The ball

The ball has arrived, the day was spent setting up final details waiting for the night to come. Josephine setting up the food and dodging Brandon at every turn. Estella was walking into the room.

"Hello Josephine." The woman greeted her kindly catching her attention. "Oh hello." Josephine offered her a soft smile, the young woman seemed more soft in this moment.

"I hope I am not stepping out of line but I have been curious the past few days." Estella said as she placed her hands on one of the chairs in the dining hall. That statement made Josephine pause and look at her. "I have seen the way you and Lord Edgerton act towards each other. He clearly adores you and yet you evade him..why?"

"Because he adores me without even knowing how broken I truly am, he's seen my anger, he has seen me in regret but he's never seen my sorrow, he has yet to see me at my lowest and that is when people leave." Josephine was honest with the slightly older woman, being one hundred percent transparent. "Besides I am hardly worthy of a man like Brandon "

Estella felt a hint of pity for the girl, but the conversation died as the fiancees walked in. Charles and Thomas happily holding hands so openly before they saw Estella but seeing the woman look at them softly, they kept their hands linked together.

"People should be arriving any moment." Thomas informed Josephine wanting to give her the hint she needs to put the treats down and go get ready.

A soft laugh leaving Estella. She watched the Rowlington woman groan before setting things aside. "Yeah I shall get ready." She seemed displeased by the fact she had to attend their ball instead of just  making treats.

Estella watched her leave before looking towards the two boys. "I am extremely happy for you both." She had taken note of the ring on Thomas's hand, the way Charles thumb would brush over the back of his hand ever so gently she could tell what was going on between the two.

A soft blush crossed both of their faces but Thomas smiled broadly at her. "Thank you." He bowed his head towards her.

Estella was walking in the room in which the ball would be held, admiring the work that Clara had put into this gorgeous event. The sound of a throat clearing caught her attention, she turned towards the door and saw Louis looking at her with a soft look on his face. "Its beautiful." She told him. Louis smiled a bit and nodded his head. "Yes it is." He agreed though his eyes never once went towards the decor.

Josephine had waited to long as most of the workers were finishing setting up so there she was poorly lacing up her own dress, a look of determination and frustration on her face.

Hands covered her gloved ones, making her stop in her movements, turning to look over her shoulder she saw Brandon, his eyes on her back as he started to lace up the back of her dress.

"Have much experience lacing dresses?" She asked with a tone she hoped was sarcastic, yet it was soft as she tried her best to tease him. Brandon chuckled at that, he pulled the ribbons a bit tighter making her take a small gasping breath, not enough to actually hurt her though. "Maybe in a past life,but I can hardly remember those times. How could I when my vision is clouded by you?"

Josephine turned around to look up at him, his hands running along her back as she did so. "You need to stop saying such kind things." She said softly as she looked at him. The smile that crossed his face was enough to make her heart skip a beat, yet he did not speak he turned her around to finish lacing her up.

"I can not help but speak the truth when with you." Brandon spoke directly into her ear, his eyes flickering to the soft curve of her neck. He wanted nothing more then to place soft kisses along her skin but he would refrain from doing so. "I will see you down stairs." He finally settled on saying. "okay." She muttered a bit shyly as he left the room. The girl taking a deep breath ad she held herself up higher.

Robert and Philip arrived to the ball around the same time, being happily greeted by Louis and Estella, the two already seeming like a married couple with how they interacted with the crowd. Charles and Thomas was off to the side, hang around with Molly and Clara.

Delilah had gone up stairs to retrieve Josephine when she passed by Brandon, the two sharing a brief nod of acknowledgment. Delilah opened the door to see the girl with a distant look on her face. "Jose is everything okay?" The woman jumped slightly as she snapped out of her thoughts. "Y-yes I am fine."
"Well the ball is starting, people are arriving." Delilah gently put her arm around Josephine to guild her out.

Phoebe and Emilio showed up together, her hand resting on his arm. She was stumped as had been trying to find him a match and he avoid that at every turn. "I can not think of anyone else to match you with." She said with a sigh but he just chuckled. "Enough of match making, I do not care for any of the women you have shown me." He told her with a soft smile, he had noticed how he felt more and more towards the woman.

Gwen was a bit surprised she was invited out there since she was after all the wild child of the ton but she was glad to be there. She walked in looking around the area happily.

Abigail stood off to the side when a certain Bridgerton man approached her. "Hello Colin." She greeted with little formality as she looked towards him. The two have been seen multiple time walking together though the ton the past few days. "Hello Abby." He replied, noticing the blush that crossed her cheeks.

Louis kept glancing towards Estella, taking in her beautiful in the red dress she wore, she looked elegant and graceful. He couldn't help but find his eyes traveling towards her over and over again.

Clara looked towards the stairs to see Delilah leading Josephine down, seeing the lavender dress she chose she couldn't help but find her to look so beautiful, Clara having to pull her eyes away from her best friend.

"Josephine!" Estella said happily as she walked over to join her. "The treats you have made are a hit, everyone loves them!" She praised being a soft smile to Josephine's face. "Really?!" She spoke with such joy that Estella smiled more.

But all evidence of joy vanished from Josephine's face when she looked past Estella, the other woman turning around to see what it was. Brandon was off to the side of the room, Cressida obviously flirting with him. The girl laughed as she placed her hand on Brandon's chest.

Estella looked back at Josephine, seeing the look in her eyes. "Are you alright?" She asked the Rowlington sister, placing a hand on her shoulder.  "I am perfectly fine. Why shouldn't I be? But if you would excuse me."

Josephine was making her way across the floor, smiling politely to those she had to smile at but that smile dropped as soon as she reached Brandon and Cressida. "Excuse me?" She tried to stay polite in the social scene not wanting to embarrass Brandon or herself.

Cressida turned and looked her over with a scoff. "I'm sure there is no excuse for you." She turned back to Brandon, once again placing her hands on his chest. "Let me try this again, get your filthy hands off of him you gibface hedge-creeper." Josephine spoke with a bared tooth smile.

Cresdida's face flushed as she looked furiously at Josephine. "I believe you promised me a dance Brandy." Josephine held her hand out towards him. Cressida was appalled by how she acted so casually around the high ranking man but what upset her further was Brandon taking Josephine's hand and leading her to the floor.

Brandon placed his hand gently on her waist as they started dancing. "A gibface hedge-creeper?" He asked with a soft smile. "She was irritating me."
"By flirting with me? Oh my, my darling Josephine, are you jealous?" He asked teasingly as he watched the blush dance across her face. "Oh please, like I would be jealous over you." She scoffed as he spun her, her back now against him as they moved. "Your words and your acts are contradicting each other Josie." He said in a slightly singsong voice.

That's when he remembered something he had to tell her something he learned earlier that week but seeing her happy and comfortable around him made him want to stay silent, to pretend it never happened.

Estella looked over at Josephine and Brandon happily when Louis approached her. "Would you like to dance?" He asked her as he held out a hand. Estella looked up at him. "Why?" She asked, she didn't really dance and neither did he. Louis closed his hand. "Okay never mind then." He sighed. He turned but Estella placed her hand on his arm. "I didn't say no.." she said as she took his hand.

Louis and Estella made their way to the dance floor, the two starting off dancing with such grace but soon they stood closer then they should have, moving with the music but throwing in their own moves making them laugh softly amongst themselves as they enjoyed the music played through the halls.

Brandon looked at Josephine with such a gentle gaze. "Josie I have to tell you something." She looked up at him, the rhythm she moved with slowing down as she looked up at him. "Yes?"
He took a deep breath as he thought of how to say this as he pulled her a little bit closer.

"The end of the season I am to be sent to the lines again." He finally said. Josephine stilled as she looked up at him, all joy slowly fading from her face and that's when he felt the regret at telling her.

"N-no no no, you.." She trailed off as some fear and tears entered her eyes at the idea of him leaving for the military, what if he didn't return? What would become of them? She moved out of his touch.

Brandon went to reach for her again but she moved a bit further back. "It's not till the end of the season Josie." He tried to reason but the woman turned in her heels hurrying from the room.

To be continued