| |
A few days later Angustias prepared herself to attend a ball given by the Cornwalls. She was happy. Her dress was a true piece of art. Her friend Sonia had given her some advice. Sonia had introduced her to some beauty secrets and creams that would help hide her freckles and make her look better. Sonia had also helped Angustias with her hairstyle. When Angustias looked into the mirror, she felt like crying. The image in the mirror showed a stranger. A very different woman to the young conservative lady she used to be. Her cousin was attending the ball with her. She had assured Angustias that she would be a success tonight. But she had also insisted on getting rid of that rosary that didn’t go with the dress and made her look boring. Angustias gave in, but she didn’t have a lot of expectations regarding the ball. She knew she was a little clumsy when dancing. She had found this out at the balls she had previously attended. Men avoided her for her awkwardness and for her unattractiveness. Not even the dowry that her family was willing to provide was enough for men to take an interest in her. Secretly, Angustias was happy with the way things were. She didn’t want to get married. She was terrified of the whole thing: the flirting, the kissing, sleeping with a man, giving birth to children, and living with someone for the rest of her life. Angustias didn’t know if someone would treat her right or not. Her mother used to tell her that marital life was always a sin. You had to be intimate with a man and it was also necessary to have children to continue their legacy. If the wife happened to fail to provide a male descendant, she was set aside. It was the turn of the mistresses. Men were always looking to have a son to be their pride and heir. Angustias mother would never let her forget the fact that her father had abandoned them upon her birth because she’d been born a girl. He’d felt disappointed. On top of that, she was the result of an immoral act, full of sin. Labor was so hard because it was a punishment for the woman. It could even result in death. After her mother’s lessons, Angustias didn’t want to lose her soul over love.
A knock on the door reminded her of the time. “Milady, they are waiting for you downstairs.”
“Tell them I am coming, Juliette.” Angustias took a last look into the mirror. Then she stepped outside the room.
****
Inside the ballroom, everyone was dressed in their most elegant attire. Angustias looked from one side of the room to the other. It was impossible to locate the Marchioness of Wilmington in the crowded room. Angustias joined her cousin in greeting familiar people. Then she noticed that her friend Sonia was with her husband. The marchioness looked beautiful. Although, Sonia had always been pretty. The marquess and marchioness were absorbed in a conversation with a group of people when Sonia saw Angustias. Sonia’s eyes widened, and she whispered something into her husband’s ear. Then she separated from the group and walked towards Angustias.
“I think Lord Stanton is over there. I will go and say hello to him. Will you join me?”
“I’ll go in a second, cousin. I want to talk to the marchioness first.”
“I will see you later, then.” Her cousin walked away. Angustias was thankful for the opportunity to have a moment alone with Sonia. The marchioness was walking straight toward her and she had a big smile on her face. Once she was in front of Angustias, she hugged her.
“You look gorgeous, my dear.”
“Thank you.” Angustias was anxious. “I never thought I could look like this. I don’t recognize myself when I look in the mirror. It’s all thanks to you.”
“My dear friend, I didn’t do anything.” Sonia smiled with affection. “You just needed some advice. You are a beautiful woman. It took only a nice dress and an appropriate hairstyle to show your natural beauty.”
“I think people are looking at me strangely,” Angustias felt uneasy.
“They are noticing your elegance and beauty. You have been hiding it so much,” answered Sonia with a smile. Angustias was wringing her hands. Sonia put her own gently around them. “It is going to be alright. You will see. Gentlemen will come to you like bees to honey.”
“I am not sure that´s what I want.”
“Well, prepare yourself. Here comes the first.”
Angustias turned to see the Count of Beaufort approaching.
“My, my. From the other side of the room, I saw you talking with a beautiful young woman. I thought I had to meet her, Lady Wilmington. But now that I see who it is, I have to say that I am pleasantly surprised.” He looked at Angustias face and was stunned by her beauty. She didn’t resemble the bitter-looking woman he had met before. The count was used to seeing her dressed in dark clothes, with tightly styled hair, and resembling an old maid. In fact, when they had both attended previous balls he had never given her a second look. The Angustias that he knew was not known for attracting attention inside the crowd of single ladies. Even the rumor about her uncles willing to provide an absurdly huge dowry didn’t raise enough interest.
“You look charming, Miss Walton.”
“Thank you, Lord Beaufort.” Angustias blushed when she answered. She regretted it immediately. “I imagine it is hard for you to say something like that,” she couldn’t help but scold him.
“Not at all, Miss Walton. I am just being honest.” The count looked at her small dance card. “I assume it must be full,” he said pointing towards it.
“Not yet. We have only just arrived.”
“I am sure it will be full soon,” said Sonia.
“I also believe so,” said the count looking across the hall. “I have to talk to someone. Please, excuse me.”
Isaac Beaufort left so quickly that it surprised both ladies.
“Well.... I guess lord Beaufort will not be one of the names on my card,” Angustias said, a little disappointed.
“Did you want him to be on it?” asked Sonia.
“Not at all.” Angustias was playing it cool. “You know that the last person I want to dance with is Lord Beaufort and his big ego.” Both ladies started to laugh. They watched the count walk away. Angustias wondered what had caused his quick exit.
*****
The night was ending and as Sonia predicted Angustias dance card filled up rapidly. Angustias cousin was happy. Every time someone expressed interest in dancing she would tell him what a good match Angustias was. She would talk about her ancestors and even make comments about possible children. Angustias rolled her eyes and looked at her cousin like she was crazy. Angustias was tired of the loud music, the people, and the heat. She needed a brief rest and a breath of fresh air.
On the other side of the room, the count danced with a beautiful young woman, Lady Adele Morton. Angustias had heard that Adele was the daughter of a duke. Adele was the personification of elegance, wealth, and beauty. Angustias didn’t know why, but she resented the fact that both of them were having such a good time. It filled her with fury. She knew the count to be a Casanova, a heartless creature that only ridiculed women. Angustias should have been glad that he hadn’t set his eye on her.
Angustias went out to the balcony. There she spent time thinking and looking at the view of the beautiful garden. Only a few houses in town had the luxury of a garden. Most of the residences belonging to the nobility were in the countryside. According to Sonia, the houses in the city were only there for the purpose of celebrating the Season or to host members of the House of Lords. Sonia had invited Angustias to her country estate and Angustias was looking forward to visiting. She loved open spaces, the countryside, and rivers. It was difficult to visit such places while living in New York because her mother insisted on keeping her close, to prevent her from committing unpardonable acts either in her eyes or the eyes of God. Angustias sighed, remembering the few times she had visited her cousins beautiful country house nearby in New York.
Suddenly, Angustias heard a noise and from the corner of her eye noticed someone watching from the shadows. She was frightened and when she turned Angustias found the Baron of Bexley looking at her in an odd way. They had danced earlier this evening, and she had found him to be annoying. He kept asking irritating questions about her father, her family, and about who else was courting her. Angustias thought it was rude of him to question her like that in the middle of the dance. However, she replied to all of his questions in a polite but distant way. She was relieved when the dance ended and she was able to walk away.
Apparently, the Baron of Bexley was a persistent man. Angustias hoped that he was not going to court her. Something about him made her feel uneasy.
“It’s a nice night, isn’t it, Miss Walton?”
“Oh! It’s you, Lord Bexley.”
“Did I frighten you?”
“Yes, I must admit you did frighten me. I wasn’t expecting someone to hide in the shadows.”
“My apologies. I didn’t mean to give the impression that I was stalking you. I was just breathing a bit of fresh air. If I am bothering you...”
“No, my apologies. I was just rude. I am feeling a bit overwhelmed because of the dance and the crowd.”
“There is no need to say anything else. I feel the same way. These gatherings tend to overwhelm me at times and I come outside sometimes to breathe some fresh air.” The baron came a bit closer. “I have just thought of something. How do you feel about visiting the gallery that houses our host’s private art collection with me? It is open right now and I can assure you that they rarely display such exquisite pieces of art.”
“I don’t think that is appropriate.”
“Don’t worry. Nobody will think anything bad. I wouldn’t hurt you, Miss Walton.”
Angustias looked at him for a moment. There was nobody around that could help her to get rid of the baron. She told herself the best way to get the whole situation over with quickly was to agree. Then she could return to the ballroom and her cousin as quickly as possible.
They walked arm in arm into the gallery. Angustias confirmed that the paintings where marvelous. The colors were impressive.
“They are beautiful,” Angustias said, admiring the paintings.
“I told you so,” said Bexley, while walking behind her he looked at her body. She had wide hips that he liked and delicious creamy breasts that were advertised by the low neckline of her bodice and that he would never have imagined that she had. When he had decided to court Miss Walton for her dowry he had thought it would be a great sacrifice to court a woman who looked more like his old aunt than like a beautiful young society woman. When he saw her today he noticed how she had changed. The other bachelors devoured her with their eyes and Bexley knew he must take preemptive measures before one of those other idiots did so.
Angustias wasn’t attracted to him, but he could fix that. Every woman, especially those that were of an age to marry were susceptible to scandals and she wasn’t an exception. His plan was to discredit her in front of everyone. If she was found in a compromising situation with him she would have no other option but to marry him whether she wanted to or not. Surely, her family would force her to marry. Bexley smiled, satisfied with his plan, while he followed Angustias from painting to painting.
Isaac was tired of laughing and talking nonsense with every woman that he found at the dance. He was bored and walked toward the exit after saying goodbye to his hosts. He was walking across the doorstep when he noticed Miss Walton walking towards one of the rooms with Lord Bexley. She wasn’t dancing. He thought this was extremely suspicious, because Lord Bexley had an even worse reputation than he did, and he was sure that if Angustias had been aware of Lord Bexley´s unsavory reputation, she would have run away as if the devil itself was chasing her. The only reason that he could think of for that individual to guide Angustias into an isolated room was that he had dishonorable intentions. The baron would know that everyone was in the other room and it would be easy to take advantage of Miss Walton and force her to accept him as a husband. That would be the type of thing that the baron would do. Isaac knew Bexley well. He was aware that the baron had lost a lot of money recently. Bexley was a business partner in a trading company that suffered a loss as several of their ships had shipwrecked on a voyage from England to India. During a casual conversation, Bexley had confessed that he would be forced to marry in order to pay off his debts. Isaac had also heard Bexley say that he wouldn’t even care if the woman was as ugly as Miss Angustias Walton. However, today he had been in awe of her. Like everyone else that had seen her.
Isaac decided to follow the couple. When he arrived at the gallery, he noticed the door was closed. He heard noises that were coming from inside and when he pushed the door open Isaac found Bexley forcefully kissing Angustias as she tried to fight the baron off. The Marchioness of Rochester followed behind him and Isaac knew that if he didn’t do something fast Angustias reputation would be ruined forever. Isaac ran quickly toward them, pushed the baron aside, and grabbed Angustias around her waist. The marchioness entered and looked at the two men with suspicion. Angustias didn’t know how to remove Isaac’s arm from around her waist.
“What is happening here?”
“The count has just found us....”
Before Angustias could finish saying the words that would force her to marry Bexley, Isaac heard himself speaking out the words that he had never thought he would say, “Miss. Walton has just accepted my proposal of marriage.”
“What?” Angustias exclaimed, surprised. Isaac only widened his eyes as a signal for her to be silent.
“As you can see my fiancée is still in shock.”
“Oh, dear. Don’t panic. We have all gone through this but not everyone in the same manner.” The marchioness looked accusingly at Isaac. “The proper form of etiquette for this was to speak to the girl’s family first,” she smiled, “but the youth of today are rather hasty. I think congratulations are in order.” After those words, the Marchioness of Rochester took Angustias’ arm and they exited the room. While Isaac and Bexley stayed behind.
“If you dare say something about Angustias. Or that what just happened is not true I will make sure that everyone knows that you are ruined and just how low you were willing to go to take advantage of Miss Walton and obtain her dowry. Do we understand each other?” Isaac looked at Bexley in such a way that Bexley had no doubts that he would carry out his threats. Bexley nodded in agreement, but not without silently promising to get revenge for the affront.
****
The next morning, Isaac had no idea how the news had reached the local paper. The newspaper had dedicated an entire page to inform the whole world that a long time bachelor had finally succumbed to an American heiress. Isaac placed a hand on his forehead and thought about the foolish act that he had committed yesterday and which could not be fixed. He heard some noise while eating breakfast and his butler rushed in.
“Milord, there is a Mr. Walton here. He says he is Miss Angustias Walton’s cousin. He says he won’t leave until he has spoken with you.”
“Let him in, James,” sighed Isaac.
“Of course, milord.” James left the room silently.
Isaac continued to read his paper and drink his coffee, but he knew very well what Angustias’ cousin had come to talk to him about and could only think about the answer that he would give him.
“Good morning.”
“Good morning, Mr. Walton.”
“I will speak plainly. I came because it is a complete lack of manners to announce your marriage with Angustias without even consulting with her family. I want you to explain to me what the hell happened at the dance because before that. You never even looked at her twice.”
“I... I am sorry if I gave you the wrong impression, but I have been interested in Miss Walton since the day we met.”
“That is just garbage and you know it. I love my cousin but I am aware that she is not the most attractive woman and that people are only interested in her dowry.”
“Please, I beg you do not talk like that about her. Angustias is a young woman with many wonderful qualities. That is why I took an interest in her.” Isaac wasn’t going to tell him the opposite considering the cousin’s low opinion of Angustias. “I wanted to take things more slowly, but that changed when I saw the Baron of Bexley’s intention to ruin Angustias’ reputation and force her to marry him. I assure you, the Baron of Bexley was only interested in Angustias’ dowry. I, on the other hand, have no need of it. The only thing I did was rush things a little when I realized it was the only way to save her from Bexley, and also because I am genuinely interested in Angustias.”
“I can’t believe Bexley has fallen so low.”
“Please, do not say anything to him about this. I made a deal with him so he will not object to what happened at the dance regarding my engagement with Miss Walton based on me not saying anything about what he tried to do yesterday.”
Angustias’ cousin agreed with Isaac. He thought maybe Lord Beaufort was being honest after all regarding his interest in Angustias. The man was wealthy and he didn’t need her dowry.
A while later, Angustias’ cousin left the residence of the count. Isaac watched him depart from one of the windows.
It will be necessary to visit Angustias today. I will speak to her, Isaac thought, worried.