My Sweet Daisy

Chapter 16 - Prince Richard Has Come

Chaper 16

Prince Richard Has Come

Despite her aunt's warning, Daisy was astonished her dance book was filled before the first set of dances began. During the party at Shingham, many of the gentlemen had drifted past by in the ballroom without so much as a glance in her direction. Those who stopped and asked for a dance were merely obliging her aunt's summons and their number had fallen short of five. In Bair Havel,  however, changing dance partners everytime the music ended, her toes had grown numbed from twirling around all evening in shoes that put her weight on the delicate digits. It was with a great feeling of relief that she collapsed onto the bench beside her aunt after she had been delivered back to her when the dances were over.

Edwin returned with a glass of lemonade and handed it to her. "You must be thirsty. Here."

She accepted it and gulped down half the liquid with unlady-like grace before remembering to mutter her thanks. She did so with a grateful smile because he'd practically saved her from fainting. Edwin responded with a sympathetic one, understanding she was new to the experience the other ladies enjoyed.

"It's half past midnight. Prince Richard may not come after all. Even if he wants to, the gates would've been shut as they are always shut promptly at midnight on the order of the queen. She's the hostess of the balls held here in BairHavel." Cynthia muttered on a pitiful note of disappointment. "Do you think they'd make an exception for him as a prince, the son of the queen? He can order them to open the doors, can't he?"

"Richard won't come, Cynthia. How many times should I tell you that?" Juliet huffed in exasperation.

Cynthia, sounding annoyed too, retorted, "Did he tell you so himself?"

"Insinuating Richard would be made to come was Linda's idea of trying to salvage her pride, don't you understand?" her sister snapped. "If there was a chance Prince Richard wanted to come, he would've come in with Elisandra. The princess came in hours ago."

Or he might be lurking somewhere in the dark, thought Daisy, looking suspiciously into all the darkened corners.

"Girls!" their mother called sharply.

The heated conversation between the two sisters died down and both of them turned away ruefully.

Lady Perribea went on with her admonishment in whispers so her voice didn't carry to those close by, although she embellished her tone with sternness such that all three girls listening to her blushed profusely in mortification. She was weary about any of them causing a scene. Not only would they be termed as vulgar if they were to start throwing harsh words at each other over a man, the prince much less, she would also lose face in front of the matrons she was trying to carry favour with for Daisy's sake. Considering the prince's interest in Juliet's too, it would be disgraceful for her model daughter to show a despicable side of her when the prince could approach her tonight and ask her for a dance. Oh yes, she too had high hopes the prince would appear no matter how late. The matrons had been very pleased with themselves when they relayed to her in confidence Prince Richard would be made to come.

"I'll be in the lady's room." Daisy announced.

She dismissed her with a curt nod.

Daisy crept away and hurried off to the back of the room, evading any gentleman that approached her. She was exhausted. She didn't want to dance, feeling that if she pushed herself, her legs would give out on her on the dance floor. She intended to stay in the ladies' room until the second set of dances began so she would miss out on getting proposals to dance. As every lady was busy amassing names on her dance card to increase her popularity, there was not a single person in the washroom. She thought she could stay in there all night long until the ball was over if it remained empty. That would be a blessing! She settled down in a settee and picked up one of the magazines scattered across the table.

Well, wishes were not horses. The room didn't remain empty for long. Not one or two but a gust of ladies suddenly flew in, some entailed by their handmaids, others by their mothers, and they were all carrying their cosmetics bags. So, they had to freshen up before the next dance set too, she thought in wonder as more ladies trooped in. The room now became so crowded, she feared for her aching toes. Not even the excitement before the first set of dances had risen to that fevered pitch. Weren't the gentlemen they had danced with all evening the same ones they would go back to? What were all the excited whispers behind their fans about? Then it apparent to her the music had stopped.

The noise from outside was even more than the chaos in the inside. The mutterings swept over them like buzzes in the noisy ladies' room.

"Hurry up!" one of the ladies yelled at her handmaid. "I want to be one of the first to greet him."

Him. Someone was causing the commotion? Daisy pushed through the crowd and ran out, her heart drumming fast over the prospect of whom that someone might be. The ballroom had literally been divided into two; the gentlemen looking forlorn at the back of the hall and the ladies flocking over to the entrance. The few who had been on the dancing floor were splitting up. Daisy found her aunt, but her cousins were nowhere in sight.

"What's going on, Aunt Veronica?" she asked.

"Someone announced Prince Richard's convoy just drove in." Her aunt gave her an assessing look, ensuring everything was in place with her appearance.

The excitement grew louder. From between the thick crowd, a path was forcefully being created, then out came the prince's two uniformed 'loyal associates' who weren't too gentle pushing the ladies out of the way. It was no longer a rumour. Prince Richard had made an appearance. He finally emerged.

Daisy frantically tried to calm her racing heart and breathe normally, but she forgot to breathe altogether when he turned away from talking to the Grand Duchess of Brookshire and those blue eyes came to rest on her above all the heads surrounding him. She dropped hers down quickly to the magazine she still held in her hands.

"He's heading our way," she heard her aunt whisper elatedly. "Where's Juliet?"

Cynthia was the one who came, hopping up and down on the arm of her dance partner who looked affronted for being ignored. He bowed to the countess and made his way to join the group of sulking gentlemen bundled around the Champaign table. The silence stretched on.

"Good evening, My Lady," the greeting suddenly came.

Daisy startled and the magazine flew from her hand. She watched in horror as it sailed through the air, twirled once and landed rumpled between the prince's shoes. Her cheeks inflamed when he glanced down at the picture of himself in his court apparel on the page that had turned up and then back at her. He stooped down, picked up the magazine and handed it back to her.

"You are welcome, Your Royal Highness," her aunt greeted loudly, aware the other mothers and chaperones were throwing spikes at her. "It is good of you to grace the opening ball with your presence."

"It's good to see you again. I pray you have been well, Lady Cynthia?"

Cynthia nodded rapidly, no sound coming out.

"Your Highness, please meet Lord Perribea's niece, Daisy. She is here in the capital to experience the season." As she spoke, her aunt pulled her forward from the relatively comfortable spot she had found behind. She had to look up then to the one she was being introduced to. The blue eyes, just as she had known they would be, were assessing her with obvious amusement and as they met hers above her fan, all their embarrassing encounters were vividly awakened in her mind including his parting words: I'll demand that dance from you the next time I see you. Her heart thumped in anxiety as she imagined him leading her to the abandoned dance floor before all the eyes.