C9 Ball at the Earl's Castle

Tying the knot of Lady Francesca’s corset, Catherine Gunner had accidentally measured her waist length wrongly, making her slightly grimaced in pain and discomfort when it became too tight.

“Ouch!” The young Feledencian heiress was used to the accurate measurement of Eloisa, and Lady Margaret’s handmaid, but the aspiring applicant was doing slight error on her first try.

“My deep apologies, my lady,” she immediately apologized and made an adjustment accordingly. Dressing up a mannequin in the clothing boutique was different from dressing up a real person in actual. She should have known it beforehand so as not to commit such careless error. She knew very well that her dream job was still not officially hers.

Lady Margaret had just given her the chance to prove her credibility despite the unwelcoming look received from Lady Francesca prior to the vulgarity she had witnessed about her the other day. Surely, the young maiden hadn’t had a wide experience of such intimate acts as evident on how she reacted.

It was all thanks to the abruptness of the quarterly ball at the earl’s castle that they don’t have enough time to recruit a handmaid for the rich, young lady of the house, resulting to her immediate hiring without proper approval yet. Perhaps, they will be making an evaluation about her basing on her performance on the ball.

Catherine was not privilege enough to be born on a noble clan, but still, she remained firm on what she desires the most- to experience the life that was not given by her birth parents, even just as a chaperon of such fine, elegant, luxurious lady.

Not to mention that they will be providing her beautiful dress to wear to be a decent chaperon and handmaid for the ladyship. More importantly, she will appear attractive and at least at par with the noble beauties she always dreamed of.

With her greatest whims and desires riding on this job, she cannot afford to lose her chance. It would be long again before opportunities like this would come her way. Despite her intimate connection with Lord Syford, she knew it doesn’t count much, provided the numerous number of ladies he had on his fingers. She has to be more if she wishes to stand out among them. Beautiful dress might be the answer and some decent excuse to appear on grand balls and social gatherings as well.

“Take it easy. Your hands were trembling,” Lady Francesca commented as she sensed it.

The aspiring handmaid automatically halted on her track upon realizing how sharp the observation of the young lady that she can asses such easily even without looking back nor being reflected by the human-sized Georgian mirror with gold flower and vines sculptures on all edges.

Right. She was overthinking things while doing her job. She has no focused, which she should have in handling such delicate woman tasked under her care.

Lady Francesca finally felt the blonde woman calming down. In doing so, she was doing things smoothly as if this wasn’t her first time aspiring to be a handmaid. She must admit, the applicant was already doing a great job for a first timer.

Not long after they were finished with the young lady’s layered ball gown. It was a royal blue tight-fitting upper dress with a deep cut on her bosoms, showing the fullness and firmness of her breast. The lower skirt was of something with plaid front, yet the back part was with more volume of garments and muslin to mimicked the emphasis of her bottom shape. A big ribbon of light blue color was tied on the behind to contribute on the volume.

Her hair was braided into a french knot starting from above her right temple and ending into the left side bottom of her neck and down into her bosoms and teeny waist. Sapphire gems carved into small flowers were randomly pinned into the thick of her fierce auburn hair, putting gentleness in its look, and extravaganza it illuminates bright small fleeting flashy sparks once graced by the beam of light.

Her ears hanged a pair of expensive amethyst oval shaped but with sharp end at the bottom. Finally, to finished the get up, a lace light blue gloves with floral patterns were worn over her hand, one inch below the joints.

Lady Francesca was definitely dressed on her best tonight! T’was her first social event to attend to after few months of being in hiatus. Plus, she got a big plan to execute at the earl’s castle that would determine whether she stand a chance against the wickedness of Duchess Carlotta or was she going to bend on her words without trying to break it first.

The young Feledecian woman planned to do the most unladylike counter course of action. That is resorting to the forbidden fruit of the society. Given the high regard on purity and innocence among the ton, marrying an impure and tainted woman would be a big setback and big shame for every man during the regency era.

Using this psychology, and taking advantage of the mad men concept obsessing over pureness when they, themselves doesn’t do the same, Francesca planned to walk straight to ruination and dim the prospect hope of her being married off to someone else.

Perhaps, it would be her supposed betrothed that will feel the pressured by society’s judgment and criticism, and finally took the first step to rejecting her. It doesn’t matter if he will, because the young Feledencian woman would mind less being called scandalous lady again, if it means of saving her freedom to choose the man whom she will be sharing joys and sadness for the rest of her life, and most importantly take the rightful control over their family’s long years of legacy of Chandler dominion.

Surely, the only prospect available for me was to take the bold Earl of Verindale took the bait, and ruin me for good. It doesn’t necessarily matter if he’ll take responsibility of the afterwards, for as long as her supposed betrothal withdraw his claim over me, then it will always be my success.

A real right man destined for me would most definitely tries to understand what I had done with my youth just to meet him halfway in the future. If such man cease to exist in such mad man world, then perhaps love was something not meant for a scandalous woman like me. Not that I needed one to be complete.

Lady Francesca thought as she was looking at her exquisite reflection of irresistible beauty and presence. Elegant and classic.

When the clock struck at six o’clock in the evening, Lady Francesca together with her aspiring handmaid descended the grand staircase and into the waiting carriage outside. Her Uncle Bastien had offered a free ride for her niece as a gesture of gratitude for representing the Anderson’s in the earldom’s quarterly ball. A founding family should never lose a representative at the folks’ gatherings.

“Remember your job there, Catherine. Stay close with my lovely sweet granddaughter; introduce her to the guests most especially to the earl, and make sure to bring her back safely before midnight,” Lady Margaret explained to the blonde applicant.

“Most certainly, Lady Margaret. I will do my best to be of good service for Lady Francesca,” Catherine replied and opened the carriage curtains to pave way for the Feledecian woman.

Planting a light kiss on her grandmother’s cheeks, Lady Francesca whispered her temporary farewell; and entered the carriage, comfortably landing her butt cheeks on the soft chair pillow. The handmaid followed afterward.

***

After what seems to be an eternity, the carriage arrived at the earl’s castle. Withdrawing the brocade of curtains separating the inside from the view of the outside, Lady Francesca spread her vision to get an a glimpse of the said place.

It’s been a while since she was here. If she remembers it rightly, it would be about ten years since she got her first step in the Veridale’s most extravagant establishment- the castle of the Syford family.

Nothing really changes about the palace from her point of view. Only that the nearby trees on the pavements had grown a little taller than before. The relaxing brownish bricks piled up forming the frontal exterior of the castle turned a little bit darker than it used to. Maybe the seasonal winters and summers all through the decade had affected its color or maybe the darkness shadow was creating such illusion for the young lady.

Catherine Gunner hopped down from the carriage and paved the way for her mistress as she moved her body away from the door but lateral to it.

Extending her hand, she offered an assistance to Lady Francesca, which the latter gladly accepted. They proceeded in through the open gates with Francesca on the front and aspiring handmaid lagging from behind as a respect to her in Born high status.

From a distance, Lady Francesca could see the guest greeter at the foot of the grand door happily welcoming the approaching guests. Nothing was actually wrong with its outfits and all, only that the guests ahead her seems to be wearing rather simple and less elegant ball gowns as she was expecting people would at a social gathering like this. Not to mention, t’was an earl’s firsthand party to start with.

‘How can Verindale folks afford to enter their master’s house with less decency to match the grand exterior and interior?’ she thought as they slowly closing the gap between the grand entrance and the pavement they are in.

“A pleasant night young beauties of Verindale! The enormous Syford castle is pleased to be graced with your presence. Enjoy the gay and full-fun night!” The guest greeter welcomed them. Gesturing his free hand towards open door, Lady Francesca was confused.

‘Wasn’t he supposed to ask me for my invitation as a sort of pass book to be particular?’ the Feledencian heiress wondered. It had been the practiced of every soirees and parties she got into to asked or at least glance at the invitation card sent for the house. Was it proper not to do it here?

To be sure of her manners, as Lady Francesca ought to behave womanly and eloquently possible after the death of her father, she hesitantly handed the invitation to the gust greeter.

The reaction wasn’t what she expected. The latter received it with reluctance as if it was some rare occurrence. Regardless, his act of receiving it saved Lady Francesca of the shame and embarrassment of being not well received of.

Sauntering further inside, the Feledencian woman couldn’t be more shocked than before. Her eye literally widens in surprised as she grasped hardly as ever her entire life.

She already had a premonition of the peculiar set up few moments ago, but the reality was beyond what she can comprehend. The situation inside was far worse.

The inside was crowded with many commoners, and less if not even few nobles as evident of their gallant dressing, but with a rather forced smile and dismayed look on their faces. They seemed to be sharing the same sentiments as hers.

But what shocks her most was the figure of a man, whom she presumed to be the earl, sitting at the center table in front, surrounded with beautiful muses who was side by side wooing him. The scene of women and wines before such nobility came not in shocked as it was a common view in bachelors the Feledencia as well, but the identity of such man couldn’t be wilder and bolder as the so called noble party turned-commoners’ gatherings.

The man was no other than the same man she met before in the flea market who was, in the broad daylight was vulgarly displaying lascivious acts. And for some coincidental reason, with the woman beside her, aspiring to be her handmaid.

Catherine felt the whirlwind questions going on the mind of her mistress. Swallowing the embarrassment for being caught in act half naked with the earl in the garment store, she stepped in to fulfill her duties as handmaid.

“My lady indeed your intuition was right. The man in front was the most respectable Lord Dynirho Syford of Verindale, the 19th earl of the land. As you can see he was popular among women,” the aspiring handmaid explained.

Looking over her shoulder, Lady Francesca threw a malicious look to her. The vulgar act she witnessed was still vivid and raw in her mind. “And quite indecent, you say,” she added to the handmaid’s introduction. Catherine just shut up from behind.

Ignoring the awkward reaction of the handmaid, Lady Francesca started to saunter in front. She already knew that this soiree was indifferent, nevertheless, she still wanted to stick with the tradition. That is to greet the party host once arrived.

‘I wouldn’t be less different from the low breeds if I had not shown my respect and greeting to the man responsible of the party even if I wish not to, provided the circumstance we first met,’ the lady thought.