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The Beauty And The Tragedy Part One |
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Chapter One
Benjamin Weston was the only child his father, Robert would be able to have. After Benjamin’s birth, it was impossible for his parents to conceive another. But Benjamin could see at a very young age that his father was madly in love with his mother. He looked at her like she was the only person in the room, like she was the center of his universe. Benjamin knew then that he wanted a marriage like that. Robert Weston however was a busy man and was rarely ever home. They lived in a large manor that sat on top of a small hill just outside of a small town. Benjamin remembered asking his mother if it ever bothered her that his father was gone. She scooped him up in her arms and sat him down on her lap, “It may bother me that I don’t get to see much of your father but I love him with all my heart. When you truly love a person, absence never does matter.”
When Benjamin was around ten years old, he watched his mother slowly weaken until she was too tired to even stand up. His mother had requested his presence when she died. It took most of her energy to even smile at him when he entered the room. He sat down on a little chair beside her bed and she lifted a frail hand and touched his face, “My son. My beautiful boy. It will be a shame that I will not live long enough to watch you get married or be there for the birth of my grandchildren. I can at least thank God I got to spend this time with you. I just want to tell you one thing before I have to leave.”
Benjamin shook his head as tears began to fall and she wiped them away, chuckling a little, “No, do not cry for me. I just want you to know that living this life of luxury is going to change you. Soon you will have to grow up and you will have to grow up quickly. But you must never forget where you came from. And you must be warned people in your rank are not always genuine. The most genuine people could be the poorest people. But your father married me and I never came from a wealthy family. Just remember that Ben. Do that for me.”
This made Benjamin cry even harder and he nodded. They sat there together for a little while longer and Benjamin watched his mother’s life end right there in front of him. He almost felt like he saw her soul leave her body. Benjamin’s father never recovered after his wife’s death. A year after his wife’s death, he remarried a woman named Emma. And Emma had an eight year old daughter named Eva. Benjamin could tell on their wedding day that Robert had no true feelings for this woman. But Emma just so happened to be connected to royalty. Benjamin would figure out later that Robert had intentions with Emma. Luckily, Benjamin got along really well with his new little sister. And Eva was a sweet little girl, though she was a bit rebellious. Benjamin didn’t mind. But Benjamin never did care for Emma. Emma would never be his mother no matter how many times she had asked to be called that. He had refused. Even at twenty-eight years old, he refused to see her as a mother figure. Emma was throwing another one of her extravagant parties. Benjamin thankfully wasn’t alone in his hate for these gatherings. Eva detested them just as much.
Benjamin was walking down the street with his friend, John Seymour in the late afternoon before the party. Emma was running all over the house ordering people around trying to prepare for it and Benjamin needed to leave before he killed her. He was glad John was there to steal him for the afternoon.
“I just don’t understand why you aren’t bringing anyone with you tonight,” John said, “There are many beautiful ladies that would die to be on your arm.”
“I’m aware of that John,” Benjamin grumbled, “But none of those women interest me. They’re…uninteresting. They’re all exactly the same. Wealth and rank and power and living in luxury.”
“Well it won’t look good to go alone,” John said, “Come, I will help you.”
John turned the corner and Benjamin tried his best to keep up with his friend. Benjamin asked countless times what he was planning but John continued ignoring him until he took him into a large house. Both the outside and inside looked pretty normal. A few women came passing by, looking at them up and down.
“John, where are we?” Benjamin asked quietly.
“Mr. Joseph Hayward’s house,” John replied proudly. Benjamin’s eyes widened and he grabbed John by the collar, attempting to drag him out of the house, “John are you mad? You’ve taken me to a brothel!”
“I am perfectly sane friend,” John calmly removed Benjamin’s hands and he smoothed down his coat. He looked around and then grabbed one of the women. She was probably the only one of these girls that wasn’t dressed so formally. She had a bun in her dark brown hair that had stray strands falling over her face. She turned to look at the two of them and then flinched, backing away from John.
“What do you need?” she asked quickly. Her green eyes darted from John to Benjamin and then back to John. She had her guard all the way up as she spoke, squeezing the basket in her hands until her knuckles were white.
“Is Mr. Hayward here today?” John asked. The woman nodded and hurried off to get him. Benjamin watched her leave and then turned to John, “Who is she? She doesn’t seem to like you much.”
John took his hat off and ran his fingers through his hair, “It’s nothing Benjamin. I can’t really keep track of the women that live here.”
Benjamin was just about to comment on that when the woman returned with Joseph Hayward. Joseph and John shook hands like they were the best of friends, “John! I was very happy when Claire came and told me you had returned. I hope you have been well?”
“Just fine Joseph,” John said. He grabbed Benjamin’s arm and pulled him forward, “My friend Benjamin Weston here needs a lady to escort to a gathering tonight.”
Joseph’s eyes widened and he grabbed Benjamin’s hand with both of his and shook it hard, “You’re Robert Weston’s son! It’s wonderful to meet you!”
“And you as well Mr. Hayward,” Benjamin said, smiling uncomfortably. Joseph grinned and laughed, “So…you need a lady for the night.”
Benjamin turned red and started stuttering, nervously putting one hand into his pocket, playing with his pocket watch. Joseph started laughing again and grabbed onto the woman’s arm, pulling her forward, “You can take Claire. And for you, I’ll let you take her for free.”
“Claire,” Benjamin said. Claire looked up at him with her big green eyes and suddenly her entire facial expression changed and she smiled, “It would be an honor to accompany you tonight.”
“Wonderful,” Benjamin said, still focused on no one but Claire, “I, I guess I’ll return tonight.”
Joseph shook Benjamin’s hand once more and then grabbed the basket from Claire’s hand and shoved it at another woman passing by, “Claire will be ready by the time you return.”
Benjamin nodded and Joseph walked away with the woman he’d given the basket to. Benjamin didn’t walk away right then. He and Claire stood there and stared at each other for a moment. Once Joseph had gone her face had changed back to the timid little girl John had scared. She eventually turned and walked up the stairs but Benjamin couldn’t bring himself to leave. John finally had to grab him by the shoulder and drag him out.
Benjamin returned home and Eva walked outside with him to the garden before Emma could notice him, “So where did you and John go this afternoon?”
“Nowhere special,” Benjamin said, “I met a girl though. I decided to bring her tonight.”
Eva’s brown eyes lit up, “You did? That’s wonderful Ben! Who is she?”
“She lives in town,” Benjamin said. He was never going to mention that he’d agreed to take a fallen woman to a party such as this one. He knew Eva would keep it a secret but he noticed gardeners a few feet away from them and he didn’t want them to somehow hear them. Technically he wasn’t lying. She did live in town.
“I’m excited to meet her Ben,” Eva said, “Mother has been pestering me this entire week about finding a man to bring. I feel the same way about the men as you do about the women. They’re all exactly the same and I feel nothing for them. She keeps telling me I only have a small window to bear a child. I find that ridiculous.”
Benjamin shook his head, thankful that his father didn’t care about whether or not Benjamin ever married or had children. Then again, Eva was a woman and Emma had expected her to have a husband and children by now. But Eva definitely wanted to live her life alone for awhile before she allowed herself to be tied down by a husband. She didn’t care about what was expected of a woman or what was appropriate for a woman. She more or less did what she wanted but put on a show for the public.
“In time you’ll find a suitable husband,” Benjamin said, “There is no need to rush really.”
“Tell that to my mother,” Eva mumbled, her mood suddenly dropping as group of three women came outside and approached Eva, “Your mother asked us to come and help you to get ready for tonight.”
“I know,” Eva stood up and followed the women back inside to get dressed. Benjamin realized then that he should get himself ready too. He stood up and followed them upstairs until he separated from them and entered his bedroom. He took a bit longer on purpose so he wouldn’t show up early. Once it was dark, he called for a carriage and headed for town. He stopped a few blocks away from the brothel and walked the rest of the way. Benjamin let himself in and saw that once night fell, the place became a bit more lively and spotted men he knew sitting around with women on their laps. Benjamin turned and pretended to admire a painting on the wall so these men wouldn’t see him. He saw someone out of the corner of his eye coming down the stairs. She wore a gorgeous emerald colored gown. Claire looked completely different than she had earlier. Her skin seemed to be glowing and her hair was pulled back into a curly ponytail with two long fringes hanging on her face. She stopped in front of him and smiled, “Good evening Mr. Weston.”
“Please, call me Benjamin,” he said, taking her hand and kissing it. Her hand trembled a little but it wasn’t for very long. She still seemed a little tense around him but he couldn’t see the uneasiness in her face. He offered her his arm and she took it. They walked the few blocks to the carriage and she never asked him why. He wondered if that was something she had to do often.
Benjamin walked into the house with Claire on his arm and everyone there fell in love with her. And Claire talked to everyone and did it so easily. Benjamin had been living this lifestyle for his entire life and he still hadn’t perfected the social aspect of it the way Claire had.
“Are you enjoying yourself?” Benjamin asked as he pushed in her chair.
“I am,” she replied, giving him a genuine smile as she grabbed a napkin and placed it delicately on her lap and took a sip of wine, “I wasn’t expecting this.”
After they ate their dinner, Benjamin moved Claire into the parlor so they’d have a chance to get away from all the noise. Claire set down her empty wine glass on the table and leaned back against the chair, “Tonight was wonderful Mr. Weston.”
“Benjamin.”
“Benjamin,” she said, “Thank you very much. This was nothing I had ever expected.”
Benjamin paused, setting down his glass next to hers, “And what exactly were you expecting?”
Claire looked down at her hands, “I don’t normally get asked to just accompany a man to a gathering like this. This is not usually how my evenings end Benjamin. The change is nice.”
“I’m not that kind of man Claire. I never had any of intention of…” Benjamin looked away, unable to finish his sentence. They talked for a few hours longer and then they both decided it was now time to take Claire back. Benjamin led her through the crowd of people that were slowly beginning to thin out as the night went on. They ran into Eva on the way out and she took a hug from Claire, “I’m sorry we didn’t have a chance to talk more. You should come back and see us again when there aren’t so many people to distract me.”
“I would love that,” Claire said, hugging Eva one more time before Benjamin led her outside into the cold night and they rode together back into town. The closer they got to the brothel, the more her smile fell. They stopped a few blocks away and Benjamin helped her get out of the carriage. She took his arm and they strolled slowly down the street, “Men don’t usually walk me back Benjamin. Thank you.”
“I already told you I’m not like all the others,” Benjamin said with a laugh. They finally reached the front door and Claire stared at it like it was brand new to her. She took Benjamin’s hands and smiled, “Thank you for tonight Benjamin.”
Claire let go of his hands and reached for the door but Benjamin grabbed her before she could get any farther, which made Claire nervous. Benjamin quickly released her and put his hands into his pockets, “Will I see you again?”
Claire smiled and grabbed his face, placing a kiss on his cheek, “That would be up to you Benjamin.”
Ah, I'm still not sure about that title, but it'll do wink haha. I wrote this story almost a year ago and decided it needed a reboot as well. What? I can't do a reboot but Hollywood can? ******** you and your rules! ....my brain is mush right now...I don't know what I'm saying haha! Now don't worry it's not ALL ABOUT BENJAMIN. Eva will get more storytime in the next chapter wink
 Rockstar_Angel17 · Sat Sep 28, 2013 @ 08:37am · 0 Comments |
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