Time in Love

Chapter five

The ball was as to be expected.

Completely spectacular.

I was happy to see my sister all gleaming with excitement, dressed in their finest velvets and silks.

The only person who wasn't grinning ear to ear was Daphne who was sparing me worried looks.

After my screaming fit last night everybody had tried to pry from me what the hell I'd eaten to get such a terrible dream. And of course, I couldn't tell them what I was actually dreaming. Instead I made up some lie about being hung to death.

I gave Daphne a small smile that I knew she wouldn't buy. Daphne could be a psychic when she wanted to.

As we stepped up the stairs of the almost castle like building and shamelessly awe as we ascend. When we are at the top we peek inside and see it's just as glorious imagined. Women in ball gowns that make me feel like I'm wearing rags, prance around happily. Men dazzled in a shockingly small amount of clothes serve them. I'm starting to realize why Romeo never mentioned this party when the letter came the first time around.

"This is so..." my mother breathes from behind me.

"Sensual!" Tulip announces what we're all thinking, elated as a toned young man in merely a vest with trousers winks at her on his way to give more women dangerously seductive looks.

My mother shoves Daphne from my side and stands in front of me as my sisters scatter, leaving me to take this beating.

"What were you thinking coming to a party like this!" My mother hisses under her breath, pulling me farther into the room and next to a plant taller than any I've ever seen in my life.

"I was invited by a prince." I remind her.

She snorts. "A prince I, nor your father have ever seen or heard of."

I flush scarlet. "I would never lie to you about a courting and you know that!" I snap, struggling to keep the edges of my voice tame.

"Well then what could possibly be the reason you don't have a match yet!" She snaps back with twice as much fire in her words.

I roll my eyes at her accusatory look. "I don't know, maybe because the egos of the men my age could fill a fucking school house."

My lips clamp closed the second I realized what I've just done. My mothers eyes widen in surprise that quickly flashes back to rage.

But before she can counter my argument we both snap our heads to the laughter of Tulip defending the stairs a little ways to our left and being carried by a man who's forearms are bigger than my head.

Smoke practically steams out of my dearest mother as she all but stomps in their direction, forgetting me completely.

I thank god she's left. Before this I suppose my mother had never heard me curse. Lady's don't curse and they certainly don't raise their voices. But after I was engaged to Romeo I could almost do anything I wanted. I'm so used to his tolerating my quick remarks and our sexual tension that I forgot to remind myself that Im no longer a lover, but a lady. And unmarried one at that.

I sigh and survey the room, trying to focus on where my other sisters are. Emilia is chatting with an old man determinedly, no doubt about novels. And Daphne is stuffing her face with pastries, probably stopping to critique them all. Her talent at baking and her ability to have food go right through her strikes me with jealously from time to time.

Instinctively I become aware of how breathless the corset is making me. I know there will be sharp stabbing red lines when I take it off. I remember how hard the maid had to tug today and swallow the resentment down my throat.