AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I’m afraid I have no new dresses,” Bridget observed, “but I suppose we shall find something appropriate in my wardrobe.”
“Appropriate is not god enough. No, no,” Sarah corrected tenderly. “My two newest dresses have arrived just this morning, and I shall be happy to give you one of them to wear tonight, whichever one you’d like.”
“Oh, sweet Sarah, that is too much. I can’t ask that of you.”
“You can, and you will,” Sarah insisted. “Now, follow me. There is not a moment to lose!”
With those words, Sarah flew out of the room, leaving Bridget alone, but Bridget was not the least bit concerned about navigating her way around Fernside Manor. The first days of her blindness were spent in bumping the edges of tables, bumping into doors and walls, and turning before it was time to turn. Now, she had gotten used to the silent whispers of the house. She could hear where a draft was coming from. She could recognize which window was open before she even got close to it. The house had become her friend, her ally, keeping her safe and sound. She wondered how she would manage in a new place.
“Bridget! Are you coming?” Sarah shouted from outside in the corridor which echoed with the enthusiasm in her voice.
“Coming!” Bridget smiled.
Quickly, fear was overcome by the thrill of finally embarking on an adventure. Indeed, it was only a ball. To many, it was an ordinary affair, but to Bridget, whose heart felt as if it were about to burst out of her chest, this was the beginning of something new, something unexperienced, and something that promised perhaps a life she could never have imagined for herself before.
Chapter 2
The Duke of Sculthorpe felt like he was wearing a noose instead of a cravat. It was too constricting, too tight, and it was choking him.
He knew it was all in his mind, though. As he watched the gathering of lords and ladies, Joseph wished he had whisky. He felt empty, devoid of the drink that he usually had on a night like this where he indulged in a vice that was of particular liking to him. Joseph liked to watch women, especially beautiful women. That in itself was no crime, and it made such occasions as attending balls less tiresome.
He had lost his mother somewhere in the crowd, but he knew that blessing would not last long. He had promised her exactly three hours. Three hours of torture, listening to ambitious mothers endeavoring to lure him into courtship of their daughters. The thought disgusted him more than anything else he could imagine. Marriage was not for him. He would rather die than have an heir that would prolong his despicable line. His father’s bloodline would end with him.
“Darling, youdoremember Lady Allencourt and her daughter, Olivia?”
Joseph was brought back to the present moment with his hand still devoid of any hard liquor, only to see the overly zealous face of his mother, standing next to the aforementioned Lady Allencourt. The woman smiled politely at him, but it was her daughter, Olivia, who could not take her eyes off of him.
Joseph knew that he had such effect on women. The rotter that he was, he did not refrain from using it to his advantage when the situation called for it. He did not fail to notice how Olivia’s lips parted the moment he took her hand into his own and planted a reverent kiss on it as demanded of him by societal rules.
She stared at his broad shoulders, neatly packaged into a perfectly fitting suit. Her eyes darted down to his long legs, drinking in his tall, almost provocative elegance. His arm moved with ease as he released her hand from his. A slightly pained affectation appeared on her face as if she immediately regretted the lack of their physical contact.
“Ladies,” he greeted them both, gracing them with one of his most charming smiles, “it is such a pleasure to see you again. You both look ravishing, I must say.”
Olivia’s cheeks immediately blushed the most crimson of reds. Joseph smiled with thoughtless grace, always aware of the effect he had on young ladies, especially the ones as inexperienced as young Olivia. She seemed thrilled to be there, unlike him. And also, unlike him, she was more than eager to do her mother’s bidding which appeared to be charming him with her beauty but not so much her conversational skills.
He had yet to endure the torture of being here and actually talking to the women his mother would bring before him. Saying it was torture was an understatement, but he promised. Next time, he would be careful what promises he gave.
“Always the charmer,” Lady Allencourt giggled in an annoying note, and Joseph chose to ignore the sound. Somewhere behind her, he noticed the refreshments table. He would give Lady Allencourt the chance to speak for exactly three minutes after which he would excuse himself and get a much-needed drink. He had not been here half an hour, and already, he’d had enough.
The conversation steered in the direction of marriage as it always did. That was what made these events even more loathsome. These balls were not organized for the purposes a ball should be organized: to enjoy oneself and have fun. No. They were organized so that young ladies could blush and giggle while the gentlemen took their pick of the ones that blushed the sweetest or the ones that had the most fertile looking hips. Speaking of which, Olivia was not in the lead, but, fortunately for her, he was not on the market for a wife, nor would he ever be. His mother just hadn’t accepted it yet.
“… plays the piano wonderfully… speaks French like a true Frenchwoman… embroidery… knitting… horseback riding…”
Joseph tried not to listen to Lady Allencourt list all the splendid traits her wonderful daughter seemed to be in possession of. What none of the three women seemed to realize was that those words fell on barren soil, one where they would give no fruit.
“… don’t you think so, My Lord?”
Joseph looked at Lady Allencourt then at his mother. Usually, she did not have all those lines on her forehead. She would hide them well with soft powder. But now, not even the powder helped. She was frustrated, and he knew that he was the cause of it.
“I apologize, Lady Allencourt,” he offered her his most dashing smile, which no woman ever fell immune to. “I seem to be rather rude this evening by not being a very good audience, and I beg you to forgive me.”
When he glanced at Olivia, he was certain that all was already forgiven. With her mother commencing to speak again, Joseph was on the verge of asking Olivia to dance, just so he wouldn’t need to listen to her mother’s overly long monologues, but he eventually opted against it. If he did that, he was certain that Olivia would follow him like a loyal puppy all evening, and he would not be able to get rid of her. The last thing he wanted was to show interest in anyone here. He had come merely as a favor to his mother. Fortunately, the first hour would expire soon. Only two more would be left before he was allowed to leave this place.
“Do you hunt?” he suddenly heard Lady Allencourt inquire.
“I’m afraid, I do not,” he admitted. “I see nothing of excitement in running after a creature that has no manner of defending itself against a double-barreled shotgun or a pistol, don’t you think?”
Obviously, he was not expected to say that. His mother shot him a helpless glance. “Lady Allencourt was just telling us about her husband’s passion for hunting, and that he was the reason Olivia here is so good at horseback riding.”
