A Wallflower's Bloom

Chapter 6: The Dances

She took a glass of lemonade and drank almost half of it, before letting out a sound of relief for quenching her thirst.

"Was the lemonade that good my lady?"

Penelope was startled and almost coughed to herself as she heard a manly voice commenting on her drink. She turned towards the direction where the voice came from and saw a tall handsome man standing just at the edge of the table.

"It was, Sir. Its sweetness is fitting at the time of the night." Penelope courteously answers as she composes herself.

The man stepped closer to her leaving an arm's length between them, just what is allowed within proper decorum. He puts his arm on his chest and bows his head to the Featherington miss as he introduces himself.

"Thomas Debling, at your service my lady. May I have the honor of knowing your name?"

Penelope was surprised to hear the name from the man's introduction. She then noticed the distinct golden hair and his beard that covers around his mouth. This was the Lord Debling her mother and sister was talking about. She quickly scans the man's appearance and could not agree more that he is truly a fine man as what have been said. Debling is a tall man, his height reaching almost six feet, his eyes are of blue like the ocean waves, and his posture shows off his masculinity even when being covered by high quality garments. Such a beautiful man to behold.

"Oh. Forgive me my lord. I should have known to address you properly. My name is Penelope Featherington" Penelope apologizing as she called him Sir the first time instead of a lord.

"Nothing to apologize for." Debling smiles as he looks at Penelope. He quickly averts his eyes for a second as it was improper to stare at a woman for too long. "Penelope.. that sounds a good name. You must be Lady Featherington's youngest?"

"Yes, my lord. Have you met my mama?"

"Ah yes. I was introduced to her the other night. At the Cowpers."

"And so, I was told." Penelope could not think of any other thing to say. She had been looking forward to meeting this man and to get to know him as she heard so many good words about the gentleman. But now that she is in front of the man himself, she could not find the ways to prolong their conversation.

"What do you think of this ball, Miss Featherington?"

Debling's query surprised Penelope. Normally it was her who should have been trying to come up with questions to ask for any gentleman who comes her way. But this time it was the other way around. And the kind of inquiries Lord Debling poses is much different to what the normal topics of discussions are.

"Well, I could not say that this is the best yet as this is the first I have attended so far, my lord."

Penelope's answer brought amazement to the Earl. Though he had tried talking with different ladies from the ton since his re-enter in the society, he has never met one with such eloquence and intelligence when it comes to words. Thomas Debling could not help but smile as he enjoys starting a conversation with the young lady. There was no bias on her answer and she has stated truth in a most elegant way.

"That is rather a very interesting response, my lady." Penelope blushes at the mere sound of him calling her as my lady.

"Why would you think so my lord? Is it not the answer you are expecting?"

"Hmm. Truth is, I have tried asking the same query to other people around, but all I get is how they are eager to get a match this season."

Penelope Featherington then remembered the observation her mother and sister had about the man. The thought of Debling being a picky man as he did not ask any lady's hand for a dance last ball.

"Everyone would say the same as the only way for one to get a husband and wife is through attending the balls for the social season." Penelope defends the general idea that surrounds the ton.

"But yours are different. You rather described the ball itself." She saw Debling's smile as he compared her answer from everyone else.

Thomas looked at the piece of card hanging around her wrist and noticed a small space left for writing.

"May I ask for a dance, my lady?"

"Oh." Penelope quickly looked at her dance card and realized that there is no name yet written for the final waltz. "It would be my pleasure, Lord Debling."

After granted the permission, Thomas Debling neatly wrote his name down. "No, the pleasure would be mine."

The both of them continued to converse about different topics. Though it was not preferred to discuss politics and business between a man and a woman, Debling, however, had enjoyed and warmly welcomed the ideas shared by Penelope. Immersed on their exchange of words, the two have not noticed that time had quickly passed as they remained standing at the refreshments table.

It was only the sound of music that interrupted their conversation. As the orchestra plays the music for the quadrille, a young gentleman comes to pick up Penelope's hand.

The latter politely excused herself from Lord Debling as the first dance of the night started.

"May you enjoy the dances, my lady." Thomas Debling bids the young Featherington a farewell for now.

As Penelope Featherington gets swayed by the steps of the song, she could not help but smile as the voice of Lord Debling calling her as "my lady" echoes through her mind.