It was almost time, the dulcimer clock was clicking madly on Lucy's mantle and she was dreading seeing him. He was such a prig, such an uptight bastard in his powdered wig and velvet coat! Why her father chose him as a suitable husband was clearly due to the lands and money he possessed, it certainly had nothing to do with taste. Perhaps it was her father's way of punishing her for being such a willful, wild shrew! Perhaps after she was caught swimming naked in a river by her older sister, her father thought it best to marry her off in a hurry before she gave the family a bad name.
Although Graham was handsome in a very conventional boring way, he was also too serious, too straight and too demanding. She had only just arrived that day and he had set a long and boring schedule for her to keep in precise minutes and without any time to rest or bathe and assisted by just one servant girl.
No matter, she was almost ready to go, she eyed the powdered wig set aside for her when she unpacked and she cringed. She liked her beautiful blonde hair more and thought most people were much more attractive without those silly, frothy eyesores! "I am not wearing that rat's nest to my own engagement party!" she said half to herself and half to the servant girl who eyed it nervously.
Lucy took one last glance into the mirror and eyed her breasts with great pride. Full and round they billowed up over the icy blue brocade of her gown and threatened to spill over. To her wicked delight she noticed one perfect pink nipple was peeking through the thin lace border and she giggled as she tucked it back in. "Ooh, mustn't let old dusty balls get a glance at that, he might have a heart attack!" she laughed. The servant girl would not laugh and would not meet her smile. Clearly she would have no allies here. The memory of her fingertip on her tender nipple created a small shock wave down her belly and in between her legs. "Delicious..." she thought, "that will have to wait until my bath this evening."
The clock began to chime impatiently, pounding on Lucy's nerves. She counted the chimes as they rang, one, two, three, four, five, six, and as the clock struck seven, Graham burst into the room.
"Are you ready? Everyone is arriving and... Where's your wig? You can't go to a formal engagement ball without your wig!" His faced turned bright red under his own white wig, his manner was calm but underneath he was burning.
"I hadn't noticed there was conventions on the whole wig wearing fashion. I prefer my own hair to whatever dog that came off of" her eyes laughed as she thought of the effect this was having on him. "What I am aware of, however, is that you didn't knock before entering a lady's quarters, and that I'm quite sure is a breach of etiquette."
Graham took several moments to calm his self and smiled coldly, "I will not knock on any door in my own house as there is not a LADY who is resides here clearly. You WILL wear that wig and you will do it without as much as another word. This is your mask; use it to hide your shame for the way you've spoken to me tonight for it is without decorum or decency." He threw the white feathered mask on her bed and turned on his heel to go. He stopped and without turning around grumbled, "I will not be attending this evening's ball as I have business to attend to."
Too flummoxed to say anything out loud, Lucy's face turned bright red and she picked up and threw the perfume bottle that sat on her vanity. The servant girl quietly ran to pick it up and Lucy shouted, "Leave it there or I shall cut out your eyes with the shards!" The gall of that man to send her off to their engagement party to hostess the entire thing by herself. This was too much!
II
The music was already playing wildly as Lucy entered the great hall. People and servants intertwined in the chasm of happy celebration. There were masks of every size, shape and design, all beautifully decorated and assembled. Women kindly curtsied at her though she didn't know for sure if they knew who she was, men graciously bowed. If this weren't the party for what could only be a completely damned marriage, it would have been quite exciting for Lucy. Instead it made her feel melancholy. She slowly wandered outside to the veranda to take it the night air which always seemed to sooth her cares.
She stepped out into the moonlight, took in a great breath and sighed. Her wig was itchy on the back of her neck, the temptation was just too strong and she prepared to pluck it off her head and throw it. Just then a voice said coolly, "What a shame to throw that on some poor unsuspecting horse."
Lucy startled and then turned, "Please forgive me sir, I thought myself completely alone." She noticed that he wasn't wearing a wig. His hair was longer than the nape of his neck and was tied back in dark curls. "Finally a man with some sense!" she thought to herself.
"Here, would you like me to help you with that burden?" he asked as he gently lifted the wig slowly off her head. She shook her hair loose and it fell around her shoulders and back in blonde curls.
Lucy looked around nervously. "I'm afraid this is most unusual sir. I should put my self back together and rejoin the festivities." She held her mask firmly in place in front of her face and blushed.
"It's such a lovely night, and you clearly are not having much fun inside. Why not stay out here with me and muse on the evening's event?" She could see him smile in the moonlight and what a handsome smile it was, deep dimples punctuated his lips perfectly and she quickly imagined her mouth on his.
"It's funny that you say "muse" sir. For it is surely amusing that a man would marry a woman he doesn't love and truly can't control."
"I disagree. Maybe he will decide to love his bride; maybe she will decide to let him control her. That is yet to be seen, is it not?"
Lucy laughed as she knew the story from the inside, but this man was so wonderful that she didn't wish to disprove his theory and quickly changed the subject. "This is a beautiful estate, the gardens and lawns are breathtaking."