The Derring Sisters, ch. 3

Three



         The next morning found Rosehedge very chaotic; girls were flying up and down the stairs, clutching bright silk ribbons and shouting requests at the servants. "You must visit your Aunt and Uncle Ollander!" Mother cried, flailing her arms as she tried to tighten Eliza's dress. "Heather, darling, I know you will visit them today. My sister very much anticipates her nieces to come!"
         "Mama, I haven't the time to speak," Heather rushed, streaming by. I turned from the piano where I had been playing to pass the time, and laughed aloud at the scene. I've always been light-hearted, with a playful temper, and I absolutely thrive in commotion.
         "Where is Lillian?" I asked.
         "Last I knew, she was begging to borrow Alice's gloves," Eliza responded, her voice strained with pain from our mother pulling at her. "Stop squeezing so tightly!"
         I strolled outside into the sunshine, which we had all wished for but could not believe when it came. Not a cloud littered a beautiful blue sky- perfect for a lovely fair. The only complaint made was by Lillian, because her dress was heavier than ours, and the warm breeze was going to stifle her. I had opted for a simple, light, dusty rose-colored dress, with a pale pink ribbon around the empire waist and ruffled short sleeves. Eliza made the same mistake as Lillian, choosing a fancier dress that was bound to make her miserable by nightfall.
         "We're not going home early, either," I had told her. "I've brought a book just in case I were to grow wearisome."
         "I'm not going to get wearisome," she had said stoutly. "I've got a collection of handkerchiefs with my name embroidered on them, and I plan on losing every one today."
         Actually, I fully expected a lovely, fun-filled day. Mother could barely conceal her jealousy of our young freedom, and made sure to enjoy herself vicariously using her two youngest. I planned to meet plenty of new people, observe amusing events, and roam the streets of Cassadior carelessly.
         Mr. Meichals, my brother David and his wife Anne, and her sister Harriet arrived first. Alice replaced Harriet, who insisted upon staying, and the party clambered into a carriage to town. Not ten minutes later, Mr. Elford's black coach and two horses rolled up the lane. Harriet turned curiously to me, where she had been admiring herself at the hall mirror. "Dear Emma, are you not going at all?" her voice, always so cautiously rude, gave light to the malicious smile in her eyes.
         I returned the false smile. "I am going with my neighbor, Mr. Callough."
         "Mr. Callough!" Harriet responded with shock in her tone. "The gentleman has been very polite to me during my stay at Callough Manor. I say, for a village so small as Fleurlind, the people can be quite charming. Mr. Callough is very fond of my company, and I adore his. I say, do you think you can fit in the carriage with the rest of us?"
         "Not to worry," I assured my frizzy, black-haired cousin. "We are taking a separate coach. You'll see that Mr. Callough comes alone." I pointed towards a small carriage following Mr. Elford's.
         Harriet's mouth dropped open. "I want to come with you, then."
         My face tightened, imagining spending a day with someone I deeply despise. But the fair could not be ruined by a blot such as her. Heather, Eliza, and Lillian took off, leaving Harriet and me with Mr. Callough.
         "Mr. Callough, my gentleman friend!" Harriet drawled, holding out her hand for him to kiss. I raised an eyebrow, and his clear blue eyes showed he knew as little as I on the matter. "I couldn't pass up another day without you. I know how you love to dote on me, and I'm sure I'll make everything more fun. Emma, if you didn't know, isn't as fun as I am."
         "I'm not sure if you were aware of this," he said carefully as we had driven off, the sound of horse-hooves beating into dust around us, "but I have known Miss Derring for a long time. We've only recently become reacquainted after a long absence, but our farms have coexisted for half a century."
         Harriet was appalled, but too stubborn to make amends. "So you must know, then?"
         "Know what, Miss Mills?" he answered.
         She cackled loudly, patting her knees. "How very absurd this is, Mr. Callough. Don't you know of Emma's vows? Why, her family would never allow her to be serious with any man owning less than a fortune, despite their own lack of it. Emma, so very proud because she knows she will never land a rich husband, renounced men on her own, early on, rather than admit she will be lonely forever."
         "Harriet, I never swore to renounce marriage. I simply said I would not scout for it, like others do. I know it is the common practice among you and your peers, but I don't pretend to possess a dowry. If opportunity falls into my lap, I will not be stupid."
         "So you would accept a man who proposed to you?" Mr. Callough asked, tilting his head in that way of his. It always gave the illusion he could see straight into my mind, and knew at that moment what I felt and thought. I wouldn't meet his gaze for fear of what he might find.
         "The injustice!" I cried. "Must I justify myself every day? Am I a walking, talking dispute among politicians who can pull and pick and cast their vote on me? I am a woman, therefore I am entitled to change my mind whenever I want. If one day I find a man I love, I will be overjoyed. For present tense, I do wish you would find something else to discuss."
         I leaned back and stared out the window, my jaw firm. Harriet was exchanging amused expressions with my neighbor, but I was not going to allow them to play at me again by mentioning it. Small talk and bickering continued until we reached Cassadior, and I was quite thankful to escape Harriet.
         "Emma!" Mr. Callough, calling after me after he had tied up his horses. "Are you going to let me join you?"
         "Only if she does not come," I said, nodding at Harriet.
         "Shall we lose her, then?" he whispered, grinning. I laughed.
         "Wesley, you wouldn't dare!" I said, picking up the pace. "I know you to be too good and kind. I, on the other hand, am consciously capable of leaving her in a town she isn't familiar with, and not be sorry." Behind us, Harriet was angrily running to catch up.
         "If it inspires you, my lady," he replied, walking backwards ahead of me. I could see people milling about up ahead.
         A smile played at my lips. "That it does."
         He grabbed my hand and we dove through a thick crowd, turning corners and twisting down alleyways until I was sure she was gone. "Much better," I breathed, leaning against a brick building. "I think I see some sort of show occurring down there..." I pointed at a giant tent erected in the square. "Shall we have a look?"
         "A show already?" he asked. "I thought we might enjoy a private walk together."
         "My dear Wesley, I must see it. It could be one of those afternoon enjoyments that pack up out of nowhere and leave. Would you want to miss it?"
         He took my arm. "If it pleases you."
         We took our seats inside the grand, billowing velvet tent. A large wooden stage sat in the center, and about 100 chairs circled it. We were fortunate enough to find seats in the third row, next to Alice and Mr. Meichals, who were already waiting. "Isn't it exciting?" Alice whispered to me, fluttering a fan. "I believe Lillian and Eliza are sitting in the sixth row." I turned in my seat and, sure enough, my two youngest sisters sat slouched in their chairs, feet placed rudely on the chairs in front of them. They were giggling hysterically. I scanned the crowd more and found Heather and Mr. Elford across the stage from us in the second row. She was watching Eliza and Lillian with rapt disapproval.
         "Alice, it is wonderful to be away from the house!" I exclaimed. She smiled at me, her face flushed with agreement. The flap of the tent closed, concealing us in darkness.
         Everyone fell silent immediately, and we all gasped as a few dozen tiny candles flickered simultaneously into life, bordering the stage and a tall man in the center of it. I knew at once that those in the back rows were at great disadvantage, for they could not see quite as well. However, it seemed to be growing a bit brighter by the minute.
         The man slowly circled the stage, hands behind his back. His head was bent down at the slightest angle. I could see, even in the dim atmosphere, that he had fair skin with handsome features, and dark hair that fell over intense brown eyes whenever he turned his head. He looked to be about twenty-seven or so, but it was hard to be sure. Lighting plays tricks on you.
         "Audience," he spoke, the mysterious voice breaking silence. "Thank you for attending this afternoon's performance. My name is Alastor Nevine. I have never done a show in these regions; I've astounded Germany, Italy, France, and Russia. I hope to bring you enjoyment as well."
         All eyes were glued to him.
         "Have you ever wondered how to test the speed of light?" he mused. "Sometimes you get caught up in such a busy life that you aren't quite sure where you've been....and where you're going." Gasps murmured from the audience. I swiveled about, to find myself now sitting in the very front row. Mr. Meichals was now in the very back, and about twenty others were also rearranged.
         Alastor Nevine did not seem to notice everyone's loud reactions. After a brief pause, he turned on the spot and produced a long blue ribbon from his sleeve. He shook it as though full of dust, and let go. It stretched into a large square and then fell as a tablecloth onto an invisible stool. The magician tapped his finger to his wrist and a glass of water appeared atop the tablecloth. After applause, he took a coin from his pocket and held it up for all to see.
         "Do you see this? You there, in the last row, you can you all see it very well what I have in my hand?"
         Echoes of, "Yes!" bounced around the room.
         "Money," he spoke, gazing at all of us with a very knowing stare. Each time his eyes passed over me, I felt as though he could see my very soul. "Controls your lives. It makes you humble, it makes you haughty. Whether or not you marry well, live in a nice estate, or afford to feed your family depends on it. Do you all live to chase it?" He tossed the coin high into the air. It did not come back down.
         "Does it satisfy your happiness?" A shower of gold rained down upon us. Children scrambled in their seats to claim the coins, quickly shoving as much as possible into pockets and under hats. Then, as fast as that had happened, there were loud shouts.
         The coins had transformed into hundreds of fluttering hummingbirds, which toppled over people who had gathered them and flew to the stage. "Or is it only necessary because you all think you must depend on it?" Mr. Nevine's voice became a little louder. The hummingbirds all fell into coins again, clattering onto the stage. No one's greedy hands tried to retrieve them this time.
         "If you could see your future," he began, addressing us all while he rubbed his hands together. "Would you?" White light shone between his fingertips. He seemed to shape the ball of light in his hands as though it were clay, and then he backed away from it, a shining silver orb suspended in the air. "Who would like to unlock secrets of their futures?"
         The audience was filled with raised hands. The magician called to someone across from me. It belonged to a stout, plump gentleman wearing a gray suit.
         "What do you wish to know?" The magician curiously looked him over.
         "I want to know if my wife will stay faithful to me," he declared shamelessly. A woman sitting next to him lowered her face. I wondered to myself whether it was Mrs. Guslas, the woman who had publicly deserted her husband only to come back last spring.
         The orb twisted and grew so that we could all see what it was portraying. Inside it, a fat old man and a thin old woman sat together on the front step of a farmhouse. "Until the day you die," Alastor Nevine told him. Ooh's and ahh's floated up and down the aisles.
         The husband and wife beamed sheepishly at each other. Mr. Nevine rounded the stage, as though searching for something he'd lost. "You there," he said to me suddenly. "Do you want to know what the future holds in store for you?"
         I thought about it for a moment. "No."
         He played with the orb a little, maneuvering it in the air with his hands, tossing it back and forth like a game of catch. "No? And why is that, when so many others here desperately seek to know?"
         "I believe fate is indefinite," I responded calmly. "Every day it changes. If you were to show me a vision, I could easily alter the outcome at will. Nothing you can show me about my future is absolutely, positively going to happen."
         "What if it were?"
         "Then I should not want to see it anyway," I decided. His eyebrows rose. "You are surprised?"
         "Admittedly." He stopped playing with the orb and it froze before him, turning a rich shade of scarlet.
         "The knowledge would consume me," I stated. "I would spend the rest of my life ensuring the vision or trying to change it. I prefer to think I have more choice in my life, and not live up to, or by, something I once saw at a show."
         He studied me for a long time, and I tried to return his ferocity, but found myself little less than mesmerized. He continued showing slivers of the future to a few curious askers, and then proceeded on to a few card tricks. After that, the scarlet orb which had dwindled in size grew again, and he pulled at it as though it contained strings. Half a dozen red orbs strung along next to it.
         "I will tell you a story I heard from a fisherman in Spain," he said. "Years and years ago, a man fell in love with a woman. He watched her every day as she passed along the streets of Santander, wishing he could stop time just so he could take a moment to be with her a little longer. He was a jeweler, and fashioned together the rarest rubies from India, and garnets from Thailand. He created a necklace of red gems, for red is the color of love and passion." At this point in the story, all the little orbs were molding into a small string, transforming into a necklace. "He planned to present the necklace to the woman he'd loved from afar for many long months, hoping she would accept him. On the day he set out to do so, he could see her passing along a crowd. The largest ruby in the center of the necklace slipped from its fastenings in the chain, and rolled across the cobblestones. A small wobbly horse and carriage approached it, and a wheel snapped from the force of the hard jewel. The horse was frightened, and trampled the man's love, who had been standing too close."
         A woman, shocked by the ending, let out a gasp.
         "The man replaced the empty center where the ruby had been with a giant moonstone. What he did not know was that it was magic. Every now and then, when he peered into the moonstone, he could see his lost beloved. The sight of it made him crazy, and he ended up throwing himself into the sea. After that, several other people found the enchanted necklace. Sometimes it showed them their heart's strongest desire, and they overcame it. Others succumbed to the wishes of the necklace itself, whom some rumored it had a soul of its own. After the fisherman told me this story, I happened to find a very rare chain of precious gemstones, half-buried under a tree a mile from the beach."
         The orbs, which had been flaunting a beautiful necklace, vanished into thin air.
         "I lost it since then. Does anyone know where my necklace is? They say that whoever it befalls shall discover the deepest love."
         I felt the heaviness of cold metal pressed on my skin before I saw it, and my heart began to thump. My hand flew to my neck, feeling the glittering garnets and sparkling rubies. There in the heart of the necklace lay a perfect moonstone, like a queen. I turned around and stared at Alice, and she gaped at me when she realized I was donning the jewelry.
         "I ask again, my dear friends," Alastor Nevine repeated. "Does anyone know where it is?"
         I slowly opened my mouth. "Here," I said weakly.
         He swiftly turned and cocked his head. "Of course. What is your name, my lady?"
         "Emma Derring, sir."
         "And would you mind showing everyone where it is?" he gestured to the stage. I could feel all the blood rushing to my face, but had to oblige. He took my hand and helped me up. The lights from the candles burned ten times brighter when I joined him, and everyone could see where the necklace lay.
         There was much applause. The handsome magician took my hand, kissed it, and whispered, "It becomes you. I want you to have it." He turned towards everyone else, who were avidly clapping, and said, "I appreciate your patience this past hour. Today was a free show. I've bought a theater in Fleurlind, and will be doing performances with cheap admission tickets every Saturday evening; lesser or oftener, depends on where I turn up."
         As I moved to step down from the stage, he grasped my hand tightly. I looked at him, and his deep brown eyes, and felt the necklace flutter. Out the corner of my eye, I watched Wesley Callough's expression sour. "Emma!" he said, coming over and extending his hand for me to receive. Very slowly, I ripped my stare from Mr. Nevine's and allowed Wesley to help me down. I felt as if under a spell.
         When we exited the tent, bright sunshine blinded our eyes. I'd forgotten it wasn't yet evening. "Well, there you are!" a shout cried out to us. It was Harriet, angry and sore, stomping over. "I say, I've been looking round for you all day, and it was not very nice at all. Emma, you had better not leave me again or else I shall tell your mother of such ill behavior."
         But I was still thinking about the magician and the way he had looked at me.
         "Emma?" It was Mr. Callough this time. His blue eyes were tinged with worry. "Are you alright? Did he do something to you?"
         "No."
         "I know what he meant to do," he decided when we found a bench to seat ourselves. We were facing a lovely white marble fountain. The velvet tent was out of view. "You refused to ask to see your future, and he thought to ridicule you by giving you a necklace which would enable you to do so."
         "It's only a gesture," I replied. "He was telling a fairy tale, my dear Wesley. It is a very valuable gift, but not magic. I'm sure he could conjure whatever he pleased."
         "You were impressed?" he asked.
         "He was an excellent magician," I replied, taking his arm and leading him over to a booth selling sweets. "and well worth the trip, I believe. What with his purchase of the theater in Fleurlind, I dare say we shan't be bored much longer in that town. Lillian and Eliza will no doubt want to see his every show."


***

"How was the fair yesterday?" Father asked, spreading butter on his bread. Mother clinked her China cup against her plate, throwing her head up. She was very eager to learn about our doings the night before.
"Mother, we are eating breakfast," Heather glowered. Something in her manner hinted she did not have a pleasant trip.
"I trust you visited my dear sister," Mother pressed, peering at us anxiously with her beady eyes.
"I did," Heather retorted, shoveling her food into her mouth. "Although I was the only one to do so! Aunt Ollander was so upset that Emma, Alice, Eliza, and Lillian didn't show up that she forced me to stay there for five hours. The only event I got to see yesterday was the magic show, that's all. Mr. Elford was bored to tears, and now will never want to see me again."
"But the magic show was the best part!" Eliza said happily. "You must agree, Heather. I've never seen anything quite like it. The way he turned that man's hat into a parrot was very funny. She pursed her lips in thought and then addressed me. "My, Emma, what have you to say about the magic show?"
"You were much more quiet afterwards," Lillian said. "When we ran into you at the petting zoo you seemed very unlike your usual self."
"Well of course!" Eliza sputtered. She looked around at us in amazement. "Did you not see the man? He was so handsome, far handsomer than anyone else around here."
"And did you see how he reacted to our sister?" Alice cut in. "He was quite taken with her, I think."
"Who?" Mother clapped her hands together in delight. "A handsome man liked who?"
I rolled my eyes. "Ladies, you can't hardly believe that." But the words were forced. There was no denying that something happened on that stage, and I haven't been able to shake it off.
"Emma, of course!" Lillian answered. "He was smitten, everyone could tell. Oh, if I'd been you, Emma, I'd have died. I would have simply died if he kissed my hand and gave me a lovely necklace."
"A necklace?" Mother was past the point of being on the edge of her seat. "Emma, love, a magician gave you a necklace?"
"It was a gesture, Mother," I groaned, swallowing a soft white roll.
"Is it valuable?" she wanted to know.
"All of the gemstones are quite real, I assure you," Heather spoke. "I examined them when we got home. I'm not sure of its value, but the jewelry must be worth a good deal of money. A lot of money. The rubies and garnets are perfect, and the moonstone larger than I've ever seen in my life."
Breakfast was now completely forgotten.
Mother was swooning at this point. "Bring it here, my child!" she ordered me. "I shall finally be rich again. I will have as many shoes and carriages as I desire, and deservedly so! After all these years of burden, I'll be paid for it. Run and fetch me the necklace, Emmeline."
"Absolutely out of the question," Father thundered before I got the chance to refuse her myself. His wife's mouth dropped open in clear protest. "Mrs. Derring, these are your daughters, not your possessions. If one of them has received a gift from an admirer, the man should think himself lucky. I know I normally let you carry the weight of the household, but when it comes to affections of the heart, I have finally decided to say something. No longer will you decide who is and isn't acceptable, and no longer will you be fussing with our daughter's beaus. You must understand that it is not your choice."
Mother's eyes were so huge they looked ready to pop out of her head. "Mr. Derring! You act as though I am ruining their opportunities! I never said Emma was forbidden to tarry with the magician, I only told her to give me the necklace. It is rightfully mine, after all I've endured."
"After all I've endured, I've a right to say my piece and hear it be respected!" he roared. We all sat back and stared, our minds completely blank. It is rare that he utters two words at breakfast. To witness this sort of revelation was like an event. "If Emma got a present, it is hers. Keep your greedy hands to yourself. That is my final word. I shall be in the drawing room, please do not disturb me."
In his wake, Mother's face contorted with rage. "Leave the table," she said to me.
I slammed my chair and went upstairs, grabbed the necklace, slid it into my dress pocket, and stormed outside. Once safely in the woods, I pulled it out again. It truly was the most beautiful creation I'd ever seen, glinting in the sunlight. I could not yet understand why the necklace ended up on me in the first place, and why he would let me keep such a prize. I put it back in the safety of my pocket and continued wandering down the beaten path. Just as I was wondering whether I'd ever meet this magician again, he was before me.
He did not see me at first, and was strolling towards my direction. I thought for a moment whether I should turn around and let him enjoy solitude, but I was also stunned that he was walking amiably through our forest. My legs froze to the ground.
He glanced up and his expression was unmistakably surprised. Blood found my legs again and I leaned against a mossy tree, preparing to turn and run another direction. I tried to walk quickly, but stopped when he said my name.
"Emma Derring?"
I hesitated. "I did not mean to interrupt you," I said, daring to meet his eyes. He cocked his head to the side and watched me closely. "I was merely walking."
"Do you reside nearby?" he inquired, moving a step closer. I pointed behind my shoulder. "I live at Rosehedge. May I ask how you ended up in these woods?"
"I confess I've bought a cabin in them," he told me. "It's a charming little place, good for thinking and privacy." Something about his unidentifiable accent and the way he stood two feet from my face with an unwavering gaze weakened my knees. "And I suppose an occasional visitor."
My feet started walking again. Each stiff foot had to force itself to make contact with the earth. "May I join you?" he quietly asked.
"If you would like," I responded. "I'm not going anywhere in particular." After a few minutes of rambling down the trail, shaded by golden and green foliage and the high canopy of leafy trees, my mouth opened again. "Have you ever wished you could simply walk out the front door and keep walking, aimlessly, with no destination?"
He nodded thoughtfully. "There's nothing quite like belonging to nowhere."
" I've often stared out my window and imagined foreign hills and rivers, and adventures which may arise. I could in turn write about them." My face was forward, but I could tell he was looking sideways at me. In natural light, he wasn't quite so pale, and his dark eyes and hair were a bit brighter, a bit softer.
"Then why don't you?"
"What?" I stopped. The serious look on his face made me laugh. "Of course I could not just simply walk out of my life."
He shook his head. "You think too much," he mused. He plucked a leaf from a tree and set it in his palm. Turning it over twice, it flew away as a yellow butterfly.
"How do you do it?" I asked, looking him in the eyes.
"Do what? Magic?" I nodded. "When I am inspired, it just happens. Of course, it is mostly tricks and illusions, but just because something is a trick doesn't mean it's not real. My mood has a lot of influence over ability and performance."
"It's hard to believe it can be real," I said. "But you can't hardly be hiding butterflies in your pockets."
He raised an eyebrow and smiled. "Or am I?"
I laughed. "Very curious." And then I stopped, remembering the necklace in my pocket. "Mr. Nevine-"
"Please, call me Aurek." He saw my puzzled expression. "My mother was Polish. My real name is not Alastor, it is Aurek. But what did you want to ask?"
"Why did that necklace end up on me?"
He studied me, and we continued walking. We rounded a bend in the path where the Callough's and my family's land ended and thicker wood began. "I thought you might like it."
"But you do not know me."
"Would you like me to?"
I felt my cheeks blush. He smiled pleasantly. "And I do not know you," I added. "I daresay it would be reckless to give a perfect stranger something so valuable."
"I suppose there is some truth in that, if you find it valuable."
"It is real, is it not?"
"If you are asking whether the rubies and garnets are worth a fortune, then the answer is yes. However, even if they were worth a penny, they still would shine just as prettily, and therefore are real. If you know the necklace lies where it does, it is truly real. It does not need to hold worth in money to be valuable."
I wasn't completely sure what he meant, but I wasn't sure I was supposed to. He was half-talking to himself, wondering aloud. "Was the story you told true? About the man who made it?"
"Perhaps," he smiled.
"Do you ever give a straight answer, Mr. Nevine? I can hardly make you at all. I think you like this air of mystery. You purposefully defer all of my questions so that you can maintain a good solid confusion. What you may not have known, Aurek, is that I am especially curious and I refuse to let your half-answers intimidate me."
He laughed. "I should hope not to intimidate you, Emma. To intimidate is to drive away. I very much wish the opposite."
"You must tell me why you wanted me to have the necklace," I demanded.
He clasped his hands behind his back and peered down at me. He was about a head taller than I, maybe a little less. "I thought the rubies would look pretty with your red hair." I could not hide a small smile, and turned my head to the side so that he could not see it.
"Emma!" A voice from a distance away shouted.
We both whirled around. My sister Alice was flying down the path. "My dear sister, what are you-" she stopped short when she saw my companion, and her face broke into a huge smile. "Emma, this is not the magician, I daresay?"
"You are correct, Alice. This is Mr. Nevine." They exchanged slight bows. "You are all out of breath. Is something the matter?"
"No, I didn't realize I was intruding," her eyes darted from Aurek to me, back and forth. "Emma, I'm sorry, but you have to come back to the house. I'm afraid our neighbor, Mr. Wesley Callough, has come to call. He wants to see you."
My face tightened. I did not want to leave Aurek quite yet. "Perhaps...I shall escort you back to your home?" He insisted politely.
"Thank you, that would be lovely," I replied.
A smile played at his lips. "It would be my pleasure."
We walked quickly, Alice ahead of us, with me walking by the gentleman's side. We did not speak the entire way, and I was slowly becoming more and more resentful of my friend Mr. Callough for his interruption. When we reached the house, Mr. Callough was waiting outside, Eliza talking rapidly to him. He turned around and stared. We stopped a few feet from him. I wasn't sure whether to remain standing next to the magician or cross over to my neighbor.
"I shall introduce you," Alice replied. "Mr. Nevine, this is our neighbor, Wesley. Wesley, you remember the magic show yesterday, don't you?"
Wesley was struggling to keep his composure. I could tell he was somewhat annoyed with Aurek by the way he shoved his hands into his pockets and never broke eye contact with him. I was struck by the way he looked today- very smart, very gentleman-like. His hair was smoother than usual, and altogether his appearance was even more handsome than ever. Eliza, not quite sure who she should admire most, simply stood in the middle and stared at both.