"So Althea, are you new to the city? I've not seen you at any of these events before," Monique asked, staring curiously down Althea's figure.

"Yes actually, I live in Manchester but am staying with my aunt until I find a suitor," she said the last words just as flatly as they felt to her.

"Mm," Monique hummed, obviously understanding Althea's displeasure for the situation.

"Well, just because you are looking for a suitor doesn't mean we can't have a bit of fun tonight, follow me!" the girl exclaimed, lifting the folds of her dress and walking quickly down the corridor, away from the ballroom.

"Wait where are we going?" Althea asked, hurrying quickly behind her.

"Trust me, it's far more fun than anything happening in that ballroom."

When Althea thought about it, the girl was likely right. She'd take her chances with Monique rather than in the packed ballroom surrounded by insufferable men and her aunt who would make sure she talked to each and everything one of them.

Monique stopped at a large set of wooden doors and swung one open, disappearing behind it.

Once Althea rounded the edge of the open door, she was astonished to find an outdoor courtyard.

"Come on!" Monique ran down the cobblestone pathway leading through the violets and white roses. Althea swallowed looking back towards the ballroom from which they’d come.

Her aunt would be livid to learn that all of her hours spent trying to prepare Althea for suitors had been in vain. She hesitated for a moment as she thought of her aunt Harriet. Oh how she would make Althea's life even more miserable at the manor. She didn't have to remain absent for the entirety of the event... just for a little while so she could enjoy herself.

"Well are you coming? Someone might see so you best hurry!"

Without another thought, Althea hopped through the open door towards the tan skinned, fair haired female in front of her.

Monique grinned and turned on a heel continuing her prance through the rose garden. They continued for a few minutes until they reached the edge of a tall, dark, massive hedge maze.

Monique smiled back at Althea. Something about the twinkle in her blue eyes under the moonlight reminded her of a fairy. She turned and dashed out of sight behind the large rounded bush. Althea paused momentarily to stare up at the hedge with all of its mass, before following behind her.

It was hard to keep up with Monique as she dashed through the large labyrinth of hedges. Althea blamed her heavy velvet dress and the heeled shoes her aunt had forced her to wear. That paired with the corset squeezing her midriff and making it hard for her to breathe.

Althea turned to look back, realising she had not been paying any attention to where she was going. If she were to get separated from Monique she had no idea how to get out of here. But a deep rooted part of her enjoyed the idea of getting lost.

She came to a quick halt when Monique stopped abruptly before her. They had reached the centre of the maze. Inside flowers blossomed and a small pond sat in the centre with large orange and white koi fish.

"Finally!" a feminine voice drawled from one side of the hedge surrounded courtyard.

Althea turned her head to see a fair skinned girl with short black hair, and two young males. They looked like brothers, both with light brown hair pulled back behind their necks and strong noses.

"Look, I found a new friend." Monique moved to reveal Althea behind her. "This is Althea."

They all looked a bit shocked.

"Althea, this is Meg, Jasper and James." She gestured towards each of them.

Althea held her hand up, waving at the group before her.

The male closer to her, Jasper, smirked and tossed her something quickly from behind him.

"Here catch."

She almost fumbled and dropped it but bent quickly, letting her fingers wrap around what appeared to be a bottle of wine.

"You two better catch up, we have already taken two swigs each," Meg said to Monique and Althea.

She looked up at Monique who smiled broadly.

"May I?" she asked, reaching for the bottle. Althea handed it to her without hesitation. She removed the cork and took two large gulps, some of the red liquid dribbling down her chin.

She pulled the bottle from her lips and handed it to Althea as she wiped her mouth with the back of hand.

Althea took the bottle and smelled the wine. It smelled fine. Why was she nervous? What did she really have to lose? Her aunt would be furious with her if she could see that she was out here rather than seeking out a courtship. But if that was what she was condemned to regardless, why not have some fun first?

With a shrug, Althea placed the bottle to her lips and drank the sweet berry flavoured liquid courage. When she pulled the bottle away she blinked, already feeling it sliding into her stomach.

"Yeah! Now it's a real celebration!" James shouted, tossing a small rock into the pond.

Monique giggled and took Althea's hand in hers.

"Let's dance!" she shouted, pulling Althea into the centre of the rounded break in the hedge.

"But there's no music," Althea chuckled confused. Monique was a most interesting character. She couldn't help but admire how bold she was. It wasn't often that ladies behaved so irresponsibly. Althea was sure she was meant to be courting herself, and yet here she was, drinking wine and fooling around with her friends without a care. Althea aspired to be that free.

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"So? You don't need music to dance! Simply think of your favourite melody and the steps will come naturally."

Althea did as told, thinking of the melody of her favourite Yuletide tune.

She closed her eyes and stepped to the rhythm in her head.

To her surprise, she and Monique moved perfectly in time together. Monique grabbed her other hand and lifted it in the air to spin her around in two circles.

Althea smiled, eyes still closed as she did the same with Monique.

She could feel the wine already taking a small effect to fog up her mind. She wanted more. She wanted to get lost in herself, lose all of the worries that consumed her aching mind.

Opening her eyes, she let go of Monique's hands and reached for the wine bottle, drinking deeply.

"Aye! That's the spirit!" Jasper shouted and they all began to clap in sync and sing.

Jasper rang out the first lyrics of the song and it echoed through the air like a bell in the silence.

"Of all the trees that grow so fair old England to adorn, greater are none beneath the sun than oak and ash and thorn."

The two joined in, as did Monique as they continued to dance together. Althea had never had such fun in recent time. Even with her fathers festivities, she was never allowed to partake in the drinking, dancing or games, that was strictly for the men.

James and Meg grabbed hands and began to dance beside Monique and Althea. They all continued on that way for song after song until Althea was sure she’d faint.

Monique nodded her head towards the now empty stone bench and they skipped towards it, sitting down. They were both panting. Althea could feel her heart racing with the sheer exhilaration of this moment. Oh how she wished it could last forever. Her aunt had been far from her mind until now. She wished she hadn't thought of her, because once she had, she knew it had been longer than forty minutes since she'd made her escape. Her aunt would be looking for her by now, likely panicking at her absence from the ball. She wondered if Sir Herbert had informed her of the end of their dance.

She glanced at Monique to her side who was still clapping, a stunning smile plastered to her now rosy face as she watched her friends dance. They danced so nicely together, both smiling and laughing as they kicked their legs into the air. Althea chanted the song with them, singing the lyrics and smiling herself, as she watched Meg and James. She watched as his hands wrapped firmly around her body and he lifted her slightly off of the ground. Something inside of her heated. She could feel herself... longing. Not for a husband, but rather for a friend. Someone who she could laugh with, who she could kiss when she wanted to, but who had no control over her actions. Of course such an arrangement did not exist, but she wished it had.

They had begun chanting a new song now.

Althea jumped as she noticed a hand reached out in front of her. She looked up at Jasper who smiled politely, his other arm crossed behind his back.

“May I bother you for a dance Ma’lady?” he asked, his voice low and quiet.

She swallowed and gently lay her hand in his.

“It’s no bother.”

His eyes lit up and he pulled her with him to the clear space where Meg and James had danced a moment ago. They now sat, winded from all of their twirling and whirling.

The hedges seemed to move around them as Jasper placed his hand smoothly on Althea's waist. She was looking down at it, letting her eyes slowly trail up his arm to his soft hazel eyes. He had removed his tailcoat, likely due to the warm night air. The flexed muscles of his arms and shoulders were visible under his white shirt. It was now that she could see he likely wasn’t any older than she was. They swayed back and forth, not saying anything as they danced gracefully together. Their friends all clapped and sang a passionate melody. She could hear Monique's light voice, ringing higher than the other two as she sang, "drink to me only with thine eyes, and I will pledge with mine. Or leave a kiss within the cup, and I'll not ask for wine."

She felt light as a feather as she danced slower now, her eyes heavy and drooping slightly. One of the many dazzling effects of the wine.

"I'm glad yer here, Althea," Jasper leaned forward to whisper in her ear. She felt the goosebumps raise on her skin even in the warm summer air, as his breath caressed her neck.

She turned her head towards him, mouth slightly agape.

He only smiled at her, twirling her around and around until she thought she'd surely collapse from the dizziness.

When he finally pulled her close again, she accidentally stepped on his foot, but he only laughed.

They continued to sway around to only the songs their friends provided. It was lovely, absolutely lovely. And in this moment, she was free, free from the responsibilities that had plagued her, free from the mask that she’d kept on these past weeks, and most importantly she was free from the ideals of the stuffy group of individuals just beyond the walls of the palace. As the night kissed air swept up around her, Althea didn’t pretend to be anything but what she was around these people she’d only just met. Jasper twirled her around and around and everything, him, the voices of the people around her, the happiness within those voices, the dark sky above, it all felt so natural, so right. Why was it so wrong for her to wish to stay this way? Why must she be expected to only bear children and do things that women were ‘supposed to do’? As if that were even something that could be so broad. Why couldn’t women have the freedom to choose their passions and hobbies rather than be confined to the ones deemed appropriate by men? It infuriated her. She longed for this… she longed for fun.

When the song finally came to a close, Jasper dipped Althea low, looking into her deep green eyes. She felt as if someone had taken her breath. The moment seemed to last for an eternity as he leaned closer to her. Was he doing what she thought he was?

She swallowed, still unable to breathe, despite her rapidly beating heart. He leaned in closer, their lips a mere centimetre apart. She closed her eyes in anticipation when suddenly footsteps sounded from the other side of the hedge. Her friend's voices quieted and Althea's eyes shot open.

Although she was still hanging with her head upside down she could see the blue fabric of her aunt's dress standing in the maze's centre entrance.

"Althea Lezant!" her aunt shouted loudly.

Jasper pulled her upright in one quick motion. Her aunt was already stomping towards her, a very visible scowl on her face.

"Are you absolutely mad?" she shouted, grabbing Althea's wrist tightly in her age marked hand. “Why you little harlot! Your father was right to send you away!”

Althea took one last look at her friends who appeared to be just as shocked as she was. Her aunt turned towards them, the scowl somehow settling even deeper into her face.

"And as for you lot, I will be telling the Duke and Duchess of the activities taking place in their courtyard this evening."

With that her aunt pulled her from view of her friends.

"An absolute wench is what you are! All the time and energy I've put into you just for you to go and attempt to ruin it the first chance ye get!" Her aunt was fuming with rage.

"But Lady Harriet! I meant no harm by it! I was just having a bit of fun, isn't that what these events are for? Having fun?"

"They most certainly are not!" her aunt bellowed, "they are for finding nasty young girls like yourself a proper husband to keep them from lollygagging around with whatever strangers they see fit!"

Althea ripped her wrist from her aunt's tight grip.

"I was not lollygagging with anyone! I was simply having fun like young girls should be allowed to before they are forced to be married off to the highest bidder like cows at an auction!" she spat at her aunt who's expression had gone from angry to utterly appalled.

"Keep acting like this young lady and you will live out your days working in a brothel." Her aunt began to turn away from her but she spoke again.

"At least a brothel would feed me!"

Her aunt stopped just short of the maze exit and turned to look at her, the bewilderment still evident on her face.

"Why you ungrateful, imprudent trollop!" Before Althea could process what was happening, her aunt's hand made harsh contact with her cheek, sending shooting pain up the side of her face. Behind her closed eyes, visions of that night careened into her mind. Suddenly she was back there, beneath that man as he held her down and slapped her face. Her fathers disgraced expression flashed through her thoughts like lightning.

Althea opened her eyes once more, gasping and holding her cheek as it became hot beneath her hand.

"Let's go, we are leaving, right now!"

Her aunt grabbed her wrist again and yanked her along. This time Althea didn’t deign to fight.

A silent tear slid down her burning cheek as she followed Lady Harriet back into Blenheim Palace. The hallway into the Great Hall was empty now as her aunt pulled her along quickly. She could hear the orchestra still playing in the ballroom as they passed.

Her aunt did not say a single word to her on the carriage ride home from the gala, and Althea did not offer even a glance towards the wicked woman.

She had never had such a hatred for someone as she had for her aunt Harriet. Althea wished she could burrow into herself, she wanted to leave this horrible city. If she were to be a harlot, so be it, anything had to be better than what she was now.