I manage to get to the back of the room, and a servant comes in with some starters just as I am about to leave. I go out the same way and head for the kitchen where Eleanor thinks Millie is, the doors are already open and once inside, I see a horde of cooks walking around with dishes in their hands, others chopping vegetables. Everything is going so fast that I almost feel dizzy. There is an indescribable noise in this room, a mixture of voices, of food cooking and it is difficult to concentrate.
Suddenly I feel a hand on my shoulder, I turn around and see the one I was looking for, Millie. Without saying anything she hugs me and I put my hands on my back in a quick hug. She steps back after a moment and looks at me from head to toe. She is breathless and I can feel her being impressed. I can't help but look at her myself, and she is unsurprisingly beautiful, dressed in a big, bright blue dress that comes down just above her heels. Her shoes are navy blue and I can see flowers sewn into them in every colour. It suits her perfectly. I was going to say something but she speaks first.
"I have no words, you look amazing, did you choose all this?" I see her spinning around to get a better look at the dress from all angles and I feel my face heat up.
As she repositioned herself in front of me with a puzzled look, I replied. "Actually, Barbara helped me, she knows a lot about fashion, more than I do, so I went to town with her to buy the dress and even the gloves. But Millie, you look beautiful too, trust me."
She nodded slowly and smiled, "Thank you Elsie, I must admit she has a lot of taste, but considering how beautiful you are, I think anything would fit. Come on, follow me, let's go to the dance hall."
I return her smile and follow her before telling her. "I seem to have bumped into your aunt while trying to find you earlier." Millie freezes and turns her head as I stop and I want to laugh at the look of confusion and shock on her face.
She's talking up. "Oh my god, you talked to Eleanor, what did she say to you?"
I burst out laughing with my hand in front of my mouth and answer. "Nothing bad, don't worry about it, she just told me you talked about me. You would have said sweet things about me."
She sighs with relief and says. "Okay, I know she likes to tease sometimes so I'm glad she didn't say anything embarrassing."
I chuckle. "Don't worry, she looks really nice. She wishes we could talk again some other time."
Millie hums and nods. "I know, I really like her and I don't see any harm in her being a friend with you."
I smile widely and we walk back into the dance hall, I follow Millie as she walks to the edge of the hall and I see some very large tables with lots of food on them. I see that there is seafood, salads, cheese, bread in abundance. Clearly, there is enough to last all evening.
Millie comes closer and says in my ear. "So, are you hungry? Do you have a choice, or would you rather drink something?"
Unfortunately, I don't really feel like eating at the moment, my stomach is still a bit knotted. " I would prefer to drink something please."
She nods and brings me a glass of champagne and takes one for herself as well. We toast and both take a sip. I feel the singular fizz in my throat and the unmistakeable slightly sweet taste on my tongue.
Millie asks me. "So, what do you say?"
I close my eyes and answer. "It's divine, I've never had anything like it. But I have a question."
She looks at me in amazement and moves closer to me to listen. "What are you going to do if there is any food left tonight?"
She smiles widely and her lips approach my ear so I can hear her better and answers. "I think you'll be happy to know that I'm planning to give the leftovers to charity. What can be saved will be given the day after tomorrow. I would also add soup, of course, but I think people would like to eat some of what we have tonight. Would you like to join me in the distribution?"
My eyes open wide and I feel my heart pounding in my chest. This woman is so unbelievably generous, I furiously want to kiss her but obviously I can't right now. I look into her eyes and say. "I would love to be with you that day Millie, thank you for being who you are and setting an example constantly."
She smiles shyly, surprised by my compliments, but suddenly the music changes, and the expression on Millie's face too. She takes a step back and holds out her hand to me before saying. "Elsie, may I have this dance?"
I nod nervously and take her hand, and we move to the centre of the room as many couples do the same. I position myself as she taught me, her left hand in my right and our other two hands on our shoulders. She holds my gaze and asks. "Are you ready?"
I take a long breath and answer. "Yes, Millie, we can start."
Millie takes the first step, and I follow her movements to the rhythm of the music, everything goes well and I manage to keep my gaze on her. We dance together and I relive the scene in my head where she taught me everything. The hall has become much quieter and you can hardly hear anything except the orchestra and the sound of the steps during the dance. This time I feel even more confident and I can see that Millie is proud of me, the couples around us give us curious looks but every time I meet their eyes I see them smile. Everything is perfect and I wish I could dance with her like this forever. After a long time of dancing, I feel my feet getting tired and I feel that Millie feels the same way and we both stop, but we stay very close.
Millie talks. "I think we can take a break, you can sit on one of the chairs if you like, I'll go round the guests and talk with them for a bit, but I promise I'll join you soon."
I catch my breath and answer. "Yes, let's do that, thank you for that dance, it was magical."
She answers with a big smile. "You're welcome, and I agree with you, it was exceptional."
We part ways, and I move on to one of the chairs set up at the edge of the room as some continue to dance. I settle down and finally rest while continuing to listen to the music played by the orchestra. I dream as I look down at the floor, imagining what would happen between Millie and me in the future, I want to believe in us more than anything, and even if we have to fight for it, I will never give up. I frown as I see a pair of black shoes standing in front of me, I look up and see a man with a cocky smile on his lips asking me. "My lady, you are sublime and I would like to ask you to dance with me."
I really needed a man to come and disturb me now...