Harold Zidler sat in his office waiting for his guest to arrive. He had
put on his best suit and made himself look presentable enough. Harold
fidgeted in his seat and looked at his pocket watch. It was a quarter to
nine. His guest should be arriving any moment.
The door opened and Zidler jumped up but sat back down when he realized it was only Peter.
"What is it Peter?" Harold asked disgruntled.
"I thought you would like to know how Miss Jocelyn was fairing," the boy said quietly.
"Oh yes. Is she alright?"
"Yes, she is much better. She'll be up and about in no time," Peter smiled.
"That's good, will you go find Marie and tell her to get Jocelyn ready. I want her to meet my guest."
"I don't think she's ready for anything yet," Peter disagreed.
"Just do as I say," Harold snapped.
Just then the door opened. There was a tall man standing in the threshold. His suit looked new and expensive, his hair and beard were trimmed neatly, and there was a sour look on his face. He was followed by a plump man with a mean expression.
"Ah, Duke Bateson. Just on time," Harold got out of his seat and held out his hand.
"You must be Harold Zidler," the Duke said in a deep, serious tone. He shook Zidler's hand and both men sat down.
"Mr. Zidler, may I introduce you to my manservant, Giles," the Duke said gesturing to the plump man behind him. Giles nodded his head.
"I am so glad you are here," Harold smiled. He then noticed that Peter was still in the room…..the Duke didn't seem to notice. "That will be all Peter."
Peter looked at Harold, hoping to change his mind about Jocelyn. But Zidler's eyes were shouting 'go!'.
"Mr. Zidler," the Duke began. "When I saw the Moulin Rouge in its present condition I realized how much work needed to be done."
"Yes, my dear Duke. The Moulin Rouge was once a beautiful place, and the years have not been kind. But if we had the chance we could make it shine again and better than it ever was."
"And I would like you to meet someone. She would make the whole deal worthwhile, if you know what I mean," Harold grinned.
The Duke thought over the proposition. "And who is this someone?"
"Why, none other than our Sparkling Diamond, Miss Jocelyn."
Marie rushed to Jocelyn's dressing room. "Come on dear, we haven't much time!"
"Time for what?" Jocelyn asked.
Marie didn't answer; instead she pulled Jocelyn out of bed and pushed her behind the changing screen. Jocelyn, dizzy and confused, asked her question again.
"Marie, what is going on?"
"Not now child. What dress looks nicer the blue or the yellow?"
"Blue. Marie why won't you tell me!"
"Zidler wants you to meet a Duke so he will invest to repair the Moulin Rouge," Peter explained from the doorway.
"What is his type?" Jocelyn yelled back as she got dressed.
"I don't know."
"Thanks Peter, you're a real help."
"Sorry, I didn't get to talk to him. I don't think he even noticed me."
Jocelyn walked in front of the mirror. She was dressed in a deep blue dress, with no sleeves, and a bow in the back. Marie pulled her black hair in a twist as Jocelyn powdered her face white and painted her lips crimson. She dusted her eyes with a little blue shadow. Jocelyn looked at Marie.
"How do I look?"
"Beautiful darling. I'll go and tell Harry that you're ready," she said rushing out the door.
Jocelyn looked in the mirror and turned around to get a full look. She turned to Peter.
"What do you think?"
"You look……amazing," he said quietly, looking at his feet.
"Thanks," she said. "Well I guess I better get going huh?"
"Yeah, I guess."
Jocelyn gave Peter a little kiss on the cheek. "Wish me luck," she whispered.
"You don't need it," he whispered back.
"Well I better go. See you later!" Jocelyn smiled and left the room.
"See you later," Peter smiled and watched as she left the room.
Harold and the Duke were walking in the lobby as Jocelyn started down the stairs. They were followed by Giles who looked around suspiciously.
"Ah! There she is," Harold exclaimed as he saw Jocelyn on the stairs.
"Harold, I do not believe you have introduced me to your guest," she replied now walking towards the three men.
"Duke Bateson, this is Jocelyn, the star of our show."
"I have heard much about you my dear," said the Duke taking her hand. "And it is a pleasure to finally meet the Sparkling Diamond." He placed a small kiss on her hand as Jocelyn smiled sweetly.
The Duke then turned to Giles, and whispered something then turned back to Harold. "Zidler, I believe we have a deal, but on one condition."
"I'm sure it's nothing I can't take care off, what is the condition?"
Giles returned with a younger man, no younger than 20 years old. He was tall and lean with unruly brown hair. He looked tired and annoyed.
"Miss Jocelyn, this is my nephew Charles Bateson," the Duke explained. "Would be so kind as to be his escort for the next few weeks while we stay here?"
"But," Charles started to protest but his unlce gave him a stern look.
"My dear Duke, I would love too. Is that alright Charles?" Jocelyn said.
Charles looked at his unlce then at Jocelyn and reluctantly agreed.
"Wonderful. Come, let me show you around," Jocelyn smiled and took his hand. Together they walked up the stairs.
The Duke turned to Harold. "Now tell me what plans you had in mind."
The door opened and Zidler jumped up but sat back down when he realized it was only Peter.
"What is it Peter?" Harold asked disgruntled.
"I thought you would like to know how Miss Jocelyn was fairing," the boy said quietly.
"Oh yes. Is she alright?"
"Yes, she is much better. She'll be up and about in no time," Peter smiled.
"That's good, will you go find Marie and tell her to get Jocelyn ready. I want her to meet my guest."
"I don't think she's ready for anything yet," Peter disagreed.
"Just do as I say," Harold snapped.
Just then the door opened. There was a tall man standing in the threshold. His suit looked new and expensive, his hair and beard were trimmed neatly, and there was a sour look on his face. He was followed by a plump man with a mean expression.
"Ah, Duke Bateson. Just on time," Harold got out of his seat and held out his hand.
"You must be Harold Zidler," the Duke said in a deep, serious tone. He shook Zidler's hand and both men sat down.
"Mr. Zidler, may I introduce you to my manservant, Giles," the Duke said gesturing to the plump man behind him. Giles nodded his head.
"I am so glad you are here," Harold smiled. He then noticed that Peter was still in the room…..the Duke didn't seem to notice. "That will be all Peter."
Peter looked at Harold, hoping to change his mind about Jocelyn. But Zidler's eyes were shouting 'go!'.
"Mr. Zidler," the Duke began. "When I saw the Moulin Rouge in its present condition I realized how much work needed to be done."
"Yes, my dear Duke. The Moulin Rouge was once a beautiful place, and the years have not been kind. But if we had the chance we could make it shine again and better than it ever was."
"And I would like you to meet someone. She would make the whole deal worthwhile, if you know what I mean," Harold grinned.
The Duke thought over the proposition. "And who is this someone?"
"Why, none other than our Sparkling Diamond, Miss Jocelyn."
Marie rushed to Jocelyn's dressing room. "Come on dear, we haven't much time!"
"Time for what?" Jocelyn asked.
Marie didn't answer; instead she pulled Jocelyn out of bed and pushed her behind the changing screen. Jocelyn, dizzy and confused, asked her question again.
"Marie, what is going on?"
"Not now child. What dress looks nicer the blue or the yellow?"
"Blue. Marie why won't you tell me!"
"Zidler wants you to meet a Duke so he will invest to repair the Moulin Rouge," Peter explained from the doorway.
"What is his type?" Jocelyn yelled back as she got dressed.
"I don't know."
"Thanks Peter, you're a real help."
"Sorry, I didn't get to talk to him. I don't think he even noticed me."
Jocelyn walked in front of the mirror. She was dressed in a deep blue dress, with no sleeves, and a bow in the back. Marie pulled her black hair in a twist as Jocelyn powdered her face white and painted her lips crimson. She dusted her eyes with a little blue shadow. Jocelyn looked at Marie.
"How do I look?"
"Beautiful darling. I'll go and tell Harry that you're ready," she said rushing out the door.
Jocelyn looked in the mirror and turned around to get a full look. She turned to Peter.
"What do you think?"
"You look……amazing," he said quietly, looking at his feet.
"Thanks," she said. "Well I guess I better get going huh?"
"Yeah, I guess."
Jocelyn gave Peter a little kiss on the cheek. "Wish me luck," she whispered.
"You don't need it," he whispered back.
"Well I better go. See you later!" Jocelyn smiled and left the room.
"See you later," Peter smiled and watched as she left the room.
Harold and the Duke were walking in the lobby as Jocelyn started down the stairs. They were followed by Giles who looked around suspiciously.
"Ah! There she is," Harold exclaimed as he saw Jocelyn on the stairs.
"Harold, I do not believe you have introduced me to your guest," she replied now walking towards the three men.
"Duke Bateson, this is Jocelyn, the star of our show."
"I have heard much about you my dear," said the Duke taking her hand. "And it is a pleasure to finally meet the Sparkling Diamond." He placed a small kiss on her hand as Jocelyn smiled sweetly.
The Duke then turned to Giles, and whispered something then turned back to Harold. "Zidler, I believe we have a deal, but on one condition."
"I'm sure it's nothing I can't take care off, what is the condition?"
Giles returned with a younger man, no younger than 20 years old. He was tall and lean with unruly brown hair. He looked tired and annoyed.
"Miss Jocelyn, this is my nephew Charles Bateson," the Duke explained. "Would be so kind as to be his escort for the next few weeks while we stay here?"
"But," Charles started to protest but his unlce gave him a stern look.
"My dear Duke, I would love too. Is that alright Charles?" Jocelyn said.
Charles looked at his unlce then at Jocelyn and reluctantly agreed.
"Wonderful. Come, let me show you around," Jocelyn smiled and took his hand. Together they walked up the stairs.
The Duke turned to Harold. "Now tell me what plans you had in mind."