Chapter 19

Chapter 19

“All of this is for me?” Eliza had never been more confused and stunned at the same time, the beautiful dress staring at her in all its glory.

It was the night of the masquerade, and after working all day, Eliza was simply making sure that everything was settled in place before the ball officially began when, to her surprise, Margaret had forced her to the attic, claiming she had a surprise for her.

Eliza was almost scared of the surprise, fearing the worst, but Margaret had not been lying. A beautiful ice blue dress made entirely of sheer lace was waiting for her, along with white shoes made out of silver thread, elbow-high transparent white gloves with sequins on them, and a tiara of diamonds. Margaret carried a pearly, white mask with her as well, which matched the dress beautifully.

“Yes, this is for you,” Margaret replied, a huge smile on her face.

“Why?” It was unfathomable for Eliza.

“You have been a very good cousin to me, Eliza, and I have only ever been horrible to you. I know this won’t make up for any of it, but I do hope this will bring you a little happiness. Would you return to my room with me so we can get ready there and attend the masquerade together?”

Margaret’s question stunned Eliza even more, but in her heart, she wished to do just that. She had always wanted to attend a ball, and now the chance was right there waiting for her.

“I would love to,” she sighed, still in shock, “but why can’t we get ready here?”

“My dress is in my room. Besides, it might be suspicious if a guest emerges out of the attic. If you come out of my bedchamber, I can simply introduce you as a friend, and we will not reveal your name to anyone because you wish to remain mysterious.”

Eliza nodded, picking everything up as they made their way to Margaret’s room, using the secret passageways in the house not to get caught. Once inside the room, both Margaret and Eliza went to work, and before Eliza realized it, it was already nine in the evening, and she was dressed like a lady.

She stood staring at her reflection in the mirror, the mask in place. Margaret had tied Eliza’s hair into a neat chignon, leaving tendrils on her face, which framed it perfectly.

The gloves made her hands appear beautiful and elegant, filling Eliza with happiness. She could never have imagined something like this happening to her, and she was still unsure about why Margaret was doing all this, but Eliza simply wanted to play along.

She felt as if this was her only chance of attending a ball and looking beautiful, and it would be absurd to throw the chance away simply because she was scared. If she were discovered, the consequences could be huge, but she had stopped caring.

How much worse could things get after all? Besides, this might be a chance to see her masked stranger. Even if she still would not be able to meet George, she could still hope to find the masked stranger. She missed him as well.

“Shall we head downstairs now?” Margaret’s question startled her, nervousness settling into her stomach.

“Are you certain we should be doing this?” She was terrified.

“Absolutely.” Margaret took hold of her hands, trying to calm Eliza down. “You need to simply be confident and enjoy yourself.”

Eliza nodded, and the two of them made their way downstairs, where the masquerade had already begun, the guests beginning to arrive. Eliza was certain her absence would have been noted by now, but she simply did not care. Being inside the ball as a guest beside Margaret, she wanted to have the time of her life, even if it was just for a little while. Whatever consequences awaited her could be dealt with later.

“Are you feeling alright?” Margaret asked Eliza as they set foot inside, several eyes turning towards them.

“No,” she replied honestly, unused to the attention.

“You will be fine.”

Margaret introduced Eliza to a few of her other friends, not giving her name to maintain her anonymity while diligently keeping her away from both Uncle Edgar and Aunty Beatrice.

She did not even let Victoria or Henry come close to Eliza, making Eliza feel as if she could truly trust Margaret. It felt as if she was on her side. Eliza continued to converse with several people, her eyes constantly on the outlook for the masked stranger, but he was nowhere in sight. That worried Eliza, but she was certain he would appear.

“Eliza?” Margaret whispered her name, taking her hand and dragging her towards the refreshments table.

“Yes?”

“Why do you look so concerned? Is something bothering you?”

“No, no. I was just trying to find someone.” She shrugged, her spirits dimming as she realized the masked stranger might not attend the masquerade at all.

“You are wearing a beautiful dress and accessories, and you must focus on enjoying yourself. Everything and everyone else can wait.”

“You are righ-”

Before Eliza could finish her sentence, Victoria barged in from behind them, anger evident on her face.

“I should have known,” she whispered angrily, not wanting to create a scene, “The moment I saw you here, I had the feeling something was wrong. I wonder why I didn’t recognize you earlier. Come with me at once.”

“Victoria!” Margaret tried to barge into the conversation, but Victoria held up her hand.

“Shut up,” she whispered once again. “Mother and Father will deal with you.”

Eliza was aware that if she resisted anything, Victoria would not hesitate to create a scene in front of everyone and quietly followed Victoria out of the ballroom, with Margaret beside her. Within moments, Uncle Edgar and Aunty Beatrice had followed them to the attic as well, their shock written on their faces when they realized what had been happening.

“How could you, Margaret?” Aunty Beatrice asked Margaret, who still stood strong.

Eliza was surprised to see her cousin’s courage, especially since Margaret had always been weak. As for Eliza, a part of her had already prepared for this to happen, but she still could not stop the tears from falling out of her eyes, thoroughly humiliated at the debacle.

“She deserves to have a good time too, Mother,” Margaret replied defiantly, making everyone roll their eyes.

“I want you out of that dress and accessories immediately, and you will stay locked up here until the masquerade is over. Count Fife will take you with him first thing tomorrow, and then you can be out of all our lives for good.” Uncle Edgar’s threat made her heart lurch with fear, but Eliza felt completely helpless.

She knew she had to escape now, or else she would be stuck here forever. But how?

***

“Mother, you do not understand. The situation is utterly complicated, and I need to reach the Russels’ summer masquerade right now before it is too late!” Alexander explained, staring at the clock. He would have been at the ball two hours ago if he had not been delayed by the sudden arrival of his mother and sister. Although his mother demanded to know the truth, Alexander did not think he would be able to explain it.

“Alexander, I will not let you go until you tell me the complete truth.”

“They have been keeping Eliza in the house as a servant! She has been stripped of her identity while the Russels are living on her inheritance. I need to get there so I can reveal their true faces in front of the entire ton today. It is about time.”

“My goodness!” His mother was shocked, but she stood up almost immediately. “I am coming with you right now.”

“But, Mother-” She cut him off.

“I wish to see the daughter of my best friend at once, Alexander. She has already been through so much, and I cannot wait to hold her in my arms.”

Alexander nodded, immediately making his way to the Russel Estate, his white mask slipped in place. He had already been dressed for the ball when his mother had arrived, but in not wanting to reveal the entire situation to her, a lot of time had been wasted.

Despite that, he was glad he had finally told her everything because she deserved to know about it all. They made their way to the entrance, where the footman immediately stopped Alexander, shocking him.

“I apologize, My Lord, but only people with invitations are allowed to enter.”

“Is that so?” his mother chimed in, “I am the Marchioness of Lennox and have merely forgotten my invitation. If you do not let me in at once, I will consider it a slight against me. I am sure you do not wish to cross me.”

Alexander knew the effect his family name had on people since it was one of the oldest and most powerful names in England. The guards must have recognized it, too, since after a few moments, they nodded, letting the two of them enter. Alexander made sure only his mother was announced since he wished to remain anonymous. All he needed to do was find Eliza.

“Where is she?” his mother asked once they were inside. Alexander could feel eyes on him, but the only person he wished to see was nowhere in sight.

“I can’t find her. You must remain here, Mother, while I look.”

He left his mother behind, his eyes suddenly falling on Margaret, who immediately rushed towards him. Without uttering a single word, she handed him a note that read, “My family discovered Eliza in the dress.

They have locked her in the attic. Bring her out to the ball while I bring the documents. Hurry.” Alexander was shocked, but without wasting a single minute, he took the servants’ staircase and rushed to the attic, finding the door locked just as Margaret had claimed.

“Eliza?” he called out to her softly, hearing footsteps from inside the room.

“Who is that?”

“It’s me, Eliza. Your masked stranger. Stand back; I will try to push the door open.”

He started to push the door, the hinges beginning to stir at the impact. In just a few minutes, the door came apart, the lock breaking with a snap. Eliza stood at a distance, dressed in her servants’ attire, tear streaks on her face.

Alexander felt his heart breaking at the sight of her, but now that he was here, everything was going to be alright. She immediately rushed into his arms, spilling all that had happened from the dress to Victoria finding out about it.

“But, how did you know I was here?” she asked him, finally looking up into his eyes. She was beautiful, his heart throbbing at the sight of her.

“Lady Margaret told me, and I came to get you,” he sighed, slipping the mask away.

“George?” she backed away from him, shock written all over her face, “You are George? What is happening?”

“Eliza, you must listen to me,” he replied, taking her into his arms, “I am Alexander Blackwood.”

Alexander watched as Eliza’s eyes widened at the confession, realization dawning in them. In just a matter of a few seconds, he noticed how her expression changed entirely from confusion to shock to sweet relief, which flooded through the tear-streaked smile on her face.

He was delighted to have caused this reaction in her, his heart melting. This was exactly what he had hoped for, for him to reveal his identity at the right time, and there was no better time than now.

“My goodness. I should have known. You always seemed so familiar.” She began to sob while Alexander held her in his arms, never wishing to let go. She slowly trailed her fingers over his face as if trying to tell herself how all of this was real. “Did you truly just come all the way back here to find me?”

“I did. I came to find you and instead found out how messed up the situation was. That was the reason I had to pretend to be George and meet you as the masked stranger. I was simply trying to rescue you and find information about the Russels to reveal their crimes. I wanted to reveal my identity so many times but saving you from these cruel people was more important.”

“My goodness was it you who was sending me the gifts?” she asked, her eyes widening in surprise.

“How did you guess?” Alexander laughed, rather happy knowing how she had suddenly figured that out on her own.

“I have come to realize that I simply have one well-wisher, and that happens to be you. It has to be you because how else am I ever going to justify having a secret fairy godmother?”

“I asked my housekeeper to keep sending you gifts as your fairy godmother so you could have all the finest things in the world. I apologize for how those very gifts became the reason for getting you into trouble towards the end.” Eliza began to shake her head even before Alexander had stopped speaking.

“I just cannot believe that you went to such lengths for me, Alexander,” she sighed, still sobbing softly, “I must have truly done something right to have someone in my life who cared for me in such a way. I must thank you for all you have done.”

“It isn’t done yet, Eliza.” He tenderly rubbed his thumb over her smooth cheek, staring earnestly into her eyes. “You must come to the ballroom with me at once. We have to be there.”

“Alexander,” she whispered, running her hand over his cheek. “Why must we go there? I want to sit here with you and talk about everything that has happened and everything I do not know about you. I wish to relive all those past memories.”

“We have all our lives for that, my Eliza, but right now, the truth is more important. It is about time the Russels pay for everything they have done.”

“Can you really do it? How?” She looked afraid.

“Do you trust me, Eliza?”

“Completely.”

He extended his hand towards her, “Then simply come along with me. I promise you everything is going to be alright.”

She quickly wiped her tears and gave her hand in his, the pair taking the normal staircase to return to the ball. Alexander slipped his mask back in place, wanting to keep his identity a secret for a little longer. As Eliza entered the ballroom, dressed in her servants’ dress, the music suddenly stopped as all eyes turned towards them. Despite the attention, Alexander was immensely proud to see how she stood tall beside him, bright and confident. He could see the shock on Lord and Lady Leicester’s faces as they saw Eliza enter, her hand clasped tightly in his.

“Beth!” Lady Leicester rushed forward, whispering angrily, “What on earth are you doing here? Leave immediately!”

“She is not going anywhere,” his mother chimed in from behind Lady Leicester, pushing her aside to come and stand in front of Eliza. “My darling Eliza.”

Before Alexander realized what was happening, his mother gathered Eliza in a hug in front of everyone at the ball, eerie silence surrounding them.

He knew how much the ton enjoyed gossip, and right now, almost everyone was confused about what was happening. He could sense the curiosity of the people, along with the horror on Lord and Lady Leicester’s faces.

“Why are you crying?” Eliza asked his mother, hugging her back.

“I am so sorry for everything, my dear. I should have come to save you earlier. I am so sorry,” his mother kept blubbering on, sobbing continuously.

“Mother, you must calm down,” he said, the two women finally parting.

Victoria and Margaret appeared on the scene as well, and Alexander could see the set of papers in Margaret’s hands. He knew it was the right time.

He slipped off his mask, Lord and Lady Leicester growing even angrier. However, he was well aware that they were powerless in front of the ton and would not be able to do anything about it.

“Hello, everyone,” he directly addressed the ton, “I am Alexander Blackwood, the Earl of Eastwood. I have been hesitant to reveal my identity earlier for various reasons, but now I am aware it is the right time to do so because I have several other secrets to reveal about the Russel family.”

“He does not know what he is saying, ladies and gentlemen,” Lord Leicester tried to interrupt, but his voice faltered, showing his fear.

“Oh, but I do.” Alexander smiled. “Lord and Lady Leicester came about this fortune after the death of Lord Leicester’s cousin, the Duke of Grafton. However, he gained nothing but the country seat out of this, which is why he decided to take the duke’s heir, Lady Eliza Gordon, and turn her into a servant so he could have complete control over her inheritance and her properties. They stripped her of her identity so no one would be able to find her and treated her cruelly, and that Lady Eliza Gordon is none other than the beautiful woman beside me.”

The crowd erupted into loud whispers.

“You have no proof!” Lady Leicester shouted, coming to stand in front of Alexander.

“I do.” Alexander looked at Margaret, who immediately stepped forward.

“I am Lady Margaret Russel, the daughter of Lord and Lady Russel, and I can testify that everything the earl is saying is fully honest. My father has been dipping into Eliza’s inheritance, and here in my hands is the proof of it. It is the duke’s will, giving everything to Eliza and proof of bank accounts about how my father has been using money that does not belong to him. Moreover, living in this house, I have seen all of it myself, and it is about time my parents receive the punishment they deserve for their crimes.”

“In order to hide these very crimes, they planned to get Eliza married to Count Fife so he could write her inheritance to their name. Their story about Eliza being in France was fake since she has never set foot in France, and I happen to have proof about everything,” Alexander added, looking at the interested crowd.

The shock on everyone’s faces was enough to tell him they believed him.

“This is false. All of this is false,” Lady Leicester continued shouting, but no one paid her any heed.

Alexander watched patiently as the crowd only grew louder, people beginning to disperse one after the other. The guards he had called appeared on the scene, ready to take away Lord and Lady Leicester, but all Alexander was now worried about was Eliza.

The shock on her face was undeniable, and he knew he needed to talk to her. Without wasting another second, he quickly informed the guards about everything and took Eliza away to the gardens, knowing she needed some fresh air.

“Are you alright?” he asked her once they were outside.

“Just overwhelmed,” she finally looked at him, “did that truly just happen?”

“It did. It is only a matter of a few legal proceedings, and everything that is yours will once again belong to you. I promise.”

“Thank you, Alexander.” She began to sob, and he wiped her tears away. “I do not know how I will ever repay your debt.”

“You don’t have to, Eliza.” He smiled. “I would do anything for the woman I love.”

She looked up at him sharply, his declaration making her eyes go wide.

“You love me?”

“I am sorry for keeping the truth from you about my identity, and not telling you that I love you, but I simply needed everything to settle down before I could do such a thing. I loved you since the moment I first met you, Eliza, and I need your permission to court you once everything is settled properly.”

She laughed, placing a kiss on his knuckles. “I have always loved you too, Alexander. Both as George and as the masked man and now as Alexander. My Alexander. I would love to be courted and wooed by you.”

“Promise?”

“I promise.” She smiled at him, and Alexander knew everything in life was eventually going to be alright.

He had Eliza.