Sirene (Wattys 2014 Entrant)

Chapter 16

London, January 1902.

“It’s been over a year since that funny little girl came to live in the orphan asylum.”

Miss Patterson had come to call on Mrs. Alberna and Stephanie.

“Has it really?” Mrs. Alberna asked.

“Yes, she came in October of 1900, so that would make it 15 months. Here’s the latest piece of news about her. Miss Morgan suggested perhaps Oceana go to visit Chandler once every two weeks instead of once every week. Oceana wasn’t too keen on the whole idea, but said she would give it some thought. Miss Morgan has also pointed out to me that Oceana’s behavior has changed for the better. To be sure, she’s still eccentric and independent and has problems following certain rules, but on the whole she is a lot more respectful to her elders and has just about ceased talking back and putting on a large public argument with her teachers. Miss Morgan finds this very comforting, as do I. The mermaid story still continues, but I believe time will cure her of that claim."

“I’m glad she’s working on not talking back and being smart with her elders,” Stephanie said, looking up from the letter she was reading. “Though I hope she won’t completely lose that special little something in her that makes her so unique from the others.”

“She must lose it, if she wishes to live a proper life.”

“Maybe she wasn’t destined to live a ‘proper life’.”

“Stephanie, don’t be ridiculous. We must mold her into a perfect little child, one who will live up to all the standards of society.”

“Society?” Stephanie placed the letter on the table and looked at Miss Patterson in surprise. “Since when has society ever cared about an unknown child in an orphan asylum?”

“Society will care very much when I make her my daughter.”

Mrs. Alberna and Stephanie were so shocked at this piece of news they both lost their power of speech.

“Goodness, I wasn’t expecting such a reaction from you.” Miss Patterson said with an amused laugh.

“Rebecca Annabelle Patterson, have you heard what you just said?”

“Of course I did, last I looked I was not deaf.”

“You can’t be serious, Miss Patterson.” Stephanie sputtered.

“I am perfectly serious. The child amuses me, she is very pretty and filled with a creative sort of charm I should like to have with me all the time. I’ve thought about adopting the pretty little thing for a long time already, but with such behavior, I couldn’t very well bring her out into my public life. So I allowed her to remain in the orphanage, where under the careful guidance of Miss Morgan she could at first be taught to behave proper and act accordingly. So far everything has been going very well, I think only another year, maybe even less and she will be ready to come and live with me. I should be very glad to have a companion.”

“Miss Patterson, while I understand you motives, I do not think it is a very wise decision.” Stephanie couldn't help pointing out.

“What on earth do you mean, Stephanie? The girl would be thrilled to come and live with me. I am well provided and will give her anything her heart desires.”

“You know how Oceana is, Miss Patterson. The one thing her heart desires is freedom. She says it all the time, blue skies, open fields and plenty of fresh air. She’s not a city girl, and a life filled with the endless dos and don’ts of society will not make her happy. She’s not meant for an active public life, with society gazing upon her.”

“Stephanie, whatever put such nonsense in your head? Oceana will adapt very well to society if we give her time.”

“She’s too independent. Yes, she can be molded a little, to learn to follow the basic rules of living a good and moral life, but you can’t expect her to behave in a way society will demand. There’s too much freedom, too much spirit in her, she’s like a wild mare.”

“Then she will have to be broken in. All wild mares can be broken in, and Oceana is no different. Look how much progress she has made. I’ve already talked it over with Miss Morgan. I’ve urged her to begin cutting down the amount of time Oceana spends with Chandler. No adopted daughter of mine will be going over to visit inmates. She must forget her life at sea, forget her life with those horrid men and I’m afraid she will have to forget her enchanting claim of being half mermaid. We can come up with some sort of past for her; a good one that will please society and keep them from looking down on her.”

“Miss Patterson, you know that would be lying. You can’t invent a past for the child simply to please society.”

“How about this Chandler fellow, I suspect he invented her past.”

“Perhaps he did invent her past, but surely you can see the difference.  You can’t go about and do the very thing everyone is accusing Chandler of doing. It would be terribly hypocritical and Oceana would see right through it. The child is very perceptive you know.”

“Oh Stephanie, don’t go about pretending you know things. It’s not like I am asking you to adopt Oceana, I don’t understand why you are so against it.”

“I just know Oceana will pine away under the pressure everyone will put on her. Society can be very heartless.”

“Nonsense, Miss Morgan will prepare her accordingly and she can be made to follow all the rules. It will just take some time and perhaps some discipline.”

Stephanie saw the argument wasn’t going anywhere and with a sigh picked up her letter again. Miss Patterson was a very kind woman, but the kind of life she led was not one Oceana would enjoy.

“I should discuss this with Joseph.” She thought to herself. “Did I just say Joseph? Dr. Wilkens I mean.”Stephanie mentally berated herself for using his first name, whatever had made her do that?

“Excuse me, Mother, Miss Patterson, I need to dispatch a note.” Stephanie rose from her seat and left the room.

“She’s been doing a lot of correspondence lately.” Miss Patterson said after Stephanie was gone.

“What do you mean?” Mrs. Alberna didn’t quite understand.

“Seems whenever I come to visit, she’s either reading or writing a letter. Come, Mrs. Alberna, you mean to tell me you haven’t noticed?”

“I did notice that Stephanie has been getting some postage out of the blue, but I’m guessing Estelle finally found time to write her. It’s about time, the girl moved to Yorkshire two years ago and her letters so far have been few and far apart.”

“Are you sure it’s Estelle writing her?” Miss Patterson asked.

“Goodness yes, who else could it be?”

“Perhaps Stephanie is caring a correspondence with an admirer.”

“My Stephanie? Nonsense! You know she is far too ugly to have an admirer. Why, ever since she was a little girl, no boy ever gave her a second look. Look at her, nearing twenty three and still not married. No, no, Miss Patterson, much I would love for her to be carrying on a love affair, I fear it will never be.”

***

“Miss Patterson is the dearest of women, but I just know she’s not the right sort of person for Oceana.” Stephanie was complaining to Dr. Wilkens. “I know she is very fond of the girl, but she has her own fixed set of ideas of how a girl ought to behave. And Oceana, well, you know Oceana. She’s just not a city type of girl, If it were up to her, she’d move off to the country somewhere, and live among the fields and the flowers.”

Dr. Wilkens nodded sympathetically. “I see what you mean, Miss Alberna.”

“I don’t know what to do, I do not want to deprive Oceana of a family, but well, you understand what I am trying to say, don’t you?” Stephanie looked sheepishly at Dr. Wilkens.

“I believe I do.” He smiled. “And I believe I have an answer to this dilemma.”

“Do you?”

“I think so. Miss Alberna, do you think could I talk to you?”

“Aren’t you talking to me now?”

Dr. Wilkens laughed. “I mean, talk to you somewhere other than here. Oceana will be back shortly and there is much to say. I should like to talk to you, privately.”

“Privately?” Stephanie couldn’t help getting a little suspicious.

“It will be strictly business about Oceana, I give you my word on that.”

“Oh, I see.” Stephanie replied and looked down. Try as she might she couldn’t help feeling a little…disappointed. “Tomorrow I will be free after noon.”

“Excellent, suppose then I meet you in the park. Oh I know, it’s a much nicer place in the spring, but a winter walk does me a lot of good and I think it will be more pleasant than constantly meeting in the prison.”

“We don’t only meet in the prison, Dr. Wilkens, you often walk me home from the orphanage.”

“I think we’ve know each other long enough for you to call me Joseph, Miss Alberna. Though I should warn you, I’m not very big on being called Joe.”

“In that case, Dr…Joseph, I believe you can call me Stephanie.”

“Stephanie it is then. It’s a beautiful name, as lovely as the owner

Stephanie turned a deep red and was relieved when she spotted Ocean coming up to them.

“Aha, I caught the two of you together. Dr. Wilkens, don’t you think Stephanie would look a lot more becoming in a pale yellow color?”

“I think Stephanie looks very becoming as it is.”

“But don’t you think she would look even more becoming in pale yellow?”

“I wouldn’t know, I don’t think I’ve seen her in pale yellow.”

“There, Stephanie, you should have worn your other coat. You see, Dr. Wilkens, she has this lovely pale yellow coat and looks so well with her eyes and figure, but she refused to put it on today.”

“I didn’t want to attract attention coming to a prison; I prefer to dress simply and modestly when coming here.”

“A wise decision to be sure.” Dr. Wilkens said.

“But I should very much like the doctor to see you in that coat. It’s such a beautiful coat.”

“Come along, Oceana.” Stephanie felt the conversation had outlasted its usefulness. “We have to be getting back.”

“Will the doctor walk us?”

“Not this time, I’ve got work to do here. Good day, Oceana, good day Stephanie.”

“Was he calling you by your Christian name?” Oceana asked Stephanie as they walked out of the prison.

“Yes, he was.”

“Oooh, so the two of you are on first names now?”

“That is none of your business. How was Chandler today?”

“He’s been looking awful pale of late. He says it’s just the prison air, I hope he’s right.” Oceana was thoughtful for a moment. “We still haven’t heard anything from Callum, you know. I’m trying not to worry, but it’s frightening to think he has disappeared for a year already. I pray for him every night and I’m hoping he’ll appear one day, but what if he doesn’t?”

“I don’t know, Oceana, you’ll just have to keep waiting and find out when the time is right.”

Oceana sighed, patience was not something that was learned easily, but in her situation, getting upset or annoyed wouldn’t help matters. She could be angry and wait, or be calm and wait, either way, waiting was a must.

***

“Oceana, Stephanie is calling for you.” Beth ran up and tugged Oceana’s hand.

“Did she say what she wants?”

“Miss Morgan told me to call you; she didn’t say what Stephanie wanted.”

“Give me a second to fix my stitch and then I’ll come over.” Oceana hastily finished the last stitch and put her sewing down.

“Stephanie and Dr. Wilkens are rather slow, aren’t they? I’d have hoped they’d be married by now.”

Oceana laughed at Beth’s statement. “We can’t rush them; we can only guide them and allow them to go at their own pace.”

“Do you think they’ll actually end up falling in love with each other?”

“They already are in love. They just haven’t fully realized it yet.”

The two girls walked into the room where Stephanie was seated, waiting for Oceana.

“I’m sorry I took so long, I just wanted to finish several stitches that would complete the last petal. I told Miss Grey I’d have that flower finished by tomorrow.”

“I think someone finally came to terms with the need for learning to sew and embroide.”

Oceana giggled. “You’d never believe this, but I’m actually finding it an enjoyable past time.”

“I’m glad to hear that.”

“Why did you want to see me?”

“Beth.” A voice outside the room sounded. “Beth, come here please.”

Beth sighed, “no doubt I’m being called for art class. Goodbye Stephanie.”

“Have a good time, Beth, I’m sorry I wasn’t able to talk to you. I’ll come over tomorrow and then you and I can talk.”

“Alright.” Beth smiled and left the room.

“So…” Oceana looked expectantly at Stephanie.

“I have something for you.”

“For me?”

“Yes, Dr. Wilkens asked me to pass it on.”

“Really, when?”

“About two hours ago.”

“You saw Dr. Wilkens today? And look, you wore your yellow coat.” Oceana pointed to the coat that was gently laid over a chair. “What did he think of you in it?”

Stephanie blushed. “Honestly, Oceana, what business is it of yours?”

“I just want to know if he liked you in it.”

“Yes he did, said the color was very becoming and it brought out the blue in my eyes.”

“There, I told you he would like it.”

“We are straying from the subject.” Stephanie said, pulling a folded paper from her bag.

“He passed on a note to you, how romantic.”

“It’s for you, Oceana.”

“Oh, sorry. Why would Dr. Wilkens pass on a note through you? He can easily do it himself.”

Stephanie placed the note in Oceana's hands but didn't answer to her question. “It would be best if you didn’t go about telling others of the note.”

Oceana gave Stephanie a puzzled, confused look before turning her attention to the folded piece of paper in her hands. On one side two words were written

To Oceana.

Oceana gave a gasp, and stole a glance around her before returning her gaze to the paper. Instead of Dr. Wilkens neat, cursive letters, the words were written in a shaky, messy handwriting, handwriting she instantly recognized to be Callum’s.

***********************************************************

Aren't Dr. Wilkens and Stephanie cute <3 (I think so far, Stephanie is one of my favorite characters ;) )

So, Callum hasn't disappeared off the face of the earth after all! There's a bit of a mystery going on here :) More to be discovered in the next chapters

Votes and comments are greatly loved :)