Page 4 of The White Enchantress

Edmund left early in the morning for a meeting in London and won’t be back for a couple of days. I could wait for him to return, but I want to leave for America immediately. Still, I need to let Ed know my plans and why I have chosen to leave England for the foreseeable future.

I sit down at the desk in his study and write him a letter with pen and paper. He would appreciate the gesture of a hand-written explanation much better than a voicemail or text.

Dear Dad,

I wish you were here so I could explain everything in person. Nevertheless, a handwritten letter will have to do.

I appreciate all you have done for me these past few years, but this life has become a bit too much. Without your love and support, I wouldn’t be the person I am today. But I don’t know if I’m cut out for this life as a British noble. I want so much to make you proud, to show you I am worthy. Maybe I will, but I have my whole life ahead of me.

Now that I’m a college graduate, I need to do some soul-searching, find out who I am and how I fit into your world. America is where I was born. It’s the source of so many childhood memories, of loss andlove. I am going back there. Not forever, just to breathe a little. I also had this idea of turning mom’s house into a bed and breakfast.

This might seem like a spontaneous and irrational decision since I had never brought the idea up before. It’s always been a little daydream of mine and I want to make it come true. I need to do this on my own so that I know I can be independent. You won’t always be there to protect me. I know this now.

I promise to tell you everything I am feeling at this moment, writing this letter to you. It’s a bit too much to package away on paper though. I hope I’m ready to talk sooner rather than later. Please give me time.

Love,

Guinevere

While I pack my bags, Cecily barges into my room with her usual curious scowl. She plops down on my lounge chair and continues staring, not saying a word to me. I hate playing her games. I hate being her sister. She is a vile creature, born from the same evil brew as her mother. Though we look like sisters, we are absolutely nothing alike.

Before my mom died, when we would spend an entire summer month at Eden Manor, Ed made sure he was around as much as possible. He didn’t want to miss out on getting to know me. As I got older, I realized he also wanted to take advantage of his time with my mom as much as, maybe more than, with me.

Cecily’s hatred of me was obvious to Ed. He made several attempts to show Cecily an alternative, to be kind and accepting of her half-sister. But Charlotte wouldn’t let her precious daughter befriend the intruder who threatened their very existence. Even as a child, Cecily was wretched. She never gave me a chance to belong, to be her sister, to be a Musgrave.

And the bullying from Charlotte and Cecily became crueler every year my mother and I would return for our month-long stay. When I came to live here permanently, without the protection of my mother’s shadow, they reached a whole new level of nasty.

“Where are you off to, my lady?” Cecily scowls. I hate when she calls me “my lady.” Well, I just hate when she talks to me at all.

“That’s none of your business.”

“Does father know you are leaving? Or better yet, does Wesley?”

“I don’t need to run my travel plans by anyone. Now please leave. I have a lot of packing to do.”

“Very well.” Cecily bounces away, giddy like a little schoolgirl.

Chapter 2

I notice Josh immediatelyas Leo pulls the car up to the curb at the arrivals terminal of Newark Liberty International Airport. He is holding his guitar case close to his side and dragging a small suitcase on wheels behind him, looking a little disheveled from the eight-hour flight. Bags under his eyes, his curly black hair sticking up all over the place, his face full of anxiety as he looks around, searching for a familiar face.

Moments like this, when I can look at his face without him noticing, like when he’s playing with his band or studying for an exam, I notice how incredibly handsome he is. Though I never had feelings for Josh, it’s hard to ignore those sculpted eyebrows casting a shadow over mood-changing hazel eyes. Features that make him look like he is in a constant state of brooding.

As Josh continues to struggle through the crowd of travelers, I jump up and down, shouting his name so that he can easily see me. A bright smile wipes away his resting brood face as if the sun has peeked out from behind a cloud just to shine a spotlight on howbeautiful this man is. He walks with purpose, his eyes never leaving mine.

When we hug, I feel whole again. Josh lifts me off the ground, spinning me around as he holds me tight against him. Smiles of the passersby remind me we are in public and that our reunion might look like that of two lovers who had been separated for months. Leo clears his throat, giving me another reminder that I should behave like the lady I am supposed to be.

“All right there, Leo?” Josh asks, setting me back down on the ground. Leo responds with a sharp nod, walking over to pick up Josh’s luggage. I reluctantly pull myself out of Josh’s embrace, looking up at his smiling face.

“Let’s never be away from each other ever again, Josh. I’ve missed you so much.”

“Hey, you are the one who decided to escape to America spontaneously.”

“I know. I’m just so glad you are here now. How long are you staying?”

“As long as you need me.”

“Really? What about your job interviews? You said you were close to getting that job as a counselor.”

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