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Post by Monday on Aug 21, 2007 13:29:44 GMT -5
Penelope stopped in her tracks. Her breath caught in her throat and the blood in her veins ran cold. No, it can't be... She turned around on her heal ignoring the fact that Isabel was tugging on her hand. "D-Derek...?" How could it be him? The man she was with a few minutes ago was kind and polite, and very very handsome. Completely different from Derek! But even as she thought this, she new that it was really him. "Penelope, you have to go!" cried Isabel from behind her, pulling on her arm. Penelope let her lead her away, but she still starred back at Derek in disbelief, and he wore the same expression as she.
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Post by Monday on Aug 21, 2007 13:49:06 GMT -5
The next hour passed by Penelope in a shocked blur. She only remembered a few details. Isabel, leading her up to her room, and quickly hiding her mask, jewelry, and dress before her mother arrived with Sir Harold. She remembered Sir Harold trying to comfort her in her injured state and even kissing her on the cheek in farewell. But now she was left alone with her thoughts. She scratched the place on her cheek were Sir Harold beard had rubbed across it. She remembered it tickling and wondered if she would have to stop herself from laughing after every kiss from him. Derek's kisses didn't want to make her laugh. Quite to the contrary, they made her want to pull him closer to her and never stop kissing him. She fell asleep thinking of his kisses.
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Post by Monday on Aug 21, 2007 13:50:22 GMT -5
Day 8 The Struggle
Penelope groggily sat up in bed, as she tried to remember the events of the night before. She remembered the dancing, and the few to many sips of champagne that she had an- "Oh, no," she actually said out loud. How could she have been so stupid? Out of all the men at the party she could have gone in a dark corner to kiss, why did she pick the one that could use it against her? He probably knew that it was her all along, she thought, and had purposefully tried to seduce her. This was ridiculous, of course, and she new it, but it made her feel better to think it. She didn't want to think about the fact that she actually enjoyed it... Now that really was ridiculous! She could barely stand being around him, must less enjoy dancing with him... and kissing him. She obviously would have to avoid him, or else face his ceaseless taunting. She was fairly sure that if she avoided the stables she probably wouldn't run into him. He hardly ever came inside the house. Now keeping him out of her thoughts, that would be a completely different problem all together...
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Post by Monday on Aug 21, 2007 13:51:51 GMT -5
Penelope glanced out the window, half expecting to see Derek there once again. She was surprised to find that he wasn't there, and even more surprised at how disappointed she was. She really did need to stop thinking about him. I mean, he was just a good kisser, that's all. Pamela came in to her room, smiling. "So how was your little party last night, dear?" Penelope blushed and looked away. "It was fun." "Oh come off it!" said Pamela, laughing, "Isabel told me all about your fun time with that young man Derek." Penelope looked at Pamela her eyes growing wide with shock. "She did?!" She couldn't believe Isabel would do something like this. She might as well have told her mother or Sir Harold, even. "Oh, don't fret dear, I always knew this would happen. The way you two were always flirting." Penelope's frustration was quickly rising. "We do not always flirt!" "What ever you say," she said giving her a sly smile, "Oh, you two should elope! It would be terribly romantic!" Pamela said with a dreamy expression on her face. "Elope? What are you talking about?" said Penelope confused, "I don't even know what he thinks about me. I don't even know what I think about him ! "Of course, dear," she said, but she still wore the same sly smile, "how silly of me to think other wise."
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Post by Monday on Aug 22, 2007 1:40:15 GMT -5
((lol))
Penelope slunk quietly down the stairs toward the kitchen. She snuck a cautous glance around every corner before continueing on her way. She had to avoid Derek at all costs. She finally made her way to the kitchen to find the cost clear. Unforntunatly, she was only able to sneek a freshly made scone before she heard someone approaching. She quietly ran to the door, not willing to take the risk of it being Derek that was coming. She ate her scone a little at a time as she snuck down corriders and hid amongst shadows. She was nearly to her room, now. She was reaching for the door knob, sh- "What do you think you're doing?" Penelope practically jumped out of her skin, and she whirled around so fast she nearly got whip lash. "Oh, Isabel," she said relieved, "it's just you." "Who you were you expecting," she said, scowling at her, "Sir Harold." Worse, she thought to herself, much, much worse. Isabel's scowl turned into a canny smile in an instant. "Oh, I know who." "I hate it when you read my mind..." sighed Penelope. "I don't blame you, he is very handsome, and funny." Penelope was about to agree, when she bit her toung. Derek may be handsome, she wasn't above admitting it, but he most certanly was not funny. The only person that thought Derek was funny was himself. And Isabel, apparently. "Wouldn't it be so romantic if you eloped together?!" "Okay, people have really got to stop saying that!"
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Post by Monday on Aug 22, 2007 12:11:14 GMT -5
After leaving Isabel, Penelope went and hid in the sanctuary of her room. She had all day to be alone. And, unfortunately, to think as well. She glanced out her window to see Derek once again at work, but this time with his shirt on. He had probably already forgotten their little night at the ball. It made her mad to think that he was absolutely fine while she was over here suffering. The whole matter probably didn't bother him in the least bit. Then why did it bother her so...? She tried to concentrate on something different. She picked up a book to read. It was a fairy tale that she had read many times and had never gotten bored of. But this time, when she pictured the handsome prince, Derek's face came to mind. She threw the book down as if it burned her hands. She decided to pick up the needle work that her mother was always trying to get her to do. This was a sure sign of her desperation. However, when she saw the blue that made up the water of the river she was making, she couldn't help but wonder if it would be the same blue that was in Derek's eyes. She sat down the peace of cloth, her hands shaking. What in the world was going on with her?
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Post by Monday on Aug 22, 2007 13:09:45 GMT -5
Penelope cautously walked down the stairs headed for the lake. She remembered Derek carring her up the stairs. She shook the thought away. She had seen Derek go into the stables, and new she would be alone at the lake. She wanted to go and sit under the willow tree that always conforted her, but it also reminded her of Derek. She remembered the time he woke her up, and she actually smiled. This was so not right. She even remembered the first time she ever met Derek. She was really little, but it was such a vivid memory. She was five and he must have been ten or eleven. He started working there as a stable boy. His family had recently been caught in a fire and only his father and himself had made it out alive. His father didn't even make it out with his eye sight. He smiled at her and she immediatly wanted to be friends with him. That is, until the next day when she tripped and he lauphed at her. She supposed that's what had started there endless bouts of arguing. Now that she looked back at all of their "fights" she found them comical and almost cute. What was she saying? She got up and headed back to the house, trying to think of anything but Derek and his charming smile that she had once found so annoying. She almost wished that it did still annoy her.
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Post by Monday on Aug 24, 2007 12:20:39 GMT -5
She went straight upstairs without stopping and found a servant. She told him to bring water to her room for a bath without bothering to warm it. Penelope dipped into the ice cold water and within seconds, she was shivering. A cold bath was exactly what she needed to clear her head. She was in the water for over half an hour before Pamela found her. "What do you think your doing?" she said, pulling Penelope up and wrapping her in a towel, "You'll freeze you're arse off in there!" ((does arse count as a bad word?)) "I h-honest-tly d-don't k-know what-t your-re t-talking about-t," said Penelope, her teeth chattering. She realized, however, that she was a bit blue around the edges. Pamela told her to dry herself off, get dressed, and get into bed with her blankets over her at once. She stormed off, headed for the kitchen to bring up some warm chicken broth. After getting dressed Penelope squeezed into bed, and almost immediately she began to get warmer. The bad news in this was that, as she began to thaw out, so did her mind, and the thoughts of Derek that she had drowned out with cold water and soap began to return again.
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Post by Monday on Aug 24, 2007 12:50:23 GMT -5
She ate the chicken broth and bread that Pamela provided her without knowing it. She didn't notice how warm the chicken broth was as it slid down her throat. How it was spiced just right to bring out the flavor of the chicken and make it taste wonderful. She didn't realize that the bread was sweatened just enough and she didn't notice the fact that it was still warm. She must of subconcously realized that she was hungry because her mouth still chewed, and her throat still swallowed. But she didn't actually think about this. All she could think about was him. About how his handsome smile that he constantly flashed her way. About his deep blue eyes that seemed as bottomless as the ocean itself. About his dark brown hair that was just long enough that she could have ran her fingers through them if she wanted too. She rememebered how he always had a way of making her lauph, even if she pretended to take offense to it. How gentle he could be, but how, at the same time he could be strong and determined. She had relenquished all self control now, and thought of him freely. But she still didn't understand. Pamela came and took the dishes away and wished her good night. She faintly remembered bidding farwell to Pamela, but she was still deep in thought as she tucked herself in to bed. Why was she thinking about Derek so intently?
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Post by Monday on Aug 26, 2007 14:11:20 GMT -5
Penelope starred up at the moon light shining on her ceiling. What was wrong with her? She had always despised Derek, hadn't she? But now that she thougth about it, maybe she didn't dislike him as much as she thought. The man she met at the ball had certanly been charming, maybe Derek was like that all the time, but was just different with her because they were friends. Friends... She had thought of them as more of rivals before, but they were more than that. Now, she came to realize, she didn't want to be just friends . She had wanted to kiss John again ever since she had kissed hime the first time. But now she wanted to kiss Derek. She didn't care that she was promissed to another man. If he was there right now she would kiss him, and forget the consequences. But she didn't just want to kiss him. She wanted to be with him too He was one of the only people she new that was honest to her, and she missed having his opinion, however rude it might be sometimes. She smiled. She sat up abrubtly out of bed. She suddenly new exactly why she kept thinking these thoughts about Derek. She was in love with him!
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Post by Monday on Aug 27, 2007 21:02:13 GMT -5
Day 9
Penelope once agian snuck down the stairs, willing Derek to not come this way this morning. She thought at first that she would just try to aviod him for the remiander of her time here until she left with Sir Harold. But she soon realized that would be impossible. Sooner or later she would have to go riding, or people would become supicous. She never went more then a few day without riding Buttercup. No, she would have to face him sometimes, and she'd rather the meeting be on her terms. She hastily ate her breakfast then returned upstairs. As she looked out of her window, she saw Derek working in the stable agian, fully clothed. It was still pretty early in the morning, so it was unlikely that she would run into someone on her way there or that anybody would need a horse and therefore Derek. She sighed deeply. She just had to get it over with. She willed her feet to walk to the door, and her stomach was in knots becoming even more tight as she made her way to the stables and Derek.
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Post by Monday on Aug 27, 2007 21:13:56 GMT -5
However, as Penelope made her way to the stables, she saw that Derek was in a deep conversation with one of the stable boys. She used not wanting to interupt them as an excuse, and quickly veered to the right headed to a small glade were there were alot of swans. She watched the little cygnets as they swam around there mother, out of sight from the stables. She caught a servant walking by and asked him to bring her some bread that she could feed to the mother swan and her babies. She basked in the growing warmth of the day as she happily distrubted the bread. As the dew of the grass began to dry up, she new that she would have to leave soon. But the warm grass was so tempting, so she leaned back intending to only rest her eyes for a bit, but she was soon full out snoozing.
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Post by Monday on Aug 27, 2007 22:00:22 GMT -5
Penelope woke up to see a goose nibbling at the hem of her dress. She wasn't to suprised that she had fallen asleep; her sleep had been restless the last couple of nights. She looked around, and realized that it was already a little past noon. She was hungry, but she wanted to talk to Derek before going back inside. The longer she held this off, the harder it would be. She headed back to the stables to see Derek virtually alone except for the same stable lad who was grooming one of the horses, and she could just tell him to let them speak privatly. But this time, Derek saw her coming. He turned his back to her and began to casually (almost to casually, if you asked her) walk to one of the horses (mysteriously already saddled). Penelope started to quicken her pace. Oh no you don't, Derek, thought Penelope, you aren't going to sneak away from me. But Derek ignored her silent command and quickly mounted the steed. Penelope was almost sprinting at this point. But it didn't matter. She saw him say somthing in the direction of the stable boy, and he was gone. A few seconds later she was in the stables that he had just left. "Where did he go?" she said, not trying to sound to annoyed. But apparently she did, for the stable boy nearly jumped out of his socks. "He just went to take ol'e Andi out for a short trot, mum. He should be back before to long though." The boy hastily went back to his work, and Penelope stormed back to the house. Somehow she figured that he wouldn't be back for quite sometime. He might not have tried to miss her the first time, but he was definatly trying to aviod her. In the mean time, she would eat her worries away bit by bit.
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Post by Monday on Aug 27, 2007 22:51:23 GMT -5
Penelope had a very nice, hour long lunch, and she felt much better as she returned outside. She was still annoyed at Derek for avading her, but could she really blame him? She was doing the exact same thing just the day before. She walked back to the stables for what seemed like the millionth time that day, to find that Derek had not yet returned. She wasn't very surprised. In fact, she had inticipated this, and brought a book to pass the time with. She curled up in a spot where she could see the stables clearly, but nobody in them would be able to see her. Time passed faster in the pages of her book, and at about sunset she could just make out the figure of Derek returning, leading in the apparently tired Andi. She waited a few minutes before deciding to go meet him, but before she even stood up, Derek was moving towards her. He walked around the hill she was hiding behind, however, and headed for the lake. She got up and tried to catch up with him, but she had to walk pretty fast, Derek had such long strides. She was about thirty feet away from him when she realized that he had no shirt on, but just his breeches. She was momentarily stunned by the shock of his wonderfully muscled back in the fading light of the sun, but she quickly recovered. "Derek!" she hollered out to him, stronger voiced then the squeek she thought would come out. She new that he had heard her because he jumped, but he pretended to ignore her and dove right into the water that was to the left of him. "If you think that a little water is going to stop me, then you've got another thing coming!" And with that she started to wade into the water and was thigh deep when Derek reserfaced about ten feet in front of her. The water came up to the middle of his chest, and they both new that would be way over her head. "What are you doing, Penny?" Derek asked quietly. Her heart fluttered just at the sound of his voice, but she kept the stearn annoyed look on her face. She couldn't see his expression, however; the sun was right behind him. "Well I've been trying to talk to you all day long!" she said, indignatly. "I know that, what I was wondering was why?" Her heart started to break as she already new it would today. She was just suprised that he didn't even see any point in at least talking to her. She thought they could still be friends, but apparently not. She decided to turn her ever growing sadness into anger instead. "Look, I know you were enbarrassed about the other night at the ball, but you don't have to be so rude about it!" she said, nearly on the brink of shouting. He walked a bit closer to were she was before responding simply, "What?" Penelope heaved a sigh of frustration. She new perfectly well that he was close enough to hear every word that she said. "I get how wonderful you are, you bastard," she said through gritted teeth, "but you don't have to shove it in my face." Derek was still moving closer. "What are you saying, Penny?" "How thick can you be!" she said getting angrier and angrier by the second. She saw him start to smile, but this only flared her temper even more. "What the hell do you want from me, Derek," she said, jabbing a finger into his chest. He seemed not to notice, however, and she had to fight the urge to rest her hand on his strong chest, even though she was furious with him at the moment. He was making this so difficult for her. "Do you want me to say it?! Fine I'll say it, I love yo-" but she didn't get any further then that. Before she realized what was going on, he had taken her in his arms and started kissing her even better then the other night. She could feel the care and love in every kiss he peppered her in. It didn't take long for her mouth to catch on to what was going on.
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Post by Monday on Aug 28, 2007 21:46:41 GMT -5
Penelope returned to the house a little bit later, sopping wet but smiling ear to ear. Pamela was waiting for her in her room. "Goodness gracious!" said Pamela in her motherly worried tone after looking Penelope once over, "Where have you been?!" "Oh, I just went for a little dip in the lake," responded Penelope, still smiling, "that's all," "At this time of night? You'll catch cold surely!" "Actually, Pamela, the water was quite warm, if I do say so myself," she said, giggling now. Pamela's expression of worry changed to one of disapproval. "What exactly were you doing?" she asked, seriously, "Wait. Never mind, I don't want to know. Just promise me you'll be safe and I'll be happy." Penelope couldn't think of any place she felt safer then in Derek's arms.
They had remained knee deep in the water for a while, just kissing, before finally Derek broke away. "They'll be missing you if you don't return home soon." "Well missing me is a bit of a stretch, but my mother would probably notice my absence eventually." She sighed deeply, leaning in to his strong and comforting chest. She felt him kiss the top of her head, and she looked up at him. Heat spread through her whole body as he leaned over and lightly kissed her forehead then just above her top lip, teasing her. He came back for a third, though, and sweetly and softly kissed her in the growing moon light. "Come on," he said taking her by the hand, "I'll help you get to the bank." She tried to be careful, but her skirts weighed her legs down and the floor of the lake was very slippery. It didn't' take long for her to trip up. Derek tried to help her, but he lost his footing on the silty bottom as well and they both went tumbling into the water. Penelope resurfaced to the sound of Derek's laughing. "It's not funny!" said Penelope indignantly, but still smiling despite herself. "You look like a wet poodle," said Derek trying to stop laughing, though very ineffectively. "Yes, but a very cute wet poodle," Penelope was laughing now too. The water was shallow enough at this point for Penelope to use her arms to prop her up. Derek smiled down at her from above. "Definitely the most attractive wet poodle I've ever seen." He leaned down and kissed her once again, long and passionate. "Penny," he said whispering in her ear, "Meet me in the woods tomorrow at sunrise, OK?"
No, she definitely both trusted and loved Derek greatly. Penelope smiled up at Pamela, "I promise."
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