The Murdered Girl in the Castle

Chapter 4: The Duke of dunces

Nick peeked out from the terrace and saw a lavish affair of crimson and lily-white flowers dotting the ball room with a succulent feast set up against a wall. Low-hanging candelabras set the room aglow in a sepia tone as the vine-colored wallpaper encompassed everything. There was no way he could hear anything from out there, so Nick slipped inside and found a small alcove to hide in. He saw servants perfecting every detail as guests streamed in.

He watches as women in pastel-colored gowns and painted faces were announced on the arms of men in gold and blue livery with white, frilly shirts beneath. As the room filled up, an older gentleman in royal blue was announced as the Duke of Dourdan. He was an older gentleman with a robust figure and maintained a haughty demeanor. At last, he saw Charlotte approach the ballroom and a murmur spread through the crowd of her beauty and elegance.

Charlotte entered the room and her sister, Anne, was announced next, who seemed a few years older than Charlotte, but Nick could only watch as Charlotte glided through the room. He saw an older couple who he assumed were her parents and multiple young men who vied for Charlotte's attention and ignored Ann. He wondered who would want to kill such a beauty as Charlotte. She seemed ethereal and of another world and he felt jealous he couldn't freely talk to her.

A quartet of musicians commenced playing music and dancing started up on the ballroom floor. The Duke of Dourdan approached Charlotte, who was surrounded by a bevy of young men and held his hand out to her. Charlotte graciously accepted and went off with him. Charlotte tried to quell the disdain she felt for her future husband, and asked him, "How were your travels?"

The Duke rolled his eyes. "Terrible. One must remember that good servants are hard to come by and if they aren't good, they are to be let go. Because I let two go before we embarked on our journey, it took much longer than anticipated."

Charlotte feigned a smile. "Yes, it is hard to keep good servants."

"Yes, you will need to mind the staff once you are the duchess of our manor. I cannot be bothered with such trivial things. In fact, I am not to be bothered unless it is a life or death situation. Is that understood?"

Charlotte nodded. "Yes. Excuse me, I am quite parched and require a drink."

The Duke stopped. "As you wish."

Charlotte trudged off, unhappy of her fortunes and what lay ahead of her. She motioned to a servant for a drink and waited patiently. As she waited, Nick saw another servant pour a small vial into a cup and hand it to the servant Charlotte talked to. The servant handed the drink to her and Nick wasn't sure what to do. He couldn't just reveal himself, but he couldn't let her die either. As the drink rose to Charlotte's rouged lips, Nick shouted over the music. "NOOOOO!"

Everyone stopped and looked around, astounded at the noise, then nervously laughed and continued on as if nothing had happened. Charlotte handed the drink back to the servant. Anne approached Charlotte and asked. "What was that?"

Charlotte shrugged. "Perhaps it was a ghost."