A Suitor for the Princess - Chapter 11

       She hastily locked the door behind her, lest her ‘enemies’ follow her outside and started walking down her favorite path to the woods.  It was a particularly chilly evening and she shivered as the draught hit her from all sides.  A howling wind roared in her delicate ears, sweeping down from the moors surrounding her cottage and she had to literally clamp her ears with her hands to prevent her teeth from chattering.  But she walked on, determined to finish her long walk to and from the woods.

        Not a single soul was around and she almost wished for a good companion.  She felt that if she talked in general with somebody, she’d feel a whole lot better.  She desperately wanted to escape Regina and its shrine, not to forget Sara and Juan.  But if wishes were horses…..

        Wherever she looked, at the lush green hills, the wild flowers, the trees, the grey clouds-----she saw the one-eyed yet handsome, Juan and the sorrowful, yet beautiful Sara.  Whatever had happened to her resolve to keep her protagonists as beautiful as ever?  Now they were beautiful but not happy and happiness was essential for ‘real’ beauty.  Beauty was incomplete and hollow without inner happiness.  She knew that both were anguished souls hence lacked smiles and good cheer.  And she was the one who was responsible for their misery. 

        She felt wretched, guilty and ashamed.  Her walk lost its spring and zest.  She dragged her feet like a soldier who was wounded in battle.  She felt tired and lonely.  She wanted to express her own fears and feelings to someone compassionate and wise.  She wanted to be reassured that all was well with the world and that this terrible feeling of desolation, frustration and misery would soon vanish!

        She felt the dry leaves crackling behind her.  She stiffened.  She was being followed.  She halted in her tracks and strained her ears, listening for the sounds of footsteps.  Suddenly she whirled and found herself face to face with her Editor, Norman Keeling.  “Hello Martha!  Nice to see you!  Where’ve you been all these days?  It’s been a whole week!”

        Martha had seen the one-eyed Juan, not her Editor and was clawing at his face like one possessed.  Norman was a huge man.  He caught both her flailing wrists with one huge palm in a vice-like grip and slapped her right across her smooth, rosy cheek; leaving a large red imprint of his palm on her face and her face stinging with hot tears which rushed down to cover and smother that imprint. 

        He couldn’t believe his eyes.  Was she the demure and delicate lady whom he so admired and liked?  What had just overcome her to behave so strangely?  He quietly led her to a wayside cement bench and made her sit down.  He surveyed her carefully and compassionately.  She was shivering and crying, saying incoherent words that were tumbling relentlessly from her beautiful mouth.  He could mainly make out the words Juan and Sara.  She was also shielding her face as if protecting herself from invisible attackers.

        Norman sat beside her and put his huge arm around her shoulder.  He pressed it slightly and rocked her.  Gently he said, after her wracking sobs subsided, “What is it dear Martha?  Why are you so terribly unhappy?  Please tell me so that I can help you!”

        With tear-filled eyes that looked like mini oceans to Norman, Martha briefed him about her latest story and the turmoil that it had brought into her ordered life.

        Norman’s first impulse was to burst into loud laughter.  He found her narration and its impact on her, incredibly silly!  Women! He muttered under his breath.  Then, feeling her eyes upon his, waiting for a reaction, he said soberly, “Why don’t you just forget about the story and take a break for a few days?  I’m sure that it’ll do you a whole lot of good.  Come to think of it, I’ll be visiting Shanghai for a writers’ conference the day after tomorrow.  Would you like to come with me?  I can arrange for a pass for you.  After all, you’re such a good writer.  In fact, I just came to ask you whether you’d be interested in making this trip.”

        Martha glanced into his intense gaze and found that she relaxing.  This was just what she needed the most, right then.  Norman and his request were Manna from Heaven!  She threw both her hands around his huge frame, hugged him close and whispered “Yes, I’d be pleased to!”  Then when she looked up at him, she found him staring at her intensely with a single baleful eye. 

         A shriek escaped her throat and she swooned in Norman’s embrace.  When she came to, she was surprised to find herself in Norman’s bedroom, propped up comfortably on silk cushions with a fire merrily blazing away in the fire-place.  The room was cozy and quiet.  Just then, Norman walked in, holding a tray that smelled of delicious food and fresh pink roses tied with a white satin ribbon.

        “Well, it’s good to see that you have arisen.  I was beginning to wonder whether I’d have to kiss you and wake you up like the ‘Sleeping Beauty’ Princess!”  Martha blushed deeply and held her breath.  She suddenly wanted him to do just that!  She averted her gaze and glanced at the goodies on the tray, to hide her thoughts.  She saw some sandwiches, eggs, toast, butter and jam, salad and a pot of steaming tea.  She felt ravenous.  She wanted to eat and she wanted to make love! 

        “So are you ready to tuck into your meal, Princess?”  She blushed furiously, anxious to hide her feelings from Norman.  Just what would he think about her amorous feelings?  He was very astute!

        She hated herself when she heard how coy her voice sounded as she said, “Yes, thank you!” He knew that his eyes followed all her moves as she buttered a piece of toast and chewed silently, staring fixedly at the tea-pot.

        To Norman she looked like an adolescent school-girl, having her meal.  She looked irresistibly lovely and fresh.  He had to kiss her, right then….

To be continued.... 

The copyright of this novel is with Mrs. Priya Ramesh Swaminathan.