Mrs. Marcum? I looked around to see if anyone was sitting at the table behind us. Robert said hello back and that’s when I saw it - the ring on my hand.
Chapter 12
The days leading up to Saturday were filled with silence. I quietly tried to wrap my head around being married to Robert. Every lonely moment I had left me questioning the conversations we’d had and the obvious fact that I had never noticed the ring on my own hand. I also wondered why I didn’t sleep in Robert’s bed the night I passed out on Mrs. Bigsley’s couch? Maybe he just thought I needed to keep my sister company. Did couples in the 1800s not sleep in the same bed? It might have been seen as rude since my mother and sister were in his - I mean our - house. I also didn’t see a ring on his finger. I’d really have to pay attention to Robert’s hands the next time I dreamt about him. I felt as though each time I transported to the quaint beach town, I left a piece of Danielle behind in present-day Georgia. I was losing bits and pieces of myself through the portals of time travel.
In between bouts of daydreaming, I prepared myself for Ben’s arrival by helping Mama straighten up the house, shopping for good wine, and making sure my hair was going to cooperate.
I wore the cute little flower dress and sandals we bought earlier in the week and felt fantastic. My hair was up in a bun with small sections pinned in a circle. I had tiny curls falling all around my neck and Mama helped me with my make-up. I felt a little clownish with so much on, but it did look really good.
The doorbell rang at four forty-five p.m. He was earlier than I expected.
Bill answered the door and ushered Ben inside. “Hi, I’m Bill. It’s nice to meet you.”
“ I wasn’t sure if you drank, but I was told to save this for a special occasion and I thought this dinner warranted that,” said Ben, handing Bill a bottle of very old scotch. I felt so excited that he was here. Dressed in my favorite dark jeans and a purple button-down shirt, he looked handsome as usual.
“ Hello. It’s very nice to meet you,” said Mama, coming out of the ktichen. She smiled as Ben handed her a dozen roses. “This was very sweet of you, Ben, to bring us flowers.” I wasn’t sure I had ever seen her so happy in the last two years, even when Bill finally moved in and their relationship went to the next level.
“ I told Danielle on our second date that a girl as beautiful as her should get a rose every day. And since I haven’t seen her for a few days, I figured I should give her a dozen. Plus, I couldn’t leave out her beautiful mother.”
“ Oh, Benjamin.”
“ Mama,” I hissed. “Please call him Ben.”
“ Isn’t his name Benjamin?” Mama whispered back, hiding her mouth with her hand as if she was being discreet.
My face burned, and I waved her quiet.
“ Bill, would you open the wine and the scotch and bring some glasses into the family room?” Mama asked. “We can have some appetizers while the pork roast is cooking.”
Ben and I made our way to the middle of the room while Bill handed our guest a heavy glass of the scotch.
“ Cheers!” said Ben, as he raised his glass to the center of our circle.
“ Welcome to our home, Ben,” said Mama.
The initial meeting was going as planned. Ben had this way about him around people. He seemed like the new kid in class who everyone immediately wanted to be friends with. Someone who was always popular even when he didn’t try to be.
“ So I hear you own a bookstore in Tallulah, Ben,” said Bill.
“ Yes. I’ve always wanted to. Ever since my time in England. Tallulah seemed like the perfect town for it. You know, the kind of place where everyone knows everyone else and little stores line the streets. It’s a great place to live.”
The two men in my life talked for a while about Tallulah, New York City, owning a small business, and college. I started to feel bad that I didn’t tell Ben about my
Chapter 12
The days leading up to Saturday were filled with silence. I quietly tried to wrap my head around being married to Robert. Every lonely moment I had left me questioning the conversations we’d had and the obvious fact that I had never noticed the ring on my own hand. I also wondered why I didn’t sleep in Robert’s bed the night I passed out on Mrs. Bigsley’s couch? Maybe he just thought I needed to keep my sister company. Did couples in the 1800s not sleep in the same bed? It might have been seen as rude since my mother and sister were in his - I mean our - house. I also didn’t see a ring on his finger. I’d really have to pay attention to Robert’s hands the next time I dreamt about him. I felt as though each time I transported to the quaint beach town, I left a piece of Danielle behind in present-day Georgia. I was losing bits and pieces of myself through the portals of time travel.
In between bouts of daydreaming, I prepared myself for Ben’s arrival by helping Mama straighten up the house, shopping for good wine, and making sure my hair was going to cooperate.
I wore the cute little flower dress and sandals we bought earlier in the week and felt fantastic. My hair was up in a bun with small sections pinned in a circle. I had tiny curls falling all around my neck and Mama helped me with my make-up. I felt a little clownish with so much on, but it did look really good.
The doorbell rang at four forty-five p.m. He was earlier than I expected.
Bill answered the door and ushered Ben inside. “Hi, I’m Bill. It’s nice to meet you.”
“ I wasn’t sure if you drank, but I was told to save this for a special occasion and I thought this dinner warranted that,” said Ben, handing Bill a bottle of very old scotch. I felt so excited that he was here. Dressed in my favorite dark jeans and a purple button-down shirt, he looked handsome as usual.
“ Hello. It’s very nice to meet you,” said Mama, coming out of the ktichen. She smiled as Ben handed her a dozen roses. “This was very sweet of you, Ben, to bring us flowers.” I wasn’t sure I had ever seen her so happy in the last two years, even when Bill finally moved in and their relationship went to the next level.
“ I told Danielle on our second date that a girl as beautiful as her should get a rose every day. And since I haven’t seen her for a few days, I figured I should give her a dozen. Plus, I couldn’t leave out her beautiful mother.”
“ Oh, Benjamin.”
“ Mama,” I hissed. “Please call him Ben.”
“ Isn’t his name Benjamin?” Mama whispered back, hiding her mouth with her hand as if she was being discreet.
My face burned, and I waved her quiet.
“ Bill, would you open the wine and the scotch and bring some glasses into the family room?” Mama asked. “We can have some appetizers while the pork roast is cooking.”
Ben and I made our way to the middle of the room while Bill handed our guest a heavy glass of the scotch.
“ Cheers!” said Ben, as he raised his glass to the center of our circle.
“ Welcome to our home, Ben,” said Mama.
The initial meeting was going as planned. Ben had this way about him around people. He seemed like the new kid in class who everyone immediately wanted to be friends with. Someone who was always popular even when he didn’t try to be.
“ So I hear you own a bookstore in Tallulah, Ben,” said Bill.
“ Yes. I’ve always wanted to. Ever since my time in England. Tallulah seemed like the perfect town for it. You know, the kind of place where everyone knows everyone else and little stores line the streets. It’s a great place to live.”
The two men in my life talked for a while about Tallulah, New York City, owning a small business, and college. I started to feel bad that I didn’t tell Ben about my
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