3-Hello and Goodbye
"Oh, he's here!" Eleanor gushed excitedly and Daria wrinkled her nose at her friend's childish behaviour.
She followed Eleanor's admiring gaze to the oak front doors; Sir Peter had just stridden in. He stood apart from everyone else, he didn't seem to want to socialise and he held his rather large nose (or so Daria thought) in the air, as if he were better than any of them.
"What could we have possibly have done wrong to be graced with his wonderful presence?" Daria asked mock curiously.
"Oh stop it Daria," Eleanor whispered harshly, hurt was evident in her voice. "Sir Peter is a very nice young man."
"Why do you keep-" But she didn't get a chance to finish her sentence because Eleanor was swanning over to Sir Peter, who looked down his nose at her with a look of pure contempt.
Daria watched them from afar for a moment before she turned away with a frown on her face and went to get a drink.
"It's beautiful, isn't it Daria?" Christine gushed as she intercepted her on her way, smoothing down her pale blue gown.
"Hmm," Daria said not really in the mood for a conversation.
The ballroom had been cleaned and polished after years of non-use. The windows were thrown open, the music floated towards them from the other end of the room and people were dancing merrily.
Christine looked at her from the corner of her eye.
"You're not still angry at me, are you?"
Daria opened her mouth, thought better of what she was going to say and closed it.
Christine smiled. "Oh come on Daria, it'll be fun!" She pinched Daria's arm cheekily.
"I'm not angry at you; it's very hard to be angry at you. I just wish I had some say in the matter…mother will not allow me to refuse," Daria said through gritted teeth, a glum expression on her face.
"I should think so too! Come on Daria, give it a chance…and cheer up, this is your party as well!"
Daria sighed noisily and smiled weakly, anything to get her cousin off her case.
"Good! You'll see, we'll have lots of fun," Christine giggled; she squeezed Daria's hand firmly and then floated away to a couple that had just arrived. Her shriek of welcome pierced Daria's ears, Daria grimaced and turned to her aforementioned destination. It was not long before Eleanor came back.
"Oh Daria, he said I look nice tonight…my heart's all aflutter!" Eleanor breathed, her cheeks flushed. She had just left Sir Peter's company.
Daria digested this information and then narrowed her eyes.
"You don't look nice any other night?"
"That's not the point. He approves of me. Do I really look nice in green?" Eleanor asked, scrutinising her gown.
"Yes. Blue, red, yellow, they're all the same," Daria told her, selecting a glass of juice.
Daria drank her juice heartily, watching Eleanor beaming over the rim of her glass. She looked like a delighted young child, as if she were about to burst out in song, or do a dance. Her cheeks were a pretty pink and her eyes were shining. Daria set down her glass to question her friend before Eleanor grabbed her by the elbow and made a bee-line through the crowd.
"Eleanor…wait, what are you doing?" Daria asked, resisting her friend's grip.
"You and I can talk to him," Eleanor said.
"You just spoke to him a minute ago."
Eleanor's smile dropped and she looked like a wounded puppy.
"Oh please Daria! You know how impor- Please…I'd really like you to come with me. You should give him a chance. For my sake."
Daria bit her lip, hesitant.
"I'm not sure. I've met him twice, and he was horrid both times. I've heard the most awful things about him, Eleanor. I don't think you should consider someone like him for an acquaintance. And anyway, you know how I hate talking to strangers," Daria said, her eyes narrowed as she observed the guests. Crowds made her feel awkward.
Eleanor was silent for a moment; she seemed to be in deep thought. Then she sighed deeply and smiled slightly at Daria.
"Alright. Your word matters greatly to me. I'll stay away from-"
"Lady Eleanor… Lady Daria," Sir Peter greeted them. Both girls stood rigid for a tense moment before Eleanor broke into a smile and curtseyed. Daria followed her lead, but less gracefully. He was only a couple of inches taller than Daria, who was very tall in her opinion. He had short, brown hair that was slicked back neatly, small dark blue eyes and a pale face. Daria didn't see what was so special about him, what on Earth did Eleanor see in him that Daria didn't?
"Hello," she said hostilely.
"We were just talking about you," Eleanor said cheerfully, and Daria wished she would stop.
"Oh? Nothing bad I hope." It wasn't quite a question so neither answered.
He had a look on his face like he could smell something bad and he looked pointedly at Daria.
Daria fumed. Eleanor looked at her questioningly but didn't get time to question her friend because Sir Peter asked,
"Would you give me the honour of the next dance, Lady Eleanor?"
Eleanor looked like all her dreams had come true.
"Ye-" Her voice came out squeaky. She cleared her throat. Daria looked between the two of them, her mouth open. Hadn't she told Eleanor to not associate herself with him anymore?
"Yes," Eleanor answered at long last and she and Sir Peter left Daria to stare after them in shock, her eyes narrowed. Eleanor looked over her shoulder at Daria and smiled from ear to ear.
Daria rolled her eyes, downed the rest of her drink and sat in a corner by herself. She had never felt so uncomfortable; the gown she was wearing was making her itch in the most unreachable places, the room was stifling and the wind coming in from the open windows did nothing against the mass of sweaty but perfumed people. She was bored. She observed Eleanor dancing with the 'dashing' Sir Peter. He was very stiff and didn't like standing too close to Eleanor which made dancing a difficult feat indeed. Daria laughed quietly as she watched them. Christine was talking with a large group of friends and seemed to be enjoying herself. Daria's mother and her aunt Henrietta were no doubt gossiping in some alcove with all the other gossip mongering women. Daria chewed her lip; uncomfortable with the looks directed towards her and the whispered words. She couldn't wait for the night to be over… but didn't want tomorrow to come.
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Daria watched grudgingly as the porter placed her luggage in the carriage; three measly suitcases compared to Christine's eight. She folded her arms crossly as she shivered in the cold morning air, Eleanor, who stood beside her was wrapped up in four layers of clothing; her coiffed chestnut hair peeking out under her hat.
"Oh Daria, I'll miss you so much…more than I miss Harvey…" Eleanor sniffed. Harvey had been her pet rabbit; he'd been eaten by a fox and Eleanor couldn't be comforted.
Daria smiled feebly; she felt like she was going to attend her funeral today, so was the atmosphere between her and Eleanor.
"Thank you Eleanor, it means a lot," she sighed. "I'll miss you more though. You had better write to me regularly or I'll snub you the next time we meet," Daria threatened lightly.
"Don't doubt me, I will," Eleanor promised, taking a hold of her friend's hand.
"Oh, I wish I didn't have to go. I'll be absolutely ridiculous beside all those other girls-"
"Daria, what's the matter? You're all pale," Christine noticed as she came out onto the driveway, her mother and Daria's trailing after her.
"Christine, I'm begging you, really, this is nonsense. I'm ill and you want to drag me across Kyrria in this unsympathetic weather, it'll be your fault if I die," Daria threw her arms in the air and sneezed noisily for dramatic affect. Eleanor raised her eyebrows. Daria had done everything in her power to not leave with Christine; this really was her last chance.
Christine hesitated. "Well, Daria…if you're-"
"Now really! Stop all this nonsense at once Daria. It's just a little 'flu, it's nothing to worry about," Her mother scolded, a hand on her hip.
"But, but-"
"No buts…come now, give me a kiss, I'll miss you terribly," Loretta said unhappily, beckoning not to Daria, but Christine.
There was an uncomfortable silence on Daria's part as she watched her mother and cousin exchanging goodbyes. Eleanor squeezed her hand comfortingly and Daria felt embarrassed that she had noticed.
"I'll miss you Daria…terribly," Henrietta said, encasing her niece in a warm hug. Daria smiled at her aunt fondly and kissed her on the cheek.
"Do look after yourself," Daria told her.
Henrietta nodded slightly and then went over to her daughter, arms outstretched.
"I love you," Eleanor said as she and Daria hugged.
"Me too," Daria agreed.
Daria somehow gravitated towards her mother. They looked at each other for a long moment. Loretta reluctantly pulled her daughter to her bosom and kissed her.
"Look after Christine," She said.
For a moment, Daria couldn't comprehend what her mother had said but then she tried to keep the tears at bay.
"I'll write to you as soon as I get there, mother, look after yourself once I'm gone and write to me also, I'll be worried sick otherwise-"
"Come on Daria, we'll be late if you don't hurry!" Christine cut in happily, from inside the carriage.
"Go on Daria, you don't want to make Christine unfashionably late," Loretta sniffed.
"I love you…" Daria whispered as she reluctantly entered the carriage.
"Don't forget to write!"
"Goodbye!"
A/N:Thanks for reviewing everyone!
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