Across the Years

Chapter 23: Too Little, Too Late

No One's POV

Jennie woke from a peaceful nap, still in Lisa's arms. Though seeing the bright sunlight coming in the small gap in the curtains, she quickly guessed it was nearing lunch time and she couldn't miss that as they were having guests.

Jennie got up quickly. "Oh my, I cannot miss lunch. What time is it?"

Lisa who was awoken by Jennie's suddenly gotten out of bed, muttered. "There's a clock on the mantle above the fireplace."

Looking quickly, she could see it was just before 11:45. That meant she had some 45 minutes to get home and cleaned up. She needed to get cleaned up as she smelled of sex. While she didn't mind it here, at home that was simply not an option.

Lisa sat in bed with a sad expression as Jennie quickly grabbed her dress and put it back on. Once dressed, she looked at the sad looking Lisa and her heart sank. Jennie then quickly kissed Lisa on the cheek and then whispered in her ear.

"For the first time, I felt like a true woman. I wish we could be together longer, but I must depart."

"Thank you." Lisa said quietly.

After a strangely awkward moment, Jennie made half-smile and left.

Though the morning had been wonderful, Jennie as soon as she left began to feel guilty, dirty. While she was with Lisa, she felt safe, beautiful, loved, wanted and in general she felt right.

After returning home, she quickly got a basin of water and cleaned herself off. When Mrs. Suzy asked why the water was needed, Jennie said that she had sweated a lot from the heat of the day. It was in fact a rather hot day, so her explanation was perfectly plausible.

After eating lunch and conversing with their guests, she felt like she needed some time to think, so she took her horse out and did some riding. A little while later she found herself sitting alone on isolated hilltop, trying to sort out what just happened and how she felt about it. Was it just her giving into her urges, with the sole intention of purging them or was it much more than that.

Jennie would sit there for a long time, trying to decide that. Even when she went to sleep later that night, it stayed in her mind.

Lisa on the other hand was happy, at least until Jennie left. Then her own doubts and worries started to creep in as the rest of the day ticked on. Lisa did try to occupy herself with a good horror novel but she had a hard time concentrating on it. Though Jennie was now her lover, Lisa was still very much a fraud and that stuck firmly in Lisa's mind. Not to mention she had not told her about Taehyung. She was scared to, scared to say anything that would break the wonderful spell between them. That was why she didn't tell her. It all worried Lisa tremendously.

Lisa would lie awake for hours that night, wondering how if ever she would explain this. Then maybe Jennie could fall for the real Lisa.

The next day all was as it normally was, or at least it seemed that way. Lisa arrived at 6 am and helped, Ryeowook, the cook, and Luna prepare breakfast. Deep down Lisa was worried. She was worried that Jennie would say something or reject her or even her saying something to blow it.

"What if I say I love her and scare her off?" Thought Lisa, as she started her tasks for the day.

The thing about yesterday that really bothered Lisa is that it was largely physical. Little of anything important was said. No relationship was established, no secrets were whispered as the lover held each other and so on. Lisa wanted more than just sex with Jennie, she craved a much deeper connection. Something that her relationship with Somi was lacking.

7:30 rolled around and it was time to serve Jennie and her father breakfast. As Lisa grabbed the tray of eggs she was to carry, she found that worry inside of her suddenly turn into paralyzing fear. It felt like a strange kind of nervousness one would get just before a first date. Where a thousand scenarios would run through your mind, would they like me, would we hit it off, what if the date's a dud.