The ball was happening; Iris could hear the wonderful music pouring through the hallways as she stood to one side in her maid’s uniform. Again, she had to blend into the background, again she didn’t want anyone to look at her, again she had the sense that something huge was about to happen.

There was so much about this night that reminded her of her own ball... the only thing that had changed was her. Iris was strong now, Iris was powerful, ironically, Iris knew herself better than she ever did when she was a Warwick.

She still had not made up her mind about where her future lay, but she had an inner confidence that she would make the right choice in the end. She could feel it, brimming within her.

“Amy looks very happy in there,” Ewan commented as he found her hiding away in plain view. “She is talking to the very eligible and respectable Lord Taylor in there, and I think I see something shining in her eyes.”

Iris nodded happily. She knew all the names on the guest list because she had gone through it extensively with her. Unfortunately, due to her years spent indoors, Iris did not know many of them but it was not too hard to find out the reputations of people.

Lord Taylor was known as an extremely handsome, very pleasant young man. The sort that Iris wanted Amy to choose... not that she would ever give her any advice on the subject. Whoever Amy chose was totally up to her.

“Do you approve?” Iris asked cautiously. “Do you think that he is a good match?”

“It does not matter what I think?” Ewan shrugged his shoulders and grinned. “The choice is not mine, after all.” He paused for just a beat. “But yes, I do approve.”

“Good.”

Iris angled her head up towards Ewan and she delved deeply into his piercing green eyes. They bore into her soul once more, unravelling her entirely, only this time he knew everything. There were no secrets anymore. He saw the truth to her and she liked that sensation.

“I still cannot believe that you have never attended a ball like this of your own,” Ewan told her smilingly. “The way that you dance deserves to be seen by the world.”

“Oh, I do not think the world wishes to see me dance,” Iris teased in a more playful manner than she had spoken in a while. “After all, I do not know how to do the steps correctly.”

"I think we both know that is not true," Ewan acknowledged the fact that Iris was, in fact, a Lady who had surely been taught at some point in her life. "But dancing freely is the way that I like, remember?”

Ewan held out his hands to Iris, sending her delving backwards into the past for a moment. The flip flops, the sparkles, the electricity... it all came rushing back to her. She recalled exactly how she felt that night when she was terrified of being discovered, and this man gave her a wonderful distraction.

He changed her in that night, she just did not realise how much.

“Come on.” Ewan cocked his head to one side and he gave Iris a playful smile. “For old time’s sake?” I know that no decision has been made, but we can share another moment, can we not?”

In her maid’s uniform, the moment was as deliciously taboo as it was the first time they danced together. It brought all those old feelings rushing to the surface, and Iris found them utterly irresistible.

There wasn’t any harm in one more dance... was there?

Iris took Ewan’s hand and he spun her rapidly making her giggle loudly. Then he curved his hands around her waist and he pulled her close. As they moved in time to the music, that this time they could hear, Iris found her lips twisting up into a big, bright smile.

This... in Ewan’s arms, this was what made her truly happy.

They slowly moved, and with each step Iris found herself moulding into Ewan more and more. As they swayed she wondered why she was making this man wait, why she wasn’t one hundred percent certain about him. How could she not want to be with this man? How could she not want to follow him everywhere? What did it matter if they lived across the other side of the world if they had each other? Everyone else had their happiness, why shouldn’t she?

The more she thought along those lines, the freer her steps became, the faster her heart raced. She wanted this, she needed it, she desired to have this feeling forever... and with Ewan, she could have it.

As she looked into his eyes, she swam in the green, loving the sensation. How could she ever find this again? She only had one life to live, her mother had taught her that, and she had already wasted so much of it. She did not want to waste another day.

“Yes,” she whispered quietly, her heart flooding with happiness as the word fell from her mouth.

"Yes?" Ewan was not sure what Iris meant by that. Of course, he knew what he wanted her to say, but he didn’t want to get his hopes too high. He needed to be cautious so as not to put the pressure on. “What do you mean?”

“I mean yes.” Iris stepped back from Ewan and she flung her arms to the side willingly. “Yes, we should do this, we should get on your ship and go to America. We should be free to be together, to be in love.”

“You... you mean it?”

Iris grabbed onto Ewan’s hands and she gave him an intense wonderful stare. Her heart flapped loudly and her stomach churned excitedly. “I mean it,” she promised.

“It will not be easy.” Ewan wasn’t sure why he was now being negative about the journey that he was so excited about. He just wanted her to understand everything. “The journey will be challenging, as will starting again.”

"You would not have arranged it if you did not know that we could do it.” Iris laughed at the turn of events. Now she was convincing Ewan that this was the right move for them. “You have planned this very carefully, you have ensured that your sister, and that your business is in order. We can do this; it is our chance to be happy.”

Iris knew this was the answer, it was the best way that she could have her happiness and her friend could keep her life too. Throughout all of this, there had been another half to the story, another version of events that she did not want to disturb. If Daisy had happiness, she did not want to ruin it. This way, she could find her happy ever after with her half of the tale, and Daisy could keep hers as well.

“We can be happy,” Ewan smiled gleefully. “We can have everything that we’ve ever wanted. I must go and start arranging things now...”

“Stop,” Iris giggled while pulled Ewan back to her. “You cannot do everything yet, we still have a lot to sort. Plus, tonight, unless you have forgotten, you are hosting your sister’s ball. You are very much in demand, and you need to ensure that Amy is being well taken care of in there. Work can come tomorrow.”

Ewan nodded, knowing that Iris was right. He leaned down and gently kissed her on the lips. Now that he knew they were about to be wed, and that they would restart their lives in another country, he felt no guilt whatsoever. She was his, and he was hers. Who cared if the world knew?

“Right, Miss Iris, you are correct, of course. I shall go and be the dutiful host tonight, but you cannot blame me for my excitement.”

“I am excited too.”

Ewan gave Iris one last longing look, but eventually, he pulled himself away. He did not want to be anywhere else in the world, he wanted to remain with Iris to spend time with the woman he loved, but his duty came first. And for Amy he did not mind.

“I shall see you later on,” he promised. “Then tomorrow is a brand new day.”

Iris laughed as she watched Ewan walk away. For a moment she waited for regret to fill her up, but for some reason, it did not come. She no longer minded the escape, the idea of leaving everything that had ever terrified her behind. Of course, there were things that she would miss, people that she hated the idea of losing, but she needed to find her happiness and she knew that everyone in her life would agree. Maybe they would miss her, but they wanted her to be happy.

She practically skipped towards the kitchen to help out with any duties that needed completing, but just before she got there she found her feet taking a detour. She wanted to see Amy with this young Lord, she wanted to see any happiness on her face now that she had her own.

Iris pushed her face through the door and she spotted Amy in her bright blue dress swirling around her body. There was no Lord with her but there was a shining joy in her gaze which suggested that things were good. Really good, actually.

Amy sensed that eyes were upon her, and they did not belong to the wonderful Lord George Taylor, who had been sending shivers up and down her spine all night long.

As she turned her head, and she saw Iris giving her a smile, she immediately started walking towards her to share the good news. George was so amazing, so incredible, so perfect for her. She needed to share this news before she burst with it all.

Seeing Amy walk towards her, Iris remained where she was. She could recall that feeling herself, the flush of first love. Only she did not have anyone to share it with.

“How are things going?” she asked quietly as Amy joined her. “I hear that you have been having a wonderful time.”

“I have met the man that I want to marry,” she told Iris seriously. “He truly is kind and sweet, and he seems to feel the same way about me.”

"Well, how could he not? Look at you, you are wonderful. You look beautiful."

“Thanks to you.”

Amy glanced down at the dress Iris had picked out for her, and she touched the hair that Iris had styled, she felt the confidence from the makeup that Iris had done for her. She had turned her into the beauty that could attract a man such as Lord George Taylor.

“I hope that you will find a lot of happiness with him,” Iris said very seriously. “You deserve all the joy in the world.”

“If I am happy, then you and Ewan can be happy too.” Amy had been acutely aware of this all night long, not that it had affected her decision at all. She would have fallen for George no matter what. He gave her powerful butterflies. “You can go to America without worrying about me.”

Iris’s face broke into a smile. “Yes, I know.”

“Does that mean you will?” Amy honestly did not mind her brother and Iris moving across the world, as long as they were happy. She wanted this woman to be her sister-in-law whatever it took. “Are you considering it?”

“I have always been considering it... but now I have told Ewan yes. I have told him that I would like to go to America to be with him.”

“That is incredible news!” Amy gripped tightly onto Iris’s forearms. “I am so happy for the both of you, this is amazing news.”

“Will he take care of you?” Iris suddenly turned serious, if only for a moment. “Will he love you properly and look after you forever?”

“Iris, I have learned so much from you,” Amy reassured her. “You have helped me to see what I want from my life and I know that George can give it to me. I know it is scary to jump into something new, but I know who I am and what I want, I know that this is right.”

Iris understood, she had seen the change in Amy, she had seen her become a confident young woman who could take control of her own destiny.

“Then I am endlessly happy for you, and I wish you all the love in the world.”

“And I you.” Amy hugged Iris and they both basked in the glory of joy for a few moments. “I just know that you will get it now. You and my brother will be happy forever. We all will now.”