A Prior Engagement Read Online Free Page A

wisdom this place long held. She exhaled, reveling in the release of the tension she carried with her these days.
    There weren’t many people here to see the exhibit, which allowed Everleigh the chance to examine each book without interference. At one point her heart raced as the connection to her life began feeling too heavy to face on a seemingly nice day. The ugly truth was the books were locked away in the display case, secure from the world, but still on display for everyone to see and inspect. She shifted realizing the books mimicked her own life more than she liked.
    Often told how beautiful, poised, and lucky she was, Everleigh would trade it all for a life outside the confines of her fated existence. She would be nothing more than someone’s prized wife and only allowed to be a shadow of what she once was. Her heart slowed as she looked up from the books and gulped down any hope that had previously existed this morning when she tried to spread her wings by coming here.
    Fifteen minutes later, she had already analyzed the five books in Homer’s Iliad in the glass case before she moved to the next lot, not noticing someone next to her until she bumped right into him. Looking up, she apologized, but was surprised by the encounter. “Hello again,” she said, keeping her voice respectful of the environment.
    William looked at her, his attention to the books forgotten, and he smiled. “Hello again, yourself.”
    Even with the pause between them lengthening, neither one spoke too soon. They glanced to the books in front of them and then to the ones in front of the other. “After you,” he said, swinging his arm in front of his body. William took a step backward allowing her to cross in front of him.
    “Why thank you, kind sir.” She giggled. Wanting to talk to him, but not sure what to say, she kept her eyes on the books, and whispered, “It’s a great collection.” Taking another step to her left, further away from him, she continued to view the books and break her connection with him.
    His mind went into overdrive trying to come up with any reason to keep her there or to justify him moving along with her, but she knew he’d already seen the books she hadn’t and vice versa. He shrugged. “Yeah, it’s great.”
    Without his knowledge, she stole one last peek at him before moving to her left again.
    By the time she finished viewing the collection of ancient poems, she looked around to see where he was, but found he had already gone. Leaving the library content in her mission, but confused by her lingering thoughts of him, she was reminded once again that she had no friends with her same interests. She did have friends, lots of friends and even more acquaintances. But her friends were of society, had finished their schooling, were married off, and had entered the committee game. They were busy chairing this committee or that committee, registering future children on the most premiere of preschool lists, and planning futures full of private Pilates lessons and cooking classes that would never be utilized beyond the lesson.
    Everleigh knew her fate had been mapped out long before she even comprehended she had other options, and sadly, had accepted her reality.
    She always felt her English degree would allow her to excuse her escape into books with dreams of one day working in publishing. She dreamed of discovering a hidden gem of a writer who somehow slipped through the fingers of major players in the industry.
    But these were dreams she had during the daytime hours. She reserved her nighttime hours for the fantasies of the books she relied on for comfort—knights in shining armor, angst-ridden heroes who found their soul mates and the forbidden love that withstood all else in the end—even death. She never spoke of these dreams to anyone. Especially not Tom, who because of his privileged upbringing, believed his love was the ultimate gift.
    She rolled her eyes thinking of his arrogance then brushed it off,