The only room that one could really say I was living in was my bedroom. Day after day, I ate whatever Jessup, my butler and confidant, had brought up to me and grieved my pain away inside that one room and no where else. What others must have been thinking about me, I neither cared nor took to heart, for my one source of happiness was then nothing more than a wonderful memory.
Marguerite!…I felt as though I would have been driven to insanity while my heart cried out for her love and my body for the warmth she gave through the embraces we shared. My thoughts could not tear themselves away from that enticing woman no matter how much I had tried to make them, for everything I saw instantly restored her exquisite image to my head. The roses of the garden that had once been small tokens of my love for her and the clear cool water of the stream out back clearly resembled that of which ran throughout the forests of Fontainebleu where we went to hide our kisses from the public view. My God was there no end to my torment?
The daily routine of my mind went on like this for quite some time until one day I had an unexpected supporter. Answering to the pleas of my friends and servants, I had decided to go outside for a bit of fresh air, and as I was relaxing quietly, impassively on a soft bed of grass, I heard a timid voice come from behind me.
"Percy? What are you doing out here alone?"
I smiled as I pushed myself to lean on my forearm, for I could have known that childlike voice anywhere. It was Sally, one of the maids' eight-year-old daughter and the sweetest little creature you could ever meet. Her father had died just before she was born, and since then I had felt that it was my responsibility to keep watch over her. As time went on, however, I more or less felt like I had wanted to do so instead of had to, and she was fast becoming my self-entitled younger sister. When she was down, I was there to comfort her and vice versa, and how I needed her precious face then.
Since I had not answered right away, Sally repeated her question. "Percy, I asked what you were doing out here."
"Sink me my dear one but I think that you are a bit too young for this sort of trouble," I replied laughingly as she ran to lay down next to me, her golden curls bobbing the whole way.
Once she had leaned on her elbow and was at eye level with me, I could see the attempt of motherly admonishment building up on her childlike features. "I am never too young to help; tell me right now what is wrong!"
"Are you certain that you can handle it, little woman?" I asked chuckling. "Methinks it would be too much for you to think about."
"I bet you that I can help!"
Figuring it was the only way out of this little scolding, I gave into her entreaties. "All right then, but do not say I did not warn you." As she sat up by my head, I rested it back down looking up at the afternoon sky. "You know about all of those stories I told you about dragons, princesses, and such of long ago, yes?" She nodded as I laughed a bit at the fact that I was telling my woes to an eight-year-old, but I did continue. "Well, while I was away making my leg better, you would have never guessed it, but I met what must have been one of those princesses."
"Really?" she asked intrigued and her eyes growing wide. "Was she nice?"
"The nicest of them all, m'dear."
"Was she…pretty?" she asked with a teasing laugh.
"Prettier than any picture could show or any story could tell."
"Do you love her?" she urged me impatiently.
"Yes, Sally, I do love her very much…and that was what I am so sad about."
At this, she looked at me a little shocked. "Why are you sad about that? Even I know that is a good thing, Percy," she said enforcing her 'I' matter-of-factly.
"Sally, she is not rich like I am or English either."
"And that is bad because…?"
"If I marry her, I would have to bring her home with me. However, people will not like her if she is not rich or English, and I do not want her to be unhappy because of them."
Looking at me and seeming to understand, Sally put her hands on her hips and gave her answer in a very authority-like voice. "Percy Blakeney, what is the one thing that you have teached me about other people?"
I laughed since I had seen that comment coming eventually. "That it does not matter what other people think about something as long as you know it is good thing."
"That is right. Now what are you going to do about the princess?"
"I am going to think some more, and then we shall see."
Groaning a little, she replied, "All right, if that is what you want, but promise me that I will at least get to see what she looks like."
"You will, sweetheart, I promise. Now be a dear and come with me so that we may get ready for the ball tonight." As we rose and began to walk back to the house, I added playfully, "And Sally, it is 'taught' not 'teached'."
With that, she responded by chasing me down the path before I finally turned around and flung her over my shoulder, our laughter blending harmoniously. For some time, my pain could be at ease.
* * * * *
Good Lord I will never understand these blasted parties! I thought as I stood at the steps of Blakeney Manor dressed in my finest ruby satin with Tony and Andrew alongside of me and Sally gripping my hand. It was the evening of my Aunt Agatha's birthday, and I had promised my cousin, her son Reginald, that the gala would be at my home. After all, the young jackanapes was my favorite, and I would have done anything for him despite the fact that my aunt was the most annoying woman I had the displeasure of knowing. She had been my caretaker for a few good years during my schooling and even though I had grown up since then, she still treated me as if I were a young boy.
"Lady Agatha Blakeney, baroness and her son, Sir Reginald Blakeney, bart.!" the valet announced near the doorframe.
"Ah well, my friends, here goes everything!" I said under my breath as our famous dandified smiles crept over our faces. "Good luck to you all with the old snake; Lord forgive me!"
As she approached with Reggie at her side, Aunt Agatha's face, wrinkled with age, came into our view and Sally hid her eyes into my coat. Smiling comfortingly at her, I held her hand tighter as I walked to the old woman storming toward us, Tony and Andrew following behind.
"Aunt Aggie!" I exclaimed flippantly. "It has been far too long! My how…well you look, auntie!"
In reply, she looked at me, angered by my usual attitude. "Do not give me that, Percival, for I believe you lie to me."
Offering my arm, which she accepted, I frowned with the full lip pout that Sally had taught me. "Lud love me, Aunt Aggie, you dishonor me! You have never looked better!" Not that you ever did, but what can one do? "Now, auntie, you remember my good friends Lord Antony Dewhurst and Sir Andrew Ffoulkes, correct?"
"Oh yes…" she began snobbishly at the sight of them. Agatha was always a hard woman to please, and so of course Andrew and Tony did not take offence to her annoyance. "Now Percy I must speak with you instantly."
Leading our group into the ballroom, where Agatha was greeted with respects, I asked, "Oh come come, auntie! This is a celebration; must we speak of this now?"
"Yes, and you know that I did not only want this ball for my birthday. I wanted it for you…to make a long awaited choice that I should have made years ago."
"Aunt Aggie really now! Marriage should not be discussed so openly like this."
"Percival, you are getting to the point in your life when you should have been married already. After all, what should happen to the Blakeney future if you do not?"
"Lud but don't you mean to say what would happen to the Blakeney fortune if I did not?" I answered sarcastically.
"Yes that as well, but Percival, you really must start considering it. I promised my brother, your father, may he rest in peace, that you and the family's future shall be better. Algernon was my favorite, you know that, and as you are his son, I want to keep you as well-bred and well-kept as I would Reginald."
I was really uncertain whether I should have taken that as a compliment or another one of her famous complaints. Still I groaned, "Auntie, if I would like to marry, I shall, but until then I have more important things to worry about. This coat for example; I must get it to my tailor as soon as possible to have it fixed up!"
"Percival is that all you care about?" she entreated irritated.
Not completely but the other thing would make you even more upset. "I have a reputation to keep, milady! May the Lord forbid that I step into the public eye in a ill cut coat!"
"I will never understand you, wretched boy," she grunted continuing to follow my leading escort.
However, our walk around the room was interrupted as the valet called out in an announcing fashion, his voice nervously trembling. "May I have the permission to announce a guest who asks pardon for an unexpected appearance?"
As the crowd went silent with interest, and Agatha looking surprised, I answered curiously, "Of course my good man! Out with it now, the name of this mysterious guest!"
"Then may I present…Citizeness Marguerite St Just of Paris, France!"