Allie fiddled excitedly in the carriage seat beside Nate, adjusting her hair, her gown and her gloves a few hundred times.
"Are you quite sure I look alright?" Allie muttered, looking between Nate and Emily, who was sitting across from them. They were on their way to a ball at the home of an acquaintance, Lady Spencer, who was an old widow with a sole son. Lady Spencer was incredibly fond of hosting such soirées. Cassandra and Kit were supposed to come with them, but Juliette had suddenly taken ill so they had remained at home to care for their daughter.
"As I've told you at least fifty times before," Nate said with a small huff, "You look absolutely lovely, Allie, and I'm entirely sure you know it." He would've regretted speaking to her so shortly, but she'd ignited a bit of his temper with all her fussing.
Pouting slightly, Allie remained quiet throughout the rest of their carriage drive to Lady Spencer's home, which was only four miles from their own. They were greeted by footmen and directed to the ballroom, although Nate could recall the way since they'd been there quite a few times before.
The room was decorated as most ballrooms were, and Nate didn't pay much attention to it as they were announced and Allie and Emily were handed their dance cards. He escorted both of them, with one lady on each arm, although it wasn't exactly customary to do so. Allie's good mood had suddenly restored and, before he knew what was happening, she flitted off into the crowd the moment they had reached the bottom of the staircase, and Nate groaned as he could barely catch her blonde head bobbing through those of so many others who were all milling together in a growing throng.
"Why is she so excited?" He demanded to himself, jumping as Emily snorted in response, having forgotten that she was still beside him, her arm having slipped from his grasp.
"Do you not recall young Mr. Bennett?" Emily asked, making him frown as he held out his hand and motioned for her to give him her dance card, which she did without hesitating.
"What, that boy she danced with on the day of the assembly?" Nate asked, his brow furrowing. He jotted his name down quickly beside the quadrille and the waltz. "I didn't think she'd spoken to him since."
"She asked me not to tell you this but I rather think you should know," Emily began a little seriously, and Nate met her eyes, alarmed. Was Allie keeping secrets from him? She hadn't done that in years. "But I caught her with a letter from him earlier today. They're clearly in correspondence. I don't know if it is an intrusion, but I thought it best that you know what is happening."
"Thank you for telling me." Nate said, with a bow of his head. "Allie might value her privacy and I won't deny her that, but this Mr. Bennett is quite capable of hurting her as those with whom we are first infatuated are prone to doing. I will not allow this man to break her heart."
"You won't interfere, will you?" Emily asked almost fearfully, and Nate shook his head. This was personal, something that was entirely Allie's own. If things went too far, he would certainly step in, but he would never invade her life and try to dictate it. All he would do was pick her up if ever she fell, dust her off, and tell her that everything would be perfectly alright because he would make sure it was.
"She needs to make her own mistakes every once in a while. Mr. Bennett may or may not be one of those. I'll keep her from harm, but I won't keep her from living." Nate explained, and Emily nodded just as the notes to the quadrille rang out. She allowed him to lead her to the centre of the ballroom and, just as they began dancing, her eyes lit up in excitement.
"So, you said that those we are first infatuated with tend to hurt us." She stated, before twirling and turning to face him again, "Do you speak from experience?" Her eyes held a mischievous glint to them that he wanted to keep. If it had been anyone else, he wouldn't have said a word to them, but this was Emily and he was closer to loving her than any woman ever before.
He groaned dramatically before complying and telling her the story, "The first girl I ever fancied myself in love with was Suzie Waters, the cook's daughter. Mind you, this was little over twenty years ago, when I was perhaps eight. Suzie promised me she'd marry me but turned around and kissed Eric Masters the next day." He explained comically.
"And this tragic heartbreak has stayed with you through the years?" Emily teased, mocking him in a way that let him know that she didn't truly mean it.
"I have never been able to trust a woman again." Nate joked, making Emily roll her eyes. "It was betrayal of the worst kind and I could never forgive her for it."
"And I presume this has destroyed your faith in the fairer sex?" Emily quipped sardonically, making him laugh loudly, only to elicit the odd look or two from the couples dancing around them, all considerably more staid and composed, with only the odd bit of conversation cutting through the silence.
"Shattered it entirely." Nate amended, resisting the urge to raise the hand that was currently on her waist to her face so he could push the stray lock of her hair that had fallen into her face behind her ear. Women liked that, didn't they? Emily was in a dark blue silk gown embroidered subtly with silver. She was elegant and understated, definitely more so than the other ladies around, but still beautiful. She was always beautiful, even with mud on her face and a cotton dress.
Emily, he could sense, was about to respond when a slender girl he recognised all too well pushed past them, a loud sob slipping past her lips and she hurried from the room. Without hesitating, both Emily and Nate followed after, with Emily amusingly hoisting up her skirts as she walked hastened swiftly and purposefully.
They followed Allie outside, onto the balcony, with the girl being entirely unaware of her pursuers the full time, too occupied by her own tears to notice. She came to a halt by the railing, sniffling as she wrapped her arms around herself. She let out a shaking sob, and Emily's eyes widened in worry. She turned to Nate to gauge what to do next, but he was entirely focused on his sister, his troubled eyes holding only concern.
"Allie." He breathed, stepping forward and placing a hand on her shoulder when she did not respond. She jumped at the contact and whirled around. At the sight of her older brother, Allie let out another sob and threw her arms around him. She wept into his chest for a few minutes as she struggled to regain control over her emotions. Emily stepped forward hesitantly, unsure as to whether she should do or say something or if this was a private moment.
Deciding on the latter, she simply waited awkwardly until, eventually, Allie stopped crying long enough for Nate to suggest that they go back home. As his eyes met hers, Emily could see the curiosity and anxiety burning within them. He wanted to know what had happened to Alexandra, but knew that she was in no state to answer.
The trio drew some odd looks as they hastened towards the exit, not bothering to say goodbye to their hostess or even to collect their shawls.
Once they'd left the large house, Nate first saw Allie safely into the carriage, before turning to Emily, troubled. "What do you think happened?" He demanded desperately, as if he needed an immediate answer or he'd fall to pieces.
"I do not know." She replied softly, placing a hand on his arm. "What I do know is that it appears to be a delicate matter that must be approached with great caution. I believe it might have something to do with Mr. Bennett. We shouldn't immediately begin demanding and questioning her. Rather, we should probe the subject lightly and gently until she herself wishes to tell us."
Emily needn't have worried about that, however, for the moment they'd settled themselves into the carriage, the entire tale came pouring out of a distraught Allie, who hadn't expected her first season to be anything like what it had turned into.
They quickly learned that she had caught Mr. Bennett, whom she'd convinced herself loved her enough to marry her, with another woman in a dark corner of the house once she'd set off to search for him. To make matters worse, he'd informed her that he was going to be marrying this other woman and that he'd just proposed to her.
When Allie had tearfully confronted him, he'd gotten annoyed and admitted to her that he had only been toying with her and that, while Allie's family was certainly richer, this other young lady had a dowry that was five thousand pounds larger than Alexandra's thirty thousand pounds. Upon seeing Allie's shock, his annoyance had only grown and he'd told her that although she was very pretty, she was not quick enough to be wooed and he needed money more than anything else. He did not love her at all.
It was more than just those awful words that had clearly hurt Allie. It was the cruelty in Mr. Bennett's tone when he'd said them that had broken her heart. She was sheltered and inexperienced when it came to these things and no one could blame her. She was still young and Nate had tried so hard to protect her from the world and show her only lovely things that, while her siblings had warned her of things like fortune hunters, she'd never assumed that she would have to encounter one. She'd only been thinking of love and dancing of romance. It had been the wicked jolt to reality that had shaken her.
Emily could see Nate's anger grow further and further by the second, directed both towards Mr. Bennett and himself. She knew him well enough to know that he blamed himself for not teaching and protecting Allie more. His blame was misplaced, of course, but it was only natural that he believe so after seeing his sister hurt.
Emily's own fury was mounting. She hated people such as the odious Mr. Bennett, who seemed to think that they could play with people's emotions. He valued only money and fortune and that was a trend that was growing far too much in society. It was awful, but it was the truth. Some people were simply terrible. They did not care for anyone but themselves, and Emily was far too used to people like that. She didn't want Allie to be, though.
Finally, the carriage jerked to a halt, and Allie had rushed out before either Emily or Nate could realise what was happening. Emily hiked up her skirts and followed after her again, only to watch as she ran into a surprised Cassie, who had been waiting for them in the foyer smilingly with a much better looking Juliette.
"What on Earth?" She demanded as Allie slipped past her and raced up the stairs, clearly beginning to cry again. Some might have thought that she was overreacting but Emily knew all too well just what it felt like to experience another person's cruelty for the first time. She'd been rather young, but she'd grown more and more numb when it came to her neglectful parents eventually. Now, she fully believed that she was much stronger without them and without the negativity she'd had to face on their part so many times.
Nate quickly filled Cassandra in on the events of the night, and a grim look came upon Cassie's features by the end of it.
"I'll speak to her." She said decidedly at the end. "I'll console her but I will have to explain to her that there are quite a few people just like Mr. Bennett across the world." She was talking to herself more than anyone else, but both Emily and Nate were listening quite intently.
"Are you sure?" Nate asked, his brow furrowing in worry. "I could speak to her if you'd like."
"I think she would take it better if it were to come from a woman." Cassandra explained, managing a smile at her brother, and he nodded. As Cassandra walked away, Juliette still with her, Nate sighed heavily and sadly. Emily hesitantly raised her hand to his shoulder and squeezed it comfortingly. Nate tensed for a second before relaxing as he turned to face her, taking her hand and threading his fingers through it.
Emily pretended not to feel the shivers running straight down her spine at this, and watched with wide eyes as Nate allowed his own eyes to flutter shut, his fingers tightening around Emily's for a second before he pulled back, his hand falling back to his side as his eyes dropped open again.
"Thank you for everything, Em." He said, making her heart jolt in her chest. "But I'm afraid I must go."
"Where are you going?" She demanded, confused.
"To tell that bastard Bennett that he had better turn tail and leave this county immediately and that, if I ever see him again, I can't guarantee that my rifle won't magically rise from its spot on my shelf and shoot him first in the arse and then in the heart." Nate answered and, before she could do anything, he'd swiftly spun and stalked back towards the door they'd entered through, allowing it to slam behind him with a resounding thud.
Since there wasn't exactly anything she could do stop him even if she'd actually wanted to, Emily decided that the best course of action would simply be to go to bed.
After the night she'd had, she needed it.
A/N: I'm sorry if it got a bit confusing with the switch in POVs in there but it seemed to flow better that way.