The Homecoming Bride

Chapter Three: Human

CHAPTER SONG: "Human" by Christina Perri

The dinner at the Blake house with Joseph and Charlotte was a slight blur for Emmy as she ate her food. Her eyes absorbed the visual of this other woman's beauty, wondering what was going through her mind, meeting the reason her husband was dead.

The conversation flowed easily despite the inherent awkwardness of the women's first encounter but Emmy herself felt she needed to bring up the elephant in the room, and as she looked up from across the table to meet Charlotte's dark eyes, she could have sworn for a half second, she saw the apparition of Tom behind them, his boyish eyes softly encouraging her to speak.

Go ahead, sweet Emmy; she won't bite. Anyone would be mad to want to hurt you.

As if she could read her mind, Charlotte was the one to bring up the subject. Emmy paid special attention to her facial expressions as she poured a glass of red wine.

"Emmanuelle... if I may call you that..." She began, her voice sharp and smooth in pitch. "I just want to explain and set your mind at ease. Me and my husband... when Joseph wrote me about his death... and told me about your being there in the truck when he was shot..." She paused slightly, taking a small sip of her wine.

The American woman interrupted her despite the better instinct to allow Charlotte more time to talk. "He shouldn't have been there, I know. I've no idea why he volunteered to escort me from the camp when he didn't know me. I won't blame you if you've come to dislike me before even meeting me today."

"Emmy..." Joe tried to interject, wanting to keep peace between these two headstrong women, but knowing that they most likely wouldn't accept his defense of either lady.

"No, you misunderstand, Miss Hunterson." Charlotte's Yorkshire accent was more pronounced as she spoke Emmy's surname. "Holding you at fault won't help anyone and it certainly won't bring him back. I just want to explain that since Joe and myself have... gotten close... I wanted to meet the woman at center of it all. But please, just be assured that I hold no ill will towards you. I do admit... that the selfish part of me wanted to point the blame toward you when I first knew about Edward dying... but after I got to know Joe and he told me more about you... I didn't have it in my heart to resent someone he clearly cared for so much... enough to even call you his 'dearest one'."

Charlotte smiled softly at Emmy, her eyes shining with joy as she spoke Joseph's affectionate nickname for the younger brunette girl. Joe raised Charlotte's hand to his lips and kissed her knuckles. Emmy felt a warm flutter of happiness in her chest at the sight of Joe's gesture to the lovely widow, seeing how Charlotte in return held his hand in both of hers, the corners of her lips rising into a smile as their eyes met.

And a weight was lifted off Emmy's shoulders as the notion of Charlotte resenting her for Private Seymour's death became less of a heavy burden in those few moments.

.

.

Emmanuelle and Charlotte went out to the orchard to have some air while Joe cleared out the dishes, the two women needing to speak with each other in confidence.

The moon began to shine in the sky, surrounded by the numerous twinkling stars above to illuminate the environment around them. The looming trees were barely beginning to sprout new blossoms, pink and white petals decorating the branches.

At first, they walked in comfortable silence, neither of them sure about how to broach the next matter they needed to discuss.

Emmy felt Charlotte's eyes on her as they walked side by side, Myrtle bounding along behind them with an excitement to her pace.