Chapter Eight

“Are you ready to depart?”

Violet sat very still as the maid tied the mask around her eyes. “I will be in just a moment.”

“Do hurry up.” Marianne complained, hurrying to the door. “I do not want to be tardy and I am afraid we will be tardy! I do not know why you had to have your hair done so intricately for this evening! It is not as though you will be dancing or even noticed by any gentlemen!”

Violet rose to her feet, a quiet murmur of thanks on her lips to the maid. “I do not think that is true, Marianne,” she said, a gentle confidence emboldening her heart. “Do you not see that there is something different about this evening?” She touched her mask with one hand as her sister gazed back at her, her eyes clearly filled with uncertainty. “I am to be as any other young lady is this evening, am I not? For the first time since I have stepped into London, I am to be as free as any other.”

When the invitation had first arrived, Violet had not made much of it. It had only been when Miss Chesterton had come to call, abuzz with excitement, that she had finally realized what such an invitation meant! She was going to be able to dance with any gentleman she pleased, able to be as free with any gentleman and any lady as she wished! She did not have to give them her name and they did not have to know who she was or what had happened in the past.

Marianne’s shoulders visibly drooped.

“So that is why my hair is done so very well,” Violet continued, walking past her sister and stepping out into the hallway, a true joy in her heart. “And that is why I am wearing my very best gown for this evening, I shall be just as you, Marianne! And no-one shall be any the wiser.”

***

What had been even more of a relief to Violet was that her father and mother had not made any statement about either herself or Marianne attempting to make connections with any sort of particular gentleman. After all, there was very little point in doing so given that it was a masquerade so, even as she stepped into the ballroom, Violet’s heart leapt with such a joy that she could barely contain herself.

“Violet?”

She turned quickly, then smiled as she took in Miss Chesterton. “My goodness, you look quite wonderful!”

“I thank you. And thank you for wearing that silver pendant around your neck, else I would not have been able to recognise you!” Miss Chesterton laughed, as Violet slipped her hand through her arm. They had both agreed that they would be known to one another and Violet had shown Miss Chesterton the pendant she would wear, so that her friend would recognize her.

“I am glad to have you with me this evening,” Violet replied, as her parents and Marianne continued to make their way into the heart of the ballroom, albeit without Violet. “Now, I do hope to dance this evening. Would that not be exciting?”

“It would be wonderful!” Miss Chesterton sighed, her lips in a warm smile. “Now, who shall we go to speak with first?” She let out a quiet giggle. “Goodness, we may step out with a rogue or a scoundrel and then what will become of us?”

Violet laughed with her, a nervous excitement wrapping around her heart. “It will be quite all right, for we do not know who they are and they will not know who we are,” she stated, quite firmly. “Look, there are a few gentlemen and ladies standing together. Do you think we might go to join them?”

“Yes, I think we should try.”

Aware of just how furiously her heart was pounding, Violet made her way along with Miss Chesterton, to where the small group was standing. There were three gentlemen and four ladies, though they all smiled and nodded as Violet and Miss Chesterton stepped into view.

“Good evening,” Violet said, hearing the slight tremble in her voice and blushing furiously because of it, though the mask hid most of it from view. “What a wonderful evening this is to be!”

“Yes, indeed!” One of the gentlemen smiled and then chuckled. “I would make an introduction but given that we are all masked at present, that might prove a little difficult!”

Violet laughed along with the others of the group, finding herself softening away from the nervousness which had plagued her the last few minutes. This was what it felt like to be a part of society.

“The quadrille has just been announced!” One of the gentlemen turned to Violet, his eyes lighting up from behind his mask. “What say you, my lady? Should you be willing to step out with me for the quadrille?”

It took Violet a moment to realize that he was speaking to her. She felt a fresh heat hit her cheeks and she began to nod, struggling to find the words to assent. It was the first time any gentleman had asked her to dance this Season and as such, she was a little overwhelmed.

“Yes?” The gentleman’s eyes twinkled and Violet flushed, aware of her own embarrassment.

“Yes. I should like that very much, I thank you.”

There was no dance card to sign. No promise of a future connection. There was only this very moment, and thus Violet found herself being led out to the dance floor by a gentleman whom she did not know, and was not certain whether they were even properly acquainted. It was very exciting, and Violet found herself beaming in delight as he led her by the hand out to the center of the dance floor. This was what it felt like to be just as any other young lady of society. This was what it felt like to be as accepted as any other. Here, nobody knew of her past. Nobody knew that she had been forced to end her engagement to the Duke of Lancaster. She was not mocked. She was not teased. She was not ridiculed. For the moment, she could enjoy the dance.

***

“A most enjoyable dance, I must say”

Violet nodded, her spirits so high she was almost giddy. This was truly remarkable, truly wonderful, the evening had opened up a world that she had not anticipated she could be a part of again. Thus far, she had danced almost every dance, and had found herself utterly delighted by it all.

“I thank you for your consideration of me.” She smiled up at the gentleman whom she did not know nor recognize. “I think this has been a truly marvelous evening.”

“Of course it has been given that you have been able to dance with me.” The gentleman chuckled, and though Violet flushed and found herself thinking a little lesser of him given what he had said, she could not help but smile all the same. “Now let me take you back here. There seems to be a gathered group of gentlemen and ladies, and I think it is only right that we should be a part of their conversation! I do wonder what they are talking about.”

Violet attempted to say that she was not particularly inclined to go and hear what these people were talking about, but the gentleman would take no argument. With her hand still on his arm, he led her towards the group of them, giving all a jovial greeting, though of course Violet did not recognize anyone given the ornate masks which covered every face. It was clearly not the same for her companion.

“I recognise one or two of you, I am sure!” The gentleman chuckled, waggling his finger at a few of them. “Now let me see who we have here. I am certain that you are Lady Gertrude. And you, I believe, must be Lady Rutherford. Tell me, is your husband here this evening?”

The lady laughed softly and then nodded. “Yes, my husband is present this evening, though whether you will be able to find him or not, I cannot say. His mask is a little larger than my own, and certainly a good deal more ornate.” She laughed again, as did a few others in the group though Violet watched quietly, taking in everything that was said.

“Then I shall certainly do my best to find him. I think I shall search for the gentleman wearing the biggest mask in the whole ballroom!” the gentleman smiled and Violet dropped her eyes, wondering if she should go in search of Miss Chesterton, for she would prefer to be in company with someone that she knew rather than a group of strangers.

“Ah, the waltz has just been announced!” The gentleman beside her quickly dropped Violet’s hand from his arm. “Now, I must dance the waltz though I cannot dance with this young lady given that I have only just finished stepping out with her. I do hope that there will be some other young lady willing to dance with me?”

There were about three young ladies who all seemed very willing indeed to dance with this particular gentleman and Violet wondered if she ought to know who this fellow was, given his popularity. She took a step back, meaning to go in search of Miss Chesterton, only for a low voice to reach her ears.

“If you wish it, I shall dance with you.”

Violet turned her head and looked straight back at the gentleman who had spoken to her. She had not noticed him, for he was standing a little to her left, and the gentleman she had danced with had been blocking him from her view. But that voice... she recognized that voice.

She swallowed hard. Surely it could not be! “Are you speaking to me?” There was a tremor to her voice though the gentleman, his black mask hiding a good deal of his face, did not seem to notice it given the way that he nodded. Violet noticed, however, that he did not smile.

“Yes, I am speaking with you.” His voice was low, almost like a growl, and his eyes flashed, making Violet wonder if he had caught the same hint of recognition in his own heart as she felt in hers. Could it be? Could it truly be that the gentleman asking her to dance was her once betrothed gentleman? And if it was, then did he recognize her?

“The waltz? I confess, I have not danced the waltz in some time. I – ”

“Of course she will dance”.

Appearing out of nowhere, smiling at the gentleman who had asked her to dance, Miss Chesterton pressed one hand lightly to Violet”s back, ignoring the way that Violet widened her eyes at her.

“If you are certain you wish to dance with me,” she said slowly, her heart beating so furiously that she could barely hear his reply. He confirmed that yes, he would be more than contented to dance the waltz with her and, thereafter, offered her his arm which she had no choice but to take.

He cannot know it is me otherwise he would never have asked me to step out with him. After what I did, I am quite convinced he would not want to have anything to do with me. Swallowing the lump in her throat, Violet put one hand on the gentleman’s arm and allowed him to lead her forward. Heat passed right through her as she set her arm there, her fear growing so significantly, she had to snatch in a breath and turn her head away, simply to try and calm herself down. She could sense the strength of his arm under her hand, turning her head to glance up at him and taking in his firm jaw and dark hair.

There was no mistaking it. This was the Duke of Lancaster, the gentleman she had once loved desperately, the gentleman of whom she could think of nothing other than being his wife… and the gentleman she had injured so severely, she did not think that he would ever want to see her again.

Clearly, he did not recognize her. There could be no way for him to look down into her face and realize who she was, not when she was wearing the mask which covered her face so significantly. Besides which, his attitude towards her would certainly not have been so charitable if he did know who she was. Inwardly, Violet trembled violently but forced a light smile to her face though she did not truly feel any sort of joy whatsoever as she dropped into a curtsy, ready to dance with the Duke.

The music began and Violet was caught up into his arms, memories flooding her. How many times had they danced together like this? How many times had they been in each other’s arms, delighting in every moment they could spend together? Their dance together was effortless, just as it had been when they had been courting, though she could not bring herself to look into his eyes as she had done back then. Instead, she kept her gaze fixed over the Duke’s shoulder, not looking up at him, not daring to look anywhere near his eyes for fear that he would recognize her. What would he do then? Would he step back from her? Would he stop the dance and leave her standing in the middle of the floor alone? Fear began to wrap itself around her and Violet’s breathing quickened, her whole body turning to ice as she thought about what he might do should he discover her true identity.

The waltz continued on for what felt like a long time, as though half the evening was going past. The Duke said nothing and when the dance came to an end, he stepped back and then bowed. Violet curtsied, relief surging through her as she fought the fear of recognition.

“I thank you,” the gentleman muttered, his mouth still in a thin line as he turned back towards the group they had just come from. “I have not danced the waltz for some time.”

“Nor I,” Violet replied quietly, taking his arm and continuing to walk with him back towards the others. “I thank you.”

The gentleman stopped for a moment and then turned his head to look down at her. He opened his mouth and then closed it again, a frown darkening his expression and his eyes became like flint, looking back into hers.

Violet’s stomach twisted. Her breathing grew quick and fast, her mouth going dry, her hands clammy. She could not make out his expression, could not even see his full face but yet something about the way he was looking at her, something about the way his eyes flared told her that he knew who she was… and that he had only just realized it.

“V… Violet?”

Before she could say another word, before she could even think about what it was she had to say, the Duke of Lancaster turned on his heel and practically ran from her side. He was gone in an instant, lost in the crowd and she was left alone.

Shame began to crawl up her spine and Violet dropped her head, making her way forward so that she too could disappear into the crowd.

“Violet?” Miss Chesterton caught her hand and Violet saw the concern written on her friend’s face. “Violet, what is wrong? Why did that gentleman – ”

“That was the Duke of Lancaster,” Violet said, softly, seeing the way Miss Chesterton’s eyes rounded in shock. “And he has only just realized that the person he stepped out to dance the waltz with was me.”