"I never wanted you..." protests her weakly.
Val says, "Liar. Why deny your heart's desire?"
"I'm engaged to another man."
"You are mine. No use resisting it," says Val before kissing her again.
Valentino always takes what he wanted. He is an Ame...
Val waited and waited. She said she loved him. Would go anywhere with him. But she never came. It's almost time for departure. The ship is going to sail away. Why she hasn't come yet? Where is she?
A messenger has brought him a letter. From his sweetheart.
The letter wasn't signed. No name was written as the sender. But Val knew it was from his lover.
Her father was right as usual. Women. They only wanted his money. Not him as a person.
Val says to the messenger, "Tell her, I would forget her. Go and marry anyone she likes." The servant bows slightly.
Val boards the ship. He is 20 years old this year. The future awaits him in a foreign land.
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*****
Vanessa Hoyt has no brother or sister. Her mom has died few years back. Her father is a general. Well known for his bravery in battlefields. He is a busy man. So he usually left her in her nanny's care.
General Hoyt has an important meeting in London. Today he has brought her with him. They are staying in a luxurious hotel "Finnegan" right now. It's located just outskirts of London.
Vanessa is lonely. She is playing in the lobby. Waiting for her father to come home from a meeting downtown.
Another girl is playing alone in the lobby too. Her dark hairs and big brown eyes. She looks like a foreign kid, probably from India.
Vanessa greets her, "Hello! Would you like to play with me? It's boring to play alone." The girl looks shocked. Vanessa asks, "Play? Speak English?" "Yes, of course. My father is Marquees Arlington."
The girl speaks English in the right accent despite her foreign complexion.
"You don't look like an English kid," says Vanessa. Her nanny hushes her immediately.
It's kind of a rude statement. But the girl doesn't look offended at all. She says, "My name is Jasmine Jelena. My mom is from India." "Oh, I see. No wonder you look a bit different."
As usual Vanessa speaks whatever in her mind bluntly. The girls start to play for a while.
"Nessie!" yells another girl. Sarah Burton just arrives in the lobby. Her family would be staying here for a fortnight. Their manor got termite problems.
Vanessa is thrilled to see her best friend has come here. They met in a birthday party once. And they have become closest friends since that day.
Vanessa introduces, "This is Jasmine Jelena. She's a daughter of Marquess Arlington. And she is Sarah Burton, a daughter of Baron Galahad."
The girls play together that day. They promise to play again tomorrow too. Vanessa is 12 years old, Sarah is 14 years old and Jasmine is 11 years old.
*****
Two years later at Christmas time. In Finnegan hotel lobby...
"We finally meet again!" yells Vanessa while hugging her friend, Sarah Burton. "I'm here too..." says Jasmine. "I know! Isn't it great! We finally back together!" says Vanessa.
Sarah's chaperone coughs while staring to her. Sarah quickly says, "Nessie, lower your voice a bit. Everyone is staring at us."
Vanessa puts a hand to her mouth. She has a bad habit of talking too loud if she's excited. Jasmine says, "Let's talk in my room. My mom has gone out shopping right now." "Okay..."
The girls talk a lot about their past experiences. Jasmine talks a lot about India. The hot weather, the exotic cuisines and about her new colorful sari (Indian dress) that her mom bought for her last month.
Sarah tells them about her home at the end of England, near borderline with highland. About the loud sound of bagpipes. And the highland men who wear kilts and nothing else.
And of course naturally the conversation topic got changed into boys.
Jasmine asks, "So, have you finally meet your fiancee yet?" Sarah shakes her head. She has been engaged to a Duke since she was only right years old. But she never meet him in person.
The Duke is always busy. Sarah is 16 years old now. Next year she would have her debut. Her first season.
Jasmine sighs. She says, "Wish I would have my debut soon. All those fancy dresses. Dancing all night long."
Vanessa says, "I don't care about boys. I just want to travel to Europe. Father says he would take me in one of his trips when I got older."
Sarah smiles widely. She says, "Travelling? I wanna travel too. If only I had the money..." Vanessa claps her hands. She says, "I got an idea. We should save money. And one day we would travel together."
Sarah nods. She says, "I wanna go to Italy." Vanessa says, "I wanna go to India." "France is where we should go, ladies," adds Jasmine.
The girls are daydreaming about their future. And foreign places they would go when they grow up.
Vanessa says, "Let's make a promise. That we will travel together one day." "Yes," says Jasmine calmly. She might look like a foreigner. But she has the perfect manners of a noblewoman.
Sarah says, "To Italy." Vanessa adds, "And to India and France." Jasmine says, "Amen."
The girls hug each others before they continue their talks about other things.
