Reading While Lost

I slowly meander down the hall, the music trailing behind me, like my fingers along the wall. I round a corner, and the music becomes more distant. Along this hall is a double door, one of them slightly ajar. Curious, I look through the crack. I see a sliver of shelves of books. This must be the library. I gently push the door further open. Seeing the room empty, I step in, shutting the door behind me, practically muting the music.

For a moment, I wonder if Isabella has noticed my absence but brush the thought away. Of course, she wouldn't. She'd be too busy dancing with any young man who offered his hand for the next dance. As long as I reappeared before the end of the party, she would never know I'd even slipped away.

I walk over to the shelves I had seen through the crack of the doors and skim the titles with my eyes. I was never really one for parties, especially when dancing was involved. I preferred to chat or read. I rather enjoyed the silence and a nice afternoon spent outdoors reading. Anything to do with reading was much preferred to parties in general.

Parties were Isabella's life. She was pretty, and all the boys flocked to her for her attention, which she enjoyed with her sociable personality. I loved her, but outside of our shared parentage and last name, we were very different. She always dragged me along to parties, insisting that I had to go as I would never meet any men sitting around reading in the house all day. Mother and Father sided with her, concerned that I never got out much.

Thankfully, I was not as popular as Isabella at parties, which allowed me to slip away to find a quiet place or the library to pass the hours away, at least, when Isabella was swept up in the dancing and forgot to attempt to get me to dance.

I stop when my eyes find the title, The Tales of Sir McDuffin. I faintly remember the title from long ago. It was one of the earlier books I read at Uncle Henry's house. I can't remember anything about it, other than it was intended for older children. I reach up and pull it down from the shelf. I open it to the first page and begin reading as I walk over to the armchair by the lamp and sit. Pulling my feet up next to me, I lean back into the chair, settling in. I become lost in the book, brought back only by the loud chimes of the clock, counting the passage of time until I have to leave, so Isabella doesn't know that I slipped away.

"The Tales of Sir McDuffin," a voice muses behind me. "Isn't that book a bit childish for someone your age?"

I jump in surprise, losing my grip on the book, allowing it to go tumbling to the floor.

"My apologies," the voice says, as its owner rounds the chair, bending down to pick up the book. The young man holds the book out to me with an apologetic smile, "I didn't mean to startle you."

"It's alright," I tell him, reaching out to take the book, "It's my fault for not realizing you entered the room."

"I didn't know there was anyone in this room. I thought it was empty when I came in. Then I saw you. You looked so immersed in the book; I was curious to see what you were reading."

"I have a habit of getting lost in books," I tell him.

"'A reader is never lost in a book. We only say they are lost because we cannot follow where they went. They say they were lost because no one has yet come up with a good explanation for just how one can become so focused on a story as to leave this world and enter that of the book without ever actually going anywhere,'" the man says, quoting none other than Gregory Dulsin, one of the most well-known writers of our time.

I tilt my head in surprise, raising an eyebrow. "I take it you also enjoy a good book."

"When I get the chance." He looks at the doors and then back at me. "Might I ask why you're in here reading instead of partaking in the activities of the party?"

"I could ask you the same thing," I reply.

He nods. "Fair enough, but I did ask first."

I shrug. "I've never been much for parties. I'm only here because my sister dragged me along."

"And you were able to slip away unnoticed?"

"Well, when you say it like that, it sounds rather insulting."

He looks down, smiling. "Sorry, I don't mean to offend. I guess I'm just so used to being the perpetual center of attention, the idea of being so unnoticed as to be able to just disappear in the middle of an event such as this is. . . odd."

"Do you mean to say you ran away and are hiding? Should I be concerned that my quiet will be further disturbed?" I ask.

"Yes, and hopefully not. I don't think anyone saw me enter," he says, looking back at the doors. "Perhaps I should lock the doors to be safe." I laugh and he looks back at me, studying me for a moment. "I'm Edward, by the way," he tells me, holding out his hand.

"Diana," I tell him, taking his hand.

Instead of shaking my hand, he raises it to his lips and kisses the back of my hand before releasing it. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Diana," he says.

"Likewise," I reply.

The door suddenly opens and closes again as Isabella enters the room. "Diana, I knew I'd find you if I found the library. Did you really think I wouldn't notice you slipped away?" She scolds, walking towards me. She stops suddenly upon realizing that I'm not alone in the room.

I stand up, placing the book on the stand by the chair. "I was hoping you wouldn't. Isabella, this is Edward, he also happened to slip into the library to get away. Edward, this is Isabella, my sister."

Edward bows his head. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Isabella."

Isabella's eyes flicker between Edward and me. Her eyes stop on me as she points at Edward. "That's-" her eyes turn to Edward, "You're-"

"And this would be why I slipped away," Edward says.

I look between Edward and Isabella, feeling slightly confused. "I'm sorry. I think I missed something."

Isabella points at Edward. "He's the prince," she tells me in an almost breathless voice.

I don't get the chance to react or respond. The door suddenly opens and shuts again. This time, the newcomer is a man, and he stops, pressing his back against the door, as if to keep it shut. He looks straight at Edward. "I don't think I can hold them off much longer."

Edward nods. "I figured it wouldn't be that long." He suddenly looks back at me and holds out a hand. "Would you like to dance with me?"

I blink in surprise. I feel frozen in place. I was so used to going unnoticed at parties, it was odd to be noticed without Isabella pointing that person my way. To just be noticed- by the prince of all people- my mind was failing to process what was happening. Unsure of what else to do, I take his hand. He smiles at me, then leads me towards the door. I look at Isabella as I pass her, and she smiles at me, nodding encouragingly. The man who came in opens the doors and holds them for us.

As we enter the hall, I notice a group of girls crowding together, peering into a door their apparent leader has opened. One notices us and soon they are all watching us approach them. I feel uncomfortable as their envious eyes trail me down the hall as I approach and pass them with Prince Edward.

We enter the ballroom, the group of girls trailing us. The girls still in the ballroom give me an envious look, and the men look at me as if I'm suddenly the only girl in the room. I feel uncomfortable at the sudden attention – was this how Isabella felt at parties? How did she enjoy this? -, but Prince Edward doesn't falter. He leads me to the center of the dance floor, pausing for a second to catch the rhythm of the music before leading me in the dance.

I've never danced so much at a party before. The longer we dance, the less I feel the eyes watching me. Every now and then, another man attempts to cut in, but Prince Edward ignores them, simply leading our steps away from him. When I take a break from dancing he stays by my side, brushing off the passes made by the other women.

We chat and laugh. I lose track of the passage of time. I almost feel as if I've managed to step into the world of a book and become the main character. Times passes, but it doesn't feel like it. I know exactly where I am, but the world feels a thousand miles away, just like when I'm reading.