The Season (Season Series #1)

Chapter 22.2: The Masquerade (Part 3)

"You need to stop using me as a distraction," I said, feeling sick just saying it.

"You're not a distraction. The thought of spending time with you is the only thing getting me through this Season," he replied, leaning closer to me.

"Please Andrew, stop saying things you don't mean," I pleaded, meeting his eyes. For a heart stopping moment, his eyes fell to my lips and I felt myself freeze in place.

"But I do mean them," he persisted, his eyes still on my mouth.

"No, you don't. Please just come to your senses and remember who I am!" I protested, my heart hammering so loudly in my chest I was certain he could hear it

"You're the only person here I can share my true thoughts with," he said, his eyes lifting to meet mine, "I should think that's reason enough,"

"Well it isn't," I replied. His eyes flashed when I challenged him.

"Why?" he demanded.

"Because you're a prince and I am not a debutante," I replied, my voice harsher than I meant it to be. Silence fell over the both of us, lingering there until the audible click of the door latch broke whatever spell had befallen us. I turned away, hiding my face from whoever was rude enough to interrupt us as Andrew turned angry eyes towards the door.

"Oh your Highness! How rude of me!" came Ashley's unmistakable simper, "I hadn't realized you were out here,"

"If you would please grant us a little privacy," he said coldly, leaning down to snatch up my mask, offering it to me without looking at me. I listened for the sound of the door as I tied it back on, turning back only once it was back in place. Ashley was staring at me, her delicate brow knit as she tried to place me.

"You seem to have lost your accent, Lavinia," Ashley said flatly, her eyes flinty.

"And you are forgetting your manners," Andrew said, casually draping an arm around my waist in a delicate yet decisive gesture of possession. I dropped my eyes, the heat having returned to my cheeks. Ashley let out a thoroughly unladylike huff as she gathered her skirts and wrenched the door open.

"There are rules for a reason, you Highness," Ashley said, her parting shot before closing the door, "And women like her are the reason for them,"

I wanted to throw up. My shaking hands curled into fists, which I buried into my skirts. As much as Andrew had just clearly dismissed the woman I was attempting to warn him about, a terrible sense of dread was still hovering over me. Now that he'd gone and dragged me out to the terrace, there would be more than a few interested eyes following me for the rest of the night.

An overwhelming urge to run pulled me towards the door, but Andrew caught my arm and pulled me back towards him.

"You know what she said isn't true," he said gently, but I refused to look at him or say anything. I'd caused enough trouble for one night.

"Libby, please," he said, giving my arm a gentle, supplicating squeeze.

"Let's not set any more tongues to wagging, shall we?" I said, "I'm the reason the Season has rules and you should start following them before your ability to choose is taken away from you,"

He dropped his hand as if scalded and I rushed towards the door, leaving him there in the moonlight, a bitter sense of loss settling over me as I disappeared into the hallway.

But I hadn't exactly thought out my escape, because waiting for me just inside the ballroom was a swarm of debutantes. Ashley was whispering intently, abruptly cutting herself off as she noticed me. Penelope, Sarah, Mary, and Emmie peppered me with hateful glares and my urge to escape intensified. I took off as quickly as my skirts would allow towards the nearest exit.

"Where do you think you're going?" Ashley's cold, condescending voice demanded, amongst the snickers of her entourage, "Seems like our prince has left you hanging, you little American trollop!"

I ran as fast as I could through the sea of colourful costumes in the ballroom, dashing up the stairs and into the entrance hall. With a quick glance behind me to be sure I wasn't followed, I ran up the steps to the second storey and leaned against the wall Anne had opened earlier that night. As soon as I was safely tucked inside the narrow corridor, I untied my mask and sagged back against the wall.

What an absolute mess. I massaged the bridge of my nose, willing myself not to cry. Realizing the struggle was in vain, I let the tears fall as I made my way back towards Audra's workroom to change back into my day dress.

Lavinia Fortescue was gone, never to return.