Letters to the front

Chapter 42 - Pack up your troubles

Alice

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The dinner gong rang at seven on the dot. To me, it was a knell, calling me to a social suicide, and a trench I would be unable to fight my way out of. Edward's engagement ring glistened on my left hand, a constant reminder to these people that I was his, but would it be enough? All I could think about was Edward and I holing up somewhere like hermits, with only each other for company, away from society; but of course, life didn't work like that, you don't get the happily ever after you always wanted, I was starting to doubt I'd get mine at all. Everytime things seemed to be resolved, the universe obviously took note of our happiness and decided to throw another obstical in our path, just to say 'did you honestly think you'd get it that easy?' 

I was wearing a new dress, one Edward bought for me in Newcastle before we came. It was black, and covered in tiny jewels and intract patterns, stopping mid calf, and showing off the black pumps he bought to match. According to the shop assistant they were all the rage in London. A hair band was put around my head to complete the look after a maid turned up at six, for which I was grateful, i'd had no idea what to do with my hair, but she'd used, what she called 'curling irons' which curled the hair artificially, so they resembled one big wave by the time she'd brushed it and finished it off. I was impressed, you couldn't curls like this naturally. 

Looking in the mirror, I'd never felt more glamorous or sophisticated in my entire life. Perfume scented my wrists and eyeliner and lipstick had been carefully applied. Brenda, the maid, looked at me as if I was some marvelous creation of hers, and she looked proud. "I knew you'd scrub up well, Miss" she said.

I smiled at her, "thank you so much, the hair is incredible" 

Brenda looked pleased by my compliment and grinned, before telling me how to get to the dining room and slipping out the room. Checking my reflection once more, I decided there was nothing more I could do other than face the judges downstairs. 

Closing my eyes, I counted to ten to steady myself before stepping out the room. The hallway was deserted, and with slow, measured steps I made my way to the drawing room. 

Carefully, I descended the stairs with as much grace as I could muster, which admittedly wasn't a lot. Edward was waiting at the bottom for me, the light from the chandelier forming a sort of halo around him, I wasn't ashamed to admit the sight of him made my heart beat faster and my pulse race. 

"You look divine" he said, lifting my gloved hand and kissing my ring finger, his eyes never left mine.I blushed, suddenly grateful I didn't have any blush with me, it would have made me tomato red at that moment, the only problem being when I wasn't blushing, I looked pale and ill. 

Edward on the other hand, was the definition of health. His skin glowed healthily, and his hair was combed back, yet still managed to be unruley, and his eyes shone with mischief that he no doubt planned to exact later. Taking my hand, he led me into the west drawing room. "We can watch the sun set in here in the evening during the summer" he explained. He was right, the sun was low in the sky, and near to setting, meaning light poured through the westward windows, and cast long shadows about the room whilst filling it with light; it was a strange illusion. The fire was not lit, most likely due to the warmth of the temperature. 

The room was papered in creamy gold paper, with ornate patterns spiralling on them, above the fire hung a portrait of a man in his late twenties, from the pre-gorgian era by the looks of it and in it he was wearing a long riding jacket, riding boots and was holding a sword in one hand. "The first Lord Hampton, George Kingston, 1700" 

I could see a very vague resemblence between the family and their predicessor, the hair was similair as was the angle of the jaw, I could see it in David's jaw, set and determined, which had been passed on to Edward. I hadn't noticed Edward leave my side, until he was handing me a drink, providing me with some much needed dutch courage. "Thanks" I said.