CHAPTER THREE #3
His tall, lean figure that stood in front of her captivated her in ways she was surprised by.
He had this irrefutable charm and striking countenance that weakened her in the knees.
His strong jawline and broad shoulders were accentuated by the distinguished velvet evening coat he wore.
His dark brown mane covered every corner of his head that it should, gleaming in the light of the candle.
His features were so perfectly proportioned that Emily fancied he had been fashioned on a day of leisure when the artisans were at their finest.
Emily held her breath. The duke was certainly a vision of delight.
She could only imagine how much the mothers of the ton wished he could be their son-in-law.
The young ladies of the ton would fall over themselves for his attention, no doubt.
For some reason, she didn’t think His Grace to be a man who’d enjoy such attention.
Suddenly, an unbecoming thought entered her mind and rather than shoo it away, she nursed it.
Her eyes darted to his arm, noticing how the fabric of his coat stretched against his upper arm.
She imagined her arm on it, and wondered what life might be like to have her arm on the arm of a such a gentleman as the duke.
Certainly, that would silence those judgmental ladies of the ton for good.
Lady Worthington and Lady Bennett, together with their daughters, would contrive some frivolous gossip about her, snorting and sniggering in their corners.
Yet, she was well aware that, beneath their mirth, they would undoubtedly be lamenting the lack of opportunity for their own daughters to enjoy such esteemed access to the duke.
Emily was tempted to smile. The thought pleased her indeed. But the savoury moments of it were soon snatched away by reality and she felt a drop in her chest, shame washing over her.
There was no way her imagination could ever come into fruition.
Not with the reputation she currently had.
The duke probably didn’t remember her name or her family until this moment.
There was no point daydreaming when to her, he’d never see her as anything other than what society already deemed her.
No one would see her as anything more than a scandalous spinster.
By the time she got out of her reverie, His Grace was already speaking to her brother about politics or something of the sort. The dowager duchess had been joined by Lady Martin, and they were conversing about social gossip.
She cast her gaze elsewhere, silently wondering how much longer until Charlotte revealed herself. At least, that afforded something else to think about.
“The estate is doing much better now, and I’m just thrilled that all the hard work put in is finally paying off,” her brother, Richard, said to the duke, who offered kind words about how resilient Richard was.
Marcus was delighted that he wasn’t engaged in some baseless conversation with some blithering gentleman.
He had learned in the last few minutes that Richard Clifton was indeed great company to have.
The man was intelligent and spoke confidently.
But still, he found himself wishing he could think up an excuse to escape to one quiet corner of the ballroom where he could see everyone, but they would not be able to see him.
Especially not the excited young ladies and their mothers who had kept stealing glances at him like he was a forbidden fruit.
Too sweet to touch and eat, but too sweet to ignore entirely.
He groaned internally.
Thankfully, it wasn’t as bad as he had anticipated. Surely, he had to engage in conversation with others as he couldn’t keep Lord Clifton to himself. His mother had gone off to join some ladies and he occasionally spotted her here and there.
It was going to be a long night.
In spite of how he felt, the ballroom was alive with the soft hum of conversation and music; one could feel the anticipation that hung in the air, all on expectation for Charlotte’s grand entrance.
His eyes roamed the arena, seeking anything of interest other than the hunting topic that was being discussed amongst the men he stood with.
His eyes found Lady Emily and he narrowed his gaze at her. She was speaking to one of the ladies, smiling as she spoke. He watched as she moved towards the grand staircase, stopping at the foot of it. Her palms smoothened over her gown, and she glanced at the top of the stairs.
She was completely oblivious to him, and for some reason, he couldn’t stop staring at her.
While waiting for Charlotte’s entrance, Emily felt a swell in her heart, one mixed with pride and nostalgia.
In a matter of moments, Charlotte would make her debut into society.
Years ago, at this very spot, she had stood during her own debut.
It was a bittersweet memory now. Emily sighed.
It was pointless dwelling on it now. She was here for Charlotte.
“Well, you sure make a phenomenal hostess.”
The familiar voice pulled Emily’s attention and she inclined her head to the right to see her friend, Miss Louisa Everton, approaching her with her mother in tow. A bright smile crossed Emily’s face.
“Louisa!” she chirped, embracing her friend once they were close enough.
A comforting sense of warmth enveloped Emily, dousing the anxiety in her chest. Louisa’s presence always did that to her, and she was ever grateful for it.
Louisa and Emily had been friends since childhood. Like Emily, she was a spinster as well, slightly older in her late twenties. Emily always considered herself blessed to have a kind-hearted friend like Louisa.
Louisa chuckled, wrapping her arms around her friend briefly.
“Lady Everton.” Emily acknowledged the older woman in their midst with a curtsey. She had always been intrigued by how much Louisa resembled her mother. Lady Everton was no doubt a perfect image of what Louisa would look like when she was older; she was the spitting image of her mother.
Over the years, as they grew into adulthood, Emily and Louisa’s friendship deepened as they bonded over their shared experiences. They had supported each other through one disappointment after the other, and their seemingly inability to meet society’s expectations.
“Emily, dear, you have done a wonderful job tonight, I must say,” Lady Everton expressed, with a smile that reached her eyes. “Everything looks rather tasteful.”
“You should host balls more often,” Louisa chipped in.
Emily smiled her gratitude. “You both are too kind to me with your words. Thank you.” Her smile widened as she glanced around briefly, pride spreading within her chest. “Although, I cannot take all the praise. Richard was a great deal of help, and he wanted this ball to be nothing short of spectacular.”
“Then, I’m sure he must be proud too,” Louisa said.
“I would like to think he is. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have had such a wide smile all evening,” Emily replied.
The three women chuckled.
Suddenly, all the chattering and music stopped at once, and the room fell silent. Emily’s gaze followed the intrigued eyes of the guests and halted at the top of the staircase, watching as Charlotte appeared at the top in her pink gown looking ever so delightful.
For a moment, Emily could sense her cousin’s nervousness, standing as the object of every single person’s attention.
Charlotte’s eyes scanned the ballroom, a knot tightening in her stomach.
As soon as her eyes met Emily’s, she felt that knot loosen slowly and a gentle smile crept up her face, mirroring Emily’s.
She had been prepared for tonight and with Emily and Richard present, she knew she had nothing to worry for.
After the moment passed, Richard came to stand next to her, offering her his hand.
Emily’s gaze trained on them as she watched her cousin’s descent.
Soft music had started playing again and hushed whispers moved about the room.
A lump formed in Emily’s throat, and she held her breath.
She knew how important this was for Charlotte.
It was her official entrance into society.
She knew, despite the smile on her cousin’s face, and the awestricken looks on some of the young men, that it would take more than beauty to secure a good match.
Everything had to work out perfectly. Charlotte couldn’t end up like her.
“Charlotte looks absolutely ravishing, dear friend,” Louisa leaned in to whisper, her gaze not faltering from the star of the evening.
“You really outdid yourself, Em. The girl is more than lucky to have you. I assume she must no doubt be nervous. But seeing you here will offer her the comfort she needs. Well done.”
Emily’s genuine smile could not be mistaken. “Thank you, Louisa.”
With Charlotte present now, the ball was set to begin in earnest. She made her way to the dance floor with Richard, ready to take her first dance. Silently, she prayed she would not forget any steps or trip over Richard’s toe.
“Breathe, my dear,” Richard told her, his voice soothing. “You’re doing wonderful so far.”
“Thank you. I’m really a ball of nerves inside, but your words are most appreciated,” Charlotte said.