understood. “Still, I am confident that they will never equate the radiant, elegant beauty you are today with their former housemaid.”
He could see that she didn't believe him and knew that there was only one way to put her mind at rest.
“ Wait here a moment,” he said.
He left her and went to speak with a friend briefly, then came straight back.
“ Shall we get some refreshment?” he asked.
Since the table was across the hall, away from the Earl and his wife, she was happy to take his arm. She drank a few quick sips of her punch, for the first one had helped her nerves greatly as Thomas had predicted, when Gus caught the eye of someone behind her and smiled. She turned to see the friend Gus had spoken with in the company of the Earl and his wife!
“ Augustus, I would like to introduce you to Lord and Lady Beaumont, the Earl and Countess of Marchwood. Lord and Lady Beaumont, this is Augustus Aldercott who made the gloves that you were admiring earlier on the Duchess, and his daughter, Miss Aldercott, who designed them I believe.”
Gus shook hands with the Earl while Martha curtseyed.
“ Pleased to meet you,” she said, though she was unable to put any real volume behind her voice.
“ You designed those beautiful gloves?” Lady Beaumont asked her.
“ Yes.”
“ They are exquisite ,” she smiled. “You are clearly a very accomplished young lady,”
“ I just like drawing,” she blushed. “It's Gus who turns them into something beautiful.”
Lady Beaumont smiled; she liked modest women.
Before they could converse any further, the fourth set of dancing was called and Martha's partner came to claim his dance.
She was relieved to be away from them but at the same time grateful that they hadn't recognised her. Part of her had wanted to ask about their son, to know what he was doing but she knew that he was probably married by now and that knowledge would hurt. No, it was better if she remained ignorant, she decided; he was nothing to her any longer and the less she knew about his life, the better.
After the fourth set of dancing, supper was called and Gus escorted her into the dining hall. They weren't seated with anyone that she knew but Gus chatted amiably with the gentlemen present and she listened to their conversation. Even if she had wanted to join in, she knew that women were not supposed to venture opinions on most subjects so no one even questioned her silence, they simply took her for a very well mannered young lady rather than the slightly shell-shocked one that she was.
When supper was over people mingled again but Martha had had enough and wanted to go home. In truth this was the first large social event that Gus had attended in the best part of three years and he was finding it quite wearing as well, so he was happy to oblige her. She collected her cloak and when she came out she found Gus chatting with Thomas again. He gave her a warm smile as he saw her.
“ I saw you leaving and I wanted to say goodbye and tell you what a pleasure it has been to meet you.”
“ I very much enjoyed meeting you too. Thank you for being so kind to a nervous young girl.”
She did want to thank him but she had also intentionally called herself a girl, hoping to dissuade him from any romantic notions.
“ I hope we will meet again soon.” He nodded politely and backed away for few steps before turning and heading back into the ballroom.
“ I think that young man likes you,” Gus confided quietly as he took her arm and guided her outside to their carriage.
“ I do too,” she admitted sadly.
“ Then what's the problem?”
Martha had long ago resigned herself to the fact that she could never marry because she couldn't shame anyone she cared about with her past. Gus, it seemed, didn't mind that her reputation was ruined but she knew that very few people would agree with him.
“ Thank you for a lovely evening,” she said, reaching upon her toes to kiss his cheek. “You were right, I did
He could see that she didn't believe him and knew that there was only one way to put her mind at rest.
“ Wait here a moment,” he said.
He left her and went to speak with a friend briefly, then came straight back.
“ Shall we get some refreshment?” he asked.
Since the table was across the hall, away from the Earl and his wife, she was happy to take his arm. She drank a few quick sips of her punch, for the first one had helped her nerves greatly as Thomas had predicted, when Gus caught the eye of someone behind her and smiled. She turned to see the friend Gus had spoken with in the company of the Earl and his wife!
“ Augustus, I would like to introduce you to Lord and Lady Beaumont, the Earl and Countess of Marchwood. Lord and Lady Beaumont, this is Augustus Aldercott who made the gloves that you were admiring earlier on the Duchess, and his daughter, Miss Aldercott, who designed them I believe.”
Gus shook hands with the Earl while Martha curtseyed.
“ Pleased to meet you,” she said, though she was unable to put any real volume behind her voice.
“ You designed those beautiful gloves?” Lady Beaumont asked her.
“ Yes.”
“ They are exquisite ,” she smiled. “You are clearly a very accomplished young lady,”
“ I just like drawing,” she blushed. “It's Gus who turns them into something beautiful.”
Lady Beaumont smiled; she liked modest women.
Before they could converse any further, the fourth set of dancing was called and Martha's partner came to claim his dance.
She was relieved to be away from them but at the same time grateful that they hadn't recognised her. Part of her had wanted to ask about their son, to know what he was doing but she knew that he was probably married by now and that knowledge would hurt. No, it was better if she remained ignorant, she decided; he was nothing to her any longer and the less she knew about his life, the better.
After the fourth set of dancing, supper was called and Gus escorted her into the dining hall. They weren't seated with anyone that she knew but Gus chatted amiably with the gentlemen present and she listened to their conversation. Even if she had wanted to join in, she knew that women were not supposed to venture opinions on most subjects so no one even questioned her silence, they simply took her for a very well mannered young lady rather than the slightly shell-shocked one that she was.
When supper was over people mingled again but Martha had had enough and wanted to go home. In truth this was the first large social event that Gus had attended in the best part of three years and he was finding it quite wearing as well, so he was happy to oblige her. She collected her cloak and when she came out she found Gus chatting with Thomas again. He gave her a warm smile as he saw her.
“ I saw you leaving and I wanted to say goodbye and tell you what a pleasure it has been to meet you.”
“ I very much enjoyed meeting you too. Thank you for being so kind to a nervous young girl.”
She did want to thank him but she had also intentionally called herself a girl, hoping to dissuade him from any romantic notions.
“ I hope we will meet again soon.” He nodded politely and backed away for few steps before turning and heading back into the ballroom.
“ I think that young man likes you,” Gus confided quietly as he took her arm and guided her outside to their carriage.
“ I do too,” she admitted sadly.
“ Then what's the problem?”
Martha had long ago resigned herself to the fact that she could never marry because she couldn't shame anyone she cared about with her past. Gus, it seemed, didn't mind that her reputation was ruined but she knew that very few people would agree with him.
“ Thank you for a lovely evening,” she said, reaching upon her toes to kiss his cheek. “You were right, I did
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