Further Up & Further In

Together

Polly had Digory wrapped around her finger.

Not necessarily that he was in love with her, but when she turned up, she quickly became the family that Digory had been missing at the time, and he was certain God put her in his life to be cherished. Rest assured, that was exactly what he intended to do; Polly Plummer would go through life protected, supported, and loved, whether she asked for it or not. 

Polly never lacked an escort, or a dance partner, or a confidant, or a partner in crime. 

Not that she made it easy on him, of course. She was fearless, and sometimes her desire for adventure overcame her sensibility. "That Kirke Boy" was expected to bring her home on time, in the same state in which she'd left, and while he succeeded 9 times out of 10, there was always that one time that he didn't. They'd run late - which made Polly absolutely giddy - and she'd come home covered in mud or grass stains or the smell of smoke and alcohol, (as she insisted on hanging around all sorts of unsavoury characters in the pursuit of a good story.) And even though Polly was never in danger for one second, her parents were never pleased at the sight of her afterwards, and Digory would get a firm talking to about keeping their daughter out of harm's way.

So he did. Even though he was a wild, lanky sort of young man, who did not look as through he'd thrown a punch in his life, (which was more or less true,) he became quite good at diffusing situations before they had a chance to escalate, and he always kept a watchful eye for the slightest hint of danger. Though perhaps Polly was a better judge of character than him - as she always had been - because most of her sources were surprisingly harmless. All the same, Digory kept careful watch, (though he was forever thankful that things never turned violent.)

The poor boy had only hit one person in his life. Polly'd been 16 when she started hanging around an older boy, and though she'd been sensible enough to call it off as soon as he treated her badly, Digory had lacked her reason. He came home with broken glasses and a shiner, but for one reason or another, that boy never bothered Polly again. 

She was angry at him for a moment, but pitied him in the next, and he never quite got treated like the hero he had tried to be, but at least his dad seemed rather proud.

That's the way it was between the two of them. If Polly jumped, he had no choice but to jump with her. But they both knew, in the way not many others do, that all the best adventures begin that way. If adventure awaited, they'd be sure to find it, and if they went down, then they'd go down together.