Disclaimer: refer to previous chapters
Chapter 3
I lay on my bed day dreaming about nothing in particular when Mara returned.
She didn't say anything but I knew she hadn't found my father. I had to disguise a giggle
with a fake cough.
Marta began to pace my room. If I didn't know any better I'd say she was trying
to tell me something but didn't know how. Marta was rarely at a loss for words. She
stopped then looked directly at me and said, "Your father sent you this letter and I've
decided to let you read it."
"How kind of you," I thought icily then snatched the piece of parchment from her
and began to read. I was a little surprised to get a letter from father he never writes unless
it's extremely important. This was important. The letter read.
"Ria,
I have something I need to tell you.
"Oh really," I thought sarcastically, "you weren't just writing for fun."
"I have married the Countess adsfasfd"
I stopped right there and if I hadn't already been sitting down I would have
collapsed. MARRIED! My father! This was ridiculous. I continued reading; maybe he
forgot to mention I had a twin sister named Fred.
"We will of course be delayed. You can expect us in a month's time. I trust you and Marta will make any necessary preparations.
Your Father"
"Marta!" I exclaimed jumping up from my bed, "this isn't true. Is it?" I was half
hoping she would tell me it was all some lie made up to punish me.
"It's true," she replied. Marta almost looked sorry for me. She continued, "Why
don't you get some rest things always look better in the morning."
I didn't resist Marta. I just crawled into bed but sleep didn't claim me for a few
more hours.
***
The time before my new stepmother arrived were a blur of activity. For once in
my life I was thankful for Marta. She was like a lighthouse in the sudden hurricane that
had engulfed my life. Marta knew that eventually my father would remarry and seemed
prepared to welcome a new mistress to the house.
The entire house was cleaned and frilled up. As I said before my mother believed
in fancy furniture and decorations but when she died my father cleared all her things out.
I thought he had sold them. I was wrong. He must have put them in storage because when
I woke up one morning they were all back. The house seemed to glow with life. The
blacks and browns were replaced with all sorts of colors. The furniture was beautifully
carved and everywhere. There was a chair or bookcase someplace and I felt little
crowded.
I'll admit I cried for a good half hour when I saw all of my mother's things. It
reminded me of her. I missed her even though it had been five years since she died. She
had been beautiful with curling blonde hair and sky blue eyes. Betsy, a new maid Marta
hired, found me crying. Betsy is a few years older then me and engaged to a soldier. She
talks about him constantly but I don't mind. I t annoys Marta though and if it wasn't for
Betsy's amazing angle food cake she wouldn't have lasted a day. Marta adores angel
food cake, actually any type of cake.
I thought Betsy was darling from the moment we met. She had red hair that curled
in ringlets and forest green eyes with a multitude of freckles. Betsy had an amazing way
of making people feel appreciated. I spent hours helping her clean the house until Marta
was satisfied. Needless to say by the time we finished we knew each other quite well.
Betsy let me cry on her shoulder before we started cleaning again.
"Cheer up love" She said with a hug, "When we're done cleaning I'll teach you
how to make angel food cake. It's Rob's favorite. (Rob was her fiancé) I used to make
angel food cake whenever he came."
***
With all the cleaning and preparations I wasn't able to visit the Library for two
weeks in a row. It was more then I could bear so when Marta was busy instructing Betsy
on how best to arrange the tapestries I snuck over to the building I considered paradise.
Sam greeted me with a smile and a brief lecture on how I had stayed away to
long. I explained to Sam about my Father's wedding.
"Oh my goodness, married. Well I'll be!"
"You took the news better then me," I grinned. He laughed and I continued on my
way. It was great to be back. As I walked through the shelves I began humming a song
my mother used to sing to me. I wondered what my new stepmother would be like .
Maybe she was pretty or maybe she liked reading too or maybe she would send me off to
some boarding school far away from any books. I shuddered at the thought.
"Ria!"
I jumped then whirled around to see who called me. No one was there. "Hello," I
called out timidly.
"Up here,"
I gazed up. There was a boy on a ladder looking at a book from the middle of a tall shelf.
"Wait there," he commanded. I wanted to turn and run just to spite him. I don't
like following orders. I stayed because I was curious to see who it was. Not many people
go around commanding people to do things. He put the book back and climbed down the
ladder.
"Terri" I said recognizing him.
"I haven't seen you around lately, he said giving me an accusing stare."
"Why do you care?" I shot back at him.
For the first time he looked like he didn't have reply. He just began to blush a
little. At least that's what it looked like. I'm not sure why but it made me laugh soon he
joined me. When we both stopped he told me he liked the way I laughed. It was my turn
to blush a little.
"My mother said my laugh sounded like music" I said quickly. "the music of
laughter, the food for the soul." He quoted.
"You've read Robinson"
"I've read a few of his books, but I found them incredibly dull"
"What?!" I gasped. Robinson was my favorite author of fantasy.
"His writing is nothing but descriptions," Terri said.
"The most vivid, amazing, poetic descriptions," I replied my temper slightly
roused. We continued to argue back and forth for another hour. Our debate finally ended
when I stormed off.
"Ria, Ria wait!" Terri called chasing after me. I continued walking. "Anyone who
said those things about Robinson's work should die" I thought viciously. He caught my
arm and held me there. I struggled to get free.
"Let go," I demanded
"Ria, please, I'm sorry"
"I don't care," I snapped.
"Look, just because we don't like the same author doesn't mean we can't be
friends. " He gave me a pleading look and I immediately forgave him . He knew I had
already given in so he struck a dramatic pose and said, "M'lady I humbly beg thy
pardon. Canst thou find it in they most gracious and noble self to forgive me?"
"Of course" I said through a storm of giggles.
"I love making you laugh" he smiled, " Your laugh is just so beautiful,"
"Thank you" I said hoping he couldn't tell I was bushing.
AN: Once again thank you sooooo much for reading. Please review!
Chapter 3
I lay on my bed day dreaming about nothing in particular when Mara returned.
She didn't say anything but I knew she hadn't found my father. I had to disguise a giggle
with a fake cough.
Marta began to pace my room. If I didn't know any better I'd say she was trying
to tell me something but didn't know how. Marta was rarely at a loss for words. She
stopped then looked directly at me and said, "Your father sent you this letter and I've
decided to let you read it."
"How kind of you," I thought icily then snatched the piece of parchment from her
and began to read. I was a little surprised to get a letter from father he never writes unless
it's extremely important. This was important. The letter read.
"Ria,
I have something I need to tell you.
"Oh really," I thought sarcastically, "you weren't just writing for fun."
"I have married the Countess adsfasfd"
I stopped right there and if I hadn't already been sitting down I would have
collapsed. MARRIED! My father! This was ridiculous. I continued reading; maybe he
forgot to mention I had a twin sister named Fred.
"We will of course be delayed. You can expect us in a month's time. I trust you and Marta will make any necessary preparations.
Your Father"
"Marta!" I exclaimed jumping up from my bed, "this isn't true. Is it?" I was half
hoping she would tell me it was all some lie made up to punish me.
"It's true," she replied. Marta almost looked sorry for me. She continued, "Why
don't you get some rest things always look better in the morning."
I didn't resist Marta. I just crawled into bed but sleep didn't claim me for a few
more hours.
***
The time before my new stepmother arrived were a blur of activity. For once in
my life I was thankful for Marta. She was like a lighthouse in the sudden hurricane that
had engulfed my life. Marta knew that eventually my father would remarry and seemed
prepared to welcome a new mistress to the house.
The entire house was cleaned and frilled up. As I said before my mother believed
in fancy furniture and decorations but when she died my father cleared all her things out.
I thought he had sold them. I was wrong. He must have put them in storage because when
I woke up one morning they were all back. The house seemed to glow with life. The
blacks and browns were replaced with all sorts of colors. The furniture was beautifully
carved and everywhere. There was a chair or bookcase someplace and I felt little
crowded.
I'll admit I cried for a good half hour when I saw all of my mother's things. It
reminded me of her. I missed her even though it had been five years since she died. She
had been beautiful with curling blonde hair and sky blue eyes. Betsy, a new maid Marta
hired, found me crying. Betsy is a few years older then me and engaged to a soldier. She
talks about him constantly but I don't mind. I t annoys Marta though and if it wasn't for
Betsy's amazing angle food cake she wouldn't have lasted a day. Marta adores angel
food cake, actually any type of cake.
I thought Betsy was darling from the moment we met. She had red hair that curled
in ringlets and forest green eyes with a multitude of freckles. Betsy had an amazing way
of making people feel appreciated. I spent hours helping her clean the house until Marta
was satisfied. Needless to say by the time we finished we knew each other quite well.
Betsy let me cry on her shoulder before we started cleaning again.
"Cheer up love" She said with a hug, "When we're done cleaning I'll teach you
how to make angel food cake. It's Rob's favorite. (Rob was her fiancé) I used to make
angel food cake whenever he came."
***
With all the cleaning and preparations I wasn't able to visit the Library for two
weeks in a row. It was more then I could bear so when Marta was busy instructing Betsy
on how best to arrange the tapestries I snuck over to the building I considered paradise.
Sam greeted me with a smile and a brief lecture on how I had stayed away to
long. I explained to Sam about my Father's wedding.
"Oh my goodness, married. Well I'll be!"
"You took the news better then me," I grinned. He laughed and I continued on my
way. It was great to be back. As I walked through the shelves I began humming a song
my mother used to sing to me. I wondered what my new stepmother would be like .
Maybe she was pretty or maybe she liked reading too or maybe she would send me off to
some boarding school far away from any books. I shuddered at the thought.
"Ria!"
I jumped then whirled around to see who called me. No one was there. "Hello," I
called out timidly.
"Up here,"
I gazed up. There was a boy on a ladder looking at a book from the middle of a tall shelf.
"Wait there," he commanded. I wanted to turn and run just to spite him. I don't
like following orders. I stayed because I was curious to see who it was. Not many people
go around commanding people to do things. He put the book back and climbed down the
ladder.
"Terri" I said recognizing him.
"I haven't seen you around lately, he said giving me an accusing stare."
"Why do you care?" I shot back at him.
For the first time he looked like he didn't have reply. He just began to blush a
little. At least that's what it looked like. I'm not sure why but it made me laugh soon he
joined me. When we both stopped he told me he liked the way I laughed. It was my turn
to blush a little.
"My mother said my laugh sounded like music" I said quickly. "the music of
laughter, the food for the soul." He quoted.
"You've read Robinson"
"I've read a few of his books, but I found them incredibly dull"
"What?!" I gasped. Robinson was my favorite author of fantasy.
"His writing is nothing but descriptions," Terri said.
"The most vivid, amazing, poetic descriptions," I replied my temper slightly
roused. We continued to argue back and forth for another hour. Our debate finally ended
when I stormed off.
"Ria, Ria wait!" Terri called chasing after me. I continued walking. "Anyone who
said those things about Robinson's work should die" I thought viciously. He caught my
arm and held me there. I struggled to get free.
"Let go," I demanded
"Ria, please, I'm sorry"
"I don't care," I snapped.
"Look, just because we don't like the same author doesn't mean we can't be
friends. " He gave me a pleading look and I immediately forgave him . He knew I had
already given in so he struck a dramatic pose and said, "M'lady I humbly beg thy
pardon. Canst thou find it in they most gracious and noble self to forgive me?"
"Of course" I said through a storm of giggles.
"I love making you laugh" he smiled, " Your laugh is just so beautiful,"
"Thank you" I said hoping he couldn't tell I was bushing.
AN: Once again thank you sooooo much for reading. Please review!