Dearest Duke Of Her Fascination

Ambrosia stood with Jane on the side of the dance floor as couples whirled and whooshed past them. She had already engaged the first set with Lord Dobbs and was glad she had not been asked to dance yet again to take a brief moment of respite and Jane had found her making it all the better.

Their gloved arms linked gingerly and flutes of champaign were held in their free hands. They were laughing and catching up on old times and it felt like the most natural thing in the world to do. Ambrosia pushed away all of the thoughts she had been so anxious to spill onto her friend, and tried to enjoy the merry moment of the night, and Jane had already promised tea with her for next Wednesday. The prospect of adding that to her list was all she had needed with only her friend by her side, and all was well.

Eloisa and Helena were dancing with two young lords, and she attempted not to grow too suspicious of the young lord's reputations as it was just a mere dance, but also, she had only wanted the best for her sisters without even realizing it, and it was the overprotectiveness of being an elder sister that fueled her racy thoughts.

Whilst her sister Kate was dancing with their father and her mother was on the other side of the crush of the room conversing with some of her lady friends and she soon found contentment that everyone seemed to be having a merry time as she herself was.

Until, Ambrosia could not help but sense the heat of hot eyes upon her person. It felt like something, no rather someone was watching her, yet every time she managed to roam her eyes over the crowded ballroom everyone seemed to be busy in their own endeavors for the night and no one seemed utterly concerned about her, save except maybe an occasional glance or two from her parents and Lord Dobbs who always stared openly at her which she found was quite easy to ignore given her said sentiments for the man or lack of thereof.

Jane was saying something, but Ambrosia had become increasingly impatient looking for the reason and cause for her anxiety, or maybe had she too much to drink already? Looking down at her glass it was still halfway full, and she never did indulge overly much. Her brown eyes looked up to the crowd again and that's when they locked with the most intense stare she had ever seen, and that's when she finally caught him.

She took him all in, in a moment's breath. His face was smooth and contoured like he was cut from marble himself. Brown hair was smoothed down in place out of his eyes curling at the side of head, and he stood anchored with all the hard planes of a man that was tall and slender but of a righteous build and shoulders that stood out. He looked like perfection if she ever saw it in a man. The velvety red of his fine tailored suit bunched around his muscles and sapphire blue eyes held her in place as she blinked slowly returning to the ballroom and the pleasant conversation she was just having with Jane.

What is happening?

"Who is that gentlemen?" She heard herself say. Her eyes were still controlled by his stare, and he did not break away until she noticed a woman's figure join him. The lady looked awfully familiar with dark clothes and fair hair. For she was so sure she had seen her somewhere and she was trying to place it in her mind. Aha! She thought figuring out the answer to her own question. It was no one other than the lady she had heard in distress at the modiste earlier that same week. Recalling what she had heard, her mind raced with the only assumption as to who the gentlemen could be as well.

"Why, that is the Duke of Yarmouth. Why do you ask dear, Ambrosine?" Jane informed her and then inquired, "Shall I make the proper introductions?"

"What?" Ambrosia's heart raced within her. "Not at all, why do you even ask? The duke seems quite engaged at the moment. I would hate to be a cause for interruption." Although, her stomach dropped at the sound of her own words. The way his eyes just penetrated her very soul it would seem she would be a welcomed interruption indeed.