Susan Of Narnia

Chapter Four: The Party

"Are you sure you are up to the party tonight?" Carl asked as he helped Susan into her coat. They had returned to Susan's house to ready for the party. Susan felt much better, though she was careful to look into no mirror.

"A party always lifts my spirits." Susan poked at Carl. "Of course I won't miss your aunt's party."

"You know, we could just stay here and sit by the fireplace reading or knitting like old people."

Susan puckered her lips, though she kissed Carl's cheek. "Carl, I don't ever plan to be like an old woman and I don't intend to do so now. Besides, the only books in this house are stuffy odd things that belong to my brothers."

"Ah," Carl said, as if understanding just what Susan meant.

They left the house and pushed through the wind that now really did think it owned the evening. Thankfully, Carl had pulled the top down over the automobile, and they were warm as they drove to the Bryant's residence.

Already, many people were at the party. A butler stood at the entrance taking people's coats. Susan gave away hers and followed Carl into the well lit room full of voices and people. At once her spirit lightened and she was glad she'd come. All of her worries and stresses melted away at the sight of a full night of festivities.

"You look gorgeous," Carl whispered into her ear. "Standing there and admiring everything as if you aren't the one to be admired."

Susan fingered the skirt of of her silvery blue dress and smiled. She did feel nice tonight.

"How I wish you'd let me kiss you," Carl said.

If Susan were a normal girl, she'd have taken that moment to promise, "Someday", for most girls planned to someday grow up and marry and have children. But Susan didn't want to think about someday. So instead she ignored his words and said, "What do you think there is to eat?"

Carl pulled away from her ear and pasted on a good-natured smile. "Shall we go and see?"

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There were no children present, but other than that, nearly every age was represented there that night, from those around Susan's peer group to older military men retired from the Great War with their wives.

Susan recognized only a handful of the many people in the Bryant's home.

Tables full of delicate foods and richly decorated furnishings belied that they were all still recovering from the war and her rations. In a room adjacent to the main visiting room, couples danced to loud music. Carl and Susan danced several times, but there were also people to meet and socialize with.

And Carl, well known and well liked, nearly the life of the party, had many people to show Susan off to. Susan had no complaint. She held onto his arm, not with timidity, but with a soft touch as he lead her from person to person. She conversed with everyone as if she were the lady of this house and Carl were her husband.

Susan felt in those moments that maybe such a future wouldn't be so bad. She was more content with Carl than any other man before, and none of the young men there had her eye no matter how dashing they were. In those moments, she determined even more to keep Carl.

"Susan, here's a good friend of mine. We met in the war." Carl led Susan to a young man she'd never met before, but felt she recognized in some way. Carl introduced him. "This is Francis Pole."

Francis Pole wasn't as tall as Carl, but he still stood over six feet at least, so tall that Susan had to look up into his face as she shook his hand. The lights danced on his rusty blonde hair like fairies and his eyes shone golden like a lion's—Susan blinked the imagery away and saw only a handsome man, if not still strangely familiar.