Learning to Love

Chapter One - First Glance

Chapter One – First Glance

Chatter floated around the Medford's elegant ballroom, disguised by the soft strains of music coming from the grand piano and violins in the corner, enticing the ladies and gentlemen to dance. Couples glided around the dance floor, while small groups watched from the sidelines, gossiping and catching up on the latest news. Brightly coloured dresses shimmered perfectly throughout the room, catching the envy-filled glances of ladies, and the appreciative glances of the gentlemen. Light glinted off the chandeliers, reflecting on a petite young girl with glossy brunette curls softy framing her face, hazel eyes shining with happiness and laughter pulling her rosy lips into a smile. She leaned in closer to her neighbour who whispered something in her ear, causing the brunette to laugh loudly, attracting several glares from their more reserved companions.

"Eliza! Really, you cannot say those sorts of things, especially in public! Whatever would happen if someone else heard you?" The petite brunette laughingly scolded her best friend, eyes twinkling in jest.

Elizabeth shook her blonde locks back from her face in exasperation. "Adaline, be serious. Everyone knows of this, whether they talk about it or not. It really is common knowledge that Lord Granger is far too fond of his valet to be acceptable! Even his wife knows"

"Yes my dear, but there is a reason why people don't talk about it."

"Is that so, Della? And what, pray tell, is the reason?"

Adaline smiled softly, leaning in closer to Elizabeth, and whispering in her ear. "The reason is Lady Granger actually enjoys her husband's wayward affections, and is at times a willing participant!"

The girls dissolved into giggles again, leaning into one another in mirth. This was how they liked to entertain themselves on nights like these, where the ballroom was packed with stuffy older ladies and gentlemen, gossiping about the sordid private lives of their neighbours. It was difficult sometimes, being out in society for your first season. There was pressure to appear so very grown up, but in reality, it still felt like you were playing dress up and pretend. Adaline was glad she had Elizabeth as her best friend. They had been born days apart, and as their mothers had been close friends, they had grown up together. It sometimes felt like they were sisters, and that was exactly how they both liked it.

Their carefree laughter was interrupted when Adaline's father, Lord Michael Lockley, bustled over with a young red headed man with cheeks brighter than his hair following close behind. He grasped his daughter's hand tightly, beaming at her.

"Adaline, sweetie, please allow me introduce you to Lord Percy Pontingworth. It is his first time in London and I'm taking a personal interest to ensure he sees the very best we have to offer. Lord Percy, my daughter, Lady Adaline Lockley."

Adaline curtsied and bowed her head slightly. "Lord Pontingworth, a pleasure to meet you"

"P-p-please, the p-p-pleasure is a-a-all m-m-mine, Lady Lockley." Lord Pontingworth bowed deeply, and when he looked towards Adaline, his cheeks, if possible grew even redder.

Adaline nudged Elizabeth sharply in the ribs as she heard her struggling to stifle her laughter. Elizabeth sucked in a breath and began coughing instead. Rolling her eyes, Adaline turned to her father and offered an apologetic smile. He frowned slightly, before leading Elizabeth away and engaging her in conversation about her eldest sister, Margaret. Left alone with Lord Pontingworth, Adaline smiled gently.

"Lord Pontingworth, how are you enjoying the ball?"

"V-v-very much, L-l-lady Lockley, t-t-thank you. It is m-m-my first ball in L-L-London, and I'm v-v-very impressed." He attempted a friendly smile, but his nerves made it appear more like a grimace.

Adaline sighed inwardly as she glanced towards her father. He was constantly trying to set her up with gentlemen who he deemed worthy, which generally meant that they were extremely wealthy, either young and incredibly shy or older and coarser; not very appealing to Adaline at all. She had been ruined, she knew, by the forbidden romance novels Elizabeth snuck from her mother's room, full of love at first sight, passion, companionship and strong, handsome, bold men. While she understood that life is not like a novel and that these heroes are often romanticised and exaggerated, she still hoped she would meet her knight in shining armour one day, and fall madly, deeply and passionately in love. After all, she didn't want to be trapped in a marriage like her cousin Cecily. Her marriage had been arranged by her parents, to a loathsome man, nearly five and forty, when she had been only twenty. They rarely spoke, and Cecily had confided with horror the bi-monthly visits he made to her bedchamber in the hopes of producing an heir. Adaline wasn't sure she could be as strong as her cousin, and found herself hoping against hope that her strength wouldn't need to be put to the test.

A clearing of the throat brought her out of her thoughts, and she turned expectantly towards Lord Pontingworth, waiting patiently beside her. His cheeks were beet red once more, as he graciously extended his hand towards her.

"Lady Lockley. W-w-would you d-d-do me the h-h-honour of this d-d-dance?"

Adaline opened her mouth to politely refuse, when she caught sight of Michael's glare from out of the corner of her eye. Gritting her teeth against her initial response, she smiled instead and held her hand out to him. As he led her to the dance floor, she couldn't help but wonder why she was never approached by the truly attractive gentlemen, the dashing gentlemen, whose looks alone could stop a young lady's heartbeat, or any ladies, for that matter. Even if it only happened once, she would be happy. It certainly wasn't going to be tonight, she thought. Judging by the way Lord Pontingworth had wrapped his hand over his on his arm, it felt like she wasn't going to escape anytime soon. Funnily enough, with his stutter, she wouldn't have guessed his grip would be quite so firm.

He turned her around the dance floor and stood opposite her, hand outstretched as he bowed and she curtsied to begin the dance. As she rose from her curtsy, she glanced over Lord Pontingworth's shoulder as movement caught her eye. Standing just beyond the dance floor was a tall, broad shouldered man with lightly tousled blonde hair curling around his ears and piercing blue eyes staring right at her from underneath heavy brows. Her breath caught in her throat at the intensity of his gaze, and she could feel her heart begin to thud more quickly. There was a moment where it felt as though time had stopped still, broken by the sound of the musicians beginning their set and Lord Pontingworth's hand reaching for her own. Distracted by this, she broke eye contact with the handsome stranger to accept Lord Pontingworth's hand to begin the dance. Glancing quickly to where he had been standing, she could see he had disappeared completely.

She kept searching for him throughout the dance, no doubt earning some harsh looks for her inattentiveness to her partner. She attempted to pull herself together, even if only for her father's sake, and only marginally succeeded. She could sense Lord Pontingworth's disappointment when she politely refused a second dance and only abstractly joined him in conversation. After he had left with his cheeks blazing red in defeat, she turned to Elizabeth for help searching for the mysterious man with the penetrating blue eyes. Together they searched, but to no avail. She failed to find him again and by the end of the night, Adaline was questioning whether she had really seen him at all or whether his image had simply been the product of her zealously overactive imagination.