Donners Bend (26 page)

“And what, are you planning to do, walk home?”

“I’d rather walk than ride with you!  And I mean it Jamie!  I’ll jump!”

“Go ahead and try,” Jamie said with a smile, for he knew she never would.

Ellie frowned and crossed her arms across her chest, knowing he was right.

They’d reached Ellie’s house by now, for it wasn’t terribly far from the hotel, and Jamie pulled back the reins to slow down the horses.  As soon as they’d come to a stop, Ellie hopped out without another word and began walking quickly up the way to her porch through the light, fluttery snow, but Jamie wouldn’t let her go so soon. 

He jumped out right after her, crying, “Ellie!  Ellie, wait!”

She didn’t slow down, but it didn’t matter, for Jamie was able to catch her again.  He held her by both shoulders firmly and showed no signs of letting go.

Tears came to Ellie’s eyes, though she didn’t know why, as she repeated, “I hate you, Jamie.  I really do.  I hate you.” As she spoke the last words a single tear rolled down her cheek.  Jamie brushed it away gently, and lifted up her chin once more, and then, he took her in his arms just as he had that afternoon long ago at the lake until their had lips met.

Ellie had never felt so faint in all her life.  If not for Jamie’s supporting arms she was sure she would have fallen.  Once again, she was lost in a dreamland and everything around her was forgotten.

She felt hot and cold all at once.  Her heart was burning with desire, but shivers ran up her spine and her arms filled with goose bumps at his touch.  The forgotten snow fell lightly
 
onto Ellie's hair and Jamie's fedora and began to create a thin layer of snowflakes on each, and though the wind was blowing
 
and the temperature was way
 
below freezing,
 
Ellie didn't seem to notice when
 
encircled in
 
Jamie's arms.

Her head began to spin as the kiss lengthened and she felt Jamie’s arm tighten around her and pull her in until she was pressed against his chest.  Ellie felt so protected in Jamie’s arms and she never wanted to leave, never wanted it to end.  Finally though, she pulled away, frightened.

“I... I have to go,” she stammered, “I’m sorry, but I... I have to go.”

And without another word, Ellie raced into her house. 

Jamie watched her go and smiled slightly.  Taking something out of his pocket, he walked up to the front steps and set the box, which contained the pearl earrings, onto the porch.  As he did so, Jamie whispered, “Merry Christmas, Ellie.”

That night, Christmas night,
Ellie
didn’t sleep a wink
. 
She tossed and turned under her quilt until she just couldn’t take it anymore
. 
Finally, realizing she wouldn’t be fal
li
n
g asleep anytime soon,
Ellie
lit a candle and sat on her bed, leaning against the wall and looking out the window at the lightly fal
li
n
g snow.

She’d never felt so confused in all her life; her mind swelled with questions she couldn’t find any answers to:
Did Jamie love her
? 
Did she love him
? 
If she didn’t love him th
e
n why had she been so affected by his kiss
? 
Why was she so afraid to pursue anything with him
? 
Why had her eyes filled with tears?

A
t least the night hadn’t been entirely useless; she was able to answer a few of her questions:
Why had she acted so hurt when given pearl earrings
? 
Because she was afraid of what the giver meant
,
by giving them
. 
Why had she become so infuriated with Jamie when he offered to take her home
? 
Because she was embarrassed of her earlier remarks and she was afraid of what might happen when they were alone
, but
what made her feel so afraid of Jamie
? 
That was yet another question that she couldn’t quite answer.

Jamie, meanwhile, was sitting in his dark kitchen smoking a cigar
. 
Beside him sat a bottle of whiskey
, but
surprisingly, he
wasn’t all that stressed this time
. 
He was quite content, to tell the truth.

A week went by without many occurrences
. 
Ellie
spent her time mainly with
Jon
since she didn’t have to work;
Louise
was taking some time off because of the holidays
. 
Ellie
made sure to avoid Jamie as much as she could, never wanting to feel uncomfortable around him because of what had happened before
, but
she knew that probably wouldn’t have happened anyway; no uncomfortable
feelings
had occurred outside of
Ellie
’s head the first time they’d kissed
.

On this particular late afternoon though,
Ellie
could be found sitting inside her little cottage alone
. 
Near the fire,
she
sat, reading a novel
. 
Although
it wasn’t snowing yet, she had this strange fee
ling
it would start to later in the night
. 
It was far too cold to go out, in her opinion
, but
then someone came to try and change her mind
. 
It was a man by the name of
Jonathan Robert Smithton
. 

He’d been trying
for some time now
to convince her to come ice-skating at the lake nearby
.  It was
the same lake she’d gone to with the
Rhodes,
but she just wasn’t in the mood to go, or at least that’s what she was trying to tell herself.  The truth was that she just wanted to void an awkward encounter with Jamie. 

“Please, Mae
? 
It’ll be great fun,” he promised, sitting beside her chair on the rug
. 

“I have no doubt that it wouldn’t be,”
Ellie
replied, not looking up from her book, “But it’s just so terribly cold out and besides that, I’ve never skated in my life.”

“There’s a first time for everything.”

“Not if you don’t want there to be a first time.”

“Oh, come on
. 
Everyone in
Donners Bend
knows how to ice-skate
. 
It’s practically a requirement for living here
. 
I still can’t believe you don’t know how.”

“I don’t even have ice-skates, so how could we go?”

“I brought my mother’s along and she’s just your size.”

“I’m sorry,
Johnny
, but I just can’t.”

“Of course you can,” he smiled, “You just don’t want to.”

“It’s far too cold, I can’t ice-skate, and I don’t have a huge desire to learn
. 
I’m sorry, but if you really want to go you’ll just have to find another companion to accompany you.”

“Do I have to beg, Mae
? 
Must I get down on my knees?”

“You’re already on your knees,”
Ellie
muttered.

“Oh, please, please, please, Mae,”
Jon
professed earnestly as soon as he’d propped up one knee and taken her hand, “I shall be horribly depressed and angry if you don’t promise to join me
! 
I swear I shall!”

“I would be laughed at,”
Ellie
explained, “Even five-year-olds can glide around the ice, but not I.”

“I passed by it on my way over and it was empty, so you needn’t worry or be embarrassed.”

Ellie
didn’t respond.

“Please, Mae
? 
It would make my day if you did.”

Again, there was no answer.

Jon
squeezed her hand with a friendly smile, “In the spirit of the season?”

“Alright,”
Ellie
sighed
as she gave in
, “In the spirit of the season.” 

They dressed in their warmest
. 
Ellie
wore several extra petticoats under her dress and over it was a warm pea
coat
. 
She also had on a violet scarf and mittens
. 
Jon
dressed accordingly as well, wearing a coat, gloves, scarf, and his brown tweed newsboy cap
. 
Instead of riding there they decided to walk once
Ellie
had come outside she realized it wasn’t
quite
as cold as she’d thought
. 
Don’t be mistaken though; it was still incredibly cold out.

They reached the frozen-over lake after only a few minutes, and laced up their ice
skates
. 
Jon
took
Ellie
’s hand and led her over to the ice; she wiggled and wobbled all the way there
, a
nd so the lesson began.

Jon
started her off by standing in front of her and holding his hands out for her to take
. 
While he skated backwards,
Ellie
inched forwards
.

“Now, just push out and back with your right foot
.  T
here you go
, now
glide on your left
. 
Nice and steady,”
Jon
instructed, “Now the same on the left foot
. 
Good job.”

Ellie
obeyed as best she could, not taking her eyes off her skates
. 
As she struggled to keep her balance,
Jon
continually had to keep her up
. 
And several times, she began to fall and would pull
Jon
down with her
. 
They’d end up on their bottoms gigg
li
n
g
.

The next step,
Jon
decided, was to skate beside
Ellie
, holding her hand, but not helping her along as much as before
. 

“Keep your arm out and use it to balance yourself, alright Mae?”

Ellie
nodded.

“Now keep gliding along just like you’ve been doing
. 
That’s right
. 
Now, very slowly, I’m gonna let you go
? 
Okay?”

Ellie
nodded once more, hesitation in her yes, “Alright.”

Jon
, just as he said he would, let her fingers slip through his hand until she was on her own, “You’ve got it, Mae
. 
Now just keep going
. 
There you go
! 
You got it!”

Ellie
smiled as she glided along the ice at the pace of a snail: her scarf blowing behind her, skates wigg
ling
along, and arms spread out like wings on both sides
. 
Although her hair was pulled back into a ponytail with a ribbon, wisps of it had fallen out and blew into her face.