A Lady's Fate

Chapter Four - Mary

Lady Helena and her father were kind people; of that much, Mary was certain. If she could just explain Margaret's situation to them, she felt certain they would not hesitate to offer any support Margaret required – financial or otherwise. Undoubtedly the prim and proper Lady Helena would raise an eyebrow at the less-than-virtuous situation Margaret had ended up in – but Mary truly believed that, once the initial shock had subsided, the good lady would instantly step in and assist them.

Margaret had been completely adamant that Mary shouldn't breathe a word, though – so what could Mary do but honour her friend's wishes? The burden of the secret was almost too great to bear at times, but somehow Mary managed to continue on without divulging the truth; comforting herself with the promise that she would disclose the secret if it appeared at any point that Margaret was in immediate danger, although she prayed to God each night that such a scenario might not come about. For now, she could do nothing but remain silent, and hope in the meantime that her friend came to her senses.

With a heavy sigh, Mary rose slowly to her feet, drawing her shawl about her shoulders as she crossed the enormous room to confine her letter to the safety of the desk drawer. Catching sight of herself in the looking-glass, Mary fought back the urge to giggle as she was reminded once again of how silly she looked. Her vivid red locks had been wrestled into soft, elegant ringlets – apparently, there was a right type of curl for a lady's hair, and the wild, tight spiral of hers was in fact the very opposite. Dressed in a simple white morning gown which did nothing for her pale complexion, Mary grinned at the thought of what Margaret would say if she could see her now.

What fun they could have had, if only they were together now! Margaret had often allowed Mary to dress up in her gowns, the pair of them helpless with laughter as Mary stumbled carelessly over her own feet in Margaret's delicate little slippers. Funny how similar her current situation was; here was Mary, all dressed up in an elegant lady's clothes, playing a part. Playing pretend.

And for Margaret's sake, Mary would play the part with everything she had.

With fresh resolve, Mary cast aside her shawl, exiting the safety of her bedchamber with an attempt at poise and grace. The situation was not all lost; Lady Helena clearly had her suspicions, but if Mary tried very hard to act like a lady at all times from now on, perhaps her earlier slip-ups might be forgotten. They had not seen each other for some days now – Lady Helena had been confined to her suite whilst her scolded legs recovered – so hopefully now would be the perfect chance to make a clean start, following a most sincere and heartfelt apology.

Mary was so lost in thoughts of how best to secure Lady Helena's friendship that she hardly realised she had made her way down to the entrance hall; much less that there was a strange man standing in the centre of the room. It was only when he spoke that she finally looked up, blushing at her rudeness – a blush which only deepened as she took in the impeccably-dressed young man before her.

With tousled blond hair and youthful blue eyes, he looked to be a few years older than Mary – perhaps closer to Lady Helena's age. Though his clothes were dusty from travelling, it was evident from the style of his breeches and the shine of his boots that this man came from wealth. Quite the contrary to snooty Lord Something-or-other, however, this man's open, kindly expression instantly put Mary at her ease. That warm smile made Mary feel she could instantly trust this man. She found herself overcome with an inexplicable sensation that he would somehow be capable of causing all her worries to simply melt away...

"I do not believe we have had the pleasure of meeting," he was saying, his voice clear, yet comforting, like a warm embrace. "I am Sir Edmund Wills, Lord Alverton's nephew."

That smile!

Mary, much to her utter humiliation, found herself rather taking leave of her senses. Perhaps it was due to the loneliness which had consumed her at Alverton Hall, but she found herself suddenly overwhelmed to be treated with such simple, honest kindness by this man, as if she were his equal. Lady Helena had been all politeness, that was sure enough – but Mary was well aware that her hostess clearly thought herself superior to Mary, and just about everyone other than her beloved Baron Boring. Imagine if Lady Helena ever came to learn the extent to which she outranked Mary in society!

Sir Edmund, however, seemed unconcerned with such matters – although Mary did at least look the part of a lady, so perhaps he simply believed her to be one. Either way, it was simply lovely to gaze upon a friendly expression, having become accustomed only to Lord Alverton's wrinkled brow, and Lady Helena's pursed lips.

It was this, coupled with Sir Edmund's unaffected accent, which put Mary completely at her ease. She was so at ease, in fact, that she found herself completely forgetting the promise she had made herself only moments ago upstairs; completely forgetting the part she was supposed to play.

With utter disregard for the potential consequences, Mary found herself greeting Sir Edmund not as Margaret – but as herself.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Sir Edmund," she replied, with a delighted smile. "My name is Mary."

----------

A/N: Did you like having the chance to find out a little more about Lady Helena's guest? Let me know with a comment if you would like to have more chapters from Mary's point of view, and please give it a vote if you enjoyed! :)

Sorry this chapter was a day late - the family were round for a party yesterday, so things were a little hectic! I hope everyone who celebrates had a lovely Christmas, and I wish you all a very happy new year x