Passion And Fury

2

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.