Post by conansf on Aug 20, 2012 5:03:49 GMT -8
The Night of the Best Laid Plan
"No plan of operations extends with certainty beyond the first encounter with the enemy's main strength" Helmuth von Moltke the Elder
Lily Fortune was not one to dwell.
She made her choices and truth to tell she had no real complaints.
Not about her career choice in any case.
“A Glittering Triumph across Europe” was how one newspaper breathlessly described her tour of Shakespeare’s most dramatic heroines. Princes flocked like veritable stage-door Johnnies. Her dressing room was filled to overflowing with flowers, invitations and not a few marriage proposals.
Yes, Lily had no doubts about her career choices but those marriage proposals always gave her a pang.
Just like the expensively appointed railway carriage that she owned and used to travel across countries in style and gold-plated comfort. She had declared that she would one day have one and so she did. But as the years and triumphs followed each other, she could not deny that something was missing. Something or someone.
More and more she pondered her next move, a graceful retirement or segue into an instructive role?
Fate found her sipping coffee on a sunny morning next to the Seine. Her maid was openly gawking at the throng of tourists that were disembarking from the sightseeing barges and Lily idly followed her gaze. She stiffened, surely not? But yes. There was no mistaking that profile, even if the black hair now held a trace of grey.
But before she could call out, the gentleman in question turned to give his hand to assist a lady down to the footpath. Lily was an actress, trained to notice the slightest character traits and build on them to give backstory and depth to a part. What she saw was a couple very much in love; in fact the bustling noise of people around them might as well have not existed. She noted the gentle way he handed his lady to the ground as if handling the finest Dresden. And the slight protective movement of the woman’s hand over her stomach as she stepped off the gangplank. She had taken off her gloves and Lily noted the flash of a gold wedding band as she used them to fan her face, as she laughed up at her husband.
“I am well, dearest; the doctor said light exercise would not do any harm.”
“Arden, my lovely, I intend to see that that exercise remains “light”. No jumping off gangplanks for you, my girl.”
“We’ll be home in a month and you may coddle me all you choose then, but until that happens, Paris awaits.”
“Oh, I intend for the whole rancho to coddle you and Jim’s too. Once his Girls hear …….”
Their voices faded as they moved off.
Lily looked down at her coffee, she had lost her appetite.
Well, a choice was to be made. Prince Lucien of a cadet branch of the Murat’s, was the most faithful and persistent of her admirers. She had enjoyed holidaying at his Château with those magnificent vineyards, yes, a girl could do worse….
Lily Fortune was not one to dwell.
She made her choices and truth to tell she had no real complaints.
Not about her career choice in any case.
"No plan of operations extends with certainty beyond the first encounter with the enemy's main strength" Helmuth von Moltke the Elder
Lily Fortune was not one to dwell.
She made her choices and truth to tell she had no real complaints.
Not about her career choice in any case.
“A Glittering Triumph across Europe” was how one newspaper breathlessly described her tour of Shakespeare’s most dramatic heroines. Princes flocked like veritable stage-door Johnnies. Her dressing room was filled to overflowing with flowers, invitations and not a few marriage proposals.
Yes, Lily had no doubts about her career choices but those marriage proposals always gave her a pang.
Just like the expensively appointed railway carriage that she owned and used to travel across countries in style and gold-plated comfort. She had declared that she would one day have one and so she did. But as the years and triumphs followed each other, she could not deny that something was missing. Something or someone.
More and more she pondered her next move, a graceful retirement or segue into an instructive role?
Fate found her sipping coffee on a sunny morning next to the Seine. Her maid was openly gawking at the throng of tourists that were disembarking from the sightseeing barges and Lily idly followed her gaze. She stiffened, surely not? But yes. There was no mistaking that profile, even if the black hair now held a trace of grey.
But before she could call out, the gentleman in question turned to give his hand to assist a lady down to the footpath. Lily was an actress, trained to notice the slightest character traits and build on them to give backstory and depth to a part. What she saw was a couple very much in love; in fact the bustling noise of people around them might as well have not existed. She noted the gentle way he handed his lady to the ground as if handling the finest Dresden. And the slight protective movement of the woman’s hand over her stomach as she stepped off the gangplank. She had taken off her gloves and Lily noted the flash of a gold wedding band as she used them to fan her face, as she laughed up at her husband.
“I am well, dearest; the doctor said light exercise would not do any harm.”
“Arden, my lovely, I intend to see that that exercise remains “light”. No jumping off gangplanks for you, my girl.”
“We’ll be home in a month and you may coddle me all you choose then, but until that happens, Paris awaits.”
“Oh, I intend for the whole rancho to coddle you and Jim’s too. Once his Girls hear …….”
Their voices faded as they moved off.
Lily looked down at her coffee, she had lost her appetite.
Well, a choice was to be made. Prince Lucien of a cadet branch of the Murat’s, was the most faithful and persistent of her admirers. She had enjoyed holidaying at his Château with those magnificent vineyards, yes, a girl could do worse….
Lily Fortune was not one to dwell.
She made her choices and truth to tell she had no real complaints.
Not about her career choice in any case.