Choosing Love Over Honor [Agents of the Crown #2]

Chapter 3

It was getting old, really. Charlotte can recall clearly how she felt as she was getting trussed up and prepared for her first debut ball, almost ten years prior. But now at twenty seven, Charlotte merely sat still as Emma curled and pulled at her hair, sliding in pins here and there in a familiar coiffure that twirled up half the length of her strawberry blonde hair. The rest of her natural curls were let to hang halfway down her back, a beautiful contrast to the silken gold dress her brother had paid for just the week earlier.

Getting up once the last pin was slid into place, Charlotte heard a knock on her door. A footmen informing her the carriage and Aunt Florence was waiting, an information to which she gave a sigh.

"Your gloves, my lady." Emma handed over.

"I really don't want to go, Emma." Charlotte grumbled, taking the white kid-skin gloves despite her words. She had argued long enough, that she could stay in Avondale and help Fabian in taking care of the now confined-to-the-bed Elle, but Fabian insisted she go for her season in London.

Not that it mattered, really. After 10 years and turning away all suitors, one would think the bachelor's of London would think Charlotte way past marriageable age by now. And it wasn't as if Charlie was actively avoiding marriage either. She would genuinely consider all her suitors, yet somehow none came even close, and while she had made the determined decision to walk away from her silly infatuation with Lionel Chadwick, it was as if fate refused to help her decision.

And so the cycle repeated itself each Season. Luckily for Charlie, she had features which never seemed to age, which meant most people were not too bothered with her still appearing in the ballroom after so long. Of course, her suitors had changed as the years went by, and as of now, Lord Chandler was paying her lots of attention as of the last few days since she had arrived in London. That being said however, Charlotte fully admitted to herself despite the handsome face and impressive estates he has, Charlotte wasn't interested the slightest bit.

Emma paid no heed to her grumbles of course, and it wasn't long before Charlotte found herself alighting the carriage. The townhouse of Lord and Lady Corbet was brightly lit, as one of the largest balls to take place within the first few weeks of the Season, and definitely the one with the largest crush of attendees she's been to ever since she had arrived in London two weeks ago.

She waved the footmen away, directing them to help her old Aunt Florence down. A far sister of their father's family, their Aunt was an old spinster who had helped with Pippa upon her debut. After many years as Charlotte's escort (after Elle had married her brother) however, age was catching up, and she often spent the hours at a ball in a corner nodding off.

Tonight seemed to be no different. No sooner had they entered the ballroom, Aunt Florence retired after her usual speech to Charlotte to take care and call her when needed. With all the drama of her father's death and subsequently her brother's marriage to Elle, Charlotte had been a poster girl for propriety.

If only people knew what she had done before one Lionel Chadwick killed her streak for adventure.

And as always, Charlotte smiled and chatted, reuniting with friends she had made during the peak of her Season. Unlike the rest of them however, they had gotten married, and some of which even had young children to care for now. Perhaps that was why Charlotte had eventually lost touch with them all. They had just grown out of each other. Or maybe she had just never grew up together with them.

Eventually, as the ball continued, she found herself increasingly restless. The notion of never belonging, yet never being able to keep away, hit her harder tonight then it ever did before. Among the dresses and suits, laughter and come-hither eyes some casted each other... Charlotte never felt more alone.