Chapter Five :: Life Can Change :: Escape
"So tell me, is there anything I should possess concern over?" the older man asked of the handsome green-eyed man who had just entered the room.
"Nothing I would be concerned over. She seems to be handling things fairly well herself but she did seem a bit well-eccentric and paranoid. I don't know. I thought it was completely normal, and I still don't get why you even care."
"Son, I know you may have your own dealings and other stuff to take care of but… could you just do your old man a favor and keep an eye on her?"
"I'm sure I could fit it in even though I'm still mad at you because you never tell me why you care about things that I'm sure don't have crap to do anything else," the son told him.
"You always find out eventually anyway. You had to inherit some of remarkable skills." The younger man smiled. Most that he learned of being sneaky: stealing, lying, cheating, and various other things he had learned from his father. Not a very good example to be set if you thought about it. He began to leave when his father reminded him once more, "Please just keep your eye on her."
Dusk approached, earlier than it had at her home, and the ball was to start with the coming of night's darkness. Merri ran things over and over in her head as the servants made her dress perfect. The dress of course would be the first thing that came off. It was way too much hassle to try to get away in something like that. She had earlier found a maid's uniform; it was far more convenient to walk around in. And it wasn't as if that many people knew what she looked like. She could pass as a servant while she made her way towards the outskirts of their manor. She would have a cloak also, it wouldn't do to get cold. Then all I have to do is make it to Hondiel; she had money to deal with everything else.
Once the servants had finished she looked at herself in the mirror. Wow this dress is actually fairly nice and well fitted. They must really want to be rid of me. "Once the ball starts you will be properly introduced as I believe you have not before tonight," said one them, she wasn't quite sure who.
Talking to no one in particular she said, "No I haven't." How annoying to have to dance with a few people knowing that only a little after that she would be free of all the madness. Escaping what was surely going to be superficial hell and probably lead to her marriage was cause to celebrate. Too bad she couldn't until she was safely away.
"And don't muss your dress between now and when the ball starts. It wouldn't do very well for us to have to start all over," the one that talked before said. The thought of "starting over" with everything was enough for Merri to behave herself. At least the first time all she did was think about her plan. Now that it was worked out she didn't know what she'd do. Not knowing what to do she just waited-waited for instruction, something she didn't normally do.
What seemed to be hours later to Merri a servant pulled her out of her room and near the stairs where everyone was being announced as they walked down. Merri looked down and saw many people already down in the ballroom. All she really looked for was her aunt. She had to know where she was to make sure her aunt saw her dancing with someone. Otherwise she probably would get suspicious that Merri had done something drastic like run away. After seeing Merri, looking perfecting angelic, a couple of times she would most likely forget about her being busy making the ball perfect.
Turning around she realized someone was telling her to go forward. So off she went towards the stairs. "May I present Meredith of Calder, niece of the Duke and Duchess of the house in which we currently reside in," the herald announcing many other young ladies said. She didn't want to be known as the niece of these people but it surely would not help her one bit if she were to tell the herald that. She began her "journey" down the stairs all the while feeling uncomfortable from all the stairs she received from below. It wasn't attention that bothered her-that never had-it was more the fact that she felt as if all men down there were checking her out-seeing if she was any better of a girl to marry than the others they had seen.
When she was to the floor a young man immediately asked her to dance. She accepted, not ready to turn it down when another man, one with extremely large feet she noticed, was making his way over to her to ask the same. She scolded herself for being so superficial, but she just had a huge fear over things like that ever since she dropped several china plates causing more things to fall along with it and they just happened to land on her feet. And it wasn't that she was altogether sensitive, just that that had plain hurt.
Remembering to make sure her aunt saw her dancing she led her partner over towards them. Another thing you just didn't do was ask Merri how she knew how to dance well enough to lead. One of her good answers would probably be yelling at you about several years of hell. Merri looked around her partner's shoulder and observed other happenings at the ball. She saw Freya standing in front of what seemed to be hundreds of other girls talking-no, definitely flirting-with a tall attractive dark-haired freckled male about her own age. "Eyeing the prince over, eh?" her partner said making her blush.
"No," she said, "well not exactly." The prince, that explains it. I'm becoming slow. She looked outside again and it was fair dark-good enough to get away safely. The song she had been dancing to ended she told him, "I have to go get something."
He let her go but mumbled to himself something that sounded like, "That damn prince. It's not as if he's even looking to find a wife at this ball." It was slightly funny but she wasn't going to laugh. It wasn't meant to be humorous, and she surely didn't consider herself to be that cold. Forgetting him she subtlety left the ballroom and put her plan into action.
He makes me so mad, London thought to himself. And what aggravates me the most is that he doesn't care that I'll eventually know…. It would be so much simpler if he were to tell me there and then. And you see how good he was to his father? Going to keep an eye on the girl when he was mad at him. Maybe not mad but still…
He trudged on and on not really paying attention to anyone or anything around him. Big mistake. Not hearing or seeing the cloaked figure fall right in front of him, he too tripped and landed right next to it.
A/N: And so the plot is finally thickening a little bit. Keep going on the reviews!! And add your comments and ideas too. And yes I do feel really badly for not uploading this chapter sooner. I hope everyone can forgive me. (It seems like I've done this every chp. but now I have a goal for myself to update in at the most two weeks difference of time. Oh and even if London isn't a town in this world I still think it's a good name. And well if you don't like it put a better name in your review.
~*~Jane of Q~*~