After the previous ball, Nikhil had struggled to find maidens to dance with, only really having the opportunity to dance with Lady Dorothea. Admittedly, he had gone to his bed chambers smiling, and thought of her as his chest rose and sank him into slumber, at least in the five minutes it usually takes for him to sleep. He had not heard of her until they first met, and he was astonished by her charms.
Although he was not so carefree in admitting to this as his sister, Nikhil too fell very easily. Of course, he was different back home, when his pretendents were the daughters of his father’s merchant rivals, or his sister’s friends. Here, however, he was liberated from his duty, and allowed to feel what his dignity did not allow him to. Furthermore, the women of this continent all looked so unfamiliar, as though he had traveled to another planet, of beautiful winter fairies as fair as the european snow, their eyes icy like their waters.
So, today, when he was asked to call on ladies he believed to suit him well, his first thought was obviously Dorothea. She was polite, charismatic, gentle, and so gorgeous. However, he would not allow his emotions to dominate him. Before settling into the comfort of her bosom, he was also due to prioritize interactions with the ladies he had previously set his eyes on, in order to find the ideal partner, not simply the first one to appear.
Who were these ladies? You may ask.
Obviously, Maisie was currently speaking to Baylor. As two well mannered siblings should, they briefed the events of the previous night and this day most likely. (As superior siblings, of course, Nikhil and Priti had already discussed last nights events briefly before bed, although he may need to revisit that to reason with his younger sister.) Regardless, the pairs of brothers and sisters were all sharing a home at that time, and Nikhil had always found the girl quite endearing. She was fairly young, and carried an innocence that moved his heart, and more so his gut to protect her as he did many of the closest women in his life.
Louisa Brantley had a silly charm about her as well. She seemed as though she would make him laugh without trying to trump him as a comedian, which obviously he would be the comedian in the relationship. (Nikhil is the only person who finds himself funny, but we move.) She had an endearing smile, and he would love to conjure it. Unfortunately, he was also attracted to her cousin, Abigail. Abigail seemed fairly simple, he liked her conventionality, and he also wished to have had more time with her at the previous ball.
Then, there was Belle. He had been attempting to pursue her various times since he arrived in England; throwing his coat over puddles for her to walk, opening doors, and each time she thanked him but never did her cheeks seem to rose. It was horribly frustrating, yet wonderfully intriguing each time. He just had to give it one last chance. One more and he could give up on her presumably soft locks of hair, bookish intrigue, and respectable demeanor.
He walked to her estate, waiting to call on the girl. He knocked on the door, and waited politely before he greeted her home staff, and followed to the indicated room for him to speak with her. She looked as gorgeous as ever, and most likely had just finished studying English knowledge he was dying to learn. It was mesmerizing, and he just had to speak with her. “Lady Belle.” He resisted the urge to scratch the back of his neck from the nerves. They met again.
mentioned:
@CerealKiller dorothea
@Ouijaloveletters louisa
@LunaticLeviTheSecond abigail
@Littlefeets maisie
@Caticorn priti