by Joyce Alec
The two women had been very close in their girlhood, although Madeline had always been much more outgoing and often grew frustrated with Alice’s decision to cling to the walls whenever they attended a ball or soiree.
“Now, now,” Madeline said, her own voice betraying her emotion. “None of that. No tears.” Her smile wobbled, and she laughed. “Even though I am overjoyed to see you.”
“And I you,” Alice responded, taking her friend’s hand and leading her to a chair. “Please, be seated. There is so much I want to ask you.”
Madeline sat as Alice rang for tea, her eyes contemplative. “Has it been just terrible?” she asked softly. “Being at that estate all alone?”
Alice sat down carefully so that she would not crumple the back of her new gown. “It was terrible for the first year, I will admit, but I have since come to terms with it — although I do not intend to simply go on as I have been any longer.” Her jaw set, she looked across at Madeline, who was regarding her carefully.
“Your hair is more of a golden brown,” Madeline said quietly. “Although your eyes are as green as ever. I do not know what your husband will make of your appearance.”
“I do not think my husband will know me,” Alice replied, firmly, seeing Madeline’s raised eyebrows. “Why should he? He barely looked at me during our wedding ceremony and did not, if I remember correctly, even lift my veil!” Anger rose in her chest at the thought, although she pushed it down again by sheer force of will. “No, Madeline, he will not recognize me.”
Madeline said nothing but frowned slightly. A brief silence ensued as the tea tray was brought in and placed between them, and Alice waited until the maid had left before continuing.
“I am not quite sure how I shall react when I see my husband again,” she said, softly. “That is why I shall need your help, Madeline. I shall need someone’s support and, besides that, I have no idea as to how to gain entrance into society’s whirlwind.”
Laughing, Madeline accepted a cup of tea from Alice, a quick smile on her face. “I might be able to help you there. It appears that our dear friend Catherine is to have a ball in her honor.”
“Oh?” Alice’s heart lifted at the mention of her friend, thinking that she had not seen her in as many years. “It has been so long since I have seen her.”
“Of course,” Madeline replied sensibly. “Regardless, her father is hosting a masquerade ball in two days’ time. I am sure you will be welcomed.”
“Oh, but Catherine will not wish to help me in my pretense,” Alice said worriedly. “Once she discovers that I am not giving my true name, she will not like it.”
“I will help her understand,” Madeline responded calmly. “It is not as if you are in search of a husband or anything devious. You simply want your husband to take responsibility for his treatment of you. Besides, it is not Catherine we must worry about. Other members of the ton will of course question who you are. When you are asked about your family, we will explain that you are my distant cousin. Now, have you decided what name you are going to take on?”
A swirl of nerves in her belly, Alice nodded. “I think I shall be Lady Emma Taylor.”
“A good, strong name,” Madeline agreed at once, adding a cube of sugar to her teacup. “You shall be quite in demand, I am sure.” A slight frown crossed her brow. “But what if one of your old acquaintances recognizes you?”
Prior to her marriage, Alice had never been a bubbly and vivacious sort, capturing all kinds of attention. She had faded into obscurity, which at least, would help her now to re-enter society without difficulty. “You forget that I was not exactly a diamond of the first water,” she reminded Madeline, a trifle sadly. “Quiet and unassuming — and entirely unnoticed.”
Madeline’s frown disappeared. “And your appearance is somewhat changed,” she murmured, her eyes studying Alice’s features.
“I am even more plain?” Alice asked, trying to inject laughter into her voice, but failing miserably.
“Tosh!” came Madeline’s reply, surprising Alice with the amount of vehemence in her expression. “You have never been plain, Alice. Your mother simply did not know what colors and styles suited you best.” She tipped her head. “And you certainly never complained about what she put you in.”
Alice sighed, knowing that her friend was right. “In truth, I thought it best to do as she asked,” she said heavily. “And look where that has got me.”
Madeline cleared her throat, dragging Alice from her melancholy. “You are not plain, Alice, you have never been. Whoever your seamstress is, she has done a wonderful job. The colors of your dress suit your complexion perfectly, and the hint of green brings out the color of your eyes.” She laughed softly. “You have truly blossomed, Alice. The years have been good you. You are lovely! Now that I think on it, I do not believe anyone will recognize you in the least, although I must say I believe you will catch a great number of gentlemen’s attentions.”
“There is only one man’s attention I wish to catch,” Alice muttered under her breath, wishing she could grasp her husband by the collar and scream at him everything she had been keeping in her heart for so long. “Although once I have it, I am not quite sure what to do with it.” In fact, Alice realized, she knew very little about her husband.
“Tell me, Madeline,” she began, her interest piqued. “You have been in London for the last few years, have you not?”
“I have,” Madeline replied, a little warily. “My husband has a country estate, of course, where we retire in the winter, but I much prefer the business of town.”
Nodding quietly, Alice regarded her friend. “Then you must have seen my husband.”
Madeline’s eyes widened slightly. “You do not know anything about him, do you?”
“Of course I do not!” Alice exclaimed, her tea slopping dangerously to one side as she gestured wildly. “So, you must tell me what he is like. What am I to expect?”
When Madeline frowned, Alice leaned a little forward in her chair.
“This is to help me, Madeline, so keep nothing from me. I do not want to be so surprised that I am unable to speak to the man.” In her mind’s eye, she could still see him as he had been on their wedding day — unsteady on his feet, winking at some other woman behind Alice’s back. Had he changed in these last three years?
Shifting a little in her chair, Madeline regarded Alice carefully. “You are aware, of course, that on the day of his wedding, his entire fortune was released, as per his father’s will.”
“Yes,” Alice said, slowly. “I understood that he had his own reasons for marrying me and that the fortune was one of those reasons. Not to mention, he also received a very generous dowry from my father.”
Madeline glanced towards the open windows before looking back at Alice. “He then proceeded to send his mother to the dower house, even though he had no intention of living in this father’s main estate just outside of London. He has stayed in his townhouse here, although I believe he returns to his estate in the winter months.”
When he could have stayed with me in Wren Park, Alice thought to herself, her heart sinking slowly in her chest. “I see.”
“His mother is distraught over his behavior, I promise you,” Madeline continued, quickly. “She has wanted to see you, but I believe she was never told where you resided. The man sent her to the dower house almost the moment you were married!” Shaking her head, Madeline sighed heavily. “I do not believe that your husband is either a kind or a good man, my dear. I am sorry to say.”
A heavy weight settled in Alice’s chest. “You mean, he has had affairs and the like?”
She expected Madeline to agree at once and was surprised to see her friend frown heavily. Was Lord Worthington not entirely as she had expected?
“He is something of a flirt, that is for certain,” Madeline said, eventually, as though choosing her words with the greatest of care. “But I have to admit that neither myself nor Lord Astor has heard of any kind of affair. He does not keep a
mistress, I believe, although many women have tried — and failed — to put themselves in that position.”
Alice drew in one long breath, her body shaking slightly as she let it out. This was not as bad as she had feared, for she had thought her husband a notorious rake who would have left a trail of discarded women behind him.
“I see,” she said, softly. “I will confess that is something of a surprise.”
“He will flirt with you, that I am sure of,” Madeline responded, firmly. “But it appears nothing ever comes of his flirtations.” Tipping her head slightly, she studied Alice. “What is it you intend to do with him, Alice? Are you going to reveal yourself at once?”
Shaking her head fervently, Alice put her cup down. “No, I will keep myself as Lady Emma Taylor for the time being and, once I have met my husband, perhaps some kind of plan will form in my mind. My main intention is to shame him with the realization of how terribly he has treated me. I long to hear him apologize for what he has done to me these last three years and to beg for my forgiveness.”
A coldness wrapped around her heart as she gave her friend a grim smile. She was not about to be affected by her husband’s flirtations, no matter how good a flirt he might be.
“Then I hope you achieve what you wish, my dear,” Madeline said quietly.
Chapter Four
Alice could not help the trembling in her soul as she walked into the grand entrance of the house, although she looked forward to seeing Catherine again. Apparently, the invitation had been almost instant once Madeline had mentioned to Catherine exactly what Alice was intending, which came as something of a surprise to Alice.
Catherine had always been straight-laced, so she was amazed to learn that her friend was perfectly content with her pretense. Then again, perhaps Catherine had changed in the three years Alice had been away.
The grand affair was a masquerade ball, so Alice was positive that her husband would not recognize her. Making sure that her mask was securely in place, tied with a silk ribbon, Alice greeted her hosts, pressing Catherine’s hand gently so that she might know who she was.
“Ah!” Catherine exclaimed, her eyes bright behind her mask. “It is so good to see you again, my dear Lady Emma.”
Relieved that her friend had remembered her faux name, Alice gave her a quick smile. “And I am delighted to see you also. I am sure you have a great many more guests to greet, so mayhap we can speak again later, once the ball is in full swing?”
“Of course,” Catherine replied, letting go of Alice’s hand. “I do believe we have had some particular guests arrive already, however. You will find Lady Astor and some others already in the ballroom.”
Alice swallowed hard, fully aware of what her friend was attempting to impress upon her.
Her husband was here.
***
Not quite managing the easy smile she attempted, Alice walked away from Catherine and made her way down the steps into the ballroom. There was a great crowd of guests already, but, to her very great relief, she saw a masked lady, who she presumed to be Madeline, walk towards her. She had evidently been keeping a watch out for her.
“You have arrived, then,” Madeline smiled, looping her arm through Alice’s.
“Indeed,” Alice murmured, attempting to smile. “I must thank you for the loan of your carriage. I did not put you out, I hope?”
“Think nothing of it,” Madeline assured her. “We have two, and Lord Astor did not mind either way. It would do no good for you to appear in your husband’s carriage now, would it?”
“It certainly would give the game away somewhat,” Alice murmured, still looking around the room. “Is he here, perchance?”
Madeline paused. “Yes, I believe so. To your left, my dear.”
Alice turned, dropping Madeline’s arm so that she might look across the room.
Her eyes alighted on him almost at once, forcing a sharp intake of breath. He was just as she remembered him, with dark blonde hair, his eyes — brown, if she recalled correctly — flashed with humor as he talked to one of the young ladies that surrounded him. He wore the smallest of masks, a white creation that covered only one eye and a small part of his nose before tailing away at his cheek. Apparently, he did not want to remain hidden; he wanted people to be fully aware of his presence. His clothes fit him perfectly, his cravat without even the slightest imperfection. All in all, he was a handsome gentleman.
A rush of anger flooded her, her hands curling into fists. Did society know that he was married, or had they all forgotten? Did they think nothing of him leaving his wife to rot in some distant country estate whilst he enjoyed all the fun and frivolities of the season?
“Careful,” Madeline murmured, putting a calming hand on Alice’s arm. “Do not give yourself away, my dear. He shall know you at once, for even I can see your anger. It is practically coming off you in waves.”
“How dare he?” Alice whispered, loudly, shaking off her friend’s hand. “Standing there as though he is an unattached gentleman.”
“Is this not what you expected?” Madeline asked, gently. “Did you expect to find him holed up in a corner somewhere, refusing to speak to even a single lady?”
The slight note of mischief in Madeline’s voice made common sense calm Alice’s anger.
“You are right, of course,” she was forced to admit. “I had every expectation of seeing him in such a situation, but now that it is before my eyes, I find myself furious.”
“Then it is just as well you are wearing a mask,” Madeline said, lightly. “For you will need to calm yourself before you speak to him.”
Alice turned back to her friend, shaking her head. “I have no intention of speaking to him, my dear.”
Looping her hand through Madeline’s, Alice felt her friend stiffen as she turned her eyes back behind her. “It appears as though you will have no choice, for he is coming this way. Apparently, you have caught his eye.”
Snorting indelicately, Alice lifted her chin. “He has not been introduced.”
Madeline laughed and squeezed Alice’s arm. “It is a masquerade, my dear. We do not hold to such conventions at a masquerade. In short, there will be no introductions of any kind, not until the unmasking in a good few hours.” She looked over at Alice, her eyes glinting behind her mask. “You might even dance with him, and he will never know who you are.”
It was on the tip of Alice’s tongue to say that she would never stoop so low as to dance with the man she hated, only for him to appear by her side, rounding on them both so that they were forced to stop in their tracks.
He bowed, and Alice had every intention of refusing to follow suit, but it was the increasing pressure on her arm from Madeline that forced her into doing so. Still, she allowed herself only the tiniest curtsy, finding it difficult to even look directly at the man. All of a sudden, her heart was hammering in her chest, her breath coming quickly as she battled for control.
Her husband, the man she had married, was standing directly in front of her. Had he recognized her after all? Was this why he had approached them so quickly? Swallowing the ache in her throat, Alice lifted her eyes and looked directly at him, suddenly afraid that he was going to take her by the arm and drag her from the room before railing at her in seething tones.
When her gaze finally met his, she discovered that he was smiling at her warmly, no anger in his eyes.
“Now,” he began, jovially. “There is no need for introductions tonight — not yet at least — but I simply must have a dance with both of you ladies. Are your dance cards full?”
Alice found that she could not speak, staring at him numbly. He had not recognized her after all. Yet now, he wanted to dance with her. Alice found that she could not refuse, for her dance card was entirely empty, having only just arrived.
“I shall not put my real title, of course,” he said, catching her dance card in his hand and scrutinizing it, even though she had not given him permission to do so. “I shall simply be ‘Lord W’ so as not
to give the game away.”
He scribbled something down and gave her a hearty wink before turning to Madeline, who held out her wrist so that he might write his name in one of her spaces.
“All done,” he grinned, giving them both a jaunty bow. “I shall look forward to taking my turn with you both on the floor later this evening.”
Alice watched him walk away, realizing that she had not said a single word and now, to her horror, saw that she was engaged to dance with him twice.
“But only the once with me,” Madeline murmured, lifting her eyebrows. “It appears that he has something of an interest in you, my dear. How…awkward.”
“It is more than awkward,” Alice hissed, not wanting to dance with him in the least. “It is downright despicable. He should not be showing any woman any kind of preference.”
“And yet, he has,” Madeline replied, firmly. “And you are going to have to dance with him, Alice, otherwise you will make yourself even more of an object of interest. Besides, it would be terribly rude.”
Alice shook her head, her jaw clenched. She would not dance with her husband. She could not. It would be too frustrating, too mortifying, even though she would be the only one who would know of her shame.
“I will not dance with him,” she grated.
Madeline put a soft hand on her arm, drawing her attention away from Lord Worthington for just a moment.
“Think calmly, my dear. I know this moment has been overwhelming, but to refuse to dance with a man who has signed your dance card will bring more difficulties than it is worth. He will want to know why, and society at large will question who you are and why you refused him. Dance with him, Alice, and then simply move on.”
“I cannot move on,” Alice said, sadly, as a ball of misery settled in her stomach. “I am trapped. There is nowhere else for me to go other than back to his estate, to his lands, to spend his money.”
“Then perhaps you should show him that you are a strong woman, Alice. Show him that you are not about to be swayed by a gentleman’s dictates and rules, that you know your own mind and your own heart. That you will not put up with being treated in such a disgraceful manner.”
