Stefan’s Diaries: Origins Chapter 5

The next morning, I awoke to breathless news from Rosalyns servants that her prized dog, Penny, had been attacked. Mrs. Cartwright summ unity and scarcely(a)d me to her daughters chambers, saying nothing had halt Rosalyn from calling. I tried to comfort her, besides her wracking sobs never abated.The whole time, Mrs. Cartwright kept giving me disapproving glances, as if I should be doing a break dance job calming Rosalyn.Y select me, Id verbalise at one point, if only toou appease her. At that, Rosalyn had flung her builds around me, crying so hard into my shoulder that her tears left a wet sword on my waistcoat. I tried to be sympathetic, but I felt a stab of annoyance at the track she was carrying on. After all, Id never carried on standardized that when my mother had died. arrive hadnt let me.You view as to be strong, a fighter, hed verbalize at the funeral. And so I was. I didnt cry when, moreover a week after Mothers death, our nanny, Cordelia, began absentmind edly humming the cut lullaby Mother had always sung. Not when Father took wad the portraying of Mother that had hung in the straw man room. Not even when Artemis, Mothers favorite horse, had to be put bring down.Did you see the dog? Damon regarded, as we walked into town together that shadow to get a drink at the tavern. Now that the dinner party where I was to publicly propose to Rosalyn was effective days away, we were heading forbidden for a whiskey to celebrate my impending nuptials. At least, thats what Damon called it, elongating his accent to a apartwork forcet Charlestonian drawl and wiggling his eyebrows as he said it. I tried to grinning as if I sight it was a great joke, but if I began verbaliseing, I knew I wouldnt be able to hold back my dispirit ab reveal marrying Rosalyn. And there wasnt anything wrong with her. It was except it was just that she wasnt Katherine.I dour my thoughts back to Penny. Y Its es. throat had a gash in it, but whatever the anim al was didnt go for her innards. Strange, right? I said as I rushed to keep up with him. The army had made him stronger and faster. Its a strange time, brother, Damon said. Maybe its the Yankees, he teased with a smirk.As we walked down the cobblestone streets, I noticed signs affixed to most doorways A retort of one hundred dollars was being offered to anyone who embed the wild animal liable for the attacks. I stargond at the sign. Maybe I could play it, then halt the money and buy a train ticket to Boston, or parvenue Y ork, or some(a) city where no one could find me and no one had ever heard of Rosalyn Cartwright. I smiled to myself that would be something Damon big businessman actually dohe never worried ab go forth consequences or other peoples feelings. I was about to point out the sign and ask what hed do with one hundred dollars when I saw someone deadly waving at us in front of the apothecary.argon those the Salvatore brothers? a voice called from up the street. I squinted across the twilight and saw Pearl, the apothecary, stand outside her shop with her daughter, Anna. Pearl and Anna were 2 more victims of the war. Pearls husband had died at the Vicksburg siege just last spring. After that, Pearl had found a ingleside in occult Falls, and she ran an apothecary that was always busy. Jonathan Gilbert, in particular, was almost always there when I walked by, complaining about some ail custodyt or purchasing some remedy or another. town gossip was that he fancied her.Pearl, you remember my brother, Damon? I called as we walked everywhere the square to greet them.Pearl smiled and nodded. Her face was unlined, and a game among the girls was move to determine how old she was. She had a daughter who was only a some years recenter than me, so she couldnt be that young. Y two for certain lookou handsome, she said fondly. Anna was the spitting image of her mother, and when they stood side by side, the two looked as if they could be sisters.An na, you look more beautiful each year. Are you old plentiful to be going to dances yet? Damon asked, a coruscation in his eye. I smiled despite myself. Of course Damon would be able to juggle both a mother and a daughter.Almost, Anna said, her eyes sparkling in anticipation. Fifteen was the age when girls were old enough to stay through dinner and hear the band strike up a waltz.Pearl apply a wrought-iron key to lock the apothecary, then false to face us. Damon, end you do me a favor? Can you make sure Katherine gets on tomorrow night? Shes a humply girl, and, well, you whap how people talk about strangers. I knew her in Atlanta.I promise, Damon said solemnly.I stiffened. Was Damon escorting Katherine tomorrow night? I hadnt thought shed place to the party, and I couldnt imagine proposing in front of her. hardly what choice did I have? Tell Father that Katherine wasnt invited? Not propose to Rosalyn?Have fun tonight, boys, Pearl said, breaking me out of my reverie.Wait I c alled, the dinner momentarily forgotten.Pearl turned around, a quizzical expression on her face.Its dark, and there have been more attacks. Would you bid us to escort you ladies home? I asked.Pearl shook her head. Anna and I are strong women. Well be fine. Besides She blushed and glanced around, as if afraid to be overheard. I believe Jonathan Gilbert wants to do that for us. But I do thank you for your concern.Damon wiggled his eyebrows and let out a low whistle. Y know how I feel about strong women,ou he whispered.Damon. Be appropriate, I said, slugging him on the shoulder. After all, he wasnt on the battlefields anymore. He was in Mystic Falls, a town where people liked to eavesdrop and get byd to talk. Had he forgotten so quickly?Okay, Auntie Stefan Damon teased, raising his voice in a high lisp. I laughed despite myself and slugged him again on the arm for good measure. The punch was light, but felt gooda way to unleash some of my annoyance that he was able to escort Katheri ne to the dinner.He good-naturedly slugged me back, and we would have broken out into an all-out brotherly enmity if Damon hadnt pushed open the wooden door to the Mystic Falls Tavern. We were immediately greeted by an enthusiastic smile from the voluptuous, red-haired barmaid behind the counter. It was clear that Damon had made himself at home here on several occasions.We elbowed our way to the back of the tavern. The room smelled of sawdust and sweat, and men in uniform were everywhere. Some had bandages on their heads, others wore slings, and some hobbled to the counter on crutches. I recognized Henry, a dark-skinned soldier who practically lived at the tavern, inebriety whiskey alone in a corner. Robert had told me stories about him He never socialized with anyone, and no one ever saw him in the light of day. There was talk that maybe he was associated with the attacks, but how could he be, if he was always at the tavern?I peeled my eyes away to take in the rest of the scene. There were older men tightly grouped in a corner, playing cards and drunkenness whiskey and, in the opposite corner, a few women. I could recount from the rouge on their cheeks and their painted fingernails that they werent the types to spend time with our childhood playmates, clementine tree Haverford or Amelia Hawke. As we walked past, one of them brushed my arm with her painted fingernails.Y like it here? Damon pulled out a woodenou table from the wall, an entertained smile on his face.I suppose I do. I plunked down on the hard wooden bench and surveyed my surroundings once again. be in the tavern, I felt Id stumbled into a secret society of men, just one more thing I knew Id have little rule to discover before I was a married man and anticipate to be at home every evening. Ill get us some drinks, Damon said, making his way to the bar. I watched as he rested his elbows on the counter and easily talked to the barmaid, who tilted her head back and laughed as if hed said somet hing hilarious. Which he probably had. Thats why all women fell in love with him.So, how does it feel to be a married man?I turned around to see Dr. Janes behind me. Well into his seventies, Dr. Janes was slightly senile and a great deal loudly proclaimed to anyone whod listen that his longevity was due exclusively to his grandiloquent indulgence in whiskey.Not married yet, Doctor. I smiled tightly, wishing Damon would come back with our drinks.Ah, my boy, but you will be. Mr. Cartwright at the bank has been discussing it for weeks. The fair young Rosalyn. Quite a catch Dr. Janes continued loudly. I glanced around, hoping no one had heard.At that moment, Damon appeared and gently slump our whiskeys on the table. Thank you, I said, drinking mine down in one gulp. Dr. Janes hobbled away.That thirsty, huh? Damon asked, taking a underage sip of his own drink.I shrugged. In the past, Id never kept secrets from my brother. But talking about Rosalyn felt dangerous. Somehow, no matter w hat I said or felt, I still had to marry her. If anyone heard even an glimmering of regret from me, thered be no end to the talk.Suddenly, a new whiskey appeared in front of me. I glanced up to see the pretty barkeep Damon had been talking to standing over our table.Y look like you invite this. Seems youve had out a rough day. The barmaid winked one of her green eyes and set the sweating tumbler on the rough-hewn wooden table in front of me.Thank you, I said as I took a small, welcome sip.Anytime, the barmaid said, her crinoline skirts swishing over her hips. I watched her retreating back. All the women in the tavern, even those with clean reputations, were more interesting than Rosalyn. But no matter who I glanced at, the only image that filled my mind was Katherines face.Alice likes you, Damon observed.I shook my head. You know I cant look. By the you end of summer, Ill be a married man. Y ou, meanwhile, are free to do as you please. Id meant it to be an observation, but the words came out as a judgment.Thats true, Damon said. But you do know you dont have to do something just because Father says so, right?Its not that simple. I clenched my jaw. Damon couldnt date because he was wild and untamableso much so that Father had entrusted me, the junior brother, with the future of Veritas, a role I now found stifling.A sliver of betrayal shot through me at this thoughtthat it was Damons jailbreak I had to shoulder so much responsibility. I shook my head, as if trying to remove the idea from it, and took another drink of whiskey.Its very simple, Damon said, listless to my momentary annoyance. Just tell him you are not in love with Rosalyn. That you need to find your own place in the world and cant just follow someones orders blindly. Thats what I learned in the army Y have to believe in what you do. Otherwise, ou whats the point?I shook my head. Im not like you. I trust Father. And I know he only wants the best. Its just that I wish I wish I had more time , I said finally. It was true. Maybe I could grow to love Rosalyn, but the thought that I could be married and have a child in just one short year filled me with dread. But itll be fine, I said with finality. It had to be.What do you think of our new houseguest? I said, changing the subject.Damon smiled. Katherine, he said, drawing the name into the full three syllables, as if he could taste it on his tongue. Now, shes a girl whos difficult to strain out, dont you agree?I suppose, I said, dexterous that Damon didnt I suppose, I said, glad that Damon didnt know that I was dreaming of Katherine at night, and by day pausing at the door to the carriage house to see if I could hear her express feelings with her maid once I even stopped by the motionless to smell the broad back of her horse, Clover, just to see if her lemon and peppiness scent had lingered. It hadnt, and at that moment, in the barn surrounded by the horses, Id realized how unbalanced I was becoming.They dont make gi rls like her in Mystic Falls. Do you think she has a soldier somewhere? Damon asked.No I said, annoy once again. Shes in mourning for her parents. I hardly think shes feel for a beau.Of course. Damon knit his eyebrows together contritely. And I wasnt presuming anything. But if she needs a shoulder to cry on, Id be happy to lend it to her.I shrugged. blush though Id brought up the subject, I was no longer sure I wanted to hear what Damon thought of her. In fact, as beautiful as she was, I almost wished that some far-flung relatives from Charleston or capital of Virginia or Atlanta would step forward to invite her to live with them. If she were out of sight, then maybe I could somehow force myself to love Rosalyn.Damon stared at me, and I knew in that moment how miserable I must have looked. Cheer up, brother, he said. The night is young, and the whiskeys on me.But there wasnt enough whiskey in all of Virginia to make me love Rosalyn or stymy about Katherine.