Dear Reader,
I can hardly believe that I am already posting the tenth chapter. It seems only yesterday I was a book on an old shelf in the Library of Congress with a dream of sharing my true stories with the world, and here I am. But enough about me. You are all, no doubt, quite excited to read the following chapter, and my rambling has most likely bored you.
Sincerely,
THE BOOK
Petticoats and Roses
By THE BOOK
Part the Tenth
Edmund's Friend
"That ending always gets me," Beastboy bawled into a pillow as the credits of Pride and Prejudice scrolled up the screen. Shrugging, Cyborg tiptoed to the couch. He placed THE BOOK on the table in front of his weeping friends and waited for them to notice. At last, Beastboy wiped the tears from his eyes and jumped three feet in the air in surprise when he saw Cyborg sitting next to him.
"Friend Cyborg, you are back!" Starfire cried, (she was not quite as oblivious as Beastboy), and immediately leaped from the sofa. In a twinkling, she once again embraced the half machine in a bone-crunching hug.
"Nice to see you," Cyborg wheezed. Starfire, realizing that she had blocked the oxygen from traveling through his airways, released him. Her sheepish gaze fell across THE BOOK on the table, and she squealed.
"Sweet!" Beastboy exclaimed. "You got THE BOOK back!" He picked THE BOOK up off the table to hug it.
"I told y'all I would get it," Cyborg blushed, rubbing the back of his head.
"What do you think has happened to Friend Raven in our absence?" Starfire asked. "I am most curious to find out."
"Yeah," Beastboy agreed as his fingers danced across THE BOOK's cover.
"What're ya waitin' for, then?" Cyborg urged. Beastboy shrugged and threw THE BOOK open wide.
Raven sat poised on a Windsor chair in the Lorring's library, burying herself in the adventures of Miss Lydia in her attempt to ward off potential suitors. So engrossed was she by this historical adventure that she remained oblivious to the fact that Mary had skipped into the room, parading a piece of parchment around as if it were the main attraction at the county fair.
"Oh, Rachel!" Mary exclaimed, not five centimeters from Raven's ear. Most likely it was the proximity that caused the following response.
Raven screamed and threw her book up in the air in surprise. Moments later it landed on her foot with a loud thud. She squeaked in pain and hopped around on her other foot, at this point wishing her powers were restored so that she might heal herself more quickly.
"Rachel," Mary asked, "Are you quite alright?"
"Yes," Raven answered. "I'm… oomph… absolutely fabulous." She dropped her injured foot back to the ground and looked back into her cousin's eager face.
"That's good," Mary commented. "Guess who's coming to visit!" Raven racked her brain for a minute but could think of no one in her acquaintance whose mere mention could cause the sheer amount of excitement that shone from her eyes.
"I do not know," Raven replied. "How about you tell me?"
"Why, only the most exciting, brilliant, and romantic man I have ever had the pleasure to lay eyes on, Joshua Princely!" she swooned, sinking gracefully into the chair next to Raven's and sighed as she clasped the letter to her chest.
"You are completely smitten with him, I suppose." Raven dropped back into her own chair.
"Oh, positively enraptured." A glassy look passed over Mary's eyes, though it disappeared when she continued. "Though I do not know if the feelings are reciprocated. 'Twould be tragic if he only thought of me as a dear friend."
"Yes, it would be tragic," Raven responded sarcastically. "However, we can't very well control his feelings, can we?"
"No, I suppose not, though it is my dearest wish that my love is not unrequited."
"I hope for your sake it is not."
Over the next few days, Mary brought up the mysterious Mr. Princely at every opportunity, until Raven was completely tired of hearing his name. Joshua Princely this, Joshua Princely that… it really didn't matter to her. She could not wait until his arrival, if only it would stop her cousin's constant chattering.
Mr. Princely arrived two days later. He was a little on the short side, but it wasn't that noticeable. He had fine, chiseled features, and would be considered handsome by most. He paraded around the Lorring's parlor, peering at the various accoutrements and portraits that decorated the room.
"So, I see most has not changed since I last entered Summerhaven," he observed, picking a porcelain ashtray from the table to examine it.
"Well, yes," Edmund replied next to his friend. "Mother loves to decorate, but Father keeps a tight string on his purse."
Mr. Princely laughed, placing the ashtray back on the table slightly askew. "Did you hear of poor old Mr. Jones' troubles? His strumpet of a wife ran off with a coxcomb!"
"I did," Edmund answered. "My father warned him against marrying her, but he did not listen. I imagine he must feel frightfully abashed and tearful all at once."
"Yes," Mr. Princely commented. "A sad affair indeed."
The room filled with an awkward silence.
Mr. Princely picked at his nails.
"On a higher note, my cousin has come to visit," Edmund interjected.
"Oh?" Joshua raised his brow, "Is this Cousin Jonathon the magician or the infamous and fantastically beautiful Miss Roth?"
"She's Lady Roth now," Edmund corrected. "Countess of —."
"So I'm finally to meet this remarkable beauty; how exciting." Mr. Princely's eyes flashed with mirth.
"She's not that beautiful," Edmund voiced, rather unconfidently.
"Oh, pish posh!" Mr. Princely exclaimed, advancing toward his friend. "I've heard the reports, and they say a great deal about her qualities."
A teasing gleam entered Mr. Princely's eyes as he began to form an idea.
"You're only saying that because you have all the intention of marrying her yourself!" he accused. "You think I might be lucky number twenty-eight!"
Edmund's face went as red as a beet. "I never said that!"
"Oh, but you thought it," Mr. Princely insinuated.
"No!" Edmund vehemently denied the suggestion.
"Do you know where the Nile is?"
"Yes," Edmund answered. "Why are you changing the subject!"
"Oh, I'm not changing anything," Mr. Princely retorted. "I simply want to know if you know the location of the Nile because I think you are in it."
Edmund's brow furrowed in thought. He contemplated the insult for several moments.
"Very amusing, Josh. How clever. I suppose you got your sense of humor from your time in the Navy," he sneered.
Mr. Princely opened his mouth to snap back, but Williams entered the room and interrupted him.
"Sir and Lady Lorring, Miss Lorring, and Lady Roth." Williams bowed, gesturing to the door.
Edmund's parents strolled in, arm in arm, followed by Mary, giddy and almost jumping out of her shoes.
"Mr. Princely!" Mary dashed over to him, jumping into a spinning hug. (Regarding hugs between friends: it would be considered a most atrocious display of ungentlemanly behavior in most parts of the country. But since Joshua Princely had been best friends with Edmund since their infancy, decorum was disregarded.)
"Oh!" Joshua exclaimed, startled by this sudden burst of affection. "Mary! How nice to see you." He gingerly removed himself from her embrace.
Raven peeked into the room and finally entered timidly. Mr. Princely's eyes grew large as saucers. He attempted to stand up even taller as she gracefully scurried in. Mr. Princely bowed so low at her approach that his head nearly touched the floor. Raven returned the gesture with a small curtsy.
"Enchanted, Lady Roth," he greeted her, as he kissed her gloved hand. Raven couldn't help but feel a bit perplexed at his actions towards herself and her cousin. So, finding no words with which to express this confusion, she merely nodded with a blank expression.
Mary grabbed her wrist as Mr. Princely tore his gaze from Raven and turned to her aunt and uncle.
"Is not Mr. Princely spectacular," Mary sighed once she reached a secluded corner of the room. Raven glanced at Mr. Princely, who appeared to be making conversation with her aunt and uncle, but kept stealing glances at her.
"Sure," she answered in a flat tone after seeing Mary's pleading eyes.
"Oh, I knew you would like him!" Mary declared. "Of course, everyone enjoys the company of Mr. Princely." Mary dragged her back over to join the main conversation.
"I hope you don't mind," Mr. Princely apologized, "but I took the liberty of inviting one of my friends from Town to your ball."
"Nonsense, Mr. Princely," Mr. Lorring assured him. "Any friend of yours is a friend of ours." The conversation went on and on, about various subjects including the approaching ball and the state of the weather, but Raven couldn't help but feel uncomfortable with the presence of a certain someone in the room.