Edith had settled at the piano, excited to play for the group a new piece she had purchased earlier in the day. She was an exceptional pianist; far outshining Margaret when they were young and took piano lessons together. Edith began her performance with a complicated piano piece by a German composer, mesmerizing the room with the intensity of her playing. As she played, Lieutenant Brandt moved to occupy the chair vacated by Henry Lennox. Margaret smiled warmly as he sat with her.
"We missed your company this afternoon," he said with sincerity.
"My apologies, Lieutenant Brandt. Affairs at home required my attention." Margaret explained. He was encouraged by Margaret's slip. She referred to Harley Street as home. Perhaps she was not moving on, as Sholto intimated. Perhaps, as Edith had gossiped, it was Henry Lennox that kept her in London.
"It has been some time since I saw Maria Louise. How is my young lady?" Margaret smiled tenderly at Brandt, because it was he who had been the most gentle with and supportive of her niece. He had visited her almost daily, finding ways to entertain and ease her anxieties about losing her mother and having her father so far away. With Brandt's encouragement, Maria Louise had shyly come out of her self imposed silence, for fear that her halting English would not be understood. She chatted away with him while she played at serving tea, tripping through a combination of English and Spanish.
Brandt was enchanted with the little girl, because she was open and honest with her thoughts. Knowing something of her pain, his heart suffered with hers because he knew that his son was victim of the same sorrow at the loss of his mother. It had been months since he last saw his son and had resolved to spend more time with his own boy.
He had also come to know Margaret Hale better during this time. Although she was as lovely as when she was 18 years old, Brandt saw a completely different woman now. She was confident, yet she had lost all the haughtiness common to young ladies of London society. She appeared to be more transparent in her thoughts and feelings, no longer playing at school girl parlor games, teasing gentlemen to discover her true intentions. Margaret had become worldly in her travels and had gathered a confidence that exemplified her independence. She was more than capable of taking care of herself, if needed, but it was clear to Brandt that her heart still searched for peace and companionship.And this was what made a match with Henry Lennox rather hard to believe. However, Brandt was harboring a hope that he might be the man to fill that void.
He did not know if he was in love with her, but he was attracted to her forthrightness and intelligence. She was well read and eager to learn of the shifting landscape of national politics. Brandt found her thoughts on social reform to be enlightening; she believed that the education of men and women was paramount to changing the class inequities of society. She also believed that the vote needed to be expanded and include all men, regardless of their wealth or property. Margaret spoke intelligently and based her beliefs on facts she had gathered from study and contemporary writing. Henry Lennox had noted that her cunning in debate would make her a fine lawyer - or worse, a politician.
It had been with considerable effort that Lieutenant Brandt had successfully lived down the persona that Sholto, Edith and Mrs. Shaw created. Since the Crimean War, England had relatively amicable foreign relations and many of Brandt's contemporaries serving her Majesty's service had little else to do but spend money they did not have among London society, gamble and over indulging in alcohol. Brandt was one of the army reformers, who supported a meritocracy and found useful application of his talents training those that were shipped off to India or West Africa to act a s peace time police. He hoped that Margaret saw through the Lennoxs' pretext of a bachelor officer, taking advantage of all the distractions London had to offer.
It actually mattered to Brandt to hear what Margaret thought of him, and as Edith completed one piece and moved to a lighter sing along, Brandt decided that he should like to be Margaret's dinner partner and de facto dance partner at the party the next evening.
"I understand that you have delayed your trip to the north?" Brandt asked Margaret. Margaret looked slightly surprised at Brandt's question. The music had become louder as guests started to join in singing:
When I came to town lately I found-- 'tis no joke,
Men, Women and Children, Were all wearing cloaks;
So I says to myself, Do as other folks do,
And to be in the fashion, We'll wear a cloak too,
Margaret raised her voice a bit to be heard over the music "No, Lieutenant, I have every intention of moving north. Quite soon, actually."
"So you have no need to remain in London? Nothing is keeping you here?" He asked light heartedly, although his intentions were quite serious.
"What are you getting at, Lieutenant?" Margaret looked away as she asked, quite focused on the small group that was singing around the piano.
"You should call me Teddy."
"I'm afraid I don not know you well enough, Lieutenant."
"But you seem comfortable using Henry's christian name." There it was, she thought to herself. This was about Henry's attention towards her.
For we all wear cloaks, We all wear cloaks,
To be in the Fashion, We all wear cloaks.
Young Miss with her beauty-- Her airs and her graces,
In he hood of her cloak Often carries two faces;
Her lover declares She's an angel uncommon,
Till she throws off her cloak, When he finds she's a woman.
"Lieutenant Brandt, i have known Henry Lennox since I was a girl. Surely you can understand. He is like family." Margaret explained.
"Of course, of course. Your cousin tells me that you have a very unique relationship with Henry. He's been a guardian to you ... of your properties ... while you were away." Brandt had backed himself into an awkward corner, which Margaret immediately recognized and sought to set him at ease. "You should not listen to my cousin's idle gossip, sir. Nor my aunt's. Married women make great sport of finding appropriate matched for we poor unmarried souls."
Some Clergymen there are, Of the hypocrite stock,
Who care more for the fleece Than they do for the flock;
You may always know such Before you instal (sic)--
For the larger the salary, The louder the call.
For we all wear cloaks, We all wear cloaks,
To be in the Fashion, We all wear cloaks.
"Miss Hale, I have greatly enjoyed my time in London and I have you and your ward to thank for this. I am glad that I have the opportunity to speak with you now, as I suspect tomorrow evening's festivities will be less opportune. " Here he paused, wanting to chose his words carefully. " I intend to take a leave of absence from my duties at the garrison as I plan to spend some time with my son in the north."
Margaret noticed that he had moved closer to her, and she could feel that very little physical space remained between them. She lowered her head to avoid looking into his eyes and felt a warm blush on her cheeks. She could not find it in her to say what she felt, which was that she had looked forward to his visits, and that a maternal tug played at her heart while she watched him play with Maria Louise. She did not love Lieutenant Brandt, but she understood how easily a woman could. She hesitated as she answered him. "I, I think it is a very good thing that you do, Lieutenant. For you and for your son."
Brandt was relieved that she had helped him in his clumsy attempts to pay her a compliment. Despite his military charm and composure, he found that he lost all vestiges of his training when it came to speaking intimately to women. He relaxed and sat back in his chair. "Miss Hale, I think we should join the others. The songs are quite merry and I believe that despite your serious demeanour," he gave her an exaggerated scowl "you are feeling quite happy this evening. There is certainly something about you. It reminds me of when we were all so young."
She smiled as she offered him her hand, so that she could walk her to the other side of the room. Leaning in, Brandt whispered in her ear "Please, Miss, will you save the first dance for me tomorrow evening?" Edith had given her place at the piano to one of the young doctors who lived on Harley Street. He was engaged to one of the young ladies in the room and coyly made love to her through his song;
Twinkling stars are laughing love,
Laughing on you and me;
While your bright eyes look in mine,
Peeping stars they seem to be.
Troubles come and go, love,
Brightest scenes must leave our sight;
But the star of hope, love, Shines with radiant beams tonight.
Margaret waited for the chorus of the song before she responded. "Yes, Lieutenant. I would be delighted to dance with you."