'What in the heck!!' Eloise peered the man in white tuxedo, who was chatting with ten young ladies that surrounded him. His black hair was combed back neatly. Suddenly he glanced her way.
She ducked to the side and hid behind Fred.
"Raymond! I never thought you would come," Fred happily ran over to him and Eloise who was hiding behind him subtly mingled with the crowd.
She sneakily walked over to the food court and watched him. "Shit, he is a duke, why did no one tell me so? Even my mum was not aware...."
Thinking back, there were a lot of clues to his identity.
Captain Ryan, who was sweating a lot when the duke was pulling the gold cart.
The crowd's reaction when the duke saved her from falling over...
"Why the hell didn't I guess it? i even wrote him that annoying letter...." she bit her nails anxiously. A young lady who was next to her scorned at her and walked away. 'Don't walk away lady, you would be my cover,' she moved behind another group of young men and watched the duke chat with Fred.
Duke Raymond had a cold look as he spoke. Occasionally his eyes would wander around the room. Every time this happened Eloise ducked behind someone hiding her small figure. But her huge dress was a dead giveaway.
Raymond's sharp eyes swept right over to her.
'shit, I am spotted. I need to get outta here.' She pulled up her fluffy ruffle skirt to her knees and sneakily ran like the wind.
All of a sudden she felt her skirt being pulled from behind.
"How audacious of you to pull a lady's skirt," she shouted and pulled without taking a glance back.
"My, my, I think I stepped on a cockroach, what shall I do? Shall I roast it for tainting my shoes or should I chop its head off," a hoarse voice jokingly said from behind.
Eloise could recognise that annoying voice even in her nightmare. 'Shit, I'm dead,' she glanced back in slow motion. "This..... My lord, can you let go of my skirt? P—people might misunderstand" she pointed to his foot that was firmly stepping on the bottom of her skirt.
"Oh, is that so?" he said with a smug smirk. Inside, he was silently raging. For three days he had been waiting for her blood, but this girl kept dodging. His blood sugar had gone down because of this. 'This silly white kitten, you just wait and see what I'm gonna do to you,' he stepped back but still he had a firm hold on her skirt. "There is nothing to misunderstand here. I am just expressing my emotions to the lady who expressed ardent feeling to me in her letters,"
The crowd gasped. "She wrote him a love letter!! That shameless wrench," some lady nearby shouted out loud.
Hearing this, Eloise's eyelid twitched, "sir... no, Lord, I think my intentions were mistaken. I was only expressing my heartfelt gratitude with my 'thank you' letter," she enunciated each word. 'Yes, you idiot, I was literally cursing you. How the hell did it become a love confession? Are you a shaking M?'
Duke Raymond chuckled. "Oh is that so," he strode closer having a tight grip on her skirt, "are the words bat-shit-bastard, ring a bell. I read it in your letter. Such an innovative word."
Eloise gritted her teeth, 'so you plan to use my word against me, huh? We'll see who wins,' she stepped to his side, showing her back to the entire crowd.
"MY LORD! Where are you touching me?!" Suddenly she shouted, gasping her bosom. "How audacious of you. I RESPECTED YOU SIR!! How could you do this," she screamed and ran away while he was frozen in shock.
The entire ballroom was in disarray. "Lord Raymond is a pervert!!"
Eloise glanced back at him with her middle finger raised, 'back at you,' she softly chuckled in glee as she rushed over to an inconspicuous corner of the room.
Raymond smirked. "Little kitten has claws." Suddenly he felt a something soft rub against his arms. Glancing down, it was a young Lady who was literally rubbing her bosom on him.
"I never knew you had such a naughty side," she sultrily whispered.
"I—I think I need to go now," he pulled her tight grip off and ran away as well. Just as he was walking, so many women stood in front of him accidentally showing him their bosoms.
In just a day, he had seen over twelve women.
Fred came to his rescue. "You.... seems like you have a type you prefer as well, huh. I prefer is derriere. Just taunt and..."
"Enough, just get me out of here," Raymond massaged his aching forehead.
"I regret to say this, my friend, but I don't think you can do so now. Do you see there," he pointed to the doorway where a lot of young women crowded. "You will be eaten alive,"
Raymond shuddered, "humans can be scary sometimes,"
"Especially woman, but you don't have to thank me. As your trusted friend and aide, I have just the spot for you to stay low until the party ends,"
After sneaking past many lustrous women, he moved behind the curtain. As Fred said, there was a door there.
He opened it slight to hear soft humming from the other side.
'That Fred... he said this place will be empty,' he was about to leave but something stopped it.
It might have been the heavenly smell he was getting, or maybe the soft hmm that was very calming.
He walked out into a small secluded balcony. A young lad stood there with her back to him. Her dress was spread out behind her like a blooming flower. Her white hair had come undone and was fluttering with the wind.
Just like the raging sea, Raymond's heart soared.
She glanced back with her brows raised.
One look and his timeless heart was stolen.