My Maggie,

XX

She was beautiful. She had captured every males eyes in the entire ball, every gentleman asked her to dance, every not so 'gentleman' letched after her as she sauntered her way past. She was as if the angel and the devil had consummated and a godly beautiful yet sinfully sexy daughter came out of it. She made every male in the room forget about the girl beside them, all their focus was drawn to the girl they called Marina Thompson. 

Colin couldn't drag his eyes off of her, her caramel skin glowed under the candlelight and her dress that highlighted her beauty. The girl had a small smile on her face but it didn't quite meet her eyes. Why isn't she happy? Colin thought to himself, the need to know consuming him. He was so captivated by the new myserteous Thompson girl, he didn't even feel the pair of eyes watching him from across the room. 

An odd feeling swallowed the Nighthower girl as he stared at a girl she had just learnt as Marina Thompson from Matilda, who stood beside her watching the swarm of suitors following her distant cousin. Beside them stood Daphne staring in awe of the girl. 

"How?" Daphne stuttered out, unsure if what she was seeing was actually happening. 

"I couldn't even tell you." Stated Matilda, "actually I can she's a size yellow and she's got massive breasts."

"I forgot how upfront you are." Stated Daphne looking at the blonde Featherington girl. 

"Ah thank you." Matilda said, the familiar smirk lingering on her face. 

Margret still stood there, motionless. It felt as though a she had tiny shards of glass piercing her heart, as though she was drowning in a sense of misery and despair. But why? Colin had written her one note, one time, it wasn't as though they had even spoken often, or he had made any hint of a courting her, she had no right to be sad or angry at him. Yet she did, a wave of betrayal and anger consumed her bones turning them bitter. 

"Ladies," a man said walking up to the three. Although he addressed them all his eyes were glued to one girl, and it was neither Daphne nor Matilda. The two girls curtseyed the gentleman that stood in front yet Margret still hadnt even processed he was there. 

"Margret." Elbowed Daphne snapping the Nighthower girl back into the room. Margret let her eyes travel up and down the now grown James Saint Michele. The last time she had seen him he was a small scrawny kid who used to pull her hair and pull pranks with Tobias on her. He had changed. He had blonde curly hair that hide his eyes, he was muscular with a chiselled jawline. His eyes were the same though, still as green as a tree leaf in the darkest part of the forest. That's how Margret had described them when they were younger, still the same. 

"James," Margret said a smile finding its way onto her lips as that hollowing painful feeling in her chest subsided. "I heard you were back, how was India?"

"As it was to be expected when your working with your father as his apprentice." James said with a smile, "it was boring as hell." 

"Did you not see any of India?"

"Not really, we mainly stayed in Jaipur, but it was beautiful there, you would have loved it."

"I'm sure I would have." A comfortable silence fell between them as they took in each others appearance. Both Daphne and Matilda had disappeared into the crowds. He had left three years ago. Tobias was crushed, after all they were inseparable. 

"Care for a dance?"

From across the room Colin had seemed to snap out of his trance and his eyes looked for the brown haired girl he had been waiting to see all day, to find her speaking with James Saint Michele. He had read Lady Whistledown and heard all about James' infatuation with the girl from Benedict. Apparently he had been practically in love with Margret since he was a kid. Colin stormed over to the pair. 

That feeling in his chest had come back, the feeling of crushing pain, and a storming rage mixed together, the same exact feeling he had gotten when he had seen Margret talking to Archibald Jenkins. 

"Margret," greeted Colin with a smile when he reached the pair. "Care for a dance?" Colin asked extending his hand as an offer. 

Margret wanted to say yes. She wanted more then anything to dance with him, yet just moments ago he seemed to be wanting to do more then dancing with Marina Thompson, so instead she took James's hand.

"Sorry Colin I already said I would dance with James, maybe next time though." 

With that she walked to the dance floor with James leaving a baffled and quite frankly jealous Colin Bridgerton watching from the side for the rest of the night.