Those Who Fall

1

  The rain was coming down in sheets against the windows as I pulled my maroon colored cloak around my shoulders and laced up my boots. Father was supposed to have been home hours ago but the rain and flooding roads must have slowed him down. Night would soon fall and the forest surrounding our estate was quite thick and known to turn around even those who had grown up traveling it. Mother would protest if she knew where I was headed but father must need help if he is stuck on one of the roads in the forest. 

I trudged out into the downpour and pulled my cloak tighter around my body. Once I reached the edge of the forest I looked back over my shoulder towards the house. I could see my tutor Mr. McNeil calling to me from the porch that wrapped around my home, but his words we're carried away by the wind. 

As I had suspected the roads had turned to mud that his wagon and coach surely could not travel in. I continued walking until at last I spotted lanterns ahead. I ran towards them ecstatic to  see father again. This trip had been excruciatingly long ; he had been gone for nearly seven months. Once I approached the lights I could see him standing beside his horse Rufus, but beside him was a boy a bit older than me. They turned to see who had approached and a look of terror crossed fathers face when he saw me. He took a step towards me and fell through the ground. The wind took his screams as the earth swallowed his body, in an instant he and his traveling party disappeared. Only then did I realize why I'd been spared from the Earth's wrath, they were on the bridge that crossed the Falls river, only a matter of feet before the Falls themselves.

~~~

I was just getting back to the stables from my trail ride when I noticed a strange carriage in front of the porch. I quickly untacked my horse Blizzard, the last gift my father gave me before his death two years ago, and rushed inside the mansion.

I did not expect to see a boy about my age sitting in the parlor with my mother.

"Come sit darling." She says to me patting the spot next to her on the sofa.

"This is Aaron Morrow," my mother says gesturing to the boy sitting across from me with green eyes and brown hair and a chiseled jaw line.

"And this is my daughter, Ardis." She said.

"It is a great pleasure to meet you at last. Your mother was just telling me all about you." He says with an unusual accent that I couldn't place.

"Aaron has come to me with a business proposal." My mother says.

"Yes, I have heard of your financial hardships and where I'm from we are very wealthy. My mother wishes for me to settle down and raise a respectable family with a respectable young woman and she has heard a lot about you and believes that we would be an ideal match." he concluded.

"So you're saying that if I except this offer I would be marrying you for your money." I say interrupting the moment of silence with a glare at the boy who thinks it proper to come in here and tell me how wealthy he is then expect me to marry him.

"Ardis, I have already excepted the offer." my mother says.

"How could you do this with out my consent!" I snap.

"Ardis Viola Falls, do not use that tone with me. The press will be here any minute. And you must act as though you are in love. So put on a smile and show Aaron the walking trails through the forest. Do you understand?"

"Yes mother." I muttered as I get up off the sofa toke hold of Aaron's arm and dragged him to the door. I turned to Aaron.

"You may put your arm around me, but you can not do anything more unless the press ask for it." I said in a stern voice.