“I’d rather not. ”
“But why not?”
“I do not want to marry him. ” I pushed another door open and stared into a small sitting room.
“Well, he is rather foreign and exotic---“
“No, that is not it. I do not want to marry anyone. ”
“Does this have to do with Lord Byron again? Because, if mother ever found out that you met him, she would have you locked away. She always says he is a devil. ”
“Well,” I conceded, “he was a bit of that. But he told me the loveliest poem though. I wish I could remember it. ”
“You do not want to be a wanton woman. You just want to be a man. ”
“Well, I want to be a woman who lives her life as a man. With no constraints. Being able to do as I please. I do not understand why they can do as they wish and we cannot. Just because we have breasts. . . ”
“And they have that--” May widened her eyes, leaning forward “-you know…they have…”
I screwed up my face in distaste, and we both burst into wild laughter.
Grabbing each other’s hands, we rushed deeper into the castle.
A bit later, May wandered ahead and came across a staircase descending down into the ground. Her face shadowed with fear.
“What is it?”
“It just looks so old, Glynis, so old. ”
“Because it is!” I bounced down the steps quite fearlessly and peered around a heavy door into a long hall. “It is rather dusty down here. I do not think many people have been this way. ”
May was obviously not ready to copy my daring. “Please, Glynis, please come up. I do not like the look of it. ”
But I was quite curious and insisted, “Come on down, May. Please come down. ”
My sister looked frightened. “If they have not restored that area of the castle, it could be quite dangerous, Glynis. ”
“I shall hold your hand, May. Please come on. Let us have an adventure. There are no monsters or ghosts here. Just cobwebs and excitement. ”
May frowned when I mentioned ghosts, but she took a deep breath and hurried down to me. Clasping my hand, she looked at me quite adoringly. I realized in that moment she would do anything I asked of her because she truly did love me despite how hurtful I could be at times. I impulsively kissed her cheek, and she bestowed a lovely smile on me.
“I promise, May, this is going to be fun. ”
Torches threw light upon us, keeping us from being swallowed by shadows as May looked at me fearfully. This area of the castle was very dark, extremely dirty, and a cold draft flowed freely down the length of the corridor. May clutched my hand tightly as we gazed up at ornate statues of long lost warriors and saints.
“It is rather like a chapel. Or the entrance to one,” May decided.
“Are they not beautiful, May?” I declared.
“They frighten me,” May answered.
“Everything frightens you. ”
We both stopped and gazed up at the statue of man who looked remarkably like the Prince. The expression on the roughly hewed statue was that of arrogance and cruelty.
For the first time since last night, I began to feel uneasy and a little frightened. Holding May’s hand tight, I began to walk down the dusty passageway toward enormous doors. I pressed them open and another staircase lay below us, leading deeper into this wing of the castle. Deep shadows covered the stairs, dark and menacing, as though a piece of the night was hiding from the sun.
“No, Glynis, we cannot. I do not want to go down there,” May whispered.