Sometimes it snows in April

rules and silence

I dedicate the time before the ball entirely in teaching April all about etiquette I start with the basic food rules.

"So April, the most basic ones are obvious: not talking while you are eating, swallowing before eating more, break bread with your hand, not a knife, and if you butter it, don't butter all of it. A piece of bread on a fork may be used to soak up gravy or soup, don't touch it with your finger though, only clear consomme shall be drunk from the bowl and only if the bowl has handles. Soup is spooned away from you and the bowl can be tilted away too. Never eat before the host starts. These are the basic rules so if you fuck any of these up you're basically fundamentally fucked. Here are the fundamental do not do's. One: chew with your mouth open, secondly: talk with food in your mouth. Third: mash or mix food on your plate, fourth: blow on hot food or drinks, fifth use fingers to push food unto your utensils. Then we skip to the less basic rules, serviettes belong on your lap, nowhere else, a small one shall be opened fully a big one will be kept folded in half with the folded half towards you. It shall not leave the lap untill you are done with eating. Done? Lose folds and place it on the left side of the plate. Don't cut more than three bites at the time. Soup spoon, dessert spoons etc. are supposed to be placed unto the service plate when finished eating. You shall always pass food and plates to your right. You should initiate passing even if you don't want any of the food on the plate. Jugs and other things of that kind shall be passed with the handle towards the recipient. Never ever ever reach across the table. It's normal to bring a little present for the host so wine or chocolates, perhaps flowers. I'll take care of that. Give your coat to a waiter or doorman. If there's a need to use the lavatory excuse yourself and don't make a fuss about it, don't ask people where they're going when they excuse themselves. Elbows don't belong on tables, that's what my mom used to say. Don't lean back or slouch, posture shall be perfect at all times. Don't smoke during a meal, mostly after you smoke. Only use ashtrays. Don't touch your hair at all when you're eating. Now we move on to the real heavy stuff, setting if the table etc. The utensils are arranged in courses, the outermost is the first and you work your way inward. The only fork to be held with you right is the oyster or seafood fork. The silverware will tell you what courses they'll be serving. At the top of the plate are your dessert utensils, if it's time slide them down to the place they belong. To eat dessert, break the dessert with the spoon, one bite at a time. Push the food with the fork into the spoon. Eat from the spoon. Red wine glasses are relatively round and shall be held at the base of the bowl. Resulting in a nice room temperature. White wine is served in a larger glass with a longer stem and shall be held at the base of the stem. Which is also true for other chilled wines. Wine glasses are simple, the one closest to you us the first. 1)sherry by the soup 2)white wine accompanying the chicken or fish course 3)red wine 4) water there may be others but these are the basics. A sorbet will be served in between courses to clean you palate, this is not dessert. And the spoon will be brought with it. If you want butter at some point look for the butter knife near the butterdish don't use this to butter your bread though, this is used to transfer butter to your side plate. At the end of the main course there will be fingerbowls to clean your hands but you know about them right??" He nods. "Almost done, seating: Men and women should be alternately seated, couples will be separated. You should ride when a lady leaves or returns to the table. And the males are expected to seat females. Lastly what to do if you make mistakes? If you spill something ask for sparkling water, don't use your glass if water and napkin. If someone spills something offer them a napkin don't try to mop it up, offer to pay for the laundering it a new uten when it's your fault, scrap that do it even if it's not. Burp? Cover you mouth with you napkin and if course say pardon me. That's all I guess." "Wow, that's a lot." I nod. "It is, that's why we are taught etiquette from a very young age." He writes a few things down. "What do you want to wear?" I ask him. He looks at me, a little stunned. "I have no fucking idea. Shouldn't you tell me?" "Well, white tie is traditional but that doesn't mean you have to do it." "I don't want to cause any disrespect." "You can consult someone I'll hire for you" I say while handing him a cup of tea. I look at the time. "Shit, I need to go love. I'll be back soon." He pecks me on my cheek and grabs his car keys.

I'm waiting. The white walls make me uncomfortable. My leg trembles. I'm nervous of what's to come. I try not to cough but I'm not very successful. I shake all thoughts out of my head. They call my name. I walk towards the doctors office. I sigh. The doctor shakes my hand. "Are you ready sir?" I nod. They inject me with a special thing so it will show up on the pet-ct scanner. Now I'll have to wait some time and then they'll do the scan. I feel extremely guilty about lying to April but if it's nothing I don't have to worry him. I don't know how to tell him and who to tell if it's real though. What the fuck am I going to do? I have no idea. I lie down on the machine. It's so weardly big and very unhumanly white. I can't help but feel tears appearing in my eyes. "So, it'll be quite a long time. I could give you music if you'd like that sir? Or you can just lay here." "Music would be delightful thank you." She gives me headphones with radio playing. I need to lay as still as possible. I close my eyes, just to be gone from here for a second. When I'm done they tell me when the next appointment is for the results.

April pov

I'm simply walking through the house, there's been so many places I've never seen in here. Theo sqid I'm allowed to be anywhere except a particular room in the left wing, be doesn't even go there. But that makes me even more curious. I enter a big room with big stain glass windows on the other side. On all the walls there are hanging paintings, there are tags written beside them I look at them when I see that they look like Theo two in particular when I read the label it makes sense. One is a portrait of basil and the other a portrait of their father. On the place nearest to the windows there's a beautiful portrait of Theo. Looking dapper but lost in thought. It looks as if it's from another century, the eyes have a light that seems to be dimmed almost as if his real thoughts are asleep. "I thought you might be here" I hear in his gentle but refined voice. "Welcome to the hall of Cavendish" he says. I nod. He looks at the portrait. "It's horrid isn't it?" He comments. I shake my head. "I think it's absolutely beautiful my love." He smiles. "If I'd know that I wouldn't live for very long, what would you do?" He asks. I look at him, he has tears in his eyes, I don't ask why but I know this means something. "I'd enjoy every last minute with you, and not waste any time." He smiles. I kiss him. I unbotton his shirt when bartholomew sddenly appears. "Oh I'm sorry" Theo laughs and whispers in my ear. "let's take this somewhere where we shall not be disturbed."

The next morning the sun shines through the window. I look at his serene face. His tiny urls frame his face. His white skin makes him look vunerable but majestic in the light of the sun. As if he's a china doll or a sickly victorian teen  on the brink of death. I play with his hair. I lay my head on his chest. His bare chest is warm on my cheek. This is a life I've dreamed of, well not precisily even in my wildest dreams I wasn't in love with a prince but that doesn't matter to me. For me he's just Theo. Humble Theo with a not so humble life. I don't know if I didn't love him I'd envy or pity him. His eyes flutter open to reveal his blue eyes. We stare at eachother, love in both or eyes. I want to break the silence but Theo put his finger gently on my lips. He smiles a crooked smile. His eyes twinkling. He whispers, so hushed that I can hardly hear it "We don't need words, mon âme"