out a plan.
Feeling very furtive, I crept behind the curtain, tried the door handle—it was open!—and stepped with a sigh into the cool night air, softly shutting the door behind me.
Above were a black, diamond-pricked sky and the darker silhouette of trees and cathedral spire. Behind me were music and laughter; ahead, the quiet whisper of a nighttime garden. A chill breeze cooled my face and made me shiver slightly as I leaned against the terrace railing and pondered.
Why was I here? My eyes didn’t see the stars anymore, they saw the hours of dancing lessons, deportment lessons, dreaming, and longing—all for this night. What else had I lived my life for, ever since I could remember? To be beautiful and sought after, to marry well, and (to be honest) to look down my nose at anyone who had ever looked down their nose at me, especially two young ladies named Gertrude and Lucinda.
Charming. Simply charming.
I turned to face the palace and its bright windows. Well, here I was. The pinnacle of my ambition, the height of my dreams—a ball with the prince. And all I could do was skulk around behind curtains. I caught my breath, anticipating my own anger, disappointment, fury—
It wasn’t there. I stared up at the palace in amazement, then felt a sudden desire to laugh. True, everything had gone wrong. I felt a little chagrined. But I could imagine telling Mrs. Wilkins all about it, laughing with her while trying out Lottie’s latest recipe. I was, I realized with surprise, becoming interested in cooking.
There would be other balls. Now that I had a dress, Stepmama would be sure to allow me to come, no matter what my stepsisters said. Mrs. Wilkins would help me; I wasn’t alone any more. The world felt open in front of me, large and welcoming. I slowly took a deep breath.
A small noise brought me back to the terrace. Someone else had come out the glass door and was closing it carefully. A gentleman. I stood uncertain as he turned, stopped at the sight of me, then spoke.
“My pardon. I didn’t realize—”
The night was so dark, it would have been hard for him to see me clearly, but I edged around closer to the door. “No, that’s quite all right, I probably wasn’t supposed to be here at all. It was just so warm inside, but I’ll be going back in.” I reached the doorway as I spoke.
“There’s no need.” The voice was gruff. “I was only escaping for a few minutes. I’ll soon be back inside.”
“Escaping?” I was intrigued. “So was I, in a way. Though I think I should go home, not back in.”
“Really? Is someone bothering you? I can take care of that.”
I was touched by his concern but also amused by his proprietary air. “Nothing like that! It’s just that…I’m here incognito, and…it’s awfully hard to explain.”
“Incognito? I envy you.”
“It’s nothing to envy. I realized after I got here that I can’t even dance.”
“No?”
“Who’s to introduce me?”
“Well, you could—no, you couldn’t.” He considered a moment, head tilted. “If you don’t want to be recognized, then why come?” He broke off and added quickly, “I beg your pardon. That’s a rude question.”
“Oh, I don’t mind!” The night air must have loosened my tongue. “Besides, do you need to ask? The biggest ball of the Season? Who wouldn’t want to come?”
“I can think of someone.”
“Well, I can’t. But there will be other balls. So I really need to be going.” I reached for the door handle.
“But since you’re here, it seems a pity not to dance at least once,” the man objected.
“Dance? With whom?”
“With me.”
He was a shadowy figure, but I liked his voice. Still, I must have been going mad, for I stayed and listened.
“Why not here, on the terrace?” he continued. “If we open the door, we’ll hear the music.” He pulled it open, and muffled voices could be heard through the velvet drapes. “You see? The next dance is just about to begin.”
I smiled and considered. What harm
Feeling very furtive, I crept behind the curtain, tried the door handle—it was open!—and stepped with a sigh into the cool night air, softly shutting the door behind me.
Above were a black, diamond-pricked sky and the darker silhouette of trees and cathedral spire. Behind me were music and laughter; ahead, the quiet whisper of a nighttime garden. A chill breeze cooled my face and made me shiver slightly as I leaned against the terrace railing and pondered.
Why was I here? My eyes didn’t see the stars anymore, they saw the hours of dancing lessons, deportment lessons, dreaming, and longing—all for this night. What else had I lived my life for, ever since I could remember? To be beautiful and sought after, to marry well, and (to be honest) to look down my nose at anyone who had ever looked down their nose at me, especially two young ladies named Gertrude and Lucinda.
Charming. Simply charming.
I turned to face the palace and its bright windows. Well, here I was. The pinnacle of my ambition, the height of my dreams—a ball with the prince. And all I could do was skulk around behind curtains. I caught my breath, anticipating my own anger, disappointment, fury—
It wasn’t there. I stared up at the palace in amazement, then felt a sudden desire to laugh. True, everything had gone wrong. I felt a little chagrined. But I could imagine telling Mrs. Wilkins all about it, laughing with her while trying out Lottie’s latest recipe. I was, I realized with surprise, becoming interested in cooking.
There would be other balls. Now that I had a dress, Stepmama would be sure to allow me to come, no matter what my stepsisters said. Mrs. Wilkins would help me; I wasn’t alone any more. The world felt open in front of me, large and welcoming. I slowly took a deep breath.
A small noise brought me back to the terrace. Someone else had come out the glass door and was closing it carefully. A gentleman. I stood uncertain as he turned, stopped at the sight of me, then spoke.
“My pardon. I didn’t realize—”
The night was so dark, it would have been hard for him to see me clearly, but I edged around closer to the door. “No, that’s quite all right, I probably wasn’t supposed to be here at all. It was just so warm inside, but I’ll be going back in.” I reached the doorway as I spoke.
“There’s no need.” The voice was gruff. “I was only escaping for a few minutes. I’ll soon be back inside.”
“Escaping?” I was intrigued. “So was I, in a way. Though I think I should go home, not back in.”
“Really? Is someone bothering you? I can take care of that.”
I was touched by his concern but also amused by his proprietary air. “Nothing like that! It’s just that…I’m here incognito, and…it’s awfully hard to explain.”
“Incognito? I envy you.”
“It’s nothing to envy. I realized after I got here that I can’t even dance.”
“No?”
“Who’s to introduce me?”
“Well, you could—no, you couldn’t.” He considered a moment, head tilted. “If you don’t want to be recognized, then why come?” He broke off and added quickly, “I beg your pardon. That’s a rude question.”
“Oh, I don’t mind!” The night air must have loosened my tongue. “Besides, do you need to ask? The biggest ball of the Season? Who wouldn’t want to come?”
“I can think of someone.”
“Well, I can’t. But there will be other balls. So I really need to be going.” I reached for the door handle.
“But since you’re here, it seems a pity not to dance at least once,” the man objected.
“Dance? With whom?”
“With me.”
He was a shadowy figure, but I liked his voice. Still, I must have been going mad, for I stayed and listened.
“Why not here, on the terrace?” he continued. “If we open the door, we’ll hear the music.” He pulled it open, and muffled voices could be heard through the velvet drapes. “You see? The next dance is just about to begin.”
I smiled and considered. What harm
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