Crowns And Shadows (MXM) (Book 1)

III: Strolls

Rowan

Do you know the saying, 'You catch more flies with vinegar than with honey' or something like that? Actually this situation had nothing to do with flies or honey but I believe the expression described the situation perfectly. After the ball, just three days later, my mother had arranged for me and Hyacinth to get to know each other better. She hoped we would spark a connection and would be a perfect match considering we both had an interest in literature. I was the fly and Miss Hyacinth was the honey. Or she was the one trying to attract me with honey. Yeah... that sounds right.

Now, please do not take this the wrong way. Hyacinth was in fact a lovely young woman. Her silky brown hair lay ever so gently on her shoulders in beautiful, delicate curls. Her dress on this particular afternoon was beautifully tailored from fine silk and embellished with intricate lace and subtle ruffles on the bodice and sleeves. The pearl detailing and embroidery reflected her elegance and sophistication while the soft and delicate shade of periwinkle really brought out her beautiful blue eyes while at the same time enhanced her fair skin tone. The periwinkle hues also created a soft and romantic look adding a touch of femininity and grace to her stature. Her pearl necklace was very subtle and matched the similar pearl pins in her hair and the dainty earring that adorned her ear lobes. I could not see her shoes underneath the dress but imagined some low-heeled satin shoes for comfort and perhaps some cotton stockings as well. All in all, she was the embodiment of poise even from the way she walked; upright posture with small delicate steps. Her movements were smooth and controlled. One would look for imperfections and die trying.

I know how I sound right now but I promise that I am not a pervert. I simply like to observe and take mental notes of all those around me. And as for my knowledge in the area of women's clothing styles and preferences, I have a sister and that should sum up everything. I cannot recollect all the times she had me sit in her room while she modelled all her new dresses that arrived from the dressmaker. Half the time my opinions did not matter at all because at the end of the day, she had not called me in to ask but simply to show. This included her going into meticulous explanations of how one dress differed from the other and why this or that dress was better in terms of comfort and elegance. It was safe to say that I was an expert.

But back to Miss Hyacinth... Despite her moral uprightness and generally flawless demeanor, she was much too agreeable. She did not counter any of my opinions. This may seem like the dream to most men but I quite enjoyed a debate. A little argument every now and then

We continued our walk through my mothers garden and she said, "I've noticed the prevalence of forget-me-nots and white azaleas in the gardens. Your mother's preference perhaps?" She was right. The two flowers were some of my mother's favorites and my father didn't hesitate to fulfil her wishes to have a garden full of them. There were ,however, also roses and lilies that added to the vibrance of the scene.

"And what do you think of the sky and the weather today?" I asked. She glanced up at the sky and replied, "Well, I think it's a beautiful day. It's calm yet not too warm and the sky is clear as well. The most beautiful shade of blue." To further test my theory, I said, "I happen to believe the sky looks quite green today." As I guessed, she stopped in her tracks and took a second look at the sky quizzically. I waited on her for a reply and finally, she uttered, "Really? I suppose if you look at it a bit too long, it has a bit of a greenish tint to it. Maybe it's the sun in your eyes? Or perhaps all the greenery around us?"

I suppressed the laugh I had in my throat and instead let out a light-hearted chuckle. "Do you find something to be amusing?" she asked. She had lost a bit of composure but she soon masked it with a small smile. To relieve her stress, I replied, "I was simply teasing you. You are much too agreeable and just go along with everything that I say. I would very much like to hear your own interests and opinions without just echoing mine. I mean... do you even like strolls?"

She seemed speechless for a moment and looked down to the ground as though it would tell her what to do. Seeing her confusion continue to build, I added, "I greatly apologize if I may have come off as rude. What I meant was I would like to get to know you as a person. Your dislikes and your preferences. I feel as though you've just been quoting what I say since we began this promenade. You even agreed that the sky is green when it's perfectly blue. As far as I know, I don't think the sky has ever been green before."

She finally looked back up at me and all around the garden then said, "I'm sorry. It would feel a bit strange to just speak my mind. My mother would chew me out if she heard of such a thing." She then glanced behind me at the chaperone. To ensure propriety, it was not odd to have a chaperone watching us. "He will not say a word. I doubt he can hear us anyway," I assured her. It was true. He watched from a distance. Close enough to ensure decency but far enough to give us privacy. She finally spoke after a few moments and said, "I do enjoy the strolls. Especially when the scenery is as beautiful as this. But I would much rather paint and visit the art gallery. Mother, however is not too fond of my choice of leisure. Father is more forgiving but I am getting older and even he's getting a little concerned with my disinterest in marriage." She gasped and covered her mouth as though she shouldn't have said that. She began to apologize, "I'm so sorry. I did not mean to phrase it like that."

I could hear the subtle tremble in her voice and in an attempt to ease that, I said, "Please, I would like to hear more. What do you like to paint? I may not exactly be much of an expert but I believe there's quite a number of paintings on the castle walls if you would like to see." Seeing that I hadn't done much to relax her, I added "I will pretend as though I did not hear the last part since I may be on the same boat. Perhaps with time, as my mother says, we would both grow open to the idea?"

She brightened up a bit and replied, "Maybe it would be better if I just went home. I've been here a good while and would not want to take up too much time out of your day." With a curtsy she excused herself and met her lady in waiting in the parlor. After our final goodbyes, she left for home. I could tell that she was embarrassed by how our conversation had ended and despite it not having been entirely my fault, I still felt awful about it because I did insinuate that I wasn't considering marriage with her either.

During the evening meal, as expected, my mother brought up my time with Hyacinth. "So Rowan, how did you find Miss Hyacinth?"

Swallowing my food, I replied, "She was charming mother. And I'm sure Aria would quite enjoy her company."

"Am I to believe you would like to see her again?" My mother was very hopeful since she hardly got positive feedback from me when it came to women. I considered seeing Hyacinth again to remedy how our meeting that day ended. So I replied, "She was surprisingly a delight. I'm thinking maybe next time, I would like to go the art gallery in the town."

"Oh? I didn't take you to be much of an art enthusiast."

"Maybe Hyacinth's beauty has challenged me to find something that compares."

My father hardly spoke on the matter of my courtship but he too seemed intrigued by my change in attitude. I could not come out and just say that I felt that I owed Hyacinth after how we had left off. Still, it was great to see the glimmer of hope in my parents' eyes. And if I was being honest, I too thought maybe we would be a match if i just gave it a chance for once.