Chapter Four
Dennis had experienced enough female anger in his life that he knew when it was smart to back off. His hair was ruffled from his hands and he stormed around the garden like a prowling tiger. The cherry red amaryllis was just opening to greet the burnished silver moon and offer their soft scent to the night.
He was unaffected when he felt the cool breeze and felt a presence next to him. "There's going to be a heavy frost tonight" Zachary murmured. "Much like the frost on your dear Rosemary's heart" Dennis glared at Zachary mildly. "You don't know what happened" Zachary laughed. "I know that when a woman offers herself to you, you don't tell her that she's being cheap" "I didn't say that" "Well you might as well have" Zachary shot back angrily.
"Why are you so concerned about me and Rosie. Nina is the one you want" Zachary smiled, showing perfect teeth, "Yes, Nina is quite amazing, but I can't help but take notice in the other women. While it's obvious that Alex's heart belongs to another man, all your getting from the beautiful Rosemary is the frigid shoulder" Dennis rolled his river blue eyes and walked to another portion of the extended garden.
Here were the gorgeous watermelon pink wildflowers curled into sleep. He heard the faintest singing in the deeper end of the garden, and this was when he smiled for the first time. A pretty woman was crouching in the muddy brown earth and turning the soil with her smooth alabaster color hands. "Josephine," He said as he went to her side and smoothed her burnished gold hair and twined it in between his fingers.
Josephine looked up and gave a squeal on joy. She was barely more then 18, but her beauty was in full bloom. Her eyes were charcoal gray and her smile was longer then a Louisiana country mile. "I was wondering when you were coming to visit me" Her Australian voice peeked with excitement. She kissed his mouth and Dennis began to feel his blood run hot. He took her hands and pulled her away like one would with a little sister.
"Josephine we talked about this remember?" Josephine's cheery pink mouth turned into a little pout and she took a step back. "I know. But Dennis-" He held up a hand sharply. "You're a nice girl Jo, but that's what you are, a girl, you're barely 18 and me? Well I'm ancient" Josephine's eyes turned icy and Dennis could feel the chill.
"You have your eye on that new git" She said bitterly. If Josephine's eyes were ice, Dennis's eyes were fire. The liquid scorching blue that you can't find in any crayon box. Josephine wanted to take a step away, but pride wouldn't let her. "You'll be sorry you're choosing her over me" With a look that reminded Dennis somewhat like the devil, she was gone in a cloud of marble gray smoke.
"Well I've had enough of ghosts for one night" With a sigh, he turned on his heels and went to see if he could smooth things over with Rosemary. When he returned to the castle, Alex bumping into his chest greeted him. "Oh my I'm sorry" She said with a giggle and a smile. "It's alright, it's a nicest thing that's happened to me so far" Alex's brow furrowed. "What's wrong?" He friendly brushed the loose hair out of Alex's face and took her hand. "Come and talk to me"
Obliging, Dennis followed Alex up to her room and settled amidst the fluffy pink covers. "This is about Rosie" Alex said looking into his eyes. "Yeah. Pretty much" Alex smiled sweetly and nodded. "Well look," she said taking his hands. "The same time that Rosemary needs someone is the exact time that she is pushing someone away. I've lived with Rosie and Nina for a long time and while I admit she can be frustrating at time, I love her anyway"
Dennis smiled and held his arms out as Alex crawled over the mountains of covers. "So are you going to get you're boyfriend to come over and make use of this lovely big bed?" Alex laughed and settled herself in between his legs and in his arms. She giggled and picked at some lint on Dennis's clothes. "Nope, I'm only going to use this bed for sleeping, eating and maybe building a little fort" Dennis ruffled her hair and pulled a cream colored lily from the turquoise vase and tucked it behind Alex's ear.
Time began to catch up with them and they gave up on building their elaborate fort out of the pillows and fell asleep in a mass of tangled limbs. In Rosemary's room, she had fixed her tear-smudged make-up and was about to find Dennis to make amends. When she peaked out her door to see Dennis follow Alex in her room, she waited a while then opened the door herself. What she saw was the 2 of them sleeping soundly with their limbs wrapped around each other in an entangled mass.
Dennis had experienced enough female anger in his life that he knew when it was smart to back off. His hair was ruffled from his hands and he stormed around the garden like a prowling tiger. The cherry red amaryllis was just opening to greet the burnished silver moon and offer their soft scent to the night.
He was unaffected when he felt the cool breeze and felt a presence next to him. "There's going to be a heavy frost tonight" Zachary murmured. "Much like the frost on your dear Rosemary's heart" Dennis glared at Zachary mildly. "You don't know what happened" Zachary laughed. "I know that when a woman offers herself to you, you don't tell her that she's being cheap" "I didn't say that" "Well you might as well have" Zachary shot back angrily.
"Why are you so concerned about me and Rosie. Nina is the one you want" Zachary smiled, showing perfect teeth, "Yes, Nina is quite amazing, but I can't help but take notice in the other women. While it's obvious that Alex's heart belongs to another man, all your getting from the beautiful Rosemary is the frigid shoulder" Dennis rolled his river blue eyes and walked to another portion of the extended garden.
Here were the gorgeous watermelon pink wildflowers curled into sleep. He heard the faintest singing in the deeper end of the garden, and this was when he smiled for the first time. A pretty woman was crouching in the muddy brown earth and turning the soil with her smooth alabaster color hands. "Josephine," He said as he went to her side and smoothed her burnished gold hair and twined it in between his fingers.
Josephine looked up and gave a squeal on joy. She was barely more then 18, but her beauty was in full bloom. Her eyes were charcoal gray and her smile was longer then a Louisiana country mile. "I was wondering when you were coming to visit me" Her Australian voice peeked with excitement. She kissed his mouth and Dennis began to feel his blood run hot. He took her hands and pulled her away like one would with a little sister.
"Josephine we talked about this remember?" Josephine's cheery pink mouth turned into a little pout and she took a step back. "I know. But Dennis-" He held up a hand sharply. "You're a nice girl Jo, but that's what you are, a girl, you're barely 18 and me? Well I'm ancient" Josephine's eyes turned icy and Dennis could feel the chill.
"You have your eye on that new git" She said bitterly. If Josephine's eyes were ice, Dennis's eyes were fire. The liquid scorching blue that you can't find in any crayon box. Josephine wanted to take a step away, but pride wouldn't let her. "You'll be sorry you're choosing her over me" With a look that reminded Dennis somewhat like the devil, she was gone in a cloud of marble gray smoke.
"Well I've had enough of ghosts for one night" With a sigh, he turned on his heels and went to see if he could smooth things over with Rosemary. When he returned to the castle, Alex bumping into his chest greeted him. "Oh my I'm sorry" She said with a giggle and a smile. "It's alright, it's a nicest thing that's happened to me so far" Alex's brow furrowed. "What's wrong?" He friendly brushed the loose hair out of Alex's face and took her hand. "Come and talk to me"
Obliging, Dennis followed Alex up to her room and settled amidst the fluffy pink covers. "This is about Rosie" Alex said looking into his eyes. "Yeah. Pretty much" Alex smiled sweetly and nodded. "Well look," she said taking his hands. "The same time that Rosemary needs someone is the exact time that she is pushing someone away. I've lived with Rosie and Nina for a long time and while I admit she can be frustrating at time, I love her anyway"
Dennis smiled and held his arms out as Alex crawled over the mountains of covers. "So are you going to get you're boyfriend to come over and make use of this lovely big bed?" Alex laughed and settled herself in between his legs and in his arms. She giggled and picked at some lint on Dennis's clothes. "Nope, I'm only going to use this bed for sleeping, eating and maybe building a little fort" Dennis ruffled her hair and pulled a cream colored lily from the turquoise vase and tucked it behind Alex's ear.
Time began to catch up with them and they gave up on building their elaborate fort out of the pillows and fell asleep in a mass of tangled limbs. In Rosemary's room, she had fixed her tear-smudged make-up and was about to find Dennis to make amends. When she peaked out her door to see Dennis follow Alex in her room, she waited a while then opened the door herself. What she saw was the 2 of them sleeping soundly with their limbs wrapped around each other in an entangled mass.