Against the Stars

Chapter 13

Dinner went quickly for Ginny and before she could even blink it over. Immediately was sent to their rooms, so Mother and Father could talk to Lottie.

Surprisingly enough, Nelly and Bess were out as soon as their heads touched their pillows. That left Ginny alone in a quiet room.

Ginny stared at her reflection in the basin of water on her dresser. Was she pretty? She wondered. She pulled her beet red braid to the side of her head and stared. Could Ginny with her beet hair, dull eyes, and forever blushed cheeks be considered pretty? Maybe my a mad person, Ginny thought. 

Before Ginny could go through anymore self downgrading thoughts, she heard an odd noise. A noise that sounded like crying. 

Ginny slowly opened the door to her room and crept out. The noise seemed to be coming from Blithe’s and Lottie’s room. But Lottie was downstairs and blithe, crying? Ginny decided to venture in anyways.

She slowly cracked opened Blithe’s doo incase Blithe didn’t want her in there.

“Blithe, are you all right?”

Ginny fully opened the door revealing Blithe, laying on bed, crying.

“Blithe is everything all right?” Ginny asked again, going and sitting by Blithe. Ginny never saw her older sister; Blithe she thought had the strength of any man, or anyone else for that matter.

“I’m fine Ginny, I’m fine,” Blithe insisted, drying her eyes. 

“No you’re not. Tell Ginny’s what wrong.”

Blithe sighed, trying to regain her composer.  “Mother follows old traditions right? Well one is where daughters marry in age order. So it should have gone Rebecca, me and then Lottie.”

“But it didn’t.  So?” 

“So when parents don’t think one of their daughters is going to get married they can let the next daughter do so.”

“So by Mother and Father letting Lottie get married you think their passing you by?”

“Yes! And I’m only nineteen! There’s plenty of time. They probably think that because I’ve shown no interest before I’ve chosen to remain a spinster. They don’t even think I’m seeing anyone.”

“Are you seeing anyone?”

Blithe looked around for a minutes then lowered her voice, “Josiah Roser asked me to court him. I planned on asking Father tonight but with Lottie’s wedding…”

“Oh Blithe, I’m sorry.”

Blithe sighed. “It’s all right Ginny. Thanks for listening. As wild as you are, you’re a good listener.”

“Thanks Blithe, don’t worry, everything will work out just fine,” Ginny said as she returned to her room.

The next days passed in a blur for Ginny. Before she could believe it, it was Lottie’s wedding day. Ginny awoke to find a new dress lying next to her bed. It pale lavender and smelled like lavender too. Nelly and Bess had similar ones. Due to that, the aroma of lavender hung in the air.

Ginny rubbed the sleep out of her eyes, and then she heard a scream. “Its today!” Lottie cried. That woke Nelly and Bess up.

“What’s going on?” Nelly asked.

“I think Lottie’s excited,” Ginny mumbled sleepily.

“Wake me up when she’s sane again,” Bess mumbled, hiding under her pillow. “Or better yet, wake me when the world’s sane.” 

“Well you’re going to have wait a long time for t hat to happen Bess, so just get up,” Nelly groaned, slipping out of bed. 

“Fine,” Bess said, groaning.

“Ew, lavender. Thank goodness Lottie’s going to be out of the house after this,” Nelly muttered.

“Nelly,” Ginny scolded. Nelly stuck her tongue out in response. Bess snatched up her dress and ran out of the room. Nelly did the same.

Ginny picked up her own dress and quickly put it on. She quickly put up her, tucking in a purple flower that lay on her vanity into it.  

Ginny pulled her pearl necklace out of her dresser. She clasped it around her neck and stared in the mirror. At least for today she could pretend to be pretty.

“Ginny! Hurry it up!” Mother called from downstairs.

“I’m coming!” Ginny called, running out of her room. As she did so, she just about ran into Blithe. Blithe was wearing a dress of the same color which looked even worse with Blithe’s brown hair than it did with Ginny’s red.

Blithe must have seen Ginny’s face since she said, “I know. I think Lottie wanted to make sure no one outshined her.” Blithe held out the gown for Ginny to see.

“You don’t look that bad,” Ginny tried.

“Stop it. Lottie’s plan didn’t work though, you look gorgeous.”

Coming from anyone else, Ginny would have shrugged it off. She knew that Blithe meant it though. Once again her cheeks turned red.

“Thanks,” she mumbled. 

“You’re welcome; now let’s go before Mother and Lottie kill us.” The two sisters headed downstairs, hand in hand. 

“Oh good there you are. Charlotte wants to talk to everyone one last time before the wedding. Stephen’s already gone so Blithe it’s your turn.”

Blithe and Ginny glanced at each other quickly. Blithe shrugged her shoulders and entered the foyer. Ginny remembered Becca doing the same thing. Boy was that awkward.

Blithe’s turn didn’t seem to last that long. Before Ginny knew it, it was her turn. She entered the foyer not knowing what to expect.

The second Lottie saw her, she broke into tears.

“I’m sorry you… you just look so much like Delly,” Lottie blubbered. Lottie and Delly had been very close despite the age difference. Besides Mother, Delly’s death hit Lottie the hardest.

“Oh Virginia! I’m going to miss you so much! You’re such a sweet and loveable girl. It won’t be long before your married yourself.”

Ginny blushed redder. She wondered if her cheeks would turn permanently red. “Thanks... Charlotte.” 

Lottie smiled, happy with being called her real name. She embraced Ginny, still smiling. “I love you.”

Ginny replied with the four most powerful words. “I love you to.”