Everlasting Agony

Chapter 2

       He looked even better up close. Full lips, long, thick lashes. Even the curve of his throat was perfect. He looked like every dashing, fictional character Emmett had ever conjured up in his imagination. Although, he never quite imagined one of them cursing at him while shaking his bleeding hand.
       Damian seemed to have realised Emmett's stare because the cursing stopped. "I assume I should have knocked first?" he inquired, cocking his head slightly to the left. A smile graced his lips.
       'Goodness, he looks even better when he smiles,' Emmett thought, looking at him with wide eyes.
       "Hasn't anyone told you not to barge into a room?" Emmett was feeling increasingly as if he were stuck in a dream. A rather peculiar one.
       Damian looked amused, the corners of his mouth turning up into a smirk.
"Your father sent me, the letter is for you," he went on, "although I do think the contents are quite boring,"
       Emmett looked at him with utter disbelief emanating.
       "You opened my letter?" he managed.
       Damian shrugged nonchalantly, "I was curious, do you always hit people with jugs when they enter your room?"
       Emmett felt his cheeks flame, "Why would my father send you of all people?" he raised his eyebrows, shoulders tightly set with a hint of annoyance. Damian simply raised his eyebrows, not giving a satisfactory explanation. If one did not observe him for weeks as Emmett did, one would assume he was an arrogant cock.
       Emmet sighed with exaggerated patience at his answer. If there was one thing he hated, it was to have something being kept from him. He set his chin stubbornly, determined to get an answer but bit by bit, his patience ran out and chipped away his iron will, perseverance and stubbornness, turning it into crumbling sand. With a huff, he chucked the letter on his desk, deciding to read it later.
       "And your father also asked me to fetch you to the gardens in my way home," Damian mentioned. Before Emmett could ask why he was already whisked into the back of the carriage. Inside the carriage sat Emmett, Damian and another lady who seemed to be the Salvatore's house keeper. Damian fished a few pieces of chocolate from his pocket. He offered one to Emmett.
       Emmett shuddered, "Oh, no. I hate chocolate." Damian looked mortified. "What kind of monster could possibly hate chocolate?"

        "He eats everything," the house keeper told Emmett with a placid smile. "Since he was twelve, he has. I suppose it's all the training that keeps him from getting fat."

       Damian smiled a toothy grin, shoving another piece in his mouth. Emmett, amused at the idea of a fat Damian, grinned.

       They reached the garden faster than they had hoped. Emmett bent his head as he exited the carriage, only to be greeted by three maidens and their aunt swarming around him. "So this is the handsome young man Mr. Lockwood was gushing about! Oh, you look even better than I had imagined," said their aunt before ushering him to a patio while the three maidens trailed behind.
        One of the maidens, Jessamine, scrambled to sit next to him. He could feel all the overwhelming attention on him. He picked at the stone table in front of him, avoiding the eyes of the four while they attempted to make conversation.
       "Don't you think so, Emmett?" Jessamine leaned forward eagerly. Having not paid attention to their incessant chatter, Emmett glanced at them before replying. "Yes?" He said hesitantly, hoping he gave the right answer.
       "Oh! Emmett, you're so smart!" she gushed, leaning even closer. The other two were more reserved, but nonetheless, they flirted. Jessamine gave him a lingering look. "So I heard you've been to the East India company, you must certainly tell the story,"
       "Well, my father prefers company when he embarks on his journeys to the East India Sea, so-" Emmett broke off with a fit of dry coughing. Jessamine scrambled for the tea that was set on the table, and a moment later was pressing a cup into Emmett's hand. She gave the other girls a superior expression as if she accomplished some big feat.
Despite his unease with the girls, he understood. Women are taught from a very young age that their sole purpose in life is to find a husband, reproduce and then spend the rest of their lives serving him. And if a women were to decide to remain single, she would be ridiculed and pitied by the community. It was just the way things were.
       The hours dragged on and it was almost midnight when Emmett made it back home. He was about to sleep when he caught a glimpse of the discarded letter on his nightstand. He gingerly opened the letter and read the contents:

Dear Emmett,

I hope everything has run smoothly in the course of these few days. The East India company has opened my eyes fully to the course I have pursued of late. All night I have been pacing my floor, trying to decide the best course of action and I have decided to answer you as frankly as you would desire.
I think that the best course of action would be for you to marry as soon as possible, which is why I sent a few maidens your way.
I know that the choice is completely yours, and therefore will not ask of you to do anything if you do not desire it, but will, if you marry, be joyful. I hope you do decide on the right choice.

Ever so proud,
Henry Lightwood.