Twilight One-Shots

Mystery Partner ~ Two

Shockingly, however, Isabella's saviour came two days later in the form of a letter to her father. The letter said that, at no fault of the Swan family, the potential match was being cancelled, owing to other wishes of the involved party. Isabella couldn't believe her luck. Her first inclination was to ride around the hills in joy, but her second was to immediately begin looking forward to the next ball, in which, perhaps, she could see her mystery man again.

***

Edward was stunned that he had managed to convince his father to call off this marriage. It had taken considerable debating and heated discussions, but eventually, after admitting that he had rather taken a fancy to a young lady he had met, his father conceded.

Of course, the only thoughts on his mind after that were of the strange, wonderful woman he had danced with, and when he would get the chance to dance with and talk to her again.

***

"For goodness sake, Isabella," her mother fussed. "What do you do when I'm not here?"

Isabella was severely tempted to snap and go off on a long rant about feminism and riding and how much she loved riding, yet was prevented from doing so public ally because of her sex, but restrained herself. It wouldn't do to get on the bad side of her mother that evening. She'd been fussing over the wedding of Alice and Jasper for the past month, and now, finally, the couple were married and living on Jasper's modest estate, so all her stress and worry was centred on her ever-aging, us married daughter.

"It's not really any wonder that your engagement was broken, with the state you get yourself into," her mother continued. "Look at you! Windswept, flushed all over, your hair pinned up so roughly."

Isabella couldn't help but think it a bit of a cheap stab, but she endured her mother's ranting for the rest of the evening, until they reached the courtyard of Lord and Lady Stanley, who were holding a formal ball in their enormous house. Isabella couldn't understand the need for such a large estate. She was far more approving of the elegant, modest townhouse Jasper owned.

"Do try to attract some appropriate attention tonight, won't you?"

Isabella refrained from huffing. She was just glad that she didn't have to wear a ridiculous mask this time round. "Was my attention last month not 'appropriate'?"

"You danced with one man for far too many dances, Isabella. That is just unseemly. And I've no idea who he was. I couldn't tell, under the mask."

"Will my once-fiancé be here tonight?"

"Probably," her mother said grudgingly.

"Well then-"

But Isabella cut herself off as she spotted a man across the room with familiar messy bronze hair, a tall, muscular stature, and a firm jawline. His sparkling green eyes could surely make him only one. Her mystery man was here.

Isabella could hear her mother hissing to to her, but she was paying little attention as the man's eyes met hers. He smiled across the room, and inclined his head towards her. Isabella's own lips twitched up, and she looked down shyly. He was standing in a group of men and women alike, some clearly single and some clearly not. Though she knew it was inevitable, Isabella couldn't contain the slight twinge of jealousy when her mystery man accepted the hand of a young, beautiful, strawberry-blonde woman.

"Sir Crowley, this is my daughter, Miss Isabella Swan," her mother said, snapping Isabella back to the present. She made small talk with the man her mother presented to her, and graciously accepted his offer of a dance.

She moved around the room, accepting the hands of men her mother introduced her to. Most were perfectly polite, some amusing, some kind-hearted, some handsome, but none of them drew her in like her mystery man had. None of them made her laugh like he had, none of them made an impression like he had, none of them interested her like he had, and none of them made her blush like he had.