Disquieting: Day 5

Word Count: 30,074

Summary of Events:

Matthew joined Kirk at his job site, where he was introduced to the crew and instructed to work alongside one of them to clad the interior walls. Vera's father, having been disturbed by Carlisle's conduct the evening before, and confounded by Vera and Carlisle's vastly different impressions of the same family, decided he wanted to see the family for himself to form his own opinion. Vera accompanied him to the hotel, where the women in the hotel kitchen had nothing good to say about the Forsyths. Matthew and his coworker made some small talk as they worked, which included Matthew disclosing that he was a pastor by vocation, prompting the man to ask him if he was interested in pastoring a church, but without giving him any details beyond that. Vera's father was able to speak to Carlisle about his conduct, for which Carlisle apologised moments before Vera's father was called away to a medical emergency. Vera stayed with Carlisle and they chatted about some wedding details before they were approached by Miss Forsyth and Carlisle introduced the two women formally…

Excerpt of the Day:

“I really didn’t expect you to be betrothed Carlisle,” Miss Forsyth said. “And to such a woman.”

Vera didn’t like the tone Miss Forsyth used.

“We’ll be getting married in April,” Carlisle said. “The sixteenth, in fact, just the week after Easter.”

“Is that so?” Miss Forsyth asked. “April is a lovely time of year.”

“Yes, especially around here,” Carlisle said. “All the winter rains just make everything so lovely and green, it’s a beautiful backdrop.”
“It is,” Miss Forsyth said. “Too bad it’s being wasted.”

“Wasted?” Vera demanded. “What do you mean wasted?”

“What’s being wasted?” Carlisle asked.

“I didn’t say anything was being wasted,” Miss Forsyth said.

“Yes you did,” Vera snapped.

“You really are excitable, aren’t you?” Miss Forsyth asked.

“Carlisle, how can you let her say that to me?” Vera demanded, looking at him.

“Well, she’s not wrong,” Carlisle replied.

“I wouldn’t be if she wouldn’t have caused it,” Vera snapped.

“What do you mean?” Carlisle asked. “She didn’t say anything.”

“Are you half deaf?” Vera demanded. “She didn’t even properly whisper!”

“Whisper what?” Carlisle asked.

“That our wedding day is being wasted because you’re marrying me,” Vera replied.

“Wherever in the world did you get that from?” Carlisle asked. “She didn’t say anything like that.”

“Yes she did!” Vera cried.

“No I didn’t,” Miss Forsyth said snidely.

“Vera, this is really unlike you to make things up,” Carlisle said.

“Make things up!?” Vera cried, tears flooding her eyes. “I’m not! I very clearly heard her, and you should’ve too!”

“I heard every word she said and I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Carlisle said. “You might need your father to examine you.”

“And all of this after you promised you wouldn’t do it again!” Vera cried.

“Do what again?” Carlisle asked.

“You promised you wouldn’t trivialise my hurts, and here you are trivialising them again!” Vera cried.

“But Sybilla hasn’t said anything hurtful at all,” Carlisle said.

A sob was all Vera could utter, she rushed to the door to get out of the hotel.

“Vera!” Carlisle cried. “Where are you going?”

“She’s not terribly mature at all now, is she?” Miss Forsyth asked.

Vera barely remembered to gather up her skirts and check for traffic before she rushed across the road, as quickly as she dared, not wanting to possibly lose her footing and fall into the mire, as she was sure Miss Forsyth was somewhere where she could watch and laugh if she were to see such a thing happen.

She didn’t know how in the world Carlisle couldn’t have heard Miss Forsyth’s statement that their wedding weekend was being wasted. He’d asked what was being wasted. He had to have heard, but somehow he’d not felt any insult whatsoever, when that had been assuredly as much of an insult against her as against him.