REMEMBRANCE Page 4

  “Oh my God, Tom! They are coming this way. How do I look Tom?” Dudley stuttered.

  Maria found herself being swept over towards the man occupying her thoughts.

  “Thomas, you remember our Miss Austin?”

  Thomas’s eyes never left her face, “Of course,” he said with a bow.

  “And Mr Carlisle, how good it is to see you again. May introduce my niece, Miss Austin?”

  “It is a pleasure to meet you,” Dudley said smoothly as he bent over Maria’s hand.

  Maria couldn’t help but smile at this young man’s advances. She noted that his lips hovered over her hand but never made contact. She was glad that he was here, though, for she was sure that she would never have conducted herself correctly with the distraction of his blond companion.

  “Good, good. Well, then I will leave you to catch up,” her uncle said hurriedly. “Mind you, don’t keep her to yourself all night, Thomas!” he said laughingly, before his large body disappeared among the guests.

  Left alone in the company of the two young men, Maria had found that her brain had become numb from being in the handsome stranger’s proximity. She stood beside him dumbly, not knowing what to say to break the sudden tension that was building between them.

  “And how did you find school?” Thomas inquired softly.

  Nervously, she raised her eyes to his face, noticing how the sensual shape of his mouth widened as he smiled. She found herself unable to take her eyes of the soft, and oh so kissable lips. She was suddenly very aware of his alluring presence; her senses had shockingly come to life and the slight scent of shaving soap, mixed with his natural aroma, reached her nose, causing her to lose the power of speech.

  “Err… umm… you know… umm, it was school,” she stuttered.

  “Really?” There was a hint of amusement in his voice.

  “Yes really,” she returned his smile.

  Dudley shuffled just out of the corner of her eye, taking her attention. “I went to Oxford myself, never really learnt a great deal while I was there. But the women...”

  Thomas nudged him quite sharply in the side, “Don’t you have to be somewhere else?” he whispered to his friend.

  Dudley looked at him bewildered, “Who me?”

  Thomas raised his brow, “Yes you. Don’t you remember the two ladies you were telling me about?” he tilted his head.

  Dudley, finally getting his meaning, stuttered, “Oh yes, I see an acquaintance over by the refreshment table… Em, so if you will excuse me, Miss Austin.”

  “By all means, Mr Carlisle.”

  Maria watched him walk away, unsure of his sudden departure and then turned back towards the God-like figure beside her. Boy, he was everything she could have envisaged her dream man to be. ‘Gorgeous’ was the only word that came to mind. Why they never made men like this in the real world was beyond her; even Richard couldn’t match up to this man. As she saw the mischievous twinkle in his eyes, she noted something very familiar about him, and she felt as if she had known him forever. An unexpected fire ignited within her, pulsing through every muscle. How could a man, any man, affect her in such away?

  “Thomas Bradley,” she said teasingly, then halted! How did she know his name? Confusion formed in her mind—how did she know him?

  “Ah, back to formalities I see, Miss Austin?” His voice was low, as he did not wish to draw attention of those around them.

  “Formalities?” she questioned.

  “When we are in company, remember?”

  She didn’t remember, but she was saved from any response she might have given, as the small group of musicians strung their instruments very formally to signal that the dancing is about to start. Most of the guests took to the floor. The ladies swirled with their skirts about their ankles and the men moved straight-backed and dignified.

  Thomas was aware of her discomfort; she had been out of this circle for a good number of years and he knew that it had to be very difficult for her to find herself thrown into the jaws of society on the first day of her return.

  “Would you please honour me, Miss Austin, with the next dance?” he requested.

  He had tried to make her feel more at ease, but seemed to have caused the opposite effect, as her pretty eyes widened in fear at his suggestion.

  She shot him a scared look, “Oh no… please… I pray, do not make me dance. I am all feet and no grace…” She stopped, for she had noticed the way his one eyebrow had lifted quizzically.

  His gaze absorbed the slender figure in the fine silk dress and the beautiful face of the woman that stood before him, “I really cannot believe that you, Miss Austin, have no grace.”

  An incredible sensation invaded her body as he devoured her with his eyes, “No…I… I really can’t remember how,” she confessed.

  “Come now, Miss Austin, they must have taught you a great number of things at that finishing school, including the art of dance?” The hint of mischievousness was back in his voice.

  “I… err… please I beg you, I am truly hopeless.”

  He leaned his face close to her ear. He was now so near that she felt the brush of his breath against her skin and thought that she might faint from the rush of blood that rose in her cheeks as she heard him whisper, “Let me guide you, M.”

  Slowly, she turned her face to his and she found that she was only inches away from those oh so kissable lips, his breath mingled with her own. His irises were like the clearest lagoons; she had the feeling that if she were only to dip her toe in to their cool depths, the rest of her would follow. She would spend the rest of eternity wallowing in a fantasy of her own making. So effulgent were they that, for a split second, everything and everyone around them ceased to exist. In that moment, all was silent, except for the beating of their hearts.

  “Miss Austin, Miss Austin,” the voice broke through into their world.

  Dragging his eyes away from her face, Thomas corrected his stance and moved a step away from her as the young gentleman moved into their circle.

  “Miss Austin, would you kindly give me the honour and have the next dance with me?” the young man requested politely.

  Now, she was truly stuck, having already refused Thomas, who would have likely been less offended by it. She knew that to refuse this other man would be downright rude. She shot a glance at Thomas, who raised his eyebrow in wait of her reply to the young suitor.

  “I’m sorry… Mr…. err?”

  “Grainger, Alfred Grainger, Miss Austin,” he informed her.

  “Pray, forgive me Mr Grainger, but I have already promised the next few dances to my good friend, Mr Bradley here,” she gave Thomas a knowing glare.

  The young man looked quite put out, so she added hastily, “Maybe later, Mr Grainger.”

  With that, he bowed and contentedly moved away.

  Thomas leaned slightly towards her, before noting in a low teasing voice, “I see that you have made an impact with your beauty already.”

  “Don’t be ridiculous,” she shot at him.

  “Which part of that is ridiculous?” he asked almost innocently, as, once again, his eyes reflected his humour.

  She couldn’t help but laugh, “The part about me being beautiful.”

  He looked at her, amazed that this magnificent creature he had the good fortune to know could not see her own qualities. Was she completely unaware of the effect her loveliness—her golden hair arranged lightly about her creamy cheeks, green eyes framed with thick dark gold lashes and lush pink lips that beckoned to be kissed—had on all around her? He was sure there were a great number of gentlemen in the room tonight that would give their right arm to be standing where he was right now.

  “Well, shall we see how graceful you truly are?” he raised his hand to lead her to the dance floor.

  Reluctantly, she accepted and nervously took her place amongst the other couples.

  She couldn’t remember the last time she had enjoyed herself so much as she whirled around the floor with her handsome
partner. Being the gentleman that she found him to be, Thomas made no comment at the several mistakes she had made. Finally, as she regained her steps, she managed to relax.

  “See, graceful as a swan,” he joked.

  “But only because of my attentive partner.”

  His radiant skin and his eyes shining with adoration—an aura about him—made her want to reach out and feel the soft texture of his face, and an incredible longing to feel the heat of his breath on her own. What was happening to her? How could a dream feel so real? Why was it that she felt as if she could lose herself in its void and live and breathe the sensation forever?

  “I would gladly be your attentive partner for as long as you wish it,” he broke her train of thought with a reply to her last remark.

  “Then you shall be my slave for life, Thomas Bradley,” she laughed.

  “As you wish, Mistress Austin,” he bowed with a smile.

  All too soon, the music stopped and she reluctantly let herself be led off the floor in search of refreshments. She gratefully took the long-stemmed glass from his smooth fingers and started sipping at the bubbly liquid.

  “You dance very well, Mr Bradley,” she complimented, “I believe that you may have had a good teacher?”

  “Ah, my secret is out. Is it that obvious that I have been coached? I thought that I might have been able to convince you that it was one of my hidden talents, but alas, that is not to be.”

  The enigmatic smile he gave sent her pulse racing and little butterflies dance in her stomach; for the second time in one evening, her legs were trembling. She found herself hypnotised by his blue eyes and felt ready to lose herself in their watery depths. As she observed him with renewed interest, she thought that she saw the flicker of an emotion just before his impossibly long lashes covered them as he blinked.

  Maria sighed as, even in her dream, she seemed to be plagued with the same issue that pursued her in her waking life. She just couldn’t come to grips with the fact that she had supplicated such an alluring man. It was just her luck that this transcendent person would be married, leaving her utterly desolated.

  “Are you married, Mr Bradley?” she blurted out.

  He looked at her shocked, “Married?”

  God, how embarrassing! Had she really asked such a hideous question? Trust her to know how to ruin a perfectly good fantasy with a few simple words. His laugh had her raising her eyes to his face. Certain that she had put her foot in it; she was relieved to realize that she was mistaken, for he seemed humoured by her remark.

  “I see that you have not lost your sense of humour M! No, I am not married.”

  “Oh!” she reined in her surprise, “Why not?”

  God, there she goes again; she and her big mouth!

  He smiled down at her, “I have all I need, including wealth and privileged position, and I am in no hurry to tie myself to matrimonial bonds. There is nothing anyone would have that would entice me to enter such an arrangement.”

  “Oh!” was all she could say, for she felt more than a little disappointed by his abrupt response.

  Thomas noted the deflation in her face, “Not that I won’t ever get married, of course; but I would only reconsider changing my mind if I find the right person…”

  “You make marriage sound like an inconvenience.”

  “Not at all. I do believe that marriage could work well if the two people truly love each other. Unfortunately, though, society today dictates that it should be undertaken to enhance one’s position or acquire more wealth.”

  “And you believe that such arrangement is wrong?”

  He threw her another of his devastating smiles that made her stomach flip over, “There is no wrong or right with societal decisions. It works very well for those in need of a higher title, or lacking wealth. But those of us that lack in neither find it overbearing, constricting.”

  She stood in silence, fascinated by the way his face changed from one expression to another, as his emotions regarding the topic he discussed manifested themselves. She was so focused on the way his lips moved that she forgot to concentrate on what he was actually saying.

  “Would you not agree?”

  Maria snapped her eyes up to his, completely taken by surprise, “Agree?” she questioned dumbly.

  He chuckled quietly, not wanting to draw attention of other guests to their conversation, “Have you heard a word I have said?”

  She drew herself up to all her five foot, six inches, “Of course I have,” she said defensively, “You were discussing...what society dictates.”

  “I was?” Thomas asked questioningly. This made her a little nervous and she tried to backtrack on their conversation in her mind. Having realized that she must have missed his last few sentences, confusion started forming on her face, when she caught his crooked smile. “You’re teasing me?” she finally said, as it dawned on her that she hadn’t missed anything at all. His smile broadened. “Thomas Bradley... you...If all the men in these parts are just like you, then I fear I shall never marry, for I am certain that it could only bring me heartache and distress,” she muttered defiantly.

  Thomas started to laugh.

  “Why are you laughing Mr Bradley?” she asked, confused by his reaction.

  “I never thought that I would see the day that you, Miss Austin, would be put out by a little jest and I would dearly like to see your uncle’s face when you refuse every suitor’s offer—and I can assure you that there will be many.” He looked at her boldly, as if waiting for her to deny it. “Your uncle has spent a great amount of money on your education. In my view, he did so in an attempt to tame the wild child into something that society would regard as the perfect lady. Do you really think that he would sit back and watch you turn into an old spinster?”

  “Spinster is such an ugly word! Where I come from, there is no age limit on when a woman should marry.”

  He laughed again, “You are such a delight; so refreshing. It is a pleasure to listen to your views!” He leaned closer and she all but held her breath. She was sure that her heart would burst from her chest at any moment. “Still, I will give you a word of warning, M—society does not have the same opinions that you and I hold, so it would be best if this conversation stayed between you us. Why let on to your uncle that he has wasted six years and a lot of money grooming you, only to find that the wild child is still hidden under the more mature exterior?”

  Maria gave him a quirky smile, which caused his heart to flip over; he had half-expected her to poke her tongue out at him, as she had done on many such occasion as a child. He was finding it very difficult to keep his feelings in check. It had been a long time since they had last seen each other and there was so much that he wanted to say and ask. Regretfully, he recalled the last time they had been together, and just how much between them had gone unsaid. He realized that, now that she was no longer a child, she had possibly outgrown their friendship. He, on the other hand, had not.

  He was about to add something else, when, to his frustration, Mr Grainger happened upon them and swept Maria away to claim his dance.

  As he watched her walk away, he was immediately engaged in conversation by an elderly lady, who happened to be an acquaintance of his mother’s. As she chatted about the state of the weather, he tried to position himself so that he could acquire a line of sight on the woman of his intentions, as she danced with the handsome Mr Grainger. He saw the way she smiled at the young man as he engaged her in conversation and felt the little flicker of jealousy edge its way into his chest.

  “So Tom, the ugly duckling is transformed into a beautiful swan,” Dudley spoke, once he was back at his side.

  “So it would seem.”

  “Shall I save you from a fate worse than death, my dear friend?”

  “What?” Thomas asked distractedly.

  “I am your protector, after all, just in case she still holds her childish fantasies.”

  Thomas swung round to his friend, “I need no protector.”

&
nbsp; “No?” Dudley asked innocently.

  “I have the situation completely under control.”

  Dudley glanced to where Maria was dancing, “Not that I’m jealous at all—well, maybe I am a little. I will go as far as to admit that, if she were to look at me the way she looks at you, I would be just a mere puddle at her silken slippers.”

  “That is nonsense, Dudley; she looks at me no differently to how she would look at you or anyone else.”

  “You think?” his friend chuckled, “Then God help you when she really does.”

  Thomas decided to ignore his friend’s remarks, and gave Maria his full attention, watching her every move. Several times throughout her dance with Mr Grainger, he had caught Maria’s eye. He scolded himself silently, for he was a grown man and he should have been able to conquer these feelings. He had never been beholden to a woman before and, sure as hell, he wasn’t going to start now. She was a beautiful woman; still, he had known many a lovely lady in the past and knew that their beauty was rarely reflected on the inside. Still, he wondered if it would be the same with Maria. He tried to convince himself that she was no different from the others and should be treated as such, until proven otherwise. He resolved that he should stop mooning over her like a lovesick calf. Just as he had convinced himself to keep a little distance, another young buck approached her for the next dance and he could all but refrain himself from going over there and snatching her away.

  As Maria took another turn on the floor with Mr Alfred Grainger, she found him to be very charming, and he was keen to make conversation throughout the dance. He had an easygoing nature, which she found relaxing after spending the last few dances with several other young gentlemen that persisted on battering her with questions and trying to encourage her to take a stroll in the gardens.

  “It is a great honour to be invited to Sir John’s ball,” he had said as they passed each other, “you are newly returned from Scotland, Miss Austin?”

  “Yes, Mr Grainger you have been correctly informed,” she smiled, but she couldn’t quite keep the frown off her face.

  “I must say, Miss Austin, that it is a very fine ball that your uncle gives and there were many that had wished to have been invited that were not.”