by Wells, Nancy
He had no intention of showing his face during the party, but the voice was tugging him towards the source of its own accord. Without making a sound, he slid down the drainpipe and jumped on the balcony. Against a pillar, he saw a lovely young lady. Her eyes were closed while she hummed, unaware of her surroundings. He took a step towards her and saw tears glistening on her powdered cheekbones. He was having an unusual urge to remove all the artificial cosmetics and see the real face lying beneath all the powder and rouge.
Isabella was not aware of the stranger standing close to her. She was narrating the sad tale of her broken dreams through her melodies. When she stopped humming, she did not open her eyes. She needed a few more moments. The waltz was starting and there was not a single name on her dance card. She did not want to be the only girl who was rejected by every available bachelor in the room.
“Your voice is eerily beautiful,” Russell said.
She opened her eyes and saw a strange man standing before her. He was dressed in a brown leather coat that reached the middle of his thighs and black knee-length boots. The stranger was not wearing any hat nor any wig. He neither seemed like a servant nor a nobleman. She should be afraid of him. She should scream and run away from him, but she did not want to do any of those things. She wanted to feel his golden hair with her fingers and put her hand on his strong jaw.
“Who are you?” she asked.
The stranger looked shocked at her query. Either he was not expecting her to answer or he was not aware that he had spoken in the first place.
He did not look like someone who might harm her. For some odd reason, she felt safe in his company. In the corner of her mind, a voice was advocating for the stranger.
“I am Russell,” he said.
It was a strange name. She had never heard such an odd name before. She had spent time with both nobility and commoners, but neither had such name. For all she knew, he could be an illusion of the mind. If he were a manifestation of her dreams, she would like to spend a few more moments in his company.
“You are not dressed for the occasion,” she said.
Russell’s lips twitched. He was definitely not dressed for a party. The high and proper ladies would faint if he went inside the ballroom. People were not allowed in such a high-profile event unless they had noble blood or heavy coffers. He had neither of those, yet he was standing a few feet away from the ballroom.
“I was not invited, my Siren,” he said, smiling broadly. “I came here because I heard your call.”
Their servant, Philip used to tell them stories about strange creatures when they were small. Both Isabella and Margaret were raised by the faithful servant. He was the one who filled the void of a father figure in their lives. She had a vague memory of her own father, but he was not as loving as Philip.
“I am not a mythical creature, Lord Russell,” she said gloomily. “I wish I was someone far more interesting, but alas, I am not.”
Russell was shocked to hear that a fine and pretty lady like her would find herself lacking. When he had followed the music, he had not expected to see a beautiful young maiden. The music was sorrowful and gloomy. It was not the sort of melody he had expected to come from the lips of a pretty, young woman.
“Your voice had the power to drag a man, who had no intention of being seen in public, to you. You are far more interesting than you give yourself credit for.”
He had no clue about her ill fate. No one at the party seemed to be missing her. She could hear the notes of the waltz coming from the ballroom, yet no one was searching for her. Everyone would be dancing and enjoying the party, but she had no one to share this moment with. It was the first time she had stepped foot in society, and she was not as welcomed as she had hoped. When she was applying powder to her face, she had imagined a number of handsome gentlemen falling at her feet, but she was gravely disappointed.
“Do you see this?” she held her empty card to him. “If I was someone interesting, a gentleman would have asked me for a dance.”
Russell knew he should leave before anyone could see him, but the sorrow in the girl’s eyes was keeping him rooted to his place. He should leave her to her fate, but there was a strange kind of pull that made him make his next request.
“I am far from a gentleman, but could I ask for a dance?”
He bowed at his waist and held out a hand to her. Isabella was shocked at his bold behavior. She wanted to accept his offer, but it was a waltz. It would be scandalizing behavior for her if she waltzed with a stranger in a secluded place. If someone witnessed her with him, she would be ruined. Her chances of a proposal from a titled heir were already slim, but this would snuff out the small flicker of hope that was still burning in the corner of her mind. She could not understand that despite these reasonable thoughts, a small part of her wanted to accept his offer.
“It is a waltz,” she said hesitantly.
Russell understood her predicament. She wanted to dance with him, but not the intimate kind. The logical decision would have been leaving her at the balcony, but sanity had left him at that moment. He did not second-guess his decision and pulled her into his arms in one abrupt motion.
“As I said, I am not a gentleman.”
She gasped in shock but did not push him away. She could not bring herself to break the spell of the magical moment. The stranger held her at her waist while she put her hands on his shoulders and together, they started waltzing to the music coming from inside the ballroom.
“Why would a beautiful maiden not get approached by even a single person?” he asked with a smile on his face.
Despite how good his hands and close proximity felt, she got irritated at his question. He broke the magical spell of the moment with his personal question. He was mocking her. To him, the situation was hilarious that she was the only one who was not approached by a young man. She was already aware of her humiliating condition; he had no right to rub that in her face.
“One person has shown interest in me,” she said defensively.
Lord Harley might be old and heavy, but he was still counted as a person. Unlike the man she was dancing with, he was considered a gentleman. She questioned her decision of sharing this moment with a stranger for the umpteenth time. He had already confessed that he was not a gentleman; so then why was she feeling safe in his presence? If he took unwanted liberties with her, she would not be strong enough to defend herself. He could be a miscreant and riffraff for all she knew. She should stop dancing with him and run, but a strange power was making her stay there.
“He did not ask for a dance?” he asked, raising a brow.
She flushed at the challenge in his voice. He did not believe her. It was her own mistake that she had showed him the empty card. She would not have been feeling embarrassed at the moment if she had lied about the number of suitors waiting for her back in the ballroom, but then she would not have had the opportunity to share a waltz with a stranger from a far-off land who had literally fallen from the skies.
“He had pain in his knees,” she said sheepishly.
Her words sounded false even to her own ears. If Lord Harley had asked her for a dance, she would have declined his offer. It would have been more humiliating if she were the only young maiden who was waltzing with an old, obese man who could not see his own toes due to the barrier of his belly. She would have been plastered on the front page of tomorrow’s papers if she had accepted the offer of a dance from Lord Harley. Everyone would have been laughing at the girl who was dancing with a man who was old enough to be her grandfather.
“What is the name of this strapping young man?” he asked with a mock horrified expression on his face.
Russell knew since no one else had asked her for a dance, it meant she had no promising dowry nor a title to her name. He should drop the subject and talk about something far more interesting than her current embarrassing situation, but he wanted to keep her for a few more moments before she realized the risk she was taking by dancing with a stranger
in a dark corner. She would be ruined if someone walked in on them at that moment. A twisted part of him wanted to be discovered with her.
“Lord Harley,” she mumbled.
She wished she could hide someplace where the sound of his laughter would not reach her ears. The stranger had burst into laughter the moment she had mentioned the name of her only suitor.
She pushed at his chest and untangled herself from his embrace. He let her go instantly. Despite his claim of not being a gentleman, he was not taking advantage of her. If he were truly a hellion, he would not have let her go so easily. It should not have mattered to her, but his behavior made her heart skip a beat, nonetheless. She wished he would stay for the rest of the evening and join her in the ballroom.
“No doubt, he has pain in his joints. His frail legs could not support his heavy weight,” she said begrudgingly.
The stranger guffawed more loudly. She should reprimand him for making fun of the unfortunate man, but she did no such thing. She giggled in a most unladylike manner and joined him in laughing loudly. She felt bad for Lord Harley who was unaware of being a target of their mockery, but she wanted to enjoy the moment with this handsome stranger.
Amidst their merriment, she heard footsteps coming their way. She looked sharply at the entrance.
“Someone is coming,” she whispered.
She looked back towards the stranger, but he was not there. He had vanished into thin air. She smiled at the memory of the night she had shared with him. Her night was a disappointment until God sent her a handsome stranger with an unusual name. He had golden hair that reached his neck and green eyes with a hint of amber around the outer rims of his irises. She had memorized every last detail of his handsome face in her mind. His boyish charm and devil-may-care smile was ingrained in her mind.
At that instant, her mother walked through the entrance. She had been gone for a long time. Nobody else might have cared, but her mother would have sensed her disappearance.
“You have been gone for a long time, Isabella. Lord Harley is looking for you.”
Lord Harley’s name reminded her of her current situation. She had shared a magical moment with a stranger, but it was only a moment. She would probably never see him again. He was just an illusion. For all she knew, he could be a manifestation of her own mind.
“I am sorry, Mama. I lost track of time,” she said gloomily.
She looked towards the spot where the stranger had been standing a few moments ago and sighed deeply. He had left her with sweet memories that she would treasure for the rest of her life. She was aware the dance she shared with him was her last dance. She had no intention of further humiliating herself by coming to another ball.
“The season is not over yet, my child. Someone will eventually see your worth.”
Her mother must have sensed the growing melancholy in her. Her mother understood her pain even if she did not share it out loud.
“I am not sure about that, Mama.”
Her mother smoothed the wrinkles on her forehead with her thumb and gave her a mock stern look.
“Now, now, I do not recall raising a quitter. Do not lose hope so soon.”
She hugged her mother and conveyed her feelings on the matter of her failure in the form of fresh tears. Her mother let her use her shoulder for a long time and patted her between the shoulder blades lovingly. No words of consolation could lift her spirits and her mother knew that.
“Philip is waiting for us near the carriage,” her mother whispered.
People were still mingling in the ballroom, but they were already aware of the outcome of tonight’s event. No one would miss her if they left early. Her mother was aware that she had no interest in the old merchant and that was why she was not forcing her to say farewell to him before they left.
Russell waited for a long time on the roof of the building. He listened to her silent murmurs but could not make out any tangible words.
He saw her slipping out of the back door with an elderly woman. She talked with her coachman for some time, who patted her head and then she entered the carriage. It was an odd behavior for a fine lady to be candid with a mere servant, but then she was an exceptional lady.
“My Siren,” he chuckled.
He left when the carriage became a small dot in the distance. He hoped he could meet her again, but he knew it was only wishful thinking.
Chapter 2
Isabella was making garlands with her sister in the garden. Margaret was picking red roses while she joined them with a thread. She loved spending time with her sister. Margaret was a packet full of energy. She moved around with a speed that rivaled lightening, plucking flowers, tapping her feet to an unsung beat.
“Did you meet someone interesting last night, Bella?”
Isabella looked towards her baby sister who was cutting a flower with shears. If it were someone else, she might have chalked the query to be polite, but she knew her sister would never remark on anything unless there was more to it. At such a tender age, her sister was far cleverer than anyone she had ever seen. It made her feel sad that instead of playing with dolls, her sister was worried about matters which should not concern someone as young as her. Her sister was already suspecting that she had met someone. There was no point in denying the truth.
“What gave me away, Margaret?” she asked cheerfully.
Margaret turned around, put a hand on her hip and raised a brow. Isabella had played right into her sister’s hands. Her sister was only suspicious, but now she had confirmed her suspicions. No matter how many times she tried to outwit her sister, she had failed miserably in that area. It was shameful to think that she was bested by a child.
“You are singing a happy tune, Bella,” her sister said. “It is the first time I have heard you humming when you are not upset.”
She had not realized that she was humming. The stranger was still fresh in her mind. He had called her a Siren, brought a magical moment to her dull evening and then vanished into the night. He could be a spirit sent by her father from the world of the dead to lift her spirits. It was a grand idea to believe that her father was watching over her from the other side.
“I sing all the time, Margaret. You are overthinking everything.”
She averted her eyes, avoiding the scrutinizing gaze of her sister. She did not want her sister to call her out on her lie. She was aware that she could not fool her sister, but she was trying anyway. Her sister could be bluffing again. She had been fooled once already, it would be a shame if she was fooled again on the same day by the same person.
“Mother mentioned that you were hiding in the shadows while others were dancing,” Margaret said accusingly. “Technically, you should be under the weather, worrying about the future. Instead, you are happy like a pirate who had found a map to a treasure.”
Mother would never tell her sister about the previous night. There was a strong possibility that her sister had been eavesdropping on her mother and Philip. He had been a confidant of her mother for as long as she could remember. Their relationship was not romantic, but rather like a respectable relation between two good friends.
“Who teaches you such nonsense?” she made a face, expressing her irk and annoyance.
Margaret was always using strange innuendoes. There was nothing new about her mentioning a pirate and treasure in one sentence, but Isabella was desperate to change the subject. She wanted her sister to drop the subject of her mysterious stranger.
“I read books,” Margaret deadpanned.
Her sister raised a brow, challenging her to change the subject. There would be no escaping her sister’s inquisitions until she yielded and shared the details about last night. She sighed deeply, accepting her defeat.
“Fine, you want to know the truth?” she said, smiling mischievously. “I attracted a pirate with my magical voice of a Siren.”
She giggled at the shocked expression on her sister’s face. It would take a few moments for the true meaning of her words to settle in.
As expected, after a few more seconds, Margaret’s eyes got wide and came running towards her. Pushing the flowers to one side, her sister sat beside her.
“Someone came after your song?” Margaret asked in a hushed tone, full of conspiracy and mischief.
She narrated the events of last night in vivid details. She started from the time when she ran to the balcony and hummed a melody of sorrow. A handsome stranger had fallen from the skies and waltzed with her on the balcony. She did not tell her sister about her empty cards or the old man who had made her night more miserable because it made her seem pathetic. Margaret was listening to her every word with wonder and amazement. She knew her sister was thinking about a fairytale ending.
“A caller is here for you, my lady.”
They looked at the intruding maid who had come bearing the news of a caller. She was enjoying a private moment with her sister, which was now ruined by the maid.
“Could it be your handsome pirate?” Margaret whispered mischievously.
Isabella smiled from ear to ear, hoping that it could be her stranger. He could have followed their carriage, jumping from roof to roof and found her address. She knew it was not a bright idea to compare him to a cat that could jump from roof to roof, but a yearning heart would desire the impossible.
“We shall see.”
They dusted their skirts and followed the maid inside. She was not dressed in a formal dress, but rather in an old gown, which she often wore at home. If her mother saw her meeting a caller in a disheveled dress, she would be in a lot of trouble, but she was desperate to meet the stranger.
The smile vanished from her face when she found Lord Harley sitting on a sofa with her mother in the parlor. Her mother was waiting for her. Her mother made a displeased face when she saw her dress. She should be concerned about the earful she would be receiving in the near future, but her disappointment surpassed her worry. She was expecting the handsome man with a strange name, but rather found the plump man who would not ask her for a dance because he had pain in his knees.
