Gilbert lay with his body inside the tub, filled with warm water by the attendants. Around him the cold was slowly beginning to envelop the room. A few attendants surrounded him, and that made him happy, not being alone, it gave him an added sense of security. The attendants stood around him, washing every single part of his body with perfumed soap and as well the man's long ash red hair, which was, together with the water, greased with perfumed oils.
His body was then wrapped in a white towel and dressed by the men who, concentrated on their relevant task, took care to select new and well-made clothes for the lord. They placed him in front of a large wooden mirror and made him climb onto a low four-legged chestnut wood bench. They began to dress him, starting from the underwear up to the white shirt and the caramel brown jacket. The high black leather boots that had been placed on his feet had been glazed with grease and the white felt gloves covered his hands.
The white wig was placed on his red hair and it was then, after half an hour of uninterrupted personal care that the general was finally ready to leave his room. He did not feel exactly comfortable in those clothes, and it was not even his custom to wear such elegant and decidedly uncomfortable clothes.
Man was in fact an island of just over 83,000 inhabitants, which compared to the large population of Great Britain made the island a small town in comparison. For this reason, the family of the Viscounts of Man, his family, was forced to dress elegantly but certainly not as much as the royal etiquette required.
The general knew by now that it would be impossible to meet the young baron but he believed that, as usual, most of the guests had kept busy in the common room. So it was then that Gilbert decided to go directly to the great hall of the castle, also known as the "common room". The man knew the common room well: it was a huge room with the finest tapestry where, usually in the evening, the scions of the noblest families used to entertain themselves and communicate in a rather informal way.
The general was lucky since the common room was in the middle between the East and the West part of the castle, and thus directly a corridor beyond his room. He imagined the day when he would have a real official room inside the East part of the castle, dedicated solely to members of the royal family. Gilbert imagined that he could not share a room with his future bride, at least not when their encounters were not designed for the procreation of a royal lineage. He knew how his cruel fate had ruined him once again and he knew well that a future of long lonely nights awaited him.
He soon found himself in front of the huge cherry wood door which, closed, hid the beauty of the common room. A sweet piano sonata, a gentle press of the fingers on the keys, a sweet melody could be heard from behind the door. Gilbert loved that magnificent sound, even though he had never experienced such a feeling, in his heart he seemed attracted by the agility and melody that seemed to come out of that instrument.
He had never properly learned to play the piano, even if it had always been a burning desire of him, blurred by the often absence of his father. He didn't know if he wanted to open the door, find out more or want to leave that melodic and heavenly sound as a mysterious and abstract presence. Curiosity overcame him in a short time and it was not difficult, guided by the curiosity, to push the heavy wooden door. When the act was completed, nothing could make man rethink his decision. The huge room stood out with its vivid colours under the gaze of the man.
The large walls were covered with a fine wallpaper of a dark green tone and covered with well-designed roses in pastel pink and sometimes creamy white. He had already been there once, the night before, but at that time, surprisingly, Gilbert had found it completely empty of every person. This time the environment had changed slightly, as the large room was occupied by three people: two of them were the Dustin twins. The third person was not his acquaintance but in the eyes of the general she seemed to have a common grace and delicacy that only a noble could have.
The third person was in fact a girl, with long bright red hair whose top was partially tied with a white ribbon. He didn't know what was so particular about her, he didn't even know why but something of her particularly attracted Gilbert. It was not the beautiful and regular profile of the young woman, it was not the size of her regular breast, no, it was something deeper, more intense. The general, not wanting to disturb or create problems, took a seat on the reddish felt armchair directly next to one of the twins.
It was the first time that the two had found inner peace and lay as if hypnotised in absolute silence, keeping their gaze directed towards the girl.
-She plays in a truly sublime way ... -Gilbert naively let escape from his lips as a whisper -Tell me, do you know who she is? Do you happen to know her name? -.
William promptly nodded his head and brought his lips to Gilbert's ear whispering.
-We know her well, her name is Abigail Dallas, Duchess of Northern Ireland, our maternal cousin-. Gilbert kept silent, understanding that the play was coming to its end. Hearing how the speed and sweetness of the notes played were reaching a common slowness and melancholy. The young duchess continued to turn her back on the three men for the moment, almost coldly, until her nimble fingers had finished quickly traversing the keys of the instrument.
It was then when the song ended that the calm stillness that had once been created quickly replaced a swollen applause and finally caught Abigail's attention. In fact, when she turned to give her cousins the most beautiful of her sweet bows she noticed the presence of a third person, and her cheerful and innocent smile changed into an expression of amazement. She had never seen that man before and it was even unknown to him what social rank he had or what role he played in the complicated aristocratic society.
-I am really sorry not to have noticed your presence, I was so busy playing ... - the young duchess apologised lowering her face and taking her hands one inside the other -I am also sorry to admit that I am not even aware of your name, my lord ... -.
Gilbert put a sincere smile on his face and got up from the comfortable armchair. -My mistake for not having introduced myself before- the general admitted lowering his body in a bow -my name is Gilbert Stanley, Viscount of the Isle of Man and general of the British army-.
The cheeks of the young duchess of Ireland were filled with a graceful blush and through some little intuition that the man possessed, he was able to understand that that blush was not only created by embarrassment. The young woman looked away and with her nimble fingers placed a tuft of long red hair close to her right ear, she smiled. -I am pleased to meet you, my lord, really very pleased ... -came out of Abigail's lips.
Gilbert looked into her green eyes and realised that something was happening inside her. Apparently they had known each other for a few minutes, and in their past they had never heard of each other. In any case, a certain perplexity and sadness seemed to protrude in the young woman's eyes. Was it possible that all that mask of happiness was just a cover for a pain it carried within her?
-My cousins have already talked to me several times about you- admitted the young woman taking a quick glance at the Dustin twins- they told me how much courage you had in fighting the war in Wales and about your future marriage, with the young princess Isabelle-. Gilbert nodded slowly and looked down, almost pulled by a curiosity and a will stronger than himself.
-I imagine you are here at the castle for a very specific reason too, my lady?- the man added continuing to keep his gaze down. Abigail slowly nodded and that shadow of sadness seemed to have again appeared, despite her trying to act in a somewhat normal way. -I will soon marry the baron of the North, Juniper Whiteblossom, cousin of Princess Isabelle-.
Gilbert withdrew a smile on his face and looked up for a moment meeting the green eyes of the girl -I suppose then we could call ourselves cousins too ... -.
Abigail smiled at him, secretly wiping the tears from her eyes.
-I suppose it was due to us then-.
William and Dickon Dustin at the same time had silently managed to leave the room, while always trying to keep their gaze fixed on their cousin. They wanted to be able, as they used to do, to tell everything that happened to people to whom certain things were unknown.