To Beguile or Not to Beguile

Anna Hertfield sat cocking her chin around the Hertfield's family table; she was the second daughter of the most affectionate David Hertfield.

Dana the first daughter, unlike her most beloved sister; lacked mannerisms which ached the poor heart of her dear mother, Emmah Hertfield.

Dana has always envied her sister because of her beauty and how the men of Greensvale adored the petite form of her.

Both Emmah and David's greatest accomplishment, is for both their daughters to be married into wealthy families but Dana's attitude will surely chase all the gentlemen away.

"Ah .. Ahh.. choo!' Dana muttered, without repenting of the folly.

"Oh dear! It's awful. Oh dear! Oh dear!" Emmah kept repeating herself. She could not think of anything to be done of her daughter's embarrassing behavior at the table.

"My dear Mr. Hertfield," Emmah beckoned with much concern "Will you not reprimand the child of her ignorance?"

"Do not pressure yourself mother, surely Dana's poor mannerism at the table is a whole matter to be discussed somewhere at arm's length." Anna interjects.

Emmah was troubled seeing her husband raise the newspaper just a little above his spectacles. This was invitation enough that Mr. Hertfield will not partake in the matter.

"Ah! I see you are trifling with me." Dana pressed her sister hotly.

"I desire that you both refrain from prattling at the dinner table." he said at last which seem to have brought some relief to Emmah's tense demeanor.

"I am dreadfully sorry father. I promise to act more lady like." Dana tried to appease the man.

The maids and butlers came into the dining room with another round of dishes. The Hertfield's were wealthy people who lived up to their reputation and was recognize by the Mayor for their chivalrous contribution to Charity.

Mr. Hertfield remains silent.

"Father!" Dana bewailed and Anna chuckles as if triumphing over her.

"I see you take delight in vexing me. Have you no mercy? Asked Dana to her sister.

"Surely you do not know what I suffer being in your presence." Anna mutters.

Mr. Hertfield has begun to tire from his daughters constant bickering. He observed that Anna was the one to invoke provocation towards Dana, however she was more prim and proper which suited her very well.

"Ah.. chooo!!" Dana sniffles.

"Do not continue to sneeze in such manner Dana! For goodness sake. I am barely holding onto my temper!" cried Emmah.

"I beg your pardon mother but I have no control over it." replied Dana fretfully.

The sound of a utensil knacks painfully loud on the plate, sending scrutinizing eyes in the direction where Dana sat. She had spilled gravy all over her evening dress; the sight nearly gave Emmah a heart attack.

"Dana plans on bringing eminent disgrace upon us all." Emmah whimpers, letting a stray tear fall.

The man David was on his last straw taking keen note of the wife's overly dramatic ques.

"I am quite clumsy. This fork slips right through my fingers for heaven sake!" Dana blushes from embarrassment.

Anna clears her throat with utmost modesty before answering to her sister's lack of knowledge.

"Surely you jest making another foolish contradiction."

Dana suddenly sits up from her chair; her gravy stained dress was even more dispicable to witness.

"Do not be dismayed my fellow servants and dear family. I will one day live up to your expectations!" she declares.

"If so, we shall like you the better!" Said Anna who was now distraught.

Dana ignores the words of her sister then excused herself from the dinner table. She fled towards her bed chamber, away from everyone.

"At let last! I do not wish to fall asleep but when my head is grey and wispy; tis then that I'll fall asleep." Mrs. Hertfield bawls, with a pale hand over her forehead.

A frown dawns over Anna's face, gazing at her mother worriedly.

"Mother, why do you speak in such a sorrowful manner? Do you not that it evokes inordinate emotions of anxiety!" Anna sighes shaking her head.

"She has not only concocted a fantastical trepidation of improving her mannerisms but has once again failed to impress my fine palate of etiquette." Emmah broods.

David nods for he knew tis the truth.

"At this rate. Dana will not be married; I am so glad that I am pretty." Anna spoke with much pride.

This irritated her father. Nothing makes his stomach bitter than someone who was full of pride.

"Do not let me bridle that tongue of yours then take you down from that high and pompous pedestal -"

A firm knock on the door cuts off David before he could give his daughter a good scolding.

A servant went over to the door and opens it to see a young man; standing on the doorstep.

One they do not recognize but Anna has already taken delight in him. He was tall, so joyous in his deportment; fiercely handsome, so physically well developed. He made no impression of incompletes of maimed or stunted nature.

His gaily blue eyes sparks with interest awaiting someone at the table to see him.

Mrs. Hertfield was the first to depart from the table to entreat the young stranger. He removes his hat and greeted her with a smile so bright; heaven must have come down for a mere second.

Anna fidgets a little, wondering if her hair was tidy.

Mr. Hertfield was watching the scene unfold from the corner of his eye.

"Good day Mrs. Hertfield. I am truly sorry to have intrude upon your private gathering. I am here to make an acquaintance with -"

"Me!" Anna jumps up before the lad could finish speaking.

He drew his eyes away from her uneasily and Mr. Hertfield stared at her devastatingly; he was clearly taken aback by her vulgar outburst. The air was heavy and her legs bid her to sit and she did. Anna's face flushes brightly.

"Please forgive my daughter for such an unladylike interruption." Mrs. Hertfield says.

"Take no thought of it madam. I am here to see Dana." he informs her which came as a sudden shock to everyone in the room.

She laughs nervously, "Ahah. You must have been mistaken young man; are you sure you do not seek Anna?"

He shakes his head, once again putting Mrs. Hertfield's heart in a panic more harder than the first.

"Please do come in. The snow has started to fall so heavily." she inspected and she let him inside.

She allowed him to sit at the table. Anna could not keep her thirsty eyes off the gentleman which would make him scuffle uncomfortably ever so often.

"I am Othelio DuMont. I am here to speak with Dana." he spoke again more clearly.

"But I can assure Mr. DuMont," Mrs. Hertfield added, "That my daughter Anna is well versed -"

"Oh! For Christ sake Emmah. He requests to speak with Dana." Mr. Hertfield interrupted his wife's annoying pursuit.

She could not come to the term that such a fine young man wants to speak with Dana and not Anna.

Mrs. Hertfield wished that an attractive man as he would take interest in Anna since she was more groomed.

"Send for Dana." he says impatiently and his wife rolls her eyes.

After a few minutes, Dana enters and when she made eye contact with Mr. DuMont; she blushed scarlet. She certainly did not expect to see him here in the presence of her family.

Anna did not hold back from throwing daggers at her sister with burning eyes.

Dana took a seat opposite to him, she has gone from witty to profoundly shy. He could not help seeing that she was even more prettier closer up than ever before.

Anna prayed that she would spill gravy over herself again then Mr. DuMont will see how terrible and pathetic she is. They were both fine young ladies not deficient in good humor towards daily conversation whenever they chose but there was something special about Dana that drew him to her.

Her beauty hides innocence. He undoubtedly felt an attraction to her. Evidence of this stems from the heat that crawls up his neck and face whenever she smiles to the unexpected jolt of his heart when their eyes meet.

Mr. Hertfield could sense this between them and he was very pleased to see the chemistry. His wife on the other hand could not bare it.

Mr. DuMont shared with the family how he met Dana and her mother was in no wise happy about their little encounter.

Emmah whispers to her husband, "Surely Mr. Hertfield, you can win over Othelio so he can marry Anna. Dana is certainly not fit for the role of wife."

Othelio caught Dana's flailing hand, kissed it softly and gaze into her eyes without ushering words. She got flustered, trying desperately to hide her reddish painted cheeks but was unsuccessful at the attempt.

"Mr. DuMont, you cannot do such thing at the dinner table." Dana spoke, alarmed that it might anger her parents but only Anna seem to be perturbed.

"Let them be my dear, he has taken interest in Dana; the faster she marries tis the better for us. One less mouth to feed." Mr. Hertfield deduced with a wry smile.

His wife scoffed at his stale joke.

"I dare say, you are a very stubborn man; have some mercy on my nerves." Emmah perused taking note of how affectionate the young couples were.

Her heart aches to behold them; especially for Anna who looks as if she wanted to run away from the table.

Mr. DuMont was a good looking man with a pleasant countenance and exceedingly good manners unlike Dana, she thought that Anna would be a much better pairing than she.

The ongoing conversation has been carried on in a cheery mood of imaginative minds; whether poets or artists. They also would discover profound truths in jesting; apparently without distinguishing which has value.

Dana was very happy being with Mr. DuMont; her smile full of mirth and warmth. She took joy in his company.

Anna tried to get Othelios' attention by foreshadowing hints of seduction but it fell on Stony grounds for he gave his attention to Dana only. Never has she ever felt so much jealousy towards her sister; Mr. DuMont would have been a perfect match for her.

"One of my favorite poet would quote these lines," mr. DuMont begins, "At let last. I do not wish to fall asleep but when my head is grey and wispy; tis then that I'll fall asleep."

Mrs. Hertfield gasp to her surprise at the sudden change of conversation but not only that; her favorite poet twas the same as he.

"Your lips seem compelled to give word madame." Mr. DuMont observed.

"You are correct for I am almost breathless to hear you use those words. He is my favorite poet as well." said she.

Anna could not understand what they spoke of. A poet. An unknown poet; of which origin?

"I deem that you are a very sensible woman madame; you have a brilliant mind to have even recognize it; such beauty in fine arts of literature has long been buried." Mr. DuMont says lifting himself from the chair.

The time has come for him to depart. Dana stealthy follows him towards the door with saddened eyes; it breaks her heart to see him leave.

Mrs. Hertfield followed suit with something panging in her heart at Othelios' words.

"My kind sir. I must disagree with you on that matter of the poet; his words are no more in a cold grave or I most assuredly would not have remembered it."

His eyes widen, very much intrigued at her intelligent commentary which beckons him to answer.

They both looked at each other and somehow spoke in unison to everyone's astonishment.

"Your eyes close then open; close then open. The moon will rise to bring it's old lantern so then may you live as I liveth. When I hear the sound of your voice; it is then I find sound judgment .....At let last. I do not wish to fall asleep but when my head is gray and wispy; tis then that I'll fall asleep."

Everyone stared in disbelief as they both said those words both at the same time.

"Shakespeare." Mrs. Hertfield says and he and she burst into laughter.

They knew they had both read the same book before it got taken out of all libraries. Surely; that was an amazing encounter.

"I have arrived at the conclusion that Mr. DuMont will be the only man for my Dana."

"I am very flattered Madame." he pulls Dana into his strong hold and she buries her face into the crook of his neck.

Anna shrieks, "Mother!"

"Don't mother me!" Mrs. Hertfield snaps, "you know what I mean.

Othelio says his farewell, lays one more kiss upon Dana's cheek before departing.