Darius

Chapter Six

     The night of the ball.

     William and Darius were together in Darius's room straitening their ties looking at each other as if they were both mirrors.

     "Well, if you don't find a wife tonight, I just might," William laughed.

     "You are to stay away from my mother," Darius chided, "my sister however, I give my full blessing."

     "Your sister!" William cried, "the notion. Me? Marrying your sister. I-..."

     Darius laughed. William was taken aback.

"You hardly ever laugh. Why are you acting so strangely?" William asked.

"It seems no matter how I act, someone is out there just waiting to tell me it is wrong," Darius defiantly responded.

"Well, when you change the way you act so suddenly, one cannot help but be taken aback," William said.

"So then tell me. In the long run, how do you prefer I act."

"Truthfully."

Darius looked out his window. "Well, then I have something I need to tell you."

"You're going to propose," William joked.

"Maybe," Darius responded, a serious look on his face.

"You're actually going to propose! To whom?" William's mouth hung agape. In his excitement, he pulled his bow a little too tight, and was now trying to loosen it, staring into the actual mirror.

"I don't know yet," Darius responded.

"Well of course, you've made that clear. But, pray, whom are you thinking of?" William cried.

"No, that is the part I am unsure of," Darius cooly started.

"Do you have multiple choices for a bride?" William languished.

"Yes."

"Is Charlotte one of them?"

"Yes."

"Then I pity your other choice. She is so accomplished you know. She sings, plays piano, draws remarkably well. She speaks French and German. Her only fault is her hair. It's so dark."

"I know all this. But my other choice, I've never met her and do not know of her accomplishments, is so free and generous with herself. I've admired her from afar for a few days now and truly hope to see her tonight. In an effort to be completely honest, I held this ball to find her. I want to marry her. I want-"

"You want her life, Darius. This is not your life. If you chose this other girl, you will have to live with the consequences."

"But I've never loved Charlotte as anything more than a friend."

"I pray, please talk to this other woman. Get to know her, at least her name for goodness sakes before you marry her!" William looked pleading, almost mad. "I don't want to see you filled with regret because you've lost your place in society because of your wife."

"I promise to speak to her before I make an advancement."

"Good, or better yet. Propose to Charlotte. You may learn to love her, in time."

The ladies were gathered at the foot of the staircase. All of them looked very well. All of them wore their favorite dresses. Charlotte looked extremely well, as if someone had dropped a hint in the hallway. Her hair, usually tight against her head was pulled even tighter so that her cheeks pulled back a little and made her jaw look angular. Her red dress flowed like water around her ankles as she paced back and forth. Darius and William suddenly appeared at the top of the staircase and walked down together. Darius took his sister and Charlotte's arm and led them into the ballroom. William took Darius's mother's arm and led her behind them. Her mom let out a sniffle, when Gisabelle ran ahead to greet a friend, leaving Charlotte alone on Darius's arm. Darius greeted his guests cordially with a dignified but polite manner. He made many introductions, and many were made to him. He kept scanning the room trying to find the woman he had seen so many times in the forest clearing.

He had almost given up hope, and was preparing to make a speech to Charlotte, when he saw a glimmer of golden hair out of the corner of his eye. It was her.