A/N: The attached image is Heath Ledger, who plays Nate.
Emily sat beside Cassandra in the drawing room as her friend scribbled frantically on some paper, dripping the ink from her quill all over her pretty, pale pink dress. Alexandra, or Allie as she'd asked Emily to call her, was reading on the chaise lounge on the other side of the room. Christopher had Juliette at the moment and had taken her off his wife's hands so she could work in peace.
"Did you know," Allie began, shutting her book loudly and setting it down on the table before her with a loud, resounding thud, making Cassandra jump as she looked up, distracted. "That Nate has invited Mary Smithson to stay with us for this season?"
Emily looked up in interest, this piece of information being previously unknown to her. She'd been at Somerhall for a week and no one had told her that there was to be a Miss Mary Smithson to visit, too.
"Yes." Cassandra said absentmindedly, and put the quill aside, sighing as she looked at her sister. "I know you can't abide her, but you mustn't be rude. Mr. and Mrs. Smithson were very dear friends of our parents and helped us after they'd passed. They specifically requested Nate to keep her here for the summer so that she doesn't get into any trouble in London. Last season, I am told, she made quite a mess of herself."
"Serves her right." Allie scoffed, and Emily bit back her smile. She did not know this girl at all, but Allie's abject dislike of her was quite amusing indeed. "She was always awful when we were younger."
"She is your age, Alexandra." Cassie said firmly, and Emily couldn't imagine the last time she'd heard her speak in that tone. Cassandra was, by nature, a gentle person. "The Lord knows just how many foolish things you have done. Mary, I am sure, is exactly the same. I expect she has matured in the years since we've last seen her."
"She'd better." Alexandra muttered, just loud enough for Emily to hear but not Cassie. Then, in a much louder tone, she asked, "Have you decided on a date for the ball yet?"
"I thought we could have it two weeks from now. I believe that is more than enough time for everyone we know to come to Sheffield. If we only invited those from the county, I fear we would not have many in attendance. Quite a few families have ventured to London for the season." Cassandra explained. "This is far from an ideal time for a ball, but Nate suggested that one be held and I thought it was a wonderful idea. Clearly, it was not."
"Cassie, don't worry." Alexandra soothed, stretching her arms out in front of her. "It shall be a splendid success. We know a healthy number of people who do not have daughters that require a season. I am sure people will arrive from far and wide to attend one of the Countess of Hawthorne's famous balls. And just think, even if they don't, we'll have enough sweet treats to last us a week."
"That isn't very reassuring, Allie." Cassandra said, rolling her eyes at her sister. "But thank you for the effort. Now, who all do you think we should send out invitations to? I've made a list but I don't know if it is perfect."
"Whatever you've prepared is perfect, of that I am convinced." A new voice announced, drawing the attention of all three ladies present in the room. When Emily glanced over her shoulder, she saw Nathaniel standing in the doorway of the drawing room, smirking knowingly at his sister.
"Still, come see the list and tell me if it's alright." Cassandra urged her brother, who groaned jokingly before walking forwards and taking the paper from her outstretched fingers.
"You've left off the Marquess and Marchioness of Hampstead." Nate mused after perusing the paper for a moment, making Emily freeze. "Wouldn't people talk?"
"Considering they are Em's awful parents who don't deserve to be invited, I don't care if the ton talks." Cassie said fiercely, and Emily felt an instant surge of gratitude and adoration for her friend.
"I am sorry, Emily." Nate said, bowing his head guiltily. "I'd forgotten entirely. It's definitely better to leave them off the list and, if you'd prefer, any future lists." Nate crossed the room and sat in the settee by Allie, who made a little face at him.
"I don't mind." She brushed it off, with a fake smile. "Let them come. I shall be quite unaffected if I saw them in public. It is they who should be worrying about facing me, not I."
"Well said." Nate agreed with an approving nod, the smile he wore making an odd feeling arise in the pit of her stomach, one that she immediately ignored, recognising it as being the same from those two years before. "You have nothing to be ashamed of."
"And you are far better off without them." Cassandra proclaimed boldly, while all of this went directly over Allie's head for she was unaware of Emily's very complicated relationship with her parents. She didn't seem to mind, however, as her thoughts were far off elsewhere. "They, however, will not darken the shades of Hawthorne Hall or Somerhall while I am alive."
Emily could only manage a smile at Cassandra, but her friend certainly felt her gratitude. Emily wasn't sure where she'd be if not for the other girl. Truly, Cassie had saved her soul.
As they settled back into silence, which was broken only by Cassandra's sudden questions regarding drapes and lighting, Emily considered what Lord and Lady Hampstead would think if they saw her now.
Her parents had never been very fond of her, for she was the middle child and the elder of two daughters. Her brother, Jack, was cruel to her and did not like her. Her sister, Elizabeth, revelled in their parents' attention and did not pay any heed to her. Jack, being the sole heir was doted upon while Elizabeth, being the younger and fairer of the two sisters, was spoiled rotten while Emily faded into the background, ignored.
When she had expressed her desire to travel seriously for the first time two years ago, her parents had surprisingly agreed. It was only after this that she had heard the rest of their conditions— she'd be given the sum set aside for her dowry and nothing further only if she finished one final season. She would not receive any more support from them nor would she be allowed to stay with them if ever she returned to England. It was cruel, and she'd been disowned but without having the word used.
Sometimes, she wondered if her parents rejoiced at the thought of her being killed on one of her journeys, for they certainly did not care for her at all.
"What order shall we have the dances in?" Cassandra asked, scanning the list of dances she had written down. "Shall we mix everything together or shall we have the evening progress from the ordinary dances to the more romantic ones?"
"This I shall enjoy helping you with!" Allie squealed, rushing to her sister's side and going through the dances.
Emily chuckled softly at her excitement and stood, moving to the chaise Alexandra had just left so that Allie could take her seat and speak to Cassandra more easily. Nate smiled briefly at her from where he was seated.
"You don't enjoy all this party planning, I take it?" He asked, and they were seated close enough to each other for him to speak lowly without any of the others hearing.
"It isn't that I don't enjoy it but, rather, I don't have the eye for it. I can't decide which drapes go with which room and which flowers and whatnot. If I tried, the ball would be an affair that viciously attacks the eyes." Emily answered, drawing a smile from Nate that lit up his features. When he smiled, she noticed, he smiled with his entire face. He was a very light-hearted person as well, and smiled quite often. His smile was contagious and she couldn't help but smile in return.
"I refuse to believe it can be that bad." Nate assured her lazily, leaning against the arm of the settee on which he sat so he could speak to her more easily.
"Trust me when I assure you that it is. I'm not at all good with colour schemes and matching. I remember, once your sister almost murdered me when we were at the seamstress together in London and I chose an evening gown with a blue bodice and orange skirt. I didn't notice how garish and awful it was until she shouted the words at me in the middle of the shop." Emily said, but her mind wasn't present in the room with her. Rather, it was stuck in the past, when everything had seemed so simple and she didn't have forty different things to worry about.
"Blue and orange are my two favourite colours." Nate offered, his eyes twinkling and his voice drew her back to where she actually was.
"But not together." Emily said, rolling her eyes. "Certainly not together."
"If you say so." He conceded, "Anyhow, how have you been these past two years? Really been. I am sure it was far from easy to live as you did?"
"What, as someone with a brain and a little independence as opposed to a mindless slave?" Emily demanded, bristling. She was used to people judging and poking fun at her, and was always prepared to have to defend herself. She just hadn't expected to have to defend herself from him. He'd always seemed as if he didn't care much about the controversial choice she'd made and had even seemed supportive.
"I didn't mean it in that way!" Nate immediately exclaimed, drawing Allie's attention. However, she soon lost interest and began murmuring to her sister about the Scottish Reel. Nate quickly lowered his voice as he continued, "I only meant that it must have taken a lot of courage and even more dedication to survive without the support of your parents. I didn't mean to question you or put you to shame."
"Thank you." Emily said, oddly relieved. For some reason, it felt like she wanted his approval. Normally, she didn't care for anyone else's opinion Nathaniel Whitlock's suddenly seemed to matter. "And I'm sorry for reacting as I did. It's just that when most people use those words, they use them with negative connotations, with the intent to belittle and be rude to me."
"No, it's quite alright. You don't need to apologise at all. I can empathise with how you feel. I haven't truly experienced it myself, but I can understand what it must feel like for you. You probably feel cloistered, and as if there is no one by your side." Nate said, and Emily felt herself smile.
No one had been able to put it into words as accurately as he had. Cassie, as much as she loved her, was always advising Emily to not listen to what the others said, to ignore them and to walk away from them with her head held high. She'd never empathised with Emily's situation and tried to feel what she felt. Finally, someone was doing just that and she found that she wrote liked it.
"That's a lovely thing to say." Emily informed him, and he grinned at her, exposing slightly crooked teeth. In her opinion, they were rather adorable, just as his lopsided smile was. "No one has ever attempted to put it in such a way."
"I'm a man of many talents." Nate said, his smile taking on quite a roguish character before he lost all seriousness and laughed out loud, making her giggle as well. She could feel Cassandra's eyes on them, but she didn't really care all that much. She was enjoying herself.
"I'm sure you are." Emily agreed, pinching her lips together in an attempt at hiding her growing smile. Their eyes met, and the pit in the bottom of Emily's stomach only fell further and further. She held his gaze for a long time, her mind racing as she attempted to identify the emotion in his eyes.
Finally, the spell was broken when Allie squealed with delight and exclaimed, "I think this evening shall be so romantic! The transparent lace drapes combined with the waltz at the end of the night will simply be perfect."
Emily glanced towards her, smiling as she watched Alexandra cross the room and pull her brother up, making him dance a highly dramatic, laughable waltz with her.
She wondered if this was what true family was like.