind, and three on the rug next to her. Batting her eyelashes flirtatiously, Marcelle laughed and smiled while she chatted the night away easily with the men.<
br />
At around nine o’clock though, another man approached her. He was more confident and cocky than the rest, and Marcelle couldn’t help but wonder why. She found out within minutes.
“May I steal you for a moment, miss?” he asked suavely.
Marcelle looked up with a rather startled impression, “I suppose so, sir.”
The men groaned slightly as she stood up.
“Don’t miss me too much now,” she said with a smile, taking the man’s offered arm and walking away with him as he led her to the ballroom.
“I hope you didn’t mind my interrupting your little conversation over there, miss, but I thought you might like to dance.”
He held out his hand and she took it. They walked to the center of the room and began dancing around with the other guests. Marcelle’s azure skirt swayed beautifully as she moved and her curls bounced as the man sprung her about.
“Might you spare a name to accompany thy fair face?” he asked with a sophisticated air.
“Marcelle Marquis, and yours, sir?”
“Benjamin Fanning,” he smiled slightly.
Marcelle’s eyes widened, “Oh, forgive me, sir, for I did not know it was you, my host. Now, knowing that, I must commend you on your amazing home. You certainly do have exquisite taste.”
“Why thank you. And I must commend you on your suburb dancing skills. You must surely be the best, and most stunning, dancer in the room.”
At first they spoke simply. Their small talk was polite and complimentary, but nothing more. Benjamin was obviously attracted to Marcelle’s appearance, just as she was to his money.
He wasn’t exactly a handsome man, but he wasn’t obscenely hideous either. A thin, finely cut brown mustache sat above his thin lips and the well-combed auburn hair atop his head had already started to gray. His eyes were brownish blue and mocking. And the absolute worst thing about him, Marcelle concluded, was his overconfident, arrogant attitude. She hated it because it was the same attitude she, herself, owned for different reasons. Benjamin knew he was wealthy and Marcelle knew she was beautiful. Never once had two more conceited people met.
Once they’d danced a few songs, Marcelle parted with Benjamin and found Ellie standing on the side of the room; Jon was getting beverages for himself and Ellie.
“Well, I’ve met our host,” Marcelle told her friend.
“Is he the man you were dancing with?”
Marcelle nodded.
“And?”
“Well, he’s polite enough, but he’s obviously not my type. He’s not at t’all good-looking, don’t you think? In fact, the only good thing about him I can see is his money.”
“How did he become so wealthy anyway?”
“He started some sort of publishing house in some city or another and then he expanded it, and so on and so forth, and now he owns about fifteen publishing houses or something like that. It was all so boring when he explained it I can barely remember what he told me. I do remember though, that he said he doesn’t even have to work much anymore for the money to keep rolling in. All he has to do is make sure the managers running his houses are doing their jobs well.”
From around Marcelle’s shoulder Ellie saw Benjamin approaching, “I think Mr. Fanning is back for another dance, Marcelle.”
She was right. He tapped on Marcelle’s shoulder and asked her once more to dance. Feeling it was rude to decline a host; Marcelle accepted and reluctantly walked back out onto the dance floor with Benjamin. They began spinning around the floor again in time with the music while Ellie watched from the side.
Jon returned with two drinks and after handing one to Ellie he asked, “What’s Marcelle been up to?”
“Dancing with our host. She says he’s the most arrogant man she’s ever met.”
“Well he’s got a right to be, doesn’t he?” Jon said with laugh.
Chapter 6 - Jameson Ethan Rhodes
“My God,” a frustrated Marcelle said as she, Ellie, and Jon walked back to Ellie’s place that evening, “I can’t believe he would speak that way to a lady! He’s certainly not a good host if he speaks that way to all his guests.”
“But I don’t believe he did speak that way to all his guests. Only to you, my dear,” Jon replied as he wrapped his arm playfully around Ellie’s shoulders and pulled her to him.
Ellie laughed as she leaned into Jon, “He’s right, Marcelle. Once you’d met, Benjamin spoke to you and only you the rest of the night.”
“Well I wish he hadn’t. He was rude and arrogant and completely impolite and I hope I never have to see him ever again. Ever.”
Ellie raised her eyebrows up at Jon and he smiled.
“He seemed so mannerly at first, that you wouldn’t believe the words coming out of his mouth just moments later. And do you know what he told me?” Marcelle didn’t wait for an answer, “He said that I was impolite. Who’s he calling impolite? My God, I can’t believe him. And do you know what else he said? He said that although I may be beautiful, I was certainly no lady.”
Jon came up behind Ellie and wrapped his arms around hers, causing her to giggle uncontrollably. Marcelle walked quickly ahead of them, completely unaware of their friendly playing.
She shook her head and clenched her fists madly, “Can you believe he said that to me?”
Jon rocked Ellie back and forth from behind as she answered Marcelle between laughs, “No, I most certainly cannot.”
Breaking free of Jon, Ellie caught up to Marcelle as she was saying, “He said that no true lady would ever talk the way I did.”
Jon ran up to the girls again, “Well, he’s got a point there.”
“Johnny!” Ellie said as she hit Jon lightly in the arm.
“You agree with him, Jon?” Marcelle asked in shock.
Both girls had stopped walking and waited impatiently for Jon’s answer.
He ran a hand through his hair uncomfortably, “Well, you weren’t exactly nice to him either, were you Marcelle?”
Marcelle shook her head and began walking again, “My God, have all men turned against me?”
Jon shrugged at Ellie and they jogged back up to Marcelle. Because she’d removed her shoes at the beginning of the trip, the soft green grass of the fields they were walking through dusted Ellie’s ankles.
The warm breeze blew Marcelle’s curls gently, “If Benjamin wasn’t going to be a true gentleman, why should I have to be a lady? I think I had a right to speak the way I did. Don’t you, Ellie?”
Ellie scratched her head, “Well...”
“Well what? Come on, out with it!”
“Well, you didn’t have to lose your courtesy just because he lost his. You could have chosen to be a lady if you’d wanted to...”
Marcelle sighed, “I just don’t want to talk about it anymore. I’m going to forget all about that horrible Benjamin Fanning and this awful night and move on.”
They’d reached the house by this time. Jon smiled and gave Marcelle a small hug, “That’s the way to be. Forget Mr. Fanning.”
He then moved over and gave Ellie a hug and kiss on the head.
“Good night girls!” he called, taking Penny off the post he’d tied her to for the night. He hopped on. “Till tomorrow!”
“Good night!” they called back as he rode away.
Luckily for Marcelle, she didn’t see Benjamin for many weeks after that night, but he wouldn’t be out of her life forever.
Jon and Ellie became closer and closer till they were inseparable. The hours Ellie wasn’t working at the Rhodes she spent either with Jon at Ol’ Smith’s, his felicity, her house, his house, or somewhere else around town, but wherever she went it seemed Jon was always at her side.
On this particular day though, Ellie wouldn’t be able to see Jon because she had to work all day. Robert and Louise were home, but they would be working for most of the day, so Ellie still came to watch and teach the children. She and they sat upstairs in the schoolroom. Gracie and Leah were practicing their writing while Ellie read
to Demi and Wesley. They sat on the window seat that looked out over the front yard. Rain poured down from the flat, gray clouds above as thunder boomed and lightning flashed. Every so often, when they heard a loud crash from the sky, Demi and Wesley would lean closer into Ellie’s shoulders as she read. The constant noise continually startled Gracie and Leah’s work.
Leah looked up slowly; she’d heard something and it hadn’t been the thunder. Gracie heard it too. They both stopped their work and looked to the window, but they couldn’t see anything for their nanny and younger siblings were blocking it.
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