“Do you suppose the two of you might meet again?” Francesca asked in a hushed tone that evening.
“I certainly hope not,” Evie huffed as the two of them walked to Aunt Josephine’s room.
“But he saved your life!”
“Adders are not a death sentence. I was more than capable of running from it myself.”
“But you did not. He rescued you, and so he cannot be too terrible of a person.”
Evie considered her friend’s words carefully, and she knew that Francesca was right, but she could not forget how she felt when the man had been following her. He had never explained himself, nor had he truly apologized, and then he was gone as soon as he had appeared.
“Be that as it may,” Evie said with a sigh, “he did not leave his name, nor did he ask for mine. It does not matter whether or not I believe he had good intentions because I shall never see him again.”
“But if you did, what would you say to him?”
“Nothing at all—Francesca, are you listening to me?”
“Evie, I have only ever known you to be good and kind to everyone that you meet. Now, you have had this gentleman stumble upon you, and you hated him instantly. It is not who I know you to be.”
“He did not warrant any kindness!” she snapped. “He ambushed me after following me through the garden. That is not the sort of person deserving of another chance. He turned out to be a man that was not dangerous, as far as we know, but that does not mean I should trust him or even give him another thought.”
“Very well.” Francesca sighed wistfully. “But I shall always wonder what might have been.”
“Should you ever find the time to.” Evie laughed gently as they arrived at the door. “Do you suppose she saw me before?”
“She might have, but I doubt that she would be angry with you for that. After all, it is not as though you wanted to be alone with him.”
Evie raised an eyebrow at her. Her Aunt Josephine always found a way to make problems her fault, and she doubted it would stop here where she had truly tempted scandal.
“I see.” Francesca nodded. “In which case, I shall offer you my full support once you return.”
Evie took a breath, steadying herself before opening the door to the study. Her aunt was inside, a tea tray on the table in front of her. Evie knew what to do when she saw this and began pouring it for her.
“I suppose you know why I summoned you.”
“Yes, Aunt Josephine,” Evie said carefully. “And I apologize profusely for my misgivings.”
“As you should. But you should know that I still expect you to aid me in the preparations.”
“Preparations?” she echoed. “What are we preparing for?”
“So you do not know why I summoned you. Do not lie to me, girl.”
Evie tried not to furrow her brow. She had been called into the room to be chastised, had she not? What other purpose could it possibly have served to do?
“As you know,” her aunt continued, “as members of the ton, it is the expectation that we shall host two balls during the current Season. I have chosen to be the hosts for this weekend, but that leaves me with the usual question of what I am to do with you.”
“I would be more than happy to attend, ma’am.”
“I am quite sure that you would, but you must know the scandal that would occur the moment you made a mistake, which is bound to happen.”
“But I never did anything wrong when I was out in society. In fact, I was seen as the best young lady in London.”
“And a whole lot of good that did you.”
Evie bit her tongue, smiling through what she was being told.
“Before my father passed,” she explained, trying not to beg and plead as she knew her aunt could not stand it, “I thoroughly enjoyed attending balls. They were wonderful evenings and I only ever made a good showing of myself. I cannot see why you won’t allow me to attend when it is to be held in my very own home.”
“That is where you are wrong,” Aunt Josephine said firmly. “This is not your home, and it has not been since your father passed. Do you not understand the gravity of the situation that he left you in? If it were not for me, you would have been destitute, and it is only out of the goodness in my heart that you are not out in the streets.”
“And I thank you profusely for that.”
“Thank me with your actions, not with your words.”
Evie was quite certain that she did thank her in that manner, given that she did the vast majority of the tasks in the household without ever seeing a penny, but it was apparent that it was not enough. She wondered exactly what would be.
“I am not doing this to be unkind,” Aunt Josephine said, her tone much calmer than before. “I am doing this for your own good. I have only your best interests at heart, and to have you out in society so soon after what your father did…I simply cannot see you like that.”
Evie wondered if this was truly her aunt’s reasoning, but it did not truly matter. There would be no arguing with her, nor reasoning, and if she wished to have even the faintest amount of joy in her life, then it was simply better to appease her.
“Very well,” she replied sheepishly. “It is as you wish. I truly am grateful for all that you have done for me, and if you wish for me to show such gratitude in this manner, then I am more than willing to comply.”
“Good. There may be hope for you yet.”
There would not be, not ever, and Evie knew that, but it was easier to smile and nod and thank her. At least that way, she could leave far sooner.
“So?” Francesca asked upon her return. “Are you to be out in the streets?”
“It had nothing to do with the gentleman at all, thankfully.”
“Oh! That must be the first time that she has ever missed the comings and goings of her household.”
“I believe it was because she was far too preoccupied with crafting a way to tell me I cannot attend the ball this weekend.”
“The ball on Friday?” Francesca asked, eyes wide. “But you simply must!”
“How did you know there was a ball?”
“My mama told me. It is a masquerade ball, and so we also have to work double time to find places for masks.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I assumed you knew, and so when you did not mention it, I thought it was because you had more to worry about than attending some party. Oh, Evie, are you truly not going?”
“I cannot. My aunt was very clear about it. It would be too shameful to have me cavorting around in front of her guests after all that happened.”
“Well, do you wish to go?”
“More than anything. I do not mean to sound ungrateful, truly I do not, but I have not had a moment to enjoy my life in two years now.”
“Then it is simple: you go.”
“Fran, I know that you are only trying to help, but I cannot. My aunt—”
“Has organized a masquerade ball. Thus, you shall have your face covered, and she shall never know it is you.”
“And what if she does?”
“Then you shall only be back where you started, as a servant girl.”
“She could just as easily throw me out into the streets.”
“And destroy her reputation? Evie, the ton loved you. They would not look kindly upon your disappearance, for one. Besides, if she rid herself of you, the entire household would fall apart with all that you do for her. She does have some semblance of intelligence to her, you know.”
“Well…”
“Just go,” Francesca almost pleaded. “This is your home, no matter who claims to be the owner. You have to attend, and I shall do all that I can to make sure that you do. Do you trust me?”
“Of course I do, more than anyone else I know.”
“Very well, the matter is settled. However, there is one favor I must ask of you.”
“What is it?”
“Could you possibly handle the kitchens with my mother tonight? I have to do something else.”
“Francesca, what are you doing?”
“You told me that you trust me, and I shall need you to follow through with that.”
Evie opened her mouth to protest, but her friend had vanished.
***
The evening of the ball came, and Evie had not said anything more on the matter, nor had she heard anything, and so she had thought herself free of it. Instead, she could finish the preparations and hide away in her bedchambers so that her aunt could tell any guests that asked that she was feeling under the weather.
Upon entering her room, however, she realized that her friend was simply very good at hiding things.
Standing in her room was Francesca, who was holding a beautiful blue gown. It was the color of the sky, and completely perfect for her.
“Francesca,” she breathed. “How did you…Where did you—”
“Put it on now and ask me later.”
Evie was used to dressing herself, as she had done it every day since her father had died, but Francesca swatted her hands away and tightened her corset and helped her to dress. She had been placed facing away from the mirror, and when she turned around she gasped, as did Francesca’s mother, Rose, who had entered just behind her.
“You look just like her,” she said with a smile. “Your mother, but that is hardly any surprise.”
“What do you mean?”
“Her hair, it was just like yours, and your gown, well…Francesca can explain that.”
Evie looked to Francesca, who had turned a soft pink.
“I found it in the attic,” she explained. “That was where I was going when I asked you to handle some of my work. I found it, and it was so old that it was gray and unrecognizable. It was perfect.”
“But it is blue now.”
“Yes. I spent hours trying to get it clean once more. There were also a few holes to fix, but my mother took care of most of my work, and I managed to find another maid to help me, too, and now…Oh, Evie, please tell me that you like it!”
A single tear fell down Evie’s cheek. She could never remember what her mother looked like, but with what Rose had said, it was clear that she could have a good idea by simply looking in the mirror.
“It is perfect,” she whispered. “I do not know how I shall ever repay you.”
“You have been my friend for years,” Francesca said with a laugh. “This is a gift, and I do not expect anything from you other than the promise that you will have the most incredible night possible. Can you do that?”
Evie looked at her friend and nodded with a confidence that she had never had before.
“And who knows,” she continued, “perhaps you shall meet your prince and leave this place for good?”
“I do not think there will be any princes in attendance tonight. My cousin has always gotten what she wants, even at my expense, but even a prince couldn’t make such a miracle happen.”
“Then a duke, or an earl, or a baron. This ball is being held so that Imogen can find a husband, I am not so naive that I do not know that much, but she does not need each and every one of them. It is about time that you found someone and started all over again.”
Evie agreed with her sentiments, but she simply could not accept the possibility that they might come true. Magical evenings filled with hope and wonder were not for ladies such as her, and as lovely as it was to dream of a suitor who would rescue her from her life of servitude, she knew that it was exactly that and nothing more, a dream.
Even so, she had to marvel at how sure Francesca was, and her enthusiasm was infectious. No matter how far-fetched it was, Evie wanted to believe, even if there was truly no reason for her to anymore.
“Even if you do not find a suitor…” Rose said gently, embracing her. “Have an unforgettable evening, and do exactly what pleases you instead of what will incur the least amount of wrath from that wretched aunt of yours. You deserve this, dear. Do not forget that.”
“I will not,” she whispered before taking her mask and slipping out of the servants’ quarters and into the hallway.
Out of the shadows and into the light, Evie only had one thing on her mind: she had spent so long dreaming of a day where she could be out in society, but now, what was she to do?