The Bitter Taste

Chapter 19: Broken Ties and Dances

The night seemed to continue endlessly, with the stars shining almost as brightly as the Viscount's eyes. Just as Jane had thought the other day, the Viscount appeared in the ball, standing by his other friendly peers who shares stories and amusement within their circle of friends. The manor was also by far most, the largest place she has ever seen whilst ever been to. The place was ten times larger than Mr and Mrs. Barnett's and the exquisite design of the ceilings and walls were absolutely flawless. The interior design was also something that could not be overlooked since everything was clearly arranged by someone with true artistic ability, down from the biggest to the smallest furnitures. Chandeliers were hanging everywhere above the ceiling with the biggest one hanging in the middle amongst the sea of guests below, the lights dimming their surroundings in appropriate shades of orange for a lively gathering.

"Follow me." The Earl's demanding voice was the only thing that made this night seem less enjoyable for Jane, since its been resonating in her ears for the past hour while she was also contemplating on how much she's missed by agreeing to stay away from the Viscount.

"Fine." She answered as she allowed the Earl to guide her towards the middle of the room where other couples have been dancing. Jane grunted under her breath as an itch had caught her attention on her sides. Just like the first formal gathering she's been in, the dress caused nearly half her discomfort all the way. The corset she wore was making her feel like she was suffocating and the frills and other sophisticated designs were giving extremely irritating sensations all over her body. Plus, the cleavage. Jane swore that no matter how many times she wore it, there was no way she could forgive the shame from exposing more than she should.

The Earl lead the way towards the area closest to where the Viscount was, which seemed rather strange to Jane. "Mr.Chichester, why are we-"

He cut her off. "Don't ask." And she didn't right after. Besides, there were many things on her mind that maybe worrying about other matters wasn't the smartest idea. But then again, she wasn't born with the smartest brain. Jane was still caught up with the notion of being figured out and another part of her head was bothering itself with things concerning her very movement - whether it followed Mrs.Barnett's rules on proper mannerisms and such. And to be completely honest, it was actually the most troublesome train of thought in comparison to the rest of the more critical ones. Probably because it was the most annoying, and the very subject she had spent her time trying to perfect from the past few days. In addition to that, the young lady sort of wanted to impress the Viscount if they were ever to meet again.

However, her thoughts suddenly halted at the sudden movement of her arms and legs. The Earl glided her across the floor, bringing her close, then farther, then closer again. For a second, her breathing was drained out of her, and even if she tried, she couldn't seek the air because everything was too distracting. Has the music always sounded this pleasant? It was only then that she recognized how the violins played so softly yet with great impact, how the cellos and piano melodies sung gracefully along every instruments' rhythm. But mostly, how she danced harmoniously with the sounds she heard and with the hands that guided her. It was like her surroundings were unknown to the both of them, and the only things she could see was his smiling face - the one that was actually genuine and the one that actually tugged at her heartstrings so swiftly.

"Smile too." He said, as he whispered in her ear, going slowly for a moment so she could catch some air. And his voice. His voice was an entirely different tone - one that she has never heard from him before. Unlike his usual obnoxious ones, It was soft, gentle, and so romantic that she could barely believe he was the one talking. The sound was almost as wonderful as the instruments playing in the background, whose melody swung and turned her emotions into complete mush. Feeling lost in the moment, she gave a goofy grin and took in the scent of his presence near her; it smelt like roses and the sweetest yet bitter tastes of tea. Jane loved it. All of a sudden, the music changed and the Earl guided them out of the dance floor.