Nicholas sat alone out on the back porch as Chloe stormed out into the summer breeze. The sun reflected off of the ebony waves of hair that flown outward in the wind, as Nick glanced up at her with sorrow in his dark-brown eyes. He sat there in his shirtsleeves, giving no cares to the fact that he was in the company of a woman. The black frock coat that he had been wearing earlier now fell upon his broad shoulders as a shawl.
“Why are you so down?” Chloe asked her brother, sitting down beside him with a frown on her young lips. Nick gazed down at the ground with tears in his eyes. He could not let his younger sister see him cry, that would be utter suicide. He’d hear nothing other than his boyish crying for months without end, if she saw him weep. Taking a sip of his lemonade, he shrugged his broad shoulders, casually.
“I’m not really upset about much. It’s truly nothing of your interest. Besides, you would not understand what is wrong, Chloe.” He mumbled with sadness. “Ophelia- that is why I am upset…”
“Oh? Why Ophelia? What upsets your heart about our dearest friend?”
Nicholas let out a groan, rolling his eyes at Chloe’s charming little remark. “Everything! Everything is the matter with Ophelia. I really don’t wish to explain this to you. Forget about it.”
“I cannot just up and leave without knowing what the hell you are talking about. What kind of sister would I be if I did such a terrible little deed? You mentioned Ophelia. I wish to know what’s wrong. I cannot leave you to rest until you tell me why you are so upset.”
“Chloe, I, myself, don’t know for sure why I am acting this way. All I do know is how much I love her.” He whispered, looking away with embarrassment. “I’ve always loved her so much. Everything about Ophelia makes me love her; her mysterious eyes, her golden hair, and her pout of a mouth. Sadly though, I am ill with the feeling that she despises me. Why must I always do thing that turn her cute little body and soul against me?”
Chloe placed a consoling hand on her brother’s shoulder, noticing him wipe a stray tear from his tan cheek.
“I am engulfed with aching pain because I am shunned from my daylight. Beauty is seldom seen, for Ophelia is never near me. I feel that she will never know how truly in love I am with her!” He cried. “Chloe, I fear that I shall die if I do not betroth her.”
“You won’t die because of that, Nicholas. You cannot pass away like that for I will not allow it. You cannot wallow in self-pity forever.” Chloe reassured. “I’m sure she will realize your love for her sooner or later. She’s just much too occupied at the moment, trying to do good and all. Deep down inside, she must love you also. You do almost anything for her and I’ll bet she is thankful. This is nothing to weep for.”
“I’m not crying.” He pulled away angrily. “You just don’t understand what I am saying to you! You never will!”
“No, I’m sorry. I don’t understand…but if you just explained--”
“I can only live with Ophelia. No other woman will do! But she has her composer now…she’ll soon forget of me. Ophelia will never give me a chance to prove my faith in her. I adore her as the moon adores the stars. I feel as if I am the solitary moon, stuck between a cluster of feelings that must forever be kept millions of miles away from daylight- daylight, Ophelia. If only I could tell her, but I know I cannot. She is under the influence of her Beethoven. All had been well before he entered our lives. That scoundrel ruined everything for us.” Nicholas growled. “I seriously felt that Ophelia’s arrival here would bring my life as a bachelor to a cease. I thought that it would finally stop as our love grew in the summer light. All I see now is night…Night is very lonely without a lover by your side or a thought of someone to cool your warm summer evenings.”
“Don’t worry, Nick. Stop talking like a lunatic.”
“Why do I even bother speaking to you, Chloe? You don’t listen to anything that I say. You never take my words to heart. You are made of stone…Just never mind. NEVER MIND!” He exclaimed, rising from his place at the porch as he poured out the remains of his warm lemonade into the grass. “Excuse me for being human, your highness. Excuse my emotions, Duchess Chloe!”
“What the hell is this? Nick, don’t be an ass! You do not have to be sarcastic to get your point across. I do care! I listen to everything that you say, even when you hurt me with your inane words. I do have feelings too.” She replied, just as nasty, her eyes filling with tears. “You can’t always get everything that you want, Nicholas! You know that you can’t, too. Life is not that simple. If it were, we’d all be different. To be honest with you, life is pretty damned difficult. So, before you even begin to cry petty tears for your fate, think about OPHELIA and me…! Think of all the cruel things you say to me and remember all the torture that you add to Ophelia’s already sensitive mind! She’s in love with another, not you, Nicholas. She doesn’t need to return your feelings. Understand that Ophelia has her own life now. No more of this spying upon her for if you truly do love her so much, you would be happy for her instead of sulking in the corner. Think about what I am saying to you, because it is not very often something so intelligent escapes from my lips. Don’t ruin everything with your own selfishness.”
“I’m not being selfish, Chloe! I’m just being honest. I see that what I feel does not matter now! I see that the world is against me and there is nothing that I can do about it. Chloe, it’s truly difficult to be so alone, to not be able to share my most explicit feelings.”
“Oh, just shut up! I still say that you are an unfeeling, self-centered bastard! You will not change my mind at this moment. You lost your chance with Ophelia. How many times must I tell you so? Or must Ophelia bewail your fate instead? Just leave it as it is. What must be, must be.” Chloe stammered, just before turning back into the Inn with a heavy heart.
“You are dead wrong! Dead wrong, Chloe!” Nicholas yelled to her backside, as she disappeared into the dark interior of the house. “Damn you all! Damn you, Chloe! Damn you, Beethoven, Damn you, Ophelia! I am pained to my very core…I shall have to put an end to this silly torture.” Spitting in the name of Ophelia and Ludwig, Nicholas stormed off into the gardens as if he were a drunken maniac.
Chapter 12
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