Elizabeth and Jane immediately made their way over to Miss Lucas, who was a good friend to them. Kitty made her way over to Priscilla Goulding while Lydia sidled up to John Lucas.
Mary just stood there. Even with her newfound confidence in her appearance, she still had very little confidence in her ability to chat informally. Somehow, despite her best efforts to share the benefit of all she had learned in her studies, she always seemed to say the wrong thing.
She was surprised and incredibly dismayed when a young man she hoped never to see again approached her.
“Miss Mary,” said Alan Goulding, “you are looking remarkably well this evening.”
Mary opened her mouth to instinctively thank him for the compliment, but she shut it again before any words came forth. This was the man who had made her formative years torture,who had taught her with every interaction that she was ugly and entirely unattractive, something she had only begun to unlearn a single day ago.
“I am surprised to see you here,” she said coldly. “I assumed you were far too happy in London to even consider returning.”
She had heard many rumors of the dissipated lifestyle he had lived there. His mother had complained about it at length to her mother many times over the last year or more.
“Ah, well. London has its pleasures to be sure,” said Alan, “but nothing can beat the fresh air and wide-open spaces of the country. I thought it might be nice to spend some time hunting and riding, things which cannot be done in the middle of the city.”
“I was under the impression that there were nearly as many horses in London as people,” said Mary. “If they are not being ridden, what are they being used for?”
She saw the glint of humor in his eyes at her words. That look of suppressed humor had always captivated her, especially since it was so rare. Usually, he did not bother to hide his laughter but let it bubble up like water from a spring. However, Mary hardened her heart against his beautiful twinkling eyes. She would not let this man, one who had hurt her abominably for years, back into her life only to hurt her once again.
“Well, perhaps you are correct. However, I know from experience that it is entirely too dangerous to attempt to gallop down a city street. That is a joy that must be reserved for the country.”
“From experience, you say?” she asked.
“It is not what you are thinking,” Alan replied defensively. “I was referring to someone else’s experience. A friend of mine attempted it, but his horse ran headlong into the back of a fruitcart. The fruit went everywhere and caused backed up traffic for hours.”
“And was this friend hurt? Or the horse?” asked Mary.
For some reason, this made Alan smile. She hardened her heart even further. “That is just like your kindness,” he said. “No. No one was hurt, not even the horse. It was just a very large mess, for which my friend had to pay. It is not cheap to pay for an entire cartful of fruit, let me tell you.”
“I see,” said Mary. She hoped that if she said no more he would move away from her to greet the other guests, but he did not leave. He just stared at her. Unable to take such pointed attention for long, she asked, “And how long do you intend to stay in the neighborhood?”
“My plans are not yet settled,” he said, “but I hope it will be a very long visit, indeed.”
“I assume you will at least be returning to London in the winter,” said Mary.
He shrugged. “I haven’t thought that far into the future,” he said.
Mary felt her eyes narrow. It irritated her that he seemed to have no plans and no purpose. He was the exact opposite to her in every way imaginable.
“Well, I believe I must make my way around our neighbors and greet the others,” she said. She had no idea who she would speak with, but she was desperate to get away from Alan Goulding.
He bowed to her slightly. “As you will, Mary. It is a true pleasure to see you again.”
She didn’t believe him, but she didn’t contradict him, either. She just wanted this conversation to be over. “Have a good evening, Alan,” she said. Then she walked away.
Without having any particular direction, she ended up speaking with Mary King, someone she did not know very well, since she was fairly new to the neighborhood. Fortunately, Miss King was friendly and talkative, and Mary did not have to decide what to discuss.
It was an unusual evening for Mary. She received many compliments on her appearance, so much so that after a time it began to rankle. She had spent years studying and practicing piano, and she only occasionally received any compliments for those accomplishments.
Now, however, after spending only two days improving her looks, she received as much attention in one evening as she had received in all of the last year.
After a couple of hours, Mary found she could take no more, and she retreated to her usual place on the sidelines, observing her neighbors as they chatted and laughed. Since they were outside, all she had to do was step into the shadows, and no one would notice her.
No one, that is, except Alan Goulding.
“I hope you are not growing weary, Miss Mary,” he said after she had been standing alone for about ten minutes. “You seem to have lost your taste for company.”
Mary was in no mood to be diplomatic. “If you thought I did not wish for company, why are you blessing me with yours?”
