1789, A London ball
Darius Cuthbert has knitted a reputation of a flirt. Thankfully it didn’t grow larger than that and it wouldn’t grown any larger than that because he never became of a rakish nature. When he was 18, his father Henry advised him to start being serious about marriage and not to flirt so much with women he intends not to consider marrying.
But Darius enjoyed flirtation. On his end it was always harmless and a way to feel good about himself. He knew he was handsome and he liked being reminded of it in every woman’s blush, shudder or smile, but he loved none of them, only their reactions to his charm. It didn’t hurt him seem all the more charming and handsome being so young, rich, amiable and fun. However, Darius was ready to secure himself a match and was ready to select the woman whom he’d give his attentions to from now on.
The ball was just like any other for him with the only exception being his brother not attending this time. Looking around Darius hasn’t noticed a single woman he thought was by any account better for the position of his wife than another in the room. He had no special feeling towards any of them and therefore couldn’t make up his mind as to who to woo. Due to this he decided to turn to his old ways and leave the task of finding a wife until he meets a woman who would intrigue him. That means, of course, he wouldn’t seek one out but wait for one to appear in front of him, like an apparition. Thankfully, that’s exactly what happened, althought maybe unintentionally. There on the other side of the ballroom stood a redheaded woman longingly looking at him as he interacted with other women. He noticed somebody’s eyes on him and as he turned to see who it is, he quickly caught her look away in a panicked way. And then he noticed the blush that wasn’t painted on her face. Since she was far away and turned away from him, all he could notice was her beautiful robe à l’anglaise retroussée dress, her headpiece and her red hair. He didn’t know why, but something about her struck him so he quickly turned to his cousin Daniel who happened to be there.
“Cousin, do you know who that woman is?” Darius asked which made Daniel chuckle.
“Mr. Cuthbert, the room is full of women, if you had not noticed any other but the one you speak of.”
“The one that looks like that portrait. ‘A portrait of a red haired lady’ it was called, I believe.”
“Well, considering the name of the portrait I assume you mean the woman with the red hair. I’m sorry cousin I cannot say that I do know her.”Answered Daniel, and continued with a question of his own. “Why do you ask about her? Do you have any plans involving her or does her beauty strike you?”
“I do not know why she caught my eye … Perhaps becuase I caught hers first.”
“Do not flatter yourself so much. Did she give any signs that she’s as interested in you as you are in her?”
“No, but I did just catch her gazing at me and as she turned I swear I saw blush in her face.”
“You mean to tell me, dear cousin, that you don’t believe she was simply looking over and realized it seemed as she was looking at you and simply looked away and that the blush in her face, would be makeup … Isn’t it a fact that most if not all young ladies here are wearing blush makeup? How would you know it wasn’t just makeup?”
“You wouldn’t understand, I saw it with my own eyes and it does not seem like you described it at all. You see cousin, so many women in here I’ve met through harmless flirtation and I know them well enough to realize they don’t differe much amongst them. One is kind, one is virtuous, one is fair … And yet when I talk to a kind woman I think about the woman with many virtues, and when I talk to the woman with the fairest skin and the bluest eyes, I think of the woman with a kind heart. There might be a defining feature in all of them, but none awaken anything in me. No feelings, no emotions, no love. How could I possibly pick a bride … And there is this woman … She who caught my eye withouth having to utter a word to me. See I don’t mind if it was just a passing glance … She’s done less to gain my attention than any other woman in the room yet she caught it more sucesfully than them too. How could I not be interested in a woman like that? I would at least like to get to know her, however, as to not taint my fate, I wouldn’t be so fast as to try flirtation right away, as she might think me too impudent and I wouldn’t want to risk that.”
As Darius believed she gazed upon him with an eye for his handsome face, he wasn’t entirely wrong, but that wasn’t the only reason she looked at him. No her reason for looking at him is far more reasonable than his reason for wanting to speak to her.
Knowing that his brother isn’t nearby and that he doesn’t know if anybody who he knows would also know her so they could be introduced, he took matters into his own hands. He marched up to her, which shocked his cousin a bit, and gazed a bit at her. Seeing he’s noticed her across the room or that he’s noticed her gazing would easily allow him to sound flirtatious, which he promised he would stay away from at least during the first few meetings, so he decided to use the fact she reminds him of a famous portrait from a few years ago. “Excuse me madam, I must ask, have you ever posed for a painting? A portait perhaps? I could swear I saw your face on a gallery wall somewhere in the last few years.”
@Jass - Mervinia