"There is no way you would stay here while we all go to the ball" Lady Catherine frowned as she looked at her niece.
The person in question sat at the vanity table as she stared back at her aunt defiantly through the mirror.
She had no reason for going to balls that were just full of gossip and people making connections.
"Leave her, Aunt Catherine, " The seemingly eldest sister Annabelle said as she adjusted her corset.
Lili took a look at her elder sister who looked gorgeous but looked like a tied shrimp.
There was no way she was going to leave her loose clothes in trade for the corset and gown her sister was wearing.
"Lili, Come with us," her younger sister, Eliana said as she spoke up from where she sat as a maid adorned her hair.
Lili took a look at her aunt in the mirror as she saw her aunt's expression change.
"Liliana, you are expected to be dressed in ten and meet us in the carriage, Sir Philip would not appreciate your lateness"
That was one reason she wanted to avoid the ball. She had to deal with Sir Philip, one of her suitors who couldn't take a clue.
He was always sending flowers like she owned a florist shop.
Her aunt walked out of the room as her sisters followed her in tow.
Liliana took a look at herself again in the mirror as she stood up and picked up the dress that was laid on the bed for her to wear.
Lili wore the various undergarments that were compulsory as she began to feel the heat. She took a look at the corset and decided to ditch it.
It was not like it was needed anyway. She put on the gown and picked a pair of brown pumps that lay in the corner of the room.
She could not wear heels which always made her feet ache. She never understood the need of them.
She was pretty tall. She was 5'7 and she did not need heels.
She let down her silver hair something that was peculiar to the House she was from.
She brushed her hair and put slicked it back in a bun and picked an ornate hairpin that was given to her by her sister for her 20th birthday.
She took a look at herself in the mirror.
The emerald gown she was wearing was pretty complimenting her green eyes which she had no idea where she had got them from.
She looked okay.
She took a deep breath as she walked out of her room and to the carriage.
The party was not in full bloom when they arrived. The first dance had not started.
She waited at the entrance as they waited for the servants to announce their arrival.
After the announcement, they walked in as Lili looked around looking for the food stand. That was the only reason she loved these balls.
They always had an ample amount of food. Aunt Catherine greeted some people that she knew as Lili used that as a means of escape.
She slowly hid behind a fat woman who was so stuck into the ball gown that it seemed as though the seams of the gown would rip.
Lili waited for some seconds to confirm if her aunt would notice her missing but her aunt was indulged in a conversation with the rest of the high society. Her sisters were waiting perfectly like they had been thought, well one. Annabelle was looking around for dukes or viscounts she could impress.
After seeing that her absence was not noticed, Lili walked to the food stand avoiding anyone that spoke to her.
She wanted to scream as she looked at the food in front of her. She smiled to herself as she decided to start with dessert.
She was three spoons in her desert as a person stood in front of her.
She looked up and she came to the face of Sir Philip. She had forgotten about him.
As Sir Philip stood before her, a confident smile plastered across his face, Liliana felt a blend of annoyance and resignation wash over her. He was tall, with dark hair that fell just so, and eyes that twinkled with an unsettling mixture of charm and determination.
She wondered if he was always this insufferable or if it was a special talent he reserved solely for her. "Ah, Lady Liliana," he began, his voice smooth like the silk of her gown. "I was beginning to think of where you could be since your aunt Catherine had informed me you were at the ball. The ball would surely dim without your light."
She swallowed the last reluctant spoonful of dessert, the sweetness suddenly turning bitter on her tongue. "Perhaps it would be better dimmed, then," she replied, with her heart hurling insults at him. "After all, it seems to attract more insects than actual light." Sir Philip chuckled, a sound that drew a few curious glances from the surrounding guests. "Insects? I assure you, my lady, I am no insect. I have come to whisk you to the dance floor." Liliana raised an eyebrow, crossing her arms defiantly.
"And I have come to enjoy my dessert in peace. If you aim to be the lively gentleman of the evening, might I suggest you try a different partner?" "Why ever would I do that?" he asked, stepping closer, his gaze unwavering. "You are the only lady worth dancing with this evening. I daresay, we could set the floor ablaze."
Just then, Annabelle and Eliana glided over, the former's eyes narrowing as she took in the scene. "Oh, Sir Philip," Annabelle interjected, her tone teasing. "I see you've found our dear Lili. Surely you will convince her to join the festivities?"
Liliana shot her sister an admonishing look, but Annabelle merely winked and sidestepped to the side, leaving her with the persistent suitor.
"Come now, Lili," he persisted, his eyes glimmering with challenge. How she wished to burst that bubble he was in.
"One dance. If you still wish to retreat to your sweets afterward, shall not protest."
She hesitated, the inner turmoil of wanting to escape the suffocating expectations of society and the stare of her aunt who was suddenly looking at her.
What would it take to spin across the floor, the music soaring around her, if only the ground would swallow her up?
With an inward sigh, she relented. "Very well, one dance," she said, rolling her eyes for effect. "But should you step on my toes, it will be you who will be retreating."
It was a good deal she could tell her aunt she danced with the man she badly wanted to marry her off to.
With a smile, Sir Philip extended his arm, and not for the first time that evening, Liliana felt the distaste she had for balls.
Sir Philip was not ugly, he was quite handsome. He seemed to be 6'1 tall. He had blond hair that could rival that of a woman.
Lili could not wait for the dance to be over and the ball entirely.
The music crescended as Sir Philip switched her to another man.
She looked up at her new partner. She had never seen him before in her entire existence. He was handsome, with short brown locks styled neatly back, giving him an air of confidence that both intrigued and intimidated her. The grand ballroom of the stately manor sparkled with golden chandeliers, casting a soft light over the elegantly dressed guests twirling around them. The scent of polished wood and fresh roses filled the air, mingling with the faint sound of a string quartet playing a waltz that seemed to echo through her heart.
As she placed her gloved hand in his, she felt an electric pulse—an unspoken connection that was as mysterious as it was exhilarating.
He seemed stoic. She had heard whispers of the man known as Lord Vincent Harrington, the man that was all Anabelle could talk off, he was named the most handsome man in all Grevenia and she was going to agree but no one had prepared her for the coldness radiating from his amber eyes that seemed to hold a thousand secrets.
"Shall we?" he asked, his voice smooth like velvet, drawing her deeper into the swirling crowd. The music swelled, and he led her into the dance, guiding her gracefully as they moved in perfect harmony. With each turn, she felt their surroundings fade away, lost in a world where only they existed. She hated and loved the feeling.
He spun her as she landed back in Sir Philip's hands. She took a look around for him as she was left with nothing. The dance soon came to an end as she murdered an excuse before Sir Phillip could ask for another dance.