The Last Rose of Summer

3 - The Library

Though petals may fall

And quake in death’s call

Hold on ‘till the daybreak

When the light reveals all

To everyone’s surprise, Elaine showed up that evening to dinner of her own accord. She did not act more friendly or even talk more than before, but James had never felt more welcome. Jeanette continued to chatter to Sir Arthur in front of her, while Howard ate silently next to her. On Howard’s other side sat an equally quiet Elaine. James, in front of Howard, attempted to make conversation with the man and his daughter—neither were a very encouraging audience. If he asked a question there would be a few moments of hesitation where Elaine and Howard both hoped the other would answer. One of them would eventually answer so as not to be impolite, quietly mumbling one line responses. Elaine would not say it, but she was rather interested in what he had to say. She learned that he attended university, and was studying to be a physician. He was particularly enthusiastic about a fairly new field of study called “psychology” that Elaine had not heard of, but from what James had told her, it sounded incredibly fascinating. She often used to wish, when Alice was still alive, that she could attend university. But alas, she was female, and such things could only be dreamt about. In any case, those dreams had been long forgotten, buried with Alice under the cold, dead earth.

At one point after having carried the majority of the conversation, James chuckled quietly to himself. Like father like daughter, he mused, noticing how both Elaine and Howard waited for each other to answer any questions directed at them. He gave up on conversation for a while and the only sounds were Jeanette’s constant chatter and the clinking of cutlery. He began thinking about what had occurred in the garden earlier. He did not want to test Elaine’s hospitality by requesting she show him the library too soon. At the same time, though, he did not want to give her too much time to change her mind. He sat deliberating over when would be the best time to ask her, pushing the food around in his plate.

James was pulled out of his thoughts when Jeannette stopped talking. He looked around and everyone’s eyes were on their plates while they ate quietly, minds elsewhere, as his had been the moment before. They were all just finishing off the last morsels of food from their plates, leaving James without much time to make up his mind. He noticed that he was thinking about his encounter with Elaine much too meticulously. He could not understand why it affected him so much. Elaine’s reclusiveness intrigued him. He was determined to get her to open up to him, at the very least talk to him, tell him about herself, even briefly. He decided once and for all to ask her tomorrow at breakfast. Ah, but what of the possibility that she may not attend? He thought. I shall ask her now, to show me the library tomorrow. Upon realizing he was thinking too much again, he quickly cleared his throat before he could change his mind.

“Miss Elaine, I hope I do not inconvenience you by my request to see the library?”

“No, not at all.” She looked down as she said this, but James could see that she did not mean to be rude.

“Then I hope you wouldn’t mind accompanying me tomorrow, after we have lunched?” James held his breath, not entirely certain as to why.

Elaine hesitated only for a moment “—alright.”

James felt himself release his suspended breath. He immediately reprimanded himself for letting her affect him so. Elaine was beautiful, no doubt, but he had never allowed himself to be undone by a pretty face before. He was surely more sensible than that! She was merely an intellectual mystery to him, he decided. A puzzle that intrigued him, but he could not let her have any influence on his emotions; a wise man is always in control of his emotions, he asserted to himself.