2 Heart Of A Poet

William tapped the end of the pencil lightly against his lips as he thought to himself. Trying to coax his muse in to releasing the next line of his latest poem. "hmmm… maybe… no… how about… yes, yes, that sounds good…" he murmured to himself. As he scribbled away.

The sound of boisterous laughter brought him out of his thoughts. He looked over at the group of young adults who where happily ignoring him as he was them. He didn't know why he attended tonight's get-together. Truthfully the only reason he was invited to them was his name and title gave him that social right.

William had always been quiet and faded to the background. His older brother Culkin, who was six years William's senior had been much more out going. He was everything a man of title should be, brave, strong, confidant, charming, and of course handsome. Which made William fade more in to the background. With his timid ways and out of control mousy curls.

Luckily William like his brother before him, went away to school and did not need to deal with the pressure of the public eye just yet. In fact he'd been away at school when he'd heard of his brother's death. Culkin had been trying to distract a horse that had lost control, away from a pair of children. He looked away for a moment to be sure the kids were clear of the bucking beast, when he got a hoof to the temple. Meeting his end at the young age of 23. 17 year old William of course got dismissed from school to rush home. Upon arriving home everyone in Culkin's social group had wondered at his younger brother expecting to meet someone similar to Culkin. Boy where they disappointed. Instead of a masculine outgoing young man they found a bookish shy momma's boy. Not that William cared. He planned on traveling after he got out of the university. He had no plans in sticking around London to be some kind of social butterfly. He wanted to see the world. And then write about it.

But that was not to be. You see his Dad had died not long after the birth of his younger sister, Lesley. Culkin had taken their fathers place at the age of 16. But being very smart and already having some grooming for it by their father before he died, he'd been able to take the reins of the family finances rather easily. He made some rather good investments that provided well for the family. So that even after his own passing William still could fallow his dream of traveling. Returning every so often to look in on his mother and sister.

Unfortunately on the heels of William's graduation his younger sister caught an illness that sent her to her grave. The same illness his mother now suffers from. SO William's dreams of travel would never be. Instead he watches over the last of his family.

He could never leave his sickly mom to look after herself and she refused to have a live in nurse as it hurt her pride. As it was William's mother was constantly on him about going out and spending time with people his own age. But William had no interest in parties and such when his mother was so sick, but he would give in every now and then just to keep her happy and calm. Never straying far from home for too long.

But instead of his peers seeing this as the act of loving kindness it was. They decided because of his bookish demeanor he simply lacked the courage to leave home and was still tied to his mother's apron strings. Hence making him a target of ridicule among his peers.

William sighed, shaking his head to clear it of the bitter thoughts these people brought forth. But that's when his eyes landed on her. The only saving grace in this mass of egos. Cecily was a vision. Not only that she was one of few who actually spoke to William. He'd known her since he met her at one of his parent's teas when he was 16 and she 15. He was in love at first sight.

True she never spoke to him at these gatherings, only when she accompanied her mother to their house for tea. But he was convinced it was because she was shy. And had too delicate a sensibility to deal with the rude jibes of certain males of their group. Which she would have to if she were to sit with him during these get-togethers. But he was happy enough to be in the same room with her. That way he could watch her and compose his poetry with the subject there unawares.

He was lost in his own thoughts so he did not see one of the males of the group approach him till he'd snatched Williams small journal from his hands. William's eyes widened in panic, "NO please it's not finished yet!"

But the man did not care as he pushed passed William and walked to the center of the group where in a mocking voice proceeded to recite the words written on the page. William looked down at his feet un able to meet the eyes of anyone in the room. Laughter filled the air as the man began to mock William's work. Finally saying he would rather have a railroad spike shoved threw his scull then read another of Williams poems. Finally dubbing William with the title of William 'The Bloody Awful Poet'

As the laughter proceeded he managed to look up only to be crushed by the look of embarrassment on Cecily's face as she fled the room. Grabbing his journal back from the teasing brute, he fallowed her out of the room.

He was about to ask her if she was ok when she turned to face him, "William, I'm going to ask you a question and you must be completely honest with me."

William nodded, "Yes of course"

"Your poems, They're about me are they not?" she as wringing her hands nervously.

"Every word" William said solemnly. But Cecily looked even more upset.

"Oh dear I was afraid of this" She looked resolutely at William, "Well you must stop doing so."

William stepped closer to her, "I know they are badly written. But they are just words. The important thing is the feelings behind them. I may be a bad poet but I'm also a good man…"

Seeing where this was going she cut him off, "Oh William you don't understand. I only act friendly to you for mother's sake. There can never be anything between you and me…. Your beneath me."

William felt his heart splinter in to a thousand pieces. "But…" he looked in to her eyes and saw the truth. She only spoke to him because politeness required it. She avoided him at these social events not because she couldn't handle her friend being teased but because she shared the same opinion as the rest of them. In title and social status William might be their equal. But as a person they found him lacking. He was a momma's boy, a soft hearted fool made for ridicule. He may be allowed to be in the same space as them but he was not one of them.

Cecily turned her back on him and returned to the others. Most likely to have a big laugh over what just took place. William did not wait to hear the snickers he flew out of there so fast one would think the house had caught fire.

As he walked quickly from the manor trying to hold back his tears he ripped at the pages of his journal. Trying desperately to destroy the evidence of the feelings he'd had for Cecily, then maybe it wouldn't hurt so much. As he heart.

He cut through an alleyway. Wanting to avoid as many people as he could on his way home. He didn't need more ridicule for the tears rolling down his cheeks. Traveling by the back alleys was dangerous he knew that. He could meet up with any manner of criminal there but right now he couldn't really bring himself to care.

That is when he ran in to someone. Not looking at them, he moved to the side to let them by but the person did not move, "What is a matter my Dark Knight?"