An heiress to one of Britain's most impressive fortunes, Cordelia Gardiner has always done what her strict father expects her to, manage the estate, host dinners, mind her manners. After years of adhering to his demanding expectations, however, Cord...
Cordelia swirled the cocktail in her glass lazily as she examined the ballroom in front of her. Ladies' skirts swirled and swished before her, and men's shining shoes stepped in time to the music. She rolled her eyes, and slumped back in her seat. While the band's music was lively and jovial, Cordelia felt as if she was anything but.
From across the room, William Bishop was smiling to her as he sipped his drink, forcing Cordelia to try not to roll her eyes even harder than before. As charming and handsome as Loddington's newest guest was, all Cordelia saw when she looked at William was a ploy of her father's to marry into the Bishop's immense wealth and impeccable reputation. Cordelia missed Charles, it was as simple as that. No attractive heir standing before her could make her forget.
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William glided through the room on his long legs towards her. She saw her father standing on the other side of the room paying their interaction close attention. Lord Alfred has been acting this way since she returned from London to find the Bishops making themselves quite at home at Loddington. His efforts to match Cordelia up were exhausting and frankly, humiliating. Despite Cordelia confessing to Alfred her feelings for Charles, he forced her to bid Charles goodbye at Lord Elderwood's, and off the two of them went.
Her daydreaming was interrupted by William who was now standing right in front of her. "You look like you could use a drink," he said, flashing her a blindingly white smile. Cordelia didn't return his smile, however. Instead, she laughed darkly and looked seriously up into his blue eyes.
"You're very kind, sir, but I've already got a drink," she said bluntly. "You're a little too late."
"No no no, you misunderstand, my lady, I meant a real drink." He grabbed her gloved hand and pulled her from her seated position towards the bar. Cordelia noticed many of the couples they'd walked by on the dance floor looking towards them as they came through. Elizabeth, who was also in attendance this evening, shot Cordelia a shocked stare. In response to this, Cordelia merely shrugged. William could try all he wanted to win her over, but until she was reunited with Charles, her heart would remain as hard as stone.
"Two glasses of your smoothest, most expensive scotch please," William asked the bartender, who's eyes widened when he saw Cordelia grab the glass of the amber liquid. Cordelia took a sip and wanted to spit it out immediately, but held it in when she saw William start to laugh at her reaction. "You'll get used to it," he said, and Cordelia noticed how irritating his cocky shrug and smirk were.
"You think you're so great," she said, taking another sip of the scotch, this time the spirits went down a lot smoother than before. To her surprise, William responded to her insult with yet another smug smile.
"Oh absolutely," he said as he nodded and took a large gulp of his own drink. "I believe I'm justified, though." This earned William a strong eye roll from Cordelia.
"I'm familiar with men like yourself-more familiar than I'd prefer," Cordelia started, "you think that your abundance of money can make up for your lacking of personality."
"Is that so?" He asked, a dark eyebrow shooting up on his tan face.
"It cannot, I'm afraid," she said, taking a sip of the drink she was learning to like. "Thanks for the drink, but I'm afraid I have a party to mope through," and with that, she started walking away.
"Has Charlie Heyworth torn a hole in your heart so deep you can't even feign good manners?" He called out from behind her. His words caused Cordelia to inhale sharply, and several of the party-goers that were close to the bar stared at them with their mouths agape.
"Tread lightly, William. The ice you're skating on is dreadfully thin," she said, setting her glass down for the bartender to refill. She shot him one of her darkest stares, and was surprised that he didn't even flinch.
"Is this what's come of the magnificent Lady Cordelia Gardiner?" He said, gesturing to her small frame hunched over the counter of the bar. "I heard you are a great lady, a benevolent hostess, and your reputation impeccable. Now look at you," he said, snobbishly placing his hands in his suit pockets.
Cordelia's face flushed from feeling the stares of everyone in their vicinity, but also from William's unbelievably harsh words. Now it was her turn to drag her guest, and this time she brought him out to the veranda where Malcolm had attacked her all those months ago. "What is this?" She hissed through her teeth.
"I'm afraid I don't understand," he said mischievously. He took another sip of his drink, then placed it down beside a potted plant that was resting on the bannister. With a cringe, Cordelia tried to forget what happened to the last potted plant when she was on this very same veranda.
"Why come here, hmm? To my estate, to my father's ball, just to be a...to be a...an arse!" She tried looking up into his light blue eyes but couldn't stand how marvelous their coloring was. "Excuse my behavior and subsequent language Lord Bishop, but just go home if you think I'm some frigid, damaged mess."
He shuffled his feet in their shiny shoes a little closer to her, and Cordelia noticed, but she didn't back away. "For the record, Cordelia, I never called you frigid, damaged, or a mess."
"Then what are you trying to gain by staying here, huh? Acting like this?" He moved in a little closer then, and yet Cordelia's feet never moved away from his.
"Is your heart too lofty of an aspiration?" Cordelia laughed abruptly, but when she noticed that there was no humor on his face or in his voice she stopped.
"You must be joking, everyone knows my heart belongs to another," she said curtly.
"That's where you're wrong, yet again," he started, tucking a stray hair behind her dainty ears. "Everyone believes your heart is hidden away, made of stone. I don't think this is true. You've asked me why I've come, and I'll tell you." He swallowed before he continued speaking, and Cordelia couldn't believe what she was hearing.
"I think you're exquisite, Cordelia, and I think you gave your heart to another far too quickly. Give me a chance to show you where it truly belongs," he said. With that, he grabbed the side of her face and leaned in. Cordelia straightened up when she felt his lips on hers, but then she began to move with him and relax.
Every fiber of her being was telling her to pull away, that this wasn't right, but it was as though her lips were cemented to William's, and eventually, the voices that rang out angrily in her head ceased their yelling.
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"That," he said, pulling away from her after several minutes, "was what I came for."
**A/N: SO??? what do you guys think of William? I love a good love triangle, what about you? Leave your comments below and don't forget to vote and share this story if you're enjoying it!
