The red chair I was sitting in slightly sagged under my meager weight. I hung my head as Father paced in front of me, lecturing. "Face it, Maria, you cannot deny that you are nineteen years old without a husband. You are aware that you don't grow more attractive as you grow older, are you not? The minister's son is a perfectly fine man. Why do you decline his hand in marriage?" "I cannot marry someone I do not love. And the minister's son is an old geezer with-" "There you go again with that slang language of yours! Speak like a lady, Maria Nicole!" My shoulders slumped more with every word he spoke. "I will NOT have a disrespectful daughter! Straighten up and go to your room before I get really angry and do something I will regret!"
I stood quickly with my head still down, lifted my dress hem, and scuttled up the wooden staircase. When I sat down at my vanity and pulled the pins out of my curly dark chocolate brown hair and let it cascade over my shoulders. I wasn't sure why I was always told to keep it up because it looked simply beautiful over my light satiny lilac dress, which was, at the moment, suffocating me. I opened my closet and found a simple black summer dress that would be looser and more accommodating. Accommodating for what? I asked myself. And that was when I knew what I was going to do.
Rushing to the washroom, I slipped off my purple slippers and stalked to the sink. I proceeded to wet my hands and rub the powder off my face to reveal the natural pink of my cheeks. Why did I always have to wear the stuff? It only made my face dry and pasty. I'd heard once that girls in Europe didn't have to wear it. Apparently makeup was looked down upon by their queen.
Back in my bedroom, I quickly slipped the lilac gown off and slid into the black dress. When I turned to glance in the mirror, I saw that my waist was still being held by my corset. (Wearing one every day for the past four years had made me absentminded about the choking effects of the corset.) Quickly I beckoned our maid, Ethel.
"Hello, Miss Maria, how can I help you?" She asked with a smile, outlined by lines that showed she was accustomed to much smiling in her sixty-seven years. Ethel was the only person I could trust ever since my childhood friend, Margaret had been married to Charles Albert, the very man my father had intended me to marry; wealthy and industrious. It had all been a huge scandal, and I was forbidden from speaking to Margaret, Mister Albert, or Any of the conjoined families.
"Will you help me loosen my corset a bit? I'm feeling faint." As she began to untie and retie each bow I began. "Ethel, I need you to keep quiet. I am leaving. I may or may not be back, but if I'm coming back, it'll be tonight. I'm tired of father always telling me how I'm not getting younger and I have to marry. I plan to go find a potential husband tonight."
Ethel looked up with an alarmed look on her eyes suddenly deepening her wrinkles and gaining about ten years in seconds. She stood in silence for a few minutes. "Yes, miss. Anything you need, but please be careful, dear. I would hate for anything to happen to you." "Will you distract Father, then?" I asked hopefully. She simply nodded and said "Yes, dear, I will. Count to one hundred after I close your door and come through the kitchen. I'll distract him."
The door shut gingerly behind her. 1... 2... 3... Did I look okay? 11... 12... 13... Would any potential husband take me this way? 26.... 27... 28.... Would I get caught? 34... 35... 36... I slipped a silky black hooded cloak on, though I wouldn't need it; it was far too warm. 55... 56... 57... My pale, slender hands shook with anticipation. 69... 70... 71... I was so close to the future. 89... 90... 91... I began to stride toward the door, barefoot, my black boots in hand... 98...... 99...... 100.
I gently pushed open the door, which mad a horrid creaking sound. I winced. Why did it have to be so loud? Thankfully, it didn't creak as I shut it behind me. I tiptoed down the steps, carefully avoiding the creaky 5th step. As I passed the red chair I had been sitting in just a few hours before, wondering if I'd ever be back. You'll be back... I told myself. You'll be back, and you'll have a potential husband. One that you want to spend your life with.
I heard a booming sound, followed by a crash. "YOU FOOLISH WOMAN!" I heard father scream. "I-I-I'm sorry, sir, I was only polishing the coat of arms when it fell and..." Ethel was cut off by father's angry growl and I heard the woman scream. She whimpered in pain. Oh no, what had I asked Ethel to do? When Father gets into a mood like this, he could kill someone! A tear slipped down my cheek as I reached my hand out to grab the door handle and walk out. I pushed open the door and walked out into the warm summer's night.
