A carriage ride trough Willingden

The ball

Charlotte tried to relax in the bathtub and look forward to the ball. But her thoughts kept wandering back to Mr Sidney Parker and the tension he created in her. Earlier with Grumpy, it was almost strange like a distant dream and yet so present in her mind. What would have happened if Grumpy hadn't sprayed them wet... the thought alone made her body react in this strangely strange way. This tingling and heart pounding, these feelings she had never known before Sidney Parker came into her life. She wondered if he would dance with her tonight.

Later, when Mary's girl had put her hair in a fashionable style up and put on her dress and the new blue shoes, she looked at herself one last time in the mirror and hoped that she would be asked to dance at least once. Hopefully Mr Sidney Parker would ask her. If he would like her dress?

As she entered the assembling room, Charlotte was immediately overwhelmed by the warmth, the noise and the heavy air. She met Miss Clara and Miss Esther on the dance floor after Mr Tom Parker had asked people to dance. Her gaze wandered, but she could not yet see Sidney. A slight disappointment was felt when she thought that he might not come after all.

But he came. He recognized her immediately, even though her back was to him. He almost tripped down the stairs when he couldn't take his eyes off her neck. Eagerly he greeted his brother and hoped that in the 3 seconds not some random gentleman would ask her to dance. When he and his friends finally stood in front of her and the other two, he introduced the ladies and gentlemen to each other and hoped no one had heard his voice soften as he pronounced her name. They locked eyes for a blink of an eye, but then he could only look in her direction once.

She was breathtaking.

The dress underlined her natural beauty and emphasized her femininity in such a way that Sidney thought he really had to break his oath and ask Miss Clara instead. He felt sweat breaking out and run down his spine. He swallowed, clenched his teeth and turned away.

He could not bear the thought of Crow or Babington asking her, he closed his eyes briefly when his friends chose their dancing partners. Then Sidney saw with relief that she was still standing there. Embarrassed that she was the last, she sucked her lips in and looked up at him.

She was so lovely.

Comely and cute. In this innocent white dress. Soft and young. And such a beautiful sight. Bright like the sun and shy. But also overwhelming. Sensual. Alluring. It almost broke him. But...

Her eyes.

He sank into them and never wanted to dive to the surface again. What did she do to him?

He had already lost. He was lost. In her.

Without taking his eyes off her he bowed and she curtsied a little wobbly. Perhaps she felt the tension as well? He put himself in position. As her hand lowered onto his arm and he felt her small waist under his fingers, he heard her gasping slightly. Sidney tried to leave as much space between them as possible, but he wanted to do exactly the opposite.

Charlotte seemed uncertain in his arms. Whether it was because she hadn't danced much in Willingden or because it was with him, he couldn't say. But her shy look and uncertain smile kindled a fire in him that he could hardly supressed. He looked away and they danced around embarrassingly insecurely, twice she even stepped on his foot, but she could not apologize for it because her voice was not working.

When he stopped looking down at her, she could think again and tried to talk to him. Her voice trembled shyly but found the right words to get him to look at her again. His look was as if he had only now realized with whom he was dancing and he seemed happy when the dance was interrupted because of the arrival of Miss Lambe and the Beauforts. Charlotte was disappointed when Sidney stepped away from her as quickly as possible to greet Miss Lambe. He had already told her about his ward, so she had thought he would introduce them, but of course she was not important enough to him.