She did not reply for some minutes. The others continued walking directly past them, while Miss Shaw simply looked up into his eyes. Pools of tears began to form as she held his gaze and James began to fear that he had made a great mistake. Perhaps he had spoken much too openly, long before she was ready to hear what it was that he had to say.
“You astonish me.” Her thin voice had her closing her eyes as two tears ran down her cheeks. “Before we were introduced, I felt a very strange emotion, but I simply could not understand it. It has lingered on within me despite my fears and my urgent desire to stay away from you, for fear of what you might discover. Now that my guilt and shame and fear has been assuaged, my feelings are finally permitted to be free, and I find myself eagerly drawn to you in much the same way as you describe. I did not think that you would ever say such things to me, but it seems that you are more of a generous gentleman, more of aforgivinggentleman, than I had ever imagined. You cannot know my gratitude. The fact that you would wish to remain acquainted with me is incredible enough, but to consider me in an evengreaterdepth is more extraordinary than I can take in.”
“Then you would be happy to deepen our connection?”
Her smile bloomed big and bright, and James knew the answer before she said it.
“Yes, Lord Pottinger. I would be very glad to do so indeed.”
Chapter Ten
“You have spent a good deal of time with Lord Pottinger recently.” Mary tipped her head as Tara finished adjusting her gown. “I know that there has been much to discuss, but our plan was solidified some ten days ago, in preparation for this evening. You are eager for his company, are you not?”
Mary did not hold back her questions, and Tara, in turn, felt no desire to hide the truth from her sister.
“I have very much been enjoying Lord Pottinger’s company,” she admitted. “He and I have a shared desire to further our acquaintance with one another, regardless of the situation and the outcome which may follow.”
For a moment, Tara feared that her sister was about to frown her displeasure at such a situation, only for Mary’s eyes to flare and for her, at the very next moment, to fling herself at Tara.
“I am so very glad for you. I am soveryglad to hear this news!” Mary squealed, her arms wrapped around Tara’s neck. “There is something of significance between you then, is there not?”
Mary’s hands went to Tara’s shoulders as she pulled back to look into her face.
“There may be,” Tara replied cautiously. “The situation is delicate enough as it is, and as you know, given that this evening is the masquerade, we have had a great deal to discuss. But yes, in short, we both found ourselves with the same sense of affection for each other - which I must confess is the strangest of situations given thatIwas the one who caused him so much pain!”
“Except that it was not your doing,” Mary reminded her, drawing back. “He is clearly as aware of that as I am. I am so very happy for you, Tara. I am sure that he is an excellent gentleman, although I cannot say that I know him particularly well, given that you arealwaysin conversation with him!” Tara was immediately about to apologize, only to see the twinkle in her sister’s eye. A blush ran up her cheeks. “You are happy, then?”
“I amveryhappy.” Tara smiled softly, her gaze going away from her sister as she thought about Lord Pottinger and all that they had shared these last few weeks. “He is an excellent gentleman who has such a forgiving heart. He is good and gracious and kind in all things. There is a bond between us that has been forged from the difficulty we both faced and yet it has brought about this magnificent joy that simply will not remove itself from either of our hearts. I cannot tell you how much I long to be in his company. When we are apart, it seems as though the world has gone grey.”
“I am both astonished and delighted to hear you speak so.” Mary pressed Tara’s hands, blinking some quick tears away. “This is what I have longed to see for you, and in a way, it also lessens my own guilt. You may tell me as often as you wish that I was taken in by a gentleman who ought to have known better, but be that as it may, I know that what I did was wrong. Had I not behaved so, then perhaps none of this situation would have occurred.”
“But then might I not also say that I would not have become acquainted with Lord Pottinger?” Tara asked, softly. “Good has come out of the darkness. I only hope that we are able to find the person responsible this evening, so that he will not injure anyone else in the same way as he did you.”
Mary nodded, but dropped her head. Tara stepped forward, eager to say more, but her sister let out a small sniff, lifted her head, and then smiled.
“I will not lose myself to melancholy,” she stated, as Tara smiled back at her. “There is much to do this evening. Let us go and see if we can find the gentleman responsible for all of this suffering, so that we canallbe filled with a great sense of relief.”
“I am quite sure it shall all come to pass as we wish,” Tara agreed softly. “Is your mask prepared? Do you have it ready?”
“I certainly do.”
Mary giggled as she moved across the room, only to turn back to face Tara, her face hidden by a dark blue mask that was covered in peacock feathers. It shimmered as she moved, and Tara could not help but laugh.
“Good gracious, I do not think anyone will be able to recognize you!”
“That is the idea, is it not? Come now, where is yours?”
Tara gestured to the rather plain mask which was sitting on the bed beside her.
“It hides my features certainly, but it is nowhere near as ornate as yours! Not that I have any intention of hiding away this evening.”
Her sister’s eyes glowed.
“I am very glad indeed to hear you say that. The days of you hiding in the shadows and pushing me forward are gone. You are a young lady in your own right and deserve to be treated so.”
“I thank you.” Picking up her mask from the bed, Tara waved it at her sister. “Are you quite ready?”
Mary dropped the mask from her face and smiled, although it faded quickly.
