Midnight in Everwood(10)
Drosselmeier appeared the perfect guest.
Chapter Six
When evening tipped into night and the witching hour fell upon the Stelle townhouse, all was as silent as the stars etched in the skies. Marietta wandered down a hallway on the top floor. It was a world of deep burgundy carpet and oil paintings of notable Stelles throughout the ages. Though the rest of the house had since been redecorated in lighter pastels and florals, the hallway leading to the old nursery had been left languishing in the Victorian era. Marietta found Frederick warming himself before the fire in what was now the siblings’ drawing room. His spotted necktie was undone, his black jacket shed. He spoke without turning. ‘I haven’t seen Mother this excited since the Cambers’ son expressed an interest in stealing you away. I almost feel sorry for Drosselmeier.’
Marietta clicked the door shut harder than she’d intended. The rosy glow of the pale wallpaper and the crackling fire made the room cosy despite the dated furniture and ragged carpets. It was the only room in the townhouse into which their parents didn’t venture and the two of them had spent many an hour together in this solace. It had been where Frederick had stood before her with his beau, Geoffrey, and unburdened himself of his secret. Where they stole away for entire evenings, Marietta pirouetting through the night as Frederick sketched, their confidences burrowing deeper and more heartfelt as they neared the bottom of the champagne bottle.
Frederick turned to survey her. ‘Is there something bothering you?’
‘I had forgotten about Philip until now.’ She rubbed a temple as the memory of their awkward chaperoned luncheon last month came searing back.
Frederick grinned. ‘Was he the one who monologued about hunting at his family’s estate in Scotland, or the one who drooled when he ate?’
Marietta rubbed her temple harder. ‘I’m sure that he didn’t intend to drool. Perhaps he has some unfortunate affliction.’
Frederick gave a sharp laugh. ‘I wouldn’t pay him a second thought. According to Geoffrey, Philip happens to be pursuing a handful of women in London, who are conveniently located closer to the Cambers’ Great House. I’m sure he’ll prove to be as short-lived as the rest of your suitors. Wasn’t it Henry Davenshire that proclaimed you “cold and unfeeling”?’
‘He was an utter bore.’ Marietta sighed. ‘Why is it that some men feel the need to insult women if we dare not be enthralled by them and their inconsequential pursuits?’
‘Pay them no heed, you are far more talented and generally splendid than the lot of them. So, what did you make of Drosselmeier?’
‘An interesting man indeed. Most talented; I’m sure everyone will be clamouring for one of his pieces once word spreads.’
‘Devilishly handsome, too.’ Frederick gave Marietta a pointed look.
She pursed her lips. ‘I would be interested to speak more with him but that is the limit of my feelings on the matter.’ She patted her hair.
‘I do adore you, Ets, but you ought to be forbidden from styling your own hair. At the very least to save poor Sally from Mother’s criticism.’ Frederick strode over and began fiddling with it. ‘After dinner was a resounding success, I’m afraid Drosselmeier shall be Mother’s new target for her relentless matchmaking and undoubtedly a most frequent guest. Even Father seemed impressed with the man. Is that what’s preoccupying you? Your frown lines have been deepening by the minute since you stepped through the door.’
Marietta realised he was right: as much as she had attempted to twist out of her fate, if she kept walking this path, it was inevitable. Her tentative plans hardened like a caramel glaze. ‘Frederick, I have decided to audition for the Nottingham Ballet Company.’
Her brother sighed. ‘No good will come of this, Ets. Father explicitly ordered you to stop dancing come the new year. Once his mind is set on something, it cannot be altered. And since he covers the cost of your classes, not to mention your dresses, costumes and ballet slippers … Well, I just don’t see how it could be possible. And I won’t always be here to protect you from him.’
‘You forget I’m no longer a child, Frederick; I do not require your protection. Besides which, I have quite made up my mind.’
Frederick repositioned her before the gilt mirror above the mantelpiece. Her raven hair had been reconfigured into an elegant low twist. She met his eyes in the mirror, the grey to her deep blue; if you blended them together like paint, they would forge the colour of storm clouds and misted seas. ‘Wouldn’t you have preferred to follow your dreams?’ she asked quietly, dipping into territory they avoided discussing.
His hands slackened on her shoulders. ‘It’s dangerous to dream, Marietta. It will fill your head with tales sweet as sugarplums, until reality is nothing but disappointment.’
Marietta sank onto the petal-blue chesterfield basking opposite the fire. They had picked it out together, the room’s one concession to modern aesthetics. ‘I disagree. Dreams hold power, and when one truly believes in them, it feels as if there isn’t anything on this earth you might not achieve.’
Frederick frowned. ‘Do not go against Father.’ His voice was deep with warning. ‘An easy life married to someone like Drosselmeier in a grand house is not something to battle against. If you were caught disregarding his orders, you cannot comprehend what the consequences would be.’