A Cinderella for the Duke
Page 17
* * *
She finally entered the largest room filled to the brim with guests. It was an elegant dance hall worthy to rival the one at Wintercrest Manor. Off the main dance hall were several more doors that opened into side rooms.
* * *
Each one seemed to be just as filled as the dance hall. Lady Louisa had a hard time even fathoming the number of people in this one house. She guessed there had to be at least a thousand between all the offshoots of rooms and steady crowds going in and out.
* * *
Immediately her unannounced entrance brought stares her way from those just next to the door. Lady Louisa quickly looked down embarrassed. She wondered if she should find out her own party. She was sure her aunt had not expected her actually to come and may, in fact, pull another stunt like earlier. It might be best for her to keep her presences secret from them.
* * *
Instead, she walked closest to the wall and observed the party goers as she walked from one end of the hall to the other. She had rather hoped to get a glimpse of Miss Mary. She felt no fear in letting her youngest cousin aware of her presence.
* * *
It had seemed that just before Lady Louisa’s arrival the first dances had begun. Still, only a few couples were found on the dance floor, many still choosing to socialize instead of dancing. Lady Louisa instantly spotted the Colonel dancing on the floor with Miss Mary.
* * *
Lady Louisa stood for a few moments and watched as they looked deeply into each other’s eyes as they made their ways together and apart with time to the music. She couldn’t help but feel the excitement that her little cousin must have been feeling to dance with the man she cared so much for.
* * *
Lady Louisa was so lost in enjoying the magic before her between the two that she completely forgot her purpose to avoid her aunt and other cousin. After a few moments of watching Miss Mary, her eyes were drawn to the large peacock feathers floating along the side of the wall in her direction.
* * *
It wasn’t hard to pick out the elaborately dressed Miss Elisabeth, and the sight of her woke Lady Louisa to her purpose for the night. She pushed back against the wall fearing that Miss Elisabeth might recognize her or worse Miss Elisabeth’s own dress.
* * *
With her back against the wall, she sidestepped until she felt her hands behind her brush over a doorknob. She turned it and thankfully found it to be unlocked. Not giving a care for what or who might be on the other side, she pushed the door open and as quickly as possible slid into the room.
Chapter 22
Lady Louisa shut the door as quietly as she could hoping that no one had noticed her escape. The last thing she wanted was for someone to follow in after her. Before she turned, however, she realized that she was already not alone in this lightly lit room.
* * *
With the sound of a man clearing his voice, Lady Louisa reluctantly turned to find herself in a sort of office. The walls had various bookshelves stuffed with books. A small fireplace was against the left wall and next to it was a door no doubt leading out into the main part of the house.
* * *
In the far back corner of the room next to some long draped windows was a large oak desk. On it stood a single candelabra that shined light on a masked faced behind the desk.
* * *
“Forgive me, I didn’t think this room was open to guests,” Lady Louisa said quickly.
* * *
“Then why did you enter it?” The gentleman asked. Lady Louisa laughed at her stupid remark.
* * *
“I was trying to escape someone. I was just hoping to slip in and out for a second. Might I ask you the same thing? Why are you in a room that is not for the public?”
* * *
“It’s a fair question,” he said rubbing his chin. There was something about the way he walked that seemed familiar but she hadn't yet recognized him.
* * *
He was wearing a large death mask with the long pointed nose and a large skull cap that went over the front part of his hair. Other than his mouth and square chin, Lady Louisa could see nothing of his face.
* * *
Rowland had stood at her sudden entrance and now walked around the desk to come closer to her. His breath had been taken away by the sudden appearance of this angel. Everything about her seemed enchanting, and he chalked it up to the mysterious gold mask that hid her identity from him.
* * *
Rowland was sure; however, he would have remembered her entrance into his house. She had not been an announced guest that he had greeted at the door.
* * *
“I was looking for a little break from the festivities,” Rowland finally explained to the lady not yet wanting to expose his identity. “I suppose we both came into this room to hide.”
* * *
“What part of the festivities did you find a need to hide from?” the lady asked him as she edged along the room.
* * *
Rowland wanted to get closer for a better view of the lady; she seemed to edge farther away hoping not to be recognized.
* * *
“Well, you see I was hoping this mask would keep others from recognizing me,” he said thinking back to how he had not donned his until after greeting all the guests, “But unfortunately I was still known rather easily by most everyone here.”
* * *
“And your identity must be kept a secret for what reason, pray tell? Perhaps you are a well-known villain?” she asked with an upturn to her soft pink lips.
* * *
Rowland gave a soft laugh at the thought, “No, my lady,
* * *
I can assure you I am no villain.”
* * *
“Are you here uninvited then?” Lady Louisa continued her asking genuinely intrigued by the mysterious man.
* * *
“I am nearly sure that I was invited,” he said slowly. “Are you saying you don’t know who I am?” He added a little surprised.
* * *
“I am sorry to say that I don’t. But I am not from this area. I don’t mean to offend by my lack of knowledge.”
* * *
“I am not offended at all. In fact, I find it very refreshing.”
* * *
“Does that mean you don’t plan to tell me your name?” Lady Louisa asked while her fingered itched to know this man’s identity.
* * *
“No, I don’t think I will,” he said with a slightly wide sparkling grin.
* * *
“But perhaps you would share yours with me, as I must have missed your introduction when the ball began.”
* * *
Lady Louisa seemed to consider this a few moments before turning away from him to flit over the bookshelf closest to her. She didn’t want to explain that she had arrived late or worse why she had been so late.
* * *
“I can’t see why I should tell you mine when you won’t tell me yours,” she said as her fingers ran along the spines of the books.
* * *
“I can’t say that is unfair, though I don’t like it. Perhaps I can guess your identity then,” he said excitedly with the idea of it.
* * *
She looked back at him, and Rowland was sure his heart caught in his throat as her clear blue eyes sized him up.
* * *
“Alright, I will allow you five questions and one guess,” she said with a sly smile.
* * *
She was rather enjoying this game.
* * *
He nodded his masked face in agreement before taking a hand to his chin as he rubbed it in thought.
* * *
“I would guess by the fine quality of your dress, you are a lady?” he asked and stated all at the same time.
* * *
“That is true. My father was a Lord with a seat in the House of Lords,” Lady Louisa encouraged knowing that in this crowd t
hat would not limit his options by much.
* * *
“Was?” he asked.
* * *
“He passed away a few years back,” she said sullenly.
* * *
“I’m so sorry,” he said taking a step closer to her and closing the gap. Though she could scarcely make out his eyes behind such a large mask, she heard the sincerity in his voice and thanked him for it.
* * *
“That’s two questions down,” Lady Louisa said wanting to move on from the subject of her father’s passing.
* * *
“That hardly counts,” the Duke retorted. “It was more like a follow-up question.”
* * *
“Unfortunately, you don’t get to make the rules. I do. I say it counts as two,” Lady Louisa said feeling braver in the anonymity.
* * *
“Alright then,” he said rubbing his chin again, “then I suppose I will have to be more careful with my speech. Let me think, three questions left,” he added to himself.
* * *
Rowland was rather enjoying this litter diverting game and found this mysterious woman quite perplexing.
* * *
“Are you here tonight with family?”
* * *
Lady Louisa thought over the question. She technically had been invited along with her aunt’s family, but then they had no idea that she was present at the ball.
* * *
“That’s actually a hard one. I would have to say yes and no.”
* * *
“Yes and no!” The Duke retorted with a laugh. “I have a feeling you are being very difficult on purpose.”
* * *
“I don’t mean to be, honest. I guess I will say that I was invited with family members but came on my own.” “A brave maiden to come to such a place on such a night alone,” he said.
* * *
He thought over the guest again in his head. He was sure he had not greeted a single lady into his house.
* * *
“Are you asking me if I am brave?” Lady Louisa teased with a playful smile.
* * *
She took a couple more steps in the direction of the books turning her attention back to them when he quickly shook his head no in fear of giving away another question.
* * *
It rather felt more like a game of cat and mouse. Both seemed to take steps from time to time first farther away from each other than closer together, and now again Lady Louisa put space between them.
* * *
“I can certainly already deduce you are a brave lady. The fact that you didn’t immediately leave the room, and that you came alone tells me that. You must be quite bold and outspoken in life.”
* * *
Lady Louisa couldn’t help but laugh. Nothing could have been further from the truth in describing her. The gentleman watched her laugh with merriment in his own masked face.
* * *
“I take it this is not a true statement then? Yes, that is my next question,” he asked when Lady Louisa questioned him with her own blue eyes before answering.
* * *
“As a fourth question, you are correct in that I am not a very outspoken lady normally.”
* * *
“Yet you have a change tonight. You seem quite radiant in spunk and defiance as you continue to float away from me in this very room,” the Duke said putting words to the frustration he felt.
* * *
He was sure if he got close enough he would recognize her, but she always seemed to stay aloft. He pondered his last question carefully in dire need to know this woman now more than ever.
* * *
“So you are a lady normally reserved, but quite taken alive with anonymity. I am sure from your manners and speech you were taken to the finest schools in London.”
* * *
“Is that all you know so far?” Lady Louisa teased.
* * *
“You also have a fondness for Percy Bysshe Shelley,” Rowland stated boldly. The lady looked back at him surprised he said this.
* * *
“I have watched you run your hand along each shelf but only when it fell upon a book by Shelley did you stop and let your fingers walk the binding.”
* * *
She looked down shyly. She couldn’t believe she had done so without even realizing it herself.
* * *
“Let me see if I can remember this correctly,” he said softly while he thought. “the sunlight claps the earth, and the moonbeams kiss the sea: what are these kissings worth, if though kiss not me?”
* * *
Lady Louisa looked down at the ground shyly. She was surprised by his ability to quote Shelley and also the brazen choice he made.
* * *
“Did I get it right?” he asked almost thinking to himself.
* * *
“Yes,” Lady Louisa replied. “Love’s Philosophy. It is actually one of my favorites.”
* * *
He widened into a large smile at her words. He took two more steps closer, and this time she didn’t take any away. They were now standing so close that the nose of his mask could almost brush against the top of her head. She would have to look up to see into his eyes but she couldn’t bring herself to do so.
* * *
“Tell me your name,” he whispered. “I fear I will never guess it and shall not survive the night without knowing it.”
* * *
“I hardly see how I could now,” she said with a playful smile. “I find myself alone in a closed room with a man I know nothing of spouting romantic poetry to me. I fear it is best we never exchange names after such an intimate encounter that could ruin us both if parties were made known.”
* * *
“Perhaps you are right. We are in quite a compromising situation. If you told me your name, I suppose I would have to do the honorable thing.”
* * *
There was silence between them for a few moments.
* * *
“I don’t know that I would mind that terribly,” Rowland finally said. He was satisfied to see her shocked face raise up to meet his.
* * *
Rowland bore deep into the blue eyes that looked back at him willing some recognition, but none came.
* * *
“I should go,” Lady Louisa said utterly embarrassed now.
* * *
She had experienced and participated in more flirtation than she had ever done before in all her seasons combined.
* * *
“May I ask my last question first before you leave?”
* * *
“Alright, after all, you do have one left,” Lady Louisa said hoping the playful banter might remove the heavy weight that seemed to tie them together.
* * *
“Would you do me the honor of a dance?”
* * *
Lady Louisa hesitated and looked towards the door she had entered.
* * *
“I don’t suggest we walk out of this room together. You can exit this way,” he motioned to the door behind him. “There will be fewer people out in the hall. I will take the door leading back into the ballroom. We could meet in there, let's say by the punch table for the next set?”
* * *
Lady Louisa considered this. She did have a desire to know this charismatic, tall, angular man as well.
* * *
“Alright,” she finally said softly. She stepped around him and made way to the door leading out of the room. She hesitated for just a moment and looked back.
* * *
“See you very soon then?” Rowland asked of the mysterious enchantress.
* * *