“It’s worth a try,” Stephen encouraged. “You never know. You could find a lady you want to be with.”
“And if I don’t?” Lewis asked.
“Then you’ll have spent one evening at a ball dancing,” Stephen replied.
Lewis released an uneasy breath. He supposed it couldn’t hurt to give it a try. At the very least, if he said or did something to embarrass himself, no one would know who he was. And who knew? Maybe the stars would align just right and he’d come across the ideal lady.
“All right, let’s have the ball,” Lewis decided.
Patricia let out an excited cheer and turned to Stephen. “This will be so much fun, don’t you think?”
Stephen smiled. “It will. It’s about time I had a ball in this place.” He looked at Lewis. “Patricia and I will arrange the whole thing. All you have to do is show up.”
“With a mask, of course,” Patricia inserted with a wide grin.
Lewis forced a smile in return. Though he didn’t share their enthusiasm, he took some comfort in the fact that this would be an evening they, at least, would enjoy.
Susanna let out a laugh and waved her arms. He glanced down at her, surprised someone so little had so much energy. If he wasn’t careful, she was going to fall to the floor. She took a good look at him and then gave him a toothless grin that warmed something inside him he didn’t even know existed.
“Just wait until you have one of your own,” Stephen said. “It’s much better than spending time with other people’s children.”
Lewis shook his head. “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. I need to find a lady first.” If there was even the perfect lady out there. He supposed he would find out soon enough.
Chapter Two
Later that night, Marcy sat alone on the small bed in her room, which was tucked away in the servants’ quarters. She picked up her journal and marked another line in it. She made a line every night before she retired for the evening.
She had come here for employment exactly 1,928 days ago. Just over five years ago. She was one of the first people Mr. Bachman had hired to take care of this place. Her original duties were to empty chamber pots and clean the rooms. Mr. Bachman wasn’t a messy gentleman, so the job had been easy enough. After the initial cobwebs and layers of dust were gone, it became a simple matter of wiping things down and putting things in their proper place. Another maid was in charge of cleaning the linens and clothing.
As Mr. Bachman accumulated more money, he hired another maid to help with the cleaning and another to help with the laundry. When he married Patricia, Marcy had been promoted to being her lady’s maid. He, in turn, had hired another maid to take over her old duties.
Marcy hadn’t expected to become friends with the mistress of the manor, but Patricia was around her age and she was such an easy person to talk to. Patricia was all goodness. She wasn’t just beautiful on the outside; she was beautiful on the inside, too. Marcy didn’t think any other mistress would allow her lady’s maid to refer to her by her first name or talk to her as informally as Patricia did.
Marcy wiped away a tear and shut the journal. She placed it on the small table by her bed then placed the quill in the inkwell. Then she blew out the candle and settled into her bed.
This bed was nothing like the bed she’d slept in while growing up, but it was comfortable enough to afford her a good night’s sleep. If only she could say the same for her conscience.
She released her breath and willed the tears away. She didn’t know what it was about the still of the night that always brought back memories of her past that were laced with regrets. And on this particular evening, it seemed worse.
I don’t deserve him. Lord Pruett should have someone worthy of him.
It was true she didn’t know Lewis all that well. He came over almost every month to visit Stephen. Most of the time, he arrived early in the day and went back to London in the afternoon. But this time, he had chosen to stay overnight. Just knowing he was in a bedchamber upstairs made her heart skip a beat.
What I feel for him is a simple childlike infatuation. It’ll be gone in time.
As soon as he married, he would be spoken for, and at that time, she would be forced to put aside thoughts of being with him. Not that she could ever be with him anyway. She was a maid. He was an earl. The two never came together for marriage.
What foolish thoughts. Even if she wasn’t a maid, she still couldn’t have him. She was all wrong for him. Her past was too dark. So much darker than other ladies’ pasts. The worst thing Patricia had ever done was not clean someone’s laundry as thoroughly as she was supposed to, and even then, Patricia had confided that she’d done it because the woman had referred to her as worthless garbage. Right now, Marcy would give anything if that was her greatest sin.
Marcy took a deep breath and tried not to think about Lewis. But the more she tried not to think of him, the more she did.
He’d been incredibly attractive that evening, even though he wasn’t as immaculate in his appearance as Stephen was. Lewis’ blond hair wasn’t neatly in place. It looked as if he’d put his fingers through his hair several times. And his yellow cravat was so bright it seemed to glow against his black clothing.
But none of it detracted from his handsome face. Most gentlemen who looked like him would grow conceited. Not him, though. He didn’t let his good looks override his kind nature. She couldn’t imagine why he was so unsure of himself. He seemed to think that he’d have a difficult time finding a wife. She, however, knew differently. But then, she was looking at him through the eyes of a lady. He didn’t have that advantage.
She shook her head. No. She couldn’t do this. She must not let her thoughts go to places forbidden to people like her. She had to put those foolish notions aside.
She fell into a fitful sleep. As much as she didn’t want to, she kept dreaming of him. Up to now, she’d been able to laugh the dreams off because she figured he already had a lady in mind to marry. She’d been content with her fantasies because they were always going to be fantasies.
But hearing him say he needed to marry and didn’t have a particular lady in mind had changed all of that. The dreams were no longer pleasant little fantasies to occupy her time. The dreams were now stirrings of desire. And that wasn’t good because it only meant that she was torturing herself with things that could never be. Villains, after all, didn’t get happy endings. Happy endings belonged to people like Patricia.
When dawn came, she breathed a sigh of relief. At least when she was awake, her dreams couldn’t keep haunting her. She cleaned up and dressed for the day. Since it was too early to take care of Patricia or Susanna, she decided to clean the drawing room. She hadn’t done this task in a long time, but she found cleaning to be a good distraction. Cleaning made it easy to forget things.
As she was dusting the mantle above the fireplace, a noise from the doorway caught her attention. She glanced over her shoulder and almost dropped her rag. It was Lewis!
He went over to one of the windows and stared out into the sunrise as if he expected it to solve all of his problems.
Ignoring the way her heart raced, she set the rag aside and approached him. Offering him a shy smile, she said, “Good morning, my lord. Can I bring you something to eat or drink?”
He turned those beautiful green eyes her way, and she thought she might swoon. The only reason she didn’t was because doing so would be terribly embarrassing.
“Oh, I don’t know,” he said as he rubbed his stomach. “I’m not sure I feel up to it.”
“If it’s nerves, peppermint can help settle that. If you don’t want peppermint in your tea, I can bring in some candy for you to suck on. You can just place it on your tongue and let it melt in your mouth. I learned the trick when I was a child.”
“I don’t really feel sick. I just feel…” He looked as if he was trying to think of the word but then gave up and shrugged. “I don’t know how to explain it.”
“Maybe going fo
r a walk will help. Mrs. Bachman says it does wonders for her. In fact, it’s her favorite activity.” She stopped herself before she went further. Now she was rambling. He would pick up on how excited she was to be around him if she wasn’t careful.
He released his breath and glanced out the window. “Maybe I should take a walk. I haven’t done that in a long time.” He paused. “Do you think Mr. or Mrs. Bachman will be down soon?”
She turned her attention to the clock above the fireplace mantle. “Mrs. Bachman doesn’t usually ask for me until nine, and Mr. Bachman is usually with her when I go up there. You have two hours to take the walk.”
His shoulders slumped. “Two hours?” He sighed. “All right. I’ll go for the walk.”
She followed him out of the drawing room. She probably seemed pathetic, what with the way she was running after him. “I can help you into your jacket. There’s no need to have the footman do that.”
He jerked as if he hadn’t expected her to be right behind him. He placed his hand over his heart and chuckled. “I should probably have a peppermint, but I think I’ll wait until I return.”
“I’ll have a plate with a few peppermints brought to the drawing room. Then you can have them at your leisure.”
He nodded. “Thank you.”
He was such a sweet gentleman. Sure his hair was still a bit disheveled and it looked as if he hadn’t slept well the previous night, but even so, he was polite to her. He didn’t look down on her just because she was a maid. Patricia hadn’t done that, either, and Mr. Bachman had been just as kind. She didn’t know how she ended up surrounded by such nice people. She certainly didn’t deserve it. But she was grateful for it all the same. On some days, it was the only thing that kept her going.
When they reached the entryway, she retrieved his spencer jacket and helped him into it, noting the strength of his broad shoulders. What might it be like to put her arms around them and pull him close?
She hurried to give him his hat, sure he noticed how red her face was. She had to be blushing like a lovesick girl. She could only hope he didn’t realize what affect he had on her.
He offered her a smile. “Thanks again.”
She tried to wish him a pleasant walk, but the way he looked at her made her throat dry. So she had to settle for a nod and a wave. It wasn’t until she shut the door behind him that she could breathe again. After a moment of regaining her composure, she went to the kitchen to retrieve some peppermints so he could have some when he returned.
***
“We should have the ball in two weeks,” Patricia said that evening as they ate dinner. “That will give Stephen and me enough time to prepare for everything.”
“Two weeks?” Lewis asked, his stomach tightening in dread.
“You said you needed to marry a wealthy lady, and you need to do it soon,” Stephen pointed out as he cut into his meat.
Lewis shifted in his chair. Was it him, or was this room uncomfortably hot? He didn’t know why he should be filled with dread each and every time he had to think about getting married. He was starting to wonder if this was a bad omen.
He wiped the sweat from his forehead. If only he could be sure that he would end up with a good lady. Maybe he should have married Patricia when he had the chance. He quickly dismissed the thought as he drank his wine. No. Marriage to Patricia wouldn’t have worked. She was like a sister. Being with her would have felt… Well, for lack of a better word, it would have felt gross. She was very nice and pretty, but he didn’t have a single romantic desire for her. And, likewise, she didn’t have one for him.
But it would be nice if he could come across someone like Patricia whom he could be attracted to. If only such a lady would fall into his lap.
“You’ll be wearing a mask, as will all the other people,” Patricia assured him. “This will give you freedom to dance and talk with ladies without them knowing who you are. Also, it will help you pick a wealthy lady based on who she is rather than what she looks like.”
“I don’t intend to base such an important decision on how the lady looks,” Lewis began as he set his glass down, “but I do want to be attracted to her.”
Patricia considered his words for a moment then said, “In that case, if you come across a lady you like, you can always ask her to remove her mask so you can see her face. Then you’ll know whether or not she’s worth pursuing.”
She had a good point. It was hard to argue the logic. Lewis offered a nod as he turned his attention back to the food on his plate.
“Every lady has something that’s beautiful about her,” Stephen spoke up. “You can’t be so picky that you ignore that fact. Even if she doesn’t have the most pleasant teeth, she might have lovely eyes.”
“I don’t understand,” Patricia said, her gaze going to Stephen. “How are teeth unpleasant?”
“Some teeth jut out or are angled wrong,” he replied. “If such a lady were to smile, Lewis would see that because the mask won’t be hiding people’s mouths. I don’t want him to dismiss a good lady because of something as little as that. He should turn his attention to her eyes. She might have a beautiful shade of color in them. Or,” he leaned forward as if he was just getting started on his spiel, “let’s say she doesn’t have much of a neck. That doesn’t mean she doesn’t have a nice figure. Or a lady who isn’t very well endowed might have thick hair that rolls down her back like a beautiful waterfall. Every lady has something attractive about her.”
Patricia’s eyebrows rose in interest. “And what type of beauty do I have?”
“Oh, you’re beautiful all over. There’s not a single flaw in you.”
Patricia laughed, and though she shook her head, there was no denying his answer pleased her very much.
Sometimes watching the two together made Lewis sick to his stomach. He really didn’t care to be privy to the romantic gestures they offered one another. It was hard to get wrapped up in the excitement over two people in love when he was terrified he’d end up with a harpy.
“Trust your heart,” Patricia told Lewis. “Your heart will lead you to the right one.”
Lewis picked up a small potato on his fork. “Two weeks, huh?”
“Yes,” she said. “In two weeks, you’ll meet the lady who’ll convince you that marriage isn’t something to fear.”
Lewis rolled his eyes. Somehow, he doubted it, but he knew better than to argue with his friends, who were so blissfully happy. He could only hope that he’d find someone who was pleasing in her personality and in physical form. As long as she was sweet and he wanted to join her in bed, then love didn’t matter. Hoping for the best while bracing himself for the worse, he settled on the idea that he was going to pick his bride in two weeks.
Chapter Three
A week later, Marcy had just changed Susanna’s cloth diaper when she heard Patricia say something about the upcoming ball. Marcy picked the baby up and left the small room that was off to the side of Patricia’s bedchamber.
“I don’t think it matters what kind of music we have,” Stephen said.
“You’re probably right,” Patricia replied. “People will probably be more interested in talking and dancing. This is so exciting! I’ve never been to a ball before.”
Marcy set Susanna in the daybed. She propped up pillows around the little girl so she was secure.
Stephen smiled. “I’m looking forward to it, too. It’s been a long time since I’ve been to a ball. I used to enjoy them. I think you’ll have a wonderful time.” He caressed her cheek. “I’ll be back soon.” Then he went through the door that connected his bedchamber with hers.
Once the door was shut, Marcy approached her. “Would you like me to get you ready for bed?”
Patricia nodded. “When Stephen and I came up with the idea for a masquerade ball, I never imagined so much work would go into planning the thing. I just hope we get everything right.”
“I’m sure you will,” Marcy replied as she picked up the brush from the vanity. “It sounds like
you’ve thought of all you need.”
“Well, Stephen’s been to balls. His brother even organized a couple of them, and Stephen watched everything he did. It does help that I’m not doing this alone. I don’t know what I’d do then.”
Marcy smiled as she brushed Patricia’s hair. “This is the first time you’re doing it. It’s natural that you’re nervous.”
“Yes, I think you’re right. If I had grown up in this kind of world, I probably wouldn’t worry so much.” After a moment, she asked, “Do servants go to balls?”
“We make sure refreshments are on hand and we clean up after people, but we stay in the background.”
“So they don’t dance?”
“No. It’s not our place.”
“That’s a shame. You and the others do so much work. Don’t you ever have fun?”
Marcy shrugged as she finished brushing her hair. “We play cards or read books to relax. It’s a simple life.”
“Would you like to attend the ball?”
Surprised by the question, Marcy laughed. “I’m a servant. I can’t attend as a guest.”
“You’ll only be there to make sure there are plenty of refreshments and to clean up after people?”
Marcy set the brush down then pulled back Patricia’s hair so she could braid it. “I’ll be taking care of Susanna. The other maids will be doing those things. The footman will welcome people into the manor, and the butler will lead them to the ballroom.”
“Oh. I suppose that makes sense. I hadn’t even thought about what any of the servants would be doing. But still, Susanna goes to sleep around eight, and she sleeps through the night. I’m sure you could sneak in for a dance or two.”
“I couldn’t do that. I’m just a maid.”
“No one has to know that. We’ll all be wearing masks. No one will know who you are.”
Marcy shook her head. “It doesn’t matter if they know who I am or not. I’m a maid. My station is to serve.” And she was better off doing that. It was her way of paying her penance for what she’d done in the past.
One Enchanted Evening (Marriage by Fairytale Book 2) Page 2
