Hello! So this is the awaited ball chapter! Um, but only partly. I would've put the whole ball in here, but so many things needed to happen that that would probably make it take about twenty pages, so I cut the ball in two. Sorry! A few of you guessed some things about this chapter right (many of you said that you thought it would be funny if the servants worked at the ball, and you found out last chapter that they did), so virtual claps for you! I decided that I was in the mood for some French-speaking people today, so there will be some French in this chapter spoken by a couple of the characters for no apparent reason.
I am so happy about all the reviews and feedback for this story! I absolutely adore it!
Bella
I woke up to the chirping of the morning lark. I bolted up straight with the realization that today would be the day that I would get to attend Tanya's ball. I might even get to dance!
I dashed out of bed and into the washroom, whistling. I quickly cleaned my face using a wet towel and soap. Today was the day that I was going to get pampered. The idea might be lovely to most ladies – especially the servants of the palace – but it was not something that I enjoyed doing. I much preferred walking around in the gardens, or perhaps just frolicking around the castle, chatting with some of the other servants.
Even though getting dolled up by a random woman who worked as a beautician had me shaking, I worked to get ready quickly. There was so much that was needed to be done that Tanya would have my head if I wasn't downstairs and ready to go soon. I wasn't sure how much of an exaggeration that was.
As soon as I was dressed up in one of the more suitable dresses from my trunk – a white dress that had two-inch straps at the shoulders and a red sash before poofing out into multiple white layers – I scurried downstairs. Tanya was already there, waiting for me in a dress of her own.
She smiled at me as I came down the last stair before beckoning me forward.
"Time for a day full of preparation and beauty, Bella. And we get to do it together!"
I smiled outwardly to pretend to share some enthusiasm, but inwardly I was going through hell. This was not my kind of day. I was not the kind of person to go out and willingly get put through hours of styling my hair, finding accessories for my outfit, or getting expensive scents sprayed on me. I just had to grin and bear it.
We were apparently walking through town the whole day. When I told Tanya that this would either mess up our cosmetics or our hair, she just replied that it would not have any effect on the cosmetics and the worst our hair would do would be to have one strand out of place. I just walked silently after that.
We first came upon the tailor's workshop. I stood there, puzzled. Why was Tanya here? We already had our dresses, whether they were lent to us or not.
"Why are we here, Miss?" I asked, for once voicing my thoughts. Tanya turned back around to face me.
"To get your gloves, of course. We can't have you shaking people's hands and dancing if your hands are all scraped up." She told me this as if it was the most obvious thing on earth. Though to her, it probably was. I nodded at her and stepped inside.
"Bonjour, Bella," Frederick, the tailor, addressed me. He knew me from my almost-daily walks back and forth from Tanya's estates to the duke's. He was French, and usually a few French words would slip off of his tongue here and there. "Bonjour, mademoiselle."
Tanya giggled a little at his French accent, and then straightened up. She smiled a little at him before speaking. "Yes, we would like to buy gloves for Bella, s'il vous plait."
I was a little surprised at Tanya's knowledge of the French language, but then remembered that she had had a French tutor when she was younger, but only learned enough French to get her around a French-speaking town if need be before that tutor was dismissed.
"Of course," Frederick agreed. "Right this way."
We followed him to a section of the small shop where a large section of the wall was covered with gloves on shelves.
"Which pair?" Frederick asked.
"Ces gants bleu-la," Tanya answered confidently, pointing to a pair of gloves on the shelf as if she was used to giving people orders, which, I reminded myself, she probably was. Frederick nodded and pulled a pair from the shelf. I was just plain blue, perhaps one shade off from the color of my dress, but it would do.
"Try this one," Frederick instructed me, handing me the glove for my right hand. I slipped my hand through it until my fingers were touching the ends of the finger holes. The glove was a little too small, and it came an inch below my elbow, where it was supposed to end.
"Perhaps something a little larger," Frederick murmured to himself, slipping the glove off of my hand and handing me a new one. This one was the exact shade of my dress, and the end of the glove had a row of small beads circling around the glove. I slipped it on, and it fit exactly right, the finger slots long enough and the glove the right height.
"C'est parfait," I breathed in awe. "Merci, Frederick."
Frederick smiled at me and bowed. Tanya was the one who slid the glove off of my hand this time, grabbing the other one from its shelf and walking towards the counter.
"We will take these gloves, please." Tanya placed the gloves on the counter as Frederick walked up behind it to evaluate the price. After she had paid, we exited the store.
"A bientôt," Frederick called after us.
"Au revoir et merci," I called back as I stepped over the threshold and back into the streets. (Translation for all the French is in the author's note at the bottom)
"You know French, Bella?" Tanya inquired.
"Yes. My mother was French, and it was spoken around the house a lot before…she passed on." I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself, and a tear slipped down my cheek.
"Well, onto the shoes for tonight," Tanya announced, having paid little attention to my tears, if she even noticed them.
I smiled a weak smile at her and walked into the next store.
I ended up finding turquoise flats that were made of a thin material and were almost like slippers. These had beads on them, too, and my outfit had been completed.
Now we were walking towards the beautician's shop, where she would curl our hair and apply a light layer of make-up. The thought made my stomach churn. I did not like being dolled up.
I sat for an hour in the chair by the window, my hair in rollers, staring at the river. There were no children like when I had delivered that message to the duke, but I was content in just watching the water crash up against the rocks on either side and flow on towards the ocean.
Once my hour was up, the beautician came over and roughly pulled the rollers out of my hair. For once, my mahogany locks were wavy, curling into ringlets at the bottom. It shimmered in the light, and I felt more beautiful just by this small transformation.
Another hour was spent with many ladies plucking at my eyebrows and sweeping brushes across my face. I had to stay silent the whole time, and this time it felt like torture. As soon as they were done though, I felt as if it were worth it. My normally ordinary features had been enhanced, and I actually looked good. My cheeks were rosy, and my eyes seemed even brighter because of the eye shadow that they ladies had put on my eyelids. My lips were a light pink, and they seemed plump and cute. For once, I really like my appearance.
I smiled over Tanya, who was in a chair a few feet away from me. She smiled back at me, and I was intimidated by her beauty. She stood up and grabbed my hand to walk out of the salon. She laid the proper amount of money on the counter as we walked out the door.
We walked down the streets to go back to Tanya's mansion to put on our dresses for the ball. We saw the baker on the way, and I gave him a wave. He smiled at me and Tanya before continuing to talk to his customer.
Once we stepped through Tanya's doorway, she handed me my gloves and shoes before almost pushing me up the stairs to get dressed. We still had an hour, but she felt that we had to get ready now.
In my chamber, I pulled my trunk out from under the bed, only to find my dress and mask missing. I frowned, wondering where they could've gone. Not many people knew about my trunk, and Tanya had her own dress.
Then I realized where it was, and let out an exasperated sigh. I strode over to Sophia's bed and lifted up the mattress. She had tucked the ball gown and mask under it, no doubt to pose as me so that she could dance and mingle with the nobles. I shook my head. Sophia really was a nice girl, but sometimes she wasn't too smart.
I picked up the dress and mask and lay them on my own mattress. I stripped down to my undergarments before slipping the gown over my head. It fit me as well as last time, and I struggled a little to pull my zipper all the way up, but I managed. I put my mask over my head and eyes, straightened my dress, and headed out of my chambers, hoping beyond hope that nobody was in the hallway.
Someone was there, but it was just Angela, who was in her dress as well. Her dress was a bright gold, and it was made up of a smooth, shiny fabric. It was strapless, and where it covered her breasts, many beads were scattered around. Beads also made a line across her waist in a thin pattern. At the bottom, the fabric was gathered at measured intervals, making it look a little like my own. Her mask was exactly like mine, except it was a light golden color and the delicate painted pattern was painted in gold as well.
"You look wonderful," I informed her, causing her cheeks to turn a light pink.
"You as well. Let's go." We descended the stairs together and headed towards the ballroom, where Tanya would be waiting. And waiting she was. At the sound of our footsteps, she turned around to address us.
Her dress was strapless as well, made of a pink material. The whole top was intricately beaded, with marvelous patterns made with the beads. The bottom of the dress puffed out, the fabric out about a foot and a half from where her legs actually were. The bottom portion was covered with a thin layer of a see-through silver fabric over the pink. More beads formed small shapes here and there all around her. The mask was just the same as ours, but the area around her eyes was light pink instead of dark silver or gold. The twisting pattern was black. (Dresses and masks for all three are on profile)
"Hello ladies. Of course, you will not be greeting the guests in the entrance to the ballroom. Instead, you will be greeting them at the front door. The dance will start in" – she looked out the window towards the huge clock tower in the middle of the town – "ten minutes. Go now."
She shooed us towards the front door, where we opened the door and stood at the bottom of the stairs that led up to the door. We waited and waited for what seemed like and hour, but that was probably because I was a little nervous.
"What if no one shows up?" Angela whispered curiously. Of course, knew that someone would show up, but it felt as if the ball should have started by now.
"Then the Lady will be quite disappointed, and she probably won't come out of the house for many months until all the chatter has died down." Angela and I giggled a little, but quickly calmed down and straightened up when we saw the first guest arrive.
A white horse was pulling an expensive-looking carriage. A larger man came out of the black carriage and then helped a woman out. As they came towards the door, I saw that they were an older couple than me by a few years, but not really old. Just older than me.
"Good evening, Sir," I greeted him as he picked up my gloved hand and kissed the back of it. "Good evening, Miss," I greeted the woman as I shook her hand. Angela was now saying hello to the man and then pointed towards the ballroom before shaking hands with the woman, who followed after the man at a brisk pace.
We did not have to wait for more than five seconds before more guests arrived, and by then they came almost endlessly, always one right after the other. After ten minutes, I was tired of just standing up straight and being polite to these strangers, but I kept on smiling and shaking hands.
Then, a voice sang from outside, "Let's go. It's time!"
The voice was quite energetic, and when the owner came in, I recognized her as the girl from the portrait in the duke's house, but I couldn't remember her name. Behind her was a large man, who was very tall and looked very strong. I looked at his eyes behind the mask and was surprised by the familiarity of them. But I was quite sure that I hadn't seen him before. We gazed at each other curiously as he kissed my hand before kissing Angela's and then walking towards the ballroom. I stared after him.
"Why do you stare at him like so?" asked Angela, following my gaze. I shook my head.
"I'm not sure. He just looks so familiar, but I can't figure out where he could be from." I shook my head again and started to greet the next guest that came through the door.
Three minutes later, I saw the most beautiful sight that I had ever seen. The duke was standing in the doorway in a black suit and a black mask. His bronze hair was blown by the light breeze, and his green eyes sparkled. Even though this was a masquerade party and he had a mask on, I could recognize him easily.
He descended down the stairs a little too slowly for my liking, but at least that meant that I got to look at him for a longer amount of time.
When he reached the end of the stairs, he slowly picked my hand up and bent over to kiss it. His lips lingered there for a moment longer than perhaps they should've, and I fought to stop the shiver that was about to give me away. He stared into my eyes as he kissed my hand, and then he broke his gaze by turning to Angela. She remembered to speak to him, immediately making me feel dumb. I had forgotten.
When the duke had kissed her hand, he sent a glance at me so fleetingly that I wasn't sure if it had existed.
"I think the duke likes you," Angela whispered to me once he was out of earshot. I gave her a confused look and she sighed. "Did you not see the way he looked at you? It was obvious that he had some sort of emotion swirling around in his heart."
"But," I objected, "he probably doesn't even know that it's me. I am in a mask, after all, and he wouldn't be expecting a servant to be attending this ball, so he probably just thought I was some woman that looked pretty."
"Oh, I'm not sure. He looked as if he recognized you. Recognized you as someone he really likes you."
I couldn't stop the shiver of pleasure that ran down my spine at those words. But I shook my head, still stubborn. "I don't think so. If he knew it was me, he wouldn't act like that. I am a servant, after all."
Angela just smiled and shook her head.
We waited for a couple more minutes, but no one else showed up. We figured all the guests that were going to come came. And that was good, for there were already many people here.
"To the ball, Bella?" Angela asked, sticking out her elbow in an over exaggerated manner.
"Of course," I replied, linking my arm through hers. We giggled for no real reason down the hallway until we got to the ballroom door, where we walked through with our arms to our sides.
We stood in the doorway in an awkward silence, unsure what to do. We both were not brave enough to go ask a nobleman to dance, but there wasn't that much else we could do. So we stood next to the door, glancing around in a nervous way.
Two minutes later, a man came up to us. He had sandy blonde hair and ocean blue eyes. He was wearing a dark red mask with his attire, matching a flower that was pinned onto his shirt. His lips were drawn into a small smile, and he was looking towards Angela, who blushed and looked down at the floor.
The music from the orchestra in the corner had stopped, and the instrumentalists were all turning their pages for the next song.
"Would you like to dance, Miss?" he addressed Angela, who looked up, shocked, and blushed a deeper red. He held out his hand for her to take.
"I would love to," Angela breathed, taking his hand and letting him guide her to the dance floor. I smiled after them and continued to stand at the door.
After a minute, Sophia came to my side. She had been helping with the drinks and coats and those kinds of things. "Look Bella," she began. "I apologize. It was stupid of me to try to take your gown and mask. I…I just really wanted to go, and I wasn't thinking straight. Can you forgive me?"
I smiled a small smile at her. "I forgive you. As long as you don't pester me any more about my visits with the duke."
"Deal." She smiled back at me and walked towards a man who was calling for her to take his coat and put it on the coat rack. I watched her go for a second and then turned my gaze back to the dance floor. I was surprised to see the familiar noble from earlier walking towards me.
As he walked over towards me, he smiled a little. "Who are you, to be at this party yet speaking with the servants?"
I was shocked for a moment before I answered. His voice was even more familiar than how he looked, and it stirred my curiosity. How did I know him?
"I am someone that feels a little out of place." He laughed at that, and I weakly joined in. It was the full truth for me, but to him it must've seemed like a joke.
"Well, would you like to dance?" he asked, holding out his hand like the other man did for Angela.
"Sure," I grinned, taking his hand. Somehow, this stranger gave me confidence, and I was not afraid to be on the dance floor.
As we reached the middle of the dance floor, the song turned just a little bit livelier, and the familiar stranger started to be a little less cautious. He twirled me around numerous times – each time I spun back to face him I ended up stepping on his toes – and even attempted a dip once. It didn't work out too well, but it left me feeling exhilarated. As we danced, laughing, my gaze fell on the lady that this man came with – the girl from the portrait. What had Edward said? That they were married?
The lady was looking at us, her face a little sad, but otherwise curious. I saw a flash of jealousy in her eyes, but it was gone just as soon as it had come. I immediately felt guilty.
"Is your wife okay with us dancing?" I asked, inclining my head towards the lady who was still watching us.
"I believe so," he answered, looking at her and giving her a smile. "She just doesn't like it when I'm not with her. It makes her feel a little uneasy."
I was puzzled at that, but I did not comment. It was understandable. I would be uneasy if my husband was away from me, especially if he was dancing with another woman.
The song ended, and I slipped away from the familiar stranger. "Thank you," I thanked him. "I haven't danced like that in a long time."
"You're welcome." He kissed the back of my hand and walked back to his wife. She immediately put her hand around his waist and looked over at me. I nodded my head in acknowledgement and walked over to sit on one of the comfortable chairs.
I looked around the dance floor for Angela. I saw her dancing with the same man as before, her face in a small smile, but I could tell that she was trying to get away. She didn't seem comfortable. The man twirled her around, and when she was facing him, he brought her closer to him. Angela's smile dropped.
I watched them with curiosity. After a little while, I was brought out of the reverie by a smooth voice. "Would you like to dance?"
Startled, I turned around a little more quickly than normal, only to find the duke himself standing next to my chair with his hand out for me to take.
"Don't say that you can't dance," he warned me. "I saw you dancing with that other man over there."
For once, I was glad that this was a masquerade dance and that I had a mask over my face. The duke wouldn't offer to dance with me if he knew who it really was.
I took his hand, caught off guard once again by the tingles that flew up my arm. But I smiled a warm smile at the duke, happy just to be holding his strong hand.
"I would love to."
Okay, I know I'm a little evil to leave it there. But hey, this chapter is just six words away from being 3,700 words long. And that's not counting the author's notes. So be happy, okay?
Leah, I've been listening to your mix that has about twenty songs for the whole chapter. The song that I ended this chapter on was "Come What May". Isn't it perfect? Anyway, thanks for the inspiration!
French words:
Bonjour – Hello
Mademoiselle – single woman
S'il vous plait – if you please ; please
Ces gants bleu-la - those blue gloves there
C'est parfait – it's perfect
Merci – thank you
A bientôt – See you soon
Au revoir et merci– Goodbye and thank you
And, since my lovely friend Jules points out that dropping a review might break it, please glide, slide, send, fly, mail, or place a review! Can we get to 100 my lovely readers? Please and thank-you!