II.

“Miss Cassandra?” I hear a woman’s voice echoing in my head. “Cassandra.”

My body aches as I shift under the weight of my covers. I roll onto my side, opening my eyes slightly so I can get a glimpse of who had the audacity to call for me at this hour.

To no surprise, it’s my housekeeper Miss Beckett standing by my bedside with a rather large, flamboyant dress draped in her arms. When she sees that I’m somewhat awake, she pushes her glasses up her humped nose so that I can see her beady eyes and then begins speaking in a voice most unpleasant to the ear.

“Wake up dearest, you’re going to be late!”

“Miss Beckett, what on earth are you talking about?” I rolled onto the other side so that I could hear her loud voice just one decibel quieter. “I made sure my schedule was completely empty for today.”

“But your father made arrangements for you to meet with Mr. Garner this afternoon.”

Mr. Garner! Why was it always Mr. Garner?

“He did?” I held back the disgust in my tone, I didn’t need another worker of mine spreading any more faulty rumors. Besides, it’s not like I despised him for his good taste in women, I just didn’t like his idea of us being married. Especially when I find it hard to name a single good quality about his being.

Miss Beckett came around the opposite side of the bed so that we were facing each other like before. “Yes, and it’s nearly one o’clock now.”

“I don’t see what the big rush is.” Knowing Phillip Garner’s affection towards me, he’d probably wait until evening if there was the slightest chance I would be arriving.

“Well, your father told me Mr. Garner has some rather important news to discuss with you. It sounded very urgent if you asked me.”

“Well, I didn’t.” I tossed the covers off my legs and stepped onto the cold wooden floor. “And it’ll have to wait until I’m dressed.”

Without a word spoken to Miss Beckett, she begins dressing me from head to toe in an outfit almost as grand as the dress I had worn the night before. I slip my hands through each ruffled-ended sleeve and hold my breath as she laces up the back of my dress. Better to not breathe than to not have a tiny waist.

Now sitting by my dresser, I watch her meticulous wrinkled hands as she loops my brown hair in and out of a bun. These are the few times in life when I wish I hadn’t been an only child, just so I could have an older sister who would braid my hair like Miss Beckett does each and every day.

Staring at my reflection in the mirror, I couldn’t help but compare my dress to a pink Petunia. Noting this, I would most likely throw it out tomorrow when Florence comes to visit. I preferred to look much more like a lady and less like a flower.

As I descended the steps from my bedroom, I overhead Phillip’s voice coming from the drawing-room. As loud as always.

I twisted the handle to the room and opened the door without hesitation. Phillip stands as I make my entrance, my father, who was closer to the fireplace, remained seated across from him. Judging from the increase in wrinkles across his forehead, my father wasn’t very pleased to see me.

“Cassandra.” Phillip smiles the same smile I had seen last night atop the ballroom steps. He takes a few quick steps over towards me. “There’s something I’ve been meaning to talk to you about.”

“What is it?” I raise an eyebrow as if I was curious. There are only two things in this world that Phillip Garner talks about: money and marriage. I suspected the latter.

Phillip takes my hand without hesitation all the while not straying his eyes from mine. “Let’s talk outside.” Had this been our first encounter, I might’ve felt my heartbeat at a moment like this.

I followed a step behind him as he led me through different halls of the mansion and finally out a set of glass doors and into a garden. When we finally stood and faced each other, he released my hand and returned his back to his side.

So far, this was the most shocking of the actions he had done. For this was the first time he had been the one to release my hand from his without me attempting to do so myself.

“Cassandra, I-”

I interrupted him and possibly his proposal. “Does my father know what you are about to say to me?”

Philip glanced towards the mansion and then back to me. “Why yes, I only told him a few moments ago.”

“And how did he react?”

“Well, at first he seemed a bit taken aback.” He stuffed his hands into his pockets. “but he congratulated me nonetheless.”

“He congratulated you?” My father congratulating anyone was unheard of. Much less, Phillip Garner. Nothing he’s done could be worth congratulating except-

“Yes.” He stepped closer as if coming in for a kiss. “Cassandra,” He smiled brighter than before, his eyes nearly piercing mine with the intensity at which he looked into them. “I’m getting married.”