PART ONE
CHAPTER SIX
DANBURY AND DUKES

The first ball of the marital season was no small feat, Paige knew it well. She knew there was a lot of expectations riding on this first ball. She knew as a young lady she was supposed to complete a few tasks during this ball. Namely, fill her dance card with suitors. Good, well endowed suitors. She was then to impress those suitors, with the idea that they should then wish to call upon her the very next morning. She was to also impress and socialise as much as possible with suitors who did not ask her to dance, to try and keep everyone thinking about her, in a positive light. There was also the importance of making friends with some of the other debutants, those from well off families who would likely marry into other well of, titled, families so that she had connections, a network say. 

All of which seemed like a lot to rest upon her shoulders. Paige knew her mother expected her to do all of this, but was not going to bd offering her much help. And if she was being honest, she wasn't sure she even wanted her mother's assistance, she had seen what the woman had done for her older sisters, whom she had tried to set them up with. That was the last thing Paige wanted, was for her mother to get meddling and she end up with some horrible man, who would most likely only want her to produce heirs. It was stupid but part of Paige was desperate for a love match, she felt as though that was the one thing she was missing in life, true love. Sure she held love for her sisters, but they never seemed to show it back to her. Or if they did it always seemed to come with an ulterior motive. Therefore, leaving her to feel as though she had plenty of love to give, but no-one really to give it to. 

The party had started off rather slow for Paige, she had come to the realisation, one she should really have known was coming, that the words of Lady Whistledown were not easily forgotten. Part of her had naively thought that over the last few days since the gossip paper had come out that some of the ton would have moved on, but alas that was not the case. Even the debutants seemed fearful to spend any time around her, scared that they will either conduct whatever mystery issue was wrong with Paige or they themselves would be featured in the gossip papers. 

Arthur Rollings, was unfortunately not shy of the scene of marital season balls. For his mother was becoming more and more wary of him ever finding a bride. She had been forcing him to attend such balls for the last few years begging him to just dance with a few of the ladies, find himself a bride. But his mother was not aware that he only had his eye set on two people, and only one of them was a lady. But the Duke of Cheshire, couldn't focus too much of his attention to the waging thoughts upon his mind, rather he needed to focus his attention to the present, on what he needed to do next. For Charles had started their plan by attending the Featherington estate to gain Paige's initial attention, it was now down to him to make her aware that she had two suitors. His eyes scanned the large room of the Danbury estate, desperately trying to find the ginger hair he knew belonged to her, and it took a few sweeps. It would appear that Paige had managed to easily find herself a small dark corner of which to hide in. But he found her.

For stood by a well lit table, not in the most popular location in the room he found her. Her long ginger hair was mainly down, something he knew not many ladies chose to do, her body enclosed in a gown of the most stunning lilac colour. But the biggest thing he noticed was how sad she looked, even from afar he could see the look of dejection upon her delicate features. Taking into the time it was, how long this ball had been going on, part of him was quick to deduce why she seemed so down. This was something of which he fully intended to change. 

As he approached her candlelit corner, Arthur found himself pruning. He was trying to sort out any potential imperfection he might have in that moment. Something he had only found himself doing when trying to impress his first love. He tried to push these thoughts away, focus in the present and the next challenge he was presenting himself. But his mind quickly began to become plagued with the thoughts of Charles. He hoped that the slightly older man would not be disappointed in him for being late and allowing Paige to become sad. He knew Charles was much more protective than he was, Arthur was always the softer of the pair. 

It took only a matter of strides for Arthur to make his way across the ballroom floor and before Paige. He waited for a moment as he stood before her, to see just what she was going to say to him, if anything. Part of him hoping that she would take a leap and address him first. But alas it would seem this time this would not be the case. He pondered if it was due to her feeling a little anxious, maybe it was the overall effect of the ball around them which was making her shy away. For Arthur was well aware it was highly unlikely because she did not know whom he was. Call him conceited but he knew with his standing, his ongoing 'inability' to find himself a wife that all illegible daughters and their mothers knew exactly who he was. Paige should be no different. 

"Miss Featherington." He greeted awaiting a response. He took note that despite being stood before her it took a moment or two for Paige to actually seem to locate his figure. Something he would put aside for now but hope to explore more as he got to know her better. 

"My Lord." Paige greeted and Arthur stood straighter for a moment as he hoped she was looking him over, unsure if she was. Though Paige was trying her hardest to place the lord before her, the candlelight was supposed to be helping, it was the reason she stood herself in such a well lit area of the ballroom, she was hoping it would make it so she could easily identify the people around her regardless of how much her eyesight was failing her in the current moment. But she was unsure, this lord was handsome that much she could make out, and the way he held himself it was clear he was of high standing, someone important she should really be able to clearly identify but she was struggling. And she cursed her condition more than anything in that moment. 

"Arthur Rollings my lady, it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance." Arthur connected the dots and now that Paige had a name to match the blurry features she could clearly make the connection. She knew of him well, she knew him to be the best friend of Charles Bridgerton. And part of her wondered just what the man was doing before her, she just hoped that it was not going to cause a riff in the friendship. 

"It is an honour my Lord." Paige remained formal dropping into a small curtsey for the Duke of Cheshire, only to feel his hand upon her clothed arm preventing her from completing the curtsey. 

"There is no need to do that around me Miss Featherington. Now why have you get to grace the dance floor?" Part of Arthur hoped that she had yet to be asked, in some sort of self certifying cruel manner in which he could sweep in and save the day. Paige lifted her dance card to his view, and as he had cruelly hoped, it was blank. Not a single suitor had asked her to dance. And that meant he could fill all five spots.

"I have yet to be asked my lord." Paige confirmed as she tried to watch his facial expressions closely. The dimmed lighting might have made it difficult but Paige could almost see him trying to work something out. 

"Well that is a shame for the other suitors, for I believe I shall take all of the remaining spots." Arthur shrugged taking the attached pencil and marking his name onto all of the available spots he could see. 

"But my lord you are only supposed to write your name down the once." Paige tried to perhaps self sabotage and encourage him to do otherwise. 

"Well next time I shall do just that, I must practice my penmanship before that to ensure it'll be large enough to cover all of the spots." Arthur brushed off her remark with a promise he knew he would keep. 

"But you have not discovered if I will step upon your toes yet." Paige wanted to pinch herself for so clearly trying to brush the man off, this was the opposite to what she was meant to do as a lady looking for a husband. 

"I'm sure my toes will be able to take it." Arthur spoke with full confidence. That was before offering her his arm, an invitation to move towards the dance floor. Paige initially thought about refusing, the main dance floor was more poorly lit in comparison to her small corner, what if she were to bump into someone, or loose the Lord Rollings, make a fool out of herself. But it was as if Arthur could read her inner turmoil and before she knew it he had placed her hand upon his arm and began to escort back towards the dance floor. 

And as per her words, Paige did spent a large majority of their time dancing together stepping upon his toes. Each time she would blush a beautiful shade of rosè and let out a small giggle. And with each blush, Arthur felt his heart skip a beat. His toes might have been aching by the end of the night but his heart hurt more at the idea of finally finding the one to complete them.