Part 13
Danielle knew better then to pry for more information. Instead, she did the most with the information that was presented to her. She stored it safe in her mind for further examination later. She was then reminded of the true reason she had come up here. “Father wanted me to ask you if you would be down for lunch. Which I fear that we now might have missed because of my blabbering.”
Henry raised an eyebrow. Since when did Danielle speak to his father? A lot of things have changed since he left the palace. Henry took a quick look outside. “If we hurry, we shall make it there right on schedule.” Henry took Danielle’s arm, and they walked down to the dinning chambers.
When they entered, they were received with smiles from their mother, and a stern look from their father. “I was afraid that you had got lost Danielle,” he said in his most stern voice. Henry shook his head. Maybe not as much as he thought had changed. He walked Danielle to her chair and pulled it out for her with out thinking anything of it until his father spoke, “Since when do you pull out a chair for your sister?”
Henry could have hit himself. It was not typical that a brother would pull out a chair for his sister unless at a formal occasion, and still then it never happened. Marie did her best to cover for him. “Francis, he is so use to pulling out chairs for ladies that he did it with out thinking.”
Francis did not seem to like this explanation, but he was sidetracked by something else Marie had said. “Yes, well I think you presume too much in calling our daughter a lady. Her behavior in the last few months hardly deserves that title. She is bad judge of what is good and what is bad for her. She should know better than to turn down proposal for marriage without even consulting me. Especially, when they are from a fine man like the Marquis. Now, it is too late since he has recently become engaged. You may never get a better offer. I personally would not want take you even if you are a princess.”
“Francis, please. You are too hard on her. She is doing the best she can to please you, but I believe not even God is capable of doing that!” Marie cast an eye on her two children. She could see that Danielle was much upset and looked as if she was about to flee the room. Henry however had a different expression. His face held rage at what his father said, and yet showed love that Marie could only guess was for Danielle. “Besides, there are many men out there who will love her. In fact, I would not be surprised if she were to receive a proposal from a Prince.”
Henry looked up at his mother. He did not understand how his mother could know so quickly. He himself had just figured it out. Of course, his mother had known the truth much longer then he had. She could probably have seen it coming.
Francis once again felt the need to open his mouth. “A Prince? Marie you really have out done yourself this time. I would have never come up with that one on my own. Sometimes I really regret decisions made that night that Danielle came into our lives. You know how easily everything could have been different.”
Both Henry and Marie gave him an evil look at that one. A moment later Danielle fled the room. Marie stared at her husband. “I hope you’re happy.” Then she went after her daughter.
Francis did wear a smile upon his face. “Well, now that we have gotten rid of the women would you like to take a seat and join me for some lunch. We have a great deal to catch up on, and we shall be able to do it more easily with them gone.” Francis sat down and began to eat his meal as if nothing had happened.
Henry, on the other hand, stood staring at his father with absolute disgust. “You do know that I use to take your side in these little arguments with Danielle, but I do not believe that it is right for me to do so anymore. You use to claim that she argued for the sake of arguing, and yet you are the one who starts talking about a topic that I am sure has been discussed before merely to see the reaction it shall bring. You ought to be ashamed of yourself.”
Francis had stopped eating, and was now staring up at his son. “I will not have you lecture me. Your mother does that enough. You speak of things that you do not understand.”
“No, it is you who speaks of thing that you do not understand. All you know and all you care to know is that Danielle rejected an offer from a man who you thought should be excepted. There is much more to the story than you know. I have no intention on telling you because I can see that you are only going to hear what you want to hear. Now if you will excuse me I am going to see how Danielle fairs.”
Henry was almost out of the door when he hears his father calling him. He reluctantly turns to hear what his father has to say. “Henry, I am proud of you. I have always done right by you. Your sister has not gotten the treatment that she deserves and I am sorry for it. Her whole life I have been concentrated on making her the perfect lady, but such a thing does not exist. I am just trying to prepare her for a time when life might not be so easy.”
Henry was thinking that he might receive a confession. “And when might that be?” He was disappointed because his father had gone back to eating and would no longer pay the least bit of attention to him. He quickly inquired from a guard as to which direction the ladies had gone, and proceeded to chase after them. While he looked for them, he began to think that maybe his father had truly done what he thought was best. His father was trying to prepare her for the reaction that she might receive from the court. But no matter how many times he thought about it, he still did not think that his father should treat her so poorly.
It took time, but he was able to find the ladies in the room where Danielle use to take lessons. He knocked gently on the door and was admitted into the room. He quickly took in his surroundings. Danielle was sitting in a window seat, and Marie was standing behind her. He slowly approached them. “Has he been this bad since the incident.”
Marie nodded. “He seems to think that once Danielle turns seventeen no one is going to want to marry her.” Henry gave a knowing nod; he know understood his mother’s whole meaning in that statement.
Danielle looked up at them. She was not crying but was extremely upset. “I do not understand why he has always been fascinated with my seventeenth birthday. It is as if he fears that on that day I shall turn into a pig or something. Although, if I were a pig I would probably be seen in a better light then the one I he sees me in now.”
Henry spoke. “I do not agree with how he treats you, but I am sure that there is a reason for it. He cares about you very much, but he has never been one that was good at showing his feelings. If you give him time, I am sure that he will turn around for you.”
Danielle stares at her brother. “My patience with him is getting thin, for I have given him nothing but time. To make matters worse, the more time I give him the more disagreeable he gets. What do you have to say to that?”
“Danielle there is much that you and I do not understand about why father is the way he is.”
Danielle turns and looks out the window, “You always have something to say don’t you?” Marie gives Henry a stern look that tells him that he is doing much more harm then good. Danielle continues, “Sometimes I have to wonder why you never seem to take my side when it comes to father.”
Henry sat down next to Danielle. “I do take yours side more than you know. Before I came here, I had just finished giving father a good yelling. I try not to take sides, but instead try to negotiate. I guess you could blame father for that. It seems because of him I am no good at choosing sides, but today I will. Danielle, he had no right to say what he said to you. I am ashamed to call him my father after seeing the way that he treats you.”
Danielle gave him a slight smile, “Thank you. It is good to know that someone is on your side.”
Marie looked from one face to the other. She only hoped that they would be able to weather the storm that was ahead of them especially Danielle. Henry had already heard the warnings, but Danielle was going to be caught completely of guard.