By: Stephanie O’Hanlon (Looks are often deceiving...)
When I first saw her, she was the picture of perfection, sitting across the way from me.
She was in a pink gown, which when the sun from the beautiful spring day cast upon her, made her pale skin glow and her black hair look like the deepest night. She had a little tricorne hat on her head, and a smile on her ruby lips.
She sat with her dear aunt, watching the opera singer, who had been hired for a little garden performance. Did she enjoy the performer? I could not tell, since her favourite thing to do was smile. And everyone admired her for it.
Once the performance had concluded, she didn’t bother to stand. Suddenly, nearly all the men were vying for her attention, gathered around her. They paid her compliments, how lovely she looked, the colour pink flattered her complexion, she should wear it often. What of the performance? Did she enjoy it? If she disliked it, why?
She raised her hand delicately, waving them off, standing and walking over the little wooden bridge that was over top of a river that was on the property. A few gentleman followed, specifically one of the Duc’s that was handsome and tall, who stood above the rest. He obviously caught her attention.
She smiled prettily to him as she held her hand out, which he took and kissed gently, a sensuous smile crossing him. She flirted back, batting her eyelashes at him, letting him hold her hand a little bit longer than one would normally be allowed in etiquette.
It was probably a favourable moment, especially from her aunt’s perspective, since the Duc was most likely a marriage prospect for the young woman. Flirting was socially acceptable, though it was often done discreetly. She didn’t care for discretion, especially when it came to a man as impressive as the Duc.
She turned towards the bridge, the Duc bowing to her, before she pointed towards the direction she was going. He gladly righted himself and put his arm out for her, which she took. They began walking off, crossing the bridge to the other side.
I looked around at everyone, seeing them chatting, not really paying much attention to where the two young people went. It didn’t take a second thought for me to quickly follow them, crossing the bridge with haste, though I made sure that there was enough space between us so that it wasn’t obvious that I was following them.
I came to a long stone path that led to a little entrance way, which led to a circular area I could see only
slightly. I knew that was where they went. It was private, and intimate. It would be where I would take her.
I quietly made my way down the path, coming to the grand entrance. I stopped, looking on either side where a large hedge made a wall. The area was closed in, the hedge making its way around until it met with the other side of the entrance.
I knew that I couldn’t simply stand and watch them, they would surely see me. I looked down to my right, seeing a large section of the flowers that lined the pathway. I stepped over it, making my way around the hedge, looking for a little space that was open enough to see through. I was elated that I had found one, bending only slightly to look through the small gap of leaves.
They were standing by a stone bench, the Duc taking her hand once again and kissing the back of it. She smiled, batting her lashes again at him, taking her hand gently away from him, putting it on his chest. She was being forward, cavalier even, but he didn’t mind. What man would?
He leaned down to her, kissing her. I watched, envious. I wanted to kiss her. I wanted to look away, but I couldn’t. I stood there and painfully watched.
My look of anguish suddenly melted to one of curiosity, as she pulled away from him, giggling lightly and pointing towards the entrance way. He turned, looking to it as she reached up, pulling the gold tipped pin out of her hat. He turned back to her, smiling as she stabbed him in the heart with the hat pin.
I swallowed hard, stopping myself from calling out as I put my hand over my mouth. The Duc had a look of surprise on his face, utter shock as she pulled out the pin. His white waistcoat began to ink with blood, which spread to his matching justaucorps. She then reached into his waistcoat pocket and pulled out a handkerchief before he fell to his knees.
She stood and watched, a look of indifference on her face. He crumpled to the ground, silently dying off. She then took the handkerchief and cleaned off the pin. She looked down before she looked to the handkerchief, tossing it off on the body.
She then placed the pin back in her hat, which had surprisingly stayed on her head even without the pin. She walked around the body, heading towards the entrance way. I quickly turned, putting my back against the hedge, hoping that she wouldn’t see me.
She passed me by, not even acknowledging that I was there...thankfully. I was breathing heavily, the whole event replaying before me. I couldn’t believe that this refined young woman, this woman of stature was a murderer.
I quickly made my way back to the garden, where she was standing among the gentleman once again.
One of them smiled to her. “Your
hat pin is quite dazzling, Mademoiselle.”
All she did was
smile.
When I first saw her, she was the picture of perfection, sitting across the way from me.
She was in a pink gown, which when the sun from the beautiful spring day cast upon her, made her pale skin glow and her black hair look like the deepest night. She had a little tricorne hat on her head, and a smile on her ruby lips.
She sat with her dear aunt, watching the opera singer, who had been hired for a little garden performance. Did she enjoy the performer? I could not tell, since her favourite thing to do was smile. And everyone admired her for it.
Once the performance had concluded, she didn’t bother to stand. Suddenly, nearly all the men were vying for her attention, gathered around her. They paid her compliments, how lovely she looked, the colour pink flattered her complexion, she should wear it often. What of the performance? Did she enjoy it? If she disliked it, why?
She raised her hand delicately, waving them off, standing and walking over the little wooden bridge that was over top of a river that was on the property. A few gentleman followed, specifically one of the Duc’s that was handsome and tall, who stood above the rest. He obviously caught her attention.
She smiled prettily to him as she held her hand out, which he took and kissed gently, a sensuous smile crossing him. She flirted back, batting her eyelashes at him, letting him hold her hand a little bit longer than one would normally be allowed in etiquette.
It was probably a favourable moment, especially from her aunt’s perspective, since the Duc was most likely a marriage prospect for the young woman. Flirting was socially acceptable, though it was often done discreetly. She didn’t care for discretion, especially when it came to a man as impressive as the Duc.
She turned towards the bridge, the Duc bowing to her, before she pointed towards the direction she was going. He gladly righted himself and put his arm out for her, which she took. They began walking off, crossing the bridge to the other side.
I looked around at everyone, seeing them chatting, not really paying much attention to where the two young people went. It didn’t take a second thought for me to quickly follow them, crossing the bridge with haste, though I made sure that there was enough space between us so that it wasn’t obvious that I was following them.
I came to a long stone path that led to a little entrance way, which led to a circular area I could see only
slightly. I knew that was where they went. It was private, and intimate. It would be where I would take her.
I quietly made my way down the path, coming to the grand entrance. I stopped, looking on either side where a large hedge made a wall. The area was closed in, the hedge making its way around until it met with the other side of the entrance.
I knew that I couldn’t simply stand and watch them, they would surely see me. I looked down to my right, seeing a large section of the flowers that lined the pathway. I stepped over it, making my way around the hedge, looking for a little space that was open enough to see through. I was elated that I had found one, bending only slightly to look through the small gap of leaves.
They were standing by a stone bench, the Duc taking her hand once again and kissing the back of it. She smiled, batting her lashes again at him, taking her hand gently away from him, putting it on his chest. She was being forward, cavalier even, but he didn’t mind. What man would?
He leaned down to her, kissing her. I watched, envious. I wanted to kiss her. I wanted to look away, but I couldn’t. I stood there and painfully watched.
My look of anguish suddenly melted to one of curiosity, as she pulled away from him, giggling lightly and pointing towards the entrance way. He turned, looking to it as she reached up, pulling the gold tipped pin out of her hat. He turned back to her, smiling as she stabbed him in the heart with the hat pin.
I swallowed hard, stopping myself from calling out as I put my hand over my mouth. The Duc had a look of surprise on his face, utter shock as she pulled out the pin. His white waistcoat began to ink with blood, which spread to his matching justaucorps. She then reached into his waistcoat pocket and pulled out a handkerchief before he fell to his knees.
She stood and watched, a look of indifference on her face. He crumpled to the ground, silently dying off. She then took the handkerchief and cleaned off the pin. She looked down before she looked to the handkerchief, tossing it off on the body.
She then placed the pin back in her hat, which had surprisingly stayed on her head even without the pin. She walked around the body, heading towards the entrance way. I quickly turned, putting my back against the hedge, hoping that she wouldn’t see me.
She passed me by, not even acknowledging that I was there...thankfully. I was breathing heavily, the whole event replaying before me. I couldn’t believe that this refined young woman, this woman of stature was a murderer.
I quickly made my way back to the garden, where she was standing among the gentleman once again.
One of them smiled to her. “Your
hat pin is quite dazzling, Mademoiselle.”
All she did was
smile.