Romancing Rose

Chapter Three

Chapter Three

William had been more reluctant than ever to participate in yet another ball. He had attended several in his youth and none of them were getting easier. He had chose to escape the frivolities in London by escaping to the countryside. He had believed his problems to be solved the moment his rebellious sister had gone and wed. But ever since she was a married woman, she seemed to have doubled in her headstrong ways. She treated him like he too was her child. She preached to him about being a respectable uncle for little Nicholas but William was truly nonchalant to such things.

"How did you do this?" William asked Jonathan who was busy comforting his son while Charlotte made her rounds.

"Do this? I mean I had a goal." Jonathan admitted with a laugh.

"God knows why you chose my sister but bless you for it, at least I've had some nights of quiet sleep." William remarked.

Jonathan chuckled. "Simply find a lovely girl."

"You know what I do with lovely girls," William stated with a smug smirk.

"Although I was once involved in those frivolities, I'm afraid I can no longer encourage them as my dear wife has mentioned." Jonathan replied quickly as he eyed Charlotte approaching them.

"I would like to introduce Lady Langford, a dear friend of mine. Lady Langford, my brother," Charlotte ended the sentence curtly as her eyes met her brothers - behave, she seemed to command.

The girl had kept her face lowered but William was confident that she would be nothing special. Just another one of Charlotte's several friends. But the moment she lifted her face, his own emerald eyes were met with a thunderous grey. She was lovely, it seemed like he found himself a new conquest for the evening. William was quick to kiss her hand and ooze with his usual charm.

The more he stared at her eyes, the more drawn he was. Her complexion was fair but not too pale to the state of powdered unhealthiness. Her skin had a glow to it as if she had been kissed by the sun. Her dark chocolate hair was pinned up prettily together.

"Is my company a bore to you Lady Langford?" William questioned seeing how she hadn't looked him in the eye further or entertained any questions.

"Apologies for my forwardness but your company simply isn't interesting your grace." She answered dryly.

William was stunned. No woman had ever stifled his persistent charms or even dared dismiss him (aside from his sister of course.) She remained aloof but William was a stubborn man. As the song was coming to an end, he could catch a sigh of relief escape her lips as she seemed to happily waltz off to her escape.

But he wasn't going to allow it. His pride was evidently hurt.

He kept his hand clasped at her wrist which insinuated the first shift of her facial expressions. Rather than the placid demeanor she had been expressing throughout the night, this time, she looked rather irritated.

"Please let go of my wrist your grace. I am rather tired of dancing."

She was curt. But none of that was going to stop William. He had been far accustomed to his sister's unladylike conduct that he believed himself capable of handling anything.

"Then I shall join you as well. It would be disrespectful to leave one of Charlotte's friends alone for the evening without proper accompaniment."

"You needn't-"

"I insist" William assured her. He wasn't going to let out such a beautiful maiden out of his sights.

He caught the quickest furrow of her eyebrows before her expression returned to it's stony exterior.

"Pardon, but am I such an annoyance that I deserve Lady Langford's wrath?" William prodded. He was curious of her apparent distaste for him. She was definitely a friend of Charlotte's if her opinion was as sour as his own sisters.

"Sir Cecil has done no wrong upon myself but I simply do not find a fondness in associating with men of certain distasteful habits." She remarked quickly and bluntly.

William was stunned at the sharpness of her tongue. The girl had no qualms of running in circles or playing games with him.

"Well aren't you charming," he muttered under his breath. "I can really sense your lovely character beneath that visage of yours."

Rose turned her head to meet him straight in the eye. "I am charming toward the right people sir, and you certainly are not one."

"I doubt it," William taunted back.

Rose knew full well of the schemes he was attempting. "I have nothing to prove to you. My worth is far above petty games," she held her head high up before stomping off leaving William stranded.

William was fuming in frustration as he watched the brunette turn her back. He was going to seek his revenge for his bruised ego. He'd punish her for hurting his pompous pride. 

A/N: Things are gonna get reaaaal interesting. Anyways please vote, comment! I'd love for feedback. Perhaps the next chapter will come quicker ;) until the next one!