Chapter 55
<55> The Last Ball (6)
‘Could it be that Miss Pendleton likes me, even just a little?’
His heart began to beat even faster at the thought. He desperately wanted Miss Pendleton to show him her face. He wanted to see her face.
He wanted to scrutinize the light in her eyes and the subtle changes in her expression. He wanted to find even a small piece of the hope he had conjured within them.
But Miss Pendleton did not show him her face until the end of the music. When the dance was over, she pulled away from him. Naturally, her hand also slipped out of his.
“It’s been a while since I danced, so I’m a little tired. I think I’ll rest in the lounge for a while.”
“I’ll escort you.”
“Mr. Dalton, you should hurry and reserve the next dance with the Lady you have in mind. I’ll go alone.”
Miss Pendleton avoided his eyes and tried to hurry inside.
“Miss Pendleton, wait a moment…”
He grabbed Miss Pendleton’s arm.
Miss Pendleton looked at him. He was looking at her seriously with his dark eyes. She turned her head away from him.
She was ashamed when she thought about how she had begged him to continue the Waltz just a moment ago. She had clung to him because she didn't want their last dance to end. She was afraid that her feelings might have been revealed because of it.
“Don’t avoid my eyes.”
Miss Pendleton shook her head.
“I can’t let you go like this. I’m worried about you.”
“Please don’t worry about me, Mr. Dalton.”
“Miss Pendleton, I once wrote in a letter that I am always your faithful servant. Do you remember?”
“Yes.”
“That is always valid. I am your faithful servant. No matter what situation you are in. So say anything. I am ready to do anything for you.”
Her eyes wavered. His warm words suddenly reminded her of the miserable events of yesterday. The insults and abuse she had suffered. She wanted to burst into tears right then and there. She wanted to be comforted by him, telling him everything that had happened yesterday in his arms.
But that was just imagination. Miss Pendleton smiled and gently removed his hand from her arm.
“Thank you, Mr. Dalton. I am also your most precious friend. A friend I wouldn’t trade for anyone.”
Miss Pendleton left only those words and left the terrace.
Mr. Dalton watched Miss Pendleton’s retreating figure and couldn’t say anything. The most precious friend. One that couldn’t be traded for anyone. Those words were like thorns in his pounding heart. He was her friend. Just a friend who would surely be abandoned if he wanted more than that.
The words of confession that had been lingering in his heart scattered and disappeared. He stood there for a long time. Alone.
* * *
Miss Pendleton left the terrace and returned to the Ball. The hall was at least a hundred people more crowded than when she had first arrived. The sweltering air pierced her lungs.
Suffocating heat and loud murmurs. Miss Pendleton’s restless heart became even more confused.
She pushed her way through the crowd. In the meantime, several gentlemen asked her to dance, but Miss Pendleton refused them. She was not in the mood to dance at all. She walked straight to the Ladies' Lounge.
The Ladies' Lounge was already packed with people.
A Lady whose skirt hem was torn and was waiting for a seamstress to repair it, Ladies tying the ribbons decorating each other's hair, Ladies checking their appearance in the mirror, Ladies simply sitting and chatting comfortably with each other, and Ladies hiding because they didn't want to be Wall Flowers.
It seemed that 1/5 of the Ladies attending the Ball were gathered here.
She couldn't find a seat because it was too crowded. She was about to turn around to leave. Then, she heard a familiar voice.
She turned her head. The owner of the voice was Miss Victoria Wilkes. She was sharing snacks with Miss Susan Donovan while getting her skirt hem repaired by a seamstress.
“Yes, he’s definitely going to ask for a Waltz today… Oh, Miss Pendleton!”
Miss Wilkes found Miss Pendleton.
“Come here, come here. There’s a seat next to me!”
Miss Pendleton tried to shake her head, but Miss Donovan, who was next to her, joined in and waved her arms wildly towards them, shouting.
“Come quickly, Miss Pendleton! Quickly!”
They called her enthusiastically, as if trying to make up for the failure of their plan to get rid of her at the Ball earlier. Miss Pendleton looked at them awkwardly. She wanted to sit comfortably among strangers and sort out her emotions.
But now that she had been discovered by Ladies she knew, Miss Pendleton couldn't ignore them. She approached the Ladies.
“Did you come to have your dress repaired? Or is your decoration crooked? Can we help you?”
Miss Donovan asked kindly.
“No. I was just thinking of taking a break.”
“Oh, then take a break with us. Here, sit down.”
Miss Victoria Wilkes removed the cushion from the next seat to make room. Miss Pendleton readily sat down next to them.
But as soon as Miss Pendleton, whom they had called so enthusiastically, sat down next to them, they completely ignored her. The two of them put their heads together again and continued their whispering conversation.
“I ended up dancing the Quadrille with Mr. Fairfax again this time, but I’ll probably dance the next Waltz with Mr. Dalton.”
Ah, they were talking about Miss Lance and her dance partner. Miss Pendleton took the lemonade that the servant brought and moistened her lips, listening silently to their story.
“Really? I can’t even see where Mr. Dalton is. What a waste. Dancing the first Waltz with Mr. Fairfax. He’s handsome, but he’s only the second son. My mother said that all the valuable property went to his older brother. The land he owns is only the size of a palm, and the Country house is so small that you can’t call it a mansion.”
“Well, he’s far behind compared to Mr. Dalton. It’s not nice to say this, but he doesn’t even come close to Dora as a partner. Dora’s partner is Mr. Dalton. Whether it’s conditions or family. Ah, especially his looks!”
“That’s right, Mr. Dalton is really handsome.”
“This social season is coming to an end next month. The wedding will probably be held before autumn. The day Dora Lance becomes Dora Dalton is not far away. I guarantee it.”
Miss Pendleton’s heart sank heavily at their conversation. Ah, seeing that Miss Lance’s close aides were talking like that, it seemed that Miss Lance and Mr. Dalton were secretly engaged. As expected, the Lady who had captured Mr. Dalton’s heart was Miss Lance.
Miss Pendleton moistened her throat once more with lemonade and sorted out her feelings.
Yes, Mr. Dalton’s partner has been decided. Mr. Dalton is going to be with Miss Lance. Another perfect couple will be born in London society. It was a good thing for her. For Miss Lance too. For Mr. Dalton too. Now, all she had to do was bury and sort out these feelings well.
However, the words that the two Ladies said next confused her.
“But when is Mr. Dalton going to propose?”
“I don’t know. Maybe today, maybe tomorrow. But it’s clear that Dora is in his heart, so that’s not a problem. Let’s think about the dresses for the bridesmaids. I like pink, what about you?”
“Hey, Victoria. The bride has to choose that… But, I like lavender.”
The two began to list the shades that would suit their skin. Meanwhile, Miss Pendleton, who was next to them, had completely lost color in her face.
What on earth were these Ladies talking about? The two were not yet engaged?
Miss Pendleton instinctively looked around. All the Ladies in the lounge were silent. They were pretending not to, but their ears were all tilted towards the two of them.
It was understandable. Miss Lance was the most beautiful Lady in society. There was no way they wouldn't be curious about that Lady's love life.
Miss Pendleton felt dizzy. There seemed to be at least eighty Ladies gathered here. What would happen if these Ladies spread the news they had just heard? What if it became distorted that the two were lovers and already engaged?
It wouldn't matter if Miss Lance and Mr. Dalton were definitely engaged, but if it didn't happen, Miss Lance would not be able to restore her reputation on her own.
Society was a place where once a man and woman were rumored to be lovers, a label would follow them for at least 4 or 5 years. And that label was fatal to a Lady. Miss Pendleton knew that well. She couldn't help but know it well.
Miss Pendleton quickly spoke to Miss Wilkes.
“Where are the others in your group now?”
“Miss Lance is dancing with Mr. Fairfax. Miss Orson is sitting on a chair near the fountain with Miss Janet Fairfax, chatting.”
“How much longer will the skirt repair take?”
Miss Pendleton asked the seamstress. The seamstress, who was crouching behind Miss Wilkes’s skirt, cut the knotted thread with small scissors and said.
“It’s done.”
As soon as those words were spoken, Miss Pendleton urged the two Ladies to join their group quickly. The two Ladies wanted to sit and chat more. But when Miss Pendleton said that Miss Lance would be looking for them when the dance was over, they quickly got up.
Miss Wilkes and Miss Donovan threw the dishes they were eating to the seamstress, who had been crouching for more than 20 minutes to fix their skirts, and followed Miss Pendleton out of the lounge.
Even while pushing through the crowd with the two Ladies to leave the lounge, Miss Pendleton felt like someone was pulling her hair from behind. The interested eyes of the Ladies gathered in the lounge were grabbing and clinging to them.
The hungry gazes of Ladies wanting gossip.
What kind of words would the owners of those gazes spread about Miss Lance and Mr. Dalton? Miss Pendleton became despondent. It was already too late. Miss Lance would not be able to avoid the rumors. Now, the only hope was that Mr. Dalton and Miss Lance would actually get engaged.
