Chapter 2

"This is most exciting news!" exclaimed Rose, grabbing Rey's hand as they walked towards the cottage she and Finn shared.

Rey nodded uncertainly. "Yes. I'm quite excited to be attending."

Rose looked closely at Rey's face, sharing a glance with her husband. "You don't seem excited by the prospect."

Rey didn't answer right away, looking out at the countryside around them. She knew that discussing the financial matters surrounding her household was quite frowned upon. She had kept her current circumstances with Mr. Plutt a secret as well. Her friends did not know of her life outside of their Sunday visits. As she considered the best way to address her concerns, Rose spoke again.

"If you're worried about a poor reception by the ladies of the neighborhood, I'll be there by your side."

Rey whipped her head around in surprise.

"You will?" she exclaimed in her shock, then putting a hand to her mouth. "Oh, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to sound so shocked."

Finn chuckled. "It's quite alright. Being new to the area, you would not know the eccentricities of our employers."

"Eccentricities?" Rey asked, intrigued.

Rose smiled. "Yes. Quite to the displeasure of most of the local peerage, the Solos hold an annual ball each year on the anniversary of their wedding and invite everyone, even those much lower than they."

"That explains my invitation," Rey said, suddenly feeling better about the whole affair. It was good to know she would have a friend in attendance.

Rose nodded. "So you see? Finn and I have also been invited and will be there to help fend off any horrible ladies."

Rey shook her head in confusion. "But if they invite everyone, then how are the attendees served?"

"The staff at the Skywalker estate rotates every year," Finn explained. "Last year, Rose and I were among the staff serving."

Rey took in their words, considering them. "This is quite out of the ordinary," she said, almost to herself. She turned to look at her friends. "Why do they do it?"

Rose shrugged. "Princess Leia in particular despises the divide between classes. Her marriage to Mr. Solo was quite scandalous of course. Though she has never confided in me, I can only presume they do it as an homage to the classlessness of their own marriage."

They reached the small cottage, entering it and heading towards the tiny sitting room. Rey took a seat on a chair across from the fireplace while Rose set the kettle on the stove to heat. Rey was beginning to feel better about the whole situation, knowing that she could count on at least one friendly face with which to pass the evening and that she would not be expected to arrive in an expensive and very fancy dress. She pondered whether she should mention her lack of a proper dress to Rose but decided against it.

As Rose served the tea to the trio, Rey had a sudden very distressing thought. "Will the Duke of Ren be there then?" After making such a mess of their first acquaintance, Rey very much did not wish to see the man again, knowing she would never live down such embarrassment.

Rose sipped her tea. "It is very unlikely. Most of the peerage never come, too scandalized by the presence of those so much lower than they."

Rey let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding. "Well, between the assurance that I won't be forced to see the Duke of Ren and your presence there, this is definitely shaping up to be quite the affair." Sipping her tea, she shared a smile of comradery with her friend.

Later that evening, after her chores were done, Rey pulled several of her nicest dresses out to inspect them. None were shabby, but were all clearly meant to be day dresses. She pulled out her gloves to inspect as well. They were her only pair. Mr. Plutt had purchased them when he had been forced to have a coming out for her as a means of hiding her obvious work hands from those in his social circle. They were white and came to just above her elbows.

Yes, these will do, Rey thought. She placed them next to each dress, trying to decide which would be best to use to attend the ball. Finally she decided on a pale blue dress with little embellishments. She wondered if she could take some of her hair ribbons to help adorn the dress and walked over to the small side table she used to hold her small array of ribbons and things. Picking through them she found several blue ribbons that could work. They were of varying sizes, but Rey was sure she could affix them in such a way so to make it less noticeable.

Despite the late hour and little light from her one candle, Rey set the other dresses aside and began to place the ribbons on the dress, trying to figure out the best solution for adding them. Grabbing some pins she typically used when darning Mr. Plutts socks, Rey began work on her dress, a smile on her face as her nervousness began to turn to excitement. Knowing that she would not be expected to arrive dressed in the fancy clothes of her betters had lifted her spirits considerably.

When she finished her pinning, Rey stepped back to admire her work. I might just make it through this without embarrassing myself, she thought with a smile.

The day of the ball passed in a flurry of activity for Rey. Mr. Plutt had made it quite clear that she was not to shirk her duties for the sake of a "silly dance". She woke up a half hour early to get started on her day, hoping she would not be overly tired by the time the ball arrived. Despite the dreary work, Rey had a smile on her face the entire day. Not even Mr. Plutt's grumpy complaints about her work could dampen her spirits. After finishing up with Cook, and feeling much too excited to eat herself, Rey hurried up to her room to prepare.

Putting on the dress now sewn with new ribbons, Rey inspected herself in the mirror. She did not have proper shoes for the evening, but if she was very careful with how she walked and danced, perhaps no one would notice. She pulled her hair out of her usual careful bun and shook it out. She had seen several ladies in London on their way to parties who had their hair in intricate styles, full of curls and ribbons and flowers. Rey knew none of how to do that, but was determined to give it her best effort. She grabbed the curling iron, turning to her small fireplace and setting it close to the flame.

While waiting for it to heat properly Rey began trying to pin up her hair. It was somewhat frustrating, having only a rubbed piece of steel as a mirror, but she was determined to make the best of things. It took much longer than she expected to pin her hair in more than a simple bun and she very nearly burned off a section of her hair when she pulled the iron out of the fire and did not wait first for it to cool a bit. But in the end she was satisfied with her work. She had curls pinned up nicely at the back of her head, with a few curls left to frame her face. Smiling she pulled on her gloves and seeing the time, she headed quickly out the door, yelling her goodbyes to Mr. Plutt.

She had no horse or carriage by which to get to the ball and was thankful several days had passed without rain, allowing the road to dry. If she picked her way carefully she would be able to keep her dress clean. She was meeting the Smiths at their cottage, Finn having suggested they arrive to the ball together.

When she arrived, Rose quickly exclaimed "Rey you look marvelous. Your hair is a vision!"

Rey laughed at her friend's exuberance. "It's hardly a vision, but you are very kind to say so," she returned with a smile.

As they walked towards the manor, Rose tucked her hand inside Rey's arm, her other hand tucked in her husband's. Rey smiled at her friends, her heart feeling light, excited for the evening ahead. Her worry about being tired proved to be foolish, as she had never felt so energetic.

As they walked up to the estate, careful to avoid the incoming carriages, Rey's eyes widened. She had come to the estate grounds every week to visit her friends, but had not had a chance to see the main house up close. It was much larger than she expected it to be. There were several columns at the front of the house, which must surely be at least three stories tall. The doorway itself was much wider and taller than any Rey had seen before. And through it Rey could hear the sounds of a small string orchestra playing and the laughter of the guests inside. They stood in the receiving line, inching closer to the door. There were indeed a good many people present. It was as if the Solos had invited the entire county.

When they arrived at the front of the receiving line, Rey's heart began beating faster. Princess Leia was a princess after all, used to the luxuries such a life afforded. What if she noticed Rey's shabby handiwork on her dress and disapproved?

When the trio reached Mr. Solo and Princess Leia, the woman smiled warmly, taking Rose's hand. "My dear Mr. and Mrs. Smith, I'm so happy to see you here today."

Finn bowed as Rose curtsied. "It is an honor to be invited, Your grace," Finn responded.

Princess Leia peered around them, looking at Rey. "And who have you brought with you?" she asked.

Rey's breath caught as she curtsied. "Miss Rey Chapman," she responded, her voice sounding meeker than she wished. Swallowing she added, "It's an honor to meet you and I thank you for the invitation to your lovely estate, Your Grace."

The princess smiled warmly at her, "It is wonderful to have you here."

Rey nodded at both Mr. Solo and the Princess, noting Mr. Solo seemed very bored by the proceedings, and joined her friends in walking towards the ballroom. As they headed there, Rey couldn't help but gaze around the house in awe. There was a grand sweeping staircase, a crystal chandelier hanging above them, and the paintings on the wall were surely precious works of art. Rey wished she had the time to stop and admire them. Her eyes widened again when she entered the ballroom. There were expensive sconces on the wall and the room itself was very large, larger than Mr. Plutt's entire house, she supposed. There were already people dancing to the music of the orchestra in the front center of the room. Off to either side were an array of chairs and settees, all of which were currently being occupied.

Her friends wandered to one side of the room, Rey trailing behind them, gazing at the opulence around her. When they stopped, Rose introduced Rey to some of her fellow Skywalker servants before the pair turned to watch the dancers.

Rose leaned over to Rey. "What do you think?"

Rey continued gazing around in awe. "I think I've never seen a house so fine." Turning to Rose she smiled. "And to think you are here every day."

Rose chuckled. "Well, I wouldn't say that my day is spent in the ballroom, but yes, it is a very fine house and I find myself proud to work here."

As a thought occurred to her Rey turned back to Rose. "Prince Luke was not present at the entry. Is he out of town?"

Rose shook her head. "No. Though the Skywalker estate is his, Prince Luke is quite reclusive. He rarely comes down from the west wing of the manor. I myself have only seen him in person a number of occasions. He's quite the eccentric."

"How strange," Rey replied, wondering why a man with such fortune would choose to be a recluse. She knew, of course, of his abdication of the throne in favor of seeking the church, but knew little else about him.

"He never attends the Solo's yearly balls, though he is certainly here on the premises."

Rey chuckled, "This family is certainly odd. They make my own strange background seem quite unimportant by comparison, though I must say the princess seems a very nice lady."

Rose smiled. "Indeed she is."

As the previous dance ended and the next prepared, Finn turned to his wife.

"Would you care for a dance?" he asked, a twinkle in his eye.

Rose smiled up at him and nodded. The pair of them headed towards the line, wide smiles on their faces. Rey watched them go with a slight pang in her heart, doubting she would ever find the happiness her friends had.

As the dance started, she watched her friends laughing until a flurry of whispers caught her attention. Hoping she was not the cause, Rey turned towards the door, her heart leaping into her throat as she watched the Duke of Ren enter, a haughty expression on his face. Rey's breath caught when his gaze snagged hers. They stared at one another across the room until Rey came to her senses and turned, trying to find a corner of the room in which she might hide from the man. As she rounded the edge of the room she was upset to see that all of the seats were taken and there were no curtains or other means by which to hide. She reached a far corner, standing next to some elderly ladies as she caught her breath and scanned the room for the Duke.

"Is that the Duke of Ren?" One of the ladies asked her companion.

"I do believe it is!" exclaimed the other. "But he never attends his parents' balls."

Rey started to slowly edge herself back, hoping to sneak behind the women to hide.

"I hear he hadn't even visited them upon his return. It's very curious that he's here tonight."

Rey gasped as her back hit the wall suddenly, but the ladies in front of her were too busy in their gossip to notice her slowly moving behind them.

"I wonder if one of the local ladies has finally caught his attention."

Rey scanned the room. In her haste to avoid him, she had lost the Duke in the crowd.

"Small wonder that would be. I hear he's rebuffed countless potential matches."

"Mrs. Landon tells me Lady Lydia heard from her husband that the King is pressing the Duke to be married."

"No!"

"Yes. Since the Duke is now heir to both the Skywalker and Snoke estates and Her Majesty, the Queen, has had such troubles providing an heir, His Majesty wishes to see that the family line is secured."

Rey's pulse quickened as she overheard the gossip, though she attributed it to her own terror of having to face the man again rather than the information itself. Her eyes continued scanning through the crowd, but could not locate the man in question.

The dance ended and Rey noticed Finn and Rose looking for her. She wished to go to them, but did not want to leave the security of her hiding spot. Instead she leaned against the wall and hoped to remain unseen until she could be sure of the Duke's whereabouts. Once he was located she could then ensure she was able to find her friends without running into him. She lowered her head in the hopes it would help keep her further hidden should he walk by, periodically looking around the crowd.

Rey remained this way, an ache beginning in her neck, until one of the ladies in front of her shushed the other.

"Quiet! He's walking this way."

Rey closed her eyes, willing that he would pass them by, her heart hammering.

"Ladies," the deep voice began. Rey started to slowly sink down the wall as her palms began to sweat and she sent up prayers that she not have to face the man for whom she had shown so little propriety on their first meeting.

"I wonder," he continued, "if I might speak with your companion behind you.

Rey stopped her downward descent as she tensed, opening her eyes and lifting her head to meet the eyes of the Duke of Ren. The ladies in front of her were turned to her in surprise, not having realized she was behind them.

Rey swallowed, curtsying to the man before her. "Your Grace."

She straightened up and squared her shoulders. If she was going to have to face the man, she might as well not embarrass herself further. She forced herself to hold her head high as she returned the man's gaze. She saw the corner of his mouth twitch, but otherwise he regarded her with an unreadable expression. Up close she was better able to view his features. His eyes were nearly as dark as his hair, which was rather long for the current style, curling along his collar. He was also quite tall, at least a head above most of the crowd, and was very broad in the shoulders. In short, Rey found him quite intimidating.

When the Duke made no move to speak, Rey cleared her throat. "Is there something I might be able to assist you with?"

The corner of his mouth twitched again. "Yes, indeed there is," he replied, the low timbre of his voice sending a shiver down her spine. "I wondered if you might do me the honor of being my partner for the next dance."

Rey stared at him blinking for several moments, completely astounded. Of all the things the Duke might have said to her, this was the very last she would have supposed. Suddenly she became cognizant of the ladies watching their exchange. She saw no way in which to refuse him without appearing ungrateful, something which would only serve to further the local ladies' disdain for her.

Swallowing, she nodded her head once. "Yes. That will be fine."

He nodded back to her. "The next dance then," he said before turning around and walking away.

As he left, Rose walked quickly up to her, Finn trailing behind.

Leaning in close Rose asked, "What did the Duke want?"

Rey, still in a stupor over the encounter replied, "He asked me to dance the next dance with him."

Rose straightened in shock. "Did he really? What did you say?"

Rey looked at her, shaking her head. "What could I say? I accepted."

Just then, the current dance ended, partners bowing to each other.

Rose gave Rey a small push towards front of the room. "You had best get a move on then."

Rey walked up to the line with her head held high, feigning a confidence she most certainly did not feel. She stood across from the Duke of Ren, who was staring rather intently at her. Rey hoped she would remember the dance steps and not make a fool of herself twice in a row.

The music started and they stepped towards each other. As they circled around one another, the Duke looked down at her. She frowned slightly at the intensity of his gaze but could not will herself to drop her own. When the next move brought her to standing next to him, her hand resting lightly on his arm, Rey tried to think of something to say. It was quite difficult to think of something appropriate when proximity to the man was having such a terrible effect on her. Her pulse was racing, her breathing felt erratic, and it was all she could do keep her composure and remember the proper steps.

The dance parted them for a short time, in which Rey tried to calm her nerves, reminding herself that he was only a man and had not spread gossip of her improper behavior at their first meeting. As the dance drew them near again, she decided the best course of action was to apologize for her prior behavior.

When he stepped close, Rey cleared her throat. "I would like to apologize, sir," she said as they again circled each other. When he made no reply, merely offering his arm again, Rey continued. "I wish to apologize for my terrible behavior at our first meeting."

Again he did not speak and again they were separated by the dance steps. Rey frowned in confusion, wondering why he had not responded. Perhaps he did not think she was sincere. When next they circled around each other Rey spoke again.

"I would like to apologize for showing such infantile behavior in response to your sentiments at the creek outside my home."

As she took his proffered arm again, she glanced towards him. "Have you no reply?"

His eyes moved to the side, considering her. "What reply do seek?" he asked.

Before she could respond, they were parted again. What a question, Rey thought to herself, feeling her irritation rise.

"I should think it obvious," she responded when once again they were near. "The proper response when one offers sincere apologies is to accept."

"Were they?" he asked.

Rey shook her head in confusion. "Were they what?"

As they were again parted Rey realized how ridiculous it was to attempt a conversation in the midst of a dance.

"Were they sincere?" he asked as they circled around one another again.

Rey huffed out a breath in frustration. "Of course they were sincere. I would not have offered them if they weren't."

The Duke did not respond before they were parted again. As dance continued Rey remained silent and the Duke made no move to pursue conversation himself. When at last it ended, Rey sending up a prayer of thanks, the Duke bowed to her.

As he straightened he said, "Very well, I accept your apology."

Before Rey could respond he turned on his heel and left, walking out one of the exits while Rey stared after him in shock.

"Are you sure you're alright," Rose asked, the next Sunday at tea.

Rey smiled at her friend. "I promise I'm alright."

"I cannot understand why the man behaved so strangely," Rose said. "Who does not know the proper response when someone offers an apology?"

Finn shrugged. "I don't find it so out of the ordinary, based on my own limited interactions with him at the Snoke estate. The man is known for his arrogance and temper, not for his wit and social graces."

"But why ask for her to dance only to act in such a manner?" Rose wondered. "And then to leave the whole party immediately after? Very strange."

Rey forced her voice to sound light. "Yes, and I was the lucky girl he chose for his moment of condescension. I'm sure it's an honor." She smiled over at Rose. "If you are worried about your friend, I can assure you my encounter with the Duke of Ren did not leave me feeling slighted."

In truth, it had left Rey feeling very out of sorts. She was feeling so many things at once that she couldn't seem to identify any one of them. She had spent the week attempting to define her emotions but the only one she could make out was her confusion. However, she did not wish to burden her friends with her cares and moved to change the subject.

As she returned to Mr. Plutt's home some time later, she was surprised to find him waiting for her at the door.

"It's about time you came home," he groused, pulling her through the door by her arm.

"I'm arriving at the same time I do every week," Rey responded, yanking her arm out of his grasp.

"In!" he barked pointing towards the sitting room.

Rey entered and sat on a chair, wondering what on earth was going on. It wasn't like Mr. Plutt to keep her from her chores.

He paced in front of her, stroking his chin in thought.

Rey shook her head, confused by his manner. "Why have you asked me in here? I need to go help Cook if the meal is to be prepared on time."

Mr. Plutt stopped, turning around, putting his hands behind his back, and staring down at her.

"While you were away, I received a call from a most unusual person."

Rey blinked at him, uncertain of whom he would be speaking. "Oh?"

"Have you had many dealings with the Duke of Ren?" Mr. Plutt asked.

Rey's eyebrows flew upward in her shock. "The Duke of Ren? No, I haven't."

Mr. Plutt narrowed his eyes. "Don't lie to me girl."

"I'm not lying," Rey replied, wondering why he would ask her about the man. At the mere mention of his name she found her pulse quickening in apprehension.

"Of course you are," Mr. Plutt said, his voice beginning to raise. "Why else would the man visit, inquiring about your hand in marriage?"

Rey's mouth dropped open. "What?" she whispered in shock.

Mr. Plutt scoffed. "It does no good to continue this charade. You've clearly been keeping this from me." Seeing her continued shock he rolled his eyes. "Of course I told him I would be only too glad to be rid of you. I nearly warned him of your insolence, but I didn't want to deter the man."

Rey blinked at him, trying and failing to understand what was happening. "What…what are you saying?" She tried and failed to swallow, her breathing shallow.

"Are you daft?" Mr. Plutt responded. "I'm saying the Duke asked for your hand in marriage and I accepted. You'll be married within the month."

A/N: Thank you guys so much for all the love you've already give this fic. It's so appreciated! So I tried to do a little research in Jane's novels to figure out how she described those intricate dances and she was no help at all. She cheated and never described the dancing, only the conversations. Hopefully I did a passable job. Also, it's probably obvious, but I had no real choice but to make Luke a prince who abdicated...these Star Wars details can get mighty tricky to fit into the Regency Era. Haha! As always, I appreciate any and all reviews! :)