8
"Mister Jeeves, already working so early in the morning?" Delilah greeted the gardener bent over another plant of his.
"Aye, Tis, best to start early when teh sun is young."
Delilah smiled. She flattened the grass next to the man and plopped down in the space with her grey dress circling around her.
"I'm a man of great fortune to be grace' by yer presence, Miss," Jeeves beamed a toothy grin at her as he snipped rotted ends of the leaves of the plant he was huddling over.
"Thank you for your kindness, Mister Jeeves."
"What brings yeh over teh my little domain?" Jeeves asked curiously, "I can't 'magine a young lady like yerself havin' any free time wit these parties an' all."
"I wanted the fresh air; I am beginning to grow weary of..." Delilah trailed off, gesturing to nothing in particular.
"This castle, teh over teh top parties, badgerin' nobles with fiendish eyebrows," Jeeves speculated. Delilah laughed at how accurate his description of one particular overweight noble's eyebrows was.
"Yes, maybe, I enjoy the ambience, sometimes, but I despise making contact with certain people who..." Delilah hesitated, "I can't understand why people want to socialize with someone so-"
Delilah shook her head, accidentally letting loose some of her hair, unable to find words that represented the way she felt.
"Look 'ere at teh Belladonna plant. What do yeh see?" Jeeves asked abruptly cutting her line of thought.
"A leafy plant with purple bell shaped flowers," Delilah gently stroked the plant in question.
"But did yeh know the berries that grow' on it are filled wit poison," Jeeves informed a startled Delilah who pulled her hand back immediately.
"But- But why do you cultivate it if it dangerous."
"Because it helps with teh medicine. I can't tell you 'ow they make it, but it helps a sick un get better," Jeeves smiled widely.
"So it's both a bane and a cure," Delilah spoke softly.
"Aye, remember that when yeh meet that person of yours. Sometimes what yeh think is a bane could be the cure to all yer miseries."
"I doubt it," Delilah muttered softly under her breath, "He is all poison."
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Delilah was accosted by her cousin as soon as she entered their room, precariously carrying a hand full of books from the library.
"Which little nature's gift to us human's did you give company to this afternoon; the cattle? You missed Lady Boffount's lunch and her cook's speciality; bite sized pieces of steamed venison. A tragic tale for your four legged friends but very, very delicious for me."
"I wasn't wandering with the cows if must know, I decided it finally time to have a look around the library. It's astounding how eerily quiet it was; a shame if you ask me for a palace bursting to the seams with people."
"But you don't read," Cecilia voice was confused as she stuffed a few crumpled gowns in her chest of drawers.
"No, you don't read, 'miss I'd like to extract severe revenge to all those who dare to assign me lines'. I like to crack a book every now and then," Delilah replied decisively as she placed the books on her bed finding her side table full of Cecilia's beauty products.
"True, true," Cecilia shrugged as she emptied a drawer looking for something.
Delilah took off her soiled slippers and lay down on her bed looking forward to a relaxing evening.
"Help me choose between my two dresses, Del, I can't decide between the fawn one with the silver piping and the blue one that makes me look slimmer."
"Why such a fuss over your appearance for a light dinner in our sitting room?" Delilah asked, confused.
"Our plans have been altered, Del; Mary sent me a missive that we needed to attend a garden party in the south gardens in the next half hour."
Delilah placed an arm on her eyes and groaned.
"Need I even go, I feel tired and it sounds so tedious."
"Yes, it is a small gathering but I still need you to come along. The event will go on for longer than it is appropriate for me to stay without a chaperon and I can't miss the festivities."
"What possible festivities could there be at a small garden dinner," Delilah was bewildered.
"I don't know and I don't care. Get ready Delilah. I refuse to walk in late and catch more attention than necessary. My hair is already such a mess."
Delilah's head hit her pillow with a thump.
__________________________________________________________________
"A small gathering," Delilah repeated as she crossed her arms. The spectacle in front of her was not small by any means. Cecilia shrugged as she surveyed the party.
"There is an ice sculpture of a cherubic angel sprouting champagne from his flute. How can you call this a small gathering," Delilah rubbed her bare arms furiously trying to gain some heat in the cold weather. The clouds circling the valley indicated it was going to rain that night.
Cecilia had the good graces to look apologetic. "The Prince organized this alfresco dinner. What did you expect from the man who wears lacy shirts?"
"The Prince organized this?" Delilah had a moment where she imagined herself falling to the floor in a heap but decided that her actions would have far more attention than she warranted, "But if I'm not mistaken wasn't the official royal dinner scheduled for tomorrow?"
"Yes, but the Prince decided to host another event, today. The man must have wanted more attention. Look at that pack of beauties that follow him around," Cecilia gestured disdainfully.
Prince Damian was standing under a rose archway surrounded by more than a dozen girls with varying degrees of beauty.
Delilah stepped back as his eyes suddenly caught hers. He immediately stood up straighter and arched an eyebrow at her. Delilah felt a tremor run through her body and it was then she knew no matter how much she tried to prepare herself she was not ready to face him. She thought she wouldn't have minded being in the same social setting as him but worrying thoughts kept creeping in her mind, petrifying her. What if wanted to continue his tirade from their last meeting? What if he wanted to humiliate her further, in front of Cecilia?
Delilah backed away into the horde of people.
"Where are you going, Delilah?" Cecilia's voice came from behind her through the crush of crowd enveloping Delilah.
"I want to take a walk, my legs are cramped from standing this long," Delilah muttered with her head down as she took long strides squeezing through laughing circles of people, not caring if Cecilia could hear her or not.
"Standing!? Your walks are as long as an epic, historic novel written by blind old men. I can't imagine why your legs need any more exercise," Cecilia was frantic as she caught up with her cousin.
"I am beginning to worry about you Del, who are you trying to avoid," Cecilia cried out, her voice reaching a high pitch forgetting to think about what people might think of them.
"Avoid? I am avoiding no one. Go back to your friends, Cissy," Delilah muttered carefully measuring her tone to sound as neutral as possible.
"There is something wrong. Why won't you share what pains you? I can see it in your eyes, Del," Cecilia whispered as she grabbed a hold of Delilah's hand and consequently stopped her.
"Nothing, nothing, it is of no consequence, not now," Delilah replied trying to project calm she did not feel.
"What are you hiding from me?" Cecilia placed her hands on Delilah's shoulders. She peered into cousin's eyes hoping to extract the truth from her somehow.
"Leave it, Cecilia, this has nothing to do with you," Delilah brushed her off. She shrugged the hands off her.
"I worry about you. Don't think even for a moment I didn't notice how upset you were last night, you left so suddenly..." Cecilia stifled a sob and Delilah felt crushed at the pain she was causing her cousin. "Come back, I won't let you hide from whoever it is that you want to hide from."
Delilah could not speak but nodded to show she wasn't going to run off again. Cecilia kept a painful hold on her hand and walked her towards her group of friends. Their acquaintances were sitting in a sheltered alcove at the edge of the party observing the attendants and making witty comments on each and everyone of them.
"Stay here; I shall bring you some nibbles, okay," Cecilia took hold of both of her cousin's hands and squeezed comfortingly. She turned towards the main patio which was covered in tables of food.
"Cecilia seems troubled," One of their friends whispered noticing the stray tears on their pretty friend's usually composed face. Delilah nodded and soon enough the group resumed their usual banter and exchange of gossip.
"Have you heard the rumours, Lady Delilah?" Mary scuttled towards her nearly tripping in her quiet excitement.
"You know I find listening to rumours mind-numbing," Delilah murmured. She rested her head against the wooden frame of her seat, enjoying the warmth of her companions surrounding her.
"But this one will certainly pique your interest. The Prince has been paying special attention to Cecilia and word is out that he intends to ask her for a dance tomorrow night. Don't they make a charming pair?"
"Cecilia? Are you sure, I have as yet to hear a single complimentary word about the Prince from her," Prudence Gifford sniffed hoping to dispel the rumour in the bud.
"They do, don't they?" Isabella, the tiniest one in the group completely ignored the Gifford sister as she sighed wistfully. "I saw how he stole her away from the luncheon this morning. She was the only one he deemed worthy enough to socialize. Can you imagine an acquaintance from our circle should go on to become the queen?"
Delilah was stunned by the revelation. Even though her mind was rife with hopes and ambition for Cecilia it had never crossed her mind to aim that high for Cecilia. Her cousin was an attractive, sharp girl. Even with an occasional bout of low self esteem she was learning the ropes of mingling in polite society with incredible speed and strength. Cecilia was turning heads amongst many young nobles so why should the Prince be any less susceptible.
Delilah felt selfish for keeping Cecilia to her side when she could have easily gently prodded Cecilia in the right direction. Delilah's cowardly stunt a few moments ago was an example of such self-centredness. Delilah spied from the corner of her eye that Lady Ether was standing near the cherubic angel ice structure with an amused smile on her face. She was very a highly regarded lady and one of the queen's favourite acquaintances. A good word from her could easily put Cecilia on a pedestal. Delilah would have introduced her ward herself but she did not want to reveal herself to a group of women who knew her past all too well. They would recognize her instantly so Delilah was keeping her distance.
"Mary could you be a dear and tell Cecilia to get me some champagne from, the uh, angel," Delilah asked ignoring the looks of alarm sent her way. Even in the few days of their acquaintance the knowledge that Delilah avoided alcohol was very well known.
"Are you feeling well?" Someone asked Delilah and she smiled back much unlike her usual self.
Delilah gathered her skirts and got up to observe what happened when you put Cecilia and a very important person together. Delilah trusted Cecilia's disarming nature to ensure that the meeting was successful but she was still anxious.
Delilah compulsively twisted her soft wool clutch as she kept an eye on Cecilia who seemed to have spilled a good deal of champagne on Lady Ether's fur trimmed pelisse. Lady Ether seemed to be in a good humour which Delilah left feeling positive that the first encounter was not as much of a disaster as it looked. Delilah turned in a circle on the outskirts of the party with her eyes attached to her cousin when she suddenly bumped into something solid.
She looked up startled and found herself standing under the shadow of the host of the evening; the man she had wanted to avoid at all costs.
"Oh, pardon me, I did not see you," Prince Damian spoke in a sotto voice. His smirk clearly implied that their little collision was not an accident. "Where were you hiding all this evening? I think I must have looked behind every bush, nook and cranny searching for you."
Delilah took a step back as the voice in her head urged her to flee from the man's vicinity but she ignored it and crossed her arms.
"I am right in front of you and enjoying the party very much," She uttered softly and looked away trying to find an excuse that would cement her plan for an escape; being in the Prince's presence made her hair stand on end in an unpleasant fashion.
"It won't hurt if you actually look at me," The Prince tapped her cold chin with his finger in a quick movement catching Delilah unaware.
She flinched and took a step back as she caught sight of his hand so near her face. It reminded of the way he held her the night before.
"You are frightened of me," Damian was stunned at the realization, "I am no brute to make a Lady of my acquaintance so petrified of me."
"I am not scared, Prince" Delilah answered firmly though her eyes could not look beyond his chest; her inbuilt nerve was not her greatest asset. "I simply wish to-," Delilah stopped herself from reveal her true feelings in an uncultured manner.
"I must ask for your forgiveness, for every wrong that I've done to you," Damian spoke after a pregnant pause trying to subtly extract more information from her.
"There is nothing to forgive, Your Highness" Delilah clenched onto the sides of her straw coloured silk dress trying to end the ordeal as soon as possible.
"But there is! I treated you in a beastly fashion and that too publically. I must seem like a terrible cad for treating you like this now and before this..."
"Like I said there is nothing to forgive," Delilah spoke so softly that Damian felt the strain as he tried to listen to her. "I must leave, Good Evening," Delilah spoke abruptly and bowed.
"May we begin everything afresh?" The man blurted impulsively as she turned to leave. Delilah turned her head back slowly, curiously, "A new beginning where none of our history has anything to do with our present."
Delilah continued to look at the ground. Only her clenched fists indicated that she was listening to him.
"Oh, before I forget, I wanted to show you one of Gertrude's Cerulean roses," The Prince spoke artfully trying to look surprised as if he had forgotten the rose behind his back, "I happened to find a hefty bloom dangling in a impetuous manner on my windowsill. I culled it and brought it here to compliment a certain fine lady," The Prince tried to flatter the obstinate woman in front of him. Women melted like ice when he decided to put an effort in sweet talking. He was pleased to see he had caught her attention.
"I am sure the fine lady will appreciate your efforts," Delilah muttered blandly completely missing the point of his drabble. She also felt a bit horrified that someone could be so cruel to such a healthy rose. By trimming it the rose's life span and beauty had been cut down drastically.
The Prince gave up trying to be smooth, "Here, take this." He tried to thrust the stem in her free hand which was now dangling between them.
"What, I," Delilah snatched her hand back but before she could do so completely her hand gazed one of the thorns on the stem of the rose. Delilah winced in pain.
"Let me see," Damian panicked as Delilah looked at him as if he'd turned into a ferocious monster hell bent on harming her.
"I, I," And Delilah finally succumbed to her instincts and fled the scene before he could come any closer.
