"Darla! What are you doing?"

"I'm just eating!" was her defensive reply.

"Yes, because you stalked away from Will in the middle of the dance!" Carla's expression softened. "I heard how you got him to ask me to come with him…it was really sweet of you."

A look of slight alarm entered her eyes. "He told you?"

"No, I guessed."

Darla gave an apologetic smile. "You don't mind, do you? It isn't that I didn't think he would ask you without my help, it's just that-"

"Shh. I understand and it's perfectly alright."

"You aren't absolutely smitten with him, are you?" Darla looked a bit worried.

A merry laugh from Carla assuaged her fears. "Of course not! Especially now that I realize how much he likes you."

Darla had almost forgotten that she was terribly angry with Will. Why is being mad at people so hard for me? "He is a nosy, insolent, rogue and none of my concern."

"Oh, Darla! You know he was just…"

"May I interrupt?" smoothly interjected a masculine voice behind Darla.

She turned around and nearly jumped. As it was, she looked half-petrified, half-tearful, though this she knew not. "A-Alex! G-good evening," she stammered.

"I would like to ask for the pleasure of this dance with you, Lady Darla." His blue eyes pierced her, giving her a sudden feeling of giddy lightheadedness.

You are mad at him, you are furious. He hurt you and took advantage of your ignorance. He is an absolute cad... "Ummm….no, I would, I mean I wouldn't…you see…"

Carla broke in coldly. "She was talking to me, I believe, before you interrupted."

Giving a suave smile, he said, "I do apologize, ladies. Have a good evening." After a final, lingering glance at Darla, he evaporated into the throng of nobles.

Breathing a sigh of relief, Darla shot Carla a look of pure gratitude. "Thank you so much! I don't know what I would have done if you hadn't broken in."

"Don't thank me…for a moment, just a moment, I thought," she laughed, "that you were going to accept!"

Darla blushed and lowered her gaze. "Of-of course not."

Where did Darla go? thought William to himself. Soon after Carla's departure, Katrina rushed to his side and was obliged to go away with none less than an eternally long dance. Now free, he glanced at the punch table…she must have left. Casting his gaze about, he caught a glimpse of a rosy gown and made a beeline for it. "Darla!" She spun around. When his gaze caught hers, she pursed her lips and made as if to continue on. "Darla, wait! Please," his voice was pleading now. They had attracted the gazes of a few couples, much to Darla's mortification. Therefore, she waited till he was at her side to resume walking. "You must forgive me. I shouldn't have pressed the subject."

"But you did."

"And I cannot express how regretful I am."

She bit her lip and looked down. "I suppose I made quite a fool of myself. It's just that…" she looked up at him now, her eyes fraught with pain, "that for a while, I quite envisioned myself in love with…"

"Darla! Oh, Darla, Darla, Darla!" A bony, gushing figure attached herself to Darla's arm. With a blatantly obvious look of feigned surprise, she said, "Why, it's the prince! Fancy that!"

With an amused laugh, Darla met Will's irritated look with a shrug. "Good evening, Belinda. How do you do?"

"Very well!" She sent the prince a huge smile. "And you, Prince William?" Belinda was not ugly, per se, but certainly not very attractive in manner or feature. Her face was elongated with a narrow, crooked nose and gaunt cheekbones. Dirty brown ringlets, with the most shocking tendency to frizz, buzzed about her face.

"I am doing fine, thank you." Formality had slipped into his voice, along with his cool, detached mask that had so irked Darla when she first met him.

An awkward silence ensued, and Darla was preparing to resort to the weather when a hand claimed her free arm. A huffing Lady Pamela stood, red-cheeked, by her side. "Prince-Prince William! I see," pant, pant, pant, "you have made the," pant, "acquaintance of my lovely daughter," deep breath, "Belinda." She paused, pushing stray gray tendrils of hair from her face. "This is my other daughter, Rosaline."

Blushing prettily, Rosaline swept an elegant curtsey. "Your highness." William looked at Darla, who responded with another helpless shrug.

Having caught her breath, Lady Pamela continued, "I am sure you know how, since Darla's arrival to the palace, we have taken her under our wings, haven't we darlings?" Belinda batted her lashes and Rosaline nodded sweetly. "It has been quite a task, let me assure you, but we have endured with greatest patience."

Before she could remember the debt she owed to Lady Pamela, Darla echoed, "A task?"

Backtracking, she blundered, "Oh, a very, very pleasurable task in which my daughters have played an integral part, haven't you, darlings?" Further lash-batting and nodding. Lady Pamela now looked expectantly at the prince.

"I…see. Very kind of you, certainly." A note of firmness entered his voice. "Now if you will excuse me, ladies, but I believe we were talking alone."

Feeling a rush of pity for her crestfallen guardians, Darla rushed, "But it is perfectly all right, isn't it?" Her gaze implored him to consent.

Belinda, detaching herself from Darla, moved to hook onto Will. "Yes, indeed. Because there is nothing to say to her that you couldn't say in front of everyone, right?"

He looked at Belinda as if she had dropped from the sky and began to say, "Well, as a matter of fact…" but Darla's merry, genuine laugh stopped him. "Of course not! He and I are friends, no more."

William knew very well that friendship was all Darla had ever shown any interest in. He knew that he was currently engaged to another and as of yet there was not a plausible way out. So why did her comment make his heart drop to his toes in an instant? It's either insanity or too many ladies swooning at my feet, he concluded to himself. As Belinda gave his arm a none too gentle squeeze, he deemed the latter the cause. Belinda gave a high, nasal laugh and said, "Of course you are only friends! Why, Darla dearest, you are charming but," more laughing, "honestly! William is a prince!"

Darla blushed deeply. She knew Belinda's thoughtless comments were never meant to sting but only to gain for herself the attention of anyone of the male species, but it was a bit mortifying to be so…degraded. She tossed her head, though, and said, "I really must be going." With a polite nod at William, she moved towards the balcony in pursuit of fresh air.

Leaning over the balustrade, she gazed dreamily at the stars, sparkling like jewels in the sky. Thus absorbed in her revelries, she gave quite a start at the touch of a hand upon her shoulder. "Alex!" she exclaimed in not quite happy surprise.

"Darla," his voice was low and soft. She shivered. "You look beautiful tonight."

She blushed and stumbled, "Why…thank you."

"I never got that dance."

She closed her eyes, trying to summon her will and chanting to herself, He is mean, he is awful, he is rude, he us unthoughtful, he is…With a sudden will she burst, "No! I would never, ever dance with a…a ruffian like you!" In the ensuing pause, she wondered guiltily if that expression in his blue eyes was really hurt or if she was imagining things.

She rather thought not when he looked down dejectedly. "Darla…I'm sorry. I was…I wasn't thinking before. I didn't mean to hurt you at all. I-I," and here he looked up, "I love you."

Eyes wide, she tried to summon all the anger in her body. "But you're still engaged to Dora!"

"Dora." He gave a wry laugh. "She is nothing compared to you. You are my everything, the reason for my life."

She was now breathing quite quickly, confused at his sudden change of heart. So she once again resorted to saying, though with a bit less force, "But you're still engaged to Dora!"

"Not for long," he declared. "I have realized that no one else could ever make me happy."

Darla's gaze was unsure and probing. "But…but…" Something just didn't feel right.

He stepped nearer to her, wrapping his arms around her and murmuring into her hair, "Darling, you are everything in the world to me."

Uncertainties slipped away from her mind. No man had ever come close to saying such things to her. It couldn't be a lie, it just couldn't. "I would be very happy to dance with you."

He looked at her a moment. "On second thought, why don't we take a stroll about the gardens?"

Twirling an exuberant Belinda around the dance floor, William glanced out to the balcony, where Darla had gone. Seeing Alex slip outside after her, his heart began to pound angrily, as a scowl slipped onto his face. "Your highness?" Belinda was trying a look of gentle concern. "Are you well?"

"Hmm? Oh, yes, very." He strained his eyes to pick out the figures in the dark. Darla's pose was firm and proud, her head high. Will maneuvered till they were dancing close to the French doors leading outside. What was he saying to her? Now he stepped closer and…had his arms around her! "On second thought, I believe I am need of some fresh air. Excuse me."

Belinda clung to his hand. "Oh, I shall come, too! We can walk about the gardens together." She gave a coy smile. Or tried to.

His tone was impatient. "I really must go alone."

She pouted and whined, forgetting to flirt, "Why can't I come?"

Trying not to snap at her, he simply said, "It is imperative that I go alone."

"It's not that silly Darla, is it?" asked Belinda with a perception uncommon to her nature.

"Darla is not silly." He gave her a glare. She therefore gave up on him, and left in pursuit of a certain Sir Christian while he rushed out to the balcony, and quickly looked about, but the couple was nowhere to be seen. He rushed down the stairs and into the garden, wondering helplessly where to start looking in the maze of flowers.

Darla glanced at the fountain and reminisced, "I remember when you saved me from that dreadful Lord Pearcy. I believe he nearly scared the wits out of me!"

Alex's gaze was tender. "I wouldn't let anyone hurt you, though." He drew her closer and bent his head down to kiss her.

She pulled away abruptly. "Alex! What about Dora?" She suddenly felt terribly frightened. What a scandal if anyone found out! She would probably be kicked out of court or hung or…something!

He chided her, "Darling, I already told you. There is no Dora!"

She wondered at that vague voice telling her, Stop it! Stop it right now, you can still go back.. But she felt so safe, so cherished in his arms that when he kissed her she relented herself to the sweet, thrilling myriad of emotions coursing through her veins. But when he paused, suddenly her conscience pricked, and she turned her head. "We really shouldn't…not while Dora still thinks…"

His tone was coaxing. "Honey, it doesn't…"

William peered into the small clearing with the fountain. His heart seemed to stop, and he felt as if someone had punched him in the stomach. They were…they were kissing. Hot anger swept through his veins. What had Alex done to her? But now she was pulling away uncertainly, and he was once again trying to trick her back to submission. You're not going to mess with this girl, he thought with determination as he stepped forward. "What do you think you're doing?" he burst angrily.

A/N: Too much school! I hope you like the chapter and please, please, please review!

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