The Red and Black Autumn Ball
Originally published on April 25, 2006
The Red and Black Autumn Ball was one of the larger, but more hushed events of Tatiana Court. Although a strictly informal event, the ball seemed to be a presentation of who could get the best and most lavish outfit and, of course, who arrived with whom. The only prize was to be talked about for at least a year and to have one’s name whispered in the gossip was Megan’s cup of tea. She was always one for lavish entrances and this year was most certainly not going to be an exception. She arrived late as planned, careful to come before the dancing had begun, so as to have a maximum audience. This year she was a little later than usual, but it didn’t deter her spirits. She stepped into the ballroom alone wearing a sleeveless red gown with beads spreading in a sunburst from her left hip. It went out in a train behind her just slightly and she wrapped a red feather boa around her arms. Her red gloves gracefully flicked the ends of the boa back behind her as she stepped farther into the room. She wore a dark red lipstick and had pink eye shadow accentuate her blue eyes. Her black hair was pulled into an upsweep atop her head, with a few wisps curling down the sides of her face. The lights seemed to radiate off of her as she confidently walked over to the buffet table. She picked up a glass of champagne and held the stem daintily between two fingers in her red gloves, the glass resting lightly on her curled fingertips. She received the response she was looking for as a few couples glanced over at her as they spun by. Others pretended not to be staring every now and then at her, but she caught their glances and smiled over her glass of champagne.
The night continued on as she had planned. A few people approached her and chatted for a couple minutes before tapering off to see others or dance. Although she had had no intentions of dancing, she found herself starting to sway to the music. I’ve had way to much to drink, she thought. She placed the half-drunken glass down and walked towards the patio. A few couples were outside enjoying the moon and she ignored them, walking down the steps to the garden. They had the fountain on and it’s moon reflected drops fell into the pool below. She walked up to the basin and took a deep breath of the mist. The crisp cool air came in sharp through her nasal passages and scraped her lungs, but it didn’t bother her. She glanced at young girl across the way sitting on the edge of the fountain; her back was towards Megan and she was talking to a young man. She could see the boy’s face and he didn’t look pleased. He said something to the girl that Megan couldn’t hear over the water splashing before giving the girl something and walked away, disappearing behind the hedge. Megan tried to follow him, but he was lost among the other people. She walked toward the girl who was still sitting on the edge of the fountain. She had copper hair that reflected the light of the moon into the water. She was wearing a white bodice with a red overskirt embroidered with roses. She had a red ribbon holding her hair and a red ribbon around her waist as a sash. Her freckled cheeks were stained with tears and she continued to look down at the ground even as Megan approached. She sat down next to the girl and stared at the sky patiently. She wasn’t sure what she expected to happen, but she was surprised when the girl turned and placed her arms around her, burying her face in the feathers of the boa. Megan held the girl quietly and thought about how young she looked. She could feel the girl’s hand closed around something, but she didn’t think about it for long. The girl quietly sat up and smiled a little.
“Thank you,” she said. Her voice was melodic and sweet. She reminded Megan of the butterflies she used to raise as a little girl. She would take home caterpillars and give them lettuce and water until they were grown. Then she would draw pictures in her sketchbook of the butterflies and release them as soon as their wings were dry. She was sad to see the girl stand up, but she only went a little ways before facing Megan again.
“I’m sorry. I’m sure that was very rude of me. I don’t even know who you are—“
“I’m Megan,” Megan said, smiling.
The girl turned away and sobbed a little. “My god,” she whispered to herself, “just like Edward. I’m going to live this again.”
Megan stood up and put her boa around the girl’s shoulders. “Is that who that was?”
The girl looked at her, slightly puzzled.
“Was that Edward?”
The girl was surprised and then a little angry. She pulled the boa closer to her and looked down. “Yes, that was Edward.” She walked over to the fountain and sat down again. Megan turned to face her.
“I suppose you could say Edward and I were childhood sweethearts. We met when he, well, saved my life. It was really a silly thing; I wasn’t looking and ran right in front of a cart. He managed to stop the cart driver and get me out of the middle of the road. I was so shaken I forgot to ask for his name, so he just told me. I really didn’t care then, I was so glad I was alive. I suppose that’s the only reason our parents allowed us to be together. His father was a merchant and owned most of the seafaring ships that traveled to the colonies. We used to play on the edge of the docks together. My mother didn’t approve and his father was a little wary, but they thought as long as we were children…there may have been a chance of us growing out of it. I suppose one day we figured out that our parents were not happy at our friendship, so we used to meet in secret at an old fish warehouse. We could easily hide inside if we needed to and it sat on the edge of the sea. Time went by, and soon it was time for both of us to be wed. We were young and naïve and promised each other we would elope soon, vowing the other that there would never be anyone else. The events to follow are complicated to say the least, but there was a bit of trouble with the duke wishing my hand in marriage and my faithfulness. He won’t believe me whatever I say, but I know he’s getting these lies from the woman his family wanted him to marry and he refused. His family has disowned him and he is making me feel unfaithful when I know I…”she stopped and took a deep breath. “My god,” she said crying again, “it’s a messy story.”
Megan sat down next to the girl patiently. She waited for a couple of minutes while the girl calmed down. She placed something small into Megan’s hand and stood up.
“When we promised each other never to marry, he gave me a locket. It was my seventeenth birthday. Keep it, I don’t think I can bear to look at it again.” The girl walked away calmly and joined the crowd inside. She smiled at a few other people, shaking their hands and telling a few friends what had happened.
Megan sat up looking at the stars, feeling the smooth locket in her hands. She looked at its gold surface and opened it up. Inside there was a picture of a boat sailing into the sunset, the orange sky shining slightly through its sails. On the other side, engraved in a circle of forget-me-nots was her name: Odette. Megan got up and walked back inside combing the crowd for the young man she had seen earlier. She found him laughing and joking with another couple. A second girl, presumably his previously betrothed, clung to his arm and daintily smiled perpetually alongside.
“Excuse me for interrupting,” she said smiling at both the couples. The other couple excused themselves and moved on to the dance floor. “If I could talk to you, Edward, alone for a minute.”
The man looked surprised but he nodded and told the girl he would meet her at the buffet. She gave Megan a dirty look before walking off.
“I believe this is yours,” she said handing him the locket. “I wouldn’t believe everything you hear,” she added, walking away. “Love has a way to create enemies.”
He stared after her silently as she walked to the buffet table to get another glass of champagne. She watched him run up to Odette and pull her outside again. She glanced at the second girl, who was now flirting with another young man who approached her. Soon Edward and Odette came back in again to the room, smiling. Odette waved to Megan before disappearing onto the dance floor. Megan put down her empty champagne glass.
