Disclaimer:
Well, if I owned it, I most definitely would not have freaked out
about getting my very first job WOOT WOOT! Though I so would not mind
owning Steve Burton. Yum…I'm just sayin lol!
This is a Jasam
fic set in historical romance London times. Fun stuff ensues.
Oh,
and I sometimes will post teasers in my twitter:
/heatherina159
And please don't kill me for starting
another
story!
Infinite Shades of Grey Chapter One:
He was restless.
He didn't want to be in this ridiculous room with these snooty
people. If it wasn't his baby sisters coming out, he wouldn't be
here at all.
Jason Quatermaine's cold blue eyes gazed fondly at
his sisters, Emily. She was truly the Belle of this ball, her
chestnut hair piled into a complicated mess of curls atop of her
head, her yellow silk gown setting her skin aglow. He had a feeling
that he was going to have to watch for roaming hands tonight.
He
let his eyes scan the room, a habit formed from his days in Waterloo,
and took in the surrounding people. The ton was fickle. The same
people who were singing praises to your face could be feeding you to
the wolves. He didn't want anything to ruin Emily's night.
"You
can relax my lord." A demure voice said directly behind him.
He
turned and bowed to his companion, hid fiancée, Lady Courtney
Corinthos. She looked lovely in a deep russet wool dress that cut
across her body flatteringly, setting her blonder hair off.
He and
Lady Courtney had practically grown up together. He was the eldest
son of the Lady and Lord of Belcraven, and her parents ad been bosom
buddies with his parents years before either of them had been
born.
It seemed natural that they would get married.
"Emily
looks lovely, and everybody has spoken quite well of her." Courtney
said, smiling at him and taking his offered arm.
They made a
striking couple, everybody who was anybody thought so. They were both
blue eyed, fit, with blonde hair, though his was substantially darker
than hers. They were both well bred, with immaculate manners, and an
air of wealth.
They were perfect.
Together, the gazed out at
the dance floor, Courtney longingly, Jason speculatively.
He
wasn't a dancer. He, of course, could dance; he was trained at a
young age just like every other well bred young man. He simply did
not enjoy dancing.
Knowing this, Courtney tactfully struck up a
conversation, "So, my Lord. Who do you think is most eligible for
our Emily?" her gaze flickering from man to man, "Sir Lansing
sure looks like he's ready for the task."
Jason glared at his
betrothed, "That is not at all funny." He said lowly.
Sir Ric
Lansing and he had been rivals since they were young. It was a simple
matter of rank and Sir Lansing had always been bitter.
Courtney
bowed her head in proper chastiment, "Forgive me, my lord." She
apologized. She looked around again, her eyes taking in the grand
appearance of the ton, some of them holding court, some dancing to
the quartet. One dark haired man caught her attention.
"Well,
what about Lord Cassadine?" she asked, "He seems to be staring a
hole into her."
Jason flickered his gaze to the corner where
Nikolas Cassadine seemed to be in conversation with a brunette, whom
he could not see. Courtney was right, he was indeed alternating
between looking at the lady before him and his sister dancing on the
dance floor with Lord Lucas Spencer.
"We can speculate all we
wish, but the fact remains that I will leave Emily's decision for
her betrothed to her. Radical, I'm aware, but that's the only way
I will have it." Jason said firmly, "I just refuse to let some
fortune hunter marry her for her dowry."
"Well," Courtney
said softly, "Luckily 'Lucky' Lucas Spencer and Nikolas
Cassadine are both well to do, and have plenty of money of their own.
Both have quite large fortunes." Her voice was trailing off, "Who
is that Nikolas is speaking to?" she asked, straining to see the
mysteries face.
"I haven't the faintest." He shrugged, not
really caring. His fiancée was the social butterfly/busybody. He
could care less.
The music came to a close, and Emily curtsied to
Lucky, who bowed in return. Before Lucky could escort Emily off of
the dance floor, Nikolas escorted appeared at her elbow and gestured
in the direction that he was just speaking with the brunette. She
nodded and smiled, walking with him to where the mystery lady stood
talking with Lady Alexis Cassadine, her back still to the
room.
"Shall we make the rounds?" Courtney asked, already
steering him in the direction of the Cassadine clan.
"I suppose
we shall," he acquiesced, placing his hand on top of hers, that she
had linked through his arm.
As they approached the group, Lady
Alexis caught site of the pair and smiled welcomingly. The mystery
woman in pale pink finally turned, and Jason almost stopped short.
Courtney flashed him a questioning look, but didn't say anything as
they came to a stop in front of everyone.
She was…ravishing.
If
Emily was the Belle of the ball, then this creature was certainly the
Siren; temptation incarnate.
Her dark tresses, like Emily's,
were piled atop of her head in a mass of curls, showing off her
slender neck, that led down teasingly to shoulders, and further to
creamy cleavage. But what distracted him the most about her was her
eyes. Deep brown with just a tint of green, that to him at least,
seemed to hold the promise of something wicked and erotic.
Realizing
he was staring, he averted his gaze to Lady Alexis, taking a bow to
all of the ladies. Lady Cassadine held out her hand, which Jason
brushed a kiss across courteously.
"Lady Cassadine, you look
lovely," Courtney smiled, curtseying, "London has missed you
these past few seasons."
"Yes, well, family duty called,"
Alexis said vaguely, smiling at the couple, "But I did hear the
wonderful news of your engagement," she clasped her hands together
in pleasure, "Congratulations."
Emily piped in, also smiling
widely, "This is of all things, wonderful. Our two families joining
together as one at last."
"You must be thrilled," Alexis
said, directly to Jason, who was once again studying the siren
intently. Alexis noticed and gave a slight start, "Oh, you must
think me terribly rude!" she exclaimed. She gestured to the young
woman next to her, "May I make known to you my lord, my daughter,
Lady Samantha Cassadine."
Samantha curtsied, lowering her
lashes, demurely before peeking up at him almost seductively. Or was
that his imagination?
"How do you do, my Lord? My lady?" she
asked, nodding her head politely to Courtney, "Congratulations on
your engagement."
"Thank you," Courtney said, also
nodding.
"Yes, thank you." Jason said, once again averting his
eyes, this time to his sister.
She gave him a bemused look, her
brown eyes flashing curiously. His sister didn't miss anything.
"Is
this your first Season, Lady Samantha?" Emily asked politely, her
hand tucked into Nikolas' arm still.
Samantha turned her
beautiful eyes away from her mother, and to the lovely brunette, "Tis
not." She smiled, "I had my own coming out some years ago here in
London. Not quite this joyous affair, but something still quite
spectacular."
Emily smiled more genuinely this time, throwing a
fond glance at Jason, "It is thanks to my brother that this
occasion is quite so grand. He has been very lenient with the purse
strings for me."
"You are my sister," he said
affectionately, "And we have more than enough money to give you
something this grand many times over. Besides, you deserve it."
"I'll
drink to that," Nikolas agreed, raising his glass of brandy. After
taking a sip, he turned his full attention to Emily, "Would you do
me the honor of a dance?"
Emily's cheeks became a bit flushed,
and after a moment, she nodded.
After the pair made their way to
the dance floor, Alexis spoke, "Well, I one, would think that's a
well suited match."
"I agree," Courtney murmured, staring at
the waltzing couple, " They would make quite a beautiful
match."
"Hmm," Samantha said non-committingly, "I for one
never wish to marry," she said absentmindedly.
The group fell
into a shocked
silence.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~So,
what did you think lovelies?
R&R please!
