applepie

[I]Here's another chapter already. I was trying to decide if I wanted to make the next one part of this, but I think it is long enough on its own. You can likely expect that I'll have chapter 11 up in the next day or two.

Enjoy,
Meg[/I]

Chapter 10

Philomina was flitting around a spacious dressing room pulling things from every drawer, trunk, and corner. The room looked as if a hurricane had moved through with the amount of gowns, shoes, belts, and decorative hair nets scattered around. The floor was littered with piles of dresses that Philomina had determined did not suit Arabella, and at least the same number had been taken below for some alterations.

“This will be perfect for tonight. It will only need to have a few changes to make it fit. You have a tinier waist than my mother did, but other than making the waist a bit smaller it is a perfect fit. You can wear it with this,” She had pulled a silver colored collar from one of her drawers. It was dotted with stones that looked like opals. They glistened with a fire of canary yellow, sea foam green, and midnight blue. “No one will know that you are not some lucky lord’s lady. The only thing that will give you away is your face, but I can do nothing to change that.” Philomina had said the last with a wink to be sure Arabella know that she was not being critical.

Arabella looked down at the gown that she had on and sighed. She was trying to blend it, but she was not sure that she could in such an exquisite gown. It was the same color as her eyes, but it was much darker in shade. She knew that it suited her perfectly, and it was sure to set off her dark hair and pale complexion. It was on the tip of her tongue to refuse the gown and request that she be dressed in something a little less lavish. Her woman’s pride prevailed, however, because she could not bring herself to really wish that she look dowdier. Arabella was determined to fit into this society the best that she was able, and one of the only ways to do that was to look as if she belonged here. She was very aware of the fact that she was more likely to be accepted if she appeared to be a lady of this world. Even if she didn’t have the correct bone structure, and she could not hide that her ears were not pointed, she would fit better if she had the veneer of a lady.

“Are you sure that this will be suitable for me to wear this evening?”

“There is nothing more perfect for you to wear tonight. You are sure to dazzle everyone present, and this will make it easier for you to be introduced,” Philomina replied. There was a devilish look in her eyes that made Arabella a little wary, but whatever Philomina’s private amusement there seemed to be nothing cruel about it.

In the hours they had spent together since lunch, Arabella had decided that she was going to like this vivacious sister of Allarick’s. She seemed to light up a room when she entered with her outgoing personality. Philomina was kind to everyone. The servants looked upon her with charmed affection, and no one seemed to be able to escape her radiant smile. There was no mistaking that her eyes often took on a mischievous gleam, and she seemed to be enjoying her own private joke. Arabella was certain that there was no malicious intent within the young woman, but she wondered what had her in such a fine humor.

“If you will take off the gown, we will send it to the seamstress. You can wear one of my nightgowns while we are waiting for it to be returned. As long as we stay within my rooms, no one will know that you are not properly dressed,” Philomina sensed that Arabella was trying to figure out her thoughts, so she quickly changed the subject to something that would keep them occupied until dinner. “Are you ready to begin lessons on what you will need to know to behave properly at the evening meal?”

“Is there very much that I will have to remember? I fear that I’m not very good with all of the little details surrounding etiquette. I’ve spent too many nights taking my meals at my place of work with Vern.”

Philomina noted the sadness in Arabella’s eyes at the mention of Vern. She had only been able to determine that this Vern individual was someone who both loved and was loved by Arabella. “We can wait to start lessons. Will you tell me about Vern? I’ve heard you mention his name a few times now, and I find that I am curious to know who he is.” Philomina didn’t add that she was prying a little to be sure that Vern was not a lover or mate. She was determined that Arabella was the right person to mate with her brother, and if she already had a mate then that would be impossible.

She knew that their laws dictated that the Syine was to never mate, but Philomina was sure that her brother could change them for the right woman. She had long thought that the banning of a mate for the Syine was outdated, and would not their ruler better serve the people if he had someone to remind him of the good in life. In the years since he had become Syine, Philomina had watched her brother slowly withdrawn from everyone around him. Once he had laughed and teased, but he was too weighted down with responsibility to remember what these things were. Allarick had become a stranger to her, and she longed to see her brother returned to some semblance of his old self. He would never be able to achieve the greatness he was capable of if he did not have something, or someone, to keep him from becoming some untouchable tyrant that had no real care for those around them.

“Vern is like a father to me,” Arabella was saying when Philomina roused from her own musings, “He has been so for many years, and much of our time is spent together working, and conversing. We even take vacations together so that we can force the other to take a break. I don’t remember the last time I was home that didn’t include at least one meal with Vern. I can only imagine how worried he is at the moment. He doesn’t even know that I’m alright. I’m lost, but I am still safe and sound if you disregard that one fact.”

Philomina laid a consoling hand on Arabella’s shoulder and pulled her in for a quick embrace. She pitied the woman, but she was also rejoicing to know that Vern was nothing more than a close friend and parental figure. She hoped that her plan to crack her brother’s icy reserve would work. Maybe, just maybe, Arabella would be able to stay with them instead of returning to her own world. She secretly hoped that there would be no way for Arabella to leave, and then she would have her worries over her brother settled. Well, they would be resolved if her little scheme to put them together worked. All she wanted was for Allarick to be happy, and she was certain that Arabella could find happiness on their world if she had the correct incentive.