Chapter 17

Chapter 17

Edward watched Ophelia enter the ballroom, her eyes trained ahead and posture fit to perfection as she moved with the grace of a princess. No one in the ballroom could ever mistake her for anything but a lady of noble birth through her mannerisms and looks. She was perfect, in the most beautiful way.

"Lord Edward Cavendish, the Earl of Sommers, and Lady Ophelia Jennings," the butler announced, ushering them in as everyone in the ballroom turned towards them.

Edward knew everyone was simply staring at the shock of watching him escorting a young lady into a ball. Rosalina's elaborate plan had already worked since she had taken Ophelia with her on a walk to Hyde Park and introduced her to everyone present as her old friend, newly returned from France. It had not taken long before Ophelia began to receive invitations, and Edward was the perfect escort as Rosalina's cousin.

"They are all staring," Ophelia said, turning to him.

From up close, he could see the panic in her eyes, but to everyone else, she appeared calm and poised. When Edward had seen her dressed in a beautiful ocean blue gown with sequins all over it, he had not been able to remove his eyes. Her beautiful hair tied up in an elegant chignon only made her stand out even more, and he knew she looked perfect on his arm.

As if they were meant to be. It certainly felt so.

"They have every reason to stare." Edward smiled. "You look beautiful."

She turned scarlet at the compliment, her colour only rising and making her appear even more enthralling than she already was. Edward felt as if he was losing her heart to her. Rosalina had already arrived ahead of them and the moment they entered, she latched herself onto Ophelia's other arm, guiding her through the ballroom.

However, Edward immediately realized the success of their plan.

Had he been alone right now, he would have already been swamped by young ladies and their mamas, but with Ophelia on his arm, no one dared to come close. It was as if they were forced to maintain their distance even if they did not wish to, and nothing made Edward happier. This was exactly what he had been hoping for.

Shortly after they had introduced Ophelia to almost half the ton, Rosalina turned towards Edward, victory shining in her eyes, and he knew exactly what she meant.

"Yes, yes, thank you," Edward sighed, rolling his eyes as he chuckled.

"For what?" Ophelia chimed in, sipping her refreshment as she joined in their conversation.

"My plan worked. No one has approached him all night," Rosalina explained.

"Oh yes."

"Ophelia, you must not leave Edward's side at all, or else I am sure several men from the ton will begin approaching you right away," Rosalina said, and Edward knew she was right.

As much as it bothered him, he had been able to witness the looks from the gentlemen of the ton as they had seen Ophelia. She was more beautiful than most women, and it was only natural they were drawn to her, but no one would come close till Edward was beside her.

That was because Rosalina had not failed to mention to almost everyone that Edward had finally given in to his ways after taking one look at Ophelia and had decided to court her. Rosalina had made it sound like the two of them were already almost betrothed, but Edward did not care. His simple motive was being met, and that was all that mattered.

"Why?" Ophelia asked, completely confused.

"Because you are beautiful, and every man has been staring at you longingly all night."

Edward felt a sharp pain in his chest at the information, not wanting to know about it any further. He could not understand why he felt jealous when he was not even courting Ophelia in truth, and it was just a fa?ade. However, the thought of her being with someone else pained him, and he did not know how to navigate it.

"I highly doubt that," Ophelia replied, clearly unaware of the commotion her presence had caused.

"My darling," Rosalina began, "the men want you, and the women hate you because you have Edward on your arm. You are both the most loved and the most hated person in the entire ballroom right now. Have a little faith in your beauty."

Ophelia laughed softly but stayed quiet.

How could she be so oblivious? The trait was endearing to Edward, who had never met a woman who was this unaware of her own beauty and charm. Ophelia was innocent. Everything about her was simple.

Despite that, she had fit into the ton as if she belonged there. She had answered every question she had been asked about France with such confidence and poise that no one could tell she had never even been there. Edward could see how she had actually read the books she had borrowed and had in-depth knowledge of Europe and the customs and heritage of each place.

She simply fit into everything like a lost puzzle.

As if she was truly a part of the ton and being a nanny was the lie. What surprised him even more was how her presence only made him feel lighter and calmer, as if everything in the world was just right. He hated himself a little less with her around him, as if she was taking all the pain and guilt he felt away with her.

He felt happier.

"I shall take your word for it," Ophelia replied.

Edward looked up as several couples began to make their way towards the dance floor. The first set was about to play, and he extended his hand towards Ophelia as if it was the most natural thing to do. The other day, when they danced in his drawing room, it definitely felt natural, and he wished to experience something similar in the ballroom as well.

"May I have the pleasure of this dance?"

Ophelia smiled. "Absolutely, My Lord."

He led her to the dance floor, his hand easily sliding around her waist as he held her other hand tightly in his palm. She was slightly shorter and petite, almost appearing fragile to Edward as if he could not clutch her too tight even if he wanted to.

"Are you having a good time?" he asked, holding her closely as they began to move to the soft music.

"I am." She nodded. "Are you?"

"Surprisingly so, yes."

He lifted her up alongside all the other couples and placed her back down after the twirl, a huge smile on Ophelia's face. He had never felt so in sync with anyone before Ophelia during a dance at a ball, but something about her just fit right with him as if they were meant to be in every way possible.

"I am glad I could play a part in it," she replied, coming in closer as they continued to dance.

Edward nodded, the pair staying quiet as Ophelia continued to stare into his eyes, her smile disappearing. He did not know what she was thinking, but he could almost feel her mood shift as her body became slightly more still during the dance, and her eyes filled with tears. Seeing her in such a position, Edward's heart sank, his worry suddenly increasing.

"Are you alright, Ophelia?"

He could see she was fighting tears.

"I am." She nodded, blinking quickly.

"You hardly look alright," he said, his tone as gentle as ever, "tell me what the matter is."

"It really is nothing, My Lord," she whispered. "You must not worry yourself on my account."

Edward knew the set was coming to an end, and he could not let Ophelia go after. He had to make sure she was okay since only moments ago, she had appeared happy, but then tears had come into her eyes. Something must have been wrong, or perhaps she had just remembered something that had brought her sadness.

"Ophelia," he whispered her name just as the music ended.

She quickly curtsied, almost running away from the dance floor. Edward turned after her, trying to follow, when Lady Alice suddenly appeared out of nowhere, blocking Edward's path. He had every intention of pushing her out of the way, but within the ballroom with so many eyes on them, he knew he could not be improper. Although, he could think of nothing else but Ophelia, who had run towards the open glass doors of the balcony.

"My Lord," Lady Alice's falsely sweetened voice forced him to look at her, and he had to force himself to breathe to get calmer, "you must at least look at me while I am standing before you."

"I have to be somewhere, Lady Alice," he said curtly, "I will talk to you later."

"You will hurt me very much if you move from here," she replied, "as if you haven't hurt me enough already tonight."

"Pardon me?"

"Everyone in the ballroom believes you are wooing that … that woman," she said snidely, hatred dripping from her face.

She disgusted Edward.

"That woman is Lady Ophelia Jennings, and you must learn to be respectful, Lady Alice, or else this conversation is pointless."

"I hardly believe she is fit for your company, My Lord."

"I do not remember asking for your opinion, Lady Alice," he said with a false smile, trying to keep the bite out of his tone, "and she does not have my company alone but all of my attention. Believe it or not, I am courting her and wooing her."

"I thought we had established that you were to court me this Season?"

"I do not remember ever establishing that, Lady Alice," Edward replied clearly.

"You must at least dance with me, My Lord," she said, "you have ignored me all evening, and I will not be able to bear such ignorance anymore. A single dance will not be hurtful to anyone."

Edward took deep breaths, trying to remain calm despite being thoroughly annoyed at her behaviour. He knew she would not let him go until he consented, and Edward had no desire to create an unnecessary scene in the middle of the ballroom. Lady Alice had always just been one to seek attention and would do anything for it. Hence, it was best that Edward gave into her demands to rid himself of her.

And then he would find Ophelia.

"Of course, Lady Alice," he agreed, "we shall dance right now."

***

Ophelia felt horrible as she stood at one end of the balcony, still in the well-lit area but quite far away from everyone else. She needed a moment to herself to collect her wits again and not be upset about such tiny matters. However, she should not have run away from Edward with such haste, especially since she knew he was already worried about her.

Extremely so.

She had seen the concern in his eyes as her mood shifted, and she stopped herself from crying. What had even happened to her? One minute, she had been perfect, and the very next minute, she had caught herself hoping for all of it to be real and true. She had remembered how despite being Edward's equal in terms of blood line and rank, she had posed herself as somehow lower and made him see her as that.

She would never be able to have her own Season, her own ball gowns, a man who would court her for who she was. She was never going to find a suitor or make a match or fall in love or get married. That fate was not meant for her, and Ophelia both knew and understood it perfectly well, no matter how painful the truth of it was.

Despite that, she had almost broken down at the thought of it.

It is all because of Edward. Just because of him.

She had never longed for those things or wished to have any of them, except after meeting Edward because his presence in her life made her wish to be equal to him just so they could be together outside of mere pretences.

But all of it was impossible, and the sooner she accepted it, the better.

"Ophelia?"

She quickly wiped her tears, hearing his voice behind her, and not wanting to appear weak,

"Lord Cavendish," she said, turning around after she felt slightly composed.

"We already discussed how you must call me Edward if we are to make everyone believe we are courting."

"Edward." She managed to smile.

"Would you please tell me what happened back there on the dance floor? I am worried for you, Ophelia." She looked up at him, his concern towards her making her heart even softer, but she controlled herself. She could not break down before him once again.

"I simply started missing home," Ophelia lied, "I thought of my sisters who would love to be in a ballroom such as this and could not help missing them. I am sorry if I got you worried; that was never my intention."

"You must never apologize," he immediately said, stepping a little closer, and Ophelia looked up at him.

"I won't," she said with a smile, "thank you for fetching me and making sure I am doing okay. Your concern is very heartwarming, and I feel privileged to have it for myself."

"Your emotions matter to me, Ophelia," Edward replied, "always remember that."

Her heart skipped a beat.

"Can we return home?"

"Absolutely," he said. "You must stay here while I fetch the carriage, and I will send Rosalina to get you, and we can return together. Is that alright?"

"Of course," Ophelia replied, watching him walk away quickly.

The moment Edward left, Ophelia felt a tap on her shoulder from the other side, a little surprised to find Lady Alice standing there. She had an instinctive reaction to hide her face in case Alice recognized her, but she knew that would only make her appear suspicious.

"Who are you?" Lady Alice asked, confusing Ophelia even further.

It was clear she did not remember Ophelia. How was that even possible?

"Lady Rosalina's cousin, Ophelia Jennings," Ophelia replied good-naturedly, despite the hatred and disdain dripping from Ophelia's face, "and you?"

"It does not matter who I am, but you must remember that I entered Lord Cavendish's life far before you did, and his entire family knows me. Rosalina and I happen to be friends, and Edward and I share a deep friendship and understanding. You cannot return from France one day and decide to claim Edward as your own!"

It all made sense. Alice was jealous.

"I never did any such thing," Ophelia replied. "Edward took one look at me and decided to court me. Clearly, even after knowing you for years, he does not think you are good enough or worthy of being his wife."

"Do not forget your place!" Alice almost shouted, belatedly realizing how they were in a ballroom and she needed to control both her voice and her manners.

Despite her insane ramblings, Ophelia remained calm. Alice hardly had any effect on her.

"Lady Alice, do you want something from me, or are you only here to try to establish your place somehow. Are you truly that insecure?"

"You must stop deluding yourself with my shortcomings when only you are delusional since you think Edward is going to court you. He fancies you for two days and will move on soon, and he is going to return to me, so please do not think you have won because Edward is mine."

"Are you done, Alice?" Rosalina asked, emerging through the glass doors and standing beside Ophelia.

"Oh, Rosalina," Alice said, suddenly appearing guilty.

Ophelia was glad about Rosalina's arrival, saving her the trouble of replying since this entire conversation was entirely nonsensical. Ophelia had no desire to get involved in a match of power over who deserved Edward more. She knew how completely Edward disliked Alice. If anyone was deluding themselves, it was Alice.

"I have told you a million times before that Edward has no interest in courting you, Alice," Rosalina said, sounding curt, "I do not know why you fail to believe it or if you are just unable to understand what I am saying, but I can assure you. Try all you want; you are never going to win here because it is Edward who has never been interested in marrying you. The sooner you accept that and move onto someone else, the better it will be."

Ophelia stared at Alice, knowing she would not be able to move on anytime soon. The desperation she felt was marked all over her face.

"You clearly do not know what you are talking about," Lady Alice said, turning around and scurrying away in a hurry.

Rosalina and Ophelia looked at one another before bursting into laughter, the entire scene being completely hilarious.

"I am sorry she reached you in this manner. Had I known, I would have stopped her," Rosalina said, and Ophelia quickly shook her head.

"It hardly matters."

"Edward told me you are not feeling alright. The carriage is waiting; let's head back home."

Ophelia laced her arms with Rosalina as they made their way out of the ballroom together, and at least at that moment, everything felt right again.