A Matter Of Heart

Part 6

"So, Son."

"So, Dad," Ethan smirked, "You still smokes that cigar. You said you quitted."

Ethan and his father sat across each other in front of a burning fireplace in his father's study that evening. As a routine, Ethan came to visit his father at his house once a week. The room was actually big enough to hold an intimate function of 20 people, yet despite it was rather grandeur and masculine it was cozy. The room actually had a thermostat that functioned very well, but sometimes his father, as old fashion as he was, preferred the fireplace better. Ethan could not complain, the rain is pouring outside, but the room was warm.

"Don't try to change the topic," barked his father, but his eyes were twinkling. He was very fond of his only child, but sometimes he felt like he wanted to strangle him, he did not grow any younger and he needed his son to get married soon and produce some grandchildren for him. Now that his beloved wife gone, he got lonelier every day. "You promised me that you were going to bring your girlfriend to my 60th birthday."

Ethan chuckled, "But it is still a month to go. No need to hurry."

"And I need to know that you are going to fulfil your promise."

Ethan sighed but nodded.

"Don't tell me that you haven't found her yet."

"Actually, I found this girl...," Ethan trailed.

"Yes?" prompted his father eagerly.

"But, she was very mysterious."

"Aah..., a mysterious girl. Don't play around with me, Son."

"I am serious, Dad. She is the most beautiful girl I have ever encountered, but I don't know how to get her attention, "Ethan chuckled, "I found her many times day-dreaming in a café in the corner of our offices block, even I spent months sitting not far from her in the café, she never noticed."

"Oh, come on, have you lost your capability to make every girl you meet swoon over you, eh Boy? You are known to break girls' hearts. Well, the blame was never on you, those girls just could not help flirting with you."

"Gee, thanks Dad for your faith in me. But this girl is different. She is actually a princess, a daughter of a duke from Slaviana."

"She is what?"

"A princess from Slaviana, a small kingdom near France...."

"I know where it is, I actually know the ambassador, he is a friend of mine," cut his father impatiently, "what is this girl's name?"

"Whoaaa..., hold on Dad. What are you going to do?"

"Find out more about her. You said she was mysterious."

"But, I don't want to frighten her."

His father laughed, "What is she? A scared kitten? Leave the matter to me. I remember I received an invitation for a charity ball from the ambassador the other day. We can go there so you can meet your mysterious princess and woe her."

"Let me check my calendar."

"Don't mind your calendar. It's on Saturday night, wear your best suit, we'll go together."

Ethan chuckled, seeing how eager his father was, "Well, I am excited. But are you sure she is going to be there?"

His father raised one of his brows, "If she is a true princess of Slaviana as you said, she'll be there."

"What is the charity ball about?"

"For museums and libraries in Slaviana. The kingdom is famous with its old museums and libraries, one of the libraries said to be the oldest amongst European kingdoms."

Ethan remembered Anya always had a book with her whenever he saw her in the café, she could be the patron of one of the libraries. A nerd princess. Interesting.

"Ok, I'll go with you to the charity ball, but no hanky-panky Dad, I don't want you to scare the girl, and I don't want you and the ambassador play match-making me with the princess. Let me do this my way."

His father shrugged, "I don't want to play a match-maker. It doesn't suit me."

Ethan was not fooled a bit. In fact, he believed, once he left his father alone, he would start contacting the ambassador and dig deep for information about "the mysterious princess" that his son was interested in. It did not matter his father did not know the name yet, sooner or later he would find out.

"Son, remember, you are the only son of the Earl from one of the oldest earldoms in England, and your mother came from a noble family from Norway. You have blue blood yourself," said his father when Ethan was about to leave.

Ethan grinned mockingly, "Thanks Dad for the enlightenment."