13 July 2012
The dinner was going surprisingly well.
“Count Davenport, how are you enjoying your holiday?” mother asked Dimitri.
“I am enjoying it very much” Dimitri replied.
She grunted “I’m sure that this Country side is far too slow for a man of your standards” “no ma’am I quiet enjoy the silence, I don’t get in the city” he replied
“I’m sure” she said.
After that short exchange there wasn’t much more that was said until my mother once again brought up an uncomfortable subject. She looked at Count Ferson then back at me before speaking “After dinner Count Ferson has an announcement that he would like to make before we retire for the evening”
I looked at count Ferson then back at my mother “what announcement?” I asked
“An announcement that will wait until after dinner is finished” with that I was silent.
Throughout the entire meal I couldn’t stop thinking about Dimitri; I spent most of the time watching him several times I found him watching me too. I couldn’t help but smile and blush when I caught him watching me. The remainder of the meal passed in silence. When dinner ended we all went to back to the Drawing room, we took the same seats as the last time we were in there. When everybody was seated Count Ferson walked to the centre of the room. He turned and faced everybody. If there was one thing that Count Ferson was good at was public speaking and getting the people around him to like him. There was still a slight hum of chatter in the room until Count Ferson cleared his throat, everybody looked at him expectantly. He began to speak
“I would like to thank everybody for being here tonight for this joyous occasion” I rolled my eyes and zoned out as he spoke the words. I looked at Dimitri I was surprised to see him roll his eyes to I smiled. Then went back to listening to Count Ferson drone on about friend ship and marriage. Wait marriage? What the hell? Marriage with whom? I quickly zoned back in to hear the tail end of his speech, “and so it is with great pleasure that you are all here today when I ask the love of my life a most important question” he then turned to me “Miss Annabella would you do my the honour of becoming my wife?”
My jaw as did several other in the room literally hit the floor. I mean of all the preposterous things that he could have said but to actually ask me to marry him and in front of Dimitri .How could he even think for one second that I would marry him? I can’t stand him; I can barely stand to be in the same room as him. I looked at my mother as if to ask is he serious? I could tell by the look on her face that he was serious and that she had somehow had something to do with it. There was nothing I could do now I couldn’t refuse him not in front of my mother and all these witnesses, but I most certainly couldn’t accept his proposal. I had no idea what to say to everybody who were all sitting there waiting for my answer. What was I going to say? I looked at Lady Elizabeth, who was purposely refusing to look at me which made me think that she knew Count Ferson was going to ask me that exact question, I then looked at Count Mayfare he just smiled and nodded his head to me , I looked at my mother next she had the biggest smile on her face, she looked as if all her Christmases had come at once. Just like that I finally figured out what her comment earlier today had meant when she said she would be rid of me soon this is what she meant, and I now knew that there was no way out of it I would have to accept Count Ferson’s proposal, if only to stay my mother’s anger. She would be furious if was to be as insulting as to refuse in front of everybody. I now finally know what I have to say and just like that any thoughts or dreams I had about getting out of this town and getting away from my mother and Count Ferson vanished as if they never were. The biggest disappointment though wasn’t that I would never get away on the biggest disappointment was that I could never explore what I think I feel for Dimitri. I highly doubt that if I accept I will ever see him again, it is likely that Count Ferson would be the type of husband who filters his wife’s friends. I took one last look at Dimitri, wishing he could hear my thoughts I wish we could but we can’t I’m so sorry. I removed my eyes from Dimitri’s glorious hair and looked back at Count Ferson, I smiled and said what I knew my mother wanted me to say “wow Count Ferson this is so sudden” I don’t know why but I just couldn’t say yes to him, I tried lord knows I tried, but I couldn’t. So I said the only thing I could think of “could I perhaps have a moment alone to gather my thoughts?” I said as I stood to leave the room.
“Of cause, take all the time you need” Count Ferson replied, he looked slightly shocked, I’m sure it was because he intended for me to accept straight away. I left the room and headed to the first floor bathroom.
~Ambitions; Part 3~ • Opuss № I