In the night air

“Good Evening, Lady Beckett.” Alexander gave a slight bow in her direction.

“Lord Chetwood, I have asked you to call me Dorcas.” She gave a slight curtsy. The fact that she was almost out of breath spoke volumes about how tight her corset was.

Alex didn’t want to call her by her Christian name. That would imply that they were on more personal terms than they were. Did she want to imply that they were closer than they were?

“Sorry to disappoint you, Lady Beckett.” Alex looked from her to the sky, wanting to be alone, but not wanting to be rude.

“Oh, Lord Chetwood you are being a bore tonight.” Dorcas yawned with her fan as she fanned her overheated face.

He watched as she crossed the flagstones to stand beside him. The flick of the fan moved her hair slightly. Her long, silken dress dragged on the stones, gathering the dew. Her dress was a lovely teal color that shone in the torchlight. The necklace she wore twinkled in the torchlight light bringing his eyes to her neck. He did like the look of the necklace that hung low on her neck. Alex loved to see a young woman who didn’t mind showing a little skin. Dorcas was one of those women he didn’t care what others thought about her because she was beautiful.

“You look at me like I am going to say something terrible.” Dorcas couldn't understand why Alex always tried to run away from her.

“Well, it is in my humble opinion that you speak your mind freely.” Alex watched as she laughed, throwing her head back slightly. She knew well that he had a passion for skin and wanted to touch it. He turned his gaze away from her pale skin to look into the night sky.

“How very rude of you to look away from me.” Dorcas glared at him, almost mad enough to stomp her foot.

“How very forward of you to think that I want to look at you when I wish not to.” Alex played a card he hadn’t wanted to play tonight. He pushed her to say more than she wanted. "I would rather ponder the stars than speak right now."

“Well, you are in a foul mood this evening,” Dorcas told him as she stood looking up at the stars. They were so bright out in the yard. Moving her fan absent-mindedly in front of her body.

“The heat is terrible,” Alex told her as he gazed at her beauty. "The house is like an oven, even out here in the air, it is stuffy."

“Alexander, you are right, the heat in the house is unbearable. I don’t understand how any of them stay indoors.” Dorcas couldn't believe that he was talking this much. Normally, he would have given her a nod and left her standing there.

“You use my first name too freely,” Alex told her with a huff. He hated that she did it, but it made his heart skip a beat at the same time.

“You use mine not enough.” Dorcas knew that he wouldn't use her Christian name. He was very uptight about that.

This was the same argument they had each time they saw each other. Alexander was getting rather bored with the same fights, the same people. It was all the same, the people, conversations. Nothing new came around.

“So, why do you have these parties if you don’t want them in the house?” Dorcas couldn't understand why he would have parties if he hated them.

“Well, I am to be seen to be in the world,” Alex told her when he looked at her again.

“Oh yes, I'm on the hunt for a husband.” Dorcas already knew who she wanted. Trouble was, he didn't want her.