Page 48 of Outcast

“You’re aware that Elder House was the original duke’s residence?” asked Edward.

I glanced at the painting of the first Duke of Mercia dining with King Henry V. “Yes, I heard about that.”

“Over the centuries, the family has built additional residences on the grounds. Largely to keep out of the way of the expanding school. The new one is our fifth.”

“What happens to the others?” I asked.

“They’re turned into school accommodation.” Edward broke open the seal of the fanciest looking letter, read its contents and turned to me, his blue eyes sparkling with excitement. “The Royal Academy is holding a charity ball on Christmas Eve. Will you be in the country or back in America?”

My brows drew together. I still hadn’t heard from Mom, even after I’d texted her to find out if she’d known about the kidnapping. If she couldn’t bother herself to find out if I was unhurt by the ordeal, she probably wouldn’t send me money for a flight back to New York. Even then, I would have stayed home, but she’d sold that apartment to move in with Rudolph. The thought of her not caring about my whereabouts made my heart sink and my shoulders droop.

I stared at my roasted tomatoes and sighed. “I planned on staying here for the vacation.”

“Accompany us,” he said.

My head snapped up. “To the ball?”

“It will be fun,” said Henry.

Blake leaned across the table. “Think about it… One of you and three of us. You’ll have a full dance card.”

I turned to Henry. “Isn’t that a bit awkward? I can’t go as all of your dates.”

He grinned. “You’d be doing us all a favor. Taking a lady to a ball is hard work.”

Blake wiped his hand over his brow in a theatric gesture. “The kissing of hands, the fetching of drinks, and all that dancing when you just want to stand in the corner and smoke a cigar.”

“Not to mention the demands for promenades,” said Henry.

I glanced from Blake, to Edward, to Henry. Although they all smiled, they each appeared serious about them all taking me as their date. “I don’t have anything to wear.”

Blake spluttered. “Look to your right, woman. You’re sitting next to a man who can get you any gown you desire.”

My heart flipped like a crepe, and I bit down on my bottom lip. Was this an impromptu re-enactment of Cinderella or Pretty Woman? I shook my head. “I don’t dance.”

Edward placed a hand on my wrist. The touch of his fingers on my skin sent a ripple of shock up my arm and into my heart, which made an extra-hard reverberation. In a low voice, he said, “We’d be delighted to help you practice the waltz. I, personally, would be honored if you accepted our invitation.”

I glanced at Henry. Of all the members of the triumvirate, he was the one I knew best. The soft smile curving his lips said it all. A fun night out was the boys’ way of showing me they were sorry. He’d promised to stop the bullying, and I believed him.

“Alright,” I murmured. “I accept.”

* * *

After breakfast on Sunday, the triumvirate escorted me to a limousine that sped us out of Mercia county and to the center of London. Blake mixed us bucks fizz, a cocktail of orange juice and champagne for the journey, while Edward and Henry explained what typically happened during these Royal Academy charity balls. I gulped down my cocktail and listened to their explanations. There were so many rules, and for the first time, I wished I’d kept Edward’s hurled copy of The Debrett's Guide to Etiquette and Modern Manners.

Bourneville’s department store was located in the heart of London on one of the roads leading from Piccadilly Circus. It was an imposing, palatial-looking building made of stone and arranged over five stories. Tall, symmetrical windows, each with multiple panels adorned the lower floors, while the ground floor boasted the kind of fashion displays found in major department stores worldwide. Its grand entrance consisted of Roman-style, stone pillars, sentineled by guards in old fashioned, blue livery.

My heart thrummed in my chest. One day, all this would belong to Henry, the boy who had become a close friend. I tried not to gasp, tried not to appear awed by the sheer size and grandeur of the department store, but it was a near impossible feat.

The limo driver opened the door, and Henry helped me out. “You’re going to look beautiful in a ballgown.”

I stared down at my leather jacket, tank top, and skinny jeans and gulped. Why hadn’t they warned me to dress for the occasion?

The men at the door instantly recognized Henry and swept into low bows as they opened the door. Tingles of excitement ran up and down my spine, and I ignored the tiny voice screaming in the back of my head. Cinderella had a fairy godmother. Pretty woman had a rich benefactor. And today, it looked like I had three. But when I stepped in and my lungs filled with the subtle scents of mingled perfumes, and I took the splendor of the marble-floors, unbelievably huge, crystal chandeliers, and assistants selling all manner of luxury goods, even the voice in the back of my head turned mute.

“Shopping can be a tiring event,” Edward drawled. “Shall we have lunch first?”

Henry led us through the store to a door where a pair of security guards stood. With their tailored suits, bullet-proof vests, and earpieces, they looked more like bodyguards. They probably carried at least two firearms. The kidnappers had held Henry for an entire day, demanding sensitive security information about the store. Had he been able to warn his parents in time? We hadn’t spoken in depth about the ordeal, as Henry wanted to forget about it and move on.