"This was a new skill she'd acquired, the ability to look, to the outside world, utterly serene and even cheerful, while, in her skull, all was chaos." Dave Eggers, The Circle
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VII.
Harry was met immediately by acquaintances that were bringing their daughters forward. He smiled at them courteously, before bowing his head, and introducing his sister to them.
John! Katy immediately chastised herself. His name was John, and he had lied to her. Why would he lie to her? Why would he not reveal his true identity if he was to be a resident of Wilshire? Why would he not reveal his true identity if he was to own Wilshire?
Katy's face darkened when she realised the probable reason. Perhaps John had meant to ruin her and had not given her his real name in an effort to hide his identity.
As Katy came to this realisation, her heart physically sank. No matter her reservations or nerves, she had felt a fluttering of attachment to her rescuer and learning that he might not be sincere was truly hurtful. Particularly as the accounts of him since he had arrived in Wilshire had been so positive.
She only grew angrier, embarrassed, and confused as she watched John cheerfully meet the residents of Wilshire. How handsome he looked in his ball attire. He was dressed so finely, and he looked every bit the aristocrat.
It only made Katy feel all the more foolish. How could she have ever allowed herself to feel attached to someone like him? She had run from her rescuer out of fear of these feelings, but it had not occurred to her at the time how impossible and inappropriate these feelings were!
"Katy, are you alright?" whispered Eliza when she realised just how affected Katy was.
"No!" Katy whispered back, her voice thick with the tears that wanted to come.
Eliza grabbed Katy and looked upon her with great concern. "What is it?" she asked, her eyes searching Katy's face desperately.
It then occurred to Katy that she had felt a fluttering of attachment to the man that Mrs Banes meant for Eliza! Oh, what would she say if she ever knew? The thought of hurting Mrs Banes, of causing her any pain or vexation, was unbearable. Mrs Banes would never love her if she knew.
Katy knew she was going to cry, and she could not in this room filled with people. The things they would say.
"Come now, girls," encouraged Mr Banes.
"Eliza," Mrs Banes said excitedly, pulling her away from Katy and pinching her cheeks. "Your best manners, you understand? Nothing about your books or your other nonsense," she stressed.
Katy could not go with them. Instead, she ran from the ball room and went into one of the other rooms in the assembly hall that was being used for food and refreshment. Looking around desperately, Katy decided the table was her best option. She dove underneath a table and pulled the table cloth back down over her. She brought her knees up to her chin and she let out the tears she had been holding in.
***
Harry Everett had never seen so many people in his life, and he had grown up in London. The temperature in this room made one wonder if it was indeed still winter outside, and all eyes were on him.
Harry had never known about his connection to the Earldom of Wilshire. He wondered if his father had known, but as he had died while Harry was still young, he could never ask.
He had asked his mother when the news was announced, but not even she had known. Overnight, he had packed up his comfortable life in London where he had worked for an accountant and had moved to a village in Devon that he had never heard of, where apparently, he owned everything the eye could see. But he could not deny that this inheritance was a blessing.
But Wilshire was apparently where every mother in a ten-mile radius was absolutely desperate for him to marry their daughters. He had met more people since arriving in Wilshire than he had in the six and twenty years he had living in London.
Harry was also quite terrible at recalling names, and so he was being introduced to people this evening by acquaintances that he had quite forgotten the names of.
"Have you seen her yet?" asked Penny Everett, Harry's younger sister.
Penny was referring to the one reason why Harry had insisted that this assembly be a public one. "No," he replied, and not for a lack of looking. Though it was impossible to discern one face from another in this immense crowd.
Harry was quickly claimed by another acquaintance, who introduced him to his wife and two daughters. Harry forgot their names instantly but bowed respectfully and introduced his sister to them.
No sooner had he left that party, he was intercepted by another. Harry recognised the face of the gentleman, but his name escaped him. He brought with him his elegant wife, and pretty daughter.
"Good evening, Your Lordship," he greeted respectfully.
It was still a slight shock to Harry to be addressed so formally. He had always been plain Mr Everett up until a month ago.
"Good evening," replied Harry, searching his mind desperately for this gentleman's name, but nothing came. His recognised this man's face as important but couldn't place why. It did not help that he had met two hundred other gentlemen this week alone.
"Please allow me to introduce my wife, Mrs Banes, and my daughter, Miss Eliza Banes, and my ward, Miss Katy Fairchild."
Harry's heart stopped. Now he remembered why this man was so important. Banes. She had talked about her family, told him about them. And then this man, Mr Banes, had just said her name.
But she was not here. He brought only his wife and daughter with him. Where was she?
Mr Banes seemed to realise at the same time that Katy was not with them. "Where has Katy got to?" he asked his wife.
"Oh, never mind that," muttered Mrs Banes, before she put on a marvellous smile. "Your Lordship, welcome to Wilshire!" she said pleasantly. "We are all so pleased to make your acquaintance. Miss Banes, in particular, is delighted." Mrs Banes nudged her daughter, who seemed to step forward begrudgingly.
Miss Eliza was the first young lady he had encountered in Devon that did not seem to fall over her feet to meet him. He supposed Katy was not included in that, as she had literally fallen over her feet when meeting him.
Nevertheless, Miss Eliza smiled at him, curtseyed, and uttered something pleasant.
"It is an honour to meet you both, Mrs Banes, Miss Banes. Please allow me to introduce my sister, Miss Penelope Everett."
Penny said something kind as Harry looked around the room once more. Surely, she could not be far. She had to have arrived with her family. But then, maybe she had seen him and then she had run away.
It would not be the first time.
He only wanted to talk to her, to understand –
"Oh, how Miss Eliza loves this dance!" Mrs Banes cried as the musicians began to play the quadrille.
Harry was not oblivious to the hint, and it had been awhile since he had last danced. But he knew it was expected, and perhaps dancing might allow him to get a closer look at the couples. Katy could be one of them.
"Miss Banes, might I have the honour of this dance?" Harry asked, extending his hand.
Miss Eliza looked to her mother, who was all but accepting on Eliza's behalf. Eliza then nodded, before uttering, "I would be delighted," and accepting Harry's hand.
Harry walked with Miss Eliza to where the couples were congregating in the centre of the assembly hall. He could feel all eyes on him as the identity of his first dance partner was being quietly discussed.
"Do you enjoy dancing, Miss Banes?" Harry asked as they took their position in the quadrille.
Miss Eliza smiled, more deviously than that of her pleasant smiles before. "I prefer reading," she replied, though Harry was unsure of why such an enjoyment warranted a devilish smile. "Do you read, Your Lordship?"
Harry was not a great reader, though he wished he did have more time for things such as books. He had barely made a dent in the paperwork for the estate in the last fortnight, so he knew that the only thing he would be reading in the foreseeable future was financial papers.
"No," he replied honestly. "Though I wish I did."
"What a shame," she said regretfully, though Harry thought she did not sound at all disappointed. Miss Eliza's intentions were clearly not that of her mother's, and for that reason, Harry did want to better make her acquaintance. She could be an entertaining friend.
Harry looked around the ballroom as they danced, and he could not see the raven-haired pixie that he had met two weeks earlier. Why did she have such a talent for vanishing?
When the dance finished, Harry and Miss Eliza both applauded the musicians. He decided to ask Miss Eliza, even though he knew it would draw unwanted attention from others. "Pray, Miss Banes, your father mentioned a ward, Miss Fairchild, I believe her name was," he said nonchalantly. "I do so want to make the acquaintance of as many Wilshire residents as I can tonight. Where is she?"
Miss Eliza looked around but appeared just as uncertain. "She was here when you and Miss Everett arrived. I was talking to her when Mama dragged me away. I did not see the going of her after that."
That confirmed it then. She had seen him and had run again. What could he possibly have done to drive her away so determinedly? He had saved her life, after all. Was he really so offensive?
Harry had thought of little else in the last fortnight, and Miss Katy Fairchild's disappearing act was making it even harder to concentrate on anything other than her.
"Thank you for the dance, Your Lordship," Miss Eliza said, curtseying to Harry before moving away, craning her neck as she searched.
Harry watched her as she moved from the ballroom, and into an adjoining room. Harry wondered if he could search in there, too, before being intercepted by another party.
He had spoken too soon, and before he knew it, he was conversing with the Spencers. Mr Spencer had been the one to locate Harry in London. Harry thought him a very distinguished, sensible man. His wife, Mrs Spencer, was saccharine sweet, and impossibly complimentary. Harry did not think he had heard a word from her over the past two weeks that was not crediting him for some virtue or another.
But they brought with them their daughter, who was very pretty indeed. Miss Emilie Spencer seemed a little familiar to him, though he had met dozens of ladies already. She, however, was one of the youngest he had encountered, and her nerves seemed to betray her age.
Mrs Spencer seemed like the sort of woman who would be quite ruthless in getting her way, so Harry wisely danced with her daughter, not letting on that he had no intention of marrying a girl as young as Miss Emilie.
***
Katy had stopped crying, and had managed to compose herself, but she refused to come out from under the table for the duration of the ball. She could not risk her meeting with Harry ... or John ... being exposed. The consequences, to her, were far too dire.
Instead, she sat there punishing herself for being silly enough to take the wood path home instead of the road a fortnight ago. If she had only taken the road, she might have arrived home with a cold, but then she would be in no danger of hurting anyone she cared about.
She might have met the earl this evening and never thought about him again. Instead, she had met him two weeks earlier, and had thought about him every day since.
Katy jumped when the table cloth was suddenly lifted, and Eliza crawled underneath to join her. Eliza looked flushed, as though she had been dancing. Dancing with the earl, no doubt.
A foul feeling began to fill Katy's stomach. She was jealous of her dear friend. Jealous over a cad who had lied to her. Jealous because her silly, nonsensical heart wanted to attach itself to a fraud. Jealous because deep down, she was completely unsure of her rescuer, and she wanted to believe the best in him.
"This is cosy," complimented Eliza as she scooted closer to Katy.
Katy let out an exasperated noise before she buried her head in her hands. "Do not tease me," she whimpered. "Or do, I deserve it."
Eliza put an arm around Katy's shoulder. "What on earth could you have possibly done to deserve my teasing?" Eliza was trying to make Katy laugh, but not even her friend could pull Katy out of her misery.
Katy looked up at her friend. "Did you dance with him?" she asked, already knowing the answer, and hating herself for how she felt about it.
"With the earl?" replied Eliza, raising her eyebrows. "Yes. I appeased Mama. Now I can go back to hoping for a pirate to kidnap me." She grinned, still trying to evoke laughter from Katy.
Katy managed a small smile. She was secretly glad that Eliza's convictions were unchanged, but that did not mean that Mrs Banes was going to give up.
"Katy, what's wrong?" Eliza asked seriously, abandoning her humour. "Please tell me. I am worried about you. You are hiding under a table!"
Katy sighed. "Do you remember the stranger I told you about?" she asked. "The one who rescued me in the woods a fortnight ago."
"How could I forget?" replied Eliza.
"It was him," Katy revealed.
"Who?"
"The earl!" she whispered shamefully.
Eliza gasped, an excited smile spreading across her face. "Oh, so that explains why he was asking after you!" she cried, a little too loudly for their hiding place.
Katy's interest peaked, though she knew it should not have. "He was asking after me?" Why would he be asking after her if he had given her a pseudonym? Surely it would be his intention to conceal their meeting as well, if he had not wanted to reveal his true identity to her.
The table cloth was suddenly lifted once more, and both girls, this time, jumped with fright. Katy was met with the same pair of brown eyes that had not left her thoughts in two weeks. He was smiling at her, the dimples in his cheeks deepening.
"There you are."