The Cove
Jan 5, 2008 17:00:07 GMT -5
Post by Micaela on Jan 5, 2008 17:00:07 GMT -5
*Micaela knew that Finn needed a walk by the way he was barking incessantly. Jasper looked miffed beyond all reason, but then Jasper didn't seem to like anything Finn did, and he seemed to resent Micaela's presence in general. Still, she figured she couldn't just leave Jasper and take her own dog. So she brought them both out, eyeing the rainclouds warily and fetching her coat.*
*Finn barked joyously and bounded around her in circles. Jasper followed her grudgingly, until they reached a path which, she knew, wound down to the ocean. Suddenly, the spaniel dashed off down the path. Finn looked at Micaela, confused. This wasn't the route that they took on their walks. She scratched his head.* "Come on, ugly, we have to go get him." *Ugly was used in the most affectionate of ways.*
*She followed the path down to the cove and looked around for the dog. Jasper was sitting at the door to a small cottage.* "Jasper, come here!" *She called, not wanting to get any closer. There was something really wierd about this place. When he didn't come, she called again.* "JASPER." *It wasn't so nice this time.*
*Then, a man with an odd look in his eyes walked out from behind the cottage. He looked spooked when he saw her, and he had an odd guilty look on his face. As if he wasn't supposed to be there. But then he saw Jasper.*
"I know that dog. He comes from the house." *He said eerily.* "He ain't yourn."
*She frowned, mostly in frustration at the dog.* "No, he isn't mine... but he certainly needs to get back to the house."
"He's Missus de Winter's dog, Miss. He's Rebecca's dog." *He said, as if he hadn't heard her.* "Been diggin' since forenoon, there be no shells today..."
"I'm Mrs. de Winter." *She said staunchly, still whistling to the stupid dog. Finn stuck by her.*
"Missus de Winter is gone. She's gone into the sea." *Micaela realized that something was seriously wrong with the man... his watery blue eyes were that of a man with serious developmental issues.* "Yes, she's gone."
"She won't come back, will she?" *There was an anxiety in his voice.*
"No, she'll not come back. What's your name?"
"She's gone, gone into the sea... she doesn't go in the cottage no more... Missus de Winter is gone..."
"Rebecca is dead. I am Mrs. de Winter now."
*He cocked his head at her.* "Ye're not like her."
*She wrinkled her brow in thought... what was it Frank Crawley had said? That she was only kind when she wanted to be... She smiled kindly at him.* "And what was she like? Would you tell me?" *She sat on an old log and patted the place next to her. Jasper was still whining and scratching at the cottage door, but Finn was licking Micaela's hand. The man padded over and looked at the spot warily.*
"Ye aren't goin t'put me in the asylum, are ye? They's mean folks there, Miss!" *He said nervously.*
"Of course I wouldn't put you in the asylum. Did anyone say you were going there?"
*His blank eyes darted around as if making sure that nobody was around.* "She tole me that she'd put me in the asylum if I was down here. You won't tell her I was here, will ye?"
*She shook her head.* "I promise, nobody will know." *He cowered a little.* "Not even Mr. Lionel?"
*She vaguely recognized the name... that was Maxim's father.* "Of course not. Will you tell me your name?"
*He seemed to cheer up.* "I's Ben, Miss. Ben Carminowe." "Micaela de Winter."
"You's a de Winter? I don't know any Micaelas." *She smiled kindly at him.*
"Yes, I'm Mr. de Winter's wife. Mr. Maxim's wife."
"But Mr. Maxim's wife is gone in the sea..." *He pattered off, muttering to himself about the sea, before turning back to Micaela.*
"You won't put me in the asylum, will ye?"
"Of course not, Ben. I won't put you in the asylum." *He smiled toothlessly.* "You's a good'un. Not like her. She was like a snake, she was." *He motioned for Micaela to follow him.* "Promise not to tell?"
*She nodded and followed him to a pile of driftwood. In a few moments, he had uncovered a stockpile of pretty little shells and sea glass. He looked through them as if searching for one in particular. He took out a relatively plain shell; it was greyish and streaked with black. He held it out to her earnestly.*
*She took it from him tentatively and turned it over--there was a brilliant layer of mother-of-pearl inside the shell. She smiled softly at him.*
"Thank you, Ben. I won't tell anyone." *He quickly covered his shells and wandered off. Micaela searched around inside for a bit--there was a divan, a plate of cigarette stubs that looked quite old, and a few nicknacks here and there. She found some twine and tied it around Jasper's collar, yanking him back up to the house. He was reluctant to leave the place but she yanked pretty damn hard. Finn followed without complaint. She placed the shell in her pocket and did NOT discover a handkerchief of Rebecca's and continued up the path.*
*Finn barked joyously and bounded around her in circles. Jasper followed her grudgingly, until they reached a path which, she knew, wound down to the ocean. Suddenly, the spaniel dashed off down the path. Finn looked at Micaela, confused. This wasn't the route that they took on their walks. She scratched his head.* "Come on, ugly, we have to go get him." *Ugly was used in the most affectionate of ways.*
*She followed the path down to the cove and looked around for the dog. Jasper was sitting at the door to a small cottage.* "Jasper, come here!" *She called, not wanting to get any closer. There was something really wierd about this place. When he didn't come, she called again.* "JASPER." *It wasn't so nice this time.*
*Then, a man with an odd look in his eyes walked out from behind the cottage. He looked spooked when he saw her, and he had an odd guilty look on his face. As if he wasn't supposed to be there. But then he saw Jasper.*
"I know that dog. He comes from the house." *He said eerily.* "He ain't yourn."
*She frowned, mostly in frustration at the dog.* "No, he isn't mine... but he certainly needs to get back to the house."
"He's Missus de Winter's dog, Miss. He's Rebecca's dog." *He said, as if he hadn't heard her.* "Been diggin' since forenoon, there be no shells today..."
"I'm Mrs. de Winter." *She said staunchly, still whistling to the stupid dog. Finn stuck by her.*
"Missus de Winter is gone. She's gone into the sea." *Micaela realized that something was seriously wrong with the man... his watery blue eyes were that of a man with serious developmental issues.* "Yes, she's gone."
"She won't come back, will she?" *There was an anxiety in his voice.*
"No, she'll not come back. What's your name?"
"She's gone, gone into the sea... she doesn't go in the cottage no more... Missus de Winter is gone..."
"Rebecca is dead. I am Mrs. de Winter now."
*He cocked his head at her.* "Ye're not like her."
*She wrinkled her brow in thought... what was it Frank Crawley had said? That she was only kind when she wanted to be... She smiled kindly at him.* "And what was she like? Would you tell me?" *She sat on an old log and patted the place next to her. Jasper was still whining and scratching at the cottage door, but Finn was licking Micaela's hand. The man padded over and looked at the spot warily.*
"Ye aren't goin t'put me in the asylum, are ye? They's mean folks there, Miss!" *He said nervously.*
"Of course I wouldn't put you in the asylum. Did anyone say you were going there?"
*His blank eyes darted around as if making sure that nobody was around.* "She tole me that she'd put me in the asylum if I was down here. You won't tell her I was here, will ye?"
*She shook her head.* "I promise, nobody will know." *He cowered a little.* "Not even Mr. Lionel?"
*She vaguely recognized the name... that was Maxim's father.* "Of course not. Will you tell me your name?"
*He seemed to cheer up.* "I's Ben, Miss. Ben Carminowe." "Micaela de Winter."
"You's a de Winter? I don't know any Micaelas." *She smiled kindly at him.*
"Yes, I'm Mr. de Winter's wife. Mr. Maxim's wife."
"But Mr. Maxim's wife is gone in the sea..." *He pattered off, muttering to himself about the sea, before turning back to Micaela.*
"You won't put me in the asylum, will ye?"
"Of course not, Ben. I won't put you in the asylum." *He smiled toothlessly.* "You's a good'un. Not like her. She was like a snake, she was." *He motioned for Micaela to follow him.* "Promise not to tell?"
*She nodded and followed him to a pile of driftwood. In a few moments, he had uncovered a stockpile of pretty little shells and sea glass. He looked through them as if searching for one in particular. He took out a relatively plain shell; it was greyish and streaked with black. He held it out to her earnestly.*
*She took it from him tentatively and turned it over--there was a brilliant layer of mother-of-pearl inside the shell. She smiled softly at him.*
"Thank you, Ben. I won't tell anyone." *He quickly covered his shells and wandered off. Micaela searched around inside for a bit--there was a divan, a plate of cigarette stubs that looked quite old, and a few nicknacks here and there. She found some twine and tied it around Jasper's collar, yanking him back up to the house. He was reluctant to leave the place but she yanked pretty damn hard. Finn followed without complaint. She placed the shell in her pocket