"Oh, please!" Charlotte asked, pulling them both into the room. "I've barely learned how to apply my makeup, yet! I'd love some help!" She sat in front of her lit mirror, and Lizzie pulled up a chair across from her, setting her makeup box on the counter and pulling out a few pieces.
"Are you excited for tonight?" Lizzie asked conversationally, gesturing for Charlotte to close her eyes so she could apply eye-shadow.
"You don't even know," Charlotte told her. "At first I was so nervous. But now...I realize there's really nothing more I can do to prepare. And it's far too late to pull out of the show. So I'll just have to do my best and hope everyone appreciates it."
"They will, Charlotte," Emilie told her earnestly. "You're truly wonderful."
Charlotte smiled at Emilie's sweet honesty. "Thank you, Emilie. I hope everyone else feels the same way."
"I know Wesley does," Emilie told her with startling candor. Charlotte opened her eyes in surprise. "He told me so," Emilie continued. "Last night when you had to leave to get your tooth fixed. I think he thought I was worried that you weren't there, because he started telling me how wonderful you were and how perfect you were for the role."
Charlotte couldn't help the smile that spread across her face. "He said that?"
"Charlotte," Lizzie said with a smile. "You fancy Wesley?"
Charlotte's cheeks flushed. "I mean, I suppose so. We went on a date the other night. But I didn't know if he felt that way or if I was just...a little kid to him. The little kid who lives with his aunt and uncle."
"I don't think so," Emilie said, swinging her legs excitedly. "He thinks you're special."
"Gee," Lizzie said with a pout. "I leave town for a couple of months and so much has happened! I've known Wesley for years. He's the sweetest."
Charlotte nodded, smiling. "He is. I regret not meeting him sooner."
"So I assume you know a little bit about the familial situation, then?" Lizzie asked quietly. Charlotte nodded. "Good. I'm glad that they're all starting to work together, again. I know it was all tearing Helen apart for so long. But when you came," Lizzie gave Charlotte a knowing smile, "Helen really felt that something was going to change. She told me so. She really thought that Jack was changing. I think she still does."
At the mention of Jack's name, Charlotte's heart fluttered a little. She had felt so happy only moments ago, with the mention of Wesley. How could Jack always make her feel differently? Why did she get this pain in her heart when anyone mentioned his name?
"I didn't mean to make you feel uncomfortable," Lizzie said quickly, watching Charlotte's face drop. "But Helen had told me that...that Jack sometimes acted differently now that you were here. Maybe he's just growing up," she said dismissively. "He's getting older. Maybe maturing. But Helen...she did think it might have something to do with you. And I do think that..." Lizzie shifted, trying to find the words. She lowered her voice. "I think that Helen might have been hoping that you and Jack would fancy each other."
Charlotte's mouth opened in surprise. She was so taken aback. She had never expected anything like this. Helen had hoped for her and Jack to fancy each other? They were so different. They were both so hard-edged. When Charlotte had imagined herself with a beau, he had always been charming and sweet and gentlemanly...just like Wesley. But nothing like Jack. And at the same time, Jack made her feel like she never had before. Whenever he gave her a smile of approval or laughed at a joke or engaged in a serious conversation with her, Charlotte felt special. She felt special that he would even give her that attention, that he even cared that much about her.
"Everything's your decision, Charlotte," Lizzie told her logically, tipping Charlotte's head upward so she could finish her makeup. "Of course you can do whatever you want to do. But I just wanted to let you know everything before you do decide."
"Thank you," Charlotte managed. She was thankful. She was glad she knew everything, even if it made it all so much more difficult.
"Charlotte, I think I've forgotten my line!" Emilie suddenly cried in panic. She ran over to Charlotte and threw herself onto her lap. "In the scene when we first lose everything! What do I say to you when we're holding each other? Oh, I've forgotten everything!"
Charlotte pulled Emilie up straight and looked at her in the eyes. "No you haven't, Emilie. Listen to me. You remember everything perfectly. You knew every one of your lines from the first day we started rehearsals. Take a deep breath." Charlotte demonstrated by closing her eyes and inhaling deeply. She felt Emilie do the same. "Good. Now look at me. As we're holding each other, what is your first line?"
Emilie opened her big brown eyes. "What are we going to do, Sylvie? We've lost everything-Mama, Papa, all we owned, all we know...what will we do?" she recited with a perfect little French accent that nearly made Charlotte cry for home.
Charlotte nodded. "And then what do I say?"
"You say...that everything will be fine," Emilie told Charlotte, her eyes lighting up. "I remembered! You say that everything will be fine, Charlotte!"
"And everything will be fine," Charlotte insisted. "You are going to remember every one of your lines and so will I. We're going to be perfect." Emilie nodded enthusiastically.
There was another knock at the door.
"Probably Helen," Charlotte told Lizzie. "Come in!" she called. But to her surprise, it wasn't Helen. It was Jack. He smiled nervously as he came around the corner.
"Hi...is it alright if I come in?" He caught a glance of Lizzie and Emilie and hurriedly added, "I can see you're busy. Sorry, I'll just see you later."
"No, Jack!" Lizzie smiled brightly at him, gathering her things. "I was just finishing up Charlotte's makeup. She's all yours. Come on, Emilie." Lizzie pulled at Emilie's hand. She quickly pecked Jack's cheek as she passed him-Charlotte had forgotten they had known each other since he was small-and told Charlotte, "Good luck!" one last time before leaving.
"I'll see you in a few minutes, Charlotte!" Emilie called to her as Lizzie pulled her from the room.
Charlotte laughed nervously and shut the door behind them. "Sorry about that. They're just...excited."
"Yeah, I think everyone is," Jack said. "Aren't you?"
Charlotte nodded. "And nervous," she added. But not about the play.
Jack nodded. His breathing was quick and uneasy. He looked upset. "Charlotte," he began haltingly. "I really needed to talk to you about something." He sat down heavily in one of the chairs.
Charlotte frowned and sat across from him. "What's wrong, Jack?" she asked quietly. She reached across and touched his hand. "You look terrible."
"Thanks," Jack laughed, but he still looked upset. His blue eyes were bloodshot, but not like when he had been drinking. They looked as if he had been up all night. He looked tired, and sad, and conflicted. He was worrying Charlotte. Was this about going to war, again?
"What's going on, Jack?" she asked.
"I just..." Jack sighed frustratedly and ran his hand through his hair. He shook his head violently. "I just feel terrible, Charlotte." Charlotte frowned. "I feel just so terribly," Jack gestured with his hands, "that I judged you so quickly and for so long." Charlotte's eyes widened in surprise. These were the last words she had expected to hear from him. He looked at her directly in the eyes and grasped her hands in his own. "From the moment I saw you in my house, I judged you to be a silly, spoiled, shallow little girl. I didn't think there was anything to you other than a pretty face and charisma. And I so resented the fact that my parents already liked you better than they liked me. I didn't understand why they couldn't see that you were just a farce-so fake about everything. Because it seemed so painfully obvious to me that you were a spoiled brat who took on a character to make others feel sorry for you."
Charlotte's cheeks blushed furiously at this, tears pricking her eyes. She had always imagined that was what Jack thought of her...but to hear that it was true was only more painful than before.
"No, don't cry, Charlotte," Jack plead with her, rubbing her hand wi
th his thumb. He looked at her with honest eyes. "Please. Because what I wanted to tell you was that...I'm sorry for thinking all of that. I know I was wrong. I was wrong about all of it. As I've gotten to know more about you, and know more about you story, I now realize that you've had a harder time than I ever have. I am the person who I thought you were. And you...you're brave. And you're loving, especially when you talk about your brother. And you're kind and generous. And I was the one who was terrible and spoiled. So I'm sorry."
"No, Jack," Charlotte insisted, halting him. "No. You're not terrible or spoiled. You're human, just like me. And to tell the complete truth," she laughed at the irony, "I think I was silly and shallow when I first came to England. The only thing I could think of was how wonderful it would be to get away from my nagging mother, and how beautiful the clothes were that Helen bought me, and how generous Lewis was when he would give me books, and how wonderful it felt to be spoiled!" Charlotte sighed, thinking about how she had been only a few months ago.
"But when I came here," she added softly, "I changed. I met a family who showed me such love and kindness, and who showed me that I could return it back to them, and that it would be appreciated. And now I realize...that my own, real family would probably have been the same way. If I had let them in."
Jack shook his head apologetically. "I'm so sorry. For judging you."
"I did the same to you," Charlotte admitted. "I just always thought you were spoiled and sour."
"I was," Jack agreed. "I still am. But I think I'm getting better." He bit his lip and looked down at his hands. "I once told you about all of my friends going off to war and leaving me behind. But I didn't tell you the entire story. Growing up, I had one best friend. His name was Joey. We were born only one day apart. We went everywhere together and did everything together. We were basically inseparable, as if we were twins. My mum used to call us twins." Charlotte smiled, imagining Jack as a little boy. "And when the war began, we both wanted to enlist. But Joey's father let him, and my parents didn't let me. And one month into training, he was killed by a stray bullet at target practice. He was sixteen."
Charlotte's hand flew to her mouth. "I'm so sorry, Jack," she whispered.
"I just couldn't believe that something like that could happen," Jack said quietly, as if talking to himself. "He was sixteen. He hadn't really done anything or gone anywhere. He had barely kissed a girl. And he was dead and buried. And meanwhile, I was still attending school and doing my homework and eating extravagant dinners with my family. It just didn't seem fair."
"It's not," Charlotte shook her head. "Life isn't fair."
"It's not," Jack repeated. "But when he died, I felt like everything ended. I had never experienced a loss like that. So that's when this whole...downward spiral of my life began. And I just never had the courage to get out of it."
And then he stopped talking, frowning and looking down at his hands, lost in his own world that Charlotte hadn't known even existed. She reached back and took his hand in her own. "Jack...these bad things...they're terrible. And they're not easy to overcome, no matter how many people say it'll be alright. Sometimes you just need someone to tell you that everything's not alright...but that maybe someday you'll be able to understand everything a little better."
Jack looked up at her with a strained expression. But it wasn't cold and it wasn't angry or sad...it was understanding. He knew what she was saying.
"I'm glad you told me," Charlotte told him honestly. "I'm glad you trusted me enough to tell me."
"Charlotte," Jack told her suddenly, grasping her hand tightly. "I need to tell you something-"
"Not now, Jack," Charlotte told him with a smile, pulling him to his feet. "It's nearly time for the show to start and I don't want you to miss it. Please go to your seat so you won't miss the beginning? It's really the only part of the show where I look presentable." She laughed. "And I promise we can talk more later. When I'm not so...nervous. Okay?"
Jack looked disappointed, but nodded. "Okay," he agreed. "We'll talk later." He walked to the door but turned to her before leaving. "Good luck, Charlotte. You're not going to need it...but I want to be able to say I had a part in your amazing first performance."
Charlotte grinned. "Thank you. I'll see you after."
He nodded and gave her one last smile before stepping out the door and closing it after him quietly.
Charlotte leaned against the closed door and sighed, a smile escaping her lips. Just being around him made her feel so excited, so exhilarated. It was a perfect feeling. She just wanted it more and more. She wanted it to last forever.
"Charlotte, can I come in?" came a voice and a knock.
Charlotte's heart leapt. Had he come back? Even though she had asked him to leave, she was excited at the thought of him coming back for her. She quickly wrenched open the door, but was shocked to see Wesley standing in the doorway instead.
"Wes!" she cried, stepping aside to let him in. "We're starting in five minutes! You should be getting ready on your side of the stage!"
"I know, I know, Charlotte," he told her breathlessly. He looked so handsome in his nice suit and slicked hair. He looked like a true, old-fashioned gentleman. "But I just had to tell you before we began..." Charlotte held her breath, not sure what he was about to say to her. "I just had to tell you how amazing you are," he finally managed. "For being so brave to come here and step out on that stage. But you're not just performing, Charlotte. You're really acting, like no one I've ever seen before. You literally take my breath away," he said, laughing embarrassedly. "And seeing you outside of rehearsals the other night...it made me only more sure that you really are as amazing as I had thought you were before we even met. You're just...inspirational. Incredible."
Charlotte grinned. She couldn't think of anything to say back...Wesley was just so incredibly sweet. She couldn't think of a more perfect person. She couldn't think of how anyone could be more perfect.
"I just...I wanted to tell you. Before this all started. Before you're famous and everyone wants your attention," Wesley laughed. "And...I wanted to do this..." He slowly reached and took Charlotte's hands, pulling her closer to him. Then he touched his hand to her face, tracing his thumb over her cheek, and pulled her closer. And Charlotte wanted him to. Her breath quickened as his lips neared hers, and before he could lean any closer, she reached up and pressed her lips into his. It was wonderful, the warmth of his lips against hers, the sweet taste that tingled. It was everything she had imagined it to be. But at the same time, something felt wrong.
"Sorry, Charlotte. I forgot to give you-"
Charlotte quickly broke apart from Wesley, but it wasn't quick enough. Jack had come back. And he had already seen them together.
Charlotte's cheeks turned red as she watched Jack's expression change, from pleasant to confused, and then to dismay. He looked at his feet and awkwardly cleared his throat. "Sorry. I had just wanted to come back...I forgot to give you these." He handed her a bouquet of flowers, pink and orange and yellow. Charlotte's face was furiously red as she took them from him, croaking out a weak, "thank you". Jack just nodded, and embarrassedly turned for the door, letting himself out.
"I should be going," Wesley said, sensing the tension. "I'll see you out there. Good luck, Charlotte."
"Thank you," she whispered, trying to give a small smile. But after he left the room, she let her face fall. She set the flowers, the beautiful flowers, down before her mirror, and put her head in her hands. Jack had come back, just as she had wished. But nothing felt right. Lizzie had told her that she could make her own decision...but now Charlotte wondered if the decision had already been made for her.
"Perfect!" Lewis cried, hugging Charlotte with an incredible grin on his face. "You were absolutely perfect!" He turned to the theatre patrons surrounding them at the gala and said happily, "When I wrote this play, Charlotte had been my inspiration. I knew there couldn't be a better person to play the part. And seeing her onstage tonight only made me more sure
of my decision!"
"You were beautiful, darling," Helen told her, holding her. When she pulled away, Charlotte caught a glimpse of tears in Helen's eyes. "Your mother would be so proud of you. You stepped onto the stage and took everyone's breath away. You were lovely."
"Oh, I hope so!" Charlotte cried excitedly. "I was so worried that my accent would be too difficult for everyone to understand..."
"Oh dear, over the past weeks, your accent has been withering away!" Helen told her with a laugh. "I was worried that you wouldn't have enough of your accent onstage! But when you and Ruby made your first entrance and I heard your lovely little accents for the first time...I knew that it was going to be perfect."
"Perfect," Charlotte breathed happily. She had made Lewis and Helen proud. And that had been all she had wanted. But the standing ovation at the close of the show had suddenly made her realize that she now not only wanted to please the Careys, but she really wanted to be the best she could possibly be. She wanted to earn every standing ovation, every fan, every new performance. She wanted to make everything her own, until the stage belonged to her.
"You were amazing, Charlotte!" cried Wesley, running up from behind her. He picked her up and spun around. Charlotte laughed in delight, her skirt swirling around the both of them until they were both in a cloud of gold. He set her down and grinned down at her. "You really were amazing. You were born to be onstage."
"It felt like it!" Charlotte said excitedly. She bobbed on the balls of her feet and hugged Wesley tightly. "And thank you for being such a wonderful leading man! I couldn't have done it without you!"
Wesley laughed and replied, "Yes you could have." Charlotte grinned at him, loving how confident he made her feel.
"Jack!" she suddenly heard Lewis exclaim. He emerged from the crowd with his arm around Jack's shoulders. Jack was smiling politely, but Charlotte could tell that something was wrong.
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