A Daughter's Duty

Chapter Five

     The rest of the meal went the way most meals do, eating, talking, and persistent nudges from Elizabeth each time Charles looked to Cordelia. When it came time for dancing, Cordelia was relieved, she wasn't sure her left arm could take any more prodding from her friend.

     The band was already assembled in the ballroom and playing an elegant waltz. The older couples in attendance began dancing right away, Lord Alfred assuming his usual position in a chair as far from the dance floor as he could be. Cordelia's father had always been a bit of a wallflower at these things, although once in a while he would take up a dance with his daughter. Sometimes, when he was feeling rather courageous, he would invite one of the elderly widows to take a turn about the dancefloor with him. 

     They weren't in the room for very long when Elizabeth was invited to join in on the dancing with one of her brother's friends, leaving Cordelia alone to mingle with guests. She laughed from afar as she saw her friend flirting as she swayed across the room elegantly with her partner. Cordelia turned to see which guests were around her so that she may strike up a conversation, but practically everyone was dancing to the music. As host, she would be expected to dance at least a handful of times, but she wasn't a fan of the fast-paced dances that were growing in popularity nation-wide.

     It was then that she felt a tap on her shoulder from behind, causing her to swivel around. "Lady Cordelia," Charles began, shifting slightly in his stance, "would you do me the honor of being my partner for this next dance?" Cordelia quickly stole a glance at him, scanning her eyes over his impeccable suit. He looked so elegant tonight, his hair that was typically so ruffled and messed was neatly combed, and the stubble that had marked his chin in previous days was shaved smooth. He looked impressive, and Cordelia could feel a slight blush creep to her cheeks from the back of her neck.

     "I would be happy to, thank you Lor-I mean-Charles." He smiled at her, grabbing her hand in his as he leads her to the dance floor. The dance, to Cordelia's relief, was a slow one, and despite her partner's typical clumsiness and awkwardness in day-to-day life, when it came to dancing, he was impressively graceful. 

     "You look beautiful tonight," he whispered, causing her blush to worsen. She looked to him, expecting him to be joking, but his face was kind and serious. 

     "Thank you, you're not looking to bad yourself, Charlie," she made it sound like she was joking but she was serious as well. 

     "You always look beautiful, like today in the garden, you looked like a dream," he said, angling his position so that he might move a little closer to her. "I'm pleased I was able to catch you for a dance this evening, there's been something I've been meaning to tell you-"

     What he had meant to say, Cordelia never found out, for the dance had ended and the hall had erupted into applause, both for the dancers and the musicians. Almost immediately after the music had died down, Charles was flanked by a much younger girl that Cordelia hardly recognized. Before he could excuse himself, he was being dragged to the dance floor.

     Breathless from what she told herself was the dance, Cordelia opened one of the fine, tall, glass doors to the veranda, hoping the cool night air and space from Lord Charles would allow her to catch her breath. It was already dark, and in the distance, Cordelia could make out the peaceful glow of lights in the village far away. She was practically alone on the patio, except for a young couple whispering and giggling to each other on the other side, completely oblivious to her being there.

     She pulled her wrap tighter around her shoulders as a breeze wove itself around the veranda's columns, and she found herself missing the warm hands and strong arms that had just swept her through the dance floor a moment ago. Taking a deep breath, she realized that she needed to be honest with herself, which meant admitting that she had feelings for Lord Charles Heyworth. 

     She could remember the last time she had a "crush." When she was ten, her father brought her to London for the first time, and it was there that she saw the young Lord Maybury at the home of a family friend that was entertaining them for dinner. She told her father that evening before bed that she would marry him someday, causing Lord Alfred to chuckle as he tucked her in. Today, Lord Thomas Maybury is married with six children, residing comfortably in Scotland. 

     This time, Cordelia wouldn't be jumping to tell her father about her crush as quickly. With Lord Malcolm the eldest, he would inherit the Heyworth fortune, which meant that Lord Alfred was likely charting up marriage certificates with the elder Lord Heyworth as they speak. No, definitely do not approach Lord Charles, Cordelia thought quickly. The best thing to do was to stay away from him as best she could until her mind cleared itself of all thoughts of him.  

     "Can I interest you in a drink?" A voice slurred from behind her. She smelled him before she turned around to see him, and she was confronted by the sharp smell of drink coming off her surprise visitor in waves. 

     "Lord Malcolm," she nervously got out, "I trust you're enjoying the evening's festivities." She became aware that he was moving closer and closer to her, and when she looked to the two lovers in the corner of the veranda for aid, she realized they had vanished. Malcolm grunted, turning away to finish the last of his drink before throwing the glass on the ground. The delicate glass erupting into a million pieces on the floor caused Cordelia to gasp loudly, moving her legs away from the scene on the floor.

     Malcolm laughed at Cordelia's reaction, looking to her with a devilish look in his dark eyes. "Now," he said, dusting a piece of glass from his pant leg, Cordelia backed against one of the veranda's columns, "I want to see what all of my brother's fuss is about."