Still, I fretted through three dances over Mr Rikkard bloody Ambrose! Only when I caught sight of Wilkins and Ella dancing a few paces away did I remember that I had other worries tonight as well. Remorse shot through me. For the moment, I had completely forgotten about protecting my little sister from Wilkins' overdone attentions.
Well, if I wasn’t going to saw a hole in the ballroom floor through which Wilkins could be disposed of, I couldn’t do anything while they were dancing. Afterwards, I swore to myself, I would become the most steadfast buffer in the history of womankind.
But my kind sisterly plans were cruelly dashed. By the time the dance had finished and I had manage to disentangle myself from my partner and rush to my sister’s side, the evil flower-presenter was nowhere to be seen.
‘Where’s Sir Philip?’ I asked.
‘I don't know.’ Closing her eyes, Ella sighed and leaned against my shoulder. I let her. I had originally come to serve as a sisterly buffer, but I might just as well be of use as a support column. ‘Somebody told him something, and he excused himself. Honestly, I don't care. I only care that he’s gone for the moment. Oh Lill!’
Her eyes fluttered open again, and I saw moisture glinting in there as she looked up at me imploringly. ‘What should I do? What in God’s name should I do?’
I was about to answer her (and a very clever answer it would have been!) when Sir Philip appeared out of the multitude around us, an eager smile on his face. I noticed that the sunflower he had brought along for Ella was sticking out of his buttonhole, rather clashing with his green and red waistcoat.
‘My dear Miss Ella… oh, Miss Lilian, you’re here, too? How wonderful! Where’s the rest of your family? Ah, there!’
He waved them over eagerly, and they came, interested to see what he was so excited about. I was starting to have an idea and felt a dark pit of dread opening up in my stomach.
‘What’s the matter, Sir Philip?’ Maria asked, breathless - maybe a bit more breathless than absolutely necessary. ‘Is something wrong?’
‘On the contrary, my dear, something is right.’ He beamed at all of us. ‘Remember that I told you of this special guest who would be here tonight?’
They all nodded. The black pit in my stomach grew by leaps and bounds. My knees wobbled.
‘Yes, of course we remember.’ Anne’s eyes had become very large. ‘You don't mean…’
‘…He’s here!’ Sir Philip triumphantly finished. ‘I have just bumped into him. I’ve known him for some years, and I’m sure he’ll sacrifice a few minutes of his valuable time for my sake. Ladies, it will be my pleasure to introduce you to one of the most wealthy and eminent personages of the British Empire.’
I cleared my throat. ‘Um… do you really think we should waste the valuable time of such a man?’ Cautiously, I started edging backwards. Maria threw me a venomous look. Apparently, she was already determined to conquer the heart of this mighty, mysterious man.
Oh my dear sister, if you only knew…
‘I’m sure he’ll be delighted to meet all of you. Come, come.’ Without further ado, Wilkins took me and Ella by the hand and started leading us towards the windowed front of the ballroom. In his boundless enthusiasm he didn’t even notice that I was digging my heels into the ground and he more or less had to drag me across the ballroom.
Bloody hell! Let go of me! I don’t want to see him! I can’t! Not in a dress! He’ll… Blast, I don’t know what he’s going to do, but he’s going to do something!
But for a weedy man with a flower fixation, Sir Philip was surprisingly strong. In spite of my resistance, I was towed forward.
Others were not so reluctant. Lisbeth, Anne and Maria were giggling and whispering with each other, hard on our heels. Even Ella and Gertrude displayed a modicum of excitement. And as for my aunt… she was practically bursting! Golden coins were shining in her eyes instead of pupils.
‘Please, Sir Philip…’ I tried to wrest my hand from his grip. ‘I would feel embarrassed, meeting such a great man.’
‘Nonsense. Whyever would you?’
Because unlike you, I know what he keeps chained up in his cellar!
‘Because… because I am a very modest person, that’s why! And very shy!’
Turning her head towards me, Ella gave me a look of pure incredulity. She almost forgot to look where she was going and stumbled over the hem of her own dress. I suppose I couldn’t blame her. She was my sister, after all, and knew me well.
‘Oh, if that’s the only reason, you do not need to worry,’ Sir Philip assured me. ‘My friend’s manners are perfectly unassuming and charming.’
What?
I was so surprised by that description that I actually stopped struggling for a moment, and my knightly tugboat was able to drag me the rest of the way.
We arrived at a tightly-packed group of individuals. Mostly they were men - the most expensively dressed men I had ever seen, in midnight-black tailcoats and brilliant waistcoats with golden embroidery. They were centred around somebody we couldn’t see, all talking excitedly.
For one last time I tugged at my hand, desperately trying to get away. But that blasted Wilkins held my hand firmly. There was no escape.
Wilkins tapped the shoulder of one of the men who were barring the way.
‘Would you be so kind as to step aside for a moment, please?’
No! Don’t be kind! Be mean! Be rude, please! Be bloody impertinent and stay where you are!
‘I would like to introduce these ladies to my honoured friend.’
No! Bloody hell, no!
In spite of my internal pleading, the men in front of us parted. Out from between them stepped another man. I blinked in surprise. He was lean and he was tall, just like Mr Ambrose - but there was no way this man could be mistaken for my employer. He had longish blonde hair that was combed back in elegant waves, a slightly curvy, hawk-like nose and light, steel-blue eyes.
Even if all this could have been faked and underneath that inviting exterior somewhere lurked the brooding self I had suspected to find here, there was one characteristic which definitely identified this man as somebody other than Mr Ambrose: he had a broad, inviting smile on his face.
‘Ah, good evening, Wilkins. What a pleasure to see you again.’ The blonde man bowed to Ella’s admirer, who in turn bowed back. ‘And who, if I may ask, are these lovely ladies you have brought with you?’