A Blood Red Rose
Katie Duvall was a small girl for her age. In fact, the only thing that wasn't small about her was her eyes, which were rather big and amber colored that looked too big for her small pale face. Her hair was long and was mostly a light brown with a subtle hint of red. Her amber colored eyes always had a questioning look about them and the word 'why' was almost always on her rose colored lips.
Katie's family had a large fortune and made sure that their only daughter in a family of sons was well educated and well bred. Katie despite her family's doting was not spoiled and flourished under their constant affection; that is except her questioning tongue.
Her good looks and fortune brought her many suitors but her tongue sickened the best would be husbands and because her parents would accept nothing but the best for Katie; she felt as if she would die an old maid. Katie's parents pleaded with her to let go of her childish curiosity but to no avail; her curiosity got the best of her.
And so, Katie Duvall was without a suitor until Lord William Becket came knocking.
"Katharine." Mrs. Duvall said smiling, "A young man named Lord William Becket is here as our lunch guest. Get in your best dress and come to the parlor, quickly."
"Mother, which dress do you mean? What's fashionable these days? Who is this William Becket? What is he lord of? Is he handsome? How old is he? Do you think he earned his title by himself or inherited it? Why have I never heard of him? Is he important? Do you know him? Do you think he'll-" Katie asked before her mother cut her off.
"That is enough questions, young lady, now hurry up our guest can't be kept waiting. Put on the one you wore when that Jenkins fellow called on you." Her mother said frowning at the plethora of questions but as her daughter left she smiled, "What am I going to do with that girl?"
Minutes later, Katie appeared wearing a flattering pale blue silk dress and a questioning look on her face. Her mouth opened to ask a question but her mother cut her off, "Darling you look beautiful; now, Lord William Becket is waiting." Both mother and daughter linked arms and together set off for the parlor both thinking the same question, is he the one?
William Becket was in the parlor chatting with Mr. Duvall and his six sons on the finer points of fencing when the women entered the room. As true gentlemen they all rose to greet the ladies.
"This is my wife, Abigail and my lovely daughter Katharine." Mr. Duvall said. At this point the ladies were supposed to curtsy but Katie only stared at the guest. William Becket was very handsome. His raven black hair was well kept and he was clean-shaven as well-educated men mostly were. He was quite muscular and had a strong chin but that was not the reason Katie was staring. Katie was staring into his dark eyes that were fathomless as a black hole and his overly pale white skin that was the same tone as her own.
"Katharine, curtsy" Her mother said though a gritted smile. Katie mindlessly curtsied but continued to stare at him.
"Mr. and Mrs. Duvall you have a lovely home." William said.
"Thank you Lord Becket, shall begin Lunch?"
"Of course, you are the hosts." William said then giving a sidelong glance at Katie he added, "It may help loosen the tension."
Once Katie had sat down at the table in the dining room she stopped staring but for the first time in for as long as anyone could remember she actually didn't ask a single question or word for that matter the entire meal. She just nodded or shook her head whenever someone directly asked a question; which was perfectly fine with the gentlemen because women "were meant to be seen and not heard." The men didn't even notice the change but her mother on the other hand was giving her daughter worried looks. After the table was cleared William stood up, thanked them for the meal and said that he had an important engagement that he must attend to.
"But first" he said looking at Katie, "I have something I would like to give to Miss Duvall." He left the room to wear his cloak was hanging then returned with a small long black box. He opened the lid to reveal a blood red rose. The family was stunned; they had never seen a rose such a deep shade of red. "For you," he said "a promise that I will return before the last petal falls." He said handing her the flower.
Katie was caught off guard but she smiled and accepted the flower. "For you Lord Becket I give you my warmest and sincerest thanks. I have but one question for you." Her family held their breath, "How long shall that be?"
Lord William Becket winked at her and smiled, "When I call on you again I will expect more questions that will keep us both amused and happy. Until then, farewell!"
After he left, the family was in shock; no man had ever called on Katie twice. They were all excited with Katie the most ecstatic of the all, and did a very unladylike thing and screamed out to the world "Oh my gosh!"
William Becket smiled as he left the Duvall estate; Katie was a perfect choice and very much unlike any other girls he had met before. Beautiful and smart like man the rumors said and by just looking in her eyes he could tell they were true. "Beauty and smarts he thought grinning that could make her dangerous..." he had made an ideal choice.
That evening Katie stared long and hard at the beautiful rose; she was thrilled but was Lord William Becket the man of her dreams? Was he really what he appeared to be? Did he really like her or did he like her money? Katie gulped, and why did his eyes scare her indefinitely? She plucked it from it's vase carefully as not to cut herself on one of it's thorns and looked into her full-length mirror on the other side of the room. "Do I love him… she thought searching desperately into the eyes of her reflection, and does it matter?"
As she juggled those thoughts inside her head she stared at the petals as if waiting for them to tell her the answer. Suddenly, she dropped the rose and it fell to her bedspread without a sound as well as a drop of red. Katie gazed at her palm where a thorn had imbedded itself into her hand. Using her left hand she tried to pull it out but it wouldn't give. She quickly grabbed for a pair of tweezers from her vanity but when she went to pull it out the thorn was gone and in it's place was a small thin scar on her right hand. Katie swallowed; what witchery was this? Had Lord Becket known? Was he a witch? Had he bewitched the rose?
With that thought she looked up abruptly from her palm to see that the drop of red she had thought was blood was really just a petal. Had she just imagined it? She once again looked at her palm but the scar was still there. If she hadn't just cut herself on the rose how did she get the scar?
Katie decided she wanted some air and opened her window to stare out at the pink puffy clouds that surrounded the setting sun. She stared at the beautiful grounds that surrounded the Duvall Estate that were well kept and full of lovely flowers. She smiled and sighed; she missed the old days when asking questions was considered cute and she could run after her unruly brothers and have fun. Why do we have to grow up? Why are adults so set on me being ladylike? Why can I run around in the flowers and laugh and have fun? Katie thought. And why am I having these thoughts? I haven't thought of doing that sort of thing since I was seven. When she was eight she was forced to leave the childishness behind and take lessons on grammar, manners and how to be a lady.
Katie frowned as the sun set wondering if she could ever be that child again. Suddenly, she came up with a grand idea; why not be that child for one last time? Why not dance under the setting sun and say goodbye to that part of her?
Katie grinned but then her face fell; her parents would never allow her to go down there unsupervised. She leaned against the balcony rail and frowned but then her face lit up. "Of course!" she laughed, "How could I forget?" She looked to the left of her balcony where a trellis reached up with vines curling up around it. Katie had often climbed up it all the time when she was a child; why shouldn't she now? She went back into her room and dug in her sewing basket where one of her brother's old breeches was that she had just patched. Rich women rarely patched up their family's clothes but Katie's mother had made sure her daughter knew how to do such as she felt it was important for any young lady's education. Katie pulled them on under her nightgown and went back to the trellis and climbed down.
Katie lay in the grass staring up at the stars trying to count them. Why are there so many? She thought shaking her head as she lost count again. Suddenly, she heard the grass behind her rustle. She jumped up quickly and turned around to see no one. "Who's there?" Katie whispered. Silence greeted her question. She gulped then backed up slowly towards the trellis that was only a couple feet away: luckily. "Whoever you are I'm going to bed so please leave the grounds." She could swear she could hear something breathing loudly.
She quickly turned ready to run but as she turned she realized that someone had been standing behind her the entire time. She couldn't the face because it was hidden in the shadow of a hood but she could see the teeth bared with two pointy fangs ominously shining at her. She gulped, and turned around to run the other way but the breathing had gotten louder and another figure appeared. This figure looked barely human it was so disfigured.