hey, y’all, em said the title of this story was okay but sorta boring or something – it was only meant to be a temporary title – so do y’all have any ideas for a diff. title? please lemme know if u do ty! -Myth

“Father, please,” I said in a wooden voice. “Y-you’ve got to be joking.”
“I’m not joking.”
I stared at him. “Please – I . . . I’m not ready for courting, Father. For marriage. Really.”
“You are perfectly ready. Now stop arguing with me.”
“Father, I’m not arguing – you just don’t understand – ”
“Anna, enough. I don’t want to hear another word from your mouth unless you are agreeing with me. Now, Delmont Chevalier is going to court you, and you are going to let him. You are going to be polite. You are not going to complain and try to get out of it. Am I understood?”
A ball formed in my throat, making it painful to swallow. My vision turned blurry and I struggled not to cry.
“I said, am I understood?”
I opened my mouth to speak but nothing came out.
“Anna Katherine Willowford, do not play games with me.”
My mother, softening at my obvious distress, stepped in. “Edward, I think this conversation should be ended until the morning,” she said. “We’re all too exhausted to think straight, and it’s not helping anything.”
No, Mother – you’re wrong. I can think perfectly straight, I thought. And it seems I alone can see what an awful airhead Delmont is!
“Very well,” my father said reluctantly. I knew he wanted to keep pushing me until I agreed with him – but that was just the thing. I was never going to agree with him . . . not ever.

~

I didn’t sleep at all that night – I just sobbed. This could not be happening. All in one short night my life had, in my opinion, ended.
I was going to be forced to court and most likely marry a man that couldn’t even keep his eyes on just one woman. I was being forced to marry a man that thought only of himself.
This. Could. Not. Be. Real.
“Miss, your father requests your presence downstairs immediately,” a maid said. I had been standing and staring out the window, lost in thought, only to be yanked from my thoughts by her voice.
I turned, thinking, You mean he demands my presence. “Thank you, Hazel,” I said. She bobbed in a curtsy and then left just as silently as she had come.
I turned back to the window, whispering, “It can’t be real. It can’t.”
I went downstairs quickly then, knowing better than to keep my father waiting.
My father was sitting at the breakfast table by himself. He doesn’t want Mother here telling him he’s going about this all wrong. He wants to be completely in control, I thought.
“Good morning, Father,” I said softly.
“Good morning, Anna,” he said from his seat at the head of the table. His voice was not kind or warm in any way – it was hard and cold. “Sit down.”
I shakily pulled out a chair at the foot of the table.
“Now, Anna, you know what high regard I hold for Delmont and his parents,” he began.
“But, Father – ”
“Do not interrupt me,” he said sternly. I fell silent once more. “You know, yes?”
“Yes,” I said sadly.
“Then you also must know that I would never ask you to marry a man I did not approve of.”
You mean demand! I thought once more. “Yes, but – ”
“No ‘buts’, Anna Katherine Willowford. Answer the question with a ‘yes’ or ‘no’.”
“Yes,” I said. This conversation was pointless if I couldn’t speak my mind!
“So, you know that I have high regard for the Chevaliers, and you know I’d never do anything that would harm you, so why don’t you trust me?”
“Because, Father – you’ve not seen the real Delmont like I have! He flirts with every woman he sees – and I witnessed this all last night, Father – and he is stuck on himself.”
“Anna!” my father roared. His face was red with rage. “I cannot believe one of my daughters, who I’ve taught not to lie, would sit there and do just that – spout lies about a perfectly good young man just because she doesn’t want to give up her ‘little girl freedom’. But that’s just it, Anna – you are a young woman now, whether you like it or not.” His voice was softer now, but it did not hold an ounce of sympathy . . . a shred of love or caring.
Unable to hold them back any longer, I gave my tears free rein and began to sob. I stood and fled from the room, my heart breaking in pieces.
“Anna, you get back here this instant!” my father shouted – but I couldn’t stop. My feet and legs moved of their own accord, carrying me back up to my room where I shut and locked the door, afterward collapsing onto my bed and sobbing my eyes out.

~

I awoke later (apparently I had cried myself to sleep and been out for quite some time) and went downstairs to discover my family had gone out (they’d been gone for a few hours now, apparently). My father had left me a message, written on a piece of paper that I discovered on the table, that I hadn’t been brought along firstly because of my disrespectful behavior and secondly so I could stay home and think about how he was really correct on this.
“It’s so unfair,” I said aloud softly.
“What’s so unfair?”
I spun around to find, of all people at a time like this, Delmont Chevalier.
Embarrassed – even though it was just Delmont – about my disheveled appearance, I put a hand to my hair to try to smooth it. “Delmont,” I said.
“Anna,” he replied, giving a small bow. He smiled charmingly. “How are you today, my dear lady?”
My dear lady?! my mind squeaked. “F-fine,” I said. “Just fine.”
“Ah. Well, I came to see if you’d like to go on a carriage ride with me.”
Just then, of course, my father, mother and sister returned. “They’re in the parlor, sir,” I heard Hazel, the maid say. “Mr. Chevalier is here – the young Mr. Chevalier.”
“He is?” I could hear the excitement in my mother’s voice. “Wonderful. Hazel, please bring us some tea.”
My family swept in then. “Delmont – so good to see you!” my father said.
Delmont turned. “It is good to see you too, monsieur.” It was ridiculous to me, really, how they acted as if they hadn’t seen each other just last night.
“Do sit down,” my mother said. “I’ve asked the maid to bring us some tea.”
“Actually, mademoiselle, I came to inquire if young Anna might go on a carriage ride with me. My friends and I are visiting the art gallery this afternoon.”
My father’s and mother’s faces brightened even more so. “Absolutely!” my father said gaily.
“Anna, go get ready so you may leave with him, my dear,” my mother said.
I gave her a pleading look with my eyes. Please don’t make me do this, I let my eyes say to her.
She gave a nearly imperceptible shake of her head. Don’t argue, her eyes said. I knew it was half because she didn’t want me to get in trouble with my father and also because she was starting to like Delmont just as much as he did.
I left the room, clenching my hands into fists as I did so. I resisted the urge to punch the wall (yes, even we ‘young ladies’ want to punch things every now and then).
Ida, one of our other maids, came and did my hair once I was changed. I dilly-dallied as much as I could, but, just as it had been yesterday, soon there was nothing left to keep me upstairs and I was forced to go back down.
To my fate.
To my doom.
“Anna – I was beginning to think you got lost up there!” Lillian said. She smirked at the expression of disgust on my face when I looked at Delmont’s back. Once more her eyes seemed to say, It’s alright, little sister; I know the truth.
“You are back!” Delmont smiled.
I gave him a small, plastic one of my own in return. “Yes,” I replied. “Why don’t we get going?” Why don’t we not? I added in my head. I’m perfectly happy right here.
“Very well,” Delmont said, standing up. He looked pleased as could be.
“Goodbye, Mother,” I said. “Father. Lillian.” I glared slightly so that only my sister would see, and she smirked in return.
Delmont extended his arm to me and I took it reluctantly, thus being led out of the house by him. I glanced back at it as if was my only hope of rescue . . . but I knew my fate was unchangeable now.
“Bye, dear!” Mother called from the porch as Delmont helped me into the carriage. “Have a good time!”
“Oh, I will,” I muttered.
“Excuse me?” Delmont said. “Did you say something to me?”
“No,” I said quickly. “Just talking to myself.”
Delmont sat – amazingly not next to me – and closed the door, and then the carriage was off, Delmont giving the driver directions to one of his friend’s houses.
“So, Anna, how has your day been so far?” Delmont asked genially.
Dreadful, terrible, horrible, wretched, awful – I thought. Then I noticed him waiting for an answer. “Alright,” I replied at last. “And yours?”
“Alright until I got to your house – then it turned wonderful.” He smiled in the charming that he always did.
I smiled back before pretending to happen to look out the window and see something very interesting. I pretended to study it, although that couldn’t keep Delmont from talking to me.
“We’re going to my friend Ralph’s house next,” he said. “He and his younger sister will be joining us for the day. Then we’ll go to my friend James’ house and pick up him and his fiancee.”
“Oh,” I said simply.
“I’m sure you’re going to get along very well with Ralph’s sister, Edith, and James’ fiancee Catherine. Both of them are lovely young women.”
“Yes, I’m sure,” I replied absentmindedly.
I was silent then, interjecting a few ‘ohs’ and ‘reallys’ as Delmont chattered on . . .  until at last we came to Ralph’s house.
Then the “good time” really began.

“May I have this dance?” a deep voice (with a French accent) said next to me, making me jump. I sat in a balcony chair, and I could hear a new song starting inside the ball room.
Still, I was startled by the voice because I had thought myself alone. Turning I found a young man with perfectly combed curly black hair and blue-gray eyes. His features were, although surely not the most handsome I’d ever seen, pleasing to the eye, and his aura seemed purely charm as he smiled down at me.
“No, thank you; I’d much rather stay out here,” I said politely (though what I really wanted to do was snap, “NO! Now go away!”).
“Well, then, forgive me if I intrude, but may I sit out here with you?” The man was very persistent, I’d give him that.
Not really able to say, “Yes, you are intruding on my small bit of solitude”, I made myself say, “Certainly.”
He pulled up a chair close to mine and sat down. “So, you’re Anna Willowford?”
I looked at him. “How do you know that?” I asked.
He chuckled like I was stupid. “I’m the son of the couple throwing this ball,” he said. His parents were French, hence his accent.
I didn’t even know they had children, I thought. “I see. And yes, I’m Anna Willowford,” I finally replied. Just go away for pity’s sake! I shouted at him in my mind.
“Pleasure to finally make your acquaintance. I’ve observed you often and I must say, Miss Willowford, you’ve quite caught my eye.” He smiled.
I felt sick. “Oh?” I said faintly, having to clutch my chair to keep from getting up and running for dear life out of this terrible place.
“Yes. In fact, I’ve talked to both your father and your mother about you, but neither of them seems able to arrange a meeting with you for me. You must be a very sociable person,” he said.
I nearly snorted and shouted, “Ha!” There were many things I was nearly doing tonight that I had to stop myself from doing. Instead, however, I once more replied differently than I wanted to. “No, sir. In fact, I don’t go out much.”
He looked mortified. “Well, madam, that is something I shall have to remedy in the future!” he exclaimed.
“Oh, no, please – don’t burden yourself. I enjoy my peace and quiet,” I said.
He didn’t seem to hear me. “Yes, in fact I shall simply have to bring you along tomorrow when some of my friends and I take a carriage ride to Glenfolk,” he continued.
“Really, don’t bother,” I said, making my words more forceful this time.
I was ignored once more. This man was so insufferable! I wanted to hit him in the face or stamp on his foot or . . . or . . .
“My name is Delmont, by the way,” he said. “Your name, ma cherie?” sanders, be this how ye say it?
I wanted to gag. “Anna,” I all but spat.
“Anna. What a lovely name,” he said, staring up at the sky as he pondered it. I stared at him like he had grown five extra ears – on his forehead.
He looked back at me then. “So tell, Anna,” he began. I never said you could call me that, I thought, annoyed. This man was much too bold for my taste. “Why aren’t you dancing?”
I forced myself not to sigh. “Because I enjoy a bit of solitude every now and then,” I replied, turning my gaze to the starry sky. Or rather, all the time, I added in my head.
“Ah, so do I,” he said. He looked at the sky for a moment but then started to stare at me. I could feel his eyes as if they were burning a whole through me, and the feeling sent chills up and down my spine.
“Well, I do believe I shall go for a walk in the gardens,” I said. Then I inwardly cursed myself – why hadn’t I made up excuse as to why I was leaving and then gone to the gardens?!
“Do let me join you,” Delmont said. “It would be my utmost pleasure, and, after all, it is my birthday.” He smiled.
“Your . . . birthday.”
“Yes – that’s why the ball is being held here tonight,” he replied.
“Well, of course,” I said before getting up and plunging back into the claustrophobic (for me, anyway – there were so many people) ballroom.
I thought to myself how utterly funny it was that I had managed to entirely miss such a detail. I hadn’t known why the Chevaliers were throwing the ball, but most importantly I hadn’t even known the person they were throwing it for existed.
I laughed out loud accidentally. “What’s so funny?” Delmont said from beside me as we wove our way through the dancing couples.
“Oh, it’s nothing – I was just thinking about something,” I said.
“What is this something?”
Thankfully I was saved from having to answer the question because, just as we got the to front doors of the Chevaliers’ house, Delmont was distracted by a pretty woman walking into the mansion. “Good evening,” he said charmingly. I rolled my eyes and walked quickly, hoping that, by some miracle, I could escape him.
I made a mental note in my head to go back later and hug that woman, because apparently she had answered and now she and Delmont were discussing something, giving me plenty of time to flee.
I got to the farthest-from-where-I’d-left-Delmont part of the gardens there was before sitting down on a marble bench and staring up at the moon. How I wished so desperately that I could sprout wings and fly up into the sky . . . up into the glow of the moon.
“There you are.”
I jumped, startled, at the sound of Delmont’s voice. Really – did he have some sort of ability to sense where I was?!
“Why did you leave? I would only have been a minute,” Delmont said, sitting down next to me – and, therefore, having to sit quite close, because it was a small bench.
“I – ”
“No matter. We are together now,” Delmont said, smiling at me.
If you only knew how that statement frightened me, I thought. “Mm, yes,” I said, a plastic smile spreading on my face.
“So tell me, Anna,” Delmont said. “What are your favorite hobbies?”
“Music, art,” I began. The look on his face told me he greatly approved of these two . . . but I had a feeling he wouldn’t approve of the next ones. “And exploring forests, getting my hands dirty in the garden – being outdoors. In fact, I think it would be nice to live outdoors. Well, maybe not in the colder months, but . . . ”
By this look on his face I could tell he considered me outlandish. In this day in age women were to remain clean, neat, tidy, prim, proper – shall I go on? – all the time.
“How . . . nice for you,” he said. Yes, I’m outlandish, so you shouldn’t be seen associating with me. You should leave now and find some girl that’s mannerly and stuck up and flirts outrageously as you do, I thought at him, as if I could convince him with my mind.
But he didn’t let his disconcert keep him from liking me for long, because just a moment later he was asking me another question.
“And what do you think of marriage?”
I nearly choked as I inhaled. “I-if you find that special someone – if you’re truly in love, then it’s wonderful,” I stammered. I was going to continue, “If it’s forced upon you for the sake of culture, then it’s not wonderful” – but I didn’t get the chance.
“I absolutely agree,” Delmont said, looking at me strangely.
I squirmed inwardly under his gaze.
“And do you want to be married in your lifetime?” Delmont asked me.
“Delmont, I really – ” I began, intending to either tell I really didn’t think we should be talking about this or that I really wanted to see his family’s library when someone saved me again.
“Good evening!” a voice said.
Both of us turned our heads to find a young man standing in front of us.
“Sorry to interrupt your . . . talk,” he said, his eyes going from our eyes to how close we were sitting. He smirked knowingly, and I instinctively scooted away from Delmont until I was half on the bench and half off it. “But, Delmont, your mother and father are requesting your presence in the ballroom right away. I think people want to start giving speeches soon,” the man said.
“Of course – I must leave,” Delmont said, rising. “Do come with me, Anna.”
“Ah . . . I’ll be right in,” I said, rising. Something about the other man’s face made me suspect he’d known I was in need of saving and had come to do just that. “I need to go see something else in the garden first – your mother’s roses, actually. They’re renowned for miles and mi – ”
“Well, see you in there,” Delmont said, cutting me off. It sickened me that he was stuck on himself he was rushing to get inside the mansion and hear people say things about him. Quickly kissing my hand, though, he took his leave.
I scrubbed at my hand with my dress, wishing I could scrape the top layer of skin off. I shuddered at the memory of his clammy lips on the back of it.
Finally, some peace and quiet, I thought, walking even deeper into the garden.

~

When my family finally deemed it time to go home, Delmont made it a specific point to come and say goodnight to me. “Thank you so much for attending,” he said, addressing my family. He glanced at them only very briefly before bringing his gaze back to my face. “And goodnight, Anna.” He smiled secretively.
“Goodnight,” I said hastily, all but running out to the carriage.
Once the whole family was inside the carriage the driver got the horses going right away. It was already nearly five in the morning – that was something else I despised about balls. You stayed for hours and hours only to go home and feel like a slug for the remainder of the day because of how late you’d been up.
“Delmont came and spoke to me tonight, you know,” my father said after a time of silence (all of us were weary).
“Oh?” I said simply.
“Yes. You know, Anna, he’s been intrigued with you for months now. He’s been asking everyone about you ever since he saw you in town one day,” my father continued. “He says that after meeting you tonight . . . well, he says the two of you have already formed a bond – and he’d like to court you,” he finished.
I gaped. “He what?” I squeaked incredulously.
Lillian laughed. “Stop pretending to be so innocent, Anna. All girls flirt – and you’ve obviously done a rather good job of it tonight. So don’t pretend you didn’t know.”
“I didn’t!” I said angrily. “And I did not flirt with him!”
Lillian smiled smugly, her eyes seeming to say, It’s alright, little sister – I know the truth.
I glared at her.
“Now, Annie dear,” my mother said, quickly intervening so I didn’t start a screaming session. “He’d be a wonderful choice for a husband. He’s rich and he’ll inherit his father’s business in just a few years.”
“That doesn’t mean he’ll be a good husband!” I protested. I turned back to my father. “Father, I was only with him for a maximum of ten minutes tonight! I hardly know the man!” And the part of him I do know I don’t like, I added in my mind.
“That’s no matter, Anna. He’s smitten with you,” my father said.
“I’m not smitten with him!” I said hotly. “Father, please don’t tell you said – ”
“I said yes to him, Anna. It’s time I put my foot down with you. You need to grow up and act like a young lady – and a young lady of your age should have a beau,” he replied firmly.
And that was how my life changed forever.