Nalini stared wide-eyed at the man in front of her. The Duke watched her with impatient eyes as he trailed her features carefully. With hesitation, he cleared his throat and opened his mouth.
"I had called you in this morning to inquire," he let out a rough sigh, "whether you would fancy accompanying me to a ball on the morrow."
It wasn't stated as a question - more of a demand but Nalini furrowed her eyebrows, confused at his sudden change in behaviour. Also, she didn't entirely understand what he was saying at first but from the words 'ball' and 'accompany', she had a small idea of what it could be.
He was yelling at her just this afternoon for breathing the same air as Landon, and now he wanted to take her to a ball?
"No thank you, I'd rather stay here," she said, rejecting his offer completely. She didn't miss the way the muscle in his cheek began to twitch and the fact that his lips set into a thin, angry line.
Before she closed the door, he placed his hand on it with a loud thump, preventing her from doing anything. "I must apologise for my behaviour this afternoon."
He didn't look like he was enjoying saying sorry to her but she took pleasure in seeing him uncomfortable. It looked like something he didn't do very often and that made her feel...well, slightly special.
"You can see it as a token of forgiveness if you desire, but I require you to accompany me to the ball," he stated, his voice deep and low.
Nalini pretended to mull it over. She was scared to go to a ball where there was no one but white people. But she had to admit: it also sounded like fun. She had never been to a ball in her life, and this was a small opportunity she was probably never going to get.
So she slowly nodded. "I forgive you, Your Grace," she said, nearly snickering at the way his eyes darkened in anger. "And I'll come with you to the ball."
He inclined his head stiffly, his expression stony once again and he turned to walk away. "I shall have a maid retrieve you when the time has come tomorrow."
Nalini had so many questions - about the dress, about what to say and how to act, but before she could voice any of her concerns, he was gone.
She sighed and shut the door, leaning against it. How quickly things had changed for her - she didn't know, but things had somehow. She didn't know whether she was supposed to feel delighted or afraid.
***
The next morning was just like any other. She helped in the kitchen, taught Richard the proper manner in which to talk even though she didn't know the manners of speaking in this time period.
But she went with the flow since he was too small to question it anyway. After that, she went back to her room to take a shower.
Throughout the entire day, she didn't see the Duke or hear from him at all. She supposed it was her luck but at the same time, it was weird going a whole day without actually seeing him around. Standing on top of the stairwell, she looked out at everything.
Being there in the manor, in England, still felt unreal. It all felt like a strange dream. Nalini walked down the stairs and when she turned, she saw Richard lying stomach down on the beautifully patterned carpet in the living room.
"Richard, are you ready to read to-"
He shook his head and sulked on the floor. "Miss Nora is reading to me today, Miss," he said, with a cute frown.
Nalini furrowed her eyebrows. She wasn't going to lie - she felt disappointed too, but she was confused as to why the sudden change.
Just when she was about to ask, Nora appeared from the kitchen with a plate of sandwiches and sat down next to Richard, placing the plates beside him.
She looked up and slyly smiled at Nalini. "You should be getting ready, should you not?"
Nalini tilted her head, her eyes narrowed. "Getting ready?" she questioned, wracking her brain to why Nora would say something like that.
She didn't understand why she was asking her that. "You know what I'm talking about," Nora continued as she pretended to smooth out wrinkles on her dress.
"I wanna know too!!" Richard yelled from beside Nora, looking between her and Nalini. Nora ignored Richard and looked pointedly at her.
"You do know, Nalini! We have all found out about your little secret. Why do you think I'm doing your job?" Now Nalini was starting to panic.
Had she found out that she wasn't really from here? But if that was the case, then why was she so casual about it? Her hands went clammy and cold, and just when she opened her mouth to say something, someone tapped her shoulder.
When she turned, a young woman stood next to her. "His Grace has called for you."
What did he want now?
Nalini was part scared, part worried. He had been calling her in for too many things nowadays and it was beginning to freak her out. She thanked the maid and slowly walked towards the study but not before a giggle erupted from behind her.
She turned to see Nora hiding a teasing smile behind her hand. Richard looked confused as he looked up at Nora but said nothing - and now Nalini was confused too.
To get away from the weird atmosphere, she unintentionally pushed open the door without knocking and slammed the door shut. She froze when she realised she had invited herself in. Hesitantly looking up, she gulped when she saw that the Duke's eyes were fixed on her, lips set in a thin line.
"U-uh...you wanted to see me, Your Grace?" she rushed out, hurriedly straightening up.
He stared hard at her, for a few more seconds before motioning for her to sit down.
"Yes. Have you received the gown?" he asked his attention now on all the pieces of paper spread out on his desk. But his question shocked at her.
Gown?
"What gown, Your Grace?" she questioned, watching him with careful eyes. He slowly looked up from his paperwork and at Nalini as if she was the stupidest being in the world.
"The gown for the ball we are to attend tonight." Nalini jerked in her spot as if she was electrocuted and her eyes bulged.
That actually happened? I thought it was a dream or something!
She never in a million years would have thought the Duke actually wanted to take her somewhere.
Her!
It didn't make sense, considering she didn't even take it seriously. Then it hit her:
Is that why Nora was acting strangely!? But...how did she even find out if I didn't understand it myself?
Her thoughts were broken into when the Duke cleared his throat, the sound coming out as a low rumble. She blinked and her dark eyes met his crystal blue ones.
"Do not tell me you had already forgotten when I only inquired the night before," he said, his face expressing irritation.
She shook her head in indignation. "No, of course not! I, just, um, wasn't paying attention."
"You were not paying attention to the Duke?" He raised an eyebrow. His tone made her quickly rephrase what she said.
"No, no! I meant that I'd been busy all day and so I hadn't been paying attention to anything at all." He nodded his head in understanding but his face was still stony.
"Very well. The gown has been arranged for you and you shall wear it to the ball. This is assuming you have no other gowns to don?"
She was shocked at this gesture. But she had questions: where did he get the gown? Did he actually spend money for her? That seemed too unlikely so she quickly shook that idea out of her head.
Did that mean the gown belonged to someone he knew?
The question once again went unanswered as a large, annoyed sigh broke her out of her thoughts. "O-oh, sorry," she cleared her throat. "I don't have any gowns to wear...but why are you doing this?"
"A simple thank you would suffice, Miss Chandhy," he said, bluntly, avoiding the topic altogether. "You may take leave."
Nalini stood her ground, wanting to know.
"I'm just very grateful, Your Grace. If it's okay, can I please ask why you went to such lengths to get me a gown?" she asked softly. "It must have cost a lot."
"You need not worry yourself about the price; money is not a problem," he snapped. The embarrassment seized her and she looked at the ground, frowning as he continued to chastise her. "Your enquiry about the gown is unwanted. You simply do not have the proper attire so I helped supply it to you. Now leave and get ready. We shall be leaving shortly."
Nalini clenched her jaw, tempted to tell him that she didn't want to go to the ball with him anymore. Instead, she bowed a little and turned stiffly, slamming the door.
She glanced around to see Nora and Richard playing outside. Instead of making her way towards them, she marched up the stairs and to her room only to freeze. The anger she felt from before dissipated as she stared at what was on her bed.
Her hands came to her mouth and she choked back sobs when her eyes met with a beautiful baby-blue ball gown that looked like it came out of a Disney movie. She had never been gifted with anything, especially not with a beautiful gown like this. Nalini didn't even know they had dresses like this in 1840.
Excited, Nalini rushed over and ran a hand through its silky blue fabric. The bodice was tight but not too much, the sleeves were white and netted and a little puffy. The sequins, embedded in the dress, scintillated their reflections across the room and the rest of the dress flared out in soft waves down to the floor.
Eagerly, she put it on and it was as comfortable as it had looked. It was smooth to the touch, except for the top half which was slightly scratchy due to the sequins. But she didn't care about that. Looking in the mirror, her grin broadened. The gown was so elegant that it made her feel like a princess.
All the nasty, ugly words that came out of her grandpa's mouth every day didn't mean anything anymore. She felt as if nothing could bring her down - she felt beautiful in it.
Reaching up, she twisted a piece of hair from the left side of her temple and pinned it in the middle, doing the same with the other side. Nalini placed her hair in front, on either side of her shoulders and smiled at herself in the mirror. She looked completely different but it wasn't a bad different.
At least, she didn't think so.
She just hoped she looked decent to everyone else like she thought she did.
***
Alastair had been waiting for the irritating woman for a while now. He stood at the end of the stairs, his jaw clenched. His impatience had been his worst trait when he was but a young fellow but within good reason.
He had told her to get ready in time yet she had not even bothered to be punctual. Tired of waiting, he sent a maid upstairs to fetch her and a few minutes later she emerged, anxious but...beautiful.
The fury that was swirling within him had somehow ceased and his face softened as he looked up at her. She began to descend the stairs in such a graceful manner that he was most astounded. Involuntarily, Alastair's breath caught in his throat as she sent a shy smile his way.
It was more surprising that the chit actually managed to look breathtaking in the blue gown he had set out for her to wear. Alastair instantly cleared his throat and looked away as she walked up to him; he was most glad that Richard and most of the others were sound asleep.
It would be embarrassing, to say the least, if he was caught speechless. He scoffed to himself. The Duke of Birmingham, speechless again?
What an absurd thought it was.
"Is it time to go?" Nalini's soft voice broke into his thoughts and he dragged his attention to her once again.
Her hair was let down in long dark tendrils and her face was glowing with pure joy that Alastair found almost amusing.
"Indeed." Inclining his head, he placed a hand on the small of her back, leading her out.
Nalini, on the other hand, as she settled into the carriage, couldn't help but feel a little disappointed. He hadn't complimented her. Not that she wanted assurance, but it would have felt nice and boosted her confidence in some way.
She had to admit that he looked really good. His long black pants, his fancy dress shirt and a dark blue velvet coat all suited him well. The Duke's blond hair was kept unruly as if he had run his hand through his hair multiple times and was satisfied with how it looked.
His eyes, on the other hand, looked troubled as it always did.
It was stormy and full of untold feelings that Nalini wanted nothing but to find out about. The darkness of the carriage illuminated his facial features and lit up his bright blue eyes, almost dangerously.
It scared her, so she looked away just in case the Duke found her staring, and focused on the view outside. She was feeling giddy because it was her first time attending a ball.
It was exciting but the thought of being in a room full of only white people scared her. Nalini's stomach twisted and clenched at the thought of being judged and to have all eyes on her as she walked through. Almost instantly, the excitement left, nervous energy replacing it and flowing through her veins.
Nalini was starting to regret saying yes to the Duke. As the carriage stopped, the Duke got out and walked ahead without waiting for her. She struggled down the mini-steps leading out of the carriage.
How could he just leave?
With a huff, she raced to keep up with him but crashed into his back when he abruptly stopped. He turned around, his eyes flashing and she gulped. He held out his elbow and she stared at it before looking up at him.
"Your Grace?" she questioned, confused.
"Your hand."
"Huh?" she blurted, before correcting herself, "I mean, pardon?"
He clenched his jaw. "Place your hand in the crook of my elbow," he said through gritted teeth.
She did as told, nervously, feeling awkward. "I'm sorry, Your Grace. I didn't kno—"
"Of course not," he snapped. "You do not know of the protocol and the mannerisms that are needed of the ton, clearly." The harsh remark shut her up, and she stayed silent as they walked in through the doors.
As they entered, she yanked her hand away from his elbow and she ignored the sharp glare he sent down at her. Nalini was too focused on her sweaty palms and clenched jaw to notice as the anxiety consumed her.
Her eyes met with a large hall filled with large, diamond chandeliers and people of all ages dancing, chatting and laughing. There were plenty of white circular tables situated around the elegant hall.
The clinks of wine glasses and elegant dresses flowing here and there was too suffocating but also breath-taking.
Immediately, the chatter ceased once people began to take notice of who had arrived. All eyes were on them and she wanted nothing but to cower and hide behind the Duke's large stature. They all stared at her as if she was from another planet and she could instantly hear the whispers spreading around like some sort of disease.
Nalini tried to fix her eyes on the floor as the host of the party addressed the room. "Ah, the guest of honour is finally here!" The man's eyes then fell on hers. "With someone...quite unusual, I see."
He raised an eyebrow at Nalini, looking her up and down in distaste causing her to frown to herself.
Maybe coming with the Duke was a bad idea, after all...
People quickly ignored her and turned to the Duke; some cheered but others, she noticed, turned their heads away, occasionally shooting dirty glances at Nalini in the process. She looked up at the Duke who inclined his head to the host before stalking away to Charlotte and to the man that had come to the manor the last time.
Nalini quickly shuffled over behind the Duke and Charlotte's eyes widened as her eyes rested upon her figure. She offered her a graceful smile, causing her eyes to widen.
"My, you look stunning, does she not Nathaniel?" Nathaniel, the man beside her, regarded her with kind eyes and nodded.
"She does indeed. You have made a very smart choice."
She was surprised, to say the least; out of everyone there, they were the only ones that treated her like a normal human being and not like dirty gum on the back of their shoes.
The Duke grunted under his breath. "Mhm, indeed I have," he said, sarcastically, glancing down at Nalini with hard eyes.
She narrowed her eyes at him and turned away with a huff. She ignored the irritated and sharp intake of breath from behind her. Nalini watched the other couples dance around in the ball, large smiles on their faces and she wished she could be a part of them; to blend in and to be a part of everyone else.
She would stick out like a sore thumb - more so than she already did - if she even tried, though.
"Well, I never! That's a face I hadn't expected to see," an incredulous voice said from beside her.
Nalini looked to the side and saw Edward looking at her with a bright smile. "Edward, was it?" Nalini's eyes widened. "Wow! This is a surprise," she said, returning the smile.
"What a small world," he smiled. "I am glad I bumped into you - I was hoping someone I knew would be here."
"Agreed. I've been standing here not knowing what to do since I came."
Edward looked around before turning to her. "Well, will you allow me to change that?"
Nalini eyed Edward with a curious smile, wondering what he meant. He, then, reached out and faced his palm towards her.
"May I have the pleasure of dancing with you, Miss?"
Her eyes widened and she immediately stepped back. "O-oh, no no! I can't...I can't dance." She then added to be safe, "At all."
"Do not be silly. Everyone can dance."
"But I can't. Especially not in...front of this crowd," she whispered, slightly afraid of getting the judgemental looks again.
Edward sighed, his eyes softening.
"Unfortunately the ton is very hard to please. Do not fret, they cannot deal with change and it's high time to change that. Plus, I shall teach you to dance," he said, with a gentle smile. "It is the easiest thing in the world to master."
Nalini bit her lip unsure. She wanted to look at the Duke, to see what he thought of it but resisted the urge to look at him.
Why should I worry about what he thinks? He was being rude the entire time we got here!
Internally huffing, she reached out reluctantly and placed her hand in Edward's.
Soon, he dragged her onto the dance floor. She gulped and looked up into his eyes that seemed to smile down at her.
"Place your hand on my shoulder and step closer."
She did as told and he placed his hand in her other one before his other hand wrapped around her waist.
The feeling was strange but she welcomed it - it was only a dance after all.
"Now what?" she asked, scared of what was to come.
"Now we dance," he whispered, guiding her along the dance floor. She held her breath as they did so, scared of stepping on his feet.
"Open your eyes," he instructed after a few seconds.
Nalini shook her head but all of a sudden, she could feel his warm breath near her ear.
"You look utterly divine."
That comment made her eyes snap open and he smiled at her. She looked down to see her dress flowing and swirling all around her, the eyes of most people at the ball on her.
The smile on her face vanished instantly as she realised that everyone's attention was now on her. No one was smiling and immediately she knew that they were judging her.
"Can we please stop?" she whispered, feeling nauseous.
"Why should we? They are all admiring your beauty, as they should, Nalini."
She shook her head and looked over Edward's shoulder only to glimpse at the sight of the Duke watching them with a wooden expression, his eyes ice-cold daggers.
"The Duke does not look happy," Nalini whispered, slight fear settling in.
"Is he ever?" Edward remarked with a grin. She responded with a small smile.
"Very true," she said. They were soon enveloped into a comfortable silence where they let the dance talk for them.
"Even though I don't know you well, I truly enjoy your company. You're a breath of fresh air, one would say," Edward said, breaking the silence.
"You'd be delighted to know that I feel the same," Nalini responded with a smile.
"Then surely you must come to my house one day. It would be rather interesting to show you around and to take you on a ride with my horses. I hope you haven't forgotten Daisy."
Her smile widened if it could. "How could I? I have to make sure she likes me before I befriend you, remember?"
Edward chuckled. "Then, it's settled! We shall make a time and date to when this should be done. Tomorrow is not too soon, I imagine?"
Nalini shook her head. "Not at all! Tomorrow sounds good."
When the dance came to an end, he bowed and kissed her gloved hand and she resisted the urge to gasp. Instead, she bit her cheek and smiled, pretending to know the customs.
"May I cut in?"
The familiar, deep voice cut through their conversation and she looked behind her to see the Duke, his stony eyes fixed on no one else's but hers. Edward inclined his head and moved away, not noticing the desperate look in Nalini's eyes, urging him to stay.
With a sigh, she turned and did the same thing with the Duke that she did with Edward. She placed her hand on his shoulder and the other hand in his, but with less zeal. His hand on her waist felt much different than with Edward's. His hand seemed to feel much larger and more protective.
She refused to look at him and stared at a point on his chest, despite feeling his gaze on her. "You are the centre of the ball tonight," he suddenly said, gruffly.
And not in a good way.
—which is what she wanted to say but she bit back her tongue.
Nalini didn't want to acknowledge him and continued to remain silent. She could sense that he was beginning to get annoyed.
"You talk and laugh with Mr Phillips but you remain silent with me - why?"
She shrugged. The Duke clenched his jaw.
"Evidently you're furious at me, but if you do not tell me the reason, I cannot fix anything."
"I am not mad at you, Your Grace." He brought her closer by the waist. Both her hands suddenly shifted to his chest to brace herself by the sudden, intimate contact. She held her breath as he leaned down, his blue eyes capturing her dark ones in an instant.
"Now that is a lie," he whispered. With that, he pushed her out gently and spun her around a few times before bringing her in close to his chest. The dance was feeling way too intimate and causing her to become more uncomfortable as it went on. Especially since most eyes were on them.
She had a feeling he was doing it deliberately to get under her skin for not telling him why she was mad.
"You look very beautiful. I did not have a chance to tell you that," he said, his voice suddenly soft. She was shocked at the comment. It wasn't something she thought she would ever hear from him.
Nalini looked up at him with wide eyes and a sly smirk was plastered on his face, his eyes flashing with amusement.
"Oh, I see," he said as if he had realised something. "You were upset that I did not compliment you, am I correct?"
He raised a sharp eyebrow causing Nalini to look away, embarrassed. She shrugged sheepishly.
"When you didn't say anything, I thought I had embarrassed you, that's all." She frowned at the petty remark she had made.
"You do not embarrass me, Miss Chandhy. Well, that is a lie," he said with a chuckle. "You do very well embarrass me, but not in the way you think."
"Oh."
"And refrain from calling me 'Your Grace' when we are in a public setting; it is too formal," he said casually as if it wasn't a big deal.
Nalini snapped her head up to look at the tall, large man staring down at her with a tiny smile.
He's...smiling at me?!
"Y-your Grace?" she spluttered out in shock.
The smile vanished as if it hadn't ever shown up in the first place, a look of complete irritation and exasperation replacing it.
"What did I just say, Miss Chandhy?"She blinked at him, her mouth agape before she gulped slowly.
"Mr...Duke?" Nalini knew that was wrong but she didn't know what he was implying. The Duke raised an eyebrow at her as if he truly couldn't figure her out.
He suddenly looked quite serious and he hesitated before letting out a small breath. "Mr Bradford."
Mr Bradford? It was then that she realised that she, in fact, didn't know of his last name, at all. She didn't even think royalty had last names.
"But that would be too informal!"
"As would be addressing me as 'Your Grace' at a social ball."
It was only after a few seconds that she actually tried again. "Mr...Bradford?" she tested out, softly, slightly embarrassed. There was silence and she looked up hesitantly to see the Duke looking at her with an expression she had never seen on him before.
Though there were no hints of a smile on his face, his eyes were wistful and eyebrows furrowed deeply. It was as if he was shoved back into a regret, painful memory of the past. Before he could say anything, another figure appeared and interrupted their dance.
The man called Landon smirked at Nalini and licked his lips, causing her stomach to clench in a vile way.
"If it is not a problem with you Alastair, might I steal this woman away for a dance?" he inquired, his eyes glued on her. The Duke clenched his jaw, his grip on her waist tightening protectively.
Nalini could see that his eyes were saying no, but he could not say anything. It had to be up to her. She wanted to refuse - but she didn't want to be rude either.
Biting her lip, she said to Landon, "I-I'm sorry Lord Phillips, but, my feet are hurting. Maybe next time?"
She knew that he could see through her lie, she was dancing perfectly fine just before Landon had shown up. His eyes narrowed into dangerous slits as he stared at her, but then it vanished as soon as it came.
"Very well," he said, forcing a smile to cover up his dark expression. "Next time, then." The Duke scoffed, finally speaking up, his face empty and his voice, monotone.
"There will not be a next time for scoundrels, so do not count on it." He then placed his hand on the small of Nalini's back and guided her out of the ball, forcefully.
"Are we leaving already?" she asked, confused to why the sudden mood change. The Duke didn't look too happy at all, in fact, he looked like he was going to murder someone. Her question hung in the air awkwardly as, without a word, he ushered her into the carriage.
They silently rode back home; she wanted to ask him about why he was so cold to Landon and what their history was, but remained silent. To ask him outright would be too rude, she knew that much.
"I am surprised you have made many friends in a very short amount of time," he suddenly said, his deep voice rumbling throughout the carriage.
Confused, she said, "Well, I was actually hoping to go by invisible." The Duke abruptly let out a deep chuckle, a sound that reverberated in his chest as he leaned back, crossing his legs.
His eyes observed her carefully, but she looked away and down at her lap smoothing away non-existent wrinkles. "I do not think the word invisible with you seems to fit. It is practically impossible with a woman like you," he said, the corner of his lips tilting up into a small smile.
She looked up at him and saw a small, very rare, smile on his face. The view before her caused her to return a large smile of her own.
Maybe...just maybe he isn't such a bad man after all?