Everlasting

Chapter Six

Eliza

His parents continued to argue late into the night. It was past midnight when he came sagging into the small family room. His face was blank. Jack's face was blank.

"We have to go," is all he says as he walks out the front door. I follow him out quickly. Jack was putting a saddle on his horse, Admiral, a black Arabian with a white star on his forehead. "Wait a moment while I get Admiral ready. Then I'll take you back to your parents."

A gust of wind blows my hair in my face and I shiver. "It's too cold and too late to go back to my parents. Why don't we just wait till morning?"

He takes his coat off and walks over to me. "Put your arms out so I can put this on you." I do so. Jack puts his jacket on me and I am soon toasty warm. "You can keep it if you want, Eliza."

I could smell his pine wood scent on his coat. "Thank you, Jack." I take a look at his family cottage. "Was your brother ever married? I saw the wedding band on his finger. I suppose she left since you shot that at him when you two were arguing earlier."

William cinched the saddle. "She took their kids and left when she realized he wasn't aging. She didn't want their kids around him and so she took them to her parent's house. We have heard nothing about them ever since."

"I'm so sorry," was all I could say.

Finally, he finished up with the saddle. "Want a leg up?"

"Certainly. Thank you." I look for his hands and they were hardly visible in the dim light the moon gave off. Carefully, I placed my right foot in his hand and lifted my right over the horse. He then unhitched Admiral and sat behind me on his rump.

Jack wrapped his arms around me and he made it clear that he would never let go of me unless I say so. "And now we are ready to go. You have the bottle of water in something just in case?" I nod. "Good."

I lift off the small sack I had taken off one of the side tables in the family room and hold it up for him to see. "I have it in this."

°°°

My head had rested on his chest as we rode to my family's mansion. I knew now that it was time to wake up when I see a sudden glare coming out of the distance. I knew instantly that it was my home. As my eyes fluttered open, I saw all the lights on the first floor shining brightly. Jack's heart beat slightly faster as we approached.

"Eliza?" Jack whispers softly. I hear my mother's heels pound on the wooden porch softly with my father's light feet not far behind her. Our screen door opens softly but it slams hard as my father exits.

Jack's worn boots softly land on the pebbled driveway. He catches me as I jump off, he clutches me around his waist so I don't fall. I feel like we were about to kiss right in front of my parents but he just sets me down. His hands slowly remove themselves away from me.

"Eliza?" my father demands. "Where in God's name have you been?! You have worried us sick, your mother especially, when you ran off into the woods with this boy," My father points at Jack, "into the woods!"

My mother jumped in and started criticizing Jack. "Beating on those sweet, innocent, children easily half your age, young man! You have no shame do you, boy?!"

"Those children that you so profoundly claim as innocent, ma'am, were calling your daughter crude names. They got what was coming to them," Jack answers proudly. "All I care about is your daughter's safety and honor."

My father grounds his feet into the ground and he walks up to Jack and stands in his face. "Since when did a poor boy like you care about my daughter?!" he bellows. "Only after our money, I see!"

Before Jack says another word, I intervene. "Stop it!" I shout at all of them. "This is nonsense! You are all fighting over nothing!"

"Exactly," my mother agrees. "I knew you would see through, dear." My mother smiles creepily. "Now come along Elizabeth," she beckons. "We have somethings to discuss. Such as your wedding. It's been moved to tomorrow evening."

"What? Why? You and the Williamson agreed that it would be at the end of the summer." I could feel my face steaming.

My father backs away from Jack but not without a spit in the face. And then he walks over to me and he squeezes my arm lightly as if to soothe me as he pulls me away from Jack's side. "I know that you're nervous. But don't worry, we chose everything for you so you wouldn't have to fret. You'll like the venue and the food. Trust me, everything will run smoothly, even on such short notice."

I try to pull out of my father's grasp, but he had a tight hold on me. Jack tried to get him to let go of me but my mother stopped him. "We have the police waiting inside, young man, and if you want, you can be hung tomorrow morning."

Jack didn't seem surprised by the threat and yet, he still feigned away from my father. From me. "Okay. Fine," he says stoically. "I'll go. I won't come here ever again." He looks at me and winks. "I will never come back here."

And then he was gone. My parents pulled me to our front door. Before they could get me inside, I forced my way through their grasp and turned around to get a last glance I would ever get of Jack. And I saw him, smiling back at me on Admiral before my parents put me back inside my cell.