Chapter Two
Once inside Ellie’s room, Sophie breathed easier.
“Come, let us get you out of your costume.” Ellie, now Lady Ferncroft, mothered all of them, even though she was the same age.
Now that she’d married and had two children to care for, her instincts were even stronger.
In no time, Ellie made short work of the ties that held the white overdress together, leaving Sophie in her simple day dress.
She felt as if her breasts were too large for her stays, her nipples far too sensitive, but she didn’t mention it, still too shocked by what had happened. Even her lips felt different.
Ellie strode across the room. “Come. Sit at my dressing table so I can remove the cap.”
Sophie did as requested, untying the white mask she wore to stare at her mussed hair, the shepherdess cap askew on her head. Had anyone noticed?
“Did something happen downstairs? I couldn’t find you.” Ellie began removing the pins holding the cap on.
Sophie caught her breath, sincerely hoping no one but Ellie noticed her disheveled state. She never lied, but she couldn’t bring herself to tell Ellie everything.
Ellie began to brush out Sophie’s hair, then tried to wind it up, but many hairs escaped. Ellie’s own red hair was expertly curled and made one think of a setting sun.
Knowing Ellie still expected an answer about what had happened, Sophie moved her gaze from her friend’s face in the mirror to her own. “I went to the ladies’ retiring room and got lost on the way back to the ballroom.”
“I’m sorry. You should have taken one of us with you.” Ellie added the last pin and set down the brush.
“I thought I knew where it was, but when I left, I got turned around. I…”
Ellie laid her hands on her shoulders. “You can tell me.”
“I encountered a man in the corridor.”
“Oh, you poor dear. I wish I could have been there with you. I could tell you were rattled about something. Did you say anything to him?”
Sophie shook her head.
“Then all is well. It’s not as if you had a conversation with him without a chaperone present. Besides, now that you will be in a different costume, he won’t even know who you are. Come, I believe I have a different mask as well.”
Ellie turned away and moved to the chest at the end of her bed. Opening it, she pulled out a black domino. She rose and laid it out on the quilt, then tried to brush out the wrinkles.
Sophie noticed a book had been hidden beneath the cape and moved to kneel at the chest. She couldn’t help herself. Books called to her, especially fictional stories. She lifted the book onto her lap and caressed the engravings in the leather on the cover. “What’s this?”
Ellie smiled. “That’s the book Lissa spoke about. You should take it now. Elsbeth, Dory, Lissa, and I have all read it. I believe it’s good luck.”
Sophie didn’t think she could feel better so soon after her encounter, but at the gift, her spirits lifted. Wishing she could start reading immediately, she rose. “Thank you. I will put this in my room before returning to the ball.” She started for the door.
“Wait. You need your costume.”
She halted and gave Ellie an apologetic smile. “Of course.”
In little time, Ellie had her dressed in the black domino, and she now felt quite mysterious with the hood pulled up. The black mask was very different from the white one she wore earlier.
“You must look at yourself.” Ellie pulled her by the hand to the mirror at the dressing table and tilted it.
Sophie stared at the stranger. “Merciful heavens.” Her words came out in a whisper. She looked like she should be a character in The Castle of Otranto.
“I told you.” Ellie grinned.
Sophie turned and took Ellie’s hands. “Thank you. You are such a good friend. I’m going to miss you so much.” She hugged Ellie, wishing her friend could return to the Belinda School for Curious Ladies come the Hilary Term, but that was selfish. Ellie was now married with a family to care about.
Ellie squeezed her hard before letting go.
“I’ll miss you, too. But I promise we will visit each other often.
Besides, it’s still days before we must part, and the night is yet young.
Come, let us deliver this book to your room and join the crowd.
If I’m not mistaken, dinner will be rung at any moment. ”
Sophie nodded, wiping her eyes beneath her borrowed mask. “Yes.”
In short order, she had added the book to her chest, and she and Ellie descended the grand staircase, making their way to the ballroom.
Once inside, she scanned the room for the Roman soldiers and found the unmasked man. He spoke to two other men just inside the terrace doors.
Maybe returning to the ball was the wrong decision. She was about to tell Ellie she needed to go to her room when Lady Georgina was escorted back to Lord Ferncroft and Ellie.
Georgie, dressed in emerald green with green feathers and wearing a mask and headpiece full of colorful feathers, was all aflutter as she thanked her dance partner. As soon as he left, she spoke to Ellie. “Have you seen Sophie? I promised her that we could take a brief respite after my dance.”
Sophie stared in surprise as Ellie grinned. “She’s right next to you.”
Georgie’s brows knitted as she looked at Sophie. “Sophie?”
Remembering what she looked like in Ellie’s mirror, Sophie nodded. “Yes, it’s me, but don’t tell anyone.”
Georgie’s eyes widened. “Why did you change?”
“I had punch on my costume, so Ellie let me wear this one.”
“I would never have recognized you. You can pretend to be anyone tonight and learn all kinds of wonderful gossip.”
Sophie didn’t like gossip. There was plenty to be heard without being in costume, so she ignored that idea.
But the fact Georgie didn’t recognize had her wondering.
Could she be like Rosalind in Shakespeare’s As You Like It?
Rosalind had dressed as a man to seek out the man she loved, and all had ended well.
Sophie had to admit she didn’t even recognize herself in the mirror.
She could be anyone and say anything, and no one would know it was her.
But could she be that brave? Probably not, but she wanted to be…
just once. Just once, she’d like the confidence and boldness her friends had.
Not pleased with her self-assessment, she switched the topic. “Did you enjoy dancing?”
“Oh, I did. Lord Ashfield was very energetic and complimented me mightily after the dance. I do believe he may call on me.”
Since Georgie always thought men who danced with her would call on her, Sophie didn’t wish to dampen her enthusiasm.
Her friend was desperate for attention, having the unhappy place as the forgotten child of eight.
“Of course. You are lovely and such an enthusiastic dancer. If he kept up with you, I’m sure he’s happy he met such a wonderful person. Did you tell him your name?”
“I didn’t need to. My parents introduced us earlier. I do believe he was impressed with my knowledge of ornithology. Have you danced yet?”
“Not yet.”
Georgie cocked her head, causing the feathers on her costume to wiggle, which made her appear even more birdlike.
“I know you do not care for attention, but in this new costume, no one would know who you are. Why, you’re like the character you told me about in that story.
The one you said about the lady dressed as a boy when she was shipwrecked and fell in love with a duke, but he didn’t know she was a woman? ”
“I hadn’t thought of that.” Sophie did like the idea of no one knowing who she was, but unlike Viola in Shakespeare’s play Twelfth Night, she didn’t intend to be so adventurous—even if it was the same night.
“Have you seen Rose?”
At Georgie’s question, Sophie shook her head.
“She should be with Dory and Lord Harewood. They are her chaperones this weekend.” She scanned the room, but kept coming back to the Roman soldier who’d kissed her.
It wasn’t that the kiss had been unpleasant.
She’d been so shocked, she hadn’t even moved when his tongue stroked her own.
It was an odd sensation that she needed to think upon more.
What concerned her was that she didn’t even know his name, never mind know him well enough to allow such liberties.
What truly surprised her was that he had wanted to kiss her.
She shook her head. How silly. He didn’t know who she was. He’d thought her someone else, his Lydia. Perhaps such a lady was his mistress or wife. But then, why had he mistaken Sophie for someone he knew so well?
“She’s over there, near the punch table. Don’t you see her?”
At Georgina’s direction, Sophie quickly moved her gaze to find Rose in her monk costume along with Lord Harewood in his Musketeer costume and Dory, who looked absolutely lovely dressed as a Grecian goddess, all standing close together.
Sophie observed Dory, beyond pleased that her former classmate had found a man who understood her so well.
Lord Harewood, Dory’s husband, was talking to Rose, and based on his stance, he was not happy.
Rose didn’t appear very happy with her brother either.
Sophie was about to comment on that fact when the dinner bell was rung.
Immediately, she tensed. As much as she disliked being seated next to men she didn’t know at a dinner party, she truly dreaded the casual seating Ellie had planned for the midnight repast. Having the hostess as her chaperone made her more nervous, since everyone would be talking to Ellie.
People began to move toward the ballroom’s open doors, except Ellie, who was nodding and chatting to people as they exited.
Sophie searched out the Roman soldier and found him coming closer, the plume atop his helmet easy to spot.
As he moved toward the doors, he seemed to angle more toward her, or rather toward Ellie, who stood between her and the throng of guests.
When he approached, she turned to the side so he wouldn’t see her face and looked down at the floor to watch his sandaled feet.
He walked past Ellie, then hesitated.