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The ballroom was crowded as William made his way through the sea of guests attending the Duke and Duchess of Balfour’s ball. They were celebrating their lovely young daughter’s—Lady Celeste—first season.
The ballroom was nothing short of spectacular, decorated in elegant blues and golds. The candles were lit in the chandeliers overhead, their flickering enchanting the ballroom. The guests were dressed in spectacular gowns, embellished with sparkling jewels, fit for kings and queens.
It was rumored that there would be a royal guest or two present. It would not surprise William in the least if that were true. The Duke of Balfour was a very influential man with a strong and royal lineage that dated back centuries, and unfortunately for everyone who listened, he very much enjoyed boasting of it.
William was unimpressed that he was yet again forced by his brother to attend the ball with his family. But despite his reluctance and resistance, he had agreed.
Emma had not been seen at their estate since she had left a few weeks prior, so he remained hopeful that she would attend the ball tonight. There were so many things he wished to say to her.
After the tragic proposal, where she had rejected him–despite admitting she cared for him—he had not seen or heard from her. It had been more than a week and his heart yearned to gaze upon her beauty, hear her voice and hold her close to him.
The duke and duchess had left his side to mingle and converse with their acquaintances, but William didn’t care. He was preoccupied scanning the masses to find Emma.
“William,” he heard beside him and glanced at the middle-aged, yet still perfectly able Duke of Balfour, “so good to see you.”
He turned towards the gentleman who had been fast friends with his father. “And you, Your Grace. I must thank you for the invitation this evening. The ballroom looks magnificent.”
“Many thanks, but I cannot take any credit for it. My wife and her maidservant are responsible for everything you gaze upon,” the duke answered.
“The duchess certainly outdid herself.” William answered.
“I see you are alone this evening. I was under the impression there was a certain young woman who would accompany you. Or am I wrong?” the duke inquired, his grey brow furrowing, deep wrinkles spanning across his large forehead.
“The rumor mill seems to churn without fail, I see.” William smiled, attempting to remain light-hearted, while his heart suffocated in his chest at the mere thought of Emma. When the duke didn’t respond, he said, “Regrettably, Your Grace, I am here alone.”
“I do apologize for my lack of tact, but some good may come from this,” the duke answered.
“And what might that be, Your Grace?” William inquired, intrigued by the old man’s words.
“I would love to introduce my lord to my lovely daughter,” the duke answered.
Oh...
“Are you certain? After all the tales you have heard of me, Your Grace?” William asked in disbelief.
“The rumor mill churns without fail, as you mentioned moments ago. But just because people speak of it, does not necessarily make it true, does it?” the duke asked, and winked at William. “I knew your father for a long time, and I am well aware of the morals and the values he instilled in both his sons. I have not a single shred of doubt in my mind that you are a good man. You carry yourself with pride and diligence, and that is precisely the kind of man I wish to introduce to my daughter. It would be a privilege, in fact.”
“Thank you, Your Grace,” William nodded gratefully, but was certain he did not deserve such praise.
“And,” the duke lowered his voice as he leaned in closer to William, “even if those rumors are true, I know that my daughter will be well taken care of, in all aspects.”
He fought the urge to cringe and he would have protested if it had not been the duke who had uttered those words.
Since the man had been a good friend of his father, he felt a certain duty towards him. Also, it would be terrible manners to simply dismiss the duke for being inappropriate.
After all, the man only wished the best for his daughter, but William was not certain he was the best in this case.
“Come along,” the duke urged him, and William followed the Duke of Balfour through the crowd, still fruitlessly searching for Emma along the way. The duke came to a standstill, prompting William to do the same. He looked up and before him was a young lady.
Her golden hair was elegantly piled on her head and a few loose tendrils framed her face. Her green eyes were bright and innocent, and her skin glowed in the candlelight. Her pale pink lips were upturned in a hopeful smile.
There was no doubt in William’s mind that she was a very beautiful young woman, but she was not Emma. Perhaps it would be better to simply forget about Emma, but as Lady Celeste looked at him, her green eyes sparkling with intrigue, he could only see Emma.
“William, it is my utmost pleasure to introduce my daughter, Lady Celeste,” the duke said proudly. “My dear, please meet Lord William Seymour. He is the younger brother to the Duke of Somerset.”
Lady Celeste held her hand out to William, and his manners served him well as he tenderly took her hand and kissed it lightly. “It is my greatest pleasure to meet you, my lady.”
Lady Celeste’s cheeks colored instantly and she giggled softly. “It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, my lord. My father speaks very highly of you and your family.”
“Perhaps he exaggerated slightly,” William chuckled.
“Nonsense. Lord William is a fine gentleman who comes from a fine family. His father and I were very well acquainted,” the duke insisted. “Which makes it rather odd that you are only now being introduced to William this evening.”
“Why have you been hiding this charming man from me, Father?” Lady Celeste joked.
“I asked myself that same question, my dear,” the duke admitted and placed one hand on Lady Celeste’s shoulder, and the other hand on William’s shoulder. “I shall allow you two to get better acquainted. Please do excuse me.”
William inhaled sharply as the duke moved from their side and he was left with Lady Celeste. “Your father is a great man, my lady.”
“Indeed, my lord,” she said and glanced up at him. “But I am certain we have much more to discuss than my father.”
William bowed. “I do apologize.”
“I will only accept your apology if you will tell me more about yourself. Your likes, and dislikes. I wish to know more, from your own mouth, and not merely from what others have told me, my lord,” Lady Celeste said.
“Very well,” William answered, though her interest surprised him.
For the duration of the ball, William and Lady Celeste became better acquainted. He told her of his interests, his childhood and his secret love of poetry.
Lady Celeste hung on every word, and although he felt rather unsettled by her undivided attention, he did not wish to seem rude by excusing himself. She was the duke’s daughter, after all, and he did not wish to insult him, or Lady Celeste, for that matter.
William was also aware that it was wrong to give her false hope, but it was the lesser of two evils at that given time. He would merely have to find a good reason to make her believe he was not the honorable man her father had told her he was.
His conscience suddenly rose to the surface and he felt guilty for even thinking of such a terrible thing. He had already done damage to Emma’s reputation and there he was, contemplating breaking another woman’s heart.
He knew he did not deserve all the praise he’d received this evening, and his heart grew heavy in his chest. His late father would most certainly not approve of his choices. In fact, the late duke would be rather ashamed of him.
Despite being more confident than his brother, he had always tried hard to be as important to his father as his brother was. It had been well known throughout society that the first-born son, the heir to the title, was treated differently to the other siblings.
The first born was often referred to as the most important son, which was why he had done everything in his power to impress his father. He had even adopted many of his father’s habits, but his rakish tendencies had not been something his father had ever embodied as William had.
As he listened to Lady Celeste speak of her own interests, he began to realize that this young woman knew very little of the world. She lived in a rather sheltered and protected space. She was the complete opposite of Emma in every way possible. Not only her physical appearance, but her manner of speaking and interests. Nothing about their time together sat comfortably with him.
William couldn’t even ask Lady Celeste to dance. It simply felt wrong to hold another woman in his arms, and gaze into eyes of the wrong color.
It was becoming extremely obvious that forgetting Emma was not an option. How would he manage to live his life when he had lost the most important part of him?
Much later that evening, William sat quietly in the coach with the duke and duchess on their way home.
They didn’t ask why he was quiet, even after he’d spent his evening with Lady Celeste. In fact, they didn’t ask him any questions at all.
William appreciated the silence, as he had neither the strength nor the mental capacity to deal with queries for which he had no answers.
His heart knew the truth, but since he had never truly followed the advice of his heart, he had to settle with the lingering regrets inside him. Perhaps this was fate’s manner to punish him for the terrible things he had done.
Justice had, indeed, been served.