Amber fingered the tip of her gown in nervouness as the coach sped past houses and buildings, taking her to a place she never imagined in her wildest dreams she would be going.

She never made impulsive decisions, and this one, for all it was worth, was as impulsive as a knee jerk.

She was going to the annual masquerade ball thrown by the Duchess of Wiltshire, who was a very high and aristocratic one, and the only people who got invited were the rich aristocrats, the highly placed ones just like her.

Not that Amber was an aristocrat of any sort; she almost laughed at that notion. Maybe her father had been when her mom was alive, but it was no longer visible.

Months after her mother passed away giving birth to her, her father wed her stepmother. Given how much her father had loved her mother, Amber could not help but feel that, in some way, she was to blame for her mother's passing. At least, that was how she perceived it, judging from the cold, uncaring attitude he had shown her ever since she was old enough to notice.

He got married some years later and Her stepmother, Maurice, had been a on her father, draining him of his money with expensive clothes, jewelry, and antiques. Now they were almost bankrupt.

They were actually on the verge of going under five years ago but got saved when they had all but sold their daughters into marriage. Dorcas and Phil were married to Viscounts who were rich and reputable, but old. She herself had been betrothed to a someone, who had been away at the seas.

Even though she had never met him or his family for that matter, his family sent her portions of goods and valuables yearly, to show how rich they were. That was the only reason her father and her step-mother could bear the sights of her. If she hadn't known better, she would have assumed she wasn't the daughter of Frederick Odenville.

She was snapped back to the present as the coach jolted because of a gallop on the road and her heart skipped a beat.

What was she doing here?!

Why was she going on this cursed journey?! Was she crazy?

But she had gone. All thanks to Bianca Jameson. Bianca was from an aristocratic home. Her father was a lord, and he owned a few properties, which gave him and his family the privilege to be given the annual invitation to the Countess' ball. This, Bianca had extended to Amber, since she was one who hated social gatherings and the sort. In fact, if one didn't know Bianca well, one would never guess her parents were that well-to-do.

Amber smiled, thanking God for blessing her with a friend like Bianca, and cursing the day she met her at the same time. Her friend was the most impulsive, careless person she had ever met!

She smiled as she remembered the scene that had happened that morning, and it was how it had always happened since the day her step mother, Maurice forbade the valet from letting Bianca enter their home.

Amber fumed in anger as she recalled the reason. Her step mother had gone behind her to ask Bianca for money. It had been insulting to Amber, but Bianca hadn't minded. She would have been too glad to help out her best friend's family. But what had gotten Bianca to mind was when her step mother had commented that she had eaten up enough of her parents wealth, hinting that she was too buxom.

Bianca had been hurt and her typical way of showing her hurt was to break things - or faces.

She had broken her step mother's nose with a slap, then shoved a purse of gold coins in her face, telling her to use it to get a new nose.

Amber placed her hand over her mouth to keep from laughing, lest the coach driver abandoned her from thinking she had gone mad. But she giggled. She couldn't forget the happiness she had felt, seeing her step mother looking so ugly and blue for three days.

Of course, the witch had taken it out on her, harping and complaining and sending her on errands, with excuses that she couldn't go out with her half nose but Amber had enjoyed Maurice's discomfort immensely.

The coach slowly came to a halt and Amber's heart literally went to her mouth. Before the coach driver announced it, she knew they were at the venue. She could hear soft music floating out of the large building.

At first, she sat there, wondering if she should go in or not but the coach driver had come beside her to help her down. She accepted his hand and alighted. After paying him, she braced herself and walked inside.

Afterall, she was looking exceptionally beautiful tonight, or so she thought. With her square neckline that was revealing more flesh than she would have ever dared to on normal occasions, she felt more.. lady like. She wore her hair long and loose, dressed with a simple rolled band of gold satin.

Also, Bianca's two brothers were here. They had been there when Bianca had been forcing the ball invitation into her hands and they had both promised to keep her company should she need one, as they were both attending the ball. Garrett was attending with his new bride, Delaney, while Rory was attending to look for 'the right one'.

Amber had rolled her eyes at them. Rory and Garrett had been like - are still like - brothers to her. Both were older than she was; Rory was twenty six while Garret was thirty. They never thought of being sexually oriented towers her, even before Garrett got married, because they saw her as a sister, and her 'betrothal' had stamped her as another man's property.

A man she has never even met!

She became upset and angry. This was the reason she was here, to let off steam, to relax and pretend she was someone else for the night, as her family's terrible reputation had kept her from attending balls of this caliber - or any balls at all. She had waited patiently - albeit foolishly, she realised now - for her betrothed to arrive and take her to all the balls she could ever think of.

How naive of her. How her father had even scored that betrothal was a mystery to her. One she wasn't interested in knowing - for now.

She fingered the pearl necklace Ruth had given her minutes before she had left for the ball. That's right, dear old Ruthie had supported Bianca's demented and off-the-chain idea.

"It's certain I won't see you before the twelfth hour which would mark your twenty-fifth birth anniversary. " she'd said, her tone forlorn, "That's why I want you to have this necklace. Your mother - heavens bless her soul - insisted, on her death bed, that I give it to you when you came of age. Sure, you came of age long ago, but I have decided to give you for your twenty-fifth birth anniversary because I have a feeling your life is about to turn around for good." she had kissed her then, and Bianca had ruined the mood by quipping;

"Yeah, turn around with sooooooooo much excitement. "

If only Bianca knew how wrong she was. What exciting thing could happen to her tonight? All she planned was to watch and maybe dance for a while, eat something sweet, then go home. All she wanted was a nice first ball experience.

But that notion couldn't have been more out of order as Amber had locked eyes with that mysterious man on the other side of the ballroom. She'd been lost in time staring into his eyes, whose colour she could not discern because of his mask.

What she noticed about him first was the air of arrogance or superiority about him. He was garbed as a gentleman, in a costume that screamed ' expensive', and it exaggerated so much virility that she blushed.

An abbreviated doublet allowed his white shirt to billow forth. Huge sleeves with clever slashings
bloomed from the armholes. Tight particolored hose hugged his long legs, his muscular thighs, and culminated in an immense codpiece all decked with silver braid.

This was about the most handsome man she had ever seen. She just could feel he was handsome, with what, his broad chest and angular jaw. His lips -

Oh goodness girl, where are your morals?

Feeling guilty and shame faced, she tore her eyes away to stare at her hands. Just then, a gentleman asked her to dance, but she politely declined.

She could still feel his gaze on her and that made her uncomfortable. She looked around, trying to locate Garrett and Rory, but couldn't find them in sight. She knew Rory had no doubt gone in search of the 'right one' while Garrett should be with his wife.

The thought of being with Garrett and his wife suddenly appealed to her. She would rather bear the guilt of disrupting the newly weds from whatever romantic tryst they were planning on having than stand where she was.

She turned to go in search of Delaney and Garrett when suddenly she felt soft hands on her waists. And she knew immediately that it was him.

She didn't know what to feel. Shivers were running down her spine and her legs felt like they would buckle as he whispered so softly she almost collapsed;

"Care to dance, my lady? "

*Author's Note *

Thank you so much for reading 😇. Please vote and comment your thoughts, they would really be appreciated. 😊