Charles Whitehurst Posted September 4 Share Posted September 4 Having been roommates, it was easy enough for Charles and Sam to arrange a meeting at the Carnival this day. The carnival had been setting up over the weekend and Monday, so Tuesday seemed a good day to take an initial look. It was a time when Sam was not on duty and Charles could leave other lieutenants to look after the guarding of the royal quarters. It was no surprise that he was in uniform, his hat decorated with the long plume associated with the Life Guard. His sword hung at his side casually as he approached the carnival grounds. The sun was high in the sky, but obscured by drab overcast skies at the moment. Wandering among the wagons, Charles attempted to see what might be interesting on display. He had heard that exotic animals might be present. He knew a fortune teller would be present. Typically there might be midgets and other odd persons wandering about. Perhaps there was a vendor of interesting bits of lore. He tried not to make a straight line for the fortune teller, preferring instead to be seen to approach it naturally and see if Sam and her sisters might be present. It seemed a harmless exercise that might be entertaining. Charles knew he might need to return to escort Susan to the carnival on the next day or two. In fact, he had that very morning sent a formal letter to Countess Pembroke asking for permission to escort Susan, and her mother or brother, to visit the carnival one day this week. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aria Posted September 9 Share Posted September 9 The carnival was still under construction on Tuesday afternoon, though it was now nearing completion. It was not officially open but anyone was welcome to take a look around, inspiring enthusiasm and excitement. Local men had been hired to help set up the tents, stages, stalls, and the fences that surrounded the areas that would be off-limits to visitors. Others volunteered to work for free admission to the shows. There were no performers to be seen, as they tended to distract the workers and cause accidents. A tall slender woman emerged from the black tent at the back of the field that served as the office of the carnival master. She was wearing a simple blue gown embroidered with pink and yellow flowers. Brilliant green eyes beneath fashionably thin eyebrows were set in a fairly pretty face enhanced with tasteful makeup. Her long, abundant, light brown ringlets bounced against her back. Samantha Gillis was planning to meet Charles today, but she had come for another reason as well. That had now been settled, though she would need to return in a few days, something she could do while with her older sister and her nieces and nephew who lived nearby. As a construction site was no place for children, they weren’t with her, though two of her younger sisters had come along for moral support. The entire family had traveled to Windsor for the carnival. Said sisters were supposed to be waiting outside for her, but they were nowhere to be found. Teenagers were so easily distracted. Cecily and Alice had likely wandered off and could be on the other side of the field for all Sam knew. She wasn’t really worried about them. Like all the Gillis girls, they had been taught to defend themselves by their brothers. Ignoring the appreciative gazes that the workers gave her, she kept an eye out for her sisters as she slowly walked toward the blue tent with the sparkling stars that must belong to the fortune teller. If the girls didn’t show up soon, she would be meeting Charles on her own. Sam was more nervous now than on the day she had first posed as a boy to join the military. Part of her wanted to flee, but part of her wanted Charles to see her dressed as a woman. She was excited and yet she was scared. This meeting could ruin their friendship or make it stronger. It was possible that he would no longer be able to see her as a soldier and have her transferred or dismissed. Or perhaps he would not be able to see the woman behind the soldier. Or maybe, just maybe .... A flash of red caught her eye and her heart pounded loudly in her chest. There he was, wandering toward the tent from the opposite direction. Had he seen her? Should she approach him? The latter was impossible at the moment because her feet seemed frozen in place. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles Whitehurst Posted September 10 Author Share Posted September 10 The blue tent with stars seemed the right destination for Charles. Surely the fortune teller would be found near there. The carnival was nearly ready to open. Perhaps they should have waited one day further. As he approached the tent, he looked for a tall thin woman dressed in blue, likely accompanied by a sister or two. Charles was less nervous about the encounter. In his pacings around the castle he had convinced himself that this was like a theater. Surely Darlene would have enjoyed a plan like this -- two intimate friends pretending to not know each other. Darlene had a knack for drama. was sleeping in the same bed with Sam. They saw each other every day. So, he told himself to play the role. Be friendly with Samantha and her family. Smile and be reassuring. He needed to make Sam comfortable and happy. Maybe they would become lovers, or not. Charles was not as much against it as he first was. If he did not make love with her, nothing would be the same again. They would lose their friendship and just become fellow officers, little more. If they did become lovers, they could have all sorts of fun, get away with it easily, and Charles would not need to seek widows and whores to hold his attention. He trusted Sam to be reasonable in her expectations. They could never marry, but they could be great lovers and friends. Charles did not want to lose Sam. She was too important to him and he wanted her to be happy. Standing beside the tent, his gaze looked in the other direction. In his field of view was a lone woman, dressed in blue with some pink decorations. Seeing her with a full head of hair caused him to smile. Acting in a cocky manner, he leaned against the tent post lightly and dared her to approach. This was going to be entertaining. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aria Posted September 15 Share Posted September 15 He had seen her, and he knew that she had seen him. Sam watched as Charles demeanor completely changed. The way he casually leaned against one of the tent posts made him look like a cheeky young man instead of a serious and no-nonsense Life Guard. She felt heat rise in her cheeks when he smiled. For perhaps the first time in her life, she felt shy and unsure of herself. Should she approach? Sam could tell that he was challenging her to do just that. Pretending not to see him, she wandered closer to the tent, unable to resist looking around for her sisters. Ahh, that was the opening she needed. Stopping a couple of workers, she asked if they had seen them. They hadn’t, so she asked a few more. Slowly and steadily, she made her way to the blue tent, continuing to inquire about the missing girls and giving Charles time to observe her. She was so close that he must be able to hear her now. Her voice was higher and softer than it was when she was masquerading as a man and he had heard it before. Noticing him as if for the first time, Sam smiled a bit bashfully. To her chagrin, she blushed again. “I’m looking for my sisters, good sir. Have you seen two teenage girls who resemble me?” Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles Whitehurst Posted September 17 Author Share Posted September 17 For a moment he had forgotten that she was to play the role of a stranger, as opposed to Sam's sister. So, his smirk disappeared, to be replaced by a serious express. "I have not encountered any young ladies , Miss." Her soft, feminine voice almost caused him to smile. "Would you like assistance in locating them? Should we move to where you last saw them?" he offered gallantly. "Or would you prefer to stay here with me to gaze the fairground together to see if they come into view?" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aria Posted yesterday at 06:26 PM Share Posted yesterday at 06:26 PM Sam had never looked at Charles objectively before. It had been his personality rather than his appearance that had drawn her to him. He was smart, clever, dutiful, and fair, attributes she had always valued. Now she understood why so many women were attracted to him. He was quite handsome and his uniform added to his allure. Her heart skipped another beat as he spoke to her. “I would appreciate your assistance, if you have the time to help me look for them. They’re probably off exploring.” She sighed. “I suppose staying here would be the best option, though I would much rather walk around and do some exploring of my own while I search for them.” Sam smiled. “My name is Samantha, by the way. Do you work at the palace? I’ve never seen such a fancy uniform before.” How long, she wondered, would Charles be willing to keep up the pretense of pretending they didn't know each other? If they ran into her sisters, she would have to warn him to play along. Her parents wanted her to hide her double life from them in case they wanted to follow in her footsteps. They thought she was a maid in a noble household. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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