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 beforereturning 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 inThe 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’sAs 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?”
