𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐨𝐩𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐞

Pride and Prejudice

The spring cotillion had nearly slipped Florence's mind.

"It's coming soon, you know. The cotillion." Mintie had observed earlier that morning.

Now, sitting in the library with all the new house guests, it took every part of her being to focus her mind on breakfast and not the cotillion. Certainly not her cousin. Her lovable, wild, funny cousin. Florence had been close with Sam for as long as she could remember. They would often get themselves into mischief, flour mischief. Florence suppressed a grin at the memory. Her and Sam, young and bubbly, standing, coated in flour in the kitchen. Mintie had burst in with a shriek, then scolded the children. Of course, they had payed no mind, just nodded and ran of giggling. Surely Mintie hadn't forgotten that, it was a whole sack of flour too.

"Florence, dear?" Her mother called out.

Florence's head snapped up, aware now of the velvet chair back behind her head.

"Why aren't you eating?" Mrs. Fawn questioned kindly.

"Oh!" Florence exclaimed.

She drew her spoon up and shoveled bites of oatmeal quickly into her mouth to prove her point. She knew her mother would disapprove, but Florence just smiled, choking down the bites.

"When is the spring cotillion mother?" She asked eagerly.

"Will Sam come again?" She added, Clair noticing her eyes lighting up.

"Yes, I'm sure he will. Julie as well." Her mother answered.

Florence's nose wrinkled at the mention of Julie, Sam's younger sister. She'd always seemed like such a pest, trying to weasel her way into her an Sam's adventures. Perhaps she'd matured over the years.

"Who are they?" Ruby asked curiously from his seat.

Mintie had been ordered to drag in more chairs from the study. The four children sat in a half circle like shape. Ruby sat studiously on an plush wingback evergreen chair. Clair on a blue bergere type chair, with ornate arm rests he wouldn't dare rest his arms on, and Cathryn elegantly draped across a chaise lounge. Florence couldn't help but notice how their chairs reflected their personalities. She wondered if Clair picked up on this too.

"Sam and Julie Fitzsimmons. Our cousins." Florence answered.

Ruby turned to look at her, seemingly surprised that she had answered. His eyes lingered on hers, long enough for her to tear them away from his.

"And you mentioned something of a cotillion?" Ruby added, his tone and eyebrows peaking with amusement. He kept his gaze focused in her, alerting everyone else in the room that she be the one to answer.

"Yes. A dance, here. We hold one each spring, it's so wonderful." Florence spluttered, her mind clouded with memories of the tall flowers, icy cold drinks and satin dresses.

"Oh it does sound wonderful indeed." He assured her, finally averting his eyes.

"Ruby, dear, I do hope you'll be here long enough to attend it." Mrs. Fawn spoke softly.

"Well, all of you really." She reconsidered, her eyes flitting back and forth between the children.

"Oh, I hope we'll be out of your hair by then, Mrs. Fawn." Cathryn politely answered.

Florence knew she was accustomed to declining offers, simply out of politeness. But Florence sensed a spark in her features, contradicting her words.

"No, no, no! It's only around the corner. Until I hear any further word from your parents," Mrs. Fawn's eyes flickered between Mrs. Lovell and Mr. Thompson.

"You will all be attending the dance. No further objections shall even be taken into consideration." She finished adamantly.

Before exiting, she gave the children a smile and laughed quietly to herself. A trace of a smile could be seen on Cathryn's lips, and Clair stared at Florence's mother in adoration and amusement. Ruby quirked his eyebrows up in surprise. The four children were now alone. Aurora and Jacob were bathing and getting dressed, while Augustus was working in his study. The four of the stayed silent for a brief moment.

Ruby spoke first, "Are all these books merely for show, or do you actually read them?" He asked to no one in particular. His tone wasn't rude, just curious.

Florence stood defensively. "Of course I read them, I can't imagine why one would possibly have a library if one didn't like books!" She exclaimed, looking down at Ruby.

"Why, that would be like a beggar having a room just for riches." Florence added, turning her nose up.

"Wonderful analogy." Ruby noted, his head gently resting on his knuckles, his usual amused steely look playing across his face.

Florence quickly sat back down, cheeks flushing with embarrassment of her outburst. Cathryn watched her, a look of slight disgust occupying her beautiful features.

"You don't need to be embarrassed Florence." She murmured with a bored tone.

She stayed stretched out lazily like a cat across the chaise, hair spilling over the back.

"I often find that men require an outburst every once and awhile, just to keep things lively." She sneered, degrading both Clair and Ruby simultaneously.

"I trust you understand quite well that we are the minority in this room." Cathryn mused, looking away from the other three.

Sitting up now she added, "Never mind that. Back to books, have you got 'Pride and Prejudice' anywhere here?"

Florence stood up slowly, gathering her skirts as she did so.

"Oh, I just put it back last month, over here!" Florence responded sweetly.

Cathryn followed Florence through the forest of shelves, dusty spines poking out like branches. Florence led her to the far back corner where she stowed all of her favorites. Tucked away from the greedy hands of her younger sibling, who she imagine would tear the pages to shreds. Florence carefully slipped 'Pride and Prejudice' from her nook in the shelf.

"Here." She extended it carefully to Cathryn, who gracefully plucked it from her fingers.

As Cathryn began to make her way back to the center of the large library, Florence called out.

"Oh, but do be careful please. It's one of my favorites."

Her hands were clasped together with worry. But Cathryn was gentle, knew better than to make clumsy mistakes like cracking the spines or tearing the pages. She whirled around and gave Florence an almost imperceptible nod, then continued making her way back to the boys. Florence followed only a couple steps behind.