Child of Burning Time

All eyes were on the figure of Dorian Gray, standing in the doorway and smiling broadly after he had just crashed the party. The uneasy silence gave way to uneasy murmuring, and once everyone was busy gossiping, he began to make his rounds. As he passed the women, they would lock eyes with him, a greedy fever burning in their eyes. And when he moved on to the next, they’d glare in jealousy and tell themselves they were his best.

Adella Snowe watched the devilishly handsome man move from circle to circle, and she tried to suppress the panic rising within her stomach. He’d make his way over to her corner at some point, and then she was afraid she’d be at his mercy. “That is a course better left alone,” A voice said quietly from behind her, and she turned with a start.

Lord Henry Wotton stood there, a glass of champagne held in one hand. It was easy to tell he could read the unease written on her face, and he stepped forward and looped her arm through his. “The stories about him, are they true?” She asked, curiosity overriding her normal hatred for gossip.

“Unfortunately,” Henry said, taking a large sip from his glass. “He hasn’t appeared to have aged a single day in eighteen years. That in itself should be fair warning to any female seeking his company.”

Adella was feeling rather faint. She was well aware of Mr. Gray’s reputation, but as he had been traveling around the world for the past eighteen years, she’d never caught a glimpse of him until this night. To think, he should be twice her age and yet he looked maybe two years older than her.”Shall we make our own rounds, Miss Snowe?” Henry asked, passing her some champagne from a waiter walking by.

He chuckled at her surprise when he said her name. “Oh yes, I know who you are. And I offer my condolences for your loss. Your father was an intelligent man, and the world will be a darker place without his light.”

“Thank you, Lord Wotton.” She bowed her head, getting ahold of her grief.

“Please call me Henry, Miss Snowe. Perhaps in my younger days I would crave the formality that comes with my title, but as an old man I do not.” He said, a touch of sadness in his voice.

For it was true, Henry was no longer young. Age and a harsh way of living had taken its toll upon him, and yet Adella could still see traces of the handsome man he once was. “I also hear you are looking for a more permanent residence,” He murmured, after having introduced her to several well-known figures nearby. “Forgive me for being so forward, but my residence is rather empty. There’s only myself and a couple trust-worthy servants who work for me. You could stay as long as you’d like.”

Shock overtook her for a moment; everything she had heard about Lord Wotton was being proven false by the man himself. She’d heard terrible things about him, how his wife and daughter refused to have anything to do with him because of it. But to her, he seemed like a well-meaning gentleman, perhaps trying to put right everything he had done wrong when he was younger.

They were currently chatting with some duke and his wife, Adella smiling and nodding in all the right places. She saw the wife’s eyes moving somewhere out of their circle every so often. Following the line of sight, she nearly took flight when she caught the dark, hypnotizing eyes of Mr. Dorian Gray himself. And then he began making his way across the room in their direction. “He’s coming over here,” She whispered urgently to Henry, whose arm was still around hers.

Depositing his glass on a nearby table, he took her hand in his free one and squeezed. “I suppose it had to happen sooner or later. Don’t be fooled by his charms, Miss Snowe. He’ll try anything just to stir up a bit of trouble.” Henry warned, and then smiled as Dorian was almost upon them. “Ah, Dorian, my friend. So good of you to come. You look…magnificent.”

Ignoring the remark, Dorian drank in Adella’s appearance. A light blush came over her translucent, pale skin setting it off quite nicely. Her wavy coppery hair was piled perfectly atop her head, some loose strands falling down over her shoulders and back. The almost violet color of her eyes astounded him, and he could feel the hunger taking hold. “Who is this that you’ve been hiding from me all night?” He asked Henry, never taking his eyes from the beauty before him.

“May I introduce Miss Adella Snowe,” Henry grudgingly made the introduction.

Dorian took her hand in his and kissed it lightly, staring up into her eyes. “I’m Dorian Gray. Pleased to make your acquaintance, Miss Snowe.”

She tugged her hand free, causing a frown to cross over his face. “I’m well aware of who you are, Mr. Gray.” She said boldly. Seeing the satisfied smile on Henry’s face, she smiled coldly at Dorian. “And now if you’ll excuse us…”

He quickly regained his smooth composure and gave them his most charming smile. “Yes, of course. How rude of me to keep you from the other guests. Don’t corrupt her too much, Henry. That never ends well, does it?” He said lazily, flicking his eyes over the other guests while he tried to pick out his next target. “Until we meet again, Miss Snowe.”

“I wouldn’t count on it,” She said under her breath.

Henry chuckled as Dorian took his leave. “Well done, Miss Snowe. I do believe Dorian Gray has met his match.”

She patted his arm in thanks, glad she had had him to lean on. “Please, call me Adella. I have a feeling we’ll be good friends, Henry. Now, about your offer….”