Side story - Prudence

1970

The fragrant perfume of the rose made her head spin. It's sickly sweet smell so overpowering she felt she had to sit down. She spotted a nearby bench and rather unladylike in her mannerisms she collapsed on it.

Her legs splayed, slouching. She could hear her mother's voice in her head, telling her to close her legs and sit up straight. She took off her wind-brimmed hat and fanned herself with it. She had thought she would look gorgeous out here with her sundress, her white heels and her pearls but she could feel her sweat stains.

She looked around her, at the people walking along the garden. Couples hand in hand, perfect children with rosy cheeks, soft piano music was coming from somewhere. Her eyes searched for her sister. She had said she was going to see the lilies but that was fifteen minutes ago.

The truth is all this bored Prudence. She hated polite conversation, soft satin dresses, these heels made her feet hurt and she wanted to pull out all the pins of her hair. What stopped her was her mother's disapproving eyes even though she had been dated for eight years.

A lady must never tell her secrets with her face, she must be mysterious yet friendly. Helpful but not a maid. Talkative but not gossipy.

Her sister was better at it than her.

A gust of wind came from somewhere behind her and the hat flew out of her hands. She swore as she got up and raced after it. Just as she reached it another gust of wind flew it further away. Gritting her teeth she quickened her pace, imagining how she would rip it to shreds when she got her hands on it.

It landed on one of the many gravel pathways and she sighs in relief as someone steps on it. It'll ruin it but at least it won't fly off. "Thanks," she says without much conviction as she makes to bend down for it.

Just as she does the person who stepped on it crouches down and grabs the hat from under his elegant shoes. Prudence sees a big watch on the wrist of the hand that grabbed her hat and she looks up to see a pair of eyes brightened by the sun staring back at her.

They both stand and the man hands her the hat. She practically rips it from his hand, "thanks."

"You already said that," he replies with a mischievous smile to his face.

She dusts her hat off and gives him a haughty look, "I didn't know someone could be such an ass as to count thanks's."

The man — although he looks more like a boy — grins and bends his head slightly, "I'm sorry. I should not aim to displease such a pretty women. Although I do say you were nicer a few minutes ago."

She raises a thin eyebrow, "what the hell are you talking about?"

The man-boy's smile lowers and she can read confusion in his eyes. "Don't you recall the fountain? You had thrown a penny in?"

She plops her hat on her head and replies, "let me guess you ran into someone who has my same face?"

The man-boy nods. Prudence gestures to her dress, "does this look like a pink dress to you? Am I wearing pink heels with flowers all over them?"

He looks between confused, slightly miffed and stunned. "No?"

Prudence rolls her eyes and decides to have mercy on him. "The girl you flirted with was my sister."

"I did not—" he begins and stops himself when she gives him the 'oh really?' look. Grimacing her answers, "and you must not be as nearly as nice as her."

This time Prudence smiles, "I can be nice. Especially when I'm courted by a handsome man."

The man-boy slowly smiles again, this time his mouth taking on a playful edge. "Only an blind idiot would refuse to court such a lovely creature," he says in a smoky tone.

He holds out his hand, "I'm Victor Crown."

She takes it and responds, "Prudence Faragild."

When Victor guides Prudence away from stranger's eyes, leading her to a secluded place by the bushes, she allows herself to be taken. It is sinful. It is immoral. It is everything she is not supposed to do.

But as Victor kisses her throat, slowly working down her thin dress from her shoulders, as she guides her hand to the zipper of his pants she can't seem to remember why this is so bad.

Later on, when she's shimmying her underwear up her legs and he's buckling his pants she believes she'll never see him again as all the others and she starts walking away. He grabs her away and pulls her to him.

"We will see each other again," he says. It's not a question. It's a demand.

She's taken aback by the cadence of his voice and a bundle of nerves bound through her chest as his hand grips her tightly. "I-I don't know."

He pulls her closer and says coldly, "yes we will."

"We don't even know each other."

Victor seems unfazed by that, her grabs her hip with his other hand and replies, "we will. You are going to give me your telephone number, tell me where you live and tomorrow I will visit you."

Something about the way he was talking made a sliver of fear penetrate her stomach. A quip dies on her lips and she suddenly realizes how bad of an idea it was to come out here in this secluded place with a man she just met. But she gave him what he wanted, he doesn't have to take it again by force?

"Ok," she mutters.

He lets her go and smiles once again like he did before. Kissing her on the cheek he waves her off with a, "until then my love."

As Prudence walks away she continues to look back at the strange man. She smiles at him but picks up the pace as she turns the corner and starts sprinting. She runs for the exit not caring that people around her are staring.

She sees her sister standing by the gates, looking lost. Prudence runs up to her, practically scaring her.

"Pru? Where were you? I was looking for you everywhere," her sister asks in a worried voice.

Prudence shakes her hand and pulls her sister along towards the exit, "not here. I'll tell you when we get home. I just met the worst fucking freak."

"Pru..." her sister admonishes.

Prudence huffs annoyed, "look after you hear the shit I'm about to tell you you'll be swearing too."

And when the girls get home she does speak. But something curious happens. The more she recounts the tale to her sister the more she finds herself embellishing the details. She hadn't been running after her hat, he had seen her from across the grass and bowed as he introduced himself. She hadn't had sex with him like a floozy in the bushes but rather they went arm in arm along the flowers, talking about romance. He hadn't forced himself into seeing her again, he had kissed her hand and asked to court her with their father's blessing.

Her sister 'oohhed' and 'awwed' at the correct moments. She told her how romantic and dreamy it all sounded and Prudence felt a warm feeling of triumphant within her that she started to believe that is how it all happened.

An ability she would find herself doing a lot of the future Mrs. Crown.