Leave a Light on – Belinda Carlise
Take my hand
Tell me what you are feeling
Understand
This is just the beginning
Although I have to go
It make me feel like crying
I don't know when I'll see you again
Darling leave a light on for me
I'll be there before you close the door
To give you all the love that you need
Darling leave a light on for me
Cause when the world takes me away
You are still the air that I breathe
I can't explain, I don't know
Just how far I have to go
But darling I'll keep the key
Just leave a light on for me
Yes I know
What I'm asking is crazy
You could go
Just get tired of waiting
But if I lose your love
Torn out of my desire
That would be the one regret of my life
Darling leave a light on for me
I'll be there before you close the door
To give you all the love that you need
Darling leave a light on for me
Cause when the world takes me away
You are still the air that I breathe
I can't explain, I don't know
Just how far I have to go
But darling I'll keep the key
Just leave a light on for me
Just like a spark lights up the dark
Baby that's your heart
That's your heart
That's your heart
Darling leave a light on for me
I'll be there before you close the door
To give you all the love that you need
Darling leave a light on for me
Cause when the world takes me away
You are still the air that I breathe
I can't explain, I don't know
Just how far I have to go
But darling I'll keep the key
Just leave a light on for me
She had kept her distance from Colin while it seemed the majority of the Ton kept their distance from her. All except for Lord Debling that is. The faintest glimmer of hope sparked. It was a little exciting to be noticed after being ignored by most including her own family.
Of course the first person she wished to tell was Colin and to a certain extent Eloise. But then Eloise had never been interested in being courted and finding a match. So when she saw him at a society event, she discreetly gestured him over to the sweets tent. She had missed him. After seeing him on almost a daily basis to go without seeing him at all to protect his and his family's reputation was quite the shock to the system.
"Pretend to be loitering for sweets so no one suspects we are speaking together." No one would question Colin being anywhere near food. Since there were no other gentlemen near her, people would assume he was just being a friend to her as always.
"Of course. How are you?" It was sweet of him to enquire after her. This had to be trying for him as well. After all, he had just been trying to help a friend. It seemed so unfair that he should also be punished for an act of kindness.
"I am well. Surprisingly well." When the Hawkins Ball turned sour for her, she had doubted she would set foot outside her front door ever again. "Lord Debling has shown an interest in me." It was quite exciting to have someone interested in her, even if it wasn't the one who held her heart.
"Hmm. It looked that way at Stowell House." She hadn't realised that he had noticed her at Stowell House. He was doing a good job of not looking in her direction even now or perhaps he really was interested in the sweet treats.
"Your lessons worked." Despite only having a couple of lessons, they had obviously been successful. "I was feeling low. In fact, it somehow allowed me to stop caring so much about how I am perceived and … I was simply myself." It had been a long time since she had even felt able to be herself. Her mama certainly discouraged it.
"Do you feel some attachment to him?" It was a reasonable question. She hadn't yet, but Lord Debling was an unusual man. Not a man to be rushed.
"It is early. But he does seem to have a strength of character. He is not unpleasant to gaze upon." Not that his looks mattered. And she had wasted far too much time gazing after Colin when he only saw her as a friend. After all, the most handsome man could become ugly if he were cruel. She pointed out the cake she wanted and paid for it. "Thank you." The sugar stuck to her fingers which she licked off her fingers and lips until she looked up to find Colin staring at her. "Do I have sugar on my face?"
"No. Umm… You removed it." She licked her lips again to make sure. It was strange for Colin to be so unfocused around her.
"Wish me luck." She felt as though she was one step closer to being free of her family. Any hope that Prudence might have mellowed after marrying had flown out the window. Both her sisters seemed to spend more time at the Featherington House than their own since their marriages.
"Good luck." His voice followed her quietly on the breeze.
Luck seemed not to be in her favour when Cressida Cowper also set her sights on Lord Debling. Then she was almost flattened by a runaway hot air balloon. She had been the last to know that it was even heading in her direction and then tripped when trying to run out of its path. Thank goodness for Colin and Lord Debling, but Cressida still managed to drag Lord Debling's attention away by faking an injury.
Still, Colin was the real hero of the hour. Had it not been for the crowd of eligible women surrounding him, she would have gone to him to thank him for saving her life. For now all she could do was lock eyes with him across a field. Somehow, thank you didn't seem like enough.
Of course not one member of her family had realised she had been in danger. Or if they did, they simply did not care. And the one person who did care couldn't risk coming near her. What a mess.