Charyss Garroworth was perhaps the least excited Lady in the whole dance hall.
Her serious face had only just the hint of a smile, surmounted by a couple of eyes of the strangest color. The violet iris had been a wonder for physicians for a long time. Her dark wavy hair fell down to her waist, unlike the others, she kept it loose, and only pinned a thin braid of hair around her head.
The ball gown was one of her favorite, she had to admit, of an ocean blue velvet, covered in black, transparent lace on the top part of the gown and her shoulders. The sleeves were mere lace, with the ties of a shawl sewed into them, the cloth covering her back otherwise left bare by the velvet dress.
She was by no means appealed by the shy and clumsy attempt of courting her from the boys and men in the room. She stood in a corner, circled by her family friends who had taken on the "honor" to sponsor her in her season since her father's death and her mother's illness.
As far as she was concerned, Charyss was intentioned to let the pretenders approach and quickly realize she was no proper Lady to marry. When her family had finally given up on her marriage as the eldest child of the Garroworth dynasty, they would finally pass on to her sister Marianne.
"May I have this next dance, Miss Garroworth?" a young man approached. His cologne had fresh smell of roses that permeated the space between them, too strongly.
Charyss represses a mop of disgust and smiled to accept the dance, according to custom.
But her arm was stopped by a stronger one placing on hers.
"Would you excuse my intromission, Sir." The man whose arm still held Charyss' was tall, with wide shoulders towering over her small features, a light stubble darkening his chin and cheeks, around the grin spread on his face. "I believe you are Sir William Chesternut, am I right Sir?"
He clearly didn't know the man, had never been introduced. And yet talked directly to him.
"I... am, Sir..? I don't believe we have been introduced."
"We have not. Would your wife not mind seeing you dance with such a sweet young Lady, given the past... troubles on the matter your marriage has had?" saying so, he had pulled her arm away from Sir Chestnut's.
"I... Sir! This is nothing of your concern! I demand you let go of the Lady's arm and..." he stumbled on his own words, while the man's dark eyes bored into his and made him shiver.
The young man looked apologetically at the confused Charyss and quickly excused himself.
"I am truly sorry for my behavior Miss Garroworth, I hope you will forgive me for wanting such a beauty all for myself."
The compliment, and the arrogant way the man had swiftly caught her attention made her grin inwardly, but she knew best than to show it.
"I might, kind Sir. I would need your name first, would you not think?"
The man bowed his head courtly, taking her hand in his. "Of course. I am the Duke of Westerly, and I have been watching you since the first ball of the season."
"My Lord!" her eyes went wide and quickly bowed to the noble in front of her. "It is a pleasure to meet you. I believe you already know my name?"
"Your name and much more, dear." He smiled wickedly, and before she could respond to that, he swiftly caught her arm under his. "Would you join me to the dance?"
She obviously had no time to answer and was carried through the dance mindlessly by the skilled Duke.
"I should worry that a man like you knows so much about me and even risks to appear rude in front of strangers to get me alone. Should I beware your intentions?" Charyss knew she shouldn't speak like that to a Duke, but her inner fire was building, as her grandmother called it. And when that fire burnt, she lost her manners, and morals...
"Well, Miss, I would be lying if I said my intentions were pure." His face leaned close. "But there is much more..."
Charyss held her breath, a different current passing through her body when his eyes met hers. A sensation she never felt before.
"What... ever do you mean, Sir?" she was clearly fazed by his closeness, and the Duke chuckled seeing her blush.
"I know what you did to your father." He whispered in her hear.
Charyss stopped dancing abruptly, and stepped away from the Duke.
"Sir, I do not know what you are talking about."
"Oh yes you do." He smirked.
"Sir, My father died of an heart attack a couple of months ago, my whole family is mourning, how dare you jest on such a matter?" she begun backing away from him, suddenly scared.
If he knew... what would he want of her to keep quiet? Would he keep quiet?
"Miss, don't run away, I mean no harm..." he reached out for her, but Charyss quickly dove into a crowd of her acquaintances, effectively escaping him.
She hid among friends for the rest of the ball, and when the hour turned late enough to excuse herself, she let one of her friends accompany her home.
They had just reached the carriage when a voice stopped them
"Sir Flickerman, I am afraid I have to ask you to leave this Lady alone." The Duke came out of nowhere, and his voice had a... melody in it, like a lullaby, but darker.
Sir Flickerman turned to shield her body with his, but as soon as his eyes met the Duke's, he started shivering.
"My Lord... I don't understand... What have I done to offend you...?"
"You are in my way Flickerman, it is that simple. Just move along." The Duke was now right in front of them, and as Sir Flickerman fled, Charyss found herself alone with the Duke once again.
"Get on the carriage." He spoke lowly, and Charyss found she couldn't do anything but obey.
In the dark environment of the carriage, the Duke sat in front of her, and a slow flow of words exited his mouth.
"I know what you did Charyss, no need to hide it. And no need to be scared of me either, I am here to help you become much more..." he raised his hand to her chin. "Now tell me the details, what happened in that house."
Charyss shivered, and surrendered to the spell of that demanding voice. "He hit us. Me and my sisters. My mother too, for years, but she... agreed, it was.. a game she said, something that excited her." She looked down at her twisting hands. "I stood by doing nothing, until he laid hands on us. not even mother approved, but I think she was too far gone in the game to be able to contradict him at all. So I did what she should have done."
"You poisoned him."
