To read part 1, click Here
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“You should probably get up soon,” came Hannah’s voice. She through the long drapes open, and light flew in. To me it seemed as though the sun had just finished setting and Hannah’s steps ceased to be heard. It took me a long second to remember last night for I had slept very deeply without waking.
“Good heavens! What time is it?” came my soft voice. My eyes where sealed shut for the morning light was blinding.
“Almost noon.”
“What?” My eyes flew open. I was shocked. How could I have slept that long and how could no one have woken me before now?“I thought we were to be at the church by 10?”
“We were, only the dreadful old man you are to marry has become ill. It seems he isn’t as young and healthy as your father made him out to be.” The old maid than began pulling out my clothes from my wardrobe and placing them on a chair.
“You mean I’m not to marry?” I sprang to my feet and my voice showed my joy.
“Well, you can’t get married without a groom. Jane is downstairs. She come to see you.”
“She is?” I pulled my robe from the end my bed and started to put it over my night clothes. “Oh Hannah, you are so right! But I believe that just as you cannot marry without a groom you should not marry a groom you have never met!” And with that I raced out of my bedroom hearing Hannah’s voice calling me to put on some proper clothes.
I found my cousin downstairs dressed all prim and nice with a hat and handbag. Never had I had a sister or any sibling for that matter and Jane had tried her best to fill that gap in my life. Only 3 years my superior and marriage had already come her way. Since my mother’s death we had become even closer. Her role as friend and sister had only depend. She also took on a part time role as mother. When I needed advice, I would ask her, and she was always faithful to reply.
As I neared the parlor, I noticed her figure sitting still on the sofa, waiting for my arrival. I entered and ran to her side.
“Jane!” Her face immediately rose along with her body. She embraced me with a hug, and I did so back. She stepped back to look at me still holding my hands.
“Are you well?” she asked.
“I’m alright,” I said with a bit of a sigh and quick closing of my eyes. “Just a bit tired. But did you hear? I am not to marry.”
“So did…” She was then cut off.
“You will marry,” came my father’s sharp voice. He took another step into the room. “Just not today.” My face lost its joy at my father’s words. “Your wedding has not been canceled. Only postponed to next week. The poor lad is just under the weather.”
I did not answer and neither did Jane. My father than paused before walked out of the room. I stood in silence as his footsteps echoed in my ears.
Jane caught the frown on my face and the pain in my eyes. She slowly began to rub my arm. For seconds we stood in silence.
“It’s not fair you know.” My emotions began to show. My eyes started to water as she pulled me to the sofa she had once sat on. Silence again made its way between us. Again, I broke it. “It’s a time like this that I miss mother the most. She would never let father go through with something like this.” I looked at Jane and knew she knew not what to say. She neither wanted to right my father’s wrong nor go against his authority.
For a long minute we sat in silence. She rubbed my hands while I cried. After time, I pulled myself back together and she handed me a handkerchief from her handbag. I wiped my face and she finally spoke.
“Are you going to the ball next week?”
That same question had been asked to me only hours before. First, I smiled at her attempt to change the subject and then a joy rose in my spirit.
I had always been fond of balls. I used to go to them quite often and had enjoyed myself very much. Dancing was a joy of mine and I was not half bad at it. But when I had heard of the palace ball, I did not think I would go. I was to be on my honeymoon. Now my honeymoon was canceled. At least for the week.
“Yes,” I answered with a smile. “I think I shall go to the ball.”
……….
4 days later:
Nock nock.
“Yes!”
“Excuse me Miss Annabelle,” said Hannah as she stuck her head in the door. “Your cousin Jane is here. Shall I let her in?”
“Oh yes!” I said quickly turning around from my mirror. “Yes of course! Let her in!” I stood up from my dresser and walked to my door. My cousin quickly emerged from behind the large maid.
“Did you finish it?” I pleaded.
“Of course, I did,” she said with giggle as she held up a large suitcase. Inside contained my gown. It had been a while since I had been to a ball and it seemed I had not yet stopped growing. There was not enough time nor money to have one made. So, Jane being the sweet and kind person she was, grabbed one of her old ones and decided to fix it up a bit. I told her no, but she insisted. She said the gown was too rich and bright for a married woman to wear. After arguing with her to no avail, I gave in. She said she would fix it up a bit and this I forbid. Still, she won. I told her not to do much on it but add some new detail to the top.
Quickly she took the suitcase to the bed and opened it up.
“Ohh!” I gasped. The pale pink dress looked so vastly different than it had before. She added much detail to the top and almost entirely changed the sleeves. She carefully pulled the dress out with her motherly hands.
“Oh Jane! You did too much!” I cried. I traced my hand on the detail.
“Isn’t it pretty?”
“Oh yes! You also changed the design of the sleeves.
“Don’t you like them? It’s the latest style!”
“Oh, absolutely! But it is too nice for me to were.” I met her gaze. “You should where it. It’s your dress and you did all the work!”
“Oh no! You will where it as I promised.”
“No Jane! I will not.”
“On, Annabelle! Do not be silly! I cannot even fit into it. The little one inside of me will let me fit into few things and that corset is not one of them!” A gasp escaped from my lips as she spoke those words and placed a hand on her stomach.
“Oh jane! No! You cannot be serious?” She nodded in reply. “Why did you not tell me?”
“I just did.” We both laughed and I embraced her with a hug.
“I am so happy for you. If I can ever be as happy as you, I will be content.”
“Oh, Annabelle,” came her sweet voice. “I pray and believe you will.”
For the next hour we talked and prepped for the ball. Mostly the first. She did my hair, and I did hers. Choosing jewelry was also something we had to consider deeply. We had never been to a palace ball before but knew it would be excrement elegant and prestigious . Rarely they were given widely. King Philip III had just become king and found it an excellent time to throw a ball. His father, King Philip II, had just stepped down from the throne due to his wife’s death. It was said that he no longer felt fit to rule a kingdom without his wife by his side. I thought it sweet and kind of him to honor his late wife so. His 38-year-old son was praised by many. Having married only 6 years earlier to a Spanish Princess he had been the favorite of many. They had one son whom they named Henry. I was glad of the end to the name Philip for it had been going on for a quite some time.
“I do believe you have done my hair too wild!” I said to my cousin as I looked in the mirror to admire my hair.
“Oh, you look just fine but we need to hurry and dress.” Jane was first to slip into her gown. A dark wine red it was and went well with her dark brown hair and olive skin. The sleeves cupped her shoulders and flattered her arms. It was full but not enough that it hindered her from getting through doorways. I complimented her and buttoned her up before It was my turn to put something over my undergarments. I stepped into the glorious gown and put my arms into it. It was much bigger than it had been, and I now know Jane had added at least a dozen more layers to it.
“Oh Annabelle!” cried Jane as I walked out from behind the dressing wall. “You look positively lovely.”
“Thank you,” I replied in almost a whisper. The dress was so large and beautiful that I felt like royalty in it.
……….
“Hurry or we will be late,” said George up the stairs. Jane and I quickly grabbed our gloves and started down the long stairway.
“Oh, George!” replied Jane to her husband as we made our way into his view. “We will not!”
“You two look simply lovely!” He cried. With wide eye’s, and a proud grin, he walked over to his young wife and placed his hand in hers. “Especially you, my dear.” Jane’s cheeks turned bright pink, but she did manage to reply a “thank you.” Jane was uniquely beautiful. Her skin and complexion where so naturally beautiful it seemed almost wrong. As a young girl she had always been told she was lovely and told without words from other young men. Still, she settled for one of the best men, I believe, that lives on this earth. The two had been married for a little over a year and still loved each other immensely. George 8 years her senior, still managed to act like a child and keep love alive. They had started courting on Jane’s 17th birthday. 3 years later, after George had bought a house and his affairs were looking brighter, they were wed with my uncle’s permission.
George offered gave his arm to his wife and she gladly excepted.
“I don’t know why you all are going to this blasted ball anyways,” spoke my father. I had asked him if he would attend but denied.
“Do not worry Mr. Henderson. We shall not be gone long. Do not worry about Annabelle we shall keep a close watch on her,” spoke George as he opened the door for us.
“Humph. You better bring her back before midnight. There is no reason to be gone that long.”
“Alright father,” I said in a soft voice trying to sooth his riled spirit. “I shall be back before midnight.” With that said I walked up to my father and placed a kiss on his check. Something I had not done in an exceptionally long time. A small smile peeked at the corners of his mouth, but I could tell he was trying to hold it back.
“Well dear,” he said as he patted my gloved elbow. “See that you do.” A pause came and then left. “You look very pretty tonight. Jane did a good job fixing up that old dress.” A smile again peeked at his mouth as he nodded toward my gown. I felt one spread across mine. From the way my father spoke I knew he had trouble saying those words, but it showed the truth in them. My father’s kindness to me brought back emotions from my heart that I, for so long, thought I no longer owned.
……….
My heart raced to the beat of the horses’ hooves on the cobblestone. Sitting in the carriage made the night feel so much more real than it had earlier. Looking out my window I saw the castle coming into view. Other carriages and buggies drove all around us. Some looked extremely fancy and expensive while others where plainer yet all looked fine. I was thankful that George and Jane had invited me to go with them for I was an afraid my father would not have let me go otherwise. My father told me it would not me right for an engaged young woman to be tossing herself around at a ball. Why he would condemn me, so I did not know. Never would I throw myself around like a doll. I did not flirt or giggle around men. If I ever did it would be when I was a young child and many years since.
Now though, I did not think of the words my father spoke. I only thought of the night that awaited me. Again, my head went back to the night I had tried to escape out my bedroom window and failed utterly. I would not admit it to a soul, but I longed to encounter the young man who had come to my rescue that night. The young man who had mirrored my image of escape and nearly scared the wits out of me. The young man whom I told the happening of my arranged married. Something I had not spoken to anyone. The young man with sandy blond hair and strong chin. The young man who called himself Fredrick. Yes, Fredrick. That he was. Fredrick.
“Will you be at the palace ball next week?... I hope to see you there!” His words floated in my memory and a smile spread across my face.
I tore myself from the window and found Jane smiling at me. She knew me better than anyone and had asked me many times if there was someone that kept making me smile at odd times. For reader, often around her I thought of Fredrick and a smile spread across my face. I only smiled back at her and returned to looking out of the window. I rubbed my gloved hands together as the castle grew bigger within approach. I would not let my fathers anger nor my own pride steel this night from me.
……….
“Thank you,” I barely managed to whisper as I stepped out of the carriage holding the footmen’s hand. If I said the night had become more real while we drove in the carriage, I spoke the truth, but it did not compared to how real everything felt at that moment. The castle was all lit up in the night sky. Women and men carefully walked up the long steps. Women held their large dress and men held their other hand.
“Come now,” came Jane’s voice awakening me from my thoughts and steady gaze. George and Jane stood in front of me a dozen or so steps.
"Coming," I said slowly. George and Jane turned around once more and continued there walk. My heart raced with excitement, but I was determined to soak every moment in. Carefully I picked up my large pale pink dress and started my climb. I had no escort to hold my hand, but I did not mind. If I had an escort, it might as well distract me from the magic of the moment.
Here I am reader, writing these words down on paper and struggling to give the full detail and wonder of this night. I shall try my best.
Lamps where lit on the stone walls of the cast. The lights flickering and moving. Those 3 minutes it took me to climb those steps felt like a dream. Women and men around me talked of the beauty of the night. Things like, “Look how lovely.” And “Darling look how grand.” “Oh, dear me I am so excited.” “Never have I been to a palace ball.” “It is so kind of King Philip to invite almost half the country!”
I looked towards the sky. Above the castle was the most beautiful pink moon I had ever seen. Its pale pink color was stunning and exceedingly rare. I had heard once about a pink moon but had never laid eyes on one until then.
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