Midnight Hotel

I ran down a corridor following the misty laughter of night. The stockings I had pinned were itching and the powdered wig my mother insisted on me wearing was, well, quite ugly. Moonlight spilled into the empty hall as my chest heaved. I had my back pressed against the large oak door waiting to get a hint of what my father and his advisors were talking about.

I could feel the small mouche my governess Elsie had stuck just above my lip sliding down. Oh if only my mother could see me now. I thought wickedly. I heard the stuffy voice of sir Pennington drifting through the crack.

"But Lord Devonshire, if we go through with the proceedings, we could lose everything we have earned." There was silence on my father's side.

"To be frank Pennington, I'm not concerned with all of that...those...things. I'm very much so worried about my daughter Maria." my breath caught in my throat. Me? What did I do? I blushed imagining my father discussing my well being in front of his male audience.

"She is at the very tender age of seventeen and still hasn't found or captured the eye of a young man. All of my other daughters are wed or even bearing children."

"But Maria remains." I heard a sour voice concur. I shivered. The voice belonged to Edward Halsey, the courtier six years my senior who's had his beady eye on me since I was still a child.

There was only a crackle of the fireplace after this comment.

"Can we afford a ball? A grand one?" my father asked. Excitement built in my chest. A ball? I adored fancy gatherings. I clasped my hands to my breast just imagining the soft lighting, the dripping pearls from necks of duchesses...and the dance floor...
Yes, a ball would be where I would find a benefactor. Someone to help my family's ailments.
Maybe he'd even be handsome. I thought bustling to my quarters.
♥♥♥
It was to be a costume ball, the grandest London would ever see my father commented over breakfast one morning.

"I even invited many, young men, very wealthy and desired young men." he said, a glint in his aging eye. I swatted at him pretending to be curt.

"I don't care for wealth, or desire." I said sticking my nose in the air. I cared for love.
♥♥♥
The night of the ball Elsie made me bathe in scalding water until felt as if my skin would just melt right off. She was a tornado of movement gathering my petticoat, stockings, feathers, dress, mask and heavens knew what else.

Finally sitting beside the tub, she pulled out a wooden comb and began to yank at my tresses. I twisted my mouth in pain. Her wrinkled jaw was set.

"Oh Madmoiselle Devonshire I am so..."

"Joyous?" I offered when she was looking for the word.

"Ah Oui!" she piped in her thick French accent. She hit a particularly knotted tendril that made me grip the sides of the tub in pain. She lowered her voice though it was only us in the room. "I have also heard that the young master Bill Kaulitz and his brother Tom are to attend, all the way From Germany!" she clapped going back to pulling at my scalp. I cupped water in my hands and rubbed it on my face.

"Who?" I asked tapping the water and creating small ripples. Elsie sighed.

"KAU-LITZ. Their father is one of the wealthiest landowners in Germany. Oh you should have HEARD of the scandalous rumours about those two." she shook her head. "But I must admit, their faces are quite handsome." she was done combing and now pulled out a boarshair brush and started to scrub my back forcefully.

"They're musicians." she said gritting her teeth and scrubbing. I gasped.

"Father would NEVER let me court a musician." or would he...
Elsie leaned over looking me in the eye.

"A pair of the wealthiest musicians in Europe? I would suppose he didn't mind!"
♥♥♥
My mother clucked at me one last time begging me to fawn and preen for her overcritical eye. Elsie stood by, her capped head down. If there was ever a quandary with my dress or grooming, Elsie would fall under the blame.

"Oh Maria, you have such rough skin." my mother snapped yanking on the bustline of my powder blue silk dress. I was to go to the party as a cloud. How silly. I thought gazing at my complexion in the gold rimmed mirror. My mother was dressed as the sun and my small sister Geneva was to be the moon.

"Oh mother why must I wear this mask, it irritates my face." I asked looking again into the mirror. My pale skin was clothed in the most fashionable of dresses. It sloped at the waist and rounded at the hips giving maximum room for my balloonlike petticoat. I wore cascading pearls about my neck that just dared to graze the top of my breasts. But atop my head was where the horror began. My mother had ordered an intricate powdered wig with little doves and bluebirds that perched in the nooks.
'Oh the young Marie Antoinette is wearing it!' she insisted speaking to me in front of the stylist a week ago. I obligingly agreed and now had this monstrosity clasped to my scalp.

As my mother stormed out complaining about the looseness of my bustier, Elsie came over pulling the strings on it so I could no longer breathe.

"I apologize Cherie." she crooned. "Your mother is very disagreeable." I nodded not able to answer. Elsie pinched colour into my cheeks and patted perfume onto my wrists and neck.
I heard the murmur of voices downstairs. The guests were arriving.

Butterflies flew in my stomach and my heart rattled like a bead in a jar. A maid knocked and peeked in the room.

"Mistress Devonshire? Your guests await and your father wishes to present you."
♥♥♥
I took my fathers arm making sure my mask didn't hang crooked and that my gloves fit properly. Looking down at the devastatingly long staircase, I could see everyone look up at me.

"Presenting Lord Devonshire and Mistress Devonshire." we were introduced and all eyes were on us. When we reached the foot of the stairs my father bowed and I curtsied.

"Welcome everyone, we hope you are having the most agreeable of times." my father said gaily. I was introduced by my father to Lords and Ladies, Dukes and Duchesses and soon I was quite bored.

The grand hall was decked in gold, the chandelier twinkling bright and a quartet softly strummed in an unknown corner. My stomach growled as I realized that we wouldn't be eating for some time now.

While my father entertained his guests with my presence, I looked around my eyes landing on two young men. One had long black hair that was tied at the nape of his neck. He wore white breeches and a white waistcoat. His body was slender, like a womans as he sipped on a drink. Next to him stood another man with long BROWN hair that was tethered back as well. He wore black breeches and a black waistcoat as opposed to his partner's white ensemble. Their masks matched their outfits. And to my embarrassment, the one all in black looked at me strangely. I averted my eyes, appreciative he didn't know who I was under my mask.

Out of the corner of my eye, I could see them starting towards my party of four. They were flanked by two others in black. My heart thrummed. As they came closer.

"Ah! William and Thomas Kaulitz! What a Pleasure!" my father boasted. The two men joined our circle. I looked up shyly curtsying low before them. When I rose, the one in white took my gloved hand and pressed it to his lips, his eyes never leaving mine.

"My companions call me Bill." he said when my father's back was turned. So these were the wealthy brothers...next, his brother merely bowed. Well wasn't he the charmer?

"Call me what you like, I shall answer." he said winking. Oh! The audacity! How very rude! I already disliked him. I flipped open my fan.

"I am Maria. Maria Devonshire." I said stately. The two that followed came foreword bowing before me.

"I am Georg Listing." one with brown hair offered. The blonde one shyly looked down.

"And I am Gustav. Schafer." he added. My heart warmed. He was so frightened and meek.

"It has been an immense pleasure meeting you but-" I was cut off by the quartet entering into a minuet. One by one, the dance floor became couples of two. Georg and Gustav were whisked away, Bill bowing out to speak business with an aging man. Tom and I remained.

I tried not to frown as he bowed yet again.

"May I have the honour?" he asked coming back to eye level. His brown eyes shone behind his plain mask. My mother danced behind him with my father giving me a disapproving look.

I gazed back at Tom.

"I would love to." I choked out. He gladly put a hand on my waist and I a hand on his broad shoulder. We whirled around the dancefloor.

"Mistress Devonshire, I feel as if I have displeased you in some way." he commented smiling down at me his lips twitching in amusement. I could feel my grip tighten on his shoulder as our hands were pressed upright together.

"No Sir Kaulitz, what could ever possess you to think that?" I asked as he twirled me.

"You refuse to look me in the eye, your posture is slack and we have been engaging in the same rotation of movements for the past few minutes." I felt heat rush to my cheeks as I stepped clumsily on his shoe.

"You insult my dancing." I stated as we rapidly went through the movements. He nodded.

"I did." I shook with anger. I couldn't Harbour my dislike any longer.

"Sir Kaulitz you are one of the most arrogant, ignorant, rude men I have ever had the displeasure of meeting." I hissed. Greatly thankful for the end of the dance, I stormed off, leaving him gaping in my wake.

Embarrassed and hurt, I stood off by myself observing the happy couples waltzing on the floor. I fixed my mask so no one could witness the tears rolling down my cheeks. My mother would have a fit if she saw me. I thought holding a handkerchief to my nose.

The blonde man, Gustav came over to me, standing awkwardly.

"Mistress Devonshire, I noticed you are..." I sniffed, regaining composure. "In a situation. But, your father has asked me and my friends to play a ditty for you and your guests." I nodded absently looking out on the floor at Tom and his new beautiful partner, the Lady Welsh. "Did you have any requests?" Gustav asked timidly.

"Surprise me." I answered kindly. He walked away gathering his associates and disappearing into the musical area. Before Tom broke away from his partner, he discreetly patted her bottom. I covered my mouth.

The nerve! Anger bubbled in my bosom as I watched Bill stand before his brother and close friends. Tom sat at the pianoforte, Gustav held bells and Georg wielded a lute. I came foreword to get a better look.

The brute Tom played such a beautiful instrument? Preposterous. Candles burned low as Bill began to sing. All of my guests hushed to listen closely.

"Your hand above, like a dove, over me.
Remember to me you shall be forever sacred."

The quartet played together harmoniously. I was secretly pleased and enjoyed the selection. This was a new sort of music and I was intrigued. When it was over, my heart ached for more, but they were finished.

My gusts clapped generously assembling for the next dance. But I didnt want to dance. I longed to hear more. My father accompanied me by my side.

"I see you and master Thomas have taken a liking to eachother." I narrowed my eyes as I watched Tom chat amiably with my female guests.

"No father, I..." jealousy plagued me. I felt rather Ill. "excuse me." I pardoned gathering my skirts and fleeing to the outer chambers.

The thick summers night covered everything in a haze as I entered the gardens and fell to a marble bench. I was still embarrassed, and a bit bruised from my encounter. I tore my gloves off balling them up and throwing them in the small creek by my feet.

I cried openly realizing that this was only one of many disappointing encounters. I sobbed, my face still strapped to the mask. Hearing soft footfalls behind me, I ceased crying and turned around.

"Who goes there?" I asked shakily. Standing upright I followed the sound coming face to face with Tom in the darkness. I stifled a scream. The pool of the moon spilled drunkenly over the fountain as my light so I could see him better.

"You shouldnt be wandering Around in the darkness Mistress Devonshire." he chided. I balled my bare fists. How unladylike.

"You followed me out here!"

"I followed your weeping." he pointed out softly. He removed his mask, revealing his chiseled face.

"You still followed me nevertheless and you have no right to order me around when you were...were..." I grasped for the word.

"Following you." he answered seriously. I pressed my lips into a tight line.

"I absolutely LOATHE you Thomas Kaulitz. You are despicable and unruly!" I frothed. I jabbed a finger to his chest. "And furthermore, you degrade women, and-" he cut me off by untying my mask and letting it slide off my face. I grappled with it.

"You are so much more beautiful without that hideous mask on." he commented. I locked my jaw and turned on my heel. But he pulled me back by the wrist causing the mask to slip from my fingers. His face was perfection under the gossamer starlight. I looked up at him fearlessly.

"You don't frighten me." I declared snidely. He wrapped an arm around my waist laying his forehead against mine.

"You shouldn't fear me." I struggled to get away.

"I'll scream!" I threatened. He moved his lips closer to mine so that there was only a shared breath between us.

"What would everyone say If they discovered the sweet and innocent Maria Devonshire entangled with the Naughty yet dashing Thomas Kaulitz?" he whispered. I swallowed realizing that he was right. He was the devil, I thought weakly. Sent to tempt me.
I closed my eyes letting him kiss me.

His kiss was like the brush of a butterfly's wing at first and then as if he'd never see me again. That was truly the kiss of a musician. Tender, yet full of doubt. I leaned into him, as crickets chirped and lightning bugs danced.

We heard someone call his name. His brother and friends burst from the bushes taking in the scene. They spoke to him in German and urged him to follow not once speaking to me. They strode away to a waiting carriage, Tom let me go taking my ungloved hand and pressing my palm to his lips softly.

"Auf Wiedersehen Frau Devonshire." He baded mischeviously disappearing into the night. "I shall see you again very soon." he called over his shoulder.

My heart trembled beneath my breast as I picked up the mangled mask that he had dropped behind him.

Yes. I was in love with Sir Thomas Kaulitz.