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Chapter Five Off To The Races
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Lord Clarke called upon her early in the morning and Scarlett had spent the entire afternoon with him, trying her best to stay focused as they walked along the canal, because her mothers eyes were glued to the back of Scarlett's head. Scarlett could hear Marjorie whispering behind them, about the book she had just finished the previous night.
"What do you like to do, Miss Scarlett?" Augustus had asked her.
She told him that she likes to run barefoot in the grass, she likes to let her hair down in a frizzy mess, she likes to poke fun and banter, even with strangers, she likes to stay up late and imagine the million possible ways her life could go. All Augustus did was laugh and clarify he meant what she likes to do in her free time. Pianoforte, read, draw. Scarlett realized in that moment that she had no real interests, just the desire to live and enjoy her youth, because that was what she was allowed to do back home. That was all that was expected of her, truthfully.
Lord Clarke didn't say much on their way back and Scarlett prepared to suffer the scolding from her mother later in the day, but then he asked her to go the Royal Races with him. And that was where Scarlett currently found herself, out among the rest of the Ton currently mingling and killing time until the races began.
Walking along side Augustus, Scarlett watched as her mother and Lord Ellington were pulled away by others. Vincent and Marjorie had walked off somewhere shortly after, leaving Scarlett to be far too aware of the side eyes that people think are being discreet. Not just for an American girl to be doing better than most of these young ladies, but also because Florence Forbes dared to bring her other two children to this event.
"Do the stares not bother you?" Scarlett questioned, turning to look at Augustus, to focus on him instead.
His dark eyes scanned around them, as if to find everyone staring directly at the two. He didn't find much. "The stares?"
"Forgive me, I just..." Scarlett started, looking away and immediately regretting saying anything about it. "I constantly feel like I am being looked at or whispered about, and you calling on me has only made me more aware of everybody around me."
"Let them stare." Augustus stated, "It will not change my mind about you." That made Scarlett smile and she thought, maybe this gentleman wouldn't be so bad.
