Lady March - (L.L.)

Chapter 04

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Dancing in Daydreams

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Frost grew over the windows even as the duvet kept Annie warm. She watched the ice-crystals grow for a while, which allowed her brain to be empty, content to exist and be. The morning would bring the beauty of the ice for sure, that crunch under a boot and the bold greeting cold air brought. Yet between now and watching her breaths rise as new white-puffed clouds, there would be a freezing night. The kind that only stopped at the doors of the well-made houses.

She closed her eyes, taking in the warmth. It would be her first Christmas in a few hours without her Father. Ever since the shocking accident that took the life of her Mother and younger sister, her Father made sure to never leave her side. That was until an urgent meeting in America caused her to move away so quickly.

Temporarily, she reminded herself. Soon, she'd be back home with all her dollies and paintings.

So they continued to dance and spin. The lights were twinkling with every step as Annie spun in delicate circles, her dark dress billowing out. She used to love things like this, the pressure of a warm hand on her back and the feeling of her small agile feet gliding along the floor. She had always felt like a small bird learning how to fly, flailing around and finally taking off with outstretched wings and windswept feathers.

The inaudible music spun around them, lifting away gravity. Annie couldn't count how many times she had squished Laurie's foot under her own. Still, he smiled brightly as their heels clicked over the ballroom floor. He watched as her hair spun out and bounced more with each move and beat.

It was just her, Laurie, and the night sky.

It was only when she accidentally bumped into a nearby wall and tripped over, did she finally realize just how much fun she was having. He attempted to catch her fall, but much to his dismay, she had already tipped over.

"My lady-" Laurie urged, holding out a hand for her to take. She gladly accepted, a light chuckle escaping her mouth.

Standing up, Annie brushed off the non-existent dust from her beige dress and smiled at the floor, far too embarrassed to meet his hazel eyes.

"That was quite the dance," he began. "I don't believe I caught your name, though."

Annie looked up to meet his eyes. To her surprise, he was staring right back at her. "Perhaps because I haven't told you it yet."

Laurie laughed, his cheeks were still rosy pink from the tiring activity from earlier. "Well, there's a start to everything!" He exclaimed and lazily curtsied in-front of her. "They call me Laurie, my lady."

Annie gave him a knowing look. "And...your real one?"

It surprised him at her accusation and wondered how she was so quick to realize that he didn't state his real name. It kind of intrigued him, and he wasn't sure if it was a thought he fancied. "What if I told you it is my real name?"

She leaned against the wall-post, "That's hard to believe, Mr. Laurence."

Laurie smirked at her. The previous uneasiness vanished. "You're-interesting," he said, inching a little closer.

"The good kind, I hope." Annie shifted her gaze from his fiery eyes. She was feeling a little shy. The boy was nothing like men she'd seen before. Back in France, she met a lot of potential suitors. Almost all of them were after her family's wealth and real-estate, and the one or two that were actually decent had gone for the more scantily dressed women.

Not like she had a problem with the way the women dressed; everyone had the right to feel comfortable under their own skin. It just bothered her that a lot of men were more interested in women's bodies than their personalities.

"Definitely," he added. "It's Theodore."

"That's a lovely name," Annie said, earning a smile from the curly-haired boy. "I'll call you Theo."

He raised his eyebrows in amusement. Just when he was about to say something back, she walked the opposite direction. He hurried after her but was surprised to see she was already at the door. "How about yours!?" He yelled after her, hoping she'd heard him.

Glancing back for a mere second, she smiled. "Annie."

Tucked into her cotton duvet that night, the sleep pooled on her eyelids, and the wooden building on top of the mountain was filled with the soft sounds of people sleeping. And the wind swooped up, over the heights, rushed and rustled through the tough mountain grasses, and gradually ebbed away through the crags to silence.