Betrothed

Chapter 19: Maddie

"Madeline! Quentin! James!" I hear my father call my siblings and me downstairs. I quickly make my way down to the parlor where I find my mother and father. I am closely followed by both of my older brothers.

"Yes father?" I inquire

"Children, we have been invited to a ball in London. The ball is celebrating the return of the long lost daughter of Lord Jernigan and Princess Caroline; Lady Nicole Jernigan. Now do any of you have an idea as to why we have been invited to this?" My father, Lord Stephen Queshire, the Marquess of Salisbury, asks us. I am shocked, Allie told Quentin and me that Lord Jernigan and Princess Caroline had claimed Nikki as their daughter, but the fact that they are having a ball to celebrate surprises me. It must have been Nikki that invited us, probably inviting the whole family instead of just Quentin and me so that it would not look suspicious. I cannot tell my father this though.

"No father, I have no clue." My oldest brother, James, tells our family." I guess that we have somehow fallen into the Jernigan's good graces."

"Yes it appears so." My mother, Lady Gwen, the Marchioness of Salisbury, agrees. "the question still remains though husband. Are we going to make the three-quarters day journey for a ball?"

"You are right wife." My father replies to my mother. "It is a rather long journey for a measly ball."

Realizing that he is most likely going to turn away the invite I jump into action. I have to go to Nikki's ball; I cannot leave her alone in a strange city full of strange people. Besides, I need to get Quentin and Nikki together still, and now my father will approve of Quentin courting Nikki because she is a Lady. And more than that she is of royal blood.

"Father please say that we will go." I plead with him. "I have always wanted to travel to London and attend a ball there. At least let Quentin and I go please!"

"Why do you want Quentin to go Madeline?" My father asks.

"Well I doubt that you would let your fifteen-year-old daughter go into the big city by herself and Quentin has been on a campaign for five years so I think that he would make an excellent chaperone." I tell him, trying to make sense as to why Quentin has to go too.

"Alright then Madeline." My father concedes. "Whoever would like to go can and whoever does not wish to can stay here."

"Thank you so much father!" I exclaim as I give him a big hug and a kiss on the cheek.

***

Once I could manage to get Quentin away from the family conversation I corner him.

"Are you not excited at all about this?" I ask him because he has shown no emotion since we heard about the ball.

"Of course I am excited about Nikki's ball." He retorts.

"You have a really good way of showing it." I reply sarcastically.

"I am just too busy working out how to explain to the family that this is the girl I want to court, and possibly marry, to be jumping with joy right now Madeline."

"Just tell them after tonight that you really liked this Nicole Jernigan girl and that you want to court her. Simple as that." I tell him as if it is the most obvious thing in the world, because it is.

"You know sometimes I really hate how easily good ideas come to you." He tells me in mock annoyance.

"I know!" I respond gleefully before walking back to the rest of the family.