Loving Heaven's Gift ( Book 2 of The Loving You Series)

Chapter 10.

 Being the honored guests at her first ball, felt really suffocating to Angel. Ever since they arrived from Ireland to London, she and her family have been invited to several parties; galas; balls and events. At first, the parties were to welcome her brother and Sarah into society. At that time, Angel didn't have any gowns to wear to them, she was reading through the catalogs and picking out the color palette that suited her fair complexion while she was waiting for them to arrive from the seamstress. But now, it was her turn to be shown about and already Angel could see the young women and their mothers whispering behind their fans. She was positive that they were snickering and talking behind her back. Apparently, rumors were already spreading about her recent behavior. Someone saw her and her son running together through the park... apparently that behavior wasn't proper decorum. It was the nanny's job or the governess's job to play with the children, while adults attended tea parties and socials. Well, they could think what they liked, Cameron was her son, and Angel would rather play with him then to socialize with other women she didn't know. She was brought out of her thoughts by someone pushing themselves into her. Angel turned around to the person whom she believed bumped into her only to see Tyler Steele standing next to her on her left side. 

      "Good Evening Miss. Kent. How beautiful you look this evening!"  At first, Angel thought that the comment came from Tyler's lips, but he was only smiling. When she looked next to him and spotted Daniel standing beside him, she realized that the compliment must have come from him. Angel bowed her head slightly,  "Thank you, sir, you look real fine in your duds as well. Would that be the new addition from Thomas Lester?"

 Dan smiled and nodded, "Indeed it is."  When Angel looked to the woman who was standing next to him and holding tight to his arm, she wondered who she might be. Daniel smiled at Angel, then he turned to the woman, and taking her hand, Dan began to make introductions. "Allow me to present to you my bride to be, Lady Aspen Lennox."  Angel curtsied. "It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance... Aspen?"

 The lady in question was a beauty. She had obsidian black wavy curls, large emerald green eyes, and olive-tinged skin. She was dressed in a lavender silk gown that complimented her complexion. And upon her neck was a string of diamond and black pearls. What a lucky guy, Daniel would make if he did indeed marry her. When Angel was finished admiring Aspen; she smiled at her. Aspen smiled back and grabbing a hold of Angel's gloved hand, she shook it with intense enthusiasm. 

       "It's my pleasure to finally meet you, Angel. Daniel told me about you... How on meeting Tyler, that you garnered his attention right away with your beauty. Angel blushed.  "Oh, I wouldn't exactly put it that way, it wasn't me... rather it was my little boy. Cameron rolled into him, and that was when I happened to meet Lord Steele. Aspen giggled behind her fan, "There is no need to use titles and other proper mannerisms when it is the four of us speaking. Society can go to hell, for all that I care." Daniel cleared his throat and lightly nudged her, "My darling, you really must control your temper and speech, especially around crowds as big as this one. You know how they like to gossip." 

Aspen slapped her fan against Dan's lapel, "Oh, poo. Don't be so stiff and stuffy my love. We all can't mimic the boring and groundless rules of London society!" Angel laughed lightly as she watched the two love birds banter back and forth. In a whisper, Tyler leaned into her and explained to Angel the reason for Aspen's unique way of speaking. He explained that Aspen was the granddaughter of an American and Irish mixed Baron. Her Grandparents were one of the Irish Aristocrat families who were also in the trade industries. Baron Angus and Baroness Lonnie Lennox had arrived and settled in Ireland just a few months after Tyler and Daniel's Parents and they settled their estate right beside Daniel Wolfe's residence. So as the children were growing up, they all played together because they happened to be neighbors. After the birth of Aspen and the premature death of her parents, Aspen was raised by her grandparents. Having no male grandchildren before the birth of Aspen and the premature death of both his son and daughter-in-law, Angus trained his granddaughter in the running of the Cotton Gin factories. To help out her husband, Lonnie Lennox took over the ownership of her husband's Merchant Ships and trained her granddaughter the operations of running them. So clearly while she was learning the tools of the trade, her grandparents didn't really care to teach her the proper way to speak to the London gentry. Of course, while Aspen grew into adulthood, Lonnie knew that Aspen would marry Daniel Wolfe since she arranged it after her birth.

 Lonnie wanted Aspen to also learn how to be a good wife to her future husband, so she also arranged Aspen to have some lessons with an English governess to teach her some common London courtesies, along with some vocabulary lessons. But her governess Miss Sibyl White, soon realized that Aspen had no interest in learning the proper way she should conduct herself in front of the London gentry. She eventually gave up and concluded that Aspen was unique. While Tyler was speaking to her, Angel looked up and saw all the weird stares that they were receiving from some of the groups of the young guests. She was wondering why they were staring at them when she overheard Tyler say the word 'outcast'. God, she hated that word. Angel gave Tyler a startled look, "Why do they call her an outcast?" 

Tyler explained that to the many opinions of Londoners; Irish gentry was not totally suitable to socialize with the true blue blood of London gentry. They weren't accepted in most balls but were still tolerated. Deep inside her, Angel felt insulted. She wasn't insulted by Tyler, rather she was insulted by the opinions of the rest of the London gentry and their attitude towards the Irish. Angel and her family were also born in Ireland, so quite a lot of Irish blood flowed through her veins too. She shrugged that thought aside though because no matter what others thought about her and her family, Angel was still herself. She was Angel Grace Kent; A respected and genteel lady of this boorish London society.