ROYALTY

Chapter 12

I was not going to fall but it was part of the dance, he stood hovering above me, his hand supporting the small of my back, my back literally resting on his knee and his hand holding mine, his face a few mere inches above mine. The ton would shun us for the distance he put in between our faces, he was to close. We were both panting, our breaths mingling together. He raised me up and the crowd applauded, I curtsied even though he still held my hand, and he placed a kiss at the back of my hand as he bowed. "One more dance lady Naomi." He had said, and we went to repeating the same dance.

Once he let me go, I went straight for the desert table. I took a glass of punch and swallowed it in one go. My stomach was rumbling, I had not eaten and Lauren and Maeve had advised against me eating before getting into my ball gown. For some reason they had claimed the dress would not fit after I ate. I had raised an eyebrow at them asking the unutterable question, and they went to answering me immediately claiming I was not fat and had a body of a goddess. I laughed at them not that I had anything against what they had said and how they had complimented me to avoid their heads ending up on a silver platter in front of my door, but I laughed because my unutterable question was "Who would stop me?"

So, I took my time looking at the delicious set of food on the table, I reminded myself that I had to send my personal compliments to the chef. I picked up a plate. There was a lot to choose from and I had difficulty keeping my eyes on one particular set of food before they jumped to another. I finally decided on lamb meatballs with lemon Cumin yogurt and Brigadeiros and Cherve' Truffles as desert. After all who did not like sweets at the end of food. I took a seat behind a large potted plant and watched the drama before me, so far three debentures had managed to disgrace themselves before the ton.

They were pulled aside by a madame Brigitte Piaf, I knew her because I had once the liberty of visiting her finishing school and I tell you, that French woman is as mean as the devil himself. High cheek bones, long bony nose and thin, skinny bony fingers. And big hideous glasses that always rested on the bridge of her nose. She always wore black, from head to toe with her hair always in a tight bun. And by her side a trusty cane that she used for walking, Why? I would not know. Not that she was maimed or anything.

Some people had rumoured that she was like this because her suitor had left her just after a day he had married her, others had claimed she was too ugly to find a suitor and as her sisters married she was left to live a life of shame, hiding away as a spinster. Then she rose to fame with her finishing school, apparently one of the best finishing schools in France. I was not one for gossiping but at a time like this with my face stuffed with heaven knows the best dishes and my aching feet I could not help but think back on the horrid gossip that was spoken behind her back. I sighed as I closed my eyes in bliss, I was in heaven, the food going to my brain.

I heard a chuckle as chair was pulled next to where I sat. I took a pick towards my right even though my eyes were still closed, I almost jumped from my seat. Lord Donovan Douglas had graced me with his presence. "No need to curtsy to me your grace, you are after all an archdukes daughter and I a dukes son." He said as he sat down on his seat and a plate filled to the top with all sorts of sweets.

"I was told to much of the sweets would spoil your teeth, I must apprise that you be careful with those treats, we would not want the handsome knight in shinny armour having spoilt and bad teeth now do we?" I raised an eyebrow and pointed my fork towards his plate, he laughed out loud. I did not know what I said that was funny. "Thank you, your grace, I did not know I was handsome, compliments from you fill my heart. I must write this down somewhere to remember this day."

"Your lady," I said, he looked lost for a while confusion written all over his face, "I beg your pardon your grace but I am lost, care to clear my confusion?" I turned to him. "Your lady, I prefer to be called your lady. The term grace is too big a word and it is addressed to my father and my mother. So, I would appreciate it if you addressed me as Lady Naomi instead of your grace, it makes me feel ten years older, or better still call me Naomi." I brought out my hand and held it to him, not for him to kiss but to have a hand shake with his, he turned so that my back was directly underneath his lips and he went with the former of kissing it.

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