Chapter 25 #2
Ottilie grinned. “Good heavens, that sounds like a riveting story indeed, and we should definitely delve into some wine before you tell me all the details, along with some divine cheese the captain’s mutinous crew just sent us.”
After increasing her pace, quite as if she was anxious to get to some riveting stories, Ottilie pulled Annaliese into a surprisingly well-equipped hut made from driftwood, palm fronds and seagrass.
“Make yourself at home,” Ottilie said, gesturing to a large piece of driftwood that was weathered and bleached from the sun before she moved to a shelf made out of additional driftwood and pulled out a bottle of wine.
After pouring it into two tarnished silver tankards, Ottilie handed Annaliese her wine before she fetched the cheese she’d mentioned, cut it up, then settled herself beside Annaliese on another piece of driftwood.
The next hour passed with Annaliese telling her aunt everything—starting with the death of her father, reiterating what caused the death, and then divulging how her father’s man of affairs had made off with almost every cent the Merriweathers possessed, as well as running up outrageous debts in her mother’s name, something that gave them no choice but to liquidate all their assets.
“You know, I met Sanford Duncan a few times,” Ottilie said after taking a sip of her wine and setting the tankard aside.
“And I told your father that I got an odd feeling about the man, but Morton told me that I was allowing my vivid imagination and dislike of gentlemen in general to cloud my opinion of one of his dearest friends.”
“Do you really dislike gentlemen in general?”
“Not at all. I adore gentlemen. I simply don’t adore how they’ve been able to control everything a woman can and can’t do. Hardly seems fair that when we marry, everything we possess reverts to our husbands, hence the reason I’ve never married.”
“You wouldn’t even consider marrying the captain?”
“Because I’ve been stranded with him on this island? Good heavens, no. The captain and I are simply good friends.” She caught Annaliese’s eye. “However, even though I’ve never wanted to marry, that doesn’t mean I hold anything against women who do. Marriage simply wasn’t for me.”
“Not a decision that could have been easy for you, given the unpleasant stigma that’s attached to women who move through life as spinsters.”
“There were certainly times when people’s cruel remarks to me left a mark, but .
. .” Ottilie smiled. “I’ve always hoped that perhaps someday, hopefully in my lifetime, the world will accept that every person has the right to decide how they want to live their life and stop concerning themselves with whispering unkind things simply because a person is different. ”
“People believe I’m peculiar.”
“A great compliment if there ever was one,” Ottilie proclaimed, and after exchanging grins, Annaliese continued with her story, finishing up thirty minutes later with “and then Charlie and Howard finally agreed to hand over the birds and tell us the general vicinity of where to find you, so . . . here we are.”
“That’s quite the adventure you and Drusilla have had, and she really married Rhenick Whittenbecker?”
“She did.”
“How lovely. Rhenick is a charming gentleman, but . . .” Ottilie’s eyes began to twinkle. “Seems to me as if you have a charming gentleman of your own.”
Annaliese gave her forehead a rub. “I suppose that does appear to be the case.”
“You suppose? That’s hardly something one says when they admit they have a charming gentleman to call their own.” Ottilie leaned forward and placed her hand on Annaliese’s knee. “Out with it. What’s bothering you?”
Annaliese drew in a breath, blew it out, and frowned. “I’m feeling conflicted.”
“Because . . . ?”
“Seth has captured my attention just as much as I’ve evidently captured his, but the mere thought of a formal courtship is leaving me feeling quite as if I’m in danger of tossing up my accounts.”
Ottilie took a sip of her wine, considered Annaliese for a long moment, then nodded.
“If I were to hazard a guess, I’d say you feel in danger of tossing up your accounts because if you were to enter into a formal commitment with Seth, you’re afraid that will require you to abandon the independence you’ve been enjoying ever since your father died.
” She set aside her tankard. “I’m sure you’re also afraid that, given how much time needs to be devoted to a formal courtship, you’ll have to set aside the plans that revolve around your birds and animals.
You might even be worried that those plans will be permanently set aside if you marry Seth since society expects a married lady to concern herself with keeping house, minding the children, and definitely not having any outside interests except for balls, dinners, and charity endeavors. ”
“I think that pretty well sums up my confliction.”
Ottilie smiled. “I thought it would, but tell me this, my dear—what exactly do you, and do you not, want to do with your life?”
Annaliese considered the question before she tilted her head. “I’ve reconciled myself to the fact that I’m not destined to remain a decorum instructor, at least not full time.”
“And good for you as you’ve never been overly fond of adhering to rules, which is exactly why Drusilla excels in her role at the academy and you do not. But what do you think you’re destined to do?”
“Pursue my passion for insects, as well as pursue my quest to rid the world of plume hunters and fur traders once and for all.”
“And you fear that a formal relationship with Seth will hinder those pursuits?”
“That, and cause Seth to regret becoming involved with me because a lot of my time will be devoted to my interests.” She blew out a breath.
“That’s why I’m feeling conflicted, because while I want to continue embracing a sense of independence, I have to admit that Seth is a man who leaves me a little weak in the knees whenever I even think about him. ”
“Weak in the knees suggests you care about him.”
“I know.”
Ottilie gave her leg a pat. “Has it occurred to you that the only way for you to become less conflicted is if you discuss the matter with Seth?”
“I discarded that idea after I realized that, if I tell him all these things I want to do with my life, he might tell me he wants a traditional life instead, which would leave me more conflicted than ever.”
“Has Seth ever struck you as a traditional type of gentleman?”
Annaliese frowned. “He’s the least traditional gentleman I know.”
“Of course he is because, well, he brought you a spider sac as a present. Do you honestly believe a man set on a traditional romantic path would have done that?”
“A fair point, and the reminder of my spider sac does leave me feeling as if I might be a bit of a ninny for not even contemplating discussing this matter with Seth as that was one of the sweetest gestures anyone has ever bestowed on me.”
“You’re not a ninny, Annaliese, merely a young lady who doesn’t want to live an ordinary life.
” Ottilie settled a knowing eye on her. “However, you will be a ninny if you don’t speak with Seth about your concerns because he clearly loves you, quirks and all, and you, my dear, if you haven’t figured this out, clearly love him as well. ”