"May I have the first dance? I would be honoured."
Anne turned to Weston, her curious eyes searching for his approval. Weston nodded and threw her a full smile. She let Marcus take her hand in his and lead her into the middle of the hall.
"He is a very fine man." Weston heard his mother say behind him, causing him to almost jump out of his skin.
"Pray, you cannot approach me so stealthily, mother." Weston sighed.
"What do you think of her?" Beatrice continued, ignoring her son's warning. She'd gestured towards a young maiden in the brightest blue gown in the hall, chatting with a few more ladies.
"Who is that?" Weston asked as though he was interested.
"Lady Helena Waters. Her father is the Duke of Thornewood. Pleasant on the eyes, is she not?"
Weston shrugged. "I suppose."
"She holds a lot of power at court, Weston. You and her together would be an unstoppable match."
Weston nodded. "I'll think about it, mother."
Of course, he wouldn't. From afar, he couldn't be less impressed by Lady Helena. He couldn't be less impressed by everything and anything at this ball. He'd become immune to the wonders, the pomp and pageantry of events like this.
His eyes turned to the middle of the court one more time. Anne and Marcus were still together, gently swaying to the addictive quartet. For a minute, he imagined them to be Eliza and him instead, having their first dance on the very same court. He remembered meeting her for the first time in a satin green gown, one that had brought out the magnificence in her eyes. He remembered the chills he felt through his body when Eliza had put her hand in his for the first time. Now, everything around him was just a hollow reminder of the joy he once had in his life. He'd managed to steel his heart over the past six years. He could do the same for this one night. As Anne and Marcus continued to dance through the night, Weston wondered if anyone would be able to pull him from his reverie. If anyone would be able to shine a light into his wounded heart and fill the hole Eliza had left in him.
His eyes took another sweep of the court one more time and landed on Lady Helena Waters. She was no longer talking toher friends. Instead, she was looking right back at him. Weston judged she'd been doing that for quite a while.
Helena slightly bowed from where she stood, a bright smile on her face. He returned the smile and gave her a slight nod as well.
This was going to be quite a long night.
Chapter Three
Outside the Willowbrook Manor, Juliet stood with her family, gently fanning herself as they waited for their respectful carriages. While the sun had disappeared entirely from the sky, the dresses they all had on still managed to put them in a lot of heat, Juliet especially. She was donned in a bright blue gown that dragged on the dirt as she walked. Her face was completely covered with a mask that had been designed by the dressmaker a few days back after Aunt Grace told her about the Masquerade Ball. The mask had slight adornment of roses on all sides, and to a point, she looked immensely ridiculous.
"I can't believe you're wearing this to the ball." Lord Peter sighed, taking another look at his daughter. He was making no effort to hide his dissatisfaction. "You might as well decide to only go to the ball in your inner wear."
Juliet said nothing. Angering her father as they waited for their carriages to arrive had never been a good idea. She'd seen it first-hand when he'd thrown a fit because one of his partners wouldn't let him have some share in a certain farmhouse. Her father could get really cross if he wanted to, and whenever he did, no one could do anything about it.
"It's the dress I wanted." She decided to say instead.
"Well, if your plan is to make sure all the men tonight stay away from you, I would say you're off to a good start." Adam sneered from the other side. Juliet turned to look at him, a devilish expression on her face. One he fortunately couldn't see due to the mask she had on. As usual, he had Camilla by his side. She was dressed in a simple green frock and had her hair done up by her maids. Her gloved hand had slipped into Adam's arm, and she'd leaned into him just as she did at the dining table.
"I know why I'm going to the ball, but why are you going?" She asked, still staring at Adam. "You already have Camilla. Why do you need to be there?"
A slight pause ensued between them as she watched Adam struggle to find his words.
"I'm going because Father's going." Adam replied, his voice hazy and lower.
"Father is going as my chaperone. Are you doing the same for Camilla as well?" Juliet asked, a smile creeping up her face.
Adam's face grew red. "What are you implying, Juliet?"
"Well, to each their own. Endeavouring to revive one’s marriage is not always a misguided notion. At times, one simply requires the right individual to facilitate such a revival."
"Father? Did you hear her?!" Adam yelled, turning to look at Lord Peter.
"Stop angering your brother, Juliet." Peter said, looking ahead. A cloud of dust was slowly approaching them, and infront of the cloud were two carriages bearing the insignia of the Willowbrook Manor.
"Well, the carriages are here. Now you can keep your mouth to yourself as you ride with Lord Peter." Camilla said, a hateful expression on her face. Juliet smiled again, grateful they couldn't see her face.
