TITLE: Bless the Broken Road
CHALLENGE: August 2004
UNIVERSE: OW
MAJOR CHARACTERS: Ezra
RATING: PG
ARCHIVE: Yes
SPOILERS: None
NOTES: This was inspired by the new Rascal Flatts' song, "Bless the Broken
Road". The cd is not out yet, but I heard it on cmt.com, which is
where I had to copy the song from by ear. If it's off I apologize, it took
me three tries. As I was writing this, I realized that it was
also inspired by the song "When you Dance with Me" by Rushlow. This
piece was written partly to start me back on my stories (it has been quite
awhile since I have actually finished a challenge story-as you all know) and
also to flesh out the character of Virginia, to make her more real. I
realized it has been well over two years since I created her, and my writing
style has changed since then, so I hope a new look at her. I'm going to
admit it right now, a little bit of this has a ring of the Count of Monte Cristo
in it.
AUTHOR: Lady Catherine Dunbar (Kelly)
EMAIL: kellyg49@hotmail.com
The music became lively as couples bounded onto the dance floor that had been
constructed by Josiah, Nathan and Yosemite. Leaning back in the old wooden
folding chair, Ezra joined Chris, Josiah and Vin in laughing at JD's attempt to
twirl Casey. Ezra shook his head at the awkward youth, taking a sip of his
cider, eyes taking in the festive scene.
A section of street had been transformed into the perfect setting in which to
hold the festival celebrating the fall harvest. Tables from the different
saloons had been brought out and set around the new dance floor. They were
covered with food and cider and decorations of leaves and gourds created by the
ladies of the town. Strands of popcorn and cranberries were draped over
the streets, attached precariously to the roofs of the shops. Music filled
the air as night encompassed the small town, the tables lighting up with candles
nestled in wreaths.
The dance floor was full of happy couples who twirled about as the rest of the
town sat by and enjoyed the food, conversation and entertainment. And the
dancers were mightily entertaining, Ezra had to admit.
While JD tried his best not to step on Casey's feet or touch her more than he
thought proper, Buck danced enthusiastically, if not gracefully, around the
floor with his latest point of interest.
Rolling his eyes at the man, Ezra spotted Rain and Nathan speaking quietly near
the cider. I wonder if Rain can convince that man to dance? He thought.
"You gentlemen seem to be enjoying yourselves."
The four men looked up to see Virginia heading over to them, a smile gracing her
face.
"Indeed we are my dear," Ezra said, placing his cider on the table,
gesturing for her to take a seat next to him. "Are you?"
"Very much so, though I would enjoy it much more if I could interest a
certain gentleman in a dance," the woman suggested, her smile turning
mischievous.
"Why my dear, I was waiting for you to make such a suggestion," Ezra
said, standing up and taking her arm. "If you would excuse us,
gentlemen," he addressed his friends.
Josiah smiled at the couple, raising his glass to them, as if in benediction.
"Enjoy your dance."
"Thank you, Mr. Sanchez," his eyes finding Virginia's. "I
am sure we will."
With that, he turned towards the dance floor, Virginia leaning on his arm.
"And what were you doing sitting at the bachelor table?" she
whispered, playfulness in her voice.
"I was keeping the poor men company," Ezra returned, their heads bowed
together.
The corners of her mouth turned up. He knew his answer did not fool her.
Virginia was no fool, a lifetime spent dealing with aristocrats had taught her
to take no words at face value.
She simply nodded, eyes dancing. "How kind of you," she
commented as they stepped onto the floor and quickly took up the quick pace of
the music in their steps, the pretenses of aristocracy falling away with every
turn.
As he reached his arm around her waist, Ezra found himself grinning like a love
struck farm boy. The feeling must have gone to his head, for he gave no
thought to how he looked prancing about the floor like a teenager. He
forgot that anyone was watching them. He was too drawn in by Virginia's
laugh and the way her simple dress felt beneath his hands as he guided her
across the floor.
They had been a fine pair back in Richmond, two of the finest dancers to be
found at any ball. People remarked that they always moved as one, as if
they knew the next person's steps. Back then Ezra simply said that it was
because they were both talented dancers and knew the steps by heart. No
magic in that. He had not realized that he had been dancing at his own
homecoming.
Slowly the fast paced music faded as the band took up a slow waltz. As
some couples left the floor, Virginia stretched out her hand, an expectant look
on her face.
Ezra rose to the challenge, pulling her into his arms and beginning a slow
graceful pace.
Virginia leaned into her partner, her head resting on his shoulder. Ezra
looked down, slightly in surprise. She had never done that before.
Of course, in the past they had only danced at great balls and such an act would
have been improper behavior for the senator's
daughter. Ezra did not balk at the intimate gesture, and tightened his
grip around her waist. He was not going to waste such an opportunity.
The road here had been long and tiresome and he planned to enjoy being home.
He had spent almost his entire life wandering, not truly looking for anything
save for money. At least, he had not been consciously looking for
anything. Ezra enjoyed travel, enjoyed meeting people, and enjoyed their
money, so when he was twenty he would not have minded if the road he had been on
had gone on forever.
He had seen many wonderful sights sprinkled among the horrible, met many people
along that road. At the time it had been quite enjoyable. Only now
did he look at those years and recognize them for what they were; wasted and
hollow.
Even then he had been occasionally lonely, but it never lasted for too long.
There was always a game somewhere, some gentleman to share a drink and
intelligent conversation, a lovely woman to spend the evening with. Ezra
was a charming man and that charm attracted people to him, it did not hold them,
but it kept them around long enough to keep the loneliness at bay.
Few real bonds had ever been formed. There had been a few friends,
Shannon, Sam, Doonigan, a fellow gambler named Henry Miles, but none were still
around. Shannon had long ago disappeared, leaving no explanation behind,
Doonigan had died in the war and Sam's road had led home to Louisiana. He
had been friends and occasional partners with Henry for several years until they
had gotten into a fight over how their winnings should be divided. It was
a ridiculous argument, and Ezra had no memory of how it had started, but it had
ended with Henry calling him an egotistical bastard and walking out of that
saloon in Missouri. Unfortunately, unlike the creation of that state,
there had been no compromise that could rescue that friendship.
There had been women of course. Many flocked to his charm and well bred
manners. A few only, however, had managed to get beyond a dance or a
single night of entertainment. Contrary to what the other six would think,
not all those relationships had ended due to Ezra's own greediness or habit of
leaving when life became unnecessarily complicated. Some had, he blatantly
admitted, been his fault. Others had left when they discovered he was not
as rich or well bred as they had first thought or when another handsome
gentleman had caught their eyes. While he had felt a kind of loss at the
time, he knew now that none of those women had been worth the trouble.
He had not considered Virginia worth the trouble upon their first meeting.
Yes, she was quite lovely, well bred, wealthy, the three main components he
normally looked for in a target, or in sweetheart, which to Ezra became
interchangeable words. But she was the daughter of a senator, and even
Ezra knew better than to go after the daughter of a powerful politician.
He had been engaged with her in conversation, finding her to be an equal in wit
and intelligence. She had gone far beyond what was considered the adequate
amount of education the average high born southerner woman. The woman was
also quite independently minded, having no qualms holding conversation with men.
While he enjoyed such company, all those characteristics had been signs to keep
moving. Such women always saw through him instantly, and hardly ever
shallow, meaning that it took more than a charming smile to woo them.
Besides, she was one to never back down from an argument, and neither was Ezra.
All he could for see in their futures was hours of arguments. He had to
give the woman one thing however. She never walked about as if she had
anything to prove. The few well bred women he had met who thought more
about politics and literature than clothes acted as if they had to prove they
were not weak or simple, always on the defense. Ezra honestly found it
irritating, in both men and women.
Ezra did find himself forming a friendship with the Virginian. Like him,
she had a mischievous side as well as a wild spirit. Together they could
run circles around almost any stuffy aristocrat in conversation, and he found
himself sneaking out of balls more than once with her to go riding or gambling.
While not a gambler by trade or temperament, Virginia was an excellent poker
player and by no means a prude.
As he became closer to her, he found himself revealing more and more to her, as
he was learning more about this woman. He found that Virginia, while
stubborn, refused to win certain arguments at all costs. There were
certain things she simply would not compromise for any reason. She was
honest and frank, occasionally too frank. Skilled in being the perfect
hostess in public, she could be absolutely childlike in her enthusiasm in
private. While she was often realistic, she had quite the bit of the
romantic in her, loving poetry and novels. He also found her to be very
overprotective of those she loved, specifically her brothers, sometimes
bordering on motherly. That was one fault he found in
her, combined with the occasion to be bossy, as those who tend to take charge
are prone to be. She could also be quite impatient, but hard pressed to
anger. Although if you did manager to get her angry, then it was time to
vacate the premises.
Over several months, the two grew very close, almost inseparable. Ezra
felt at totally at ease with Virginia, as if he could trust her with anything,
and she in turn never preached to him about the wickedness of his chosen
occupation. They complemented each other, and Ezra could not remember
being so happy.
They had stayed simply friends until one day while walking around the grounds of
her plantation, Virginia had asked him when he was going to hurry up and kiss
her. Impatient and frank as always. Ezra had not hesitated in the
least. There had been no question in his mind that this was the woman he
had been meant to find at the end of his road.
And then he had left. He had told himself at the time that it was all for
the best. That in the end his selfish nature would win out and Virginia
would be worse off for knowing him.
But later, he had finally admitted to himself that he had feared being hurt just
as much as inflicting it upon Virginia. One day Virginia would wake up and
realize that what a greedy bastard she was courting and leave him, destroying
the only chance he would ever have at a home. He had dealt with rejection, with
disdain. Had seen disgust and disapproval in too many faces to count, but
for some reason, such a glance from Virginia caused his stomach to churn at the
mere idea.
So he had run. He had returned to his own road and followed it once more
to see where it led.
The Southerner smiled as he looked down at the pile of rich chocolate hair
pressed against his shoulder. He had attempted to run away from the place
he was meant to be, and in the end God had led him directly back.
He glanced at his friends who were scattered about the area. Yes, indeed,
he thought. God leads us places by the strangest of routes.
"What is exactly is going on in there?"
He looked down to see Virginia watching him carefully, eyes soft.
Ezra smiled, pulling her closer. "Simply reminiscing my
darling."
Her head cocked slightly to one side. "About what if I may ask?"
"Simply that I hope you've grown fond of me."
Her eyes widened, for once being caught off guard. "And why is
that?" she asked upon recovering herself.
"Because, I never intend on allowing you to leave."
"Oh, I am your hostage now, am I Mr. Standish?" she asked, humor in
her voice.
"Indeed, although I hope I am not holding you against your will."
Virginia tilted her head up and reached for a kiss. She was not
disappointed. When she pulled away, she was smiling softly.
"Never."
Ezra grinned, his cheeks becoming flushed. Good Lord, you would think I'd
never been kissed before.
"Lord, I forgot how much I loved to dance," Virginia commented,
leaning her cheek against his shoulder. "Particularly with you."
"We should do this more often."
"I agree."
Ignoring the glib looks he was receiving from his companions, he kissed the top
of her head. "Or at least we should practice so that we do not
embarrass ourselves on our wedding day."
Virginia stopped dancing entirely and stared up at him, her eyes searching his
face.
Ezra could not begrudge her for her obvious shock. Since their reunion,
neither one had mentioned their previous engagement. Ezra had thought on
constantly, curious as to what Virginia considered the status of their
relationship to be. They were dear friends, and sweethearts, that was
obvious. But Ezra was not sure how Virginia viewed their engagement, if
she still considered herself his betrothed. Their engagement had never
been officially broken off, although Ezra considered his leaving without a word
as a fatal blow to his proposal.
He had not brought it up because he did not want to force the issue. Yes,
she had promised to marry him, but that had been years ago before his betrayal.
He had no doubt that she still loved him, for she had said so and Virginia was
not capable of lying, at least not well, but he was still unsure if she still
wished to marry. He would not hold her to that promise. It was her
right to leave.
"That is of course if you still consider us as engaged," he added
quietly, forcing himself to look into her eyes.
What he found were eyes shining with unshed tears. With a smile spreading
over her face, Virginia reached up behind her neck and
undid the clasp of the necklace she always wore. Ezra had noticed it when
she had first arrived, but had never seen what was attached to the chain, that
part was forever hidden in the top of her dress.
Lifting it free, Ezra saw a reflection of light, and, narrowing his eyes,
recognized the small object. The engagement ring he had given her. A
simple silver band with a small diamond, all he could afford at the time.
Ezra stared at awe at the piece, not believing that she had kept it.
Silently, she slipped the ring off the chain and slipped it onto her left hand.
The chain bunched in her right hand, she reached up with her newly engaged hand
and touched his cheek.
"And who else would I marry?"
Ezra found himself grinning down at the woman every man in Richmond had been
after at one point. She had been quite a catch, except for that annoying
habit of speaking her mind on occasion.
Reaching up he covered her hand with his, his fingers rolling over the ring.
He could not believe she had kept. He had expected her to toss it into the
nearest fire when she had discovered his absence.
"Is that why you kept the ring," he asked quietly, his voice laced
with both humor and feeling, "because you had no other prospects?"
The smile on her face faded as she became serious. "No. I kept
it because I could not bring myself to believe that this," she reached
forward and gave him a sweet kiss, "could end."
He stared at her, not quite comprehending what she had said.
The corners of her mouth turned up as her eyes lit up again. "Why, is
my dear gambler actually speechless?"
Ezra felt the surprise slowly leave him, replaced by relief, relief that he had
not been wrong after.
"Never, my dear," he said, as he took her hand and pulled her close,
beginning to sway to the music that was beginning to build. "I should
be insulted by such an insinuation."
"I do believe you will recover."
He chuckled, twirling around the dance floor. "And you are never
wrong my dear."
Virginia threw her head back and laughed at this. Giggling, she glanced at
where the rest of the seven were talking.
"Should we go tell the boys of our reengagement?" she asked, turning
to look at him.
Before her head was even turned all the way back, Ezra pulled her into a long
kiss. Appearances be damned.
When he finally pulled away, he kept his head bent so that their foreheads were
pressing against each other.
"Later."
There would be plenty of time to celebrate their impending marriage. At
the moment Ezra wanted to forget all other roads and simply stay home and dance.
Bless the Broken Road
I set out on a narrow way
many years ago
hoping I would find true love
along the broken road
but I got lost a time or two
wiped my brow
and kept pushing through
I couldn't see how every sign pointed straight to you
Every long lost dream
Led me to where you are
Others who broke my heart
they were like northern stars
pointing me on my way
into your loving arms
this much I know is true
that God bless the broken road
that led me straight to you
I think about the years I spent
just passing through
The lines I have
The time I lost
And give it back to you
but you just smile and take my hand
you've been there
you understand
it's all part of a grander plan
that is coming true
Every long lost dream
Led me to where you are
Others who broke my heart
they were like northern stars
pointing me on my way
into your loving arms
this much I know is true
that God bless the broken road
that led me straight to you
Now I'm just rolling home
into my lover's arms
This much I know is true
That God bless the broken road
that led me straight to you
That God bless the broken road
that led me straight to you
THE END