Chapter Two
Sir Charles Rudolf was the most respectable man in the town of
Sir Charles was a very close friend with Miss Kingsley and he always invites her to stay at Darfield. One summer’s day’s visit last year she met his son Sebastian Rudolf, who was there to visit his father before going back to the University that autumn. That very moment when Mr. Sebastian Rudolf laid eyes on Miss Kingsley, he knew at once that she was to be his wife, the love of her life. He fell in love with her at once; he must find a way for her to love him.
A year later and many painful events had passed and he was still in love with her even though she had clearly showed that she wants to be, and nothing more, a friend to him. He had set off that autumn day broken hearted but determined to catch her eyes the year next.
For his son’s arrival back to Darfield, Sir Charles Rudolf was to hold a party that will put to notice his son’s achievement. This party was set the day after the events of the engagement of Miss Maria Kingsley to Mr. Caspian Scott of Crookbridge Manor and was the talk of the whole town of
“What a lovely party you have, Sir Charles.” Mrs. Kingsley had said upon her arrival, “Christina said that you have a lovely house but I say she was wrong.”
“Ah, and why is that so, Mrs. Kingsley?” Said Sir Charles with a little bit of a laugh.
“It is not lovely at all,” Mrs. Kingsley’s eyes went about the room and then to Sir Charles, “It is the most exquisite house I have ever laid my eyes on. Sir Charles, Lady Anne would have loved it.”
Sir Charles looked down and closed his eyes; it was still painful to him to talk about his dearly departed wife. “She did love it, even without the new decorations.”
“Oh, I’m sorry, Sir Charles, to have caused you grief.”
He looked at her and smiled. “So, where is your darling Christina. I haven’t heard from her since we met last week at the bookshop.”
“Sir Charles, my daughter, Christina.” Mr. Kingsley said when her daughter entered the room.
“Sir Charles!” Christina said at once when she saw him. “My dear Sir Charles, I do love this party.”
“But my dear you have just entered the house.” Mr. Kingsley said and all of them laughed. “You must know that.”
“Oh Papa, you know that it always starts with a wonderful entrance.” She said and bowed to Sir Charles. She then left the elder people in search of her other sisters, who had arrived earlier than Christina’s party. Her sister Maria was dancing with Mr. Scott and her other sister Elena was talking to the Miss Smiths and Miss Emerson at the end of the room. She was heading towards her sister when a man stepped on her gown, which made her fall back. “Oh!” she had caught the stares of many people in the room. She blushed completely and was very embarrassed at what had happened when the man who had caused this lend his hand to help her.
“Oh Miss Kingsley!” Said Mr. Sebastian Rudolf, who was rushing down the room to attend to her.
“I am very sorry.” The man said when she was finally standing. He looked at her and she looked at him. She had never met a more handsome man in the world and she had felt her face blush as she gazed into his eyes. The man seized his hand and left. “What a strange man.” She whispered to herself.
“Oh Miss Kingsley, I do apologies to such a behavior of the man who have caused you to fall.” Mr. Rudolf said when he was at her side, “Please, let me show my apologies by asking you to the next dance.”
“You are not to apologize but I would like to dance, thank you.”
He was all smiles when he had left her to talk to Mrs. Emerson who was very much lost and she continue to search for her sisters. She had reached her sister at last and greeted her. “Have you seen that little incident I had earlier?” She whispered to her sister. “Some strange man had stepped on my gown and I fell. Pray, do you know that man?” She pointed the man who had caused her to fell to her sister and her sister gasped. “Who is it? Is he an evil man?”
“No, sister, that is Mr. William Lowell. He came with George and me before you have arrived and we have told him our plan for the two of you to be introduced.
“Well then, I do not want to know a man who is so careless and strange.”
“Sister, please, you have promised me and he did apologized.”
“Even so, a careless man would never please me and I think he doesn’t like me for he seized his hand at once and never did spoke a word after that.”
“Oh well, I do want you to be happy and if he will not make you happy I will not introduce you. Again, I have failed you, sister.”
“You have not failed me. The next time you play match maker to someone,” she looked at her sister again and smile, “make sure that someone is not to be me.” they but laughed and parted.
When the dance was over Mr. Rudolf came at once to Christina to claim her hand for the next one. “You look beautiful, Miss Kingsley.” He said, bowed, and began the dance. It was a very nice dance and Mr. Rudolf and Miss Kingsley where the most graceful pair in it and all the eyes were on them.
“Who is that delicate creature, Perry?” The man, who we now know as Mr. Lowell, said to his friend as they watched the dance. “I have the pleasure holding her hand and the humiliation of causing her to fall.”
“To fall? Oh dear!” was the reply of Mr. George Perry to his friend.
“What is the matter? I was kind to help her and apologized to her.”
“That creature, as you say, is the Miss Kingsley.”
“The Miss Christina Kingsley you have promised to introduce me to?”
“Yes, her.”
“I’m afraid I have failed you, Perry, for now she is dancing with someone else and probably falling in love with him.”
“Oh no, William, you have mistaken. Mr. Sebastian Rudolf is the last man Miss Kingsley will ever marry for his achievement was not enough for her or so I think. I do know this, he proposed to her last year and was turn down and asked to propose to her again the next year. I do think she thought that she could fall in love with him and please her father and his father but the looks of her today is that she has not fallen in love with him and might turn him down once and for all.”
“Our Miss Kingsley is a strange thing. Any woman would be glad to be married with such a wealth as Mr. Rudolf has and be living in this beautiful place.”
“But you have forgot, William, she isn’t like other women and she already lives in a beautiful house too, Kingsley Manor.”
“She has got eyes of green, George. You know how I love green. Her hands are so soft when I held it. Will you still introduce me to her?” He gazed at her and admired her. “She has such wonderful auburn hair that matches her eyes.”
Mr. Perry laughed. “Oh like Christmas?”
“Yes like Christmas. Perry, introduce me to her, please.”
“I will talk to her. After what had happened between the two of you I do not think she wants to know you.”
The dance finally stopped and the whole room was in applause and Mr. Perry left his friend to talk to her fiancée and her sister.
“Miss Kingsley.” Mr. Lowell said and smiled. “You are very strange.”
just checking :(
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