At his touch, the strange warmth returned to her temples and Diana’s heart began to beat with an intense rhythm. Earlier, he seemed like he wanted nothing to do with her; now, he was comforting her and wiping her tears away. Darien Shepherd confused her like no one before.
“Come on,” Darien urged her up. “I’m going to walk you back to your room.”
“I’m fine,” she replied in protest, but not with anger. “I can walk myself home. It’s not the fifties and the Soviets aren’t hiding in the bushes.”
“Indulge me, Miss Selene? Just this once.”
She rolled her eyes and sighed. “Fine.”
Diana took Darien’s offered hand and they started walking towards her dorm. The night was so quiet and peaceful that she almost didn’t notice how awkward the silence had become.
“Out for some evening shopping?” she asked, looking to the small bag he held in his hand.
“Oh right,” he said with startled recognition and stopped walking. “How could I forget? It was the reason I was searching for you in the first place.” He held out the bag for Diana to take. “This is for you.”
Surprised, and a bit reluctant, she took the bag. Why on earth had Darien bought her a present?
When she opened the bag and peered inside, the warmth returned and began to melt the trepidation.
He bought her a new cell phone.
“Thank you,” she replied with an affectionate smile. Darien’s expression quickly matched hers once he realized he had made her happy.
“I wanted to apologize for my behavior the other night—you did not deserve to be treated with such rudeness and disrespect.”
“Why the sudden change of heart?”
“Terra actually,” he replied and his smile faded away. “The way she acted towards you made me furious, and then I realized I had treated you no better myself.”
Though Darien seemed genuinely ashamed, Diana couldn’t say much to ease his conscience. He hadn’t been much of a gentleman during their first few encounters
“Let’s just start over,” she said with a smile and an outstretched hand. “Good evening, I’m Diana Selene. It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance.”
With an amused grin, Darien took her hand gently into his and kissed it softly upon the knuckle before looking up to her. Something in his eyes struck her for a brief moment—a slight twinge of profound regret that Diana could feel echoing in her own heart.
“I am Darien Shepherd,” he replied before standing tall. “And I can assure you, my twice-named Goddess of the Moon, that the pleasure is all mine.”
Diana felt a powerful need to curtsey at such a title and did so, to Darien’s continued amusement.
“In the spirit of our clean slate, I would like to erase the memory of our last social engagement and replace it with another. Miss Selene, would you do me the honor of taking you out one evening?”
Diana’s mind whirled. Less than an hour ago she had been shattered by Eric’s intentions towards Lani, and now, Darien Shepherd was asking her out—in a terribly romantic way that was already endearing her heart towards him. She felt like the typical fickle high school girl, but what did she truly know of love? Only that it was often unexpected and tended to appear in unlikely places. Regardless, there was something about Darien Shepherd, his elegant lifestyle, and mysterious background that filled her heart with a curious sense of wonder and she needed to find out where the thread would lead her.
“I’d love too,” Diana finally replied, throwing whatever caution and self-respect she had to the winds in favor of the most dangerous journey of all—Romance.
Chapter 7
By what path do you seek this Holy Grail?
Do you also covet the sacred cup?
Though I am destined to be its keeper,
Know that it has been lost for many years.
The Blessed Queen has long since been taken.
Along with her, the Chalice of the Moon.
Diana breathed deeply to calm her nerves as she walked along the campus side streets towards the Shepherds’ home. Her heart was filled with equal parts terror, anxiety, and anticipation as she contemplated what might occur during her first date with Darien.
After her acceptance of his invitation, Darien had simply looked at her with those captivating gray eyes of his and told her to be at his house Saturday afternoon at 4:00 to get ready.
Of course, Diana had been confused and had wanted to know what was going on. When she asked for details, he merely told her to arrive at the appointed time and then left her standing in front of her dorm building in bewilderment.
Since then, the anticipation had been killing her. During Thursday’s class session, though Darien treated her much more warmly and even partnered with her for vocabulary drills, he had refused to give her any clue as to what their date would entail.
So, Diana just waited for the appointed time. Luckily, Lani had been more than happy to occupy Diana’s attention as she interrogated her roommate on the subject of Eric Seymour. Not only had the humorous fates urged Eric to ask out Lani the same night that Darien had extended his invitation to Diana, but they had decreed the evening of their respective first dates to be the same as well. She hadn’t known either of them that long, but Diana had to admit that Lani and Eric were a good match. They both seemed to be the out-going and free-spirited sort and Diana had a feeling that Eric’s mother would turn out to be right about the Yankee lass in the end.
Finally standing in front of the Shepherds’ house, Diana took her new cell phone from her back pocket and inspected the time as a wide smile crept to her mouth and her chest filled with warmth. She still couldn’t believe Darien had actually replaced her phone. It had been such an unexpected and kind gesture on his part. It also might as well have been an admission of guilt—he had been responsible for her phone exploding. Shortly after Diana made her first excited calls to her parents, she began dwelling on Darien’s strange incompatibility with technology. If she didn’t know such notions to be ridiculous, she’d swear he had emitted some powerful electrical charge that had fried her phone and shorted out the computer at the party.
Diana was pulled from her musings when the large wooden doors of the house opened. Marjorie stood in the entryway with a welcoming smile.
“It’s lovely to see you again, Miss Selene,” she said before gesturing for Diana to step across the threshold. “You are right on time. Miss Miriam is waiting for you upstairs.”
Miriam? Darien’s sister was going to help Diana get ready for their date?
Diana followed close behind Marjorie as the housekeeper led her up the stairs and through the door to Miriam’s bedroom. Elegantly decorated with light blue walls and white trims and furnishings, the room looked to have been designed for a teenage princess.
As Diana stood admiring the extremely large three-mirrored wooden vanity, a slim and perky blond woman appeared from the enormous closet wearing only her white silken undergarments. She was quite excited to see that Diana had arrived.
Miriam Shepherd looked so much like Andrew that they had to be twins. With her bobbed light blond hair and deep blue eyes, she looked as identical to him as a woman could. If her female assets hadn’t been in Diana’s full view, she might have mistook her for Andrew moonlighting as a cross-dresser. She even carried herself in the same carefree manner; very unlike Darien and Terra, who seemed like the weight of the world was always on their shoulders.
“Miss Selene—I’m so happy you decided to join us this evening.” Her smile was wide, warm, and genuine. “My name is Miriam.”
“It’s a pleasure to finally meet you,” Diana replied, feeling a bit awkward about meeting Darien’s sister for the first time while she was barely clothed. “And where, exactly, will the evening be taking us?”
“The museum gala,” Miriam replied, looking puzzled. “Didn’t Darien tell you?”
“He failed to mention it.” Diana would have been mad if the notion hadn’t filled her with so m
uch excitement—it sounded like the most perfect first date she could possibly imagine.
“Well then, you’re in for a treat, Miss Selene.” Miriam turned to inspect the many dresses laying on her oversized four-post bed. “Our family’s foundation sponsors various touring exhibits that make their way all around the world. For several months, Darien has been dancing to quite a number of tunes to get one of his personal favorites to be displayed here in town. Tonight is the gala opening.”
“I can’t wait to see it,” Diana replied with a wide smile. “And please, call me Diana.”
“Very well, Diana.” There was an intimate warmth when she spoke her name and Diana found it curious. Only then did she realized that none of the Shepherds had ever called her by her first name—an odd notion. “Please, call me Miri.”
Diana smiled and nodded, feeling a strange sense of honor at having made Miri’s intimate acquaintance.
“Now, let’s get you ready for the ball.” Miri grinned at the cliché. “But first, let’s clear the canvas.”
Diana just smiled awkwardly as the half-naked blonde girl—whom she had just met—began to help her out of her clothes.
They spent the next hour, with the help of Marjorie, working on their hair and makeup. As it turned out, the elderly woman appeared to be an accomplished cosmetologist on top of being a housekeeper. Once finished, Diana hardly recognized herself in the mirror—she actually looked quite pretty. She was nothing compared to Miri though; Diana had never seen a woman as beautiful as Miri that hadn’t been touched up with computers.
“Let’s see if I’ve successfully gotten the measure of you,” Miri said while making certain that Diana’s hair was in place as she sat in front of the vanity. “You are from Hammond, Indiana, are an only child, and you chose to come to Flinders University on account of your great-aunt’s connection to the man himself. Your majoring in Ancient History would have made them proud.”
“That’s my life in a nutshell,” Diana said with a shrug. “Not too exciting.”
“Applesauce,” Miri said with a motherly expression of assurance, placing her hands on Diana’s bare shoulders. “You may come off as a Canceled Stamp, but you’re definitely no Mrs. Grundy.”
Diana could see her own puzzled expression looking back in the mirror. Applesauce and Canceled Stamp? Miri’s word choices were straight out of the roaring 20’s—she sounded positively Great Gatsby.
Diana’s reaction made Miri slightly flush with embarrassment. “It’s just that, you’d have to be a very exceptional person to tempt Darien away from his rocks and fables for an evening.”
“Rocks you say?” Diana asked, probing for further information.
“Well yes. If Darien isn’t in his study reading a book, he is in his workshop trying to transform a hunk of rock into a masterpiece.”
Darien has an artistic side? She would never have guessed. Then again, she would never have thought it of Andrew either.
“Did Darien carve any of the pieces around the house?”
“Yes,” Miriam replied. “Most of the stonework displayed is Darien’s. The pieces that aren’t his are usually extremely rare and in some sort of case.”
“He carved the bust sitting behind his desk?” Diana asked, recalling how life-like the bust had seemed.
“That one is his favorite. He gets especially grumpy if anyone touches it. He won’t even let Marjorie dust it.”
Diana marveled at Darien’s artistic talent. Even though it was just stone, the image looked almost alive—with a sense of nobility and command. The woman had been the female equivalent of Darien himself.
“What’s her name?” Diana asked the question before she even realized she had thought it.
Miri smiled and gave Diana a look that told her not to worry. “Her name is Edea—she is Darien’s twin.”
“And you’re Andrew’s, right? You have to be.”
“Of course,” Miri replied, surprised that Diana even had to ask the question.
“There are two sets of twins in your family? That’s amazing.”
Miri let out a light awkward laugh and Diana winced at the sharp pain in her scalp as Miri snagged a bit of her hair.
“It does seem rather remarkable, doesn’t it?” Miri said, walking to the bed. “Twins are quite prevalent among the Shepherd clans.” She giggled lightly, as if she had told a joke.
Diana knew such things happened in some families, but she had never known any. She turned around from the vanity mirror to see Miri scrutinizing the dresses.
“So, Andrew paints and Darien carves—what’s your hidden talent?”
“Music,” Miri replied with a smile. “I can play a variety of instruments, but my favorites at the moment are the violin and the mandolin.”
“That’s wonderful. My grandmother played the mandolin. She left me a beautiful antique when she died.”
Diana’s heart ached at the memory of Grandma Lily playing her mandolin. In the early days of her nightmares, when Diana had been too afraid to fall asleep, the soothing music had calmed her troubled spirit. The nightmares were returning, and this time, she didn’t have her grandmother’s ‘dream songs’ to help her through it.
“I will have to play for you sometime.” Miri obviously sensed Diana’s heartache.
Diana smiled. “Thank you Miri, I’d like that a lot.”
So far, she liked Miri a great deal. She was as friendly and as easy to talk to as Lani, but Diana felt she shared something kindred with Miri—a quality that her roommate lacked but that she couldn’t quite put her finger on. Perhaps it was because Miri actually let Diana talk about herself. Lani tended to dominate conversations.
“Well, I believe it’s time to pick out your dress.” She’d been inspecting the garments quite intently, no doubt trying to make the most suitable fashion decision for Diana. “None of these will do,” she said, shaking her head and then her eyes quickly lit up with excitement. “I know just the one—you will look stunning.” Miri walked into her exceptionally large closet to rummage through even more dresses.
Diana couldn’t imagine looking stunning, especially compared to Miri, but as she gazed at her reflection in the mirror she was rather proud to be the beautiful young lady staring back. Perhaps she could be stunning after all.
“Ah, found it!” Miri shouted with excitement from inside the closet. A moment later, she emerged holding a gorgeous, light-green dress. It wasn’t quite as fancy as a ball gown or a bridesmaid’s dress, but it was close.
Diana stood up and walked over for a closer inspection—it definitely looked expensive.
“There is no way I can wear that,” she said. “I just wouldn’t feel right about it.” It was true, but she said it begrudgingly—she really did want to wear it.
Miri looked confused. “Apple—nonsense,” she quickly corrected. “It’s my gift to you. I have so many dresses I will probably never wear; it’d be a shame if it just sat in a closet until the end of its days. Here, let’s try it on, shall we?”
Miri helped Diana into the dress, and a few zippers and buttons later, Diana stood transfixed on her image in the mirror. The knee-length dress came out at the hips like a classy cocktail dress and had a one-piece silken strap that crossed in the front, going behind the neck. She felt glamorous—like a peasant that got to play at being a princess for an evening. She would soon find out if Darien Shepherd was the Prince Charming he seemed to be.
—
Shortly after Diana and Miri had finished getting ready, Marjorie delivered a message from Darien. Due to some unforeseen issues, he and Andrew had left for the gala earlier than expected and would meet the girls at the museum.
Diana had been a little relieved by the message. She didn’t know why, but the thought of Darien seeing her dolled up in a fancy dress made her extremely nervous. She didn’t feel like herself. That wasn’t necessarily a bad thing, though, was it? She looked amazing and should be filled to the brim with confidence, but as usual, Diana was a ball of anxiety and n
erves.
Walking outside, Diana’s worries melted away when she beheld the car that would be driving them to the museum. It was a beautiful antique, dark silver in color, with a black vinyl roof. It had the long and sleek hood design typical of automobiles from the late 20’s or early 30’s and the white-walled tires completed its elegant and timeless appearance.
Before stepping into the car, Diana inspected the intriguing hood ornament in the shape of an angel in flight and marveled at the Rolls-Royce emblem above the grill. Once in the car Diana sat very still, nervous that she might somehow mar the extremely expensive automobile.
The ride to the museum was short, as Flinders University was only a ten-minute drive from the Columbus town-center, but it was long enough to be introduced to the Shepherds’ valet, Maurice. He was a tall, older, man with a black mustache that didn’t quite match his graying hair. Though he seemed the typical butler sort, Diana was a bit disappointed that he spoke with a rather plain Mid-West American accent rather than a well-polished British accent that would have made his image complete.
After saying her farewells to Maurice, Diana stood on the white marble steps leading up to the museum, her stomach filled with butterflies, as she waited for Miri to tell the valet what time he was expected to return.
Under the evening lights of the busy city street, Diana marveled at Miri’s chosen ensemble. In her thin-strapped, shimmering, calf-length, royal blue gown, she was the very image a stylish flapper out for a night on the town. The dress perfectly complemented the color of her blonde hair, which was lightly crimped and held with a matching bejeweled silver clip. The look suited her. Gazing on her next to the antique Rolls-Royce, Diana felt transported back into a bygone era filled with nightclubs, illegal underground casinos, and speakeasies.
Once Maurice drove away, Miri joined Diana on the museum steps. As they ascended, Diana’s eyes darted across the fellow attendees making their way into the museum for the night’s event. Each man was dressed in black-tie and the women all wore beautiful fancy dresses that probably cost more money than Diana’s parents made in a week. Though her stomach was filled with butterflies, Diana felt excited and proud to be among the guests of the gala. She felt like Eliza Doolittle; but unlike the poor flower-girl, Diana was going to be in her natural element—a museum filled with ancient artifacts.
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