The ball was upon us.

The servants were buzzing about the manor, making every detail perfect. It had been nearly two weeks since we had been to town to shop. Derek had ordered the dress he had be brought to my room. Upon arrival, Bambi told me that it was their mother’s gown. My heart clenched at the thought of wearing it. I never had the privilege of knowing their mother, and wearing her dress would bring me closer to her.

I had hours until the ball began. They children weren’t allowed to come, but I begged for Johnny to be allowed. He was my anchor, to ground me to my morals. Annabeth and Lady Adalynn had been prepping the house for days, not allowing for a single servant to be spared. My servant, how strange to call her that, Lillian, would come to me, exhausted from her days work. She’d tend to me, despite my protests that I could fend for myself. Tonight, however, Annabeth allowed for Lillian to be spared. So that I could be presentable.

“Imogen,” Bambi called, observing the few trinkets on my shelves. “You’re making a rather grand fuss over this. Derek adores you as you are.” Lillian pulled at a rag in my hair, taking it apart. A curl cascaded down my back, ending in a small ringlet.

“I know that, but what about everyone else?” I mumbled, picking at my fingernails.

“As much as you try to distract me, I’m an outsider, Bambi.”

I waived my hand dismissively at her oncoming protests. I didn’t have the energy to squabble over the little things tonight.

“Bambi, have you ever been courted?”

Bambi coughed, taken aback by my question. She played with a figurine my father gave me for my tenth birthday, when his business was going well.

“No, and not for lack of trying. Father…Father doesn’t want to let us go. He doesn’t like the idea that we could die like our mother did. He’s more likely to let Barney and Caiden marry at their current ages than to let Anna and I marry now.” Bambi shook her head, tugging at her gloves.

“Nothing to dwell on, I promise. Lillian, let me help you. We’ll be terribly late!” Bambi exclaimed.

Bambi was also given a pardon to attend the ball. She had another year until her father would allow her to greet society. Yet, such a function required family to attend. I would not allow it otherwise. The gown she wore was utterly gorgeous; the color was so rich I could have sworn it was black. Yet, the way the light reflected off it, the hues of blue shone through. She looked stunning. She wore herself differently than Annabeth did. She chose a deep, russet dress with an alluring neckline and draping shoulders. She styled her hair in such a way that she could wear a halo atop her head.

Bambi offered me her arm as we left my room. I felt like a princess wearing their mother’s gown, and I dare say, I fit like a glove. She chattered away about ball etiquette, and what would happen when we neared the ballroom, but in truth I was not listening. I was more concerned with the idea of being introduced into their society. I was a red herring, a blaring anomaly in their world. No matter how much the girls or Derek reassured me, I was never going to fit in properly with these people. The music down below slowly became louder as we neared the stairs. I’d never felt so nervous in my life. We descended the stairs slowly, so that we would not trip on our gowns. The footman announced us and handed us dance cards…another first for me, and Bambi as well.

Derek waited for us both, his expression guarded for some reason. He took my hands and kissed them both before I took his arm. He led us silently over to Annabeth and Johnny, who were talking animatedly with a friend of hers. Derek introduced me, to a woman who peered at me like I was a cockroach.

“Nelly, my fiancée, Imogen. Imogen, Lady Helena Whitman, Annabeth’s childhood friend.” Derek murmured, placing his hand over mine. I curtsied quickly, doing my best to follow Annabeth’s impromptu training.

“Charmed, I’m sure,” She jeered, turning to look at Derek. “Where did you find her, Derek? She’s such a… novelty.” Derek raised his eyebrow as he turned to look at me, judging my reaction.

“I’m from Cork, my Lady. Quite a novelty, I assure you.” I offered her, with a tight smile. Derek pressed a kiss to my temple as the music began.

“If you’ll excuse us, Nelly,” Derek murmured, pulling me to the dance floor.

The band played a waltz, something I recognized from my days in Dublin. Derek stood across from me, allowing me to appreciate his dress. He looked stiff, but his eyes sparkled as they met mine. I wanted to laugh at how ridiculous he looked.

The dance began, and I felt like I stumbled through it. Luckily, Derek was not nimble on his feet either. He made me feel at ease. We applauded each other once the dance finished, and before I could protest, Derek took my hand and pulled me away from the dance floor. I wanted to question him, but his urgency suggested that I could wait a moment. He had stopped when we reached the veranda outside, breathing in the crisp autumn air. We hid between the windows, where on-lookers couldn’t find us, and I’m sure he had reason for it.

“Imogen,” Derek stumbled, grasping for my hands, He pulled me close, leaving only inches between us. “I want to apologize about Nelly—she doesn’t handle rejection well, and I know she was trying to compete with you—” I stopped him with a chaste kiss to his lips, something I’d been dying to do for weeks.

“I pay her no mind, so you should as well. We will face many more like her on our journey, so why let her sully tonight?”

Derek graced me with a ghost of a smile before pressing a kiss to my lips. I placed my hand on his cheek as he pulled away while he fumbled for something.

“I was going to wait until later, but I shall not.” He kissed my palm before meeting my gaze.

“I apologize for not proposing to you properly. I’ve been incredibly nervous and afraid I wouldn’t say the right thing—but that doesn’t matter.”

He pulled the ring from its bag, and I gasped, admiring its beauty in the dim light of the window. He carefully extracted my glove from my hand and slid the band onto my finger without another word. It felt cool to the touch, but held such promise in it.

“It was my mother’s ring. Father said that he chose the ruby because it meant devotion, and that is what their love was based on. A strong, unbreakable bond. That is something that I hope we have for the rest of our lives, Imogen.”

He looked at me hopefully has he held onto my hand. I couldn’t help the tears in my eyes, or the fact that they were streaming down my cheeks. I pulled him to me, pressing my face into his neck. All of my dread, all of my worries were melting away. Despite everything, I knew he would be a true and loyal friend. Anything that would come after that, it would be purely trust.

“Thank you,” I mumbled into his neck, gripping his jacket tighter.

 I felt Derek chuckle as he held me closer, placing one hand on the small of my back.

“We should head back to the party, darling.” He mumbled as he pressed a kiss to my head.

 I agreed reluctantly, taking my glove back. We reappeared in the hall as a group dance ensued. The night went swimmingly, or so I thought. This was my first ball, after all. It was nearly two in the morning when Lord Goddard sent the last of the guests on their way. A few guests had stayed the night, and I would get to know them more in the morning.

Derek came to collect me by ten that morning. It seemed as though something of urgency had come, from the fluster in his cheeks. He entered my room as Lillian finished brushing my hair. I still wasn’t used to this treatment. Lillian curtsied before leaving the room without a word. I had donned a light grey dress, to allow myself out of mourning. I adjusted the ring on my finger, smiling to myself as I felt the weight of it. It felt nice. Derek took a step forward, enveloping me in his arms.

“Sleep well, Darling?” He murmured, pressing his lips to my cheeks.

“I think so, although, I must admit, I was eager to see you this morning.” I whispered, tilting my gaze towards him.

He arched an eyebrow, a grin gracing his lips. His fluster was soon replaced with a creeping blush.

“Whatever for, my darling?”

I chewed on my lip before pressing my lips to his. I was so pleased when he returned it. Sometimes, I felt as though he’d rather not have anything to do with me. It was moments like this that made everything worth it. I pulled away from him, resting my hands on his chest. Derek smiled at me, his hands cupping my cheeks.

“That’s a rather good reason to be eager,” He said hoarsely.

 I grinned as I took his hands in mine. Growing old with him didn’t sound so bad anymore.

“Shall we? I assume breakfast is in order.”

Derek kept me close as we ventured about the halls. We didn’t speak, but we didn’t need to. I was perfectly content remaining by his side. We reached the first floor and I could already hear the buzzing of chatter from the dining room. I looked at Derek as his face hardened some.

“Imogen, I’ve forgotten to tell you something very important.” He began, stroking my knuckles.

“My step-brother—Jack—He arrived home last night. He’ll be around the house more often. He can be very charming, but please, don’t let that fool you.”

I placed my hand over his, giving him a reassuring smile. He was jealous! Oh, how silly he was. I wanted to hug him tight and reassure him what a silly notion that was.

“Green with envy, my dear?” I teased, leaning into him slightly. “Don’t you worry your nelly. I’m quite happy with you.”

He released a breath but didn’t relax. We entered the dining room without another word. Annabeth and Bambi were animated, chatting with two other girls towards the end of the table. There were a few other unfamiliar faces at the table as well, but I must have met them last night. Derek squeezed my hand as we made our way to our seats, murmuring polite good mornings to the guests. Mama must have eaten earlier, since she wasn’t there, and neither were the younger children.

Annabeth turned towards me, her eyes bright with excitement. Derek helped me into my seat before taking the one beside me. She took my hand, examining the ring intently. She glanced over my shoulder, a grin plastered on her face.

“Do you love it?” She asked me quietly. “He told you it was Mama’s, didn’t he?”

I nodded my head, squeezing her hands gently.

“Yes, he did. I am so grateful that he presented it to me. I shall take the utmost care of it.” Annabeth smiled as the maid came and served our food. Breakfast was wonderfully lively. Annabeth and Bambi introduced me to Ladies Mariah and Lydia Crawley, Colin’s younger sisters. They assured me that he was on his way home for the wedding, and wouldn’t miss it for the world. When breakfast was nearly over, the man I assumed to be Jack stumbled into the room. Derek quickly took my hand and laced our fingers together, grounding himself to me.

The man was greeted by His Grace and his wife, merrily making his way around the table. He very much reminded me of my father when he had a few too many. I took my eyes off the man for a second, looking at Derek to gauge his reaction to the man. He was none too pleased for this man’s lack of sobriety.

“Jack,” Derek hissed as he sat across from us.

The poor maid scurried to fetch Jack a cup of tea and his breakfast. Jack leaned forward, his elbows resting on the table. He very much resembled Adalynn. His hair was fair and his eyes were a bright green color. He was freckled, like he had spent countless hours in the sun.

“Dearest brother,” He slurred, a creeping grin began on his face.

“This must be your betrothed. She’s not as plain as I thought she’d be.” Derek gripped my hand for dear life, forcing the ring to cut into my skin.

“Jack, stop talking,” Annabeth hissed.

 Jack winced as though he was hurt, and I saw the faintest hint of a smile on Annabeth’s lips. Jack leaned forward and grinned. My skin crawled, causing me to shudder in disgust. Thank God Johnny was absent from breakfast. We’d suffered enough of this behavior in Cork. Lord knows we didn’t need it here. I felt Derek’s gaze on me, but I paid him no mind. I wouldn’t let this vulgar drunk get the best of me. I was stronger than that.

“You may address her as Miss O’Boyle,” Derek ordered, relaxing his hold on my hand.

Jack rolled his eyes, taking a moment to leer at the poor maid who served his breakfast. The poor girl, I wanted to save her.

“We’ll be siblings soon, right Derek?” He mumbled through his food. “It only seems right to call her by her Christian name.”

I stood abruptly, uttering a rushed apology. I felt as though Pa was torturing me. I need a minute to breathe, to do anything but sit in that room with that pig. I had barely made it to the stairs before Derek came stumbling after me.

“Imogen,” He called, reaching out to me.

I swatted his hands away, feebly holding back my tears. I lowered myself onto the stairs, placing my head in my hands. It was only a matter of time before I broke down. I never gave myself a chance to grieve, to curse him for being the drunkard he was. Now he was punishing me with this Jack.

“Imogen,” Derek said softly, kneeling before me.

He didn’t try to touch me, but he was there. “Talk to me, Imogen.” I raised my head slightly, locking eyes with his nearly instantly.

“He—my Pa,” I took a shaky breath, trying to compose myself. “My-my Pa was like him. I won’t stand for it. I won’t.”

Derek took my hands and pulled us to our feet. Silently, we made our way to the back garden. He had told me this was his Mothers sanctuary. He brought me to a little alcove and sat down, gesturing for me to join. I obliged him, falling into his inviting arms. He sat there without a word, soothing away my tears and anger.

“I won’t be like them,” He whispered at last.

It was almost a vow.