text: [Themes: love & dating, romance]
  
  Rose trembled with nerves as she stood behind the huge front doors leading into the grand ballroom at the Carrington mansion.
  
  Her mother and father stood at her side, watching their daughter with proud eyes.
  
  Rose had been to smaller parties and fuctions before, but this was her very first official ball. She struggled to get her feelings under control as the footman at the door pulled it open and announced in a booming voice, "Lord and Lady Carlisle and their daughter Rose."
  
  The three of them slowly walked into the room and every pair of eyes turned to stare at them. Rose struggled to keep from turning red. She watched as her mother and father turned their heads to take in everyone in the room, smiling and looking calm and composed. She tried to hardest to follow their example.
  
  Rose felt another sudden stab of panic as her parents were surrounded by their wealthy British friends, leaving her standing alone.
  
  She looked wildly around the room, taking note of several avenues of escape. She decided to
  
  > get some fresh air
  Rose wandered outside of stately old mansion and found the gardens. They really looked quite charming in the moonlight and Rose decided to explore them a little. She walked down the main path and discovered a beautiful fountain, the water glistening in the light of the moon. Someone was already out there standing by the fountain, and Rose wondered if she should be friendly or quickly find another part of the garden to explore. Her problem was solved for her as the person turned to face Rose and said,
  
  "Oh pardon me. I didn't know that someone else had joined me."
  
  Rose nodded her head politely. The stranger was a young man around her age, with thick brown hair and gentle hazel eyes. He looked sad, and Rose wondered if she should excuse herself and leave him alone.
  
  "Forgive me, I don't think we've been introduced. My name is John. I'm the son of Lord and Lady Graham." He stammered a little as he spoke, and once again Rose felt sympathy.
  
  "I'm the daughter of Lord and Lady Carlisle, Rose. It's a pleasure to meet you," Rose said politely.
  
  The young man stared into the fountain again, and Rose stood there silently.
  
  Finally he turned to her again and blushed painfully. "Please forgive me for not speaking, but I confess I'm having a hard time enjoying myself tonight. I... I just recently..." his voice trailed off and he cleared his throat before trying again. "M..my betrothed decided that she loved a different man." He sounded bitter.
  
  "I'm very sorry to hear that Mr. Graham," said Rose softly.
  
  He clenched his jaw and looked at her in the eye. "I guess I wasn't good enough for her. She said she never loved me."
  
  "She doesn't sound like the kind of woman that deserved you Mr. Graham," Rose said stoutly.
  
  A small smile appeared on his misreable face.
  
  "Thank you Miss Rose."
  
  "Of course."
  
  An awkward pause followed before the young man finally spoke again.
  
  "Would you like to dance with me Miss Rose? I would like to turn my mind to more cheerful things."
  
  Rose was caught off guard a little, but she liked this nice young man and wanted to make him feel better.
  
  > say "I'd love to Mr. Graham."
  The young man's face cleared up almost immediately, and he offered his arm to Rose, who accepted it with a smile.
  
  The two of them entered the crowded ballroom and joined in with the other dancing couples.
  
  Rose found John to be a good dancer, and he treated her like a true gentleman. The two of them kept up a pleasant conversation as the dance continued, and Rose started to like him more and more. He seemed like a very nice young man.
  
  Eventually the dance ended.
  
  John offered his arm to Rose and the two of them headed across the room toward the drink table.
  
  Along the way a young woman with a very fancy dress and a haughty air stepped in front of them. "Well John, looks like you move on quickly," she said in a sharp tone.
  
  John's face took on an embarassed and hurt expression, and Rose wondered what to do.
  
  "And who might you be," asked the stranger, her eyes raking Rose up and down rudely.
  
  Before Rose could reply John did. "It doesn't matter Sophia. Please leave me and whoever I choose to be with alone." He spoke firmly for him, and Rose wondered who this young lady was.
  
  Sophia turned away from John pointedly and addressed Rose again. "I assume that you have a tongue?"
  
  > say "I do, but I have no need to use it on people who talk to my friends in that manner."
  "Well don't you think that you're smart," replied Sophia hotly.
  
  "Sophia please stop." John cut in. "You're making a scene."
  
  "Oh I'm the one making the scene. Stay out of this John. You may have been my fiancé at one point but you aren't a part of my life now," Sophia shot back.
  
  "Well at least now I know how they know eachother," thought Rose.
  
  "Come on John. Since she clearly wants nothing to do with us, we'll go find some polite company," she said outloud, pointedly directing her words to John.
  
  Sophia opened her mouth for a sharp retort but Rose quickly steered John away and the two of them headed for the drink table once again.
  
  "I'm so sorry Miss Rose. I didn't know she would act like that," John apologized.
  
  "It's all right, don't worry about it Mr. Graham," replied Rose, slipping back into the more formal mode of address since there was no longer a need to stick up for John and act like she was familiar with him.
  
  "Please keep calling me John. I like it." said John shyly, avoiding eye contact with Rose but looking very eager.
  
  Rose smiled. "All right John."
  
  They reached the drink table and both had a glass of punch. Once more they fell into easy conversation, and by the time the night had ended, John had met Rose's parents and had gotten their blessing to come visit her at Carlisle Manor.
  
  > The Ending
  John visited Rose regularly at Carlisle Manor. Eventually the couple were engaged and attended their first ball together.
  
  Sophia tried to give them a hard time, but they were too in love to pay any attention to her. She then tried for the attentions of the Earl of Brighton but failed misreably. She died an old maid, while John and Rose got married and lived happily ever after.
  
  They had two darling little girls and became Lord and Lady Graham when John's parents died. They also became Lord and Lady Carlisle after Rose's parents passed, and divided their time between two houses. After their two girls grew up, John and Rose lived out the rest of their days together, still deeply in love.