Several Short Stories

Now And Forever

Clementine had not meant to cause any disrespect. It had been a little thing. She had forgotten to sit down before the men at dinner. She had instead been taking off her gloves with Alastair, Mr. Quinn, and Mr. Collins, the latter had not known of her tendencies and had waited to sit until she had. Mr. and Mrs. Quinn were furious. They and waited until Mr. Collins left to berate their niece, but that did not lessen their anger.

"Is this how discourteous you intend to behave while in our home !" Mr. Quinn's anger was evident in both tone and expression, "We take you into our home, feed you, cloth you, raise you, and this is how you repay us ? With disrespect?".

She was tempted to say that she was trying to be polite. She wanted to, and very badly in fact, to remind him she had spent most of her life under the assumption she was a boy. To remind him she had been very proper, acting as a courteous young man should. For that is what she had been taught her entire life.

Mrs. Quinn seemed to read Clementine's mind, "If you are to live in our house you will do so as a respectable young lady.", her voice held no compassion, "I loved my sister very dearly but if you can not live here as our daughter," she looked at her husband for confirmation, he nodded, "Then perhaps you should not live here at all.".

That hit Clementine like a slap to the face. She reeled in shock for a moment. She had already lost her parents. She didn't want to lose her aunt and uncle as well. As much as they enforced their rules of politeness upon her, they were her only living family. Where else would she go ?

She knew; however, that no amount of corsets and dresses with frills would make her into the young woman Mr. and Mrs. Quinn wanted her to be. She knew the mannerisms of masculinity were far too ingrained in her mind. She knew she would never be able to abandon them.

Then her eyes fell upon the shock filled face of Alastair. Her Alastair. How could she even consider life without him. He was her closest friend, her constant companion, her brother in all but blood. She depended on Alastair, and he depended on her. She needed his calmness and concern as much as he needed her hot blooded passion and defense. She knew she would never be able to abandon him, either.

Alastair did something that surprised her then. He jumped up from his chair and moved to stand between Clementine and his parents. After so much time defending him from others who would claim him to be womanly she could only think of a few times when he had done the same for her.

"Mother, Father, please!" He sounded as shocked as he looked, "Clementine has lost enough family, you know she is trying her best." . Clementine was hopeful. Surely Mr. and Mrs. Quinn would listen to their own son.

"Then her best is simply not enough." Mr. Quinn said coldly. He reached out his hand to try and move Alastair aside, to rid Clementine of her protector. She feared what he would do to her if he got through. He had never hit her before, but then, he had never threatened her ability to stay with him before.

Alastair didn't move. That surprised Mr. Quinn more than it surprised Clementine. She didn't think he had ever disobeyed his father like this. The order had not been spoken but had been clear enough that refusing it was uncharacteristically defiant.

"Move aside darling." Mrs. Quinn ordered, although it was almost pleading. Clementine knew that even if Mr. and Mrs. Quinn had wanted to murder her they would never be able to harm Alastair. He was too precious to them, as their youngest child, the only one still living in the house with them.

Clementine could practically feel Alastair hesitate. His relationship with his father might have been tense, but he had always been very close to his mother. She could not blame the boy for it.