As a writing assignment for my writing group we had to take a painting and write a very short story about what was taking place in the painting.
Painting: Two sisters sitting under a tree with a bridge behind them - it's the mid-1800's
Story:
Elizabeth read each line slowly and with precision, pronouncing every word correctly, the way her father had taught her. Her sister, Rachel, found it quite annoying and sat twirling her umbrella, uninterested in what Elizabeth was reading. Rachel could only think of Henry and how to snatch him away from Elizabeth. Rachel didn’t feel one bit bad about devising a plan to steal Henry away from Elizabeth, all the girls were coming up with plots of how to make him theirs.
Rachel let out a deep sigh, “Are you done reading yet?”
“No,” Elizabeth’s voice was as soft as a feather, “I’ll finish the chapter and then I’ll be done.”
Rachel rolled her eyes, stuck out her lip and jerked the umbrella closed. She didn’t have to stay here if she didn’t want to, but if she left Elizabeth alone and Henry came along…she just couldn’t bear the thought. She would stay.
“…their eyes met and,” Elizabeth turned the page. A small piece of paper folded in half fell from the book landing on her dress. Elizabeth set the book down and unfolded the note reading it out loud, “Elizabeth, my love, will you…”
“Will you what! Who wrote that?” Rachel snatched the paper from Elizabeth’s hand. She knew who it was from before even looking at the handwriting. “It’s not finished,” Rachel said nearly out of breath, “it could be any question.”
The sounds of heavy feet walking across the wooden bridge echoed in Rachel’s ears. Elizabeth, smiling, stood up, straightened out her dress, and turned to see Henry in front of her.
Henry knelt down on one knee taking Elizabeth’s hand in his, “Elizabeth, will you marry me?” Henry asked.
“Yes, Yes!”
Rachel rolled her eyes before standing to give her sister a hug and congratulations all the while thinking of how there was still time to break up the engagement.
