Courting Miss Greene Ch. 01

Ginny remained silent, fidgeting with her hands. Ethan thought Ginny was pretty, but he had assumed she would scoff at him if he would praise her on such superficial matters. Now he knew how insecure she felt about her looks, he needed to address the issue if he wanted to win her confidence. "Ginny," he said with a sigh, "what on Earth makes you think I don't find you attractive?"

Ginny could answer that question and she would. She pointed at her face. "Well, for instance, these cursed freckles."

"Pah! Nonsense!" said Ethan. "I love your freckles. They're so cute!"

Ginny blinked at him. He really meant it. She could believe he did. It was like a tiny spark lit up deep down in Ginny's heart. But she was not done yet. "Then what about this tawny, frizzy mess?" she asked, clawing at her head.

"I think it's charming. So wild, free and pure..." murmured Ethan while he ran his fingers through her hair.

His low voice sent a shiver down Ginny's spine and made her blush. The tiny spark dared to flicker a bit stronger.

"See? You'll have to do better than that," said Ethan.

Ginny averted her gaze. "Alright then, here it comes," she said with a sigh. "I don't have much of a bosom. I'm practically flat as a board!"

"I noticed," admitted Ethan, "and I don't care. Not that much anyway. What else?"

Ginny raised her eyebrows. How could Ethan shrug it off like that? "That was the big one I suppose," she said. "If you give me a moment, I'm sure I can come up with something else."

"No, don't do that," said Ethan. "I don't want you to fabricate more of those crazy ideas just for argument's sake. If only you could see yourself the way I see you..." Ethan cupped Ginny's face in his hands and waited for her to meet his eyes. "If you could see how beautiful I think you are, you would stop being so afraid."

The spark in Ginny's heart turned into a little flame that claimed it's space in the vast darkness. Ginny wanted to protect and nourish that flame. Perhaps one day it's light would grow strong enough to dispel her fears and insecurities. Ginny wanted to believe it. She wanted to believe in Ethan and in his love for her.

"Alright," she said, "I give up. You win."

"This is not about winning," said Ethan. "We have to be on the same side, Ginny. Without you I'd stumble through life like a blind man in the dark: hurting other people, myself and you. I don't want that anymore. I want to start a new life... with you, Ginny. Can't you see how much I need you?"

"Oh, Ethan," said Ginny with a sigh. "With your love in my life, I could take on the whole world."

Ethan kissed Ginny again. His hands roamed all over her small frame, squeezing her here and there, causing her to whimper every now and then. It did not take long for Ginny to turn hot. She wanted to feel Ethan again... down there. She pushed her body up against him for another attempt. Now Ethan had to hold Ginny back in spite of himself.

He broke the kiss and looked deep into her eyes. "Does this mean you'll marry me?" he asked.

Ginny blinked at him. "Why, Mr. Clark! Is that a proposal?"

"It is," he confirmed.

"Then, yes!" Ginny flung her arms around his neck.

"Hoo-hooooo, a wedding!" croaked Ol'Granny.

Ethan stood in the middle of the room. He was forced to remain there since Mr. Greene had not offered him a seat. Mr. Greene himself reclined in the armchair at his desk. Past the heavy curtains of the window behind him, a bright beam of daylight entered the room. Ethan was unable to make out the expression on the older man's face and focused his gaze somewhere on the desk instead. Several moments passed in deafening silence. Ethan tried not to guess at Mr. Greene's thoughts.

Finally Mr. Greene let out a deep sigh and cleared his throat. "To tell you the truth, Mr. Clark, I do have some doubts about all this," he said.

"Sir?"

"Well, for instance, your reputation of being a... philanderer precedes you. And you know my Virginia is innocent," explained Mr. Greene.

"I do, sir!" answered Ethan. "That's why I love her. I mean... No, not because of that, but I mean... I'll be true to Ginny, I swear. Because I love her, sir, and she loves me!" Ethan felt awkward. He must sound like a fool talking about love like that.

"I don't question the sincerity of your feelings, Mr. Clark," said Mr. Greene. "I question their reliability. I would have preferred to see a longer courtship, especially considering you previous affiliation with Miss Wilson."

Ethan stared down at the floor. He did not want to talk about Celia.

"Only time will tell whether your feelings will last. Why don't you come back to see me again in a year or two?" suggested Mr. Greene.

Ethan froze up in shock. "A year or two?" he echoed in dismay. "But sir!" Ethan's heart sank to the floor. He had underestimated Ginny's father. Her mother and sisters had been very welcoming when Ginny brought him in. Ethan had expected the formality would take only a minute or two before he would return to Ginny with her father's blessing. Ethan could not bear to think of exiting the room without it. He would rather have taken that punch in the face Ginny's sisters were talking about.

Mr. Greene chuckled to himself. His daughter's suitor was clearly troubled, judging from the way he stood there in silence, clenching his fists. It was cruel to toy with the young man like this. But it was his privilege, being the father of the bride. Besides, he felt young Mr. Clark could do with a little lesson, considering the commotion he had caused. At last Mr. Greene offered Ethan a way out. "Surely you understand, Mr. Clark," he said, "I only want what's best for my daughter."

"Ginny will be safe with me," Ethan assured him. "I have my own house and my financial situation is secure. Ginny won't have anything to worry about. We'll raise a little family. We've talked about it. It will be all she ever wanted... All you could want for her." Ethan held his breath. Perhaps Mr. Greene did envision more for his daughter. It was a gamble.

Mr. Greene pretended to weigh Ethan's words by tapping his fingers on the desk. He had already made his decision. It was the only decision Mr. Greene could have made if he wanted to keep the peace in his house. He got up from his chair, walked towards the younger man and gave him a hearty pat on the shoulder. "Well then, Mr. Clark," he said. "Have you already set a date?"

"Father, mother, I have an announcement to make."

The older Mr. Clark and his wife had been reading in the parlor when their son appeared in the doorway. The couple shared a quick glance before they turned to the young man, unsure of what to expect.

Ethan cleared his throat. "I am about to be married."

Mrs. Clark let out an audible gasp and sank back into the sofa, clutching her chest as if she might faint.

Mr. Clark walked up to Ethan and shook him by the shoulders. "Why, that's excellent, son!" he said with a wide grin. "I'm very proud of you, my boy. Finally you're doing the right thing, but I thought you and the Wilson girl had just broken up." He gave his son a questioning glance.

"That's right," confirmed Ethan. "I'm marrying Ginny."

"Who?"

"Virginia, Mr. Greene's eldest daughter."

Mr. Clark turned to his wife, speechless.

Mrs. Clark managed to compose herself and asked, "Why, isn't that a bit... unexpected?" She lowered her voice. "Are you sure it's yours, dear?"

"Ginny's not pregnant!" cried Ethan in shock. "She's still a maid!"

Mr. Clark raised his eyebrows. "Oh, is she? So you haven't...? I'm surprised you wouldn't want to... ahem, sample the wares," he muttered through his hand.

Ethan threw a sharp glance at the older man. "I know it's Ginny I want to marry, father. And I don't need your approval."

"Hold on, son. No need to overreact now," said Mr. Clark, holding up his hands in an attempt to pacify the young man. "Of course I'm happy for you." He glanced at his wife. "Your mother and I both are. We're just... surprised, that's all."

"Well, of course you are," replied Ethan. "The wedding is in the chapel next Friday at noon." He handed his father an invitation and tried to tone down his voice. "Please just be there, alright?" Ethan walked out the room, leaving his parents to stare at each other in utter shock.

"Well, what do you think?"

Ginny clasped her hands. "Oh mom, I love it!"

Mrs. Greene helped her daughter try on the garment she had been saving for just such an occasion. The cream-colored gown consisted of multiple layers of chiffon, the laced top was embellished with dozens of small beads and two long ribbons fell down from the bow at the empire waist line.

"Your grandmother wore it on her wedding day. It was too small for me, but... it fits you perfectly," Mrs. Greene told her daughter when they were done. For the first time she truly saw her precious Virginia as a bride. At first Mrs. Greene smiled, but all of a sudden her face contorted. "Oh, my little girl..." She sighed with a pained expression.

Ginny stood in front of the mirror, glancing at her mother's reflection behind her own. "Don't cry, mom. You still have two other little girls left."

"Oh!" Mrs. Greene sat down on the bed, trying to steady herself.

"Besides, I've been fully grown for more years than I care to think of," added Ginny, turning this way and that while she looked at herself in the mirror.

Mrs. Greene fell down on the pillow, shaking her head. "No!" she cried.

Ginny was taken aback. "Mom?" She could not remember having seen her mother this emotional before. Ginny meant to comfort her, but anything she said only made things worse.

After a few moments of sobbing, Mrs. Greene tried to sit up again. "Oh, my... poor girl!" Her face was red and she was out of breath.

Ginny rushed to her mother's side. "Mom, are you alright?" she asked.

Mrs. Greene tried to compose herself. "Oh, child! You are like... a willow. And he is like..." Unable to find the word she was looking for, Mrs. Greene threw her arms open wide. "This!" she blurted out.

Ginny's eyes grew wide. She was not sure what to make of that. It looked ominous. "Mom... what are you saying?"

"Oh! Never mind, dear." Mrs. Greene waved her hand in an attempt to dismiss the subject.

"I want to know, mom!" insisted Ginny.

Mrs. Greene fell silent for a moment, shaking her head. "You'll be crushed, child! He'll split you in two! Ooooh-hooooh!" She fell back onto the bed, sobbing.

Ginny cringed at her mother's words. "No, mom!" she cried. "Ethan would never hurt me!" She turned back to look at herself in the mirror and shivered. "I think."

"Father!" Ethan had not expected his father to show up at his door like that. Perhaps he should have, considering the way he had parted from his parents the other day. Ethan had not been proud of that, but he had felt so aggravated he could not help himself. "To what do I owe this pleasure?" he asked.

The older Mr. Clark entered the hallway. "Well, I just thought you and I could have a talk," he answered. "You know, man to man. We could speak freely, without worrying about embarrassing your mother."

"Oh, of course." Ethan led his father into the front parlor.

"I want to make myself clear, son. I'm not here to talk you out of anything," the older Mr. Clark assured him. "I'm just trying to understand what's going on. I mean, you were always the kind of man who would like to... dally from flower to flower, so to speak. Even the Wilson girl couldn't ensnare you, as pretty a thing as she is. And now, suddenly, this Ginny of yours... Are you really sure she won't turn out to be just another flower?"

Ethan remained silent for a moment. He did not have any doubts about his love for Ginny, but it was hard to put it into words. He took a deep breath. "Comparing Ginny to other girls is like comparing the sun to the stars," he said. "She shines so bright I can see none beside her. Without her, my world would only know the cold darkness of night. No star could turn me away from the warm radiance of her light."

Mr. Clark was baffled. "Good heavens, my boy! Have you become a poet?"

"Well, I probably read something like that somewhere before," answered Ethan, "but I meant it."

Mr. Clark suppressed a chuckle. "Oh? So you read, eh? And stuff like that too? That's interesting... But why the sudden devotion? I mean, she's been here all along. And all these years you've never looked at her twice."

Ethan cringed at the truth in those words while he contemplated his past. "I was living in a world of shadows, unable to see things for what they were," he explained. "If I would see a shadow on a wall, I would say the shadow was real and not the wall. I would hit my head, trying to make a connection. Other girls may have been beautiful shadows, but merely shadows nonetheless. But when I met Ginny again the other day, I realized she was a real girl and I am now a real man."

"And a philosopher too!" added Mr. Clark.

"Well, I try my best," said Ethan. "I'm not sure what Ginny sees in me, but I want to be the man she deserves."

"Ha! Don't worry, my boy. There's wisdom in you yet! Oh, I never thought I'd say this to you, but sometimes the father learns from the son. If this Ginny of yours is having such effect on you, I could not be more pleased," Mr. Clark told his son.

"There was something else," said Ethan in a low voice. "Before Ginny. When we were in Millstow."

His father's eyes softened. "Ah, is this about your grandpa?"

Ethan had not wanted to tell his father about the gnawing thoughts lurking in the back of his mind. He had been running away from them, but now Ethan thought he might face them at last. "Grandpa died, being disappointed in me," he confessed with a heavy heart.

Mr. Clark raised his eyebrows. "What makes you think that, son?" he asked.

Ethan clenched his fists. "You know grandpa's words: 'Live each day like it's your last.' I used to think it meant 'have fun while you can.' That's what I did, and I was proud of it too! But grandpa knew there was no meaning to my life and I was too blind to see that!" Now he had spoken the words out loud, the shame and the grief finally caught up with Ethan. He sat down on the couch, clutching his knees. His chest heaved with every breath and his heart pounded. For a moment Ethan did not recognize the feeling. The last time had been so long ago.

"What? No, son. The old man wasn't disappointed in you at all," said Mr. Clark. He sat down next to his son and put an arm around him. "Your grandpa was proud of you! Didn't I tell you? He asked me what other young man would sit by his old gaffer's bedside to tell him stories on end like you did. He enjoyed them, even if they were sometimes rather... questionable in nature."

"He said that?" asked Ethan, trying to smile.

"Yes, son," his father assured him. "Mighty proud of you, he was! He was just worried you wouldn't find true happiness. He loved you very much!"

That was too much for Ethan. He finally broke down.

"Oh, there's no shame in these tears, son. No need to hold back. It's just your old man here." Mr. Clark patted Ethan's back. "But don't you worry. I won't tell anyone. Not even your mother."

"Thanks, dad. I appreciate it," said Ethan, as if he were a boy again. "I just wish grandpa could see me now. Now that I've changed, I mean. Not this sniveling."

"Oh, I'm sure he can, son." Mr. Clark gazed out the window at the sky above. "I'm sure he can."

Ginny's sisters spent all morning fuzzing over her hair, even though Ginny had told them to keep it simple. They ended making two thin braids that fell alongside Ginny's face and tied them with ribbons: on the top as well as the bottom. The rest of Ginny's long hair was left to flow down her slender back.

When Ginny stepped out of the carriage, she felt a bit intimidated by the size of the crowd gathered at the chapel. It seemed as if all of Windfarn had come down to catch a glimpse of the wedding. Ginny would have preferred a small ceremony with only family and friends. She never liked being the center of attention. She did not think she ever had been, but it could not be helped. Ginny focused her thoughts on Ethan and kept smiling.

Mr. Greene choked up when he looked at his daughter, but he managed not to cry. So did Mrs. Greene, but she had already shed all her tears helping Ginny get dressed again. The older Mr. Clark joked he had misjudged his son's taste in women. Mrs. Clark subsequently told her husband to shut his mouth.

Celia sneered Ginny looked like a fifteen-year-old, to which Ginny's younger sisters took offense because they were both older than that. Andrew smirked Ginny could use more sex-appeal, but he was drunk and got hoisted away not long after that. Vera observed Ginny's dress was totally out-of-date, which was fair enough. In general, most townspeople were impressed Ginny had managed to look pretty this day. Ol' Granny claimed Ginny looked pretty every day, but this day even more so.

Ethan smiled at Ginny and said she looked like the woman he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. Ginny thought that was a very smart thing to say, considering the occasion. Ethan himself looked dashing as always, dressed in his finest clothes. All the young women sighed it was a mighty shame Ethan did not have any brothers.

Ethan took Ginny's hand and put the ring around her finger. Upon Ginny's request, the ring had been fitted with a tiny mirror piece instead of a stone. Ginny thought it would help her see herself through Ethan's eyes, and that would give her the strength to deal with whatever might come their way. Besides, she did not want Ethan to waste perfectly good money on a silly rock. Ethan had been rather surprised at that. He would have been glad to give Ginny the biggest diamond he could get, but he concluded frugality was a proper virtue in a wife, and he looked forward to discovering more of Ginny's in time.

Ethan had his ring engraved with a compass rose, to symbolize his love for Ginny as his guide through life. Ginny had some trouble putting it around Ethan's finger because he had such large hands. It made Ginny cringe for a moment because she was reminded of her mother's words. In the end, Ethan had to help her out. The intimacy of their hands touching sent shivers down her spine. Ginny blushed, considering it a prelude to the night to come.

"Are you nervous?" Ethan took off his shirt and threw it onto a chair in a casual way.

Ginny blushed at the sight of his bare chest. "Yes, a little," she admitted, averting her eyes, "but Granny gave me something to help with that."

"Oh, did she now?" asked Ethan with a grin. "I'm curious as to what the exact effects will be." He walked up behind Ginny and started to untie the ribbons of her bodice.

Ginny stopped his hands. "No, wait. It's delicate. I'll do it myself." She glanced at Ethan, relieved to see he still wore his trousers. "If you don't mind," she added in a shy voice.

"I don't mind watching a woman undress," Ethan answered with a mischievous twinkle in his eye. He sat down on the bed, leaning back on an elbow to enjoy the show. Ginny turned away when she started to loosen the fastenings of her dress. Ethan watched her moonlit form work it's way out of the various layers of fabric. There was something ethereal about the display. It did not turn him on as much as he had hoped, but it mesmerized him all the same. When Ginny was down to her chemise, she turned back to face him.

"You want me to rip that off of you?" Ethan asked with a teasing grin.

Ginny cringed at the thought. "Ethan!" she cried. She took a step back, hugging her shoulders as if to protect herself, and stared down at the floor.