CHAPTER 14

Draped in all black a young man in his early twenties stood under a large tree in the dark night looking at the beautiful sky and taking in the wonderful view of the night. He felt soft hands slowly crept around his waist and he stilled for a moment before recognizing the touch and calming down.

"Did I waste too much time" he heard her say in that soft voice of hers, turning around he held her close and stared into her beautiful blue eyes.

"No, I was actually enjoying the night."

Ellison blushed because of the intensity of his eyes; he made her feel as if she was the only person that mattered to him. She didn't know how she will live without him but she knew she had no other choice, she was engaged to someone else.

"I missed you" he gently cupped her cheeks and leaned down pressing his forehead to hers, and she closed her eyes feeling peaceful being there in his hold and not giving a damn about the consequences of their illicit relationship.

"Are you feeling bad you lost the race?" she peered up at him from her long lashes.

"Not quite, your sister was amazing."

She smiled at that, but her smile soon vanished remembering that the time will come that she would have to choose between the both of them and she didn't know who it was going to be.

She wished things were different and she wasn't betrothed to someone else, She wished that the responsibility of delivering her family out of their poverty wasn't her burden to bear.

...…

"my God I have missed you so much"

mademoiselle Salome pulled Madison into a tight embrace as soon as she arrived at Jennifer's house in London along with her nanny Matilda.

"I also missed you so much mademoiselle"

"Not nearly as much as I have missed you" Jen walked into the Den and gave her a tight hug

"Really now?" she replied and the two girls both laughed knowing that anything could lead them to an augment and neither one of them was interested in having one at that moment.

Jen had taken her nanny to her room and had also led her to hers.

The room she was taken up to was very beautiful that she just stared at in wonder as it had a glamorous feel to it. The room had light blue curtains and bed sheets with a complementing white carpet which looked lovely.

After settling down, the all had dinner together before her companion; Nanny Matilda excused herself after she was done. They three of them then went down to the drawing room to catch up and they chatted each other with the happenings of their lives.

Madison had told them about the numerous suitors she was getting but mademoiselle had strongly abolished her saying she must marry someone of noble status, as it will be such a disappointment if she didn't.

The next day during breakfast mademoiselle had announced that the Fedinards which were one of the richest families in England were throwing a ball in two weeks and that all the important people of English nobility were going be there.

She also concluded that it was the perfect opportunity for them to get properly launched into society as many People were currently scrabbling to get invitations there and a lot of prospecting young men were going to be present there.

Getting an invitation to the ball was hard but with Jen father status and her being the daughter of an earl mademoiselle was sure she could get them invitations.

There was going to be serious competion in the ball as the Fedinards threw a ball only once a year and people saw it as an opportunity of seeking favors and associating with people of higher status than theirs. everyone always dressed their best intending to impress.

As she sat them both down she gave them a lecture about all the things they needed to learn before that time just as she had done when they were still in school .

"I really think this is too much" Madison took off her gloves felling exhausted from all the discussions about their debut.

"It may seem so now, but when you get there you will see that all the girls went all out. I think mademoiselle just doesn't want us to feel inferior in any way."jen replied, But instead of appreciating her thoughts Madison only rolled her eyes

"as if that will ever happen."

"So confident aren't you?" she grinned at her.

"Chop chop girls" mademoiselle came back into the seating area with a bunch of papers in her hands, she handed each one of them the papers, and what they saw left them speechless. They could only stare in horror as their faces went all pale.

It was a full diet plan that they will have to follow for the next two weeks.

"You can't be serious" Jen busted feeling her face turn red. In the food plan half of what she enjoyed most was cut off, the only thing that was left for her to consume were vegetables which she hated so much.

Being the only child, at a young age she was left in the charge of the house staffs that loved her so much and spoiled her endlessly, The had taken the liberty on serving her different meals everyday which made her become very accustomed with food especially with desert, but she couldn't even see the desert in the plan, where were the deserts? She began to panic.

"Where are the deserts?" Madison voiced out her exact thought.

"They are no deserts "and if it were possible, the color drained from their faces once more, "you will have to cut your crab and sugar intakes so I think desert is totally not necessary."

"Don't you think this is too much mademoiselle" Madison sat up straight to discuss the matter she now held with optimum importance upon seeing that her food intake was being tempered with.

"Of course not, let's think about it this way; the measurements for your gowns have already been taken and if you should add even a little weight plus the gown doesn't fit and is too tight you will feel impossible uncomfortable and striking a conversation with any elegible bachelors will be extremely difficult which you may even end up being a laughing stock and a complete failure.

"Don't you think that's quit an exaggeration" Jen scrunched up her nose at her.

"No, because it's the truth and is what will happen."

Finally giving up, the two had let her have her way in changing their meal plan and as they watched her talk to the chef about the changes they both felt their chest constrict tightly with dread.