C3 Chapter 3: Wilbur

A few weeks later I meet a handsome young man: Wilbur Stoughton. He is a member of the city council and a gentleman; an advantageous match, as my parents would say. When we meet at one of my father’s banquets, he kisses my hand to greet me. I blush a little and we start a conversation at eye level. From the corner of my eye I see the outline of a person watching us from the adjacent room – hidden in the dark.

I do not think further about it and I talk to Wilbur about a book I read recently. He is impressed by all my talents and praises my ambition and thirst for knowledge. We get along so well that we completely forget time and when my father calls for dinner, I scold myself for keeping him so long.

“That’s no problem, my dear. I’ll soon have enough business to do, so a nice chat with such a charming lady comes in handy.” I blush again and accompany him to the dining table.

After dinner, the guests say goodbye. When we part, Wilbur puts a little piece of paper in my hand. I look at him confused, but instead of an answer, he secretly puts a finger on his mouth and winks. I smile and watch him as he and the other guests leave and the house suddenly becomes very quiet. When it’s time for bed rest, I dreamily settle down on my mattress. It was a successful evening and certainly also a significant step for my parents as far as our future here in Salem is concerned.

I unfold Wilbur’s note and I am very excited about the message he left me. “It was nice to meet you, Mary.” This short sentence seems so insignificant, but to me it just sounds wonderful.

During the next days I stop by the city council from time to time, hoping to meet Wilbur. Sometimes he watches me and smiles at me or we get to exchange one or two sentences. But he usually has little time; his ascent to the magistrate is imminent. Just as he announced: He has enough to do. Especially with my sister, as I soon find out. On a sunny morning I see them together in front of the community center. Nothing reprehensible happened, no kiss, no touching. And yet there is a familiarity between the two that breaks my heart.

Shortly after, I get into a fierce fight with Elizabeth. I never imagined this would happen because of a man. She wants Wilbur for herself and makes that more than clear to me. But deep down, I know she doesn’t want him for herself . She wants him to take something from me. To humiliate me. She’ll do anything to make me start to hate her, but I don’t understand why. I will never hate her, I will never judge her for the terrible things she does. She’s my sister.

I’m giving up Wilbur for her sake. I explain my predicament and make it clear to him that I could never live with hurting my sister like this. Even if he tells me that he has no interest in her, that he doesn’t care about her … It doesn’t change the facts. “It’s better if we don’t see each other anymore, Mr. Stoughton,” I say in a determined voice and turn away. He does not see the tears that have formed in my eyes and are now streaming down my cheeks.

And from that moment on, everything goes wrong.