Eyes on Youprologueby Rinoa e-mail: rinaheart@yahoo.com
	At eighteen, suave, rich and handsome Darien Wakefield is bored
with the world.  The women in his class are all corrupt money grubing
mongrels, who's eyeing him as a wolf would on a prize sheep, but in 
his case, he was more of the wolf than the sheep.  
	He only found a base form of satisfaction in his conquest 
of women and managing his wealth.  He handled them both with the same
efficiency and cunning.  But it was all a game to him.
	The Season is begining once more and he dreaded it's approach,
he grimaced, thinking of all the new debutants with their mama's, 
fresh out of the schoolroom.  Soon, he thought with cynicism and
jadedness that marked his character, they'd all be as corrupt as theentire ton.
	The only thing that seemed fresh in the world for him is his
roses, which bloomed in amazing proportions under his care.  It was
said that he looked at his roses with more care and tenderness than
a woman, even in bed. 
	Now in the solace of his garden, he found something akin to
peace, the garden was his sanctuary, his roses the only thread that
linked him to any emotion.  They were all a song to him, a symphony.
The red harmonizing with the whites, creating a blushing pink,  and
a subtle hint of yellow accompanying the heavy creams with a touch
of orange at it's tips.  
	"Your grace?" the polite voice of his butler, inquired.	
	"Yes?" he replied quite testily.		"Tea is ready"	
	He looked at his watch, and it was indeed time for tea, as 
always, time seems to stop in his garden, yet it had an ability
to continue in the real world.
	"Have the gardener come to me promtly after tea, I need to
have a word with him about the flowers."
	Without another glance, the butler watched his master, strode
off his garden, the sad quiet eyes of the old man spoked volumes
on what he saw and thought of Darien the man, so different from
the young boy he once new.  At least his love of roses never 
changed, the butler thought, maybe there would still be hope out there.
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	"Papa, tell me, do you think someone out there will love
me as much as Romeo loved Juliet?" a sweet voice of a thirteen
year old inquired, invading the silence of the small cozy cottage.
	"Thrice as much princess, and I promise you that unlike Juliet
you would live happily ever after." Jason said, and there was
a tenderness in his voice as he ruffled his daughter's unruly
mop of blonde curls.
	He watched his daughter's sweet sigh, and said forlornly, "I 
don't know Papa, I'm not as pretty as Juliet probably been"
	True, Jason conceded, Serena has a rather coltish figure, all
arms and legs, no figure to speak off, but with her clear blue eyes
and heavy mass of glistening blond hair, she was a beauty in the
making and decided to tell her just as much.
	"You are the exact image of your mother at your age, and 
look how she turned out" he said gesturing to the small portrait
of a breath taking woman with the palest blond hair imaginable,
the artist captured her beauty and serenity, but there was so
much love reflected in the woman's eyes, that his heart lurchedpainfully.
	His daughter, sensing his pain, immediately abandond the huge
book she was reading and kneeled at his father's side, taking his
huge hands in her own, 	"I love her too, more so each day.  You painted her so 
wonderfully" she said, her voice soft and quiet, matching her father'smood.
	"Someday, I will paint your portrait, and men will fall inlove
with it" Jason promised again.  The materials needed cost so much
these days, and it is more important to have something on the table,
than imortalizing his daugther's beloved face.
	"I wish grandfather didn't disown you, why couldn't he understand
that you and Mama were ment to be together?" Serena asked puzzled,
knowing well of their poverty and the reason for it.
	"Your grandfather is a very stubborn man, he never married 
your grandmother for love, so I doubt if he would understand how I
felt about your mother." Jason explained, he was never hid the truth
from his daughter, he would never let her lead a life based on a
lie, and he wanted his daughter to marry for the right reason.  To 
make the mood lighter, he continued,		
	"Do you regret not being called Lady Serena?" he teased, and
was happy when his daughter replied,
	"Just as much as you regret being called Lord Jason."
	With that, he stood up pulling his daughter infront of himand bowed smoothly,	
	"Well then, Lady Serena, may I have the pleasure of dining 
with you tonight?" his voice was urbane and highly sophisticated.
	"Certainly, my lord" she said in her most cultured voice, 
falling into a gracefull curtsy.  Jason offered his arm and escorted
her to the their small meager table, and again their home rang
with the sound of laughter and radiated with love.
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That's it folks, for now.  
P.S this fanfic is inspired by Judith McNaught's Something Wonderful
Standard disclaimers apply!