Ella
“Words truly cannot do justice for how happy I am that you are here, Beatrice. But I fear I am having difficulty expressing it since I’m carrying this heavy burden everywhere I go. Please forgive me.”
“Well, dearie, I think you forget that I know you better than you know yourself, so there is nothing to forgive,” Beatrice replies with a motherly pat on my shoulder. She and Mary arrived two days ago and brought the comforting hugs and familiar conversation I had been missing.
“Yes, you probably do. I just know I would feel so much better if I received a letter from Alasdair. I have myself in knots with worry. How did Mother do so well? I don’t ever recall her fretting over Father’s absence.”
“You know your mother…she wears a stoic facade better than anyone. Her upbringing didn’t allow otherwise. She was likely in knots, as are you, only unable to express it. Be glad you don’t have to hide it. ’Tis better to let it out.” I relax, listening to her soothing voice offer words of wisdom.
“You are right. I don’t see the Duke of Brunswick allowing his daughter to show emotion of any sort. I can’t say I’ve ever seen the man smile. Can you imagine my poor mother’s childhood?”
“Let us not forget the Duchess of Brunswick. I was a grown woman, and she terrified me. It didn’t go unnoticed that your mother did not shed a single tear when she passed away.”
The door flies open, and in enters Mary, “Good morning, ladies!” She practically glides over to the settee and does a dramatic spin before sitting down. “I feel quite special being here in this exquisite castle. Like I’m part of some fairy tale. Ella, your letters did not do any justice to this place. Wouldn’t you agree, Beatrice?”
“She did say it was lovely, though she didn’t mention its size.”
“Precisely!Oh, it is quite nice here at my new home. It is so well-appointed, and everyone here is kind and welcoming.There was no mention of it being a fortress fit for the king!” Mary finishes with her arms waving around my admittedly quite opulent room while Beatrice giggles at her imitation of me.
“Is my voice really that annoyingly high-pitched, Mary?”
She throws her head back and laughs. “No, darling! You know how I love to exaggerate. Now tell me what I am dying to know. What is it like being married to a stallion?”
Beatrice and I both laugh before she says, “I will leave you young ladies to enjoy that conversation without me. I still have a lot of unpacking to do. Do you need anything else, dear?”
“No, I am fine. Please take as much time as you need to settle in,” I say, and add another hug to the multitude I’ve already given.
Mary doesn’t waste any time getting to the point when Beatrice closes the door, although the point she makes is far from the one I was expecting.
“Oh, Ella, something has happened, and I…I don’t know what to do.”
I’m so taken aback, I don’t respond. The change of subject accompanied by her tone along with the tears welling in her eyes has me completely thrown. Mary is usually not this serious, and I don’t think I have ever seen her at a loss as to how to handle a situation. Before I can swallow my surprise and ask her what is wrong, she continues.
“Remember when we joked about Graham Knightly?”
My heart is beating faster, for I fear what she will tell me. “Mary, what did you do?”
“Well, I still have my maidenhead if that’s what you’re worried about.”
“Oh, thank God!”
“Don’t get too ahead of yourself. It’s a wonder I didn’t lose it!”
“No! What happened?”
“It started weeks ago when we danced at the Fairfield ball. Ella, he looked so handsome, and he kept watching me all evening with this look in his eyes that had me all flustered. By the time he came over to talk to me, I swear I was completely aroused!” Mary is clearly out of sorts as she gets up to pace around the room.
“My goodness, Mary. What did he say to you?” I can honestly tell myself that I am dying to know where this story leads. Graham Knightly is an exceptionally handsome man and much more distinguished looking than most of the titled men her mother keeps pushing on her.
“First, he took my hand and greeted me with a proper bow. I could feel the softness of his lips on my fingers—he made sure of that. When he stood, he just stared into my eyes for what seemed like many long minutes. He was trying to jumble my thoughts; I know he was. And it worked!” She continues her pacing with added huffs of frustration. “Ella, I am never at a loss for words, but when he told me that I was the most beautiful woman in the room, I literally forgot how to say thank you!”
“I understand completely. Alasdair left me in that same stupor on more than one occasion, and I was not happy about it.” Though, at this moment, I would love nothing more than for Alasdair to stand before me and fluster the words right out of my head.
“Well, I finally got my wits about me and told him he had excellent taste. But, before I could turn and walk away, hoping to save my dignity and not get tongue-tied again, he asked me to dance.”
“Clearly, you didn’t say no.”
“No, I didn’t. I danced several dances with him. Thankfully Mother wasn’t there, or she would have had fits. I was definitely over the limit for notseeming too familiar,” she says, exaggerating the last part. “What a preposterous rule! I rather enjoyed dancing with him. He is quite good, you know. Not to mention the bantering back and forth—that was more fun than I’ve had in years.”