Status: new story(:
Dark Blue
iv.
I rapidly tried to blink all signs of sadness away before turning around. My breath caught in my throat as I gazed upon the man in front of me before quickly dropping my eyes to the ground. He was even better looking than the one I had dreamed of earlier. I stumbled for a minute before remembering my manors and dropping into a curtsy.
“Excuse me, sir.” I said, hastily trying to make an exit.
I knew I had done a terrible job hiding my tears so I kept my head down. The man, however, was blocking the doorway back into the ballroom. I was forced to stop in front of him. He gently placed two fingers under my chin, sending an electric shock through my body. Lightly, he lifted my eyes to his.
“My name is Christian.” He said, his chocolate eyes boring into mine.
His voice rumbled like a thunderstorm yet caressed like a lover.
“I am Juliet.” I replied breathlessly.
I was confused. Surely I would have noticed a man of this stature at other events, yet I had never met his acquaintance. It was not often that I attended a ball without knowing everyone there.
“Why are you crying, Juliet?” He asked, using his other hand to wipe a few stray tears off of my cheek.
It felt like he was peering straight into my soul.
“I-I…Excuse me, sir. I must return to the ball now.” I said, casting my eyes aside. I attempted to step around him, but he blocked me again.
“One as pretty as you should have no reason to cry.”
He continued to stare at me as I tried to think of a response. Failing to come up with anything clever , I turned away from him swiftly and returned to the balcony railing. Christian came to stand beside me, sighing as he gazed at the town below him.
“It really is lovely.” I said softly after a few moments.
“Yes, you are.” He answered. From the corner of my eye I could see him looking at me. I felt a blush steal across my cheeks.
“That is very kind of you to say but…” I began, just as a movement at the doorway caught my attention.
I stopped talking and instinctively turned around only to discover one of the nannies from the nursery. She was standing in the shadows, holding a teary eyed Edmund. Christian turned as well when I rushed away.
“I’m sorry, Miss Hudson, but he kept cryin’ for you. I didn’ know what else t’do.” She said in typical country dialect, passing Edmund to me.
“It is fine. I will take him. You are excused.”
She curtsied deeply and scampered back to the other children. Edmund had stuck his thumb in his mouth again and his tears had dried. I could tell he was simply tired by the way his eyelids drooped lower and lower with each passing moment.
“Oh, Edmund.” I sighed, slightly rocking back and forth. “What am I going to do with you?”
“Love me.” He whispered, yawning as he curled into me.
I chuckled, remembering how he had first said that to me in the middle of a scolding, the cheeky little bugger. I had completely forgotten about the man behind me until I heard him take a step towards me. I turned around slightly embarrassed, my duties as an older sister becoming more important than his charm. I opened my mouth to apologize and explain but the look in his eyes stopped me. He looked hostile, though I had no idea as to why. My desire to be around him vanished.
“I really must be going now.” I told Christian, refusing to meet his eyes as I dipped into a slight curtsy. “Goodbye.”
“Goodbye, Miss Hudson.” He said curtly, bobbing into a short bow.
He turned back to the banister as I rushed away. I could not help but feel stung by his sudden coldness. What had I done wrong? How had he been offended? I did not have very long to mull over Christian’s sudden change in mood as I ran into Mother on my way downstairs.
“Excuse me, sir.” I said, hastily trying to make an exit.
I knew I had done a terrible job hiding my tears so I kept my head down. The man, however, was blocking the doorway back into the ballroom. I was forced to stop in front of him. He gently placed two fingers under my chin, sending an electric shock through my body. Lightly, he lifted my eyes to his.
“My name is Christian.” He said, his chocolate eyes boring into mine.
His voice rumbled like a thunderstorm yet caressed like a lover.
“I am Juliet.” I replied breathlessly.
I was confused. Surely I would have noticed a man of this stature at other events, yet I had never met his acquaintance. It was not often that I attended a ball without knowing everyone there.
“Why are you crying, Juliet?” He asked, using his other hand to wipe a few stray tears off of my cheek.
It felt like he was peering straight into my soul.
“I-I…Excuse me, sir. I must return to the ball now.” I said, casting my eyes aside. I attempted to step around him, but he blocked me again.
“One as pretty as you should have no reason to cry.”
He continued to stare at me as I tried to think of a response. Failing to come up with anything clever , I turned away from him swiftly and returned to the balcony railing. Christian came to stand beside me, sighing as he gazed at the town below him.
“It really is lovely.” I said softly after a few moments.
“Yes, you are.” He answered. From the corner of my eye I could see him looking at me. I felt a blush steal across my cheeks.
“That is very kind of you to say but…” I began, just as a movement at the doorway caught my attention.
I stopped talking and instinctively turned around only to discover one of the nannies from the nursery. She was standing in the shadows, holding a teary eyed Edmund. Christian turned as well when I rushed away.
“I’m sorry, Miss Hudson, but he kept cryin’ for you. I didn’ know what else t’do.” She said in typical country dialect, passing Edmund to me.
“It is fine. I will take him. You are excused.”
She curtsied deeply and scampered back to the other children. Edmund had stuck his thumb in his mouth again and his tears had dried. I could tell he was simply tired by the way his eyelids drooped lower and lower with each passing moment.
“Oh, Edmund.” I sighed, slightly rocking back and forth. “What am I going to do with you?”
“Love me.” He whispered, yawning as he curled into me.
I chuckled, remembering how he had first said that to me in the middle of a scolding, the cheeky little bugger. I had completely forgotten about the man behind me until I heard him take a step towards me. I turned around slightly embarrassed, my duties as an older sister becoming more important than his charm. I opened my mouth to apologize and explain but the look in his eyes stopped me. He looked hostile, though I had no idea as to why. My desire to be around him vanished.
“I really must be going now.” I told Christian, refusing to meet his eyes as I dipped into a slight curtsy. “Goodbye.”
“Goodbye, Miss Hudson.” He said curtly, bobbing into a short bow.
He turned back to the banister as I rushed away. I could not help but feel stung by his sudden coldness. What had I done wrong? How had he been offended? I did not have very long to mull over Christian’s sudden change in mood as I ran into Mother on my way downstairs.