Page 31 of Watch For Me By Candlelight

‘Isn’t my gown beautiful? Do you think Fred will like it?’ Millie spun around in her ballgown — bright, peacock blue with a white underskirt. She looked gorgeous. Her hair was fairer than Cat’s, almost a strawberry blonde, and her eyes were the same bright blue as her dress.

Kate was thrown for a second, but she managed a smile. ‘I’m sure he will love it.’ She literally had no clue who Fred was. It must be someone Millie wanted to impress. He mustn’t have made much of an impression on Cat, whoever he was.

Millie threw herself onto the bed next to her. Her skirt swished and the bed bounced as she sat down and smiled. She had two little dimples in her cheeks and Kate smiled back, understanding instinctively how she was such a good friend. Kate had a feeling she would love her in her own life, not only in this one.

‘And just who do you plan on signing your dance card for you?’ Millie nodded at Kate’s wrist, where a little card hung from a white ribbon. ‘And don’t say Charles, because he won’t want to spend all night with you! He’s more interested in Louisa Dacre and her gaggle of beautiful friends. Mark my words. Oh!’ She grabbed Kate’s wrist. Her hand was soft and warm and very small. ‘I know who will sign it. He’s absolutely desperate to, or so I’ve heard.’

Kate wanted to ask if it was Will, and her stomach did a flip-flop; then she realised he most certainly wouldn’t be an invited guest; not a mere blacksmith. ‘Who?’ She crossed her fingers, the ones on the hand Millie wasn’t grabbing, just in case, and hid them in the folds of her dress so they couldn’t be seen.

‘I don’t know if I should tell you.’ Millie had mischief dancing in her eyes. ‘Because if you do know who it is, you’ll simply act all coy and silly with him, and then he’ll know that you know and it could become embarrassing.’

‘Millie!’ Kate said exasperated. ‘You can’t let me go down to that ball and not know!’

‘Oh, all right,’ she said, pretending Kate had forced the issue. Kate knew of course that she would have told her anyway — Millie was no good at keeping secrets from Cat, although she was doing a damn good job of keeping Cat’s friendship with Will secret from the rest of the family. ‘It’s Edward Mountfort.’ Millie’s eyes widened. ‘Papa invited him because he knows he will be moving to Suffolk soon, and my father said the ball is an ideal way to introduce him to the neighbours. Now, I know how you feel about William, but you should take this opportunity to enjoy some time with another handsome young man. It doesn’t mean you feel any differently in your heart about William.’

Talk about coy — there was nobody more coy than Amelia Aldrich when she knew half a story and made up the rest.

Great. Just great. Edward Mountfort. Not Will, even though he had rescued her and everyone should still be grateful to him . . .

‘Millie?’ Cat asked, suddenly curious about something.

‘What is it?’

‘My accident. With the ice-skates. I can’t remember much about it. What I want to know is what happened to me that day. Properly.’

‘All I know, Cat, is that you decided to go skating, on your own, and without an escort.’ Millie sniffed. It had clearly been disapproved of. ‘You really will take the most dreadful risks. You’re quite wild, I’ve always said so.’ Quite wild? Hah, Cassie Aldrich — I was wild and adventurous, once upon a time. ‘Anyway, you headed over to the pond, tangled yourself up somehow and did yourself some very nasty damage. You quite ruined your dress, darling, I’m sure you remember that well enough. However, we found out from William that he had rescued you. He brought you back to us, half-conscious. He had to carry you back, and you were almost passing out from the pain. We were so worried about you. And when you woke up, you had such a dreadful headache. He’d kept you at his house until you had recovered from the initial shock — then you took a turn for the worse. Poor thing.’

Privately, Kate wondered if the semi-conscious state and the headache had a little to do with the brandy Will had plied her with as well as the accident. She supposed the brandy had done her a favour though. It must have been excruciating if the injury was as bad as they said. Actually, she remembered exactly how painful it had been. Kate wiggled her foot experimentally and it didn’t really move much at all. She wondered if the bones had fused back together in a weird way. A fun ball this was going to be. She preferred to think quietly about the fact Will had carried her back to the Hall. Kate didn’t particularly like being labelled as a helpless female, but she had to admit, it might have had some advantages if she got to snuggle into Will.

There was another knock at the door, and they both turned to look.

‘Come in,’ Kate shouted.

The door opened and Charles poked his head through, with Philip bobbing drunkenly behind him. ‘Good evening, you beautiful girls! We’ve come to escort you to the ball!’

Again, great. Just great. She’d much rather be with Will.

Charles had installed her on a seat in the ballroom, and returned with Edward in his wake. They were laughing together, and it was plain for all to see the evidence of a wine-sodden, carousing, university-based friendship.

Kate suspected a woman ought to be led to a man and introduced; but given her situation, they must have thought it easier and perhaps less humiliating, for Edward to come to her.

‘Catriona.’ Edward bowed slightly as he stood before her. That arrogant look was back in his eyes, a sense of privilege and entitlement almost oozing out of him. ‘Your brother warned me that you might not feel like dancing tonight, but would you consider one dance, at least?’

They all knew that if a man asked a woman to dance, she had to accept.

‘Oh! Please, excuse me.’ Charles suddenly grinned. He bowed and looked across the ballroom. ‘I’ve just spotted Louisa Dacre. I must go and sign her card before it gets filled up.’ He melted away into the crowd and left Edward and Kate staring at each other.

‘Ah. Louisa Dacre.’ Kate nodded. Now she understood. The girl Charles was heading towards had hair the shiny colour of horse chestnuts and a complexion like rich cream.

‘His current Affaire de Coeur, I believe.’

‘His latest conquest, then. Nothing changes.’

‘Let him have his fun. Now — will you consider a dance, Catriona? Please?’ He offered her his arm, his expression confident, knowing already what the response would be.

Kate had no choice but to accompany Edward out onto the dance floor — it was protocol, after all; even if she’d be lurching around after him with this damned leg.

She had the most miserable, awkward, uncomfortable dance she thought she’d ever experienced in any life. But eventually, the final notes of the music died away and thank goodness for that, because the pain was almost crippling her. They had stopped within range of a cluster of girls and chaperones, simpering and blushing at the men who had sparked conversations with them. One of the girls stood self-consciously, clutching a glass of punch. Her head-dress was so elaborate and her dress so frothy and pink, Kate wondered what features she was hoping they’d detract from.