The room began to buzz as the patrons were instructed to take their seats to begin the game. "Ana Marie...!! Have you heard a single word I've been saying to you??... Cecily exclaimed loudly in her ear. "Come on... we've been invited to sit at the table with Lady Beth and Lady Beatrice. We must go take our places. Hurry... I'm getting rather curious now to see how this game is played. It better be worth what you are putting me though."
Gathering their skirts and making their way across the room Cecily and Ana Marie found their chairs and were seated and comparing their cards and wondering about the rows of numbers when suddenly Ana Marie felt the hair stand on the back of her neck. She looked up and saw Lord Gregory sitting at the table in front of theirs, his seat facing hers and again.... their eyes met and time froze. She would get a moment alone with him before the evening was over, no matter what she had to do to do it! Oh this was going to be a very exciting evening... and it would be worth whatever punishment she may suffer at her mother's hands later. She'd make sure it was!
Cecily glanced up in time to see the two of them making a spectacle of themselves in front of everyone and warning bells went off in her head. She knew Ana Marie would involve her in her shenanigans one way or another... and she did not look forward to it one bit! Then she saw who else was sitting at the table with Lord Gregory and Mismerelda!
"Ladies and Gentleman... if I might have your attention please that we may proceed with tonight's game festivities....." a voice loudly interrupted.... drawing everyone's attention to the front of the room as quiet replaced the previous chatter of voices.
The man's voice continued on, but Cecily's heart raced and she could scarce hear the instructions being given on how to play this new game recently brought over from abroad.
Ana Marie happened to glance at her friend and noticed the sudden paleness on Cecily's face. As the instructions were given in the background her attention focused on her friend... "Cecily.. you are absolutely white!.... What's wrong???"
Cecily dared to look up at Lord Gregory's table once again... and Ana Marie's gaze followed hers. She couldn't see what could possibly have drained the color from her friend's face... until the person sitting 2 seats to Lord Gregory's left looked up from his cards and their eyes met. How dare he show his face here again thought Ana Marie angrily to herself. "So he's come home again I see!" she whispered to Cecily.
How many years had it been since the scandle erupted thoughout the township.... five? Five long years for her dear friend Cecily to heal from her broken heart over the loss of her dear brother. Drowned. Taken so young.... and because of the man sitting at Lord Gregory's table now. Sitting with them all as if he had done nothing wrong at all.
Ana Marie felt her gaze being pulled away from her target and she found her eyes once again meeting those of Lord Gregory. Seeing a sense of alarm, or possibly fear on Ana Marie's face filled Lord Gregory with deep concern.
The room began to once again fill with the sound of eager voices as the instructions were concluded and all prepared to start marking their cards for this evening's games. Unable to approach the table across from them to inquire as to the concern seen on their faces Lord Gregory leaned over to Mismerelda to make as inconspicuous an inquiry as possible for a Gentleman to make. Being rather new to the territory and not yet knowing much of the history of the towns people he did not want to alienate anyone by making improper advances into areas not of his place to tread.
Mismerelda looked over at Cecily and Ana Marie and quietly contemplated how best to handle a possibly volital situation. She had not known till right before they arrived to take their seats at their table that Samuel Johnson had returned home and was attending tonight's function. She would have forwarned her friends if she had had time to do so.
Fortunately Dame Gwen began to create a slight rucus with her inability to grasp the makings of this game and was seeking some extra help... giving Mismerelda the break in the activities she needed to be able to as quickly as possible alert Lord Gregory to the identity of the newcomer sitting at their table.
"Ana Marie..... I don't know if I'll be able to remain here with him in the same room. I knew he would come back home some day and I thought I was prepared for it...but it was just such a shock to see him so suddenly like this.... all the memories and the emotions are coming to the surface too fast for me to control them. What should I do??? I can't make a disruption this evening... I can't do that to my parents. They've been through enough. Help me find the strength to get through this evening till we can get out of here. Tell me what to do..... I'm about to come out of my chair in madness!"
In an almost on-purpose move, but one that happened so quickly she couldn't be absolutely sure later if it was indeed on purpose or pure coincidence, Ana Marie reached out her arm to comfort Cecily and her glass of wine went flying across the table and spilled all over Cecily's cards and onto her dress....and they both leaped out of their chairs at practically the same time. Fortunately a room attendant was close by and came to them quickly and ushered them away from the table to the lady's privacy quarters to tend to the gown. They were able to escape the room with only a minor commotion and one that would not bring disgrace to Cecily's parents. Although in truth... Ana Marie knew Cecily's mom would not be too happy about the stained dress. Minor indeed compared to the situation at hand however.
As Lord Gregory saw the ladies leave the room, he knew they would not be returning to finish the games this evening. And he wished he had an excuse as well to get up that very moment and leave and follow after them. Sometimes it was almost a curse to be gentleman.... because there were times he certainly did not feel like being a gentleman insomuch as having to obey society's rules and customs required of him.
As the room began to settle down again, with the table spaces cleared that Ana Marie and Cecily had occupied, and with Dame Gwen seemingly once again content and ready to resume the marking of her card, Lord Gregory took the opportunity to take a look at the man he'd taken an instant dislike for even before meeting him. Samuel Johnson. And what he saw in Mr. Johnson's cold eyes and smug expession made it all too clear to him that their meeting at a later date would not be a pleasant one at all...at least not for Mr. Johnson.
Lord Gregory rather looked forward to that time. After all, he was indeed a Gentleman... and Gentlemen were at their best when protecting and defending those they cared for the most. And with anger and emotion that quite surprised him he thought to himself he would not let his Ana Marie suffer at the hands of the likes of this Johnson fellow....
Realizing the thought he had just had, Lord Gregory stopped to pause. "My Ana Marie" he repeated to himself cautiously. A newly awakened gleem came to his eyes. Yes, he rather liked the sound of that. He also realised he may just be thanking Samuel Johnson for returning home, before it was all over. Something very good may just come out of it in the end.
The smile he returned to Johnson may have looked friendly to others, but the look in Lord Gregory's eyes conveyed the clear message to Johnson that it was not friendship, but a challenge that was being conveyed.
The question that waited an answer... was When and Where?
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