Once Upon a Dream

Chapter 18

That night, Dudley stood in the tea area when everyone else was in their compartments. 

Angelique tiptoed down the hall and found him sitting at a table by the window.

"Monsieur Leicester" she whispered.

Dudley looked up and smiled wide. "Milady."

"I apologize for the inconvenient timing. I had to wait for my mother to fall asleep" said Angelique.

"Yes... why would she forbid you to make new friends?" said Dudley.

"She worries that I will fall for someone while I am betrothed" said Angelique.

"Oh yes. I don't understand why you need to sneak around for the sake of their silly old feud" said Dudley.

"You know" Angelique whispered.

"Yes. I met some women your mother knows. Lady Beatrice, Lady Ginevra and Lady Henrietta" said Dudley.

"My aunts. How lovely they are" said Angelique.

"Indeed. They told me everything. It must be awful being pressured into a marriage" said Dudley.

"Oui."

"Does Mr Babineaux feel the same?" said Dudley.

Angelique smiled. "My aunts really did tell you everything."

Dudley nodded. 

"To answer your inquiry, Henri feels perfectly the same. In fact... I told him about you" said Angelique.

"And what did he say?"

"He agreed that you and I should see each other. It is more healthy than isolating myself" said Angelique.

"That's what Newton told your sister" said Dudley.

"Newton?" said Angelique.

"My partner. He met your sister earlier today. She's a bit more upbeat than you are" said Dudley.

"She is indeed. This betrothal has made her the least healthy" said Angelique.

"Is that so?" said Dudley.

"Oui. She has autism. Loud noises tend to give her headaches. And since Mamon and the burgermeister have been arguing constantly of late... poor Camille has five splitting migraines a day" Angelique explained.

"Oh dear..." Dudley whispered.

"The worst part is Mamon never explained why she and Burgermeister Babineaux are feuding. So there is no way to resolve it. And you and I will forever be a secret" said Angelique.

"That's what I gathered from your aunts' description. It's like we're the original star-crossed lovers" said Dudley.

Angelique smiled and nodded as if she wanted Dudley to continue.

"Tis but my name that is my enemy. That which we call... a Rodriguez. By any other name that smells sweet" Dudley recited.

"Ohh... tres jolie, monsieur. Very poetic" said Angelique.

"I'm an actor. Newton and I practiced when we had our performing company" said Dudley.

"You no longer have your company? What happened to it?" said Angelique.

"Newton always says it's an old show-business story. Our manager absconded with all of our money" said Dudley.

Angelique gasped softly. "Then how did you afford a train ticket?"

"We helped capture an outlaw and they rewarded us with a thousand dollars" said Dudley. "Not a lot of people can say that."

"No no no" Angelique giggled.

Dudley looked the girl in the eye. "Angelique... between your betrothal struggle and my financial struggle... I suppose we could understand each other."

"I suppose. If your company paid you well in the past, it must be very difficult to make end's meet without it" said Angelique.

"And... if you're being forced to marry your friend, it must be difficult trying to hide what you really want" said Dudley.

"I am more worried for Camille. She spends half her time crying and holding her head nowadays" said Angelique.

Dudley took her hand. "That's why Newton came to her. He allowed her to make her own decisions and she decided to become friends with us."

"Your partner sounds eager."

"He is. He always knows what people need and when they need it" said Dudley.

"I like that" said Angelique.

"And that's how I feel about you. Will you allow yourself to be around me? Will you allow your sister to escape this wasteland of fighting?" said Dudley.

Angelique looked at the man's face for a few seconds, then made a decision.

"Oui, Monsieur Leicester. I will sneak out every night if I must."

Dudley felt his heart melt as the girl was starting to warm up to him.