A True Southern Belle

                  Charlie, upon re-entering the ballroom had to be charming again. If she thought it was difficult before, it was now painful. She did not change her disposition, but there was an edge to it, a ticking clock that warned what would happen when the ticking stopped. Sensing this, many of the young men who had previously gathered around her fled. She wound up in a corner chatting with Julie. Julie was gushing about Daniel and was, quite frankly, getting on Charlie's nerves.

    Though Daniel had come down from Virginia for Jane's wedding, and she did want to spend time with her big brother, hiding in her room and merging only for Copperfield - who finally stopped trying to throw her and was now semi-cooperating per her instructions - was very appealing. People were very annoying and being in their presence called for at least a week's recovery.

     Charlie did not realize Julie had stopped talking until she heard a masculine voice speak. A gentleman would never interrupt a Lady, and this was a clue about the person who was now talking, but the fact did not register in Charlie's mind.

    "My dear Miss Winter, it appears that I am the only man you have not, as of yet, danced with. Have you a waltz for me on your card?"

   Irritated as Julie suddenly winked at her and walked away, cackling, Charlie summoned her waning appeal and replied, "Yes, I believe I d-" Oh if only she had a knife to carve out her tongue. "Mr. Asher, did I not tell you - "

 "Uh, uh, uh, Miss Winter. You gave me your word promising a dance." He raised his eyebrows and wagged a finger at her. "You don't want to go back on your word do you? That would be terribly impolite."

    Infuriating, wretched, cynical, cowardly, idiotic...

    "You tricked me."

    "A gentleman doesn't trick -"

   "You aren't a gentleman and I'm not a Lady alright?"

    There was a slight pause.

   "You tricked me."

    "I did not trick you."

    She hated how they spoke in sync. 

    "I am not dancing with - let me go!"

   Jason had given up persuading Charlie with words and was now dragging her by the arm onto the dance floor.

   "Don't fight me Charlie, come on. You promised."

    Don't fight him? She wanted to kill him. She really thought that she would not have minded the feeling of his blood on her fingers.

"YOU TRICKED ME YOU LYING-"    

"Stop shrieking Lady Banshee, and do not make a scene. Unless you want your mother to be more upset with you than she already will be?"

    Reflecting, Charlie came quietly, allowing herself to be dragged. It was better to be as inconspicuous as possible and launching herself at Jason would not do much to help her reach that goal.

    For the first moment of the waltz, Charlie worried that her mother would see. Then she began to admire how good of a dancer Jason was. He was, perhaps, the first man who not only refrained from stepping on her toes but was actually very graceful. And Jason was tall, like her, so this was not an easy feat.

   Sadly, he had to open his mouth and kill her admiration.

    "You have a very good grip - I bet it comes from riding. And please stop trying to lead."

   She had been squeezing his hand in an attempt to turn it blue and make him let go. As to the leading... Charlie had said she liked to dance, not that she was good at it.

    She scowled at him, and Jason, in fear of losing his partner, changed the topic.

   "Bella sends her regards. She was unable to come due to exhaustion."

   "Tell her I send mine and look forward to seeing her," Charlie said, though she doubted he'd deliver the message.

   "That will make her happy. You see, she hasn't been very... elated since she realized she can't go to Jane's wedding."

   "Society is stupid."

   "Society is stupid, yes."

   Charlie started a very short rant. "She has a baby, not the plague."

   "But societal values, though stupid and worthless must be upheld."

   "Damn society."

   "Damn society and may it rot in Hell. I'm impressed at how well you can curse," Jason praised her. "But I'm not sure your mother is." His eyes glanced over her shoulder.

    Charlie spun around, but was still locked in Jason's arms. He pulled her back.

   Mrs. Winter was coming down the stairwell, something close to livid. Her green eyes flashed and her face was an angry pale, as if she'd eaten a bad mushroom that incited fury in generally calm women. She might explode.

   "Oh dear." She turned, looking pityingly at Jason. "I'm not sorry." And then she stomped on his foot.

  He let her go then.

   "This is your fault. You are a liar and a trickster. A scoundrel, a cheater, and a cad -"

   "Guilty of all those things I am. Yet I somehow don't care and neither should you. I know you had a better time dancing with me than any of those County boys tonight, and you know it too."

   "Well I'm the one in trouble, so you can say that that. Good night, Mr. Asher!" Charlie than stomped off to go get lectured by her mother, who she could see was already searching for a good punishment for her.