The Ruby Necklace

Lady Sybil is a lady of high birth and is still unmarried. As she turns down all the suitors that her Father finds for her, she soon realises that time is running out and she must marry fast.

Lady Sybil stared at her reflection in her tea, watching as a wave of ripples distorted her oval face. “What do you think of that, Sybil”? Her Fathers voice awakened her from her day dream. She looked up at him and smiled sheepishly.

“I didn’t quite catch that, Father. May you repeat that again”? Her Father rolled his eyes.

“Do listen next time. Lord Kenneth was asking if you would like to be taken around his manor. Tomorrow sounds good”.

Sybil looked at the other man at the table. He was quite handsome, she had to admit, but profusely annoying. Lord Kenneth was the third suitor that her Father had tried to match her with, as she had turned down the other two months before.

Sybil looked again at her tea, probably cold by now, and thought what she was going to do. She knew she had to accept the invitation, but how every bone in her body refused her to.

“That sounds lovely. Of course I’d love to come” she said, hoping Lord Kenneth or her Father couldn’t see how fraudulent smile was.

 

Sybil watched as the blonde haired Lord stepped into the carriage and as a footman closed the door for him.

“Goodbye Lord Kenneth”, her Father called.

“Goodbye Lord Cromwell, Lady Sybil”, Lord Kenneth waved.

 

“Wasn’t he a darling”? Lord Cromwell stepped into the sitting room. Sybil looked up from the book she was reading.

“Who was? Lord Kenneth”?

Hearing the conversation, Sybil’s Mother entered the room. “Oh, do tell” she said, a smile beamed across her face.

“He was rather annoying; don’t you think?” Sybil said.

“Sybil”! her father shouted. “Don’t you like any man I find for you? He’s very kind, and he’s rich too”.

 

“Yes. Very kind if you say so. But he wouldn’t stop talking about his estate. He just bragged the whole time about how great his estate was. He’s one of the proudest men I’ve ever come across”.

 

Sybil’s mother took a seat on the armchair directly across from Sybil. “Was he really that bad”? she asked, as she tucked a blond curl behind her ear.

 

“Yes Mother. He was terrible”.

 

“Fine then Sybil. You obviously are not going to marry him with this behaviour. But you are going to visit him tomorrow like we planned”.

 

Sybil sighed and stared back down at her book. She certainly wasn’t looking forward to meeting her unwanted suitor again.  

A few weeks had passed since Sybil’s visit with Lord Kenneth, and she was in the local department store, gazing at a fine pair of gloves on the shelf before her. She looked down at the gloves she was wearing; they were burgundy with lace patterning and was finished with silver studs embedded in the knuckle area. She then looked back to the pair sitting on the shelf. They were turquoise, and had been sewn with gold thread. They were made from the finest silk and had a strap of the most beautiful lace for around her wrist.  She knew she had plenty more gloves at home and it wasn’t necessary for her to buy new ones. But the temptation was too strong for her and she snatched the gloves off the shelf and walked to the counter to make her purchase.

Sybil took a breath of fresh air when she exited the shop. She always had hated how stuffy large shops could get. She looked down at her shoes, as she had always loved how they sparkled when she walked.

“Watch where you’re going, Lady, we don’t want to have a collision now, do we”? came a smooth, low voice.

 

Sybil’s head shot up, and she gave a startled look at the man before her. Her eye’s darted around his body, trying to take in every feature. And he was very handsome indeed. His dark hair had been styled and his beard had been cropped tidy. His jacket was tight to his body, showing how sleek and muscly he was. His dark eyes were the most beautiful pair of eyes that Sibyl had ever seen.

 

“Sorry sir. How silly of me; not watching where I’m going. Very sorry to have troubled you”, Sybil said, feeling her face go red as she stepped out of the way.

 

“Don’t be sorry dear. I’m sure anyone with shoes like yours would never stop staring at them” he smiled.

 

Sybil let a breath escape. She was surprised that he had noticed what she was looking at. She once again felt embarrassed.

Sensing that Sybil was uncomfortable, the man began to speak again. “And what may be your name, young Lady”?

 

Sybil tried to compose herself before she spoke.  “I am Lady Sybil Cromwell, and you are….”

 

“I am Lord Bradley Carson, and I find myself late for an appointment. Hopefully we will meet again, Lady Sybil”.

 

“I do too. Goodbye, Lord Bradley”, Sybil waved as the handsome man walked off. 

 

Sybil entered her house and glided towards the sitting room. Her Mother was playing a tune on the piano and did not notice her smiling daughter.

“Mother, excuse me, but do listen” Sybil said. Her Mother stopped playing and looked up at her daughter.

“Ahh, Sybil”

 

“You will not believe what happened today”, Sybil said as she sat down on one of the armchairs. “I was walking out from the department store and I met a man. Oh, he was so handsome and so kind!”

 

“Really? You met someone? What is his name? Pray tell”!

 

“He is Lord Bradley. And oh how handsome he is” Sybil beamed.

 

“Well you must meet him again, and get to know him properly. There is a town Ball coming up soon, in a few weeks. Will he be there”? Her mother asked.

 

“I do hope so. We will just have to wait and see”.

 

 

The weeks past very quickly for Sybil, as she found herself in her room, getting dressed by her maid, for the Ball.

“What do you think will match your outfit, Lady Sybil? Your diamond necklace or your emerald one”? her maid, Judith, asked.

 

Sybil stared at the necklaces on the table in front of her, then she looked at her reflection in the mirror. She wore a turquoise dress with lace trimmings and red straps, which matched her newly purchased turquoise gloves. Her blonde hair had curls that fell at her ears and was done in an intricate bun on the top of her head. Her green eyes stood out of her make-up and sparkled in the light.

“I’m not sure any of those match, Judith. Do I have a ruby necklace? Do look”.

Judith searched through the box, but then looked up at Sybil.

“I’m sorry, Lady Sybil, but you have no rubies” her eyes freightendly darted away to avoid eye contact.

“That’s okay, dear. I will have the diamond one instead”.

 

Sybil sat in her chair and watched as many people filed in through the doors. She had been at the Ball for almost half an hour and Lord Bradley still hadn’t arrived. She sighed glumly and accepted the fact that Lord Bradley wasn’t going to come to the Ball.

 

“Hello young Lady” came a low voice. Sybil looked up at a tall, muscular man with reddish blonde hair. “I am Lord Fergus Harrison”

 

“I am Lady Sybil Cromwell” Sybil smiled. They both paused for a second as the music conductor motioned for the first song.

 

“May I have this dance”, Fergus said as he held out his hand.

Sybil thought once more of Bradley, but then quickly dismissed the thought and took Fergus’ hand.

  

Author's Note

Please review this as I need all the help I can get! I am only starting with writing so this will have plenty of mistakes that you guys can help me with:) Tell me everything about this (the good and the bad) as I need to learn from my mistakes. tell me about my characters and the story line. Tell me if you found ant boring parts and if I can expand my vocabulary.

Reviews

[Dawn Dreamer]

Please continue this! I see a couple of punctuation mistakes and a few parts that could be sparked up a little but other than that it really captured my attention and I'd love to read more!