Free Shades of Neverland by Carey Corp Page A

things the pirates had yet in store for her…
     

      Peter’s eyes popped open and blinked rapidly to dispel his nightmare.
    He’d been dreaming horrible dreams. Profoundly disturbed, he’d stayed up most of the night dissecting the ball over and over in an effort to figure out how the evening had gone so terribly wrong. In retrospect, his sentiments had seemed an embarrassment to Wendy. Not only did she not return his feelings, but also, as her good aunt explained, she had come in hopes of encountering another. Had she only danced with him out of charity? The thought that she would be ashamed of him had never crossed his mind. That is until Wendy fled and her most apologetic aunt had had the decency to explain the way of things.
    “My good Sir,” the Grand Dame had said, as she halted him from going after the girl of his dreams. “I feel I must apologize. My niece has an unusual sense of propriety and is easily offended.”
    Peter, while concerned as to Wendy’s flight, scoffed at this. “Surely, I am not the cause of any offense.” It is humiliating to have to confess that this conceit of Peter was one of his most fascinating qualities.
    “By no means…” the good matriarch replied. “However, tongues do tend to wag. Sometimes, sentiments are better handled in private, do you not agree?”
    Peter took her to mean that he should have escorted Wendy to the garden before trying for a kiss, and that this breach of propriety alone had been the source of Wendy’s mortification. “Of course. I should go apologize.”
    Quick as a cobra strike the old woman placed a deterring hand on Peter’s arm. “Perhaps it would be better if I speak with her. For I am confident if anyone can make her see sense, it is I.”
    He was ever so grateful Wendy’s good aunt had come along as chaperone. With her to champion his cause, Peter felt sure his beloved would be persuaded to hear him out. Feeling nothing more than mild agitation, he paced the foyer, awaiting Aunt Mildred and Wendy’s return.
    The unfortunate boy had no way of discerning that he had placed his faith in the most deceitful of champions. Aunt Mildred, it must be said, did follow her niece outside. And that is where her pursuit ended. Under the guise of taking air, she tarried and happened to overhear the most fortuitous of conversations between the theatre company’s director and its producer regarding an invitation to perform in New York and a shortage of funding. To ensure the troupe’s swift departure to America, the Grand Dame pledged a most sizeable donation in exchange for a guarantee of anonymity.
    After an appropriate length of time, Aunt Mildred reentered the ball to find Peter. She claimed Wendy had made to her a startling confession (which she would only recount to Peter after much coaxing).
    “It seems my niece is an ambitious girl. She’s informed me that her sights are set on a most eligible young banker and it would not do for gossip to undermine her careful plotting. Why she only agreed to attend the ball in hopes of encountering the young gentleman. As he was not here, not even my urging could convince her to stay. She has asked me to implore you to respect her wishes by never speaking to her again.”
    Peter could hardly believe the enraptured theatre patron, his Wendy, regarded another above him. When they danced, he’d felt assured that her heart mirrored his own in sentiment. However, if his love wanted him to leave her alone, then he would attempt to comply and never see her again.
    It was actually a relief when Mr. Frohman’s big announcement came with such fortunate timing. Thanks to a very generous donation, he was taking the entire company to America to present The Three Musketeers on the New York stage.
    They would leave in two weeks time on the Lusitania. For the heartbroken Peter, it would not be soon enough. Therefore, he volunteered to go over early with Mr. Frohman and Mr. Boucicault. They would leave in three days for