Cora

Part 2

Part 2

I walked into the hotel room, adjusting my dress and patting down my hair to make sure it was in place. Aunt Madeline had come over to visit and she always fussed over my appearance. Looking around, I wondered where everyone was. Daddy was nowhere in sight and the last time he was here, he was telling me to get ready for Aunt Madeline’s visit. I frowned, where were they? As I stopped walking and quieted down to listen, I heard the muffled voices of two people. Curious again, I quietly tiptoed over to the closed door of daddies master bedroom and pressed my ear against it to hear better.

 “Charles, you can’t keep moving her from place to place like this all the time! All she ever does is trudge through mud and bug infested swamps in unflattering clothing – it’s very unladylike!” my aunt Madeline exclaimed. “And what about her schooling? She’s been jumping from country to country since she was 7! She’s 14 now – that’s half her life so far. Just think of what Hollace would have thought!” My eyes widen and I slap a hand over my mouth so I wouldn’t make any noise. Hollace was my mother, the woman I never met who had died giving birth to me. And it sounded as if Aunt Madeline was talking about me…

 “Perhaps I should take her with me. Hollace would’ve wanted her to act more proper and lady like.” I could hear my father as he walked around. I guessed he was stressing since my aunt followed with, “Charles, you must simply calm down.”

 “How can I? This is my daughter we’re talking about. She means the world to me.” He replied. “Sure, I may know nothing on how to train her to be a proper, but still…” he trailed off unsure of how to continue his statement. I heard shuffling inside of the room. It sounded like people were walking around.

“Charles,” she began, “she will be turning 15 in a month. Keeping her in home school will not do her any good. She has no friends and spends whatever free time she has roaming in the jungles and playing in the mud. That isn’t the type of life my late sister would’ve wanted for her.”

 I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. Was she seriously going to take away to live with her? Before I could get lost in my thoughts, I continued to listen in.

“…” My father couldn’t argue about that with my aunt. He seemed to have been rendered speechless. “Charles,” my aunt lifted the silent barrier, “let me help her. I’ll take her with me and teach her to be the proper lady that Hollace would’ve wanted. I can help her get into a good school and earn some friends as well. That way, she not only gains new friends and more knowledge of the world, but she also could begin to become the proper lady Hollace would’ve wanted.” The room was left in silence for at least five minutes or so. Then my daddy spoke, “…Okay, you win. I do lack the knowledge of how to properly train Cora into a fine and proper young lady. Perhaps it would be best to allow you to take her with you.”

I moved my head away from the door in utter disbelief. Did I hear what I just thought I heard? I quickly got up and raced away from the door. I couldn’t see them, not like this I could. I needed to be alone – I needed to think. And I knew the perfect place.

 I sat inside my little cave and pondered about what I had just learned. Aunt Madeline couldn’t make daddy send me away to live with her…could she? After all, she was my aunt. Did I want to leave? No, I didn’t. How could I prove to my aunt that I was ladylike and proper? I didn’t know. I sat against the cold, smooth surface and brought my legs up to my chest. I rested my head on my knees while I hugged my legs.

Then it hit me. I lifted my head and felt a small smile creep onto my face. That was it! I could cut a deal with my aunt! I could prove to her – and to my daddy – that I could be proper and ladylike. I had a month before I turned 15.

Authors Note: Okay... this part was a little shorter but it's a lead in to the rest of the story. Comment and tell me what you think so far!~ :)

~*~MasqueradeMagic~*~