“Next Saturday. I’ll send the invitations out today.”
She nodded, no longer smiling. He lifted his head, looking down at her, but her face was turned away from him.
“It will be fine,” he promised. “I’ll be there with you.” He took her hand from his chest and entwined their fingers together. “I sometimes think it’s easy to hide in a ballroom. Like one of those masquerade balls, it’s easy to hide when people are there just to gossip and wander around.”
She sat bolt upright so suddenly that he jumped in surprise. She turned to face him, looking down at him.
“Why don’t we make it a masquerade ball?” she said with sudden eagerness.
“Do you want one?” He smiled, glad at least that she was no longer as hesitant as she had been a few moments ago.
“I think it a wonderful idea. Yes, let’s do it. Let’s turn it into a masquerade ball.”
“As you wish.”
***
Marcus strode into his study, eager to be alone and think about the preparations for the ball, but unfortunately, Lambton followed him in. Lambton held two sheets of paper in his hands.
“This is what you were thinking of for the food, Your Grace, and this.” He paused, looking somewhat hesitant as he held up the second sheet. “This came from your aunt to the housekeeper this morning. She clearly has her own thoughts on the food.”
Marcus couldn’t stop himself laughing with amusement as he took the list from his butler to look at what thoughts Sarah had on the food. As always, her thoughts were good.
“Very well, add these to the preparations if you can.” He thought back to the night when Sarah had come to meet Callie. As she had prepared to leave the house, Sarah had added in a small voice to Marcus so Callie couldn’t hear, something that had played on his mind ever since.
“She’s not what I expected for the daughter of an earl, but I like her very much indeed.”
It was exactly his own thoughts. Callie may not have been what he was expecting, but he was delighted that she was the one who had turned up at his door. He might be about to marry a woman whom he had only ever dreamt of before, and she had come into his life all because of his father’s debts and her own father’s calculations to marry her off to a duke.
“Thank you, Lambton.” Marcus nodded at the butler, who smiled and walked out with the dinner menus.
After he had gone, Marcus sat down at his desk and sighed, looking at the papers before him. On one list were the names of those that Marcus wished to invite to the ball. On the second list were the people whom the Earl of Woolworth wished to invite. What had struck him as odd when he showed Callie the list was that she showed no great interest in the names on that list. She had not said how much she would like to see some of the people again. If anything, she had looked quite terrified.
Pushing the thought away, Marcus began to write out the invitations. He was careful to specify it was a masquerade ball and that everyone was expected to come in masks. He was already plotting to take Callie to the town the next day so they could buy their own masks for the event.
When he came to the end of the list, he saw that under the piles of papers, something had become lost. It was a letter, and judging from the handwriting on the page, it was from Gregory. He tore it open at once, eager to hear news of his friend.
‘Dear Marcus,
I must confess myself both surprised and gladdened by your last letter. It is natural, I know, to seek to avoid penury by marrying into money. If you succeed in this venture, then you will avoid the life that I now have. I heartily wish you to be financially secure, but I am surprised because I do not think I ever thought that you, of all people, would marry for the sake of money.
I remember when we were young. Do you recall our university days together? You were always a great poet. Though I have not seen your writing in years, I remember the romance hidden in your heart.
I pray that the woman who has arrived at your door is indeed this someone special. May she be the answer to your every prayer, both financially and for your heart.
You are the best man I know, Marcus. You deserve true happiness.’
Marcus paused with the letter, though he could see Gregory had continued on the other side, moving onto other matters. As Marcus looked at the letter, he felt his heart ache.
Gregory was the dearest friend he had, and yet it seemed strange that Gregory was not on his list of people to invite just because Gregory was no longer the wealthy man he once was. If this was a party to celebrate Marcus’ betrothal, then the man he wanted there celebrating at his side was certainly Gregory.
Pulling forward a fresh sheet of paper, Marcus dipped his quill in an ink well and began his letter to his friend.
Dear Gregory,
We are holding a ball this coming Saturday to celebrate the betrothal. When I say ‘we’, I rather mean that Lady Caroline’s father is insisting that we do it. I have glimpsed time and time again how much he controls her life, but hopefully, soon, that control will be a thing of the past.
I confess I couldn’t be happier, Gregory. My bride-to-be is much more than I ever could have hoped for to turn up at my door. It would mean a great deal to me if you could be a part of the celebrations this Saturday.
