I close my eyes and the flashback started….
She entered the grand doors with her father next to her. She stood nervously and uncomfortably in a new dress and corset. He gown was beautiful, but she was too nervous to admire it. She had received endless compliments from people in town, but she thought it was only out of thought.
Her father and her and received a cordial invitation to the ball a few weeks ago, and Miley had been excited ever since, but now, entering through the doors, she felt a nervous knot tighten in her stomach.
"Father, I can't do this," Miley whispered, her voice beginning to shake.
"Miley, I know you can. It is simply just your first ball. It is normal for you to feel a bit nervous. Just relax and enjoy this moment," he answered with a smile. As Miley and her father reached the top of the spiraling staircase, she heard a loud intake of breath. She looked down noticing the room full of people staring at awe at her. She stopped walking, not knowing what to do.
"Do not be shy. Keep walking," her father whispered. She nodded and gulped down all signs of fear. She gracefully made her way to the bottom of the staircase when a wealthy couple that Miley recognized as the Hemsworths approached them.
Both her father and Sir Hemsworth bowed as Miley and Lady Hemsworth performed a quick curtsy. "Good day, Mr. Hemsworth. Good day, Ms. Hemsworth," Miley greeted politely. The haute couple smiled. Miley stifled a laugh as she watched Lady Hemsworth's bird nest- like hair bounce with her smile. She also couldn't help but laugh to herself at her Victorian peacock dress that varied more colors than the colors that Miley's small paint set at her cottage home.
"Well, Ms. Williams, I have to say you have turned into such a beautiful lady," praised.
"Thank you, Mr. Hemsworth. I'm happy to see both you and Mrs. Hemsworth are healthy and well," she replied.
"Bill, was a pleasant woman you have raised, polite and beautiful," they exclaimed to her father. He smiled proudly at Miley.
"I can take no credit. The woman she is now was her own causing," her father replied. She smiled up at him, priding herself.
"Well, it is nice to meet such humble people. Miley, you must meet our son, Justin. He has been anxious to meet you all evening," Lady Hemsworth clapped. Miley turned to her father confused.
"Go with Ms. Hemsworth, Miley. Me and Sir Hemsworth have certain things to discuss," he smiled encouragingly. Miley did not want to be one step away from her father, but she knew declining her offer would include consequences.
"Yes, Father," she replied. She curtsied once quickly before striding across the room at Ms. Hemsworth's lead. Soon they reached a group of arrogant looking young men and women that seemed to be talking about money. Miley laughed to herself at their close mindedness.
"Justin, darling. I have someone that I am sure you would be delighted to meet," she exclaimed as she tapped a tall dark blonde man. The boy turned around and faced them.
"What, Mother? Can you not see I am in a conver…," Justin said frustrated until he had noticed Miley standing shyly next to his mother. His mother blushed embarrassed.
"Ah, you must be Ms. Destiny Williams. I have been wanting to meet you for some time now," he smiled recovering himself. He bowed. Miley did not like him, even when she had barely caught a glimpse of him. She did not care for his good looking features. He had an arrogant glint in his eyes, and his mouth twitched almost mockingly. She also disliked his rude treatment to his mother, but she curtsied back anyway.
He grabbed her hand and kissed the edge of her fingers. "May I say you look ravishing tonight," Justin exclaimed. He winked attractively, but all Miley felt was a sickening feeling of dread. She pulled her hand away from his grasp lightly.
"Well, I'll leave you two to talk and get to know one another," Justin's mother smiled. She strode away to the other side of the ball room, her hair bouncing as she strolled along.
"Sorry about my mother. She can be quite a nuisance sometimes," Justin smirked cruelly.
"Really? I did not notice. She seems like a wonderful woman to me," she argued. He stared at her with unblinking eyes. Finally, he relaxed his face and brought her to the group of people he had been discussing with.
"This is, Ms. Destiny Williams," Justin announced to everyone in the group. Everyone around the circle smirked at her.
"Actually it's just Miley," she interrupted. A pair of two girls with nearly identical gowns began to whisper and giggled. Miley blushed embarrassed.
"I hear your father is a merchant," an arrogant looking young man exclaimed.
"I heard he works for Justin's father," another laughed.
"I heard he makes a cent an hour," the two girls giggled. Miley felt her face turning hot. They were insulting her father.
"My father is a good man," she shot back. She glared at the spoiled men and women standing around her superiorly. She looked up at Justin to see if he would even attempt to stand up for her, but he was standing there attempting his best to muffle a laugh. Miley had never felt so disrespected in her life.
She could not stand another second with these people. She gathered the ends of her silk gown and excused herself. The group sent her a sarcastic goodbye. Miley rushed across the room in search of her father. She could find him nowhere. Miley felt frantic and lost, not knowing what to do or where to go next. She was simply a young girl lost in the middle of the ballroom with nothing to do. This night was not going as smoothly as she expected.
She suddenly felt a light tap on her shoulders. Miley, thinking it would be her father, turned around quickly only to find herself face to face with another stranger. He was a young man with dark ringlets of curls and eyes of sweet hazelnut. He had a perfect chiseled face that signified his upcoming as a true man.
He bowed politely. "I couldn't help but notice you standing in the middle of the dance floor all by yourself. May I have the pleasure of a dance?" he asked. She was baffled at his request. She had not learned how to dance, at least not well.
"I would love to, but I do not know how to dance," Miley whispered shyly. She expected the young man to walk away, but he kept his ground and smiled.
"Well, why don't I teach you?" he encouraged. His eyes lit up anxiously.
"When?" Miley asked curiously.
"Right now, If that is alright with you, of course," he smiled. He held out his hand for her taking. Miley felt the nervous knot tighten once again in her stomach, but she pushed it away. Her father had said to have a good time, even if this was not the man she was supposed to spend it with. She took the stranger's hand as he led her to the dance floor. He took her hand with his own as he placed his other hand on her petite waist.
"Now place your hand on my shoulder," he explained patiently. Miley did as she was told as they began to move back in forth in a dance- like motion.
"Are we dancing?" Miley asked in awe. Her eyes grew wide with bewilderment at how easy it had turned out to be.
He laughed. "Not exactly. This is too simple. Here, turn for me." He stretched out his arm, giving her room to turn. She gave him a slight smile before spinning around. She felt ecstatic as she spun. She felt as if she were somewhere new, somewhere else away from home. Suddenly the music stopped and she found herself no longer spinning, but rather in the stranger's arms.
Miley blushed at his touch. She pulled away slightly. "Thank you for the dance," she smiled. "It was quite an experience." Miley found herself laughing. He laughed along with her.
"You are much better than you give yourself credit for," he grinned. They stood in front of one another awkwardly. "May I escort you on a stroll through the grounds?" he asked politely. She blushed once again from his offer and nodded. They made their way out to the balcony that led to the estate gardens. They made their way down the path, admiring the endless arrays of poppies and roses that intoxicated the grounds. They walked past rows of cherry blossoms and looked over the ivory vines that clung onto the stone walls protectively.
"This garden is beautiful," Miley sighed. She had grown up living in front of this garden, but had never had the opportunity to go through it. As a young child, she would sit outside the gates, staring at the garden as if it was a mystery. Now, she was walking through it.
"Yes, I agree," he sighed next to her. She turned around almost forgetting he was still pacing next to her.
"Excuse me, I hope it's not rude of me to ask, but I did not seem to catch your name," Miley asked curiously. She raised an eyebrow.
"That is because I did not give it to you," he laughed. Miley smiled at his teasing.
"Well, my name is Destiny Williams, but I prefer to be simply called Miley," she explained.
"Miley. Interesting," he simply smiled. Miley glanced at him with a wondrous expression.
"What? Is there a problem with my name?" she challenged jokingly. The young man shrugged and placed his hands behind his back innocently. She stepped forward and slapped him lightly on the shoulder.
"Hey! Do not tease me!" she laughed. She slapped him again, causing him to laugh back. He lunged forward to grab her, but she was too quick for him. She sprinted down the grass lawn, holding the ends of her dress as high as she could. She could hear his steady pace chasing after her. She felt herself laughing once again.
"You cannot catch me. Many have tried, many have failed!" she teased. He laughed melodically and quickened his pace until he finally caught her and pinned her to the ground.
"Excuse me. What did you say about no one being able to catch you?" he raised an eyebrow teasingly. She giggled noticing his untidy curls that had bits of grass and leaves intertwined through them, and his messy coat tails and dress shirt. She could only imagine what her own self looked like.
Suddenly, she heard a loud bellow sound behind them. Miley quickly stood up along with Nick and wiped as much remains of dirt and leaves she could manage. She turned around and faced her infuriated father.
"Destiny Williams, what do you think you are doing out here?" he led a hard glance at the stranger Miley stood next to.
"Father, I…" Miley pleaded, but her father would not let her utter a single word.
"I had one request for you, and I find you playing around with some fool?" her father screamed.
"Father, please…" Miley began to beg. She could feel tears pushing through, but she pulled them back. She had never seen her father so upset before.
"No! Get yourself inside! The night is done. We are going home," he screamed. Miley trudged back to the manor. "And you, whoever you may be, stay away from my daughter!" he heard her father yell at the stranger. She finally watched as her father caught up with her pulling her arm until they had reached the entrance back into the ball. She couldn't help but look back and remember that she had never even gotten to know his name.
