How the last trivial matter could still be on her mind, she had no idea. Perhaps because it was but a simple problem to solve. In any event, Georgiana immediately left the ballroom, not caring where she went. The matter of repairing her hem came to the fore once again when she found a small, empty parlor.
Once inside, with the door shut behind her, she decided it was the ideal place for her task. Searching in her reticule, she finally found the needle and thread.
“Ah, there it is,” she said aloud to herself. Threading the needle with practiced ease, she began to sew her hem with a simple basting stitch which ought to last for the rest of the evening.
As she was finishing, Georgiana felt her thoughts drifting back to Walter. He called me Mrs. Rowley. But why? Was it because I arrived here with Ambrose? I wonder what could have given him the impression we are married?
“Ouch!” she exclaimed, as her drifting thoughts caused her to accidentally prick her finger. She was wearing white gloves, and, of course, she had pricked her finger hard enough to spot her glove with blood.
Georgiana glared at the offending spot, then heard Ambrose calling for her. With a sigh, she made a knot and put the needle and thread away before leaving the parlor.
Inwardly, part of her was glad the worst of the evening was over. After all, how much worse could the evening possibly get after coming face to face with Walter?
Chapter 6
After having said that one sentence to Georgiana, Walter found he couldn’t bear to be near her a second longer. He made his way through the crowded ballroom without purpose.
Though Miss Rutherford had given him the pleasure of the first dance with her, it would have been rude to the other guests, as well as highly inappropriate for her to have given him the second, as well. Therefore, she was currently enjoying her second dance of the evening courtesy of the other gentlemen.
Even if that were not been the case, Walter knew his mind could not have taken in anything Miss Rutherford might have said to him anyway.
Finally, he saw an open door leading outside. Quickly taking it, he found himself in a part of the Burford gardens. He went a short distance further, just far enough to be out of sight of the house.
Taking a deep breath, Walter ran a hand through his hair and looked up at the night sky. Despite his best efforts, the bright stars and cloudless night reminded him even more of Georgiana. One specific memory drew him back to their shared past…
“Shhh! You are going to get us caught!” Georgiana told him in a loud, amused whisper, as her feet touched the ground outside her window.
“Me, get us caught? You are the one who is going to get us caught if you don’t stop laughing.”
That had started up her laughter once again, despite her best efforts to contain it. “I … I can’t help it!” she told him, nearly gasping as a few stray tears went down her cheeks.
“Was quoting Shakespeare under your window really that amusing?” he asked half-insulted, as he led her away from the house. He couldn’t be truly insulted at anything which made her laugh so lightheartedly, even if it were at his expense.
“Not really, but it was the way in which you did so! Was wearing the wig and the hat really necessary?” Georgiana said, as soon as she managed to get her laughter under control.
“I thought it would add … authenticity to my performance,” he had replied, slowing their pace as they arrived at the rose garden. They admired the light of the moon on the roses and shared each other’s company in silence for a while.
“You do know, if my uncle catches you here at this time of the evening, we will both be in a world of trouble,” she had finally said with a smile at him.
“And yet you still agreed to walk through the garden with me,” he pointed out.
“Hmm. That is only because of how lovely the stars are tonight,” she retorted, turning her gaze up to the clear, starlit sky.
“In that case, shall I tell you about them?”
“Yes, please. Though I can never find them, I do enjoy being shown where the constellations are.”
“But have you heard any of the stories behind the constellations?”
“Stories?” she had asked curiously.
“Take that constellation, for example,” he began, moving close to her to better point out one particular set of stars. “Those stars are called Gemini. If you look at them a certain way, they seem to be two stick-figure men hand in hand.”
“And there is a story behind them?” Georgiana asked.
“Yes. That constellation is named after a story from Greek mythology. Castor and Pollux were twins from the same mother but with different fathers. Pollux was actually a son of Zeus, and from his father he got immortality.
“However, that never came between the two brothers, who were as close as two brothers could possibly be. Eventually, though, Castor, being mortal, died. Pollux could not bear to live without his brother, so he pleaded with Zeus to do something. His father then made them both into a constellation, so they could be together for all time.”
“Goodness,” Georgiana had said in a quiet voice after staring at the constellation for some time. “If they had not been twins, that might seem quite romantic.”
As she had looked up at him then, her hazel eyes gazing straight into his gray ones, he had seen the stars reflected in her gaze. She was still standing quite close to him. “Yes. It would,” he replied in an equally quiet voice.
He still had no idea who had moved first, but the next moment their lips met gently in a stolen kiss. It was not long or deep, but soft, like a promise, or a whisper.
“Miss Georgiana!” They both jumped apart at the sound of her lady’s maid calling for her out of her window.
“Oh dear, Lucy will come out here next. You had best leave through the side entrance,” Georgiana told him hurriedly, as she headed back towards the house.
But Walter caught her for a moment. “And what about you? I don’t want to leave you in trouble by yourself.”
With a smile and a quick peck on his cheek, Georgiana tried to put his mind at ease. “I will simply say I went for a walk in the rose garden and looked at the stars. Now go!”
Walter had begrudgingly released her, but had watched her for a moment longer, catching with pleasure her backwards glance as she reached the side door just as Lucy was opening it from the inside.
Walter sighed as the memory ended. He ought to put such thoughts behind him. She was married now. To someone other than himself. Nothing could ever come of it, no matter what he felt.
With a few deep breaths, he put on a smile, and then calmly walked back into the ballroom. He hid the relief he felt when he did not see Georgiana anywhere.