Characters Speak for Blogophilia 42.4

So this week I thought I would give some of my characters the chance to play Blogophilia and see how they would incorporate the prompts.

Merta

She is a twin seven years old with bouncy blonde hair and bright blue eyes. Her sister, Gilda, is more reserved. Merta often bosses Gilda around or gets her into trouble somehow whenever she can. Someday Gilda will stand up to her. It will be interesting to see what she does then. When it comes to getting their own boonie or having her say about which Easter dress to order, she’ll do whatever it takes to get her own way. She is strong willed, determined and stubborn. She’s also lovable.

Gilda

The quiet twin.

Hopefully Gilda will learn to stand her ground against her sister. Unless it’s something Gilda feels passionate about, she will usually let Merta have her way.

Years later after the Easter Dress episode, the sisters still chuckled over the incident. They agreed it was one of the first times that Gilda stood up to Merta.

“Remember the Easter dress debate when we were seven?” Merta watched her sister’s reaction.

“Sure do. Might have been the first time I stood up to you.”

“Hmm yeah. Wasn’t the last – we sure had some fights back in the day.”

“Like we don’t now…”

“Touche.”

“You wanted the blue, silky, sleeveless number. I knew Mamma would never go for it.”

“You picked out a pink of all things, with a rose pattern. Pink! Ugh I believe I did say pink was for babies.”

Merta took a good look at what her twin was wearing.”Don’t you think your pink, silky blouse is a little low cut?”

“Nope.” Gerta couldn’t help tossing out a loud laugh. “I still wear pink – but it ain’t for babies. My husband Doug loves pink – or maybe not – he usually gets me out of anything pink that I wear.” She winked.

Gerta continued with the memory. “Anyway the dress came in blue also and it was a price Mamma could afford. And it came in green too. I got the green one and you the blue one. and so that’s what we ended up with. Third Time’s a Charm. You never grasped the fact that it was easier to give in to Mamma sometimes instead of arguing with her all the time.

Merta shrugged at her sister’s comment. “I never told you – I did like that dress but I would never admit it.”

Gilda scrutinized Merta’s outfit. She wore a blue, silky, sleeveless blouse with a black wool pencil skirt.

Merta looked down at her outfit. And laughed

***

The next scene is from an historical WIP. The date is 1900.

Miss Kathryn St. Clair has come to the city to accept a teaching position. Her hair is flaxen, her eyes blueberry with a hint of violet. She lives in a boarding house run by Mrs. Hodgson with five other lodgers, one of whom is Mr.  Gideon Thomas; his business is import-export, or so he has told the other roomers. He is tall with brown, satin soft hair, deep pools of brown eyes and a small fashionable goatee.

One evening he invited her to dine with him at the small café two blocks from their lodgings. Mrs. Hodgson offered breakfast but no other meals. Miss Kathryn is not in the habit of eating in public. At home restaurant dining is not considered respectable.

“Oh my, it’s so crowded. Do many people eat in public here?”

Mr. Thomas chuckled. “Yes they do.”

He placed his hat and coat on the coat rack and took her cloak and hat also. She sat watching the people and he sat watching her. Eventually the waiter came to take their order.  He poised his pencil over his pad of paper and tapped his foot impatiently while the couple decided what to choose from the menu.

“Pick anything that you fancy.”

Kathryn nodded in acknowledgment. The import- export business must be a lucrative profession.  She ordered a half a cantaloupe (teaching made her hungry and she had not eaten any lunch), the chicken fricassee with cole slaw, and green apple pie with tea. He ordered navy bean soup, roast pork with apple sauce, mashed potatoes and cole slaw and black coffee.

Kathryn poked around in her mind for what to say to this man. She blushed whenever he spoke to her and she searched for a safe subject that she could handle with decorum.  She found it difficult to get a grip on her emotions.

“Mr. Thomas are you familiar with Charlotte Brontë?”

“Why yes I am.  She was an interesting woman.”

Miss St. Clair looked at him askance. “She died over 40 years ago…”

“Oh yes of course. I meant I find her books interesting.”

The young teacher could not believe that this man found Jane Eyre, or any of the author’s other novels interesting but carried on nonetheless.

“We are reading Jane Eyre in my senior girls class.”

“Charlotte used the phrase: Give him enough rope and he will hang himself.  Mr. Thomas smiled. “She also said: A ruffled mind makes a restless pillow.”

Again Kathryn peered at the gentleman in disbelief. “I don’t believe I’ve read those phrases in any of her novels. And I have read all of them.”  She shifted on her seat uneasily.

“Yes, that’s true. They are quotes ascribed to her but not in her literary accomplishments.”

Just then the waiter appeared with their appetizers and the couple switched their attention to the meal. But Kathryn thought his comments very odd. Very odd, indeed.

***

Heads up

written for:

Blogophilia 42.4 Topic: “Third Time’s a Charm”

Bonus Points:

(Hard, 2pts): incorporate a quote from Emily, Charlotte or Anne Bronte

(Easy, 1pt): include a caution sign wording (like “Danger! Do Not Go Beyond This Point”)