The Piano Teacher

Chapter 26

It had given Charlotte a sort of complex relating to relationships, a fear and expectation that any relationship she formed would be doomed to fail.

Yet, Nels stuck around without even a complaint.

It made it impossible for Samuel to have any kind of animosity toward that man, despite his certain fondness for his niece.

Yet, he knew that Charlotte spending so much time with him at the mercantile day after day may pose issues. But Samuel couldn't bring himself to say much. He had never been one to weigh Charlotte down with demands and orders; that had always been James's job. Samuel always let Charlotte explore the more enjoyable aspects of life that James rarely permitted, like fishing or horse riding when she was well enough.

But an affair waiting to happen was another matter.

A part of Samuel always believed that she would never find a man simply because she was always too ill. Never in his life had he ever expected a strange situation like this to appear. He could see the excitement in Charlotte that bloomed whenever he took her to work at the mercantile in the early mornings. While a part of him believed that the right thing would be to take her away from all that, the other part wanted to let her enjoy her life for once.

Because an even deeper piece of Samuel, a piece of fear hidden away, believed that his niece would ultimately not live long. To him, a man who had done enough living to fill several lifetimes, it seemed that cutting all this short for her would leave her with a life defined by sickness and pain.

But he just had to know one thing.

"Charlie," he said, interrupting her playing.

She stopped and looked at him over her shoulder. She had more color in her face than he had ever seen. A glow in her eyes like the stars. "Yes, uncle?"

"Are you in love with Nels Oleson?"

She paled at his question and was silent for some time. "Uncle, I don't see what that has to do with—"

"It's a simple question, Charlie. Either you do or you don't. I ain't askin' out of curiosity. I'm askin' for you. Anyone who doesn't know what's in their heart's in for a world of sufferin'."

Charlotte had a hard time responding, though she already knew the answer. She wished she could keep it all to herself. She wished she could keep it hidden like it was before. And yet, a part of her was bursting to stay it, as painful as it was. It wasn't just infatuation, it wasn't just the passing feelings a schoolgirl would have. She could feel it weighing down her soul, like a rock dragging her to the bottom of a river.

"Yes," she whispered, some fear in her tone. She wished she could lie to her uncle, but she couldn't, and she worried how he would respond.

But Samuel was very calm, tipping his head back as he drank his last sip of coffee. In a way, her answer pleased him. Love was a maddening thing, and he always felt that one should experience it at least once in their life, even if it didn't amount to anything. And he was glad, most of all, that she was sure. Even if it was hopeless, it was still better to be sure about it.

"All right, Charlie. All right." He put his cigarette in his mouth and stared up at the ceiling for a while.

The next morning, Charlotte desperately did not want to return to the mercantile. She knew the awkwardness she would have to face as soon as she saw Nels Oleson after what they did two nights ago. But it was inevitable that she went in. A part of her even wanted to quit just to avoid similar situations in the future, but she knew she needed the money and that Nels needed her help in the store.

Now that it was winter, the mornings were especially dark. She walked quietly into the store, using a spare key that Nels had given her a while ago. The whole store was pitch black except for a lantern that glowed from the counter. It was cold inside, too, as the wood heater hadn't been stocked yet, and she watched her breath rise up in front of her.