It has become a tradition of the Louis family, if they always have a dance party in the middle of summer. This dance party will be different from previous years, because Lord Albert Louis, the Duke of Hamilton plans to join in on matchmaking hunts and compete with other nobles.
Albert called his servant, Simon, to record all the invited guests, namely nobles and women who were deemed fit for marriage. He also asked about the preparations for the dance.
"Are you going to invite all the London women to the dance you are going to have?" asked Simon, Albert's loyal servant.
"Of course, I want to see all London women and look for the best of them all, to make her Lady Louis," Albert replied.
"Does your invitation also apply to Miss Annabelle Taylor?"
"What happened to Miss Annabelle Taylor that you asked me? Is she a special woman?"
"It's not like that, My Lord. On the contrary. Miss Taylor hardly comes to any of the dances because of her status as a tainted woman. Miss Taylor has always been the subject of ridicule by the ladies, so she chose to ignore all invitations that came to her. Increasingly, no more invitations were sent to him."
"How did you know the story about Miss Annabelle Taylor in such detail?"
"This has been a hot rumor for the past few years, My Lord."
"Unfortunately, I never heard of it. Then, is there a written rule that tainted women are not allowed to come to my dance, until you have to ask me?"
"No, My Lord. There was never such a rule."
"Then, invite him! Who knows, there will be a nobleman or a landlord who will glance at him."
"But what if she doesn't come?"
"Do I seem to care if she comes or not? She's not my special guest."
"Yes, you don't need to care about it. My Lord, I will invite Miss Taylor."
After Simon disappeared from before him, Albert looked out of the castle. He was sure, no woman would miss the dance party. Moreover, rumors about him had spread all over London, if it was Lord Albert Louis who was looking for a companion.
***
A black carriage bearing the Louis family crest entered the Taylor family estate. Griselda, the Taylor family's butler, dressed in long dark clothes, dashed hurriedly to greet someone who came. In a long time, no chariot belonging to a nobleman had entered the Taylor family estate. After Lord Taylor died and Lady Taylor became ill, Miss Annabelle began to shut herself off from the landlords' gathering.
Especially with the rumors circulating that Miss Annabelle was a tainted woman, making her an excuse not to attend every dance invitation that came to her.
Annabelle was not like a princess sitting elegantly in her residence. She spent time in his garden and on his ranch, mingling with the servants there. After a sad year, when she had to confess what she didn't do. Annabelle was never seen again in a ball gown. A pretty dress that puffed up at the bottom with a bodice that made her body very beautiful, tucked away neatly in her wooden wardrobe.
Griselda missed Annabelle wearing that dress. Riding her horse carriage, sitting in the back in an emerald green dress that would make her even more beautiful. Get off the train with charm, which makes him hunted by nobles without seeing the status that makes his name tarnished.
That was what made Griselda very happy, when she saw the Louis family horse-drawn carriage approaching her. With great enthusiasm he welcomed the messenger.
"We invited Miss Annabelle Taylor to the dance to be hosted by Lord Albert Louis, Duke of Hamilton. We are looking forward to Miss Taylor's arrival," said Simon when delivering the invitation.
"Thank you, Mr. Simon. Is it true that Lord Louis is looking for his bride?" asked Griselda curiously.
"Looks like rumors are spreading too fast, Madame Griselda. I hope, Miss Annabelle gets her soulmate there."
"Yes, I also hope that Mr. Simon. Thank you for the invitation," said Griselda when she accepted the invitation.
After Simon left, Griselda looked at the brownish colored invitation in her hand. The invitation is the color of the summer sawdust, with a beautifully tied ribbon. When opening it, at the top you can see the symbol of Louis's triumph, while at the bottom you can see the gold ink signature of Lord Albert Louis, Duke of Hamilton.
Griselda excitedly ran to the farm to find Annabelle, holding onto an invitation from Lord Louis. Griselda's eyes swept across the farm, but she didn't find it. As she turned around, from a distance he saw a shiny black horse galloping fast. A woman in white horseback is seen sitting on it.
Several times, the horse jumped over the bars in front of him. The woman controls the horse well. When her blue eyes saw Griselda standing on the edge of the ranch, the woman approached her on her horse.
"What are you doing here, Griselda?" asked the beautiful woman who remained on her horse.
"Lord Albert Louis, Duke of Hamilton invited you to his ball, this is an invitation from him," said Griselda excitedly.
"Throw away the invitation, I won't come to the party," Annabelle replied without looking at the invitation Griselda was holding.
"I heard that Lord Albert Louis, this year will participate in a matchmaking hunt with other nobles. You can try it and make yourself Lady Louis."
"Don't make me laugh Griselda. A Duke won't even glance at me. "
"You are very beautiful, anyone will be fascinated by you. Don't listen to the ladies who make fun of you, they're just jealous of your beauty."
"Thank you for your compliment Griselda, no matter how beautiful, I am just a tainted woman. No one wants to be with me. "
"You are not contaminated, I can be a witness of it. If necessary I will come to Lord Albert Louis's castle to say if you are not polluted. "
"And that means you will tarnish Eloise's name. Don't ever do that Griselda! Eloise has a bright future with Lord Sebastian. Meanwhile, I'm already happy to be with you here. "
As if not listening to Annabelle's words, Griselda said,
"I will save the invitation for you. There are still a few more days for you to prepare. I will bring back your beautiful dress. I would love it if you put on the corset again and look elegant, not in men's clothes like you are wearing now. "
Annabelle shook her head, responding to Griselda's stubborn attitude. For Annabelle, Griselda is like her own mother, making her unable to get angry with this woman.
"It's up to you Griselda, replace me if necessary to attend the Lord Albert Louis dance. Looks like you really like the Duke," said Annabelle who then pulled the bridle of the horse she was riding on.
Annabelle brought her horse back galloping and into the woods on the side of her estate. It was there that Annabelle often spent time with her horse and be herself. Without having to act like a lady with rules that sometimes she can't obey. As the horse ran faster and faster, Annabelle would be even happier, she kept on galloping her horse, cutting through the familiar forest.
Suddenly someone grabbed him from behind. He is screaming,
"Beat me if you can!"
This scream made Annabelle challenged, and they quickly started chasing her horse. As if she had a balanced opponent, Annabelle smiled happily. With his maximum strength, he defeated the rider several times but then fell behind again.
When it reached the edge of the abyss, Annabelle immediately stopped her horse. Unfortunately the winner of the race is still the stranger. They stared at each other, Annabelle could see a pair of golden brown eyes that were so clear and shiny. Like a river that cuts through the forest behind them.
Meanwhile, the man was quite surprised to find out that he was racing against a woman. The pair of blue eyes seemed to drown it.
"Who are you?" asked the man.
Instead of answering the man's question, Annabelle said,
"Thank you for the race, My Lord."
After saying that, Annabelle got back on her horse and disappeared into the forest.
Those golden brown eyes stared at Annabelle's departure with both curiosity and admiration.