Got new beta and she worked on all the first seven chapters yeah, thank my girl Rena!!
Disclaimer: Twilight and all it characters are not mine, I mean no copyright infringement.
Chapter 1 – Slow Dancing in a Burning Room
Austin, Texas 1862
The scorching heat I felt in this dress usually would not bother me, but when combined with a ballroom full of the rich and arrogant of this little Texan town, it was damn near unbearable. As I saw my mother mingle with her childhood friends, who she had recently become reacquainted with, my mind began to wonder as to how we got here.
My father, Charles Swan, though not very rich was a respectable man from the north; he lived here for a brief period with his parents. It was during that time that he met my mother, Renee Henderson and believed he had fallen madly in love, though the same could not be said for her. She thought she saw a man with money and status. After they married my father wanted to go back to his roots and return to the Washington Territory, my mother was obliged to follow, as she was his wife and with child.
Six months ago, my mother after almost 19 years of marriage decided she would leave my father to support her fellow southerners and return to her "true home". I was not so willing. I love the cold and greenery of the northern territories. As with most young women I preferred my father. He would teach me his views on morals and the satisfaction that came with some good-old fashion hard work. While my mother attempted to instill in me that a woman's duty was the impression she made to the public. They both strongly disagreed with each other and were in constant fights, it would be inevitable for a separation to happen, what I wish was that I had not had to be dragged to Texas for it to happen.
I kept moving across the room looking for an exit of sorts where I could discreetly escape into the freshness of the outside. The need for fresh air was making it difficult to think straight. Which is why I did not have the chance to avoid the flesh wall I hurdled into when my foot caught on my dress until it was too late.
Whoever this person was must have been quite strong for he only stumbled back a few steps avoiding anyone else in my line of destruction. When I looked up I saw the most amazing pools of light blue that I had ever seen. I was dumbfounded and rendered unable to keep my wits about me to realize he was speaking to me. I shook my head enough to clear some of the fog that had accumulated there to hear what he was saying.
"Are you alright Miss? You took quite a stumble there," he said in the most enticing southern drawl I had heard to date.
His eyes screamed of the deepest concern for my well being, that my wittiest remark to ease his suffering was "uhum." He chuckled as I felt my cheeks flush a deep crimson, making my embarrassment known.
When I finally managed to clear my head completely of the fog that had rendered me incompetent, I realized his hands were still around my waist where I figured he had placed them to help maintain me in a relatively upright position. Immediately, I righted myself, making sure I had nothing out place and thanked him with the manners my mother had instilled so many years ago. When I looked up, I was finally able to see him in his whole stature. He was tall, those captivating blue eyes were framed by a head of honey colored locks and you could see under his suit that he was built but not in an excess.
"Thank you, Mr...." I trailed off hoping he would finish my sentence, and I would learn who it was that saved me from being the laughing stock my mother feared me to be.
"Jasper Whitlock, and it was my pleasure Miss...." with an amused glint in his eyes he repeated the same action I had performed with him just seconds ago.
"Isabella Swan, Mr. Whitlock."
A flash of recognition passed his eyes. "Ah, You are the new comers my mother was raving about, your fathers a yank ain't he?" A hint of indignation hit me when I heard the disparagement at the word "yank" as if he'd rather be burned than be seen with one.
Squaring my shoulders I looked straight into his eyes that held less of a power over me after his comment and said, "Yes he is, as am I." The conviction in my voice made him take a step back.
"My apologies I did not mean to offend you..." I cut him off my rage increasing
"But you disapprove, and do not deny my statement - it was clear in your voice when you described him as a "yank," I stated in the same manner he had.
His eyes started to wonder off as I noticed that he was making sure no one was listening to our slight display of disagreement. It was then that I became aware of my surroundings, and my need to escape from the small crowded ballroom increased. I was about to excuse myself when from out of I have no idea where, my mother appeared at my side grinning like the mad woman she was.
"Isabella, finally where have you been? There are people you need to meet!" she chastised, ignoring the handsome young man standing next to me witnessing our exchange. When my eyes drifted towards his I saw what seemed like compassion and understanding for me, as if he had been through the same thing countless times. My heart melted a bit for that look alone.
She saw were my eyes had drifted and they lit up like fireflies on a summer night.
"Oh! Hello, Renee Henderson. Who might this handsome young gentleman be?" she said, completely ignorant of the disapproving look I gave when she stated her last name as Henderson, as if my father never existed.
"Jasper Whitlock, ma'am. It is a pleasure to meet you Mrs. Henderson," he said as he kissed the back of her hand and bowed as a sign of respect.
"Oh no, no!! It's Miss, and what a pleasure it is I spoke to your mother and father not too long ago - lovely people! Oh Isabella you would just be delighted by them!"
I was becoming scared by the look in her familiar green eyes. I could see the wheels turning behind them. Jasper must have seen my apparent desperation to end this conversation before it entered a territory I was not in the least looking forward to, because at the moment a slow waltz began to be played by the musicians he said, "Of course Miss Henderson" obviously using the miss and Henderson to appease her "but I was actually about to ask Miss Isabella here to a waltz, shall we?"
He finished extending his right hand towards me, and seeing it as my only hope of escape I placed my left hand feeling a small spark. I held in a small gasp seeing in his eyes that he had felt it too, I let him lead me to the middle of the dance floor.
Upon reaching our destination, his right hand came to rest on the small of my back making a small shiver run up my spine in the unusually warm room as I rested my left in his forearm, he then took my right hand in his left feeling another shock, though it was fainter than the last, it was still evident that it happened again, and we started to dance slowly around the floor.
"See I'm not as bad as you make me out to be Miss Isabella," he gave a slight smirk at his own comment making him look even more enticing than before, yet incredibly arrogant.
"Mr. Whitlock, for saving me twice in one night you may address me as Bella but you will have to work harder, to have me believing that you are not as bad as I make you out to be." Using his own words on my assumption against him, I gave my own smirk.
"Well Miss Bella, you can call me Jasper, and I plan on working as hard as I can to change your mind," he drawled and looking back into his eyes.
I would have fallen on my knees if we were not twirling slowly to the rhythm of the melody playing around us. Just by the determination and another hidden emotion I had not seen on anyone use on me before now.
A/N: Beta'd