Rowan was beginning to feel nervous. This was new for her, as she was so used to being in control of all her feelings. What if no one showed up? What if she fell walking down the stairs? What if her bosom popped out of the extremely low cut dress? So much to worry about and she couldn't stop herself.
"Mother, please go see if the guests have arrived. I don't hear much noise" pleaded Rowan.
"Now darling, you know it is very nearly time for us all to go downstairs. There's no use in needlessly running about. You shall see soon enough." her mother replied.
There was no point in arguing with her mother now. She had spent all morning pushing her mother to the brink with her procrastinations. Pushing her now would hardly help if she needed to persuade her in the case of any would be suitors.
A knock at the door indicated it was time to make her grand entrance. Rowan could hardly breathe. Maybe she could feign illness and beg out of it? No, mother would never fall for it. Too much time and money had been spent on making this night special. She must go through with it. Rowan walked arm in arm with her mother to the first landing of the staircase. From here she must enter alone.
Mother walked ahead to alert the orchestra while Rowan stood with her maids fussing about her hair and dress.
"Stop ladies. If I am not beautiful enough already, there is nothing you can do in the next 30 seconds to fix it. Leave me be."
The maids fell back to give Rowan some breathing room. Not that her corset would allow for any deep breaths. Rowan tried to calm herself before hearing the music to indicate her entrance.
"Now or never" she thought as she started descending the stairs. She kept her chin up and her eyes on her destination. She feared that if she looked at the crowd, she would stumble and make a spectacle of herself.
*****
Tristan and Rhys had been walking about the room, hoping to procure some female companionship for the evening's festivities. Tristan set eyes upon several worthy ladies, but Rhys was not so happy with the selection.
"Come on Rhys, surely at least one of these fine ladies would be suitable to dance with this evening. You don't need to plan for a future together, only for a few hours of fun." Tristan teased.
Rhys was not amused. "No, Tristan. I don't feel like playing a piece of meat tonight. All these women look at me as if they are starving dogs and I could be their next meal. Is it too much to ask that they compose themselves like the highborn women they are supposed to be?"
Tristan was taken aback. Rhys had always seemed to enjoy when a lady chose to make a meal of him. He certainly wouldn't turn a woman away if she wanted his meat. The thought got his mind stirring and all he wanted to do was find a willing lass and take a tumble.
"If you say so, Rhys. I'm not turning my nose up at the goods being offered. If you change your mind, you know where to find me."
Rhys watched Tristan walk off with a familiar young lady, heading out towards to back gardens. "Same old Tristan," Rhys thought. Tristan seemed happy to rut and drink, then rut some more. Rhys was afraid that his friend's rakish behavior was going to catch up with him someday, but no amount of talking was going to change his mind. "Let him find out on his own," he decided.
At that moment, the music changed and all the room turned towards the staircase. From his vantage point across the room, Rhys could see a beautiful woman descending from above like an angel descending from heaven. What in the world was going on? This ball was supposed to be for his best friend's kid sister; a dirty, disheveled, mess of a girl that held a perpetual look of loathing in her eyes. This could not be her. This woman was all beauty and grace.
Rhys had to get a better look at the woman coming down the stairs. Damn Tristan for leaving him like this. He needed to know who this woman was that was taking the place of his best friend's sister. Rhys did his best to casually walk across the room without drawing too much attention. He needn't have worried. All eyes were focused on the woman nearing the bottom of the stairs. As Rhys broke through the crowd, he saw Tristan's father, Gerald Barclay, approach the young lady and offer her his arm.
What madness was this? Had the Barclays another daughter he did not know about? He had to get answers and the best way he could think of was the most direct. He followed Mr. Barclay over to the dais where the young lady would be standing to receive her guests. Rhys intended to be the first in line. The Marquess of Warren then called out to welcome everyone to the debut of his lovely daughter, Miss Rowan Barclay.
A round of applause filled the room while Rhys stood speechless. Everyone seemed eager to make the acquaintance of the young debutante. Many had seen her before, but no one had ever seen her quite like this. Rhys managed to regain control of his senses enough to speak to Mr. Warren and remark upon the amazing transformation of the Marquess' youngest daughter.
"Here, here, my young Mr. Carlton. Surely you were capable of seeing beneath her wildness in youth to marvel at the young beauty she would become. You two were practically raised together, although she is a few years your junior." Rowan's father chided. Gerald was a shrewd businessman and understood quite well what it would mean for his daughter should his son's friend take an interest in her.
Rowan was not so impressed. She had seen her brother and Rhys playing their little games among the ladies at court. Women shamelessly threw themselves at the pair of rakes, hoping to become the fortunate lady to win the heart of one of the wealthy men. Rowan would just as soon marry a butcher's son as to fancy that this man was interested in her. She turned towards the crowd to see what other eligible men had come to witness her debut and left her father to deal with the scoundrel.
As Rowan looked about the room, she noticed many familiar faces. Her sister Lauren was standing with their mother and younger brother, Rodrick.
Lauren's husband Gregor was seated at a nearby table with the children, Westley and Charlotte. Although the children were quite young, they were both very well behaved.
At the table next to them, Rowan saw her good friend Anna. Anna's debut wouldn't happen for another 8 months. Oh, how she wished she could be sitting at the table with her friend, laughing and joking about the poor girl being haggled over. Instead, tonight she was that poor girl. Rowan managed to catch Anna's eye and the two shared a distant sigh.
The room seemed to be full of notable men and women from across the country. Rowan was not sure if they were here of their own accord or because her father's title demanded it. She was sure that her father would start taking offers for her hand soon, considering the large dowry being offered.
