HEY!!!!!!!!!!: Elo! I'm back and I promised you that I'm going to update my
chapters faster, eh. So, in this chapter, there are quite shocking secrets
to be revealed and you have to hold your breath for the next chappie for it
will be more shocking and tragic than this chappie here.hehehehehehe.here
it goes.. (also, let me warn you that this chappie is kinda cheesy!!!)
CHAPTER 4 OF LOST ON THE TRAIL OF LOVE by Sentimental Butterfly
Of course, we haven't forgotten dear Mademoiselle Carmelle Selfini, the best friend of one of our heroines, Mademoiselle Stephanie de Affariere, that she went to the hotel, to the room of Monsieur Franz de Boullion who happened to be Albert de Morcerf's friend. Carmelle Selfini tidied herself, from her hat, to her dress and finally knocked at the door. Someone opened it and that someone was a servant boy.
"May I help you?" asked the servant.
"I've come to see Monsieur de Boullion."
"Name, please."
"Mademoiselle Carmelle Selfini."
"This way, mademoiselle," and the servant boy led her towards the salon.
"It would be better if the mademoiselle would wait for the monsieur here in the salon, thank you. I must leave you now," and the servant boy left.
Carmelle glance around. Luxurious furnitures of his showed the elegance of the room. It was obvious that Monsieur de Boullion is an elegant and a well-respected man.
"Ah, Mademoiselle Selfini, bonjour," said de Boullion, coming out from a room.
"The pleasure to meet you, Monsieur de Boullion."
"Are you here for our appointment? It seems to me you're just in time."
"Forgive me, Franz, but yesterday you've just told me that you're going to introduce me to your colleagues, am I not mistaken?"
"No, mademoiselle, you're correct. I was just playing to take that stiffness of yours," chuckled Franz.
"Uh! The same old Franz I knew."
Suddenly, Franz's mannerism from being confident to the ladies changed. His cheerful face turned pale. He seemed too nervous and marched towards Carmelle.
"Has anybody know about our relationship?"
"No one. Not even my best friend."
Franz seemed to recover after Carmelle saying this.
"Good."
After a while, Franz's friends arrived at the salon and de Boullion introduced them to Carmelle.
"And last but not the least, Viscount Sean de Morseú," and Franz bowed to the mademoiselle.
"Bravo!" exclaimed Carmelle, clapping her hands.
"It's a shame Albert can't meet Mademoiselle Selfini, maybe it's because he was blinded by that mysterious mademoiselle and trotted off, wandering around to find her."
"I beg you pardon? Who?"
"Albert, Albert de Morcerf. Why? Do you know him?"
"Uh, I don't know him."
All of a sudden, Carmelle turned pale, her eyes widened and her lips trembling of anxiety or maybe, fear. Franz immediately noticed it.
"Shall we go now?"
"Uh, I suppose so."
After saying au revoir to Franz's friends and when they were already in their carriage, Franz turned to her and asked, "Are you alright, my darling? You seem pale."
"No, Franz. I'm fine," Carmelle lied and turning to the window, heaved a sigh.
**
Lunch was great for de Affariere and de Morcerf. They ate at Café de Amour and it was indeed delectable. Albert paid all the expenses ans Stephanie was even surprised by it. After that, they toured Rome's finest sites: plantations, orchidariums, café's, parks and ruins. Stephanie, especially Albert, was very, very, very happy. As they were walking under a promenade of cherry blossom trees, Albert picked a rose and placed it on Stephanie's ear.
"You're beautiful," whispered Albert.
Stephanie blushed and was trying to hide it but Albert saw it. He led her under a cherry blossom tree and there they sat comfortably.
"You're beautiful," said Albert once more.
Stephanie blushed again and changed the topic.
"You know it's really nice here. I think we should visit here more often."
"Yeah."
"And it's really beautiful too."
"So are you."
Mademoiselle de Affariere silenced for a moment to think of something to say and then moved on again.
"You know, I was not mistaken to have you as my friend. I think this friendship is really working out -."
"I love you."
Albert silenced her with these words and was almost speechless when Albert continued.
"From the moment I saw you, I knew that you are the one for me, and I knew I was not mistaken. I have loved you from the very start I saw you. I know your family but I know nothing more. From the 'game of flirtation' you call to the conversation at the fair, then this! Stephanie, didn't you get it? Fate has brought us together and it is as it is!"
"Monsieur de Morcerf, I think it is rude of you to set me up into some nonsense!" stammered Stephanie but with anxiety.
"Do-don't.don't you have any feelings for me?"
Stephanie stopped and was about to cry. She turned pale and clutched her dress tightly to avoid crying.
"I'm - I'm, I'm engaged."
"So am I, so what?"
"No, you don't understand. My stepfather arranged the engagement. Since he was so good to me and treated me like his very own daughter, I have no choice but to follow him and be grateful. I'm a coward to say what I feel."
"But do you love him?"
"How about you, do you love her?"
"No."
"But -."
"I don't love her, but do you love me?"
Stephanie turned away, her eyes hot with tears and said,
"No, I don't have any feelings for you. I-I love somebody else."
"Who-WHO IS IT?" roared Albert, his face red and hot and was about to explode when Stephanie hugged him tightly and whispered,
"Monsieur Danil de Rossieur."
Albert's eyes grew fiery than before and felt his heart break into unmendable pieces.
"He's courting me a-and I said yes. He-he's m-my fiancé," broke Stephanie into sobs.
"Do you love him?" asked Albert anxiously. But before Albert could say another word, Stephanie turned around and walked away, leaving him scorched by despair and anger. He fell down to his knees and prayed to the Lord that this was all a dream but it wasn't.
Suddenly, Albert saw something lying on the ground. It was a piece of paper with the lady's handwriting on it.
Dearest Monsieur,
It would be better for us to forget all the memories we had and that we even met. I hope you'll understand. Bon Voyage!
Sincerely yours,
Stephanie de Affariere
CHAPTER 4 OF LOST ON THE TRAIL OF LOVE by Sentimental Butterfly
Of course, we haven't forgotten dear Mademoiselle Carmelle Selfini, the best friend of one of our heroines, Mademoiselle Stephanie de Affariere, that she went to the hotel, to the room of Monsieur Franz de Boullion who happened to be Albert de Morcerf's friend. Carmelle Selfini tidied herself, from her hat, to her dress and finally knocked at the door. Someone opened it and that someone was a servant boy.
"May I help you?" asked the servant.
"I've come to see Monsieur de Boullion."
"Name, please."
"Mademoiselle Carmelle Selfini."
"This way, mademoiselle," and the servant boy led her towards the salon.
"It would be better if the mademoiselle would wait for the monsieur here in the salon, thank you. I must leave you now," and the servant boy left.
Carmelle glance around. Luxurious furnitures of his showed the elegance of the room. It was obvious that Monsieur de Boullion is an elegant and a well-respected man.
"Ah, Mademoiselle Selfini, bonjour," said de Boullion, coming out from a room.
"The pleasure to meet you, Monsieur de Boullion."
"Are you here for our appointment? It seems to me you're just in time."
"Forgive me, Franz, but yesterday you've just told me that you're going to introduce me to your colleagues, am I not mistaken?"
"No, mademoiselle, you're correct. I was just playing to take that stiffness of yours," chuckled Franz.
"Uh! The same old Franz I knew."
Suddenly, Franz's mannerism from being confident to the ladies changed. His cheerful face turned pale. He seemed too nervous and marched towards Carmelle.
"Has anybody know about our relationship?"
"No one. Not even my best friend."
Franz seemed to recover after Carmelle saying this.
"Good."
After a while, Franz's friends arrived at the salon and de Boullion introduced them to Carmelle.
"And last but not the least, Viscount Sean de Morseú," and Franz bowed to the mademoiselle.
"Bravo!" exclaimed Carmelle, clapping her hands.
"It's a shame Albert can't meet Mademoiselle Selfini, maybe it's because he was blinded by that mysterious mademoiselle and trotted off, wandering around to find her."
"I beg you pardon? Who?"
"Albert, Albert de Morcerf. Why? Do you know him?"
"Uh, I don't know him."
All of a sudden, Carmelle turned pale, her eyes widened and her lips trembling of anxiety or maybe, fear. Franz immediately noticed it.
"Shall we go now?"
"Uh, I suppose so."
After saying au revoir to Franz's friends and when they were already in their carriage, Franz turned to her and asked, "Are you alright, my darling? You seem pale."
"No, Franz. I'm fine," Carmelle lied and turning to the window, heaved a sigh.
**
Lunch was great for de Affariere and de Morcerf. They ate at Café de Amour and it was indeed delectable. Albert paid all the expenses ans Stephanie was even surprised by it. After that, they toured Rome's finest sites: plantations, orchidariums, café's, parks and ruins. Stephanie, especially Albert, was very, very, very happy. As they were walking under a promenade of cherry blossom trees, Albert picked a rose and placed it on Stephanie's ear.
"You're beautiful," whispered Albert.
Stephanie blushed and was trying to hide it but Albert saw it. He led her under a cherry blossom tree and there they sat comfortably.
"You're beautiful," said Albert once more.
Stephanie blushed again and changed the topic.
"You know it's really nice here. I think we should visit here more often."
"Yeah."
"And it's really beautiful too."
"So are you."
Mademoiselle de Affariere silenced for a moment to think of something to say and then moved on again.
"You know, I was not mistaken to have you as my friend. I think this friendship is really working out -."
"I love you."
Albert silenced her with these words and was almost speechless when Albert continued.
"From the moment I saw you, I knew that you are the one for me, and I knew I was not mistaken. I have loved you from the very start I saw you. I know your family but I know nothing more. From the 'game of flirtation' you call to the conversation at the fair, then this! Stephanie, didn't you get it? Fate has brought us together and it is as it is!"
"Monsieur de Morcerf, I think it is rude of you to set me up into some nonsense!" stammered Stephanie but with anxiety.
"Do-don't.don't you have any feelings for me?"
Stephanie stopped and was about to cry. She turned pale and clutched her dress tightly to avoid crying.
"I'm - I'm, I'm engaged."
"So am I, so what?"
"No, you don't understand. My stepfather arranged the engagement. Since he was so good to me and treated me like his very own daughter, I have no choice but to follow him and be grateful. I'm a coward to say what I feel."
"But do you love him?"
"How about you, do you love her?"
"No."
"But -."
"I don't love her, but do you love me?"
Stephanie turned away, her eyes hot with tears and said,
"No, I don't have any feelings for you. I-I love somebody else."
"Who-WHO IS IT?" roared Albert, his face red and hot and was about to explode when Stephanie hugged him tightly and whispered,
"Monsieur Danil de Rossieur."
Albert's eyes grew fiery than before and felt his heart break into unmendable pieces.
"He's courting me a-and I said yes. He-he's m-my fiancé," broke Stephanie into sobs.
"Do you love him?" asked Albert anxiously. But before Albert could say another word, Stephanie turned around and walked away, leaving him scorched by despair and anger. He fell down to his knees and prayed to the Lord that this was all a dream but it wasn't.
Suddenly, Albert saw something lying on the ground. It was a piece of paper with the lady's handwriting on it.
Dearest Monsieur,
It would be better for us to forget all the memories we had and that we even met. I hope you'll understand. Bon Voyage!
Sincerely yours,
Stephanie de Affariere