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“You should never assume things you know little of,” she suggested, her lips pursing ever so slightly at him. “My father has taught me every single dance. It is due to his patience that I am so good at something which is usually reserved solely for those who can see where they are going.” She was enjoying this dance as much as he was— there was no denying it.
She was right. He knew nothing about the blind people and nothing about her, but he was dying to find out more and to find out everything there was to know about her. They would face each other according to the demands of the dance then turn away then, once again, face each other. The rhythm was quick, demanding. The whirling left her with flushed cheeks as her striking, pale blue eyes seemed to stare right through him.
A minute later, the music stopped, and so did they. He bowed before her, immediately thinking he ought not to have done it, but seeing her curtsy at the exact moment as the other ladies assured him that even though she did not see him, she could probably somehow tell what he had done. There was a magic about her that was utterly out of this world which, despite not having eyesight, she seemed to know well.
He walked over to her, gently brushing his hand against hers. “Allow me to lead you back to your table.”
“Thank you,” she smiled.
He did not fail to notice the glances of other ladies and gentlemen. The ladies were curious, and the gentlemen equally so, but it was he who held her hand as she passed by them as dignified as the queen herself.
“Here we are,” he said the moment they found themselves surrounded by the rest of their party who were chatting busily. He reluctantly let go of her hand. “Sarah is to your left, in case you cannot–”
“I know where she is,” Bridget interrupted him. “I can hear her voice clearly.”
He looked at her, trying to see a sign of annoyance, but there was none. She was still smiling. Her hands now tensed up, feeling the surface of the table before her. He inclined his head, watching her intently. Her fingers were endeavoring to take in the table, what it held, and where the chair was. Joseph glanced at Sarah. She also noticed her sister’s intention, but she remained put. Joseph did the same although he had to resist the urge to help her, to push a chair straight to her and then help her sit down. Neither Oliver nor Sarah nor either of her parents for that matter endeavored to help. It was obvious that this part she could do on her own. A moment later, Bridget was already seated, slowly feeling the table before her. Easily she found a glass and took a sip while Joseph gazed on in astonishment, wondering how she could possibly do all that blind.
His eyes were too focused on Bridget to notice that his mother had already appeared before the Marquess and the Marchioness as they had been introduced on a previous occasion. Something told him, no it threatened him, that his mother was on a mission. He could see it from the way she huddled together with the Marchioness, leaning close to her as if whispering secrets only the two of them were privy to.
“Yes, the weather has been ghastly lately, hasn’t it?” His mother was a master at small talk without being annoying. The astonishing part was the way she immediately got the Marquess to open up, mentioning how his investments abroad had been directly influenced by the rain and the storms that raged on in Europe. The Marchioness nodded importantly.
Sarah and Oliver had walked over to Bridget, smiling broadly.
“How was your first official dance, Bridget?” Sarah inquired.
First dance?That meant she had never danced with any other man before. That could not be. Yet, Bridget immediately blushed at the question, confirming that it was indeed true.
“It was lovely,” Bridget replied politely. “I had a good partner.”
“From what I could see, he did not need to lead you at all,” Oliver teased, turning to Joseph who shrugged helplessly, his two ears focused on both this conversation and the one his mother was having with their parents.
“When a lady dances this beautifully, a man has no business leading,” Joseph admitted. Bridget’s lips parted as if she meant to say something then changed her mind in the last minute. That blush remained for only a few moments more before her face reverted back to the pale beauty that she was.
Oliver made another comment, but it seemed it was not aimed at him, so Joseph tried to catch part of the other conversation.
“I haven’t seen your lovely girls in a lifetime,” his mother gushed in an immediate change of subject which no one seemed to mind. “They are not girls anymore. Why, they are beautiful young Ladies, especially Sarah.”
There it was— the reason his mother had appeared here so quickly, so urgently. She immediately noticed the possibility of matching him with Sarah. The only trouble was that while Sarah was indeed lovely and rather pretty, it was her older sister whom he could not keep his eyes off. The way she handled herself among all these people and the way she braved her presence here and had a response to everything he said made him wild desire. He could not remember the last time he wanted a woman this much, this badly. How he wanted her hands on his face, for her to see him, to trulyseehim, and tell him she wanted him back.
“… which is why I would like to extend an invitation to attend a dinner party I shall be hosting soon.” His mother’s voice pierced through the invisible bubble he had weaved around him and Bridget, and her words brought him back down from the clouds, right back onto earth. “An official invitation with all the details shall be sent to you first thing tomorrow.”
“Why, that is most kind of you, Your Grace,” the Marquess replied with a smile. “We graciously accept.”
“It is settled then.” His mother clapped happily as if she had taken care of the most important business for the evening, and now she was allowed some fun as well. “I would really love to stay here some more, but I see a dear friend of mine waving at me, and I cannot remain indifferent any longer. If you would kindly excuse me.”
With those words, she immediately appeared by Joseph’s side and gripped him by the elbow. “Do accompany me, Joseph. There is Lady Donovan.” Then, she added a little more quietly. “Her daughter should be around here somewhere.”
Joseph had no time to walk back to Bridget and explain that he was leaving as his mother pulled him away from the only place in this ballroom where he actually wanted to be. A heavy stone in his stomach weighed him down, and only a moment ago, he was high up in the clouds.
Then, he remembered. His mother was endeavoring to arrange it so that he would begin courting Sarah. He was certain of it. That meant that his mother would insist on visiting their family soon to assure herself of the quality of her choice. The fact that she was wrong meant nothing to him. He would not be the one to tell her anything because meeting Sarah also meant that he would be meeting Bridget, and right now, that was all he could possibly think of.
Chapter 5
Bridget had never been particularly keen on shopping, especially now, so she left that to her mother and Sarah while she and her father waited for them in a small inn located on Fleet Street. Oliver had managed to disappear with the excuse that he already had a previous engagement with a friend. Bridget did not mind one bit being left alone with her father.
They were both comfortably seated in their chairs, and it was these silent moments when she could sense with the eyes of her soul how he was beaming down at her. That feeling almost brought tears to her eyes every time, but she would not be caught crying in public, ever.
She listened to the sound of a young lady’s footsteps then the gust of hot air as she placed the teapot to Bridget’s right. She could hear the sound of the teacups which clinked ever so gently as the lady placed them down as well then the lowering of another bowl and something metallic tinkling as it touched the bowl which most probably contained sugar. Once all the tea drinking paraphernalia found its place on the table, the lady excused herself, leaving Bridget and her father alone.
