Heads or Tails
"Which dress will you be wearing to the Dinner tonight Ma'am?"
A young girl, in her late teens, walked back into the room from the balcony. Her rosy cheeks matched her fiery red hair, but stood out against her pale skin, whilst her emerald eyes sparkled with life as she crossed the room to the dressing table.
"I'll wear the … black one … the one with spaghetti straps and the rise at the bottom or actually … how about the, um, other black one with the silver bows …." described the girl vaguely as she examined her face in the mirror.
"Mary, what time does the Party start?" asked the girl as the maid rooted around in the wardrobe.
"5 o' clock Ma'am. There's a dance afterwards, and … is this the dress you asked for Ma'am." replied the maid pulling out a dress.
The girl rose from her chair and took the dress from her maid. The dress was a charcoal black satin with spaghetti straps. It had a long fitted skirt with a very full bustled trumpet skirt dotted with silver satin bows in front and back. The girl strode regally to her elaborately framed full length mirror and held the dress against her body. The girl stood there for a few seconds admiring the dress before carelessly tossing the stunning item to her maid.
"Yes, it'll do. Also, get out the silver butterfly necklace, matching earrings and bracelet." she added before returning to her mirror.
"Lilyana!" called a voice distantly.
The girl, Lilyana, jumped to her feet and running out of the door onto the landing.
The rest of the house was as richly furnished as the girl's bedroom. Portraits of ancestors hung from the walls, a thick royal blue carpet adorned the floor and an expensive chandelier dipped majestically from the middle of the hall. Everything about the house shouted class and wealth.
A woman clothed in a simple but costly-looking white silk dress and a wide-brimmed spotless white hat entered the hall from a down-stairs room. A string of pearls decorated her neck and similar pearl earrings dangled from her ears.
"Lilyana, aren't you ready yet dear? Elaine is ready to do your make-up. Remember this is an important Party darling" said the woman haughtily.
"Of course, Mother. I shall put my dress on straight away." answered Lilyana meekly; the superior tone she had used with her maid had vanished. Lilyana ran into her room and hastily began pulling her clothes off.
"Hurry up Mary," she said impatiently as her maid zipped up the gown.
As soon as the maid had finished Lilyana picked up her skirts and ran down the stairs to the room her mother had exited. She took a moment to catch her breath before entering the room composedly and settling on the stool in front of the make-up artist, who began working straight away.
Once the make-up artist had finished, Lilyana ran back up to her room without even glancing at the mirror.
"Oh Ma'am. You do look wonderful." exclaimed the maid as Lilyana skidded into the room.
Truth be said, Lilyana (or Lily, her preference) did look wonderful. She looked natural, fresh and frankly very beautiful.
"Mary, quick put on the earrings." said Lily hurriedly fastening a delicate silver-chained necklace around her neck. A solid silver butterfly, captured in mid flutter, hung from the chain. The maid threaded similar silver butterfly shaped earrings onto her ears. Lily quickly clipped an elegant bracelet with yet another butterfly embossed on it around her wrist as the maid began to rapidly brush Lily's radiant, thick red hair.
"Up or down Ma'am?" asked the maid, rhythmically brushing.
"I think I'll just have it down with some held back." said Lily, trying it out.
Lily reached into a drawer and pulled out a strikingly crafted butterfly hair clasp. She pulled back some hair and clasped it loosely at the nape of her neck. A few short strands escaped from her clasp and prettily framed her face. Lily glimpsed herself in the full length mirror before walking out of her room, looking a changed person. She walked down the stairs elegantly towards her parents and her sister who were waiting further down in the Entrance Hall.
Her mother gave her an appreciative look and her father smiled at her agreeably. Her sister ignored her and turned away.
They waited there anxiously, adjusting items or checking their images in the large mirror propped up against the wall of the Entrance Hall.
"The car's ready, Sir." said the butler's voice, interrupting Lily from her fantasy of Lord Christopher of Wiltshire falling hopelessly in love with her.
"Very well, Earl. We'll expect the car at the Alanson's for midnight." said Lily's father.
The butler led the family to the limousine outside and held the door open. They climbed into the limo and made themselves comfortable as the limo smoothly rolled out of the driveway.
Lily was sandwiched between her mother and her sister. Her sister glared sulkily out the window. Petunia was dressed in a frilly, magenta gown which hung very loosely from her thin, bony frame. Her mousy brown hair limply framed her horsy face.
"Lilyana, I think Lord Christopher is quite taken with you. He is good catch and would make an excellent husband. Handsome, well-off and a charming boy." said her mother to her.
"Ah, the Taylors' son Christopher? Yes, they're a good lot. Their estate down in Wiltshire is definitely impressive." said her father approvingly.
Lily nodded coyly, "Yes Father and Mother."
Her mother smiled at Lily briefly before turning to her other daughter.
"Petunia, don't slouch! Maybe you could work a little bit more upon Lord Alastair, though I think he has taken a fancy to the Ford's daughter. Never mind, the other one … Lord Vernon … shall suffice." said her mother, her voice suddenly cold.
Although her sister remained silent, Lily glimpsed tears shining in her eyes.
The journey continued with the two girls silent and the parents making small talk between each other.
Lily was going over dance steps in her head when suddenly there was a loud crash to her left.
"What was that?" cried Lily's mother.
There was another crash, and the window on the right shattered. Lily's father lent forward and opened the divider to talk to the driver. Rocks began to pelt through the open window.
The two girls and their mother threw themselves onto the floor of the limo to avoid being hit. The window on the left shattered as well. With the divider open, Lily saw a gang of rowdy boys and girls surrounding the car throwing stones and swearing at them, through the windscreen.
Lily was bewildered. Who were they? Why were they doing this? What had her family done to them? Through the clear glass of the windscreen, Lily discerned a boy. He was standing right in front of the car. In his hand was a baseball bat. Lily's eyes locked with his. His burning hazel eyes were full of a terrifying hate and anger. Her jade green eyes were full of fear and confusion. For a second he faltered before raising the baseball bat over his head and bringing it crashing down in one fluid movement onto the windscreen. It shattered.
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Fortunately, the driver had called the police but the group ran off when they heard the tell-tale sirens.
Lily was so shocked; she couldn't speak when her parents fussed over her. Petunia and her father were bleeding; they had been hit by the stones. Lily had luckily escaped any cuts and her mother likewise.
They decided to still go to the Party. Petunia and Lily's father cleaned themselves up, another Limo was called and they made it to the Party just, surprisingly in time.
"Lord Evans, Lady Evans! Come in, come in. Ah! The girls as well … isn't that lovely. Lilyana, you've grown so much dear. Petunia, I adore your hair darling, its ever so fashionable." greeted the portly Lady Alanson.
Lily followed her mother into the room. Before Lily could sit down, she was asked to dance by a young man. Lily accepted and danced with him.
Everything seemed unreal, she was numb all over and though she danced she couldn't feel herself move. When the young man talked to her, she just nodded. She didn't trust herself to be able to speak. Lily felt secluded and remote.
Once the dance was over, Lily sat down. All she could think about was that boy's eyes. Those smouldering hazel eyes were branded in her memory.
Lily tried to take a glass of punch from the servant that offered it to her, only to overturn the whole tray.
"I'm sorry." mumbled Lily languorously, before standing up and wandering to the bathroom.
She gazed at herself in the mirror, seeing his eyes. Lily could see every individual speck of deep forest green in the light brown, every long, lovely eyelash that framed those eyes. She could also see the resentment and hatred that deformed the beauty of them. Lily re-entered the Dining Room distantly and the rest of the evening was all a haze to her. All she knew were his eyes.
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After he'd smashed the windscreen, police sirens began to blare in the distance.
"J, come on man. We gotta get outta here. We'll get the rich bastards some other time." shouted a voice to him. Somebody grabbed his arm and pulled him away. He didn't seem to be able to think properly.
The girl that he'd seen before he broke the glass clouded his mind. As he was tugged through a street-light lit alleyway, her eyes flooded his thoughts. Her never- ending emerald eyes, like gems with inconceivable depth. He dazedly remembered the overwhelming fear in her eyes and that lost, disorientated look that had made him hesitate. James tried to clear his head of her eyes, but everywhere he looked all he saw was those eyes, staring out at him, those stunning eyes subdued by terror and bewilderment.
He was towed along into a small building made from corrugated iron. It was cheaply furnished by second-hand furniture, which was tattered and worn out. James sat down in an ancient, threadbare armchair and tried to clear his mind of her eyes. Conversation raged around him and the most he did was nod vaguely.
"We shouldn't have let 'em go." growled a deep voice.
"Yeah but the cops were comin' Luke." replied another.
"I got the ugly one. Hit her right on the head and made her bleed." boasted a different voice.
"Hah! The rich bitches! All done up in their posh outfits." laughed another cruelly.
Other voices joined in the laughter, talking foully about the attack and boasting about what they'd done.
James finally stood up, immediately bringing the chatter to a stop.
"What's gwanning dawg?" said someone.
"Nothin'. I'm just gonna get some sleep alright. " muttered James before traipsing to a clumsily assembled door, into a room with make-shift beds littered everywhere. He threw himself onto his bed and lay there trying to forget her eyes. Instead he tried to run away from her eyes into his murky, brooding past. But James knew that he could run but he couldn't hide. Her eyes would haunt him forever.
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