𝙴𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚖𝚘𝚛𝚎 ✔

Chapter Twelve

I took my seat and watched as the rest of the guests took their places at the other tables, waiting on Sebastian to provide further instruction. Many of the younger girls glared at me while the older ones like Justine and Lottie looked elsewhere.

The Vicomtesse Dupré, on the other hand, had been glaring at me from the moment I arrived making rather obvious, even to a blind person, that she held a great amount of disdain for me. Her two daughters, that she had brought with her, were sitting to her left and they looked absolutely miserable. They reminded me of how Alveary always looked before her, and Madame had made up. I felt awful for them, they deserved better than to be neglected by their mother who had all but ignored their presence all because she could not accept the fact that Camille was gone, and it was her own fault. Not even a week had past since they lost their eldest sister, and it was clear that they suffered in silence, being pranced about in public as they grieved without any comfort from their own mother.

Sebastian stood up after everyone was seated, "Shall we start the night off with a dance?"

"Indeed, your grace." Many called back.

Everyone waited eagerly to see who the duke would choose for his first dance. Many mothers whispering about one another, carefully suggesting to their daughters to adjust their dresses and fix their hair, and some mademoiselles sat nervously while others attempted to catch his eye.

Sebastian stood, pressing the wrinkles from his coat, then turn to look at me, hand outstretched with a smile on his face. "Mademoiselle Lafleur, will you do me the honors of being my partner as we start the first dance of the ball?"

I wanted to reject the offer instantly. But instead, I looked over at Madame and Alveary to see what they thought I should have done, and they just nodded. After all, it was rude to refuse a man's request to dance.

A look of horror flashed the faces of many of the onlookers, but as quick as it appeared, it was replaced with glares from all of the mamas and mademoiselles in the room.

"She probably has no idea how to dance, look at her she is hesitating." I heard someone say two tables down from us.

"I hope she says no, the duke should not degrade himself by entertaining someone such as herself." A girl whispered.

I understood a lot of it was jealousy coupled with the fact that they were predisposed to have prejudice against lowborns, but they did not have to go as far as to have said it aloud.

It was beyond me how people could judge others based on their financial standing rather than inspect their character instead. It was astonishing how those people, who held themselves in such a high regard, were more vile and unbecoming than the people they believed to have been beneath them.

"I am very flattered by your offer, Your Grace, I would love to." I accepted out of spite while wearing a huge smirk on my face. I had no reason to prove myself to those people, yet I did want to make them eat their harsh words.

He took my hand and escorted me, like he did at Madame's, to the dance floor where we stood in the middle of everyone and everything. He bowed and I curtsied; I could hear my heart in my ears, my breathing had quickened, and I felt like I was going to faint.

"Relax Isabelle, you are a wonderful dancer. I shan't let you look foolish in front of all these people." He tried to disguise his meaning with pleasantries, but I knew he meant that he was not going to let me make him look foolish in front of all his peers. "We will be dancing the Minuet, so you have nothing to be worried about, just follow my lead."

I was glad he chose one of the dances I enjoyed learning and could actually do correctly. I took a deep breath, and then the music started. I followed Sebastian and the rhythm as I drifted away from the crowd. It was much easier than I thought it was going to be once I completely erased everything that was around me and got lost in the music and steps. Dancing, for me, was the pinnacle of the night.