1800 | Luke Hemmings

2

I went to look for a good gown to wear. I didn't have a party gown. I went to Charlotte's room.
"Hello, sister," I said upon entering.
"Isabella." She said. "Are you getting ready for the dance?"
"Sort of."
"Let me guess you don't have a gown to wear?"
"How did you know?" I asked.
"I know you better than anyone else."
She indeed did. She's always known what I was thinking before even I did. She walked up from her boudoir to a wardrobe.
"Come here." She called.
I walked into the room further. Once close enough she grabbed my arm and pulled me to a mirror. She put a pale blue gown in front of me. It's astonishing.
"It's perfect."
She's right. It is perfect.
"Thank you," I said.
I returned to my room. I put the dress on. It looked amazing on me. My long wavy brown hair looked perfect with it. I put on shoes.
"Time to go," Charlotte said standing in the doorway.
I nodded and followed her out. We could walk there but, it's a party. Father Left us the horse and carriage as well. We get inside and I notice Luke. We are wearing the same color.
"Charlotte," I say.
"Yes, Isabella."
"Luke and I are wearing the same color."
She looks at him. She looks at me.
"You have to ask him to dance." She says.
She's right I should.
"I don't know. He could say no."
"You right he could or, he could say yes."
She has a point.
"You won't know if you don't ask." She continues.
"Okay."
I make my way through the crowd. I finally reach him.
"Hello, Luke."
"Hello. I don't believe we've met."
"Oh, how rude of me." I do feel rude. "I'm Isabella."
"Well Isabella, would you like to dance."
"I would be delighted." I extend my hand out. He takes it in his.
It's a waltz. My father and mother taught me to waltz.
"Isabella now that I think about it I think I've seen you before."
"My father is a senator."
"Oh, Senator Moore."
"Yeah, that's my father."
He spun me around.
"Well, he's a very good senator." He said.
Luke's hair was slicked back and it swooped up on the ends. His blue eyes were almost sparkling. Being so close to him now I can see he has scruffy facial hair.
"So Charlotte is your sister."
"Yes."
"I've seen her out but never you."
"I go out but, not as much as her she has been in a few unsuccessful courtships," I explain.
"So what do you do at home."
"I write to my friends, do embroidery, and housework, I write and I play piano and sing." I've only ever told Charlotte that I write. I love writing.
"Interesting."
"What do you do?" I ask.
"I write to my friends and my brother, I play tennis with my friends. I go to the theatre. And my father sent me to boarding school and college so I can take over for him."
"Your father wants you to follow in his footsteps."
"Yeah." He sighed. "I don't know if that's what I want."
"I think our parents have our best interest in mind."
"Yeah."
"I'd like to see you again." He said with a beautiful smile lighting up his whole face.
"I'd like to see you again too." I sighed. "You'll have to go ask my father first though."
"I can do that." He smiled.
I smiled. On the inside, I'm screaming and jumping. I'm so happy. "That's wonderful."
"I like you, Isabella."
"I like you too, Luke."
We began a new dance. I hate this one. We have to switch partners. We switched. I was now dancing with Charles Smith. He's nice but I don't particularly like him. We switched again. John Williams. I can't stand him. He's very handsome but he's totally conceited and very rude. He smiled at me.
"You look wonderful, Isabella." He said into my ear with a very sultry voice.
"Thank you," I said in an almost monotone voice.
We switch again. I now was with Luke again.
"That was too long," I said.
"Yeah."
"I had to dance with John Williams," I told him.
"I can not stand him." He told me.
"Yeah he just makes me uncomfortable and he likes me."
"Oh well let's get married now so he can't take you," Luke said.
I laughed.

The party ended. Luke followed my sister and me home. I hope father will be approving of him. Luke is very nice.
"Do you think father will like Luke?" I ask Charlotte.
"I don't know, he could and couldn't." She tells me.
We arrive home and Charlotte takes care of the horse and buggy. I go inside and get father.
"Father." I say.
"Yes Isabella."
"There's someone who needs to talk to you."
He gets up and goes to the door with me. I open it and Luke is there.
"Hello Isabella, Hello Mr Moore." He says. He has a handsome, charming smile of his.
"Hello Mr Hemmings, how can I help you?" He asks.
"I'd like to talk to you about Isabella."
"Yes son, come in please."
I take that as my cue to go sit upstairs and listen from the top of the stairs.
They are sitting in the parlor.
"I'd like to start a courtship with Isabella?" He asks.
"You do like her right?" Father asks.
"Yes I do." Luke tells him.
"Don't hurt her or I'll make your life miserable." He says. "I will allow you to court Isabella."
"Thank you sir." He says to father.
I go down the stairs.
"Isabella" Luke says with that same smile on his face.
I go over to him. I smile at him.
"I'll see you soon Isabella." He says to me as he leaves.
"You really like him don't you?" Father asks.
"Yeah I do." I say with the biggest smile on my face. It was quite magical to start a courtship. I could feel these butterflies in my stomach.