We came round to the front of the house and Thomas leaped down to make sure that no one helped Olivia into the carriage but himself. Rosie stood at the door watching, all dressed in her night-out finery, and ready to set off for the frying of that fish she had mentioned. Olivia hurried into the carriage, nearly dropping her oranges, overcome as she was with excitement and nervousness.
Then we were trotting along to the Massinghams’.
Theirs was a large, imposing residence backing onto the Park, and carriages were already lining up at the door while their masked occupants alighted. Passers-by watched with amusement as we went into the house.
There was no formal greeting for the whole idea was that nobody knew who anyone else was.
“Ten minutes to midnight,” said Olivia warningly, as we left the carriage. “No later, Thomas.”
Thomas touched his cap. “I know, Miss Olivia. Before they take off their masks, eh? Wouldn’t do for anyone to see who’s who.” He was overcome with amusement.
“That’s the idea, Thomas,” I said.
“Well, ladies, I hope you enjoy it. You can rely on old Thomas to get you back.”
He went off chuckling and Olivia and I went to the ball.
The salon was on the first floor and it made a sizeable ballroom. It looked very grand decorated with flowers, and the musicians were playing as we entered. From the windows I could see the garden below— looking very romantic in moonlight. White chairs and tables had been set up down there, and beyond, the Park looked like a mysterious forest. I caught a glimpse of silver through the trees and guessed that to be the Serpentine.
I kept close to Olivia. Two men came up. One was dressed as a Saxon in a tunic and cross-over laces about his legs, and the other was a very elaborate gentleman from a long-ago Court of France.
“Good evening, lovely ladies,” said one of them.
We returned their greeting. One had taken my arm, the other Olivia’s.
“Let’s dance,” said one.
I had the Saxon and Olivia went into a waltz with Richelieu or whoever he was supposed to be.
The Saxon’s arm tightened about me. “What a crowd!”
“What did you expect?” I asked.
“I shouldn’t be surprised if there are some uninvited guests here tonight.”
I felt myself go cold with fear. He knows! I thought. But how? Then I calmed my fears. He was just making conversation.
“It would not be difficult to walk in,” I said.
“Easiest thing possible. I assure you / received my invitation from Lady Massingham.”
“I am sure you did,” I said.
It was difficult to dance, so crowded was the floor. He said: “Let us sit down.”
So we did, at a table in a corner among some green palms.
“I thought it would be fairly easy to discover who people were,” he said. “After all we do meet often, don’t we? The same crowd all the time. This ball … that occasion … and out come all the young ladies to meet the elected young gentlemen—all carefully vetted by cautious mammas.”
“I suppose that is inevitable in a small community.”
“You call this a small community?”
“The accepted social circle is not very large.”
“Are you surprised when you consider the qualifications one must have to enter it?”
“I didn’t say I was surprised. I was merely offering an explanation.”
“Have you guessed who I am?”
“No.”
“Nor have I guessed you. I know the young lady you were with though. I’ve met her before.”
“You mean …”
“Didn’t you know? I thought you came together. But I suppose you just met on the way. She was Olivia Tressidor. I’m sure of it.”
“How can you be sure? She was heavily masked like the rest of us.”
He laughed. “I’m still puzzling over you. I intend to discover before masks off.”
A man had come over to us.
“Cedric the Saxon,” he said, “are you being tiresome to the noble Queen?”
We laughed.
“I was trying to probe her disguise.”
The other sat down with us and leaned his elbows on the table looking at me intently. He was dressed as a cavalier. There were several cavaliers present.
“That’s part of the game is it not?” said the cavalier. “To guess who’s who before the final revelation?”
“I wagered Tom Crosby that I would discover the identity of more of our young ladies than he does,” said the Saxon.
“At least,” I put in, “we now know you are not Tom Crosby. You have betrayed that much.”
“Ah, my dear and most gracious Queen, how do you know that I did not say that to deceive you? What if I am Tom Crosby?”
“Anyone would know you were not Tom Crosby,” said the cavalier. “I wish you luck with your gamble. Why don’t we dance?”
He had bowed to me and I stood up. I was rather glad to escape from Cedric the Saxon who had probed Olivia’s disguise so quickly. I thought he was too inquisitive and I wondered whether he had an idea that I was not one of the circle.
The cavalier was a good dancer. I was quite good too, for a great deal of time had been devoted to that social grace at the finishing school.
We danced in silence. In any case there was too much noise and much suppressed laughter. I glanced at a Japanese lady far too large for a kimono; she was fluttering her fan in a very coquettish manner towards a portly Henry the Eighth. My companion followed my gaze and laughed. “A rather incongruous combination,” he said. “I wonder how the geisha girl strayed into the Tudor Court.”
We had stopped dancing and were close to a window.
“It looks inviting in the garden,” he said.
I agreed that it did.
“Let’s go,” he said.
So we slipped away. It was certainly very pleasant out of doors. He led me to one of the white tables and we sat down.
“You puzzle me,” he said. “I don’t believe I have ever met you before.”
“You probably did not notice me.”
“That’s what puzzles me. I am sure I should have noticed you.”
“I don’t know why.”
“Come, that’s scarcely worthy of the serpent of old Nile. You look the part to perfection, by the way.”
I sat back in my chair. I was beginning to feel a great excitement. It was the atmosphere; the people in their masks; the balmy evening; the moonlight on the Park; the soft music which was coming from the salon. And perhaps the fact that I was not supposed to be here. It made the evening such an adventure.
I felt bold. These young men must discuss the girls whom they all knew because they were invited to every social function. I could imagine that Cedric the Saxon was not the only one who made bets about the girls. I was amused. None would guess who I was for the simple reason that none of them had ever met me before.
I said: “Your companions in arms are here in force tonight.”
“Rallying against those despicable Roundheads.”
“I saw only one of those among all the cavaliers. Who are you? Rupert of the Rhine?”
“I didn’t aspire so high,” he said. “I’m just an ordinary servant of the King, ready to defend him against the Parliament. Is it not pleasant here, Your Highness? I am not quite sure whether that is the right way to address a Queen of Egypt.”
“Highness will do until you find out.”
“Had I known I was to meet you I should have come as Mark Antony. Or perhaps Julius Caesar.”
“I daresay Caesar will appear sometime tonight.”
“I shall have to be careful then. What chance would a mere cavalier have against him?”
“It would depend on the cavalier,” I said pertly.