4. August Dereon

Elizabeth

Walking back inside, she saw that everyone had gathered in the hall as a deathly quiet descended. “Oh, looks like it’s showtime.” She thought and went over to grab a glass of champagne from a server.

Her mind went back to the gentleman she met on the terrace and looked around the hall to see if she could find him. There was something about him she couldn’t shake, and she knew it had to do with him accepting her honest opinions. All her life, her mother taught her to act prim and proper, to say the right things and act like a lady. However, for those few moments on that terrace, he made her feel like a normal person. One who was flawed and had opinions of her own.

“Don’t be silly, Elizabeth,” she chastised herself for her girlish thoughts. Fate and destiny ran away from her a long time ago. Mentally shaking herself, she straightened her back and looked up at the podium when a microphone crackled.

“Ladies and gentlemen. My family and I wish to welcome you all to Dereon Hall.” An older, very well-dressed gent says to the crowd. Elizabeth knew him as Eldred Dereon, a force to be reckoned with in the business world. “Now, I’ve heard some rumours going around that this ball was organised to find my son, August, a bride like some Cinderella story.” he continued and chuckled. “On the contrary, tonight is my son’s engagement party!” he said, beaming. 

At this, the crowd bursts out in chatter and whispers.

“He’s engaged?!”

“Oh no, there goes my chance!”

“Are you kidding me?!”

Elizabeth looked over the crowd and noticed that all the young heiresses seemed horrified at their missed opportunity. Her eyes landed on Evelyn, who pouted and looked like a child whose candy just got taken. “There goes that idea, Eve,” she thought, and giggled. She stared at the disappointed faces in the crowd and could not help but laugh. How was marrying August Dereon so important to them? The man was a literal unknown and for all she knew, he could be a leper with no front teeth.

“Sorry, Mother. Someone beat me to it.” She thought, gleefully.

“Settle down, everyone. I know that most of you don’t know what my son looks like. He has been working overseas, most prominently in Paris and Germany, as the CEO of Dereon Industries. We practically had to beg him to come home to attend his own engagement party!” he laughed. “Now, without further ado, please welcome my son, August, and his beautiful bride-to-be, Emily Gray!” Eldred Dereon said proudly and gestured to the left-hand side of the hall, clapping lightly.

Where Elizabeth stood, she couldn’t make out August Dereon’s face as he had his back to her, but noted that his posture seemed familiar. Then, as he reaches his hand out for Emily to take, his suit sleeve slides up and she spies a $1.5 million Audemars-Piguet watch.