JABAW (First Draft)

Shall we Dance?

Morgan that was his name, so it hadn't been a dream when we had last spoken to one another. It seemed like so long ago but it was really just last night. Now here we were me hunched over in a curtsy and him sitting with a brooding look on his face as he watched me form beneath his lashes. In my head I was trying to remember which words I had used the last time we had spoken. It had been at that horrendous ball we had both attended on Saturday. And that's when it came to me the memory of that horrible night.

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I remembered that I had chosen to wear what I would call the lesser of two evils. There were two dresses, one was a floor length plum colored monstrosity, with a low back and a slit up the side. The other was a plain black high necked, knee length dress with sleeves that fell down to cover my hands. Lola; my old nanny and personal assistant scowled as I slide it on over my head instead of undoing the buttons up the back like she had asked. I had just finished dressing when my cousin Camilia came bursting into the room with purpose shining all over her pale face.

"Brigham you will never guess who is said to be attending the ball tonight?" She cried excitedly

"No I will never guess because it doesn't interest me but if you really think it's important go on." I replied as I began to braid my hair.

"His highness the king you silly goose"

"The King!" Cried Lola her face coloring at this new piece of information, then she turned to me and said. "We can't have you in that dress while royalties around, take it off immediately B and I'll find you something better."

"Lola I look fine if I changed it would just give those silly boys an excuse to keep coming around."

"Well I know something that might make you change your mind; his royal highness is unmarried B, and so are several of his courtiers." Exclaimed Cami

"And I care why?" I murmured to myself as Lola did my makeup

"Brigham!" Shouted Camilia unable to hold back the shock that had seeped into her voice.

"Camilia!"

"Girls" Cried this horrible, high-pitched, cold female voice from the doorway behind us. We both froze as we slowly turned to find Madame Dellaga.

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She rushed into the room all at once with the train of her voluminous skirts following fast behind her. She was the type of woman who no matter where she was she was in control of that exact moment in time that she appeared. It irritated me in the worst way that she would really just walk into to my room like it was her own, like she owned it or me.

"How far along are you Mistress Lane?" She purred coyly

"Getting close to 16 weeks Madame" Cami squeaked nervously as she glanced down at herself.

Behind Mistress Dellaga stood my parents in the door way, they both wore twin looks of determination as the scrutinized my reaction to the above informed mistress. Amazingly enough I kept my temper under control as she went on to about how she expected something more extravagant considering I was still yet unmarried and getting on in years. She cast a critical eye over my hair, jewelry, dress, makeup and sniffed disdainfully as if the very sight of me made her sick.

"Brigham you waste the talents of a simply wonderful seamstress on clothing that are more fit for rags then to wear to a party intended to find you a husband." Dellaga murmured

Normally I would have let it roll off my shoulders, just ignore her cruel comment but she had finally over reached herself. She had come into my home, into my room, insulted my cousin and then had turned around and used that horrible serpents tongue to flatter and hurt at the same time enough was enough.

"And what has happened to your seamstress........Anna right. How is her baby?"

Right then almost immediately I knew I had crossed the line but there was no going back for me now.