A delicate mystery

Can you keep a secret?

The little girl stared at me with wide eyes full of sincere expectation.

Looking at her she was a few years younger than me, she was thin and slender, and the dress full of lace almost made her sink.

My mother had just been hired as the official seamstress of that noble house, and I, still too young to be useful as an errand boy, had been assigned as a playmate to the Duke's niece.

According to the rumors, she had been in an orphanage for some years, since her parents had both died of an epidemic and her only living relative was in India for a few years.

On his return he had learned the news, taking that pale and gaunt tiny creature with him, welcoming her into his immense home.

But he wasn't very young, and he didn't have much time to dedicate to her either.

However, he was determinated to give that sweet little girl a secure future: he had made arrangements with another rich and noble family, to one day marry his niece with the heir of their family.

In addition, he had hired a governess and had also willingly agreed to the idea that the little girl had someone to play with.

So here I am, after introductions and some embarrassing silence, looking at her with curiosity, after she had asked me that question.

- I suppose so. Not that I've ever had many secrets in my life, actually. If I just told my mom about it, would it still ok?

-No! Absolutely not!

Eveline, that was her name, had her eyes widened even more, making them almost liquid.

Shaking his head, he sighed saying:

-I have been informed, and apparently you will be here for a very long time, and I will have to spend most  of my time with you. My uncle says it will be good for me, and I need to play freely more than anything else, he believes. But, I feel I can't really be myself if you don't know this. It is a fundamental secret, and I have never told anyone. At the orphanage I had no friends, I was always alone, even if honestly I don’t remember much. I was three when I was taken there, and at four and a half my uncle arrived. Now I am five years old.

Then she let out another long sigh, as if the effort of saying all those words was almost too much for her.

Honestly, I was almost struggling to keep up with her, she had mentioned so many things! In any case, I tried to answer everything:

-I am seven years old. I'm sorry about your years in the orphanage, were they that bad? Anyway .. if I can't tell my mom I'll try not to say anything, really.

-When I try to remember them, I just get a bad feeling- she said, shrugging her shoulders as if feeling a shiver. - In any case, you have to promise, it's a too important secret.

Those fluid eyes of hers and that worried look made me take the situation more seriously, so I solemnly promised.

She looked around cautiously, even though we were totally alone in the room they had assigned us.

Then, in an almost imperceptible whisper, she said to me:

-I am a fairy.

Whatever I thought she would reveal to me certainly did not include such a statement.

At first I thought she was making fun of me, almost feeling offended by such treatment. I said nothing, scrutinizing her for a while. But seeing a fierce determination on her little face, I almost laughed.

-You are there dumb huh? Look here.

She pulled up a lock of her hair, showing me a pointed, tapered ear.

-Anyone may have more pointed ears. It does not prove anything.

My voice betrayed a note of uncertainty though: honestly I had never seen anyone else with such a characteristic.

In response, she turned away, her back to me.

Thinking she was resentful, I was already trying to find something to add when I was shocked.

Eveline was quickly freeing herself from that bulky dress, exposing her whole back!

-And now what do you tell me? Can't you see the scars? Surely those madmen at the orphanage have cut off my wings.

In my innocence as a child, I could not find any other plausible explanation.

When she turned around, she was so serious in the face that I decided to believe her.

-In addition, look how tiny I am! Too thin to be just a little girl!

-I believe you. And I won't tell anyone.

From that day on we became inseparable. If the weather was good, we would spend all our time in the garden, where Eveline was enchanted by the sight of the flowers.

If, on the other hand, it was cold, she taught me everything she learned with the governess and we looked fascinated at the great illustrated books in the library.

My mother was always so kind to us: she allowed us to observe her while she sewed, and for Eveline she now sewed colorful and pretty dresses, which were much more suitable for a little fairy like her.

The years passed quickly, by now I had become the bellboy of the house, but every time I returned to Eveline I would bring her some flowers, knowing with how much joy she would welcome them.

Over time we had talked so much, and spent every second together, that a glance was enough now to understand what the other was thinking.

At the age of 16, I began to realize that I was proud of every appreciation by her, and to enjoy her company more and more.

I realized I was in love. I did not look at anyone, however beautiful they were, with the same feeling of pride and tenderness at the same time. And the idea of ​​seeing the baker or any other saleswoman or girls, didn't make my blood boil with electricity as it would if I had to meet her.

One evening I decided to surprise her: I had discovered a clearing in the woods, which at that time was lit up with a thousand fireflies.

The atmosphere was wonderful, and when I whispered to her: -it is a suitable place for a fairy. -I noticed that her eyes were filled with tears.

Without even realizing it, I held her close to me, wishing I would never have to let her go.

But, just in that perfect moment, I realized that she was rich and I was not.

Even though we had always lived as if we were equal, this was not the case.

In order to still have her in my arms, without the nightmare that she would end up in someone else's, I had to be able to become someone, earn a name and a fortune.

I struggled with that thought for days, talked about it with my mother and decided to leave.

As much as the idea broke my heart, I had heard that excellent opportunities were easy to find in the New World.

I couldn't tell Eveline the real reason of my choice. She was younger than me, and I doubted she knew what love was. I didn't want to upset her.

Thanks to my mother, we managed to keep a secret correspondence, thanks to which, I learned how much Eveline was missing me, discovering that only I could really understand her and how at ease she was with me, starting to nourish the hope of having the same love returned.

The trust placed in the New World did not disappoint me. I actually managed to find a generously paid job, and at the end of the six years that passed, I could consider myself a good match.

So I returned home, only slightly worried that the correspondence with Eveline had been abruptly interrupted for a long time now.

Learning that the old Duke was on the verge of death and that Eveline would soon be married to a noble whose existence I didn't even know, was worse than getting punched and kicked.

I rushed to the bedside of the good and dear uncle, explaining the reason for my departure, affirming my integrity and assuring that I could guarantee a secure future for his niece. While blushing, I declared my love for Eveline, and how bad I was at the very idea of ​​her becoming someone else's wife.

The Duke frowned, how could he have dissolved an agreement established for years now?

Besides, if a young boy with good prospects showed up to ask for his niece's hand with such ardor, it was up to her to decide.

So, redeeming himself from any possible sin committed during his life, in his last days of old age he gave me his blessing to show myself up at Eveline.

Seeing her again,after so long, more beautiful and graceful than ever, was a heart sank. But even more was seeing her so sad.

Explaining to her that I had only moved away to become rich and in this way to be able to marry her, because I had loved her for years, it was incredible.

The more I talked, the more her eyes lit up and her perfect mouth smiled again.

When the fateful question came, she threw her arms around my neck, telling me that she had realized that she had been in love with me for a long time, and that she could not hope for such a beautiful gift.

The kiss we later exchanged was the sweetest, passionate at the same time and perfumed with happiness.

The dear Duke left us his huge house, a treasure chest of so many pleasant memories for us.

We built a greenhouse where we spent most of our time enjoying each other's company and all those magnificent flowers.

I never knew if Eveline had really been a fairy, as her aptitudes and some curious physical detail showed, or if she had instead suffered terrible lashes which in order to forget she had transformed into enchantment.

To me she always remained a delicate, delightful creature with a trilling voice and a body as thin as a stem blown by the wind.

A blessing, a surprising daily magic that I was lucky enough to have at my side all my life.