‘Could it be that Miss Pendleton has come to like me a little, just a little bit?’

As that thought occurred to him, his heart began to beat faster. He wished that Miss Pendleton would show her face to him. He wanted to see her face.

He wanted to closely observe the light in her eyes and the subtle changes in her expressions. He wanted to find even a small piece of the hope he had imagined in them.

But Miss Pendleton did not show her face to him until the song ended. When the dance finished, she separated herself from him. Naturally, her hand also slipped away from his.

“I’m a bit tired after dancing for the first time in a while. I think I’ll rest in the lounge for a moment.”

“I’ll escort you.”

“Sir Dalton should quickly reserve the next dance with the lady you have in mind. I’ll go by myself.”

Miss Pendleton avoided his eyes and hurried to go inside.

“Miss Pendleton, wait…”

He grabbed Miss Pendleton’s arm.

Miss Pendleton looked at him. He was staring at her earnestly with his pitch-black eyes. She turned her head away from him.

Just moments ago, she felt embarrassed thinking about how she had begged him to continue the waltz. She who had clung to him, not wanting to end what would be their last dance. She was afraid that her feelings might have been revealed because of this.

“Don’t avoid my eyes.”

Miss Pendleton shook her head.

“I can’t let you go like this. I’m worried about you.”

“Please don’t worry about me, Sir Dalton.”

“Miss Pendleton, do you remember once in a letter, I wrote that I would always be your faithful servant?”

“Yes.”

“That is always valid. I am your faithful servant. No matter what situation you find yourself in. So tell me anything. I’m prepared to do anything for you.”

Her eyes wavered. His warm words suddenly reminded her of yesterday’s miserable events. The insults and abuse inflicted upon her. She wanted to burst into tears right then and there. She wanted to fall into his arms, pour out everything about yesterday’s events, and receive comfort from him.

But that remained just imagination. Miss Pendleton smiled and gently removed his hand that was holding her.

“Thank you, Sir Dalton. You are also my most precious friend. A friend I wouldn’t trade for anyone.”

Miss Pendleton left those words and slipped away from the terrace.

Sir Dalton watched Miss Pendleton’s retreating figure, unable to say anything. Most precious friend. One that couldn’t be traded for anyone. Those words stuck like thorns in his pounding heart. He was her friend. Just a friend who would obviously be abandoned if he hoped for anything more.

The words of confession swirling in his heart scattered and disappeared. He stood there for a long time. Alone.

Miss Pendleton left the terrace and returned to the ballroom. The room was now filled with at least a hundred more people than when she first arrived. The stuffy air invaded her lungs.

The suffocating heat and noisy murmurs. Miss Pendleton felt her unsettled heart become even more turbulent.

She made her way through the crowd. In the meantime, several gentlemen asked her to dance, but Miss Pendleton refused them. She was in no mood to dance. She walked straight to the ladies’ lounge.

The ladies’ lounge was already packed with people.

A lady having her dress seam mended by a waiting chambermaid, ladies helping each other retie the knots of ribbons decorating their hair, ladies checking their appearance in the mirror, ladies simply sitting and chatting comfortably among themselves, and even ladies hiding to avoid becoming wallflowers.

It seemed that 1/5 of all the ladies attending the ball were gathered here.

She couldn’t find a place to sit due to the overcrowding. She was about to turn around to leave. But then, she heard a familiar voice.

She turned her head. The owner of the voice was Miss Victoria Wilkes. She was having the back of her dress mended by a chambermaid while sharing snacks with Miss Susan Donovan.

“Yes, he’ll surely ask for a waltz today… Oh my, Miss Pendleton!”

Miss Wilkes spotted Miss Pendleton.

“Come here, come. There’s a seat next to me!”

Miss Pendleton was about to shake her head, but Miss Donovan joined in, waving both arms frantically towards them and shouting.

“Come quickly, Miss Pendleton! Hurry!”

They called her enthusiastically, as if trying to make up for their earlier failed plan to get rid of her in the ballroom. Miss Pendleton looked at them awkwardly. She had wanted to sit comfortably among strangers to sort out her emotions.

But having been spotted by acquainted ladies, Miss Pendleton couldn’t ignore them. She approached the ladies.

“Did you come to have your dress mended? Or is your decoration crooked? Shall we fix it for you?”

Miss Donovan asked kindly.

“No. I just came to rest for a moment.”

“Oh my, then rest with us. Here, have a seat.”

Miss Victoria Wilkes moved aside a cushion next to her to make room. Miss Pendleton obediently sat down beside them.

But once Miss Pendleton, whom they had so enthusiastically called over, actually sat down, they completely cut off their attention from her. The two ladies put their heads together again and continued their whispered conversation.

“I did end up dancing the quadrille with Mr. Fairfax, but I’ll probably dance the next waltz with Sir Dalton.”

Ah, so they were talking about Miss Lance and her dance partner. Miss Pendleton took a glass of lemonade brought by a servant and moistened her lips, silently listening to their conversation.

“You think so? Sir Dalton is nowhere to be seen. What a shame. Dancing the first waltz with Mr. Fairfax. He’s handsome, but he’s only the second son. My mother says all the real assets went to the elder brother. The land he owns is tiny, and his country house is too small to be called a mansion.”

“Well, he’s far behind when compared to Sir Dalton. I hate to say this, but he doesn’t even come close to being a match for Dora. Dora’s match is Sir Dalton. In terms of conditions or family background. Ah, especially in looks!”

“That’s right, Sir Dalton is really handsome.”

“This social season is also coming to an end from next month. I’m sure there will be a wedding before autumn. The day when Dora Lance becomes Dora Dalton is not far off. I declare it.”

Miss Pendleton’s heart sank heavily at their conversation. Ah, seeing how Miss Lance’s close friends were talking like this, it seemed that Miss Lance and Sir Dalton had secretly gotten engaged. As expected, the lady who had captured Sir Dalton’s heart was Miss Lance.

Miss Pendleton moistened her throat once more with lemonade, trying to compose herself.

Yes, Sir Dalton’s match was decided. Sir Dalton was to be paired with Miss Lance. Another perfect couple was about to be born in London’s social circles. It was a good thing for her. For Miss Lance too. For Sir Dalton as well. Now all she had to do was to bury and sort out her current feelings.

However, what the two ladies said next threw her into confusion.

“But when on earth is Sir Dalton going to propose?”

“Who knows. Maybe today, maybe tomorrow. But it’s clear that she’s in his heart, so that’s not a problem. Let’s think about our bridesmaid dresses. I like pink, what about you?”

“Oh, Victoria. That’s for the bride to choose… But, I like lavender.”

The two started picking out colors that would suit their skin tones. Meanwhile, Miss Pendleton sitting next to them had turned completely pale.

What on earth were these ladies talking about? They’re still not engaged?

Miss Pendleton instinctively looked around. All the ladies filling the lounge were silent. Though pretending not to, their ears were all tilted towards the two.

It was understandable. Miss Lance was the most beautiful lady among the young women in society. Who wouldn’t be curious about that lady’s love affairs?

Miss Pendleton felt dizzy. There seemed to be at least eighty ladies gathered here. What would happen if these ladies went around talking about what they just heard? What if it gets distorted to say that the two are lovers and already engaged?

If Miss Lance and Sir Dalton were definitely engaged, it wouldn’t matter, but if it doesn’t come to fruition, Miss Lance would never be able to recover her reputation on her own.

In society, once a man and woman were rumored to be lovers, it would follow them like a tail for at least 4 or 5 years. And that tail was fatal for a lady. Miss Pendleton knew this well. She had to know it well.

Miss Pendleton hurriedly spoke to Miss Wilkes.

“Where are your other companions now?”

“Miss Lance is dancing with Mr. Fairfax. Miss Orson is probably sitting on a chair near the fountain, chatting with Miss Janet Fairfax.”

“How long has the dress mending taken?”

Miss Pendleton asked the chambermaid. The chambermaid who had been crouching behind Miss Wilkes’s skirt snipped the knotted thread end with small scissors and said,

“It’s done.”

As soon as those words fell, Miss Pendleton urged the two ladies to quickly join their companions. The two ladies wanted to sit and chat more. But when Miss Pendleton said that Miss Lance would look for them when the dance ended, they quickly got up.

Miss Wilkes and Miss Donovan carelessly tossed the bowls they had been eating from to the chambermaid who had been crouching for over 20 minutes fixing their skirts, then followed Miss Pendleton out of the lounge.

Even as she left the lounge with the two ladies, pushing through the crowd, Miss Pendleton felt as if someone was pulling her hair from behind. The interested eyes of the ladies gathered in the lounge were clinging to them.

The hungry gazes of ladies craving gossip.

What kind of words would the owners of those gazes spread about Miss Lance and Sir Dalton? Miss Pendleton felt gloomy. It was already too late. Miss Lance would not be able to avoid the rumors. Now the only hope was for Sir Dalton and Miss Lance to actually get engaged.