17
"I can scarcely believe it!" Isabella gasped and then clapped a hand over her mouth.
"I knew it had to be someone important. Lady Beatrix could not have been passing invitations for someone beneath her status," Cecilia clapped her hands with delight making her red curls jump.
"Look, look, Delilah looks more discomposed I have ever seen her," Isabella hissed excitedly. She was right in her assessment because Delilah looked like she wanted to jump off the balcony if she could.
"And he's leaning in," Prudence spoke in a higher pitch than usual, "That is going to make my sister very, very angry."
Prudence grinned toothily at Mary who looked like she didn't know whether to be shocked or laugh. Isabella continued to look like she would bite her nails off if she weren't wearing gloves.
"You know, we shouldn't be feeling this happy. Del looks far from it," Cecilia giggled through her hand giving a look at their surroundings. While they were sitting in an isolated seating area it probably wouldn't have mattered how much sound they made since everyone else was also looking at the pair as well. The other ladies were whispering behind manicured hands while the men were nodding and rolling their eyes. It seems everyone present was aware of the connection between the Crown Prince and the Lady he was currently conversing with. Cecilia knew that once they got back to their rooms she would have to soundly berate Delilah for keeping her in the dark.
"I wonder," Isabella mused, "There were rumours circulating about you and the Prince. Could it be that they had the wrong Winsham Lady?"
"Me, why would that man be interested in me? Besides any time we conversed we talked about Delilah," Cecilia's eyes opened wide as she spoke after a pause, "You might actually be right."
"But he didn't compliment her or say anything nice. Even a casual stranger would have more to say then 'you look different'," Prudence's words rained down on their parade.
"And he's been asking her to forgive him," Mary interjected, "He might have just done something rude to her."
"Oh, I can imagine. He doesn't look like a man confined to common sense or propriety. I can think of a hundred things he could have done to annoy her. He does the oddest things even at his best behaviour," Cecilia exhaled noisily, the sudden excitement bubbled away. Isabella too nodded with sad eyes.
"And did you see the arm around Lady Beatrix," Prudence hissed looking like she had swallowed a lemon.
"That's one of the things my mother dislikes about her the most. She just wishes she weren't so friendly with the Prince. It leads to such terrible rumours and most of them put my brother in a bad light. And to think he actually loves her. He wouldn't have married her otherwise," Mary sighed gently looking morose.
"But I don't understand-" Cecilia started to continue argument but was cut off by Isabella.
"She's coming back," Their friend observed and ducked her head down pretending she hadn't been looking. Mary coughed when the older girl joined them with a raised eyebrow.
"It was not what you think and I would prefer it if we don't speak about this right now. I am in not in the mood," Delilah informed them with narrow eyes knowing exactly what they were thinking. Mary coughed again adding to the awkward silence.
"Do you think it would be rude if we left at this point?" Isabella asked not looking in her friends' eyes though her hands were performing a dance routine in their agitation which revealed much of her mental state. Behind her the Prince returned to his friends looking as cheerful as he had before and Cecilia silently cursed him for how unperturbed he looked.
"I think it's the perfect time to leave," Delilah announced firmly. The girls took their leave from the rest of the party and escorted by a footman they went back to their rooms. One by one the girls were dropped off at their rooms until Delilah and Cecilia reached theirs. The Footman opened the door for them and the girls bid him farewell with politeness.
"You can't keep mum for much longer, Del," Cecilia uttered softly barely loud enough to be heard.
"I don't know what you're talking about," Delilah gritted through her teeth as she pulled her gloves off.
"You know what I'm asking you about," Cecilia looked at her accusingly almost as if she had committed a crime
"He is the Crown Prince, Cissy," Delilah firmly replied as if this was the answer to every question Cecilia had galloping in her mind. She opened the white painted door leading from the suite entrance area and walked into their living room in a huff.
"Exactly! The Crown Prince is not the most sociable person in this castle. He can be all politeness when he feels like it but it's a very well known fact that he does not mingle with anyone not in the party of his friends," Cecilia stated passionately tugging at a pin in her hair.
"He wasn't mingling with me. He was merely asking how I was. I did take a tumble in front of him in case you didn't notice," Delilah said slowly in a manner completely opposite to her cousin. Cecilia rang the bell alerting their designated maid to help them prepare for bed.
"He invited you to a dinner party with the closest of his friends just to see how you were doing!" Cecilia crossed her arms skeptically, "What was he sorry for?"
"Nothing," Delilah pulled off her slippers as she spoke, "The incident isn't worth repeating."
The maid interrupted them before Cecilia could pester her any further.
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"It's a girl, it's a girl. Edward has had little girl yesterday," Cecilia crowed as she danced with the letter hugged against her chest. Her red hair shone in the early morning sunlight.
"Oh, that's brilliant!" Delilah all but threw the rest of the mail on the floor so she could get to Cecilia.
"Father tells me he's been running around telling every person in town about his lovely little girl," Cecilia beamed with joy trying to control the urge to start dancing again.
Delilah grinned back as she perused the letter quickly. The contents were about the little grey eyed new born and the happiness she had spread throughout the village. Delilah belated realized there was no mention of her mother or aunt and her good spirits dwindled.
"I imagine my mother isn't too happy," She spoke sadly.
"Another girl to feed, and raise and then get married off with a good chunk of the family money," Cecilia narrated a lecture she had oft heard, "It's so unfair. I wish we were richer like… like Lady Beatrix. She got married at around five and twenty with absolutely no concerns about remaining a spinster even at her advanced age. I say, I have a great idea. Why don't you get the Prince to marry you so all their insults we could ever hear would vanish because you would the richest woman in the Kingdom? You'd be worth a lot more to our mothers."
"That little flight of fancy is not even possible and you know it," Delilah laughed harshly and got up to smooth her hair back in front of the mirror.
"Well, obviously the Prince isn't thinking about marrying you," Cecilia scoffed though her eye was firmly fixed on her cousin alluding to the fact the conversation was not as innocent as it seemed.
"That's not important. The real thing to consider is whether I would marry the Price," Delilah looked at the reflection of her cousin mischievously.
"You are a strange, strange woman. The ladies at this ball would wound and maim anyone to obtain the throne," Cecilia remarked with awe.
"Would you? If he offered," Delilah twisted towards her cousin asking the question quite seriously. Cecilia looked away and that was all the answer she needed. "You wouldn't. You don't like him so why do you expect me to consider him."
"I would, if I thought it was the best for my family," Cecilia abruptly answered firmly though her eyes were fixed on the letters fallen to the ground.
"I know what I'm telling you is contrary to all sense and sensibly dictated in this world but forget everything your mother or my mother has to say. Life following someone else's ambitions is not worth it. There is no pressure to accept any rich man who proposes to you. Don't take this ball to be all and the end all of your happiness. Live a little, enjoy and stop worrying about getting the perfect groom so your mother can show him off," Delilah raised her cousin's face so she could meet her eyes and see the confusion swirling in her eyes.
"Is that why you didn't marry even after the ball," Cecilia asked quietly.
Delilah nodded firmly.
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"This is a nice change," Delilah murmured not minding the mid morning sun. She enjoyed the rustle of longer grass against her dress.
Cecilia twirled her white lace parasol trying to shade them both but failing miserably. She squinted into the distance with her gloved hand resting on her eyebrows with a large smile on her face.
Their destination was only a small walk outside the Palace gates and into the orchard adjoining the castle grounds. This was the only flat piece of land next to the cliff bound castle grounds. The land only stretched out plainly for a few hundred feet before the thick forest gradually started sprouting up. The land itself was not quite that plain because boulders were littered on the long, green grass but it was a much smoother terrain than what the rest of the mountains around them had to offer.
"This is incredible. I thought it would be like another picnic but this looks like more fun," Cecilia twirled around trying to gain a better view.
Delilah whole heartedly agreed.
The green canvas of grass was covered in colourful, bright stalls. There were games, clowns, exotic animals to be petted. Prince Damian had the gumption to organize a fair at the ball and from the looks of it the event was turning out to be a success.
Men and women frolicked about enjoying the novelty acts and participating in games. Food was being offered in the stalls on the left of the field. Delilah spied some candy floss she intended to devour as soon as she could get her hands on it. At the entrance they were greeted by a clown who raised his top hat at them and gave each girl a flower which they accepted amongst giggles.
"Look at that sign. They're actually having an archery competition a distance away," Cecilia gestured at the painted sign which Delilah shook her head at.
"Might I remind you again that you don't know anything about archery?" She pointed out.
"But it's worth a try," Cecilia tried to look puppy eyed but it had no effect on Delilah.
"It sounds like a dangerous endeavor so I suggest you only go about it once I am convinced the sport is not as dangerous as it seems," The brunette answered firmly.
"Del," Cecilia growled and rolled her eyes but her cousin's expression did not budge. She crossed arms, "Okay, fine, I shall wait."
In the middle of the field was a white pavilion with a shade on top which Delilah took a turn away from as soon as she spied someone she was hoping to avoid. It was so odd that she could feel him everywhere; even in this large field pulsating with people she knew exactly where he stood. She had initially believed she was wary of his presence and was instinctively keeping an eye out for him just in case he decided to barrel into her for no reason but the man hadn't really done anything that required the heightened awareness she felt in his vicinity. For the last couple of days he hadn't harassed her, annoyed her or followed her around as she was expecting him to. She wasn't something special so her expectations seemed ridiculous but the man was so unpredictable that it was better to stay on ones toes around him.
The girls meandered around observing some of the wild animals on display. Cecilia took the initiative to pet a cobra though Delilah shied away from the slippery creature. She felt herself more impressed by two baby tiger cubs which she petted cautiously.
