Do You Trust Me?

The invitation

It's been almost three weeks since that day. I still haven't stopped thinking about that man not even for a minute. There's so much to think about, like 'does he come from a poor family?, does he like to read?, or what did he think about me when we first met?' The list goes on and on.

My mother told my father about what I did that day also, he wasn't please at all that I was speaking my mind as always. Instant he become more strict about everything I did on a daily basis. Before, he didn't mind me doing small things like not standing up straight or having a unpleasant look on my face, but now he scolds me telling me 'I need to be more strict on you, so you wouldn't commit another act like that again.'

Even though my father was being unbelievably strict I still managed to take early morning walks when he wasn't awake, and even late night walks with my Saint Bernard, Sebastian. I would walk to the woods but, not very far just enough to see someone coming or going out of the woods. Since two weeks ago I have been taking these walks in hopes to find him or for him to find me.

"I guess he isn't here again, Sebastian." I said to my dog with a disappointing tone. "Come on, we must go back before father realize I'm gone." Sebastian barked and we walked back.

I was sitting in a big pink chair in the living room, in front of the fireplace, and reading a book. I was starting to get very angry with the main character of the book I was reading because, she had left her love of her life for a man who her parents arranged her with. The girl told her lover that 'It's for your own good and I need to let you go.' I didn't understand what she meant or care to. I wouldn't be this mad if the arranged man she marrying wasn't verbally abusive. I began to scrunch up my face in irritation.

"Don't do that to you face, Iris you'll get wrinkles." My father said as he walked closer to me. "I'll do as I please, father." I snapped back at his comment. "No man wants a young woman with wrinkles, Iris." "Well, I suppose I'll have to find one who does, father." I said back with a grin on my face. "You'll be looking forever then, Iris." He slowly said. " Well in that case...good!" I said happily jumping in my chair. My father stopped looking at me and looked at the fireplace. "Oh Iris, you are still as stubborn as when you were a child." "And your point is?" I question my father. "My point is Iris, you need to grow up and accept your fate that is coming to you." He hissed. I said nothing, because what would have come out of my mouth would have me locked up in the room for weeks.

"Come on, it's dinner time. We no longer need to speak of this conversation." He told as he walked out of the living room to head to the dining hall. I sighed as I got up from my pink chair to follow after him.

I sat down in the sit across my father waiting for my food. " What's for dinner today, father?" I question as I smell something delicious in the air. "Beef soup, Iris." My father replied while organized his utensils. When the Beef soup was placed in front of me I couldn't help, but come up with an idea to annoy my father. I begin making clicking noises with my spoon and started slurping my soup with a child like grin on my face. My father's eyebrow began to twitch " Iris?" " Yes, father?" I gave him an innocent look.

"Do not slurp your soup, Iris... it's very childish" " What do you mean, father? I wasn't doing such thing as childish as that." I lied. It was silent again before I began slurping my soup once again. " Iris!" My father yelled. " yes?" I said calmly to my father with smile looking up at him. "Stop that. Now!" He snap almost popping the vain on his forehead. " Yes, father." I said smiling looking back at my food. I waited. I waited a very long five minutes, till I took a big slurp from my soup that echoed in the dining hall.

" IRIS, THAT IS IT-..." my father's screaming was cut off by Ethel running into to dining room yelling "We've been invited to a ball, we've been invited to a ball!" " Ethel, what in the bloody hell are you going on about?" My father hissed still mad from my inappropriate table manners.

"Father!" Ethel yelled running to him. "We've been invited to a ball, but you won't believe!  The invitation is from the Devol family!" " The Devol family?" I question as I snatched the invitation out of Ethel's hand. "What's going on in here?" My mother yelled as she walked in the dining hall with a unpleased look on her face. " Mother, Mother we've been invited to a ball! Oh read what it saids Iris!" Ethel said while shaking me. "Alright! I'll read it. it says...

'Dear Templetons

You and all the townspeople have been invited to a grand ball at the Devol's Manor. We well be celebrating Mrs.Devol's son's 21st birthday next week. Friday, the 15th, in the evening. Please dress regalia, hope to see you soon.

The Devols.'"

"Mother aren't the Devol family fabulously wealthy?" Ethel asked. " Yes, dear they are. If they were any more wealthy they might as well be royalty indeed!" My mother said while rolling her eyes in disbelief. "But, mother the Devols have been accused for murders throughout history, there the most feared family in England. We are not going!" I hissed while walking out of the dining hall.

" But Iris, we must go! We haven't been invited to a ball in years! Don't you agree, father!?" Ethel said excitedly shaking my father arm. " Well... I supposed we should since you want to so much dear." My Father said while smiling at Ethel. "But, father we can't they are a dangerous family!" I yelled. "Iris, we are going and that is final! Do you understand?" My father yelled. " But father-..." " Do you understand!?" My father screamed as his face began turning red. "Yes. Yes, I understand." I whispered looking down at my feet.

"Good, now head off to bed. You've been such troublesome all day." My father demented as he walked back to the dining hall with my mother. " I need to go pick out a dress. This is perfectly splendid I can't wait!" Said Ethel as she ran upstairs to her bedroom. I waited for 2 minutes, Standing in the hallway before walking up to my bedroom.

"They never listen to me." I mumbled as I laid on my bed. "I can't believe we are going to a murderous ball, if we get murdered they better not blame me for not stopping them." I sighed as I rolled around in my bed irritated by my parents decision to go. "Sebastian, is it too late to run away and join the circus?" I asked my dog whom was sitting beside the bed, and then barked twice to answer my question. " Yeah. I thought that would be your answer." I sighed another time reading the invitation again.

' You and all the townspeople?' I thought to myself as I kept rereading those same words in my head. "Wait, that means everyone from the town will be there, Sebastian!" I told my dog who tilted his head to the side. "This might be perfect, Sebastian. If everyone from town goes then maybe Mr. Mysterious would be there too...right?" I question if he would be there or not. "You think he'll be there Sebastian?" I asked my dog, but before he could answer my question Bella walked in.

"Who well be there, Lady Iris?" Bella asked as she walked towards me. "No one Bella haha. Why are you here?" "Oh already Lady Iris, and I am here to take off you corset like always." She replied with a confused look on her face. " Oh! Oh yes, right my apologies." I said realizing I still had my corset on. I moved in front of Bella, so she can it off.

When Bella was done she said "goodnight" and walked out of my room. I waited a while before hopping into bed to talk to Sebastian. " Well do you think he'll there, Sebastian?" I asked my dog again, who Bark once to answer my question. " Yes, you are right Sebastian there is no way of telling!" I yelled while hugging my pillow.

"That's it. I am going!" I said while getting up from laying down to sitting. "Even if he may not be there I am still going! Maybe he might be there, I just need to look at every man's left hand to see if it's him or not...ooohhh who am I kidding I don't have the patience for that." I said while laying back down.
"I hope you are there Mr.Mysterious, let's just hope faith is on my side." I whispered falling into a deep sleep.