Doing it all Wrong

Chapter 1 - Unedited

  It was 11:52 when I bolted out of my room and down the hall to the teaching lounge. I had lessons at 11:50, that I was obviously already late for. Praying that I don't run into anyone of substance, I pick up my skirts and run faster. Bursting into the room, I drop my skirts and curtsy, smiling at Madame Josephine, my teacher. The permanently pinched look on her face grew worse as she looked at me with disappointment.

Glancing at the clock, she looks back at me and says simply, "You're late."

"I am? I had no idea!" I say, my voice laced with sarcasm.

"Miss Beaufort, At what point in your life will you realize that you will never find a husband if you are not punctual?" Madame Josephine said with disdain.

"I realized that years ago, why do you think I am always late?" Shock crosses her face.

With a sigh, Madame Josephine crosses the room with elegance to a table with books stacked almost as high as the ceiling. With a groan, I step over to the table and grab the first book off of the top, reading the title, Traditions in the Courts of New.

"This is a joke, right? I've already read this book. Twice."

"Well Miss Beaufort, until you begin to follow the practices, you will continue to read it," Madame Josephine says, "Turn to page 236 please, Traditions in Marriage." I let out a loud groan and turn to a cushioned chair a few feet away. Sitting down, I turn to page 236 and begin reading. Of course, it preaches everything I do not believe in. The ridiculous courting process gives me a headache just to read, let alone actually endure. I slip into the story, pretending that I am a distinguished young lady who does exactly as the Traditions in the Courts of New tells me. I am marrying a prince from a few districts over, we have exactly one boy and one girl, a boy to lead the kingdom and a girl to marry off.

I hear the clock chime and look up to see that it is 6 o'clock. Cursing, I slam the book shut and rush out the door, skirts in hand. As I turn the last corner to the dining room, I run into a rock hard wall and fall flat on my butt. Flustered, I sit up quickly to see a pair of piercing green eyes. I immediately stand, running my hand down my skirts in a pathetic attempt to flatten them. I stick my hand out to introduce myself, Madame Josephine would be proud.

"Owens Beaufort, my apologies for running into you sir, I was in a bit of a rush."

I watch as his eyes grow wide and his mouth drops open slightly.

"James Rolfe. Owens is a bit of an interesting name, no?" he asks.

"It is, my parents were anticipating a boy and wanted to pass down my fathers name. They figured adding an -s made my name more feminine."

"Interesting," James says, "well, I wouldn't want to make you even more late than you already are. It was nice to meet you, Miss Beaufort." I give him a nod as I turn and continue running down the hallway, this time leaving my skirts out of my fist. He is handsome, but very average looking. I plan to ask Betty who he is and develop a decent profile of the mysterious man. As I burst into the dining room, I made eye contact with my little sister, Ameera. I pan my eyes over to my father, who is rolling his eyes at my lateness, and my mother who had a small smile on her face.

"Mother, Father, Ameera, how is everyone doing on this fine day?" I say, my mood suddenly brightening.

"I am great, thank you for asking. What is the reason for your lateness?" my fathers asks with a slightly stern voice.

"Nothing of importance," I say, turning to wink at Ameera. "Although, I am curious, do you know anything about a young man by the name of James Rolfe?"

My father scoffs, "yes, I know that name, that is the boy in the kitchens. His father worked in the stables when you were young."