The Enigma Of Albert Morris By Leo 4
Chapter four:
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It
was spring in London. This would be seasons for balls and parties.
Gatherings were arranged by the Lord's and their ladies. As each had a
turn. The girls were married at a young age. When they reached that
particular age they attended the balls in order to be acquainted with
their to be suitors. One season and many marriages. This was the
manifestation of these outcomes. Catherine was having tea one afternoon
with Victoria when she inquired about her education. "I'm studying what I
used to at the convent a long time ago but I'm delighted with Miss
Charlotte." "I would like London to meet you. We are having a ball here
my dear. Do you like them?" Victoria asked Catherine.
"They
are not that bad."Catherine answered. She was well aware of the balls.
That used to happen all the time at her home. '' Ah I get your point. I
think it as the same and maybe this is why you would still find me a
maiden.'' she laughed. "Very well dear. You will be the perfect lead to
our ball this year. People will know who I appoint as my heir and you
need a suitor a good suitor."
Victoria stood Catherine stood too for her respect took her hand and kissed it. "Charlotte is doing a great job indeed."
''Can I talk to you for a moment please?''
Victoria turned. Looked around and sat again.
''Why
do you believe I need a suitor? Can't I stay here with you. I would do
any work you want me to. Even the household ones. I wish I new better
business and then I would have helped you with it. '' she looked at her
hands and sighed.
''What is it? Tell me. Something is
troubling you. The moment you came here I have seen it. I have seen
agitation in you, nothing attracts you. You don't feel home here. You
are always lost into something though its been three months since you
came here. Have I mistreated you? answer me girl.'' she shouted the last
sentence.
''No.'' she replied rather lowly.
''Loudly.''
''No.'' this time her voice pitch was same as Victoria's.
''Have I treated you like a maid?''
''No.''
''Do you lack something here?''
''No.''
''Do you starve?''
''No.''
''Do you sleep in the yard?''
''No.''
''There
you are you have all answers and yet you want me to make you a staff of
my household? Do you think I lack servants? My child forgive me for
being rude. I know its hard for you to adapt to so many new surroundings
after all that you have been through I understand but...'' she sighed
hugged Catherine.
''These are just some norms we live
by. You don't want a suitor then just reject them but at least show the
world who you really are.'' she tapped her back.
Catherine sat there looked at the sky.
''Then the time has finally come.''
''Come on my dear now finish your course for today I have to leave.'' Charlotte said hurriedly.
''But
why Miss Charlotte are you in such a hurry it's only been twelve weeks
since you are teaching me and no day has passed when I have not seen you
in a hurry.'' she was busy and quite into her painting.
''Seems
to me that you are in no mood of study today very well, by the way you
don't need me anymore. All this time what ever I try to teach you, you
know already. You have mastered skills in balls, in painting, your
education is excellent , you know all the etiquette of a fine woman, you
know culinary as well and here you can paint greatly too then what is
the use of me?''
Catherine blushed on her praise, ''I
take you as my real teacher, although if you don't want to teach me will
you come to meet me everyday? I kind of enjoy your company. You remind
me of my mother sometimes, she used to praise me as such whenever I did
very well in my studies.''
''Sure my dear, I'll visit you everyday. You are just like my daughter although I never married.'' she laughed.
The
next day Catherine woke up and found the maids surrounding her, ''Lady
Victoria has called you to check the arrangements of the evening's
ball.''
''What?'' Catherine rubbed her eyes and it was still too early for anything except breakfast.
''Come my lady.'' Teresa wouldn't go without her that was certain.
''You go I'll come after getting dressed.'' she yawned and went to the bathroom.
Downstairs
Victoria was in conversation with a man. A man who seemed a butler of a
upper-class family. The exact expressionless face that all butlers had.
She too had one in her home who would escort her to school and back and
would remain serious no matter how much funny the situation would be.
''You
go and tell him exactly as I have mentioned and do tell Theodore to
write to me earliest possible.'' Victoria dismissed the man and turned
back and found Catherine on the stairs.
''Although
upper class London wakes at 12 but I also have to run an estate thus I
am a working London woman who gets up on 5 every morning. Come my dear
breakfast is getting cold I was waiting for you.'' they both went to the
dining hall.
''What is all this about Aunt Victoria?'' Catherine stopped the maid from pouring more juice for her.
''It's fine thank you I'll help myself.'' The maid nodded and stood back.
''Nothing,
I am really famous in the city when it comes to balls, my father god
bless him always used to held them for me every time in fact all the
time but what he wanted never happened. Till that time to date I keep it
particularly his style. We have to work after all to get the
consequences and this year it's your chance for knowing all the
prestigious people of the city. They all will be here.''
Catherine was thinking about something but she decided not to ask Victoria about it rather she changed the subject.
''I respect you in every way but if it's answerable why didn't you marry then?''
Victoria stopped eating and Catherine understood that she had crossed the limit.
''I'm sorry I didn't mean to intrude in your personal life.''
''No
it's not about you it's about someone whom I wanted to marry but he
couldn't and I never found anyone better than him. Some crazy people
would call it love but I call it not being dominated by anyone. I just
didn't get well with any other man. You'll understand what I am saying
when you will be older. Right now you are too young to understand what
am I saying.''
After dinner Catherine took all the
charge of arrangements. When Victoria came after taking a nap she was
amazed. ''Your mother was really lucky to have you child you did
everything on your own?'' she nodded and Victoria was satisfied that her
heir who was really competent enough to be her heir.
The ball of Victoria mansion was magnificent. All the Lords and wealthy attended it. The young belles of London were there too.
A
hall that was made of glass roof was decorated with flowers everywhere.
Flowers on the walls , around the magnanimous windows with gold panels,
around the large tapestries and around the lights. The lustre glass was
glittering like gold. With red carpets with golden boundaries
complimenting the floor. A side bar was ready with servants to serve the
guests whatever they wished and outside one by one a carriage dropped
two people and then another followed.
Catherine who was
seeing this all from her window of her bedroom on the west wing was
really neither in the mood to feign herself like all the rich people
used to, nor was she interested in throngs. Solitude was her thing.
''Ah there you are.'' Amelia found her five year old daughter who was dressed with all the flowers in her hair under the bed.
''Mommy I don't like noise. Can you please send all of them away.'' Catherine said from under the bed not willing to come out.
''Sure we can but first the birthday girl must come out.''
She thought for a moment and then came out.
Amelia sat her on her lap and kissed her many times on both cheeks.
''We'll send them all away and celebrate with just mommy and daddy how's that.'' both giggled.
''My lady. My lady.'' Teresa said a little louder.
Catherine who was still looking out of the window on the parody parade was lost somewhere in time.
''Huh.'' she didn't turned to look who called her.
''Lady Victoria has asked for your presence if you are ready.''
''Go I'll be down.'' she turned away from the window and sighted herself in cheval mirror.
Dressed
in lace green gown which had a round neck with quarter sleeves of lace.
The same colored emeralds were worn by her in her neck and the same
colored studs in ears. With the same emerald bracelets in both hands.
Her hair were tied in a braid and filled with lilies. Just like her
mother would decorate her hair.
"She is pretty. " a woman said to a man.
"Victoria's
niece ah she's the one." A Lord inquired. "She's the one she's
Catherine Ayling daughter of Late Sir Robert Ayling." Said another group
of people.
Catherine looked like she had come from another world. Her beauty could not be described in words.
''Who
are you? What are you? Are you human or a goddess of beauty who has
taken a human form to judge the faith of men?'' A man stood in front of
her.
''I am as human as you are.'' the man who was definitely a lord took her hand and kissed it.
''This humble servant is called Edmund Robinson Shaw.'' he was not willing to give Catherine her hand back.
The
man himself was tall and handsome. One would say that he was the most
handsome amongst all that had filled the hall and definitely a young
lord. He could not move his eyes from Catherine. Catherine was uneasy
with his glued gaze but replied dauntlessly,
''I am Catherine Ayling.''
"Here let me introduce you to her." Victoria was talking with a gentleman who just arrived.
"Catherine
Lady Victoria is calling you." Charlotte said to Catherine who was
accompanying some girl. "If you excuse me ." She felt relieved,
''Excuse me lord Shaw.'' Edmund's eyes were still glued to her wherever she went his eyes were following her.
She
went to Victoria. The man had removed his coat and hat by that time.
"Catherine this is Lord Albert Morris. Albert here this is my niece."
What
Catherine had thought. Her thought was standing in front of her. The
same style of dressing, in his black and white suit. His hair properly
set with gel, his face sincere and a slight smile on it. His deep blue
eyes again were telling her something else. Something opposite than what
his smile said. He himself was handsome. But handsome people are not
bewitching are they? He had such a personality that one would be
captivated by it ''entirely luring magnetic and seductive.'' she said to
herself and stood in front of him confidently. Today she was what she
was. Like she was again the daughter of Robert and Amelia. The way she
was born and the way she was raised. Nothing to be afraid of and to be
ashamed of.
Albert took Catherine's hand and kissed
it ," A pleasure milady. We've met before Lady Victoria." To much
dismay Catherine didn't expected Albert to remember her and the
situation in which he saw her."I'm sure we have." Catherine said to
Victoria. "Very well then must be Dover. I'll go check on the dinner."
Victoria was a tall but fat lady. She had blonde hair, green eyes. She
was beautiful even at this age. Catherine always wondered why didn't the
man she loved marry her. He must be crazy or had died. There will be
many suitors for her. Catherine tried to escape Albert by taking excuse
from him, ''Wait Catherine can you please take a walk with me it's too
crowded here.'' She had to do what he asked although in her heart she
wanted to escape as soon as she saw him.
They walked
together to the center hall. The girls began to come forth as they saw
Albert approaching. He was single wealthy only child. That's what made
him the spotlight of the season. Catherine was taken by some elderly
woman and Albert by some man and he had to talk to them. He sighted
Catherine all the time until he made a rescue from those men and took
Catherine by her arm outside.
Outside there was no one but the sky and it's evening guests. The crescent moon and the stars.
''Why
if I may ask are you so interested in taking a walk with me my Lord.''
Catherine stopped when they had came far from the house and were in the
middle of the garden. From this spot the main hall could be seen clearly
where people had already began dancing.
''Nothing I
just wanted to make sure that you are alright, last time I saw you you
were wounded right let me see.'' he took her hand but Catherine
resisted.
''They are fine much better the scars will
be gone soon too.'' the way he looked directly in her eyes made
Catherine uneasy she looked away moved away from him and sat on the side
of the fountain.
''Your face has gotten better too but
I must say all thanks to Victoria who really did rescue you from those
trenches.'' he sat near Catherine.
''It's not Lady
Victoria who rescued me it is someone else only if he said it directly
to me I only wish I could thank him for his generosity that he left and
sent for my rescue immediately.'' she looked directly in his eyes.
This time Albert looked away.
''I
don't think so the same Catherine Ayling is in front of me. That was an
innocent girl who was like a lioness. Today I meet someone who herself
is the beauty. The enchanting beauty who pleads that her rescue is done
by a mortal but not by her majestic powers? I would say it would be a
sin to look at the moon and not at you.'' she came closer to Catherine.
She could smell his musk's fragrance. The night itself was more
intoxicating than the wine she just had or was she really taken by
alcohol.
''Lady Catherine Lady Victoria is calling you.'' Teresa came and the magical trance that was created by Albert broke.
''May I know who is she?'' Albert looked angrily at Teresa.
''She's the maid here.''
''Don't you have any manners? Is this the way to address you lady that to when she is with someone.''
Catherine was sure now that he was not delighted at all that his powers had failed in luring her towards him.
''My
apologies my lord.'' Teresa bowed and went running back inside.
Catherine turned to go inside when Albert called her and stopped her by
holding her elbow. She looked at his hand and he had to leave her.
''Don't get me wrong I just...''
''Maybe
some other time Lord Albert we can have a better conversation now is
just not the right time. She went inside and Albert followed.
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