FicWad

The first time I actually met Riley, was in December of nineteen fourty-four. I was walking alone in the town square, when he introduced himself. His charming personality and good looks buried the darkness you felt when you were near him. "Oh, hello sir" I stumbled, I'd only ever seen him once, through a window, and felt embarrassed to talk to him in the open, "My name is Danielle Davis." This made him grin, in a manner that just didn't seem right. "I know who you are, Miss Davis, and I want you to know, I think your beautiful."
I was shocked. The only man who'd ever said that to me was William, and I was going to marry him, a stranger, someone you don't know, shouldn't say things like that to you, much less in the public eye. "Thank you, Mr. Pierce, but I do find that, a bit, inapropriate."
"I did not mean to be rude, Miss, I simply wanted to acknowledge the fact, besides, it would be much less of an awkward situation if you agreed to meet with me again."
This shocked me even further, I had no idea what to say or do, I wished my father, or even a sister, were here. "Mr. Pierce, I'm sorry to have to inform you that I am engaged to be married, and so it would be very inapropriate for me to meet with you." I had said it too fast and he could tell I was flustered.
"Miss Davis, your quite right, which is why we should have lunch right now"
I still don't know why I did, but I agreed, he didn't need to use any form of magic on me, I just went.

I sat at the table, listening t him order for me. I felt ashamed, hoping no one would think I was playing around while Will was at war. What would they think? The third Davis girl, leaving her brave war hero for a wealthy mystery man? The embarrassment. It was then I swore he could read my mind, because that is the topic he chose to start with. "Worried they'll tell old Will about this? I can see it now, 'Miss Davis runs off with a charismatically handsome stranger', shall we give them a bit of scandal?" He found this hilarious and started to chuckle, "Ah, I suppose not, nothing to stain your great families reputation."
"No, sir, nothing to stain my families reputation, or my own"
He looked at me, strangely, almost like he was satisfied with me being upset.
"Your father" he began, "is quite well known around these parts, is he not?"
I nodded. Daddy was a lawyer, and he had lived here since he was born, but had moved to London when he started working, he moved home after he and Mama had Eliza.
"He is supposed to be the best lawyer around" he mused, "Would you agree?"
"As his daughter, yes, I would, do you know much more about him, Mr Pierce?"
"Born in 1890 to Mr Paul and Elizabeth Davis, he moved to London after obtaining his degree from cambridge university, he met your mother there, who, at the time was working as a nurse."
I was dumbfounded. How could he know so much about my father? It was eerie.
"But Danielle, I would love to hear about the rest of your family. Your mother, Evelyn, isn't it? Is said to be very beautiful.
I nodded. "Mama is beautiful, even now, after four children. She was indeed a nurse, and she met Daddy when he came to see a friend in hospital. A few months later they were married. I have two older sisters, Eliza and Charlotte, and a younger sister, Georgiana."
He motioned for me to continue.
"Eliza, married three years ago, and has a daughter, Charlotte is not married, but had hoped to marry a man she met a while ago, unfortunately he died in the war," I cringed at the memory of telling Charlotte about Charles, she cried on end for days and wouldn't leave the house for weeks. It was horrid. "But she is looking forward to finding some one, and then Georgiana is thinking about becoming a nurse, like Mama."
"And you?"
"I am getting married to the bravest man in the county"
"Please, Miss Davis, we've only just met"
I looked at him.
"Oh, Danielle, I'm just playing, that man of yours must be brave to out up with your sense of humor."
"William Carter, is my fiance's name."
"Ah a Carter, I see, marrying into another one of the miniature royal families you have here?"
I knew what he was referring to. The five families that have lived here for generations, and founded the town itself. The Davis's, the Carter's, the Smith's and the Vincent's. People would refer to us as the royal families as a derogatory term.
"I don't appreciate that, Mr. Pierce"
"Of course not, Miss Davis, it was simply a reference to this small little town you live in. Besides, you shouldn't take notice of idle gossip and little rumors started those who want to be you."I blushed. I couldn't help but be embarrassed by his word's cruel then kind, it was hard to keep up. "But, my dear, I have one question for you, why William?"
I was gladly interrupted by the arrival of our food; It smelt delicious, but Riley seemed to find the smell repulsive, and just crinkled his nose and pushed it away. He motioned for me to eat. I paused and looked up to see him still waiting for my answer.
"He's been there for me my whole life. I love him."
Riley just looked at me and smiled.