Wildflowers | S.Jy

| 20 |

Mira sent me a displeased look as we sat down in the carriage late Friday evening. Our grandparents joining us in the carriage, sitting on the opposite side of us. Earlier in the evening Mira had already commented on how rude it was for me to wear my purple ball dress yet again - despite knowing this was the only ball dress I owned.

The carriage wobbly rolled along the gravel path down towards the Winchesters' house by the lake. Once it came in sight it was clear that the number of attendants hadn't gotten smaller over the years. Loads of carriages were parked outside the Winchester house, and ours was just one more to the collection.

"Ah! Mr. Young!" mr. Winchester happily greeted from the front step of the house, rushing down to help us down from our carriage. Another figure moving quickly behind him, "let me help you."

Mr. Winchester lended his hand to both my grandmother and Mira before pausing once I extended my hand towards him. Abruptly mr. Winchester only sent me a knowing smile and took a step to the side.

"Someone else has been patiently waiting to help you down miss Kim," mr. Winchester remarked as the figure that had followed him stepped up and extended his hand with a warm smile on his face.

"You sure are aggressive in your pursuit, mr. Sim," I chuckled as I let my hand lay in Jake's while he helped me down from the carriage.

"I wouldn't risk losing my slim chance to any other handsome man you might see tonight, would I?" Jake replied as mr. Winchester only watched us in fondness, turning to my grandfather to guide the others inside the house, "that dress suits you," Jake bent down to whisper as we followed along the others.

"Mira is not fond of it," I murmured in return, "apparently it's rude to wear the same ball gown two times in a season."

"I had hoped it would be the purple," Jake admitted and discreetly tugged at the purple napkin in his chest pocket.

"Smart man," I remarked with a small smirk as he shrugged and folded his hands behind his back.

"Trial courting, is it not?" he questioned in amusement as he went me a small smile, walking with me inside as I greeted mrs. Winchester on the way into their ball room.

Despite the Winchesters living outside town and in the rural of the country, you should not underestimate their fortune. As far as I knew the Winchesters were the richest in the country, with no failure in that idea. I'm sure it wasn't true, but they were simply the richest I had yet to meet.

"Dance card miss," someone offered at the door to the ballroom and I nodded quietly with a small smile, taking the dance card extended to me.

"If I may...?" Jake extended his hand towards me and I didn't even hesitate before handing him my dance card before he opened it, "there's only one ronud of Lanciers tonight... and it's one of the last dances," he declared as he simply shoved my dance card into his pant pocket, "trial courting," he excused with a sheepish smile, "now... if the miss will accompany me," he offered and extended his elbow towards me, "I happen to know that they're serving raspberry wine and a glass wouldn't hurt."

"Raspberry wine is my favourite," I commented and Jake only smiled.

"What a luck," he commented and nodded for me to take his elbow.

I had to surpress a small smile before grabbing his elbow with both my hands and letting him guide me over towards a worker walking around with a tray in his hands. I didn't get to reach for a glass of raspberry wine before Jake had grabbed a glass and handed it to me, only first then taking a glass for himself.

"So am I not allowed to dance with anyone else tonight?" I questioned as Jake managed to slither us out to the edge of the ballroom, just from where I could see grandmother and grandfather in a deep conversation with some of the older people from town.