The Crown’s Obsession

Chapter 9 - Amidst The Crowd

Music recommendation: Beethoven - Piano Sonata No. 14 "Moonlight Sonata": I. Adagio sostenuto

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Hearing the deep voice behind her, Madeline turned around to meet the man's eyes that were looking at her. There was something very intimidating the way he looked at her, a darkness that lingered in those dark eyes.

He raised his hand with the handkerchief in his hand, and Madeline's brown eyes looked down at his hand to realize it was indeed her kerchief. She had been holding it all this while, which made her wonder how it slipped out of her hands.

Thankful that the man had noticed it, Madeline offered the man a smile, "Thank you," and when she said those simple words of gratitude, the man who was looking at her breathed in her words that sounded sweet on his ears.

He saw how she stepped closer to take the handkerchief which he had pulled out from her hand without her knowledge when they walked past each other. There was no ring on her finger. Half of her face was covered with the golden-rose mask, which was made of cloth. He had seen a glimpse of her face without the mask that came and went quicker than a breeze, but his eyes had captured it.

She didn't wear perfume like the others that were too strong and instead, she smelled like flowers. Flowers that were rare and grew in times of spring. He noticed the sliver of fear and doubt that appeared in her eyes when she took hold of the handkerchief, tugging it gently, which he didn't let go in the first two seconds. A smile formed on his lips that widened behind his mask, which the girl couldn't see.

Madeline didn't know if the person was smiling or not as his eyes appeared to be looking at her dauntingly. When he let go of the cloth, she finally took it back to her side, tucking it in her side pocket.

"Do you care for a dance?"

"What?" but the man took no effort to reiterate it as he knew she had heard it and her words had come only out of surprise.

Madeline wasn't sure about dancing not that she couldn't, but she had planned to step out of the room for some air. Wasn't he walking looking for someone else? Thought Madeline to herself.

"Your partner might want to dance with you first," she said and noticed the way his head tilted to his side.

The man raised his hand this time empty, waiting for her hand, "I don't have a partner to dance with, will you do the honour," the girl looked hesitant as if being apprehensive of him and he chuckled, "Is there someone waiting for you?" he asked her. He had been looking at her, studying her since she had caught his eyes and the girl had no partner. Some of the men looked her way, wanting to ask her to dance with them, but they were still reciting how to ask the girl.

Calhoun didn't care about the others, and he didn't need to recite on how to approach her. When he was in the gallery, he wanted to know if the girl was as intriguing as she appeared to him from the top. He had caught her attention, and now that he saw her up close, she was indeed a beautiful flower that was untouched.

This time Madeline could tell that the person behind the mask was smiling, his eyes turned slightly small, "No. I didn't come with a partner," she said to see him take a step closer to her and Madeline had to crane her neck up to look at the man, "I came with my parents and my sister," she looked in the direction her sister Beth was dancing with the man who had asked her to the dance floor.

"Good, it shouldn't be a problem then," she heard his deep voice echoing through her very body along with the music that they were surrounded in.

Considering the man had returned her handkerchief, it would be rude to reject, and it wasn't like Madeline had been asked by anyone to dance with her tonight. She didn't know if it was because of her blonde hair that was let down, unlike other girls and women who had twisted, turned, braided their hair in different hairstyles.

Seeing the man's hand, Madeline finally placed her hand in his hand that appeared to look small compared to his large hand. He clasped her hand, taking her to the dance floor where couples were dancing, and the music out of the blue changed to a much slower and gentle one that had Madeline's eyes turn in the direction of the musicians who had changed the tone of the music.

Having her turn around to face him, he placed one of his hand on her waist and another that continued to hold her hand. Madeline felt the way his hand that just didn't position on her waist by slid towards her back and pulled her close.

In an effort to drive away from the silence as they were strangers, Madeline spoke, "What music is this?" she asked, moving along with him and following his steps. Careful so that she wouldn't step on his shoes.

"It's called Improvision. Music which turns better with every century that passes by," he answered, looking at her.

Madeline smiled at his words, "It would be hard to judge about the beauty of music going along with time in terms of centuries. I can only tell how it sounds now."

"And how does it sound, milady?" he hummed the question.

"Subtly quiet," she answered.

"Interesting," he let go of her waist so that he could push her away from him to only pull her much closer than before, "Don't worry about stepping on my shoes. Move freely else you will appear to be stiff," he said that she looked up at him. Was it that obvious that she was worried about it.

"Thank you for your words," Madeline responded to him. Compared to what she had felt before, he appeared to be friendlier, but she didn't know he was only deceiving her by his words, "I don't know who I am dancing with," she said with a polite smile.

"Isn't it customary to ask one's name only after giving yours," asked the man, continuing to look at her without blinking.

The girl appeared to look away at the basic error she had done, her cheeks turning warm, and her eyes finally moved up to look back at him, "Madeline Harris."

"Madeline," her name rolled off his tongue, a whisper at the end and she waited to know the person who she was dancing with, but he never gave out his name,

"You didn't give me yours," she said, staring into his eyes to realize she wasn't dancing with a kind of her own. She had heard whispers and stories about people with red eyes, people who lived in and around the mansion.

The man happened to pull her at the same time, closer, to have her bend backwards for her neck to bare to his eyes. She saw the many chandeliers that were hanging up from the ceiling until the man with the silver mask came in view, bringing her back with his eyes gazing at her.

When he pulled her up, his breath falling on her neck.

She heard him say, "What is in a name, Madeline..."