Emily

Chapter Eleven

Allie fiddled excitedly in the carriage seat beside Nate, adjusting her hair, her gown and her gloves a few hundred times.

"Are you quite sure I look alright?" Allie muttered, looking between Nate and Emily, who was sitting across from them. They were on their way to a ball at the home of an acquaintance, Lady Spencer, who was an old widow with a sole son. Lady Spencer was incredibly fond of hosting such soirées. Cassandra and Kit were supposed to come with them, but Juliette had suddenly taken ill so they had remained at home to care for their daughter.

"As I've told you at least fifty times before," Nate said with a small huff, "You look absolutely lovely, Allie, and I'm entirely sure you know it." He would've regretted speaking to her so shortly, but she'd ignited a bit of his temper with all her fussing.

Pouting slightly, Allie remained quiet throughout the rest of their carriage drive to Lady Spencer's home, which was only four miles from their own. They were greeted by footmen and directed to the ballroom, although Nate could recall the way since they'd been there quite a few times before.

The room was decorated as most ballrooms were, and Nate didn't pay much attention to it as they were announced and Allie and Emily were handed their dance cards. He escorted both of them, with one lady on each arm, although it wasn't exactly customary to do so. Allie's good mood had suddenly restored and, before he knew what was happening, she flitted off into the crowd the moment they had reached the bottom of the staircase, and Nate groaned as he could barely catch her blonde head bobbing through those of so many others who were all milling together in a growing throng.

"Why is she so excited?" He demanded to himself, jumping as Emily snorted in response, having forgotten that she was still beside him, her arm having slipped from his grasp.

"Do you not recall young Mr. Bennett?" Emily asked, making him frown as he held out his hand and motioned for her to give him her dance card, which she did without hesitating.

"What, that boy she danced with on the day of the assembly?" Nate asked, his brow furrowing. He jotted his name down quickly beside the quadrille and the waltz. "I didn't think she'd spoken to him since."

"She asked me not to tell you this but I rather think you should know," Emily began a little seriously, and Nate met her eyes, alarmed. Was Allie keeping secrets from him? She hadn't done that in years. "But I caught her with a letter from him earlier today. They're clearly in correspondence. I don't know if it is an intrusion, but I thought it best that you know what is happening."

"Thank you for telling me." Nate said, with a bow of his head. "Allie might value her privacy and I won't deny her that, but this Mr. Bennett is quite capable of hurting her as those with whom we are first infatuated are prone to doing. I will not allow this man to break her heart."

"You won't interfere, will you?" Emily asked almost fearfully, and Nate shook his head. This was personal, something that was entirely Allie's own. If things went too far, he would certainly step in, but he would never invade her life and try to dictate it. All he would do was pick her up if ever she fell, dust her off, and tell her that everything would be perfectly alright because he would make sure it was.

"She needs to make her own mistakes every once in a while. Mr. Bennett may or may not be one of those. I'll keep her from harm, but I won't keep her from living." Nate explained, and Emily nodded just as the notes to the quadrille rang out. She allowed him to lead her to the centre of the ballroom and, just as they began dancing, her eyes lit up in excitement.

"So, you said that those we are first infatuated with tend to hurt us." She stated, before twirling and turning to face him again, "Do you speak from experience?" Her eyes held a mischievous glint to them that he wanted to keep. If it had been anyone else, he wouldn't have said a word to them, but this was Emily and he was closer to loving her than any woman ever before.