A Lady unlike any other (four hoydens #1)

Chapter 8

THE CAMDEN BALL– PART 3

After a while, Theo and Rosalyn walked into the ballroom.

It was chaos. Sheer madness.

"Isn't that Ralph?" Lord Fortescue asked her, pointing to a corner of the ballroom.

"Yes," Rosalyn gasped. And in front of Ralph was Lady Petal? On her knees. Proposing to him?

Ralph's face was a deep shade of purple. A mix of embarrassment and confusion. Rosalyn almost pitied him. But not quite. This was so much fun. Besides, he was grown man and he could handle the advances of a young lady.

On the dance floor, a couple was waltzing most scandalously. The orchestra wasn't even playing!

People were hooting and colliding with each other.

But there was so much going on that Rosalyn couldn't even absorb everything she saw.

She saw Lord Borough pour lemonade on his alleged mistress's neck and lean in...

But Lord Fortescue suddenly turned her away.

"Damnit all to hell! I haven't even seen men behaving like this at White's," he muttered, still trying to steer her to a safe zone.

"I'm sorry about my language. And I'm sorry you had to see all that," he said to her.

"Oh don't worry on my account. I'm quite enjoying myself," she grinned.

He just chuckled.

Rosalyn looked at his unbearably perfect face. His eyes crinkling, his dimples deepening.

"Look, your friends are there," he said, pointing to them.

As they approached them, the girls saw them too.

"Where were you, Rosa? We were worried sick," Sarah scolded her.

"You were the ones that deserted me," she grumbled.

"We thought you were with Ralph. And then we see Ralph alone," Vanessa explained.

"Are you alright?" Alice asked, eyeing Lord Fortescue suspiciously.

"I'm fine," she laughed.

"I haven't dishonoured your friend, Lady Alice, if that's what you're asking," Lord Fortescue said.

"Of course not, my Lord," Alice smiled sheepishly.

After a few minutes of making inane conversation as if they weren't standing in the middle of what appeared to be hell, Lord Fortescue excused himself.

"It was lovely meeting you, Ladies," he said with a bow and disappeared into the crowd.

But not before he gave a secret smile to Rosalyn.

"Well well well, what have we here," Vanessa smirked after he was gone.

"Oh stuff it, he's just a friend," Rosalyn said.

Just then, a piece of pastry went flying over their heads and landed on Lady Townshend's elaborate coiffure.

"And that was for stealing my fiancé from me," Lady Bentley laughed victoriously.

"That was twenty years ago, you witch!" Lady Brown was screeching her displeasure.

"I believe you are responsible for this?" Rosalyn asked, her eyes narrowing on Alice.

"Arranging for Lady Townshend to steal Lord Townshend from Lady Bentley?" Alice asked with raised brows.

Rosalyn just stared at her.

"Hey! We haven't had so much fun at a ball since forever," she justified.

"Agreed. I'm only displeased that you went about this without me," Rosalyn huffed.

"I'm sorry," Alice said, not looking sorry at all.

"Where's Ralph, I wonder," Sarah commented.

"I think I just saw Lady Petal propose to him," Rosa said nonchalantly.

"You mean that nitwit, buxom Lady Petal?" Alice asked, eyes wide.

"Alice! That's rude. But yes, the very one."

"No!" went Alice, Sarah and Vanessa in unison.

"I don't think he'll accept, if that's what you're worried about," Rosa shrugged.

And then Ralph appeared there out of nowhere, as if they'd conjured him up.

"We are leaving," he said.

"Now," he added, looking over his shoulder.

On their way out, he barked out commands.

"Alice and Rosalyn are coming in my carriage. Sarah and Vanessa are taking the other one."

The girls knew better than to argue with him. Ralph rarely got angry, but when he did, nobody dared to cross him.

He was silent during the entire carriage ride and that scared Alice and Rosalyn.

"Which one of you was responsible for what happened today?" He asked once he'd dragged them to his study.

"I am," Alice said, coming forward.

"Rosalyn, get out."

"But Ralph..." she protested, worried about Alice.

"Out!" he roared.

She looked to Alice who just nodded.

Later that night.

"So you confessed the truth?" Rosalyn asked Alice, sitting cross legged on her bed next to Alice who was lying down with an absurd expression on her face.

"Yes."

"Yes? That's it? Tell me everything," Rosa urged.

"There's nothing to tell," Alice sighed.

Rosalyn just kept staring at her face.

"Oh Lord! He asked me what I'd done. I told him that I spiked the lemonade. He asked me not to repeat it again. Are you happy now?" Alice said.

"You were in there for so long, Alice."

"Just go to sleep, Rosalyn. I'm drained. Maybe you can nag me tomorrow?"

"Alright. You can count on it."

Alice was asleep in no time, but Rosalyn lay awake. Thinking about her new friend.