The Duke Who's Devilish (Higher Court I)

III. Dancing with a Stranger

"Are you lost, my dear?" The stranger asked her as she was blinking her eyes. Becca tried to form sentences but she stammered instead. The stranger chuckled lowly. Then, Becca was clearing her throat before she glared at the man.

"No, my lord," she did not know if he was a gentry or not but it was never hurt to tell them, just to boost their ego. "I am merely looking around to take in the sight of the ballroom. It was mesmerizing that I cannot help but turn around, making myself look like a fool," Becca said sarcastically before the blue-eyed man was amused with her answer.

It usually worked the other way.

"Well, you must thank the host of this ball then. It is grand, I must admit," the stranger said before Becca was rolling her eyes. The tomes on her etiquette lessons would be cursing and her tutors would roll on their sleep as Becca was doing the things that a lady of the genteel breed should not do.

Talking sarcastically.

Rolling her eyes.

What's next? Scoffing?

"If you must know, my lord, I don't think I want to meet the host of this ball. I'm merely here because of my parents, in which I must find them right now. Excuse me," Becca said before the stranger was looking at her intensely.

"Why are you so against the ball?" He asked Becca before she blinked at him. Why indeed, she mused before she was smiling at the man.

"Well, my mother was determined to make sure that I will be landing a husband the next time we're at the ball. And tonight I am at one so I know that she will be plotting something behind my back. That is why I have to get going now," Becca said before she was about to gather her skirts when the stranger spoke.

"Would you give me a chance to dance with you, my dear?" The man said before Becca was looking at him. By the looks of it, he was handsome and wealthy. Becca just wished that he was not one of the Higher Court lords. If he was, her mother would flip with joy if this man asked her to marry him, Becca thought as she was considering the offer.

Becca was looking around and saw that her parents were nowhere to be found. She might as well just play it by ear and maybe they would turn up after her dance with this lord.

"May I know the name of the lord that was asking me to dance with him? As we all know, we cannot dance with a stranger," Becca joked before the stranger was smiling at her. He took her hand before he was kissing her knuckles. Becca felt butterflies in her stomach as she sucked on her breath as the lord was looking at her.

With his sharp blue orbs.

"Lord Niklaus Dragomir, at your service, milady. And may I ask your name now that you know mine?" Niklaus asked her before Becca was smiling at him.

"Lady Rebecca Davis but you can call me Becca, my lord," she said as she curtsied to him. Niklaus smiled.

"Call me Nick then," he replied as Becca was arching her eyebrow.

Again, her tutor would roll in their sleep at the lack of etiquette that Becca was showing.

"Isn't your name Niklaus?" She said before Niklaus chuckled.

"Shall we?" Niklaus said as he was offering his hand to Becca. She looked at it before she took it. Electrics were inside her veins before the butterflies intensified. What is wrong with me, she mused before Niklaus was guiding her to the dance floor. The crowd was parting around them before Niklaus was putting his hand on her lower back and the other was gripping her hand.

"Do you know how to dance?" He asked before Becca scoffed.

One more lack of manner.

"Of course, do you think I was raised in a barn?" Becca asked Niklaus before he chuckled. Then, they were dancing off. The musicians were playing the soft waltz on strings quartet as Becca and Niklaus were sweeping off their feet to the music.