When she arrived home, hoping to retire to her bedroom immediately and call it a day, she bumped into her father, who was way more reluctant about her attendance at the ball than Lauren ever was.
Ever since the demise of her mother, Ember had always had to depend on her father for whatever it was, and he had never disappointed her. In fact, he goes the extra mile to ensure that she is indeed comfortable in her skin.
Despite all attempts to convince her father that she was better off laying on her bed throughout the night while the ball proceeded, she had adhered to her father's stubborn request to attend the ball.
Although, she didn't fail to grab her Cape.
She had planned to stick around for the first thirty minutes of the ball and sneak out when no one was watching. Well, it wasn't like anyone except Lauren would give a damn about her. And, Lauren, who might give a damn about her, would be too focused on dancing with the Duke.
About that, she had hoped to be out of the hall before it came to watching that.
She immediately found a corner the minute she walked into the fancy hall of the ball, with her Cape on, avoiding dreadful gazes thrown her way.
Her father had forced her into a carriage and strictly warned the coachman to return only when he had watched his daughter make it into the hall of the Ball.
Ember stood by a corner halfway through the ball, avoiding weird gazes, grabbing champagne flutes from passing severs, munching on Cupcakes, and most especially, watching the Duke as he enjoyed the party.
At first, she attempted to avoid his gaze by looking everywhere but at him. But, when she confirmed that his attention was rather fixated on every other thing in the room but her, she decided to keep her focus on him, observing him and watching every one of his moves.
From every word from his full lips to the deepening of his dimple as he laughed during conversations with guests.
If anyone at the ball had perhaps taken their sweet, precious time to notice her, they'd tell right away that she was obsessed with the Duke.
No, she was madly in love with him.
She was in love with his gorgeous, dimpled smile. She was in love with his sexy baritone. She was in love with his oceanic captivating gaze. She was in love with his strong arms and how they had caught her and held her still back in the carriage, the night of their first encounter
On that windy night, her first encounter with the Duke, the carriage had stumbled into a pothole and immediately sent her flying. Luckily, the Duke had immediately caught her in his strong arms and whispered to her, "Are you hurt?" biting his lower lip thereafter.
She wanted that lips on her. She craved a taste of it. She wanted a bite of—
Ember halted her dirty thoughts when she realized the Duke's attention was no longer on the men he was chatting with, they were now on her. His gaze regarded her with interest, both his hands held behind him.
Oh hell! He had caught her staring like an obsessed freak.
Ember, with a flushed face and parted lips, immediately swirled away from him, grabbing a champagne flute from a passing server and takes a deep gulp.
She fanned herself thereafter, in an attempt to send away the heat on her face.
What if he had seen the scar on her face? She fought so hard to hide it from him. And, even in the carriage on their first encounter, he couldn't see it because it was too dark and she had done well to hide it beneath her Cape.
Ember felt the urge to find the Duke's gaze again. Perhaps, he had approached a servant to have her thrown out. Or, he continued ignoring her like the plague that she was.
However, it was neither of those things.
The Duke had not taken his gaze off her. And, he now stared at her with lust, turning deaf ears to every word said by the men that stood before him.
Could he have recognized her and couldn't believe that she was this hideous? No, that didn't explain his lustful gaze and how they stared at her like it was a knife piercing through her skin.
Ember immediately reverted her gaze, dashing out of the hall to get fresh air.
As soon as she was out of the hall, she took her Cape off and allowed the cool night breeze to hit her flushed face.
A few people cast her glares, but she gave zero fucks. The Duke just regarded her lustfully!
It was still a hard fact to comprehend, or maybe she was hallucinating.
Once she was done gathering herself, Ember walked back into the party, her Cape draped back on.
The Duke was no longer in his previous position. He was dancing,
…with Lauren.
Her heart sank. She quickly turned away from the scenario, fighting the tears that threatened to spill.
She had hallucinated. Definitely!
Ember had watched the Duke reject every girl's request to dance, throughout the night. But, he had accepted Lauren's in a heartbeat!
Was her fear coming to pass?
Oh, dummy! Of course, it would. Lauren was one of the most beautiful spinsters in Belmont, and Duke Dallas was the most handsome bachelor. There she had it, a perfect match.
As she prepared to make it out of the hall, she felt a tap on her shoulder.
She turned around, facing a beaming Lauren.
Of course, she should be excited. Ember swallowed, hoping her friend wouldn't realize that the smile on her face was far from being genuine.
"Is your dance card full?"
Was she mocking her? She knew she never requested dance cards at balls because no man had ever approached her for a dance.
"I don't have one."
Ember managed to answer through gritted teeth.
"Great! Go to the garden once another dance session starts. The Duke wishes to meet you there."
What?