We’ve barely made it halfway through the ball, but my legs already started to protest. Edith’s and my dancing cards were completely full and I couldn’t possibly bear to stand yet another dance. I was completely parched from the constant exercise and the heat that hung in the room like a suffocating mist.

“May I jump in, My Lord?” Jared smiled at my dancing partner, a young Lord from Yorkshire.

“Of course. It was a pleasure meeting you, Lady Ashlyn. May I be so brazen to ask you one more question before our ways part, My Lady?” He smiled kindly before he dropped my hand.

“Of course, Lord Aidan,” my cheeks flamed since I wasn’t used calling a Lord like him by his first name. Upon his persistence I caved to the idea of using more of an informal way of address.

“May I ask, would it be too impulsive if I’d call on you tomorrow after luncheon? I was thinking we could ride to Kensington Gardens; I hear the flowers are quite lovely this time of year,” he must’ve detected the shock in my gaze as he hurriedly continued. “Of course, you won’t go unchaperoned, I am certain your aunt would be glad to accompany us,” he awkwardly babbled as droplets of sweat started to trickle down his forehead.

“Lord Aidan,” I interrupted his torment, politely smiling at his nervous expression. “I would be delighted.”

He was by far the most enjoyable dance partner I had this evening. Bonnie and Alison were right, all the men were young, rich and devilishly handsome, but also conceited and self-righteous. Talking to no end about fashion and ever so quickly depleting riches as they wasted it on meaningless extravagant goods. But Lord Aidan seemed different, he appeared thoughtful and compassionate.

He humbly lowered his head. “I’ll be looking forward to our meeting tomorrow, Lady Ashlyn. My Lord,” he acknowledged Jared and stepped away from us.

“Lord Aidan?” Jared’s smile slipped for a moment. I intently studied his face, trying to decipher what the sudden change in his expression meant. His look was grim, his mouth pressed into a hard line. “Why settle on him? He isn’t good looking enough nor rich like the others.”

“He is well spoken and polite. In fact, he is one of the gentlemen I liked the most.”

He stood silently as if pondering over my words. Suddenly his troubled expression shifted into his usual radiance. “I believe you promised me this Waltz, Lady Ashlyn,” Jared smiled. Without waiting for an answer, he extended his hand and positioned it on the small of my back.

I nervously bit my lip as I placed my left hand on his shoulder, almost afraid to touch him. He was too close for my liking, his scent accelerating my already erratic heartbeat, making me fear he would somehow sense it.

We started to move in unison when we heard the first notes of the sweet melodic symphony. He was an exquisite dancer, leading me around the ballroom with an astonishing grace and confidence. He spun me effortlessly to the mounting notes of the Strauss’s composition with my slippers fluidly gliding against the polished surface of the mosaic.

I was still painfully aware of his closeness and tried to avoid his eyes which unnervingly bored into mine. His hand adjusted on my waist before he pulled me closer to his body.

“Ashlyn,” he breathed into my ear and I was positive that I would lose my footing if he wouldn’t have held me tight.

I cleared my throat, feeling the heat spreading from my neck up to my cheeks.

For Christ’s sake! He was my best friend; I should be used to his antics by now. We’d danced like this countless of times, but today was somehow different - more intimate.

“Jared?” I finally allowed myself to look into his bright eyes. I knew this was a huge mistake, one I had no luxury to afford. My heart was already lost to him and I felt my self-control and good judgment slowly slipping out of my grasp.

“You look lovely tonight,” he smiled and twirled me under his arm.

I couldn’t help but to beam widely at his compliment, ignoring my mind which chastised my hopeless naivety. “Thank you, Jared, you look quite handsome yourself.”

“Can I call on you tomorrow after breakfast time?” He suddenly blurted out.

“I …” His hasty inquiry came no less than a surprise, since I realized he had no intentions of courting a Lady of a lower station – especially without a sizable dowry. It was not necessarily what he wanted, but rather what was expected of him.

I sensed the trembling of his body right before he burst into laughter. “Don’t look so startled Ashlyn, it was only a jest.”

Treacherous tears prickled my eyes, disclosing the hurt in my heart. I couldn’t believe he would joke about such things. He apparently didn’t understand how much I wanted and hoped for him to ask me this exact question. But even if he’d be sincere, Papa would never encourage nor allow us to continue our relationship. My feelings toward him were futile.

“I am glad you find this amusing,” I spat, looking at everything else but him. The previous excitement morphed into weariness and at last into relief when the Waltz ended. The dissipating notes of the melody gave me a reason to excuse myself and an opportunity to run away from him as far as the room allowed.

I left him standing there as I hurried off the dance floor and joined Alison who lingered near the wall.

It took a moment for me to compose my erratic mind before I addressed her. “Lady Alison, where is Edith?”

“I believe she is quite taken with His Grace Andrew.” The corners of her mouth quirked up as she tilted her head in the direction of the twirling couple.

Edith’s face radiated with happiness as she eagerly cranked up her neck to take in his every word. There was a complete fascination in her wide, luminous eyes whenever they rested on his face.

“I hope this isn’t a mistake,” I admitted, worried about the well-being of my best friend. She was a type of a person who falls in love too easily and too fast.

Alison sighed next to me. “Well, I don’t know what to tell you, Lady Ashlyn. I cannot promise you that he will be the one to marry her. He has never asked for a Lady’s hand before nor has he settled for one for that matter. Like Jared he is much more interested in...” She lowered her voice and hurriedly looked around. “Well, light shirts.”

Speaking of the devil - Jered made his way over to us, slowed down by the gossipy ladies and their insistent mothers who battled over his attention. Nevertheless, they were a welcoming distraction as I didn’t want to face him nor the questioning looks he kept throwing my way.

“Excuse me, I think I need a glass of water. I’ll be at refreshments table.”

Alison watched me curiously, her eyes darting from me to Jared, but she remained silent.

Swiftly and absentmindedly I made my way to the lavishly filled table. I grabbed a glass of water, overjoyed to finally quench the horrible thirst burning in my throat. I took a large gulp, but the unexpected potency of the strange liquid turned my insides into a fiery explosion. My eyes watered and I fought against the sudden and potentially very embarrassing coughing fit. “Heavens! What is this?” I lifted the glass to my nose, sniffing its questionable contents.

I heard a low amused chuckle. “My Lady, you cannot be possibly drinking whiskey?”

My insides froze when I spotted the familiar figure standing beside me – precisely the one I was warned about.