Forgive and Flourish

The Brentwood Newspaper

The Brentwood Newspaper
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The room was silent. The steps coming towards the drawing room were heavy and almost seemed rushed. The sunlight gleamed through the old windows that sat on the wall in the drawing room. The window panels were cracked just the slightest bit from the wintery air overwhelming the glass.

Ms. Welles hurried into the drawing room, trying to catch her breath. Rain Welles sat there staring at her with confusion painted across her face. She was sitting on a parlor chair in her lace dress, which was hiding her petite legs. She was fixing up a dress that she had torn riding a horse in Brentwood park.

Ms. Welles said in a lively voice, "Rain, my dear, Rain! You will never believe what I've found in the Brentwood newspaper this morning?"
She slowly unfolded the paper, her mouth beginning to widen as she couldn't contain her excitement.

"Mother? I believe you are well-rested then?" Rain asked, with not much interest.

"Oh Rain, look at the paper! Look what it reads! He's visiting Brentwood, dear!"

Rain scanned the paper, searching for a famous singer or maybe just an old relative that she'd never got the chance to meet. She eyed the paper for just a moment more and then she saw the news. She was at a loss of words.

"Rain, Benjamin Taylor is visiting Brentwood, dear! You children were great friends, always getting into some sort of trouble," Ms. Welles said.

"We were great friends when we were 12. He left us. He left me," Rain explained.

"Please Rain, he did nothing wrong. I must invite Benjamin's mother over for some tea!"

Rain knew that her mother didn't see the faults in anyone but her. She sat there silently, staring at her mother, walking briskly around the drawing room.

Ms. Welles demanded that Rain get engaged when she turned 18. She had been on the topic every morning, hoping that maybe Rain would come to her senses and search for a young man in Brentwood. She had picked out every suitable man who could care for Rain and help her raise a family. Rain didn't find any interest in a family, though. She wanted to travel around England. Leave Brentwood behind and all the wealthy, ill-bred, men and women that came with it.

"Rain, dear, why don't you and Anne take a carriage to the town's Cherry Tree? Perhaps you will find young men that you rather find interest in," Ms. Welles asked.

"Anne would much rather stare out a window," Rain began.

"Rain, please. You understand that I want you to be engaged next year. Don't make this so difficult for me," Ms Welles said, with impatience.

"Mother, no man could possibly live up to my expectations. He would have to be sent down from the heavens for me to have just the smallest bit of interest in him," Rain argued.

Ms. Welles called a footman into the drawing room. He walks in courteously, looking straight ahead of him until he reaches Ms. Welles.

"Fetch me a carriage," Ms. Welles asked.
The footman nods his head and swiftly walks out of the drawing room.

When the carriage arrived in the front of the Welles House, the footman assisted Rain into the carriage. She shut the door behind her and watched outside the window. Ms. Welles was waving at her, wishing her a safe trip.

After roughly half a mile, the carriage comes to the Cheshire House.

"We have arrived at Ms. Anne's house," The coachman informed Rain.

Rain looks out the window, finding Anne running towards the carriage, her boots muddy, and her dark brown hair grabbing onto her face. Rain hurries to open the door and Anne steps in, leaving a path of mud on the surface of the carriage.

"Good morning Rain!" Anne said, trying to catch her breath.

"Morning Anne! It seems you have had a pleasant morning?" Rain asked.

"Father and mother have been simply aggravating. I couldn't wait to get out."

"I don't want to ask," Rain laughed.

The carriage continues on its path and reaches the town, the coachmen take a stop at the Cherry Tree Pub.

"Would you ladies like me to wait?" The coachmen asked.

"Please, there is no need to wait. We will probably drink some whiskey, or perhaps some gin, maybe give ourselves to some terrible men," Rain said, in a sarcastic manner.

The coachman is quiet, but only looks at Rain with a puzzled look.