by Matilda Hart
Alexandra turned back to the mirror to make sure that her hair didn’t need fixing, before she left the room. Her ice blonde ringlets had held all day with perfect bounce. She smiled at her reflection, before she turned on her small heels and walked over to the door, where she’d last the maid.
It took her a little time to find the dining room. The whole first floor of the house was set out in a maze like manner. There seemed to be countless identical doors leading down the long hallways. Each door had no markings to show what might be behind it, but the kitchen, fortunately, did have the clatter of pans being used by the chef, which gave Alexandra an inkling that she was heading in the direction.
When she eventually found the right room, she was greeted by her grandmother, as soon, as she had taken a seat at the large mahogany table. ”It is most welcome after years of living alone to have some permanent company at the table.”
”I’m pleased to be of use to you,” Alexandra said, as she pulled out the silk napkin that had been folded neatly in front of her, so that she could place it on her lap. ”It’s nice to visit the city that my mother grew up in. I only wish that it was under better circumstances.”
”Come now child,” her grandmother scolded her softly. ”You haven’t even met the man you are to marry yet. How is it that you can be so cynical?”
Alexandrea dropped her eyes to the silverware. They were sparkling under the flicker flames from the candles. She felt bad. Her grandmother was right. She shouldn’t assume that man she was to marry would be a bad fit for her. She hadn’t met him. She’d never even received a letter off of the man. She knew nothing about him. ”I’m sorry grandmother, I did not mean to sound that way. It just came as a surprise that I was not allowed to choose my own partner.”
”You’ll find that most girls in your finical situation are not given a choice,” her grandmother corrected her.
”My mother got to chose.” Alexandra said quietly, because she knew what her grandmother was saying was true, but she also knew that she’d spent her entire life dreaming of a fairytale. She could feel the sullen look that had settled across her face, but she didn’t have the energy to pull it away with a smile.
”I think I might have some cheer invoking news for you,” her grandmother said, after the maids had brought in the leak and potato soup, which was being served up, as a starter. ”There is a ball being held at the natural history museum in only two days. I have managed to ensure that we have both been put onto the guest list.”
*******
Chapter 3
The museum was filled with the haunting melodies, which were flowing from the stringed instruments at the front of the room. A slender, middle aged woman in a silver dress, which glistened against thousands of candles was singing softly. Her voice was deep and croaky. It came out sounding sultry and sexy, as she brought people’s bodies together on the dance floor, which had been built to fill the center of the large room.
Alexandra was impressed. She’d been to many balls with her mother, but none had ever looked quite as well put together, as this one. The candles flickered with the gentle movements of the passing guests. White lilies and teal posies filled the centers of the tables and hung down the huge fireplaces with such grace that it looked, as though they had grown there. The whole atmosphere was relaxed and filled with merriment.
A waiter stopped in front of Alexandra and her grandmother. ”Would either of you like a drink?” he asked, as he dropped his hand, which had a silver service tray filled with wine glasses. He was serving both red and white wines, but neither Alexadra or her grandmother even looked at the translucent liquid, as they reached for the dark, luring red.
Alexandra took a sip from her glass, as she glanced over the faces that were in the crowd. They were all handsome. She could tell that years of good breeding had resulted in the other guests, which filled the room. Her eyes came to a stop, when a flash of sandy red hair caught her eyes. She glanced down at the man it belonged to and found her breath catching in her chest.
He was the most beautiful thing that she’d ever seen. He was tall with broad shoulders, which she knew would be able to protect her against any enemy. His chiselled cheekbones led up to his dark blue eyes. He must have been able to feel Alexandra’s eyes on him, because he turned to look at her. She quickly dropped her eyes to the floor. She could feel her cheeks starting to burn at the close call she’d just had and knew that if he was still looking in her direction then her embarrassment would have been obvious.
She lifted the glass to her lips and took another sip and then another one quickly after. The deep, fruity taste warmed her neck, as it settled in her stomach and clouded her brain. She looked into the crowd again to see where the waiter with the wine was. Her glass was nearly empty and she was sure that ball could only improve with more liquor. ”I hope it isn’t a man that you’re looking for with such intent?” a husky voice said from just out out of her sight.
She turned and found her cheeks blushing hotly, as she found herself standing in front of the sandy haired man that she’d spotted from the other side of the room. ”Well, it was a man I was looking for, although I doubt for the reasons, which you claim might cause you upset,” she said with a shy smile. Her hand instinctively reached up and started to brush down her long strands of her, as she waited for him to reply.
”Who then might it be that you’re looking for?” he asked curiously.
”I was hoping I might find the waiter, so that I have no need to suffer from a dry glass that matches my mouth.”
He nodded. ”Give me one second and do not move,” he instructed, as he walked off into the crowd. Alexandra watched, as he disappeared behind the countless ruffles and silk skirts, which were making the room feel much fuller than it really was. ”Here you go,” he said, as he quickly reappeared with two wine glasses in his hands. He passed over one of the glasses to Alexandra with a warm smile. ”Now that I have solved your crisis I was hoping that I might be able to interest you in a dance?”
”You wish to dance with me?” Alexandra asked him, because it seemed a little unbelievable, even though she’d heard it directly from his lips. He was too good for her. There were many beautiful women in the room, which would be much better suited to him than her, she was sure of that.
He frowned and then his lips pulled up into a sexy, dark smile. ”You see I have a real problem with needing to have the best of everything.”
”Then perhaps you should seek her out,” Alexandra played along coyly.
”Oh, come now,” he said with a wild gesture for her to be silent. ”I refuse to hear you speak like that for one second longer. I insist that you dance with me.”
”I don’t even know your name,” Alexandra said, as she shook her head softly. The thought of her future husband had flicked into her mind and was whispering about the inappropriate nature of the dance this man was asking of her.
”And I do not know yours,” he said with a sullen dip of his head. ”I am Gabriel Faulkner,” he said, as he bowed before me and lifted my hand to his lips, so that he could kiss it softly.
”You may call me Alexandra,” I told him without returning the bow. I noticed a spark of interest starting to burn in his eyes when he heard my name.
”You’re not from around here, are you, Alexandra?” he asked her. She tried to silence her rapidly beating heart. The sound of her name on his lips had made her legs feel weak and her morals feel loose.
She shook her head. ”I’ve come to stay with my grandmother for a while,” she told him.
”And why is that?” he asked curiously.
Alexandra sucked in a breath of air. This was the moment. This was the perfect time for her to explain that she was already promised to another and that any dance they had would lead to no further implications in the future. She didn’t tell him, though. ”My parents thought some time in the city would be good for my character,” she lied.
He nodded. He nodded with an intense look, as though he’d read t
he undertones in her voice and he knew there was something she was holding back from him. ”Your parents are obviously intelligent people.”
”They are,” she agreed.
”I should think that they expect you to dance at balls, if that is their reason for sending you here. I can think of nothing better on a girl’s character than being able to enjoy oneself.”
Alexandra thought about what he’d said. He was right. If that was the real reason, as to why she had been sent to the city, then her parents certainly would have expected her to dance and be merry. ”I can see that there is no logical way to decline your offer without causing offense,” she said carefully.
”I think you are quite right about that,” Gabriel grinned at her, as he heard the defeat in her voice. He held out his hand and waited for Alexandra’s to wrap around it. Her skin was hot against his, as they connected. He pulled her softly, until the hardwood dance floor was beneath their feet and then he pulled her close, so that her head could rest comfortably on his shoulder. ”You know, there are many great sights in this city,” he whispered to her softly, so that his words blended with the music around them. ”It would be a great pleasure to be the one who opens your eyes to them.”
”I’m sure my grandmother already has several tours planned,” Alexandra told him quickly, as her she felt herself getting flustered. She could never see Gabriel again. It would be inappropriate with her impending wedding.
”I’m sure that she has,” Gabriel purred. ”I doubt very much that your grandmother knows the city quite, as well as I.” His hand pressed against the small of her back and pulled her hips against his. Her heart rushed against its normal rhythm, as a sudden hardness between them pushed against her. ”You know, we could go right now,” he continued to whisper, as the hardness to could feel started to throb against the inside of her thigh. ”I could show you the city, I could show you my home, you could see what life could be like if only you accept that you are the most beautiful angel to grace this gray city.”
Alexandra pulled back from his embrace, but his grip with firm, against her back. She felt his hand slide down, so that was cupping the right side of her ass. ”We can’t do that,” she whispered to him with urgency. Her eyes bounced around the couples who were dancing close. She had to be sure that nobody had heard what he had just suggested. ”What would people think of me if I snuck off with wild men at balls?”
”Have you ever snuck off with a wild,” his eyebrow arched, ”man at a ball before?” he asked with an amused smirk. Alexandra shook her head. ”That’s what I thought. So, why would people talk about you at all, unless it was to comment on your beauty?”
”Well, they would see me leave with you. What would they think of that?”
”They would think that I’m most certainly a lucky man, because I have been granted the pleasure of courting you.”
Alexandra shook her head sadly. He didn’t understand, but she couldn’t possibly hope for him to without explaining the truth. She looked up and her eyes met with his. The deep blue she’d noticed from across the room was so much more up close. Small flecks of pure white floated around within them like stars. ”Where would you show me?”
”I can’t tell you that. You’ve just got to trust me,” Gabriel said with a grin, as he took his hand away from her ass and took her hand. ”Come on, before it gets too late. We don’t want the sun to rise on us.”
Alexandra fought against the urge to dig her heels into the ground, as Gabriel whisked her out of the room.
*****
Chapter 4
The air outside had a cold nip to it, but Alexandra barely noticed. She could only feel the rush of excitement coming from what was happening. She’d never done anything so reckless before. She’d never left a party with a man. She’d never strayed away from the unbeaten path and she’d certainly never run off into a strange city at night before.
They stopped outside of a small park. It had a thick metal fence that had been painted in glossy black. ”What are we going here?” Alexandra asked, when she saw that the gate into the park had been locked for the evening.
”We’re going to take a walk through the park,” Gabriel said, as though it was obvious.
”We can’t, the gate’s locked.”
”That’s not going to stop you is it?” he grinned. ”Come on, I’ll help you climb over.”
Alexandra looked at the gate with doubt in her eyes. It wasn’t overly high. She would probably make it over with Gabriel’s help. ”What if I tear my dress?”
”Do you really care about the dress?” Gabriel asked her.
”Well, my grandmother bought it for me. It’s new. I’m sure she’d be upset with me if I damaged it.”
”We better make sure you don’t damage it, then,” Gabriel said, as he wrapped his arms around her waist and started to lift her over the gate.
It took a couple of minutes before they were both over. Alexandra couldn’t keep the grin from her face, as they sank into the shadows and a policeman walked past without detecting their trespassing. ”Could we get into trouble for being in here after dark?” she asked Gabriel, as he pulled her along the dark path, deeper into the park.
”Only if we get caught,” Gabriel joked, as he stopped in front of a large willow tree. The branches reached out in all directions with pretty hanging leaves that swayed in the wind. ”This is one of the oldest trees in London,” he explained, as he patted the thick trunk with his hand firmly. ”She’s been here since long before even your grandmother was born.”
”She?” Alexandra asked with an eyebrow arched in amusement. ”She’s too graceful to be a man. Look at her branches. Look at the way they dance with the wind. No man could ever move like that,” he said with certainty.
”You have an ability to see great beauty where others cannot,” she looked deep into his eyes. Her words were simple, but they seemed to have a great impact on his expression, as the happy glow dimmed slightly.
”Can you tell me that you see no beauty here?” he asked.
Alexandra shook her head quickly. ”That’s not quite what I meant. I think that perhaps, men have a harder time seeing beauty in such things as nature. You are quite alone in your ability to see clearly and not through, a greed, impaired vision of reality.”
Gabriel looked thoughtful. The pale, milky moon above them illuminated his face and cast shadows against the ground behind him. He walked slowly over to Alexandra. He stopped, when their hips were touching and her breath felt hot against his cheek. He could smell the red wine on her breath. It was sweet and tempting. He leant in, so that his lips touched hers in the softest of ways and waited to see, how she would respond. She kissed him back, slowly at first, but as time passed it became firmer and filled with urgency.
She pulled herself back. Her eyes met his. She could feel a sudden surge of panic washing over her body. What was she doing? What would people say if they found out? What kind of a messed up situation had she managed to put herself in?
”There’s no need to look so afraid,” Gabriel reassured her. ”What do you think this is? Do you think that I am going to take your innocence tonight and never see you again? Do you believe that is the kind of man I am?”
Alexandra felt guilty. Her fears implied that was exactly the kind of man she thought he was, even though deep down in her heart she knew that it wasn’t true. ”That’s not what I think,” she stammered, because she couldn’t stand to see the dismayed look on his face. ”It’s just, whatever you are hoping will come from this, won’t.”
”How can you be so sure?” His question hung in the air. Alexandra knew why she was sure. She knew it was because of the marriage, which had already been arranged for her, but she still found herself unable to admit that to him. It was strange. It was like as long, as she didn’t admit it, then it was only partially true. His questions were daring her to reveal her secrets. They sank deep into her own, so that she had nowhere to hide from him. ”I told you before, at the dance. I always get wh
at I want.”
He stepped forward and kissed her again. This time he didn’t wait for her permission to continue though. He dropped his lips from her mouth, so that his kisses left a trail across her cheek and down towards her throat. He could feel the quickening of her pulse under his lips, as he continued to take them down her body, until there was nowhere to go other than under her dress. ”You know, I believe this dress might be getting in the way of things,” he said lightly, as he lifted up one of the many layers. ”Do you think, perhaps, we could do something about it?”
Alexandra knew that her answer had to be no. She knew that she had to stop things, before they went too far. She knew she had to preserve the innocence that had already been promised to another, but none of that mattered. The logical part of her brain was overridden by the deep burning frustration, which was erupting between her legs. The only thing she could concentrate on, was the silky feeling of Gabriel’s fingers, as they grazed up the inside of her leg and stopped teasingly at the top.
