What's Important
What's Important?
by Marshi
Chapter Three, Marriage
It was twelve in the afternoon and father had a day off of work. We sat facing each other around the circular table. There were little pieces of fish places in a circle around two biscuits that sat in the middle. I despised fish, mother knew that, but cooked it up anyway. I took a biscuit without buttering it and took a bit.
When mother had nothing to do, she rarely did anything; she went into the kitchen and made some food to eat. If she was not hungry or had no one to feed she would either exercise or invite her friends over for a friendly chat.
"What do you think of Royce King?" Father said to no one particular.
"He is a nice man, owns the bank, as you already know." Mother replied.
I shrugged when they looked at me, "He sent me roses three days in a row."
"There are a dozen roses on the couch; he came here today while you were in the shower. You would be indecent, as I told him; he told me to deliver the flowers to you and left." Mother said with a particular interest in what I thought about him.
"I do not know him like that. If I recall correctly we have never met in person before."
Father seemed to stutter his words before I finally understood the meaning for his words, "marry" "Royce" and "you." At first I sat silently and stared at him, blinking a few times and let all the words sink in. I was to be married; married to Royce King. The royal family…
"FATHER!" I shouted in outrage.
"Rosalie, settle down, the marriage is for business. He owns the bank I work at. You have told me what the ideal man for you is; I have found him. You never have to worry about being poor and you get everything you can wish for." Father said wiping his mouth with a napkin that had already been folded in half. I sat down; knowing nothing I could say would change their minds. Once the decision was made it stayed.
Rosalie did sit down and close her mouth. It was true, Royce was the man that she had been dreaming of, but she had never seen Royce before. The improper ladies flocked over him and Olivia did despise the idea of their being together. "When will we be meeting?"
Father perked up with a lecherous grin, "He will be coming over to dine with us, tonight."
"You may borrow accessories if you find nothing of much interest there," Mother said eying the jewelry I wore on my arm. It was a simple silver bracelet that wove together in chains. The one other item attached to the bracelet was a miniature heart with the engraving stating 'Vera Beattie, your best friend for eternity'. Vera wore a similar bracelet, only with my name engraved at the beginning.
"All is well," I said excusing myself to my room. I had to refrain from rolling my eyes upward then around. An odd, rude, motion I was picking up from Antoinette. The meaning was unknown; I thought it was out of annoying and/or irritancy.
Later that night the door bell rang while I seated comfortable in the living room with Mother, in casual around-the-house wear, she bolted up. "We have company! Go dress appropriately!" She demanded; smoothing over any possible wrinkles in the attires she wore. I scowled at her before walking leisurely up the staircase.
I pulled on my red organza, because mother liked it the best when I wore them to impress. Applying a little make-up on my eyelashes and eyelids I left my hair down but pulled it to one side of my face.
As I eased my way down the staircase, in heels, I saw Royce freeze in his place and gape at me. The simple motion put a smile on my face as he grinned, foolishly, back.
We all sat down, with Mother and Father bustling around, trying to please all of Royce's needs. After the set my plate down they did not bother with sparing me one glance to see if I was fine. For dinner we were having steak, with a side of mashed potatoes, a side of corn and a biscuit. It was better then fish.
"You look beautiful," Royce said as he sat beside me.
The dinner went on with Royce, Mother and Father conversing while I sat there and poked at the steak. I failed to believe that my parents did not understand that I did not eat meat, it was horrible. Animals were filthy creatures and they certainly would make me dirty if I had happened to get close to any or, worse yet, try to touch them. It might also have to be with the fact that when I was little Vera took me to a farm and the sheep bit me. Hurt, it did not but it terrified me.
"Violet," Royce said.
"Pardon?"
"You have eyes the color of violet," He said with a grin. That was the only particle of chatter, other then the compliment, that he spared me the entire evening. After he left he gave me a peck on the cheek, proposing to me. I agreed with no hesitation because, after all, this is what I wanted. Leaving with a half-smile on his face that quickly faded after he thought we stopped watching, he disappeared.
The next afternoon I received my normal dozen of red roses. Along with the batch of the most beautiful roses he managed to send me everyday, he sent a bouquet of twelve violets, wrapped in gold thread. Another note was attached to the violets beside the roses. It read:
My Rose,
Thank you for accepting my proposal,
These violets reminded me of your eyes,
The roses reminded me of your name,
Attend the ball with me tomorrow night.
Your fiancé, Royce King.
He was no where near poetic but he was thoughtful, and he thought of me a lot. At least, enough to send me flowers everyday.
"He's a monster…" Vera's words echoed through my mind. That would never be true, it could not, could it? Royce was nice yesterday at dinner. He complemented me, Mother and Father. He was perfectly polite and ate almost everything on his plate; he stated he was too bloated to eat the biscuit. He was not a monster.