"My, the food looks delicious," Christopher said to Lady Wheat, gazing at the food in my hands.

"Yes, terrific," I added.

Lady Wheat beamed with joy, hearing such compliments about her hard work picking the food for tonight. As if she were the one who prepared it.

Even Katherine looked at my plate for a second and licked her lips. I guess I wasn't the only one dying for something to eat.

"So tell me, Anne," Mr. Connelly said. "Have you picked a home yet? I had heard there are some available;e homes not far from here."

I swallowed the tart I had in my mouth. "Yes... I, uh, had heard that too. I-, uh, Christopher, dear. Why don't you tell them? I'm sure you would like to have a say in this."

Christopher flashed a kind smile. "Yes. We had heard, and I believe that is where we will be looking, although we are no so sure about what we want yet."

"A study, Captain. That is what you want - the perfect place to be when you have a wife and children running about," the Lord said, winking at Christopher.

"James!" His wife protested. "Control yourself!"

The Lord laughed, "Yes, get a suitable study."

Everyone around joined in the laughter, all except me. I was trying to get over the fact that the Lord had said, 'when,' and nobody had corrected him.

It was just a matter of time before Christopher, and I found a house, and I got pregnant to everyone here. Had my life been planned out? It had seemed that way, and it was all based on a lie - a story.

They all made it seem that nothing exciting or even remotely interesting was ever going to happen to me, and I guess you could say the same for Christopher.

Sure, Christopher had the privilege of being a captain of the British Army and could go anywhere he pleased, but it was a lie. Here, he was nothing more than a man with a career taking care of his family. It wasn't any different than any other man in this country, let alone the world.

I started seeing why Christopher became a pirate. He knew there was much more out there for him.

Once the laughter died down, and everyone got their barrings, Lady Wheat said, "Oh, it looks like the first dance is about to begin."

Instantly, everyone's eyes flung to the middle of the ballroom, where couples began to crowd, and the orchestra began to start up.

"Care to dance, my dear?" Lord Wheat said to his wife, holding out his hand for her to take. The Lady smiled and put her hand in his, and he led her out to the crowd.

Then, it was Mr. Connelly that asked Katherine. Katherine's face couldn't have been brighter and more joyful. She nearly yanked his arm off, pulling him into a dance.

I watched them go, shaking my head with disapproval.

With them gone, I heard Christopher clear his throat. "Darling," he said. I turned my head.

"Yes?"

He smirked, and I knew what he was going to ask next. He held out his hand. "May I have this dance?"

I returned his smirk and placed my hand in his. "You may," I said, and he swept away to the dance floor.

I didn't know how to dance since I had never had the practice, but I did know the basics, so I did as I was supposed to and got in the position. But when Christopher's hand found my waist, I almost passed out. I calmed, though, when the music began to play, and we began to dance.

"Let me guess, first time dancing?" Christopher asked, swinging me around.

"Is it that obvious?"

"Very much so." I smiled at that. It meant he was going to teach me as I had already stepped on his toes twice now. He told me where to put my hands and how to move my feet. He even slipped in that I was a quick learner, which I smiled at again.

The dancing got more comfortable after that. I didn't step on Christopher's toes so much, and I was enjoying myself.

"I like dancing," I said after a while.

I could tell he agreed with me from the smirk on his lips. "I know. Dancing with me can have that effect on anyone."

I sighed. "Can you stop being cocky for at least one night."

"And which night is that?" He said seductively, raising a brow. I looked away, trying not to blush, and instead looked toward the orchestra.

He chuckled. "You amuse me."

I turned back to him and found his eyes on me - his golden eyes.

"I know. I don't understand why," I said.

Christopher pulled me close to where our lips were just inches apart, and I realized something. My head fitted perfectly under his chin.

I held my breath after thinking that. What was I even-

The music stopped. The first dance was over, and most couples moved away from the dance floor.

I looked up at Christopher, our eyes connecting. "You amuse me because you're different," he said.

I got nervous then. I couldn't help it. The air, this feeling, Christopher, it all was so overwhelming. I had to escape.

"I-I have to go. I have to go now."

He furrowed his brows, looking at me seriously like I was the only thing that mattered. "Where," he said. "You have to go where?"

I broke from his grasp; my eyes still trained on his. "I have to, uh, use the, uh, I have to powder my nose," I said and turned away, breaking eye contact, picking up my skirt and running out of the ballroom and into the empty hall.

Out of sight, I leaned against a wall, trying to catch my breath and thinking over what just happened.

What was that? Had I imagined it all, it hurt to think I had. I felt so good at that moment, with Christopher, so why did I ruin it by running away? Why did the song have to end?

My head buzzed with unanswered questions that I didn't notice the dark figure underneath the stairs until it came out. My eyes widened, seeing who it was.

"D-Daniel? What are you doing here?"

He didn't answer me, just trudged on forward, his face expressionless. I backed away a little, and seeing this, he stopped.

"A pirate, eh? And my stepbrother none the less. Maybe I don't know you, Anne," he taunted.

I was speechless. For once in my life, I didn't know what to say to Daniel. What could I say after hearing that?

Finally, I said what I was thinking. "S-stepbrother? I didn't know you had a-. I didn't know you and Christopher were-"

"Brothers?" He smirked. "No, he was never my brother. I hate that bastard. That's why I don't talk about him."

"I don't understand. How is it even possible? You said you were a single child. You didn't say anything about your brother, about Christopher."

I was panicking. My God, what were the chances that Christopher would be Daniel's stepbrother? But then again, I never met Daniel's family. He hardly ever talked about them.

Daniel kept on talking. "Funny how much we didn't know about each other when we were best friends." He walked closer to me, and I had to plant my feet in the ground to stay where I was.

"Daniel, how did you know I was here? How did you know I'd even come out into the hallway?" I asked, my voice shaking.

His blue eyes pierced through mine, turning to ice. "I didn't. That was the fun part of it. I planned on coming here with an acquaintance of mine and didn't know you were here until he told me. Of course, when he said it, he said the Lady wrote him the ball was for a certain Captain Christopher Taylor and his new bride, Anne."

He took a second to sink in my reaction before continuing. "As for the hallway, well, I just took a second to be alone with my thoughts after seeing you."

I took a steady breath, trying to relax my shaken body. "You're the one that wrote me, weren't you?"

"That I was. I had to confirm that you were here. I was also trying to be polite."

Suddenly, I got angry. "Polite? You think you can just show up and make everything better? You're right. Maybe we don't know each other!"

He thinned his lips, hearing what I said, but I didn't care. I was going to let him have it. "You leave and don't tell me? All for a career and hope I would marry you? Bloody hell, Daniel, you could have at least told me. I was your best friend." I paused. "You know what? You weren't even that. I hardly knew you!"

Hearing me say that, Daniel filled the gap between us and backed my against the wall, slamming his fists on the walls beside me. He looked me dead in the eye.

"You did know me. I gave you my heart a long time ago, Anne, and you gave me yours. Face it. You love me."

I stared straight at him, not daring to turn away. I looked straight into those blue eyes of his and said what my heart wanted me to say.

"You're right, Daniel. I do love you."