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Samh 9.05.1342 10:00
Abaledina’s cousin, Eriath Gillfillian was a fine, generous twenty-five year old. Nature had given him both intellect and a large share of what the world calls common sense. However, he also had a strong sense of imaginative romance, which Abaledina believed would keep him from forcing her into a loveless marriage with him.
When he arrived, he brushed her forehead with a chaste kiss, and Abaledina felt instinctively that it was only prompted by fraternal love. For an instant, her heart was so lightened of its anxiety that a sweet musical laugh rang from her lips, and she moved quickly and gaily about like one whose happiness is suddenly complete.
“Your message preceded you by so short a time that we were not quite prepared to receive you as we wished," his mother said, clearly excited by the greeting they exchanged. Instantly, Abaledina’s brow saddened, and the color faded from her face. The thought that she was pledged to him in marriage should have brought joy and hope. Instead, it threw a cloud over her future life. Gradually, she retired from the conversation. After an hour she went to her private room, requesting Luna ensure no one intruded.
She felt the loneliness of her situation intensely! Her uncle was kind, indulgent, and fatherly, but he adored his son and regarded their engagement as an established thing. Approaching him about it only created assertations that no change could possibly be made. To him, one could never appeal in an affair of the heart because he saw romance as frivolity.
Jeanilotta, playmate of her childhood and current companion, had a thousand reasons for longing for the union, so it was of no avail to appeal to her. She knew her aunt was deeply artful. Although she appeared on the surface smooth and complaisant to all, she possessed a mean, low talent of prying into the affairs of those around her and an insatiable desire to control the actions of others. Abaledina knew she would exert every influence—good or bad—to bring about this event.
Thus isolated from the sympathy which she wished to receive from the two most prominent women in her life, she had but one resource for her appeal. Taking a slip of paper, she wrote:
"Will my cousin Eriath grant me in my private den, at his soonest leisure, his company and thus greatly oblige me?”
She rang for Luna and entrusted the note with an injunction to deliver it only to Eriath. Luna was artless, however and ignorant of all intrigue. She received both the message and command but did not pay much attention to either.
Abaledina was slightly concerned about the maid’s lackadaisical attitude, and when much time passed with no word on whether or not the task had been accomplished, she worried the note did not reach its mark. She finally prepared to seek her out, but upon opening the door of the shared parlor, she found Eriath in the hallway about to knock. He followed her into the room in all politeness but with a hesitating step one would not expect in a lover flying to his beloved.
“My mother said you wanted to see me?” he asked.
This startled Abaledina and revealed to her that her maid had not been as careful as she had instructed. Still, she led her cousin into the private den, took her favorite seat, and pointed to a nearby chair for him.
“Dear cousin, may I be permitted a hug before I sit?" he asked. At her assent, her head rested upon his shoulder, luxuriating in the confidence and friendship between them.
After releasing herself from his momentary embrace, she said almost tearfully, “Forgive my indiscretion. I have no other friend to guide me in this. I must confide to you that which I wish I could keep secret because I fear it will greatly upset you. I can’t attempt to misunderstand the contents of your message and must tell you the true sentiments of my heart. For years—”
“Eriath! Eriath!" Lieutenant Gillfillian’s loud, impatient tones and quick, heavy footsteps were heard outside the sliding panel of the private den. Immediately the young man started from his position. Opening the panel, he met his father, who had great unease embedded in his face.
“I cannot express how sincerely I regret to interrupt your dialogue, but I am compelled by the most urgent motives. A message just reached me, informing me of the probable failure of the house of Wildon, Strong, and Company, in East Moumalt. I have considerable interest in this business, but I must remain here because of other equally pressing business. Therefore, you must go in my place and leave at once.”
Abaledina thought she visibly noted Eriath’s chest puff with pride at his father’s request.
"With the greatest pleasure. I am entirely at your service," Eriath replied.
“I appreciate your self-denial. I assure you that I shall not soon forget it. Come. We have much to discuss and little time," said Lieutenant Gillfillian.
Without so much as a longing glance back, Eriath was out the door and walking toward Lieutenant Gillfillian’s study. "Explain to me the particulars and command me to the utmost,” she heard him say as he left.
“Perhaps this is a good thing," murmured Abeladina. She had decided her words would not have come out well. She suspected it would be better to write out her feelings than speak openly to Eriath. She also felt a letter would give him time to adjust to the situation before he needed to respond. Most importantly, she would not have to see the result of breaking his heart directly.
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