Page 72 of A Lady's Beloved Novelist
“Yes, I saw some of the surviving men that I used to serve with,” James said. She could see his eyes lighting up as he spoke about them. “Aside from my parents, they are my real family.”
“And your publisher is here somewhere?”
“I did invite him, yes,” James said. He was still a little stiff in talking about it. Andrea knew that it was going to be strange for him to not have to hide that part of himself anymore, but it was still information that had not managed to travel as far and wide as Cecil would have wanted. “I will introduce you to him at some point.”
“I would like that very much. He is the one who has brought your creations to life and made them accessible to people like me. I feel for that that I owe him some thanks.”
They rejoined the wedding party, receiving more applause as they entered the main ballroom. Andrea was so excited to see so many people in attendance. It truly was a spectacle and one of the closing moments of the season. Her mother had warned her that there would be many faces from London, of course, and so she should be on her best behaviour.
At first, the notion had somewhat worried her. She was anxious about slipping up or giving them something to talk about. But she had never felt as happy as she did at that moment, and so Andrea simply basked in the moment. Her smile was unwavering, her head filled with ideas and dreams for the future that lay ahead of her and her husband.
They were making space for the newly wedded couple on the dance floor, and so Andrea and James moved to the centre of the room and took up their positions.
“I wish to dance with you like this a lot more in the future,” James said.
“Yes, we have some time to make up I feel.”
“Even if it is just the two of us dancing to no music?”
“Even in the rain, I would still dance with you,” Andrea said. “I would dance with you forever if that is what you wish.”
Their feet moved about one another as they swayed in time with the sound of strings. The music was beautiful, and the ballroom was decorated and polished so that every inch of it sparkled under the lit chandeliers.
She meant it when she said that she could have danced with him forever. Andrea smiled at the thought of getting to spend the rest of her life with him.
The music was coming to its close when she felt a tap on her shoulder. The dance floor had slowly filled with people who had joined in dancing, but Andrea had been so absorbed in the moment that she had hardly noticed.
“May I have a moment?”
It was her father; his soft eyes were ones that she could not refuse. Whilst her parents had been around for most of her wedding day, this was the first time that her father was pulling her to the side. She could sense that there was something he wanted to say to her, and it caused her stomach to knot.
He was not an easy man to have a good relationship with; he was stubborn and very stuck in his ways, but he was still her father. Since the incident with Cecil, Andrea was pleased to have seen a slight change in her father’s behaviour. He was definitely trying harder to be a better man, and she truly did appreciate it.
“Of course,” Andrea said whilst glancing back at James to let him know that she would be back soon.
“I just wanted to apologise,” her father said once they reached the edge of the ballroom. Andrea was not sure if she had drunk too much champagne, because she could not believe that he had just apologised to her. “I should not have been so sharp with you, and I certainly should not have forsaken your happiness in the way that I did.”
Andrea felt her features soften. She knew that her mother had been speaking to her father about it all on her behalf, and she was incredibly thankful for that. It appeared that some of her advice had clearly resonated with him.
“It is all right, Father. Everything has worked out and so there is nothing more for you to apologise for,” Andrea said with a reassuring smile.
“I know, but I still feel awful. My reasoning was that I did not want you to end up like your aunt. You were not alive when society shunned her for simply existing without a husband. The thought of having to live through watching that happen to my own daughter was something that I wanted to avoid at all costs. I could not bear to think about my only child becoming a spinster, and I did not think that it would bring you true happiness.”
Andrea had known this, but what her father had never seen was how happy her aunt was on the other side of it all. She had her independence, friends and even some family so close to her. Andrea too had often questioned if her aunt truly was happy, and it was clear to everyone that Bella really was doing fine.
“This does mean a lot, Father,” Andrea continued. “I really appreciate you coming over to say this.”
“And I mean it too, I just want you to know that.”
It was true that Andrea really was thankful he had come to tell her such a thing. It was an apology that she had never been expecting to get from her father. He was normally so stubborn in his ways that things like that were just brushed under the rug and never spoken about again. This was a change in him, but it was a positive one.
“Also, I do know that Aunt Bella is very happy,” Andrea said. She motioned over to where the older woman was dancing with one of the younger men who had been in attendance.
Upon noticing that Andrea and her father were looking over in her direction, her aunt raised a hand and winked. Andrea could only dread to think about where Lady Abigail was and what trouble she was getting herself into. “I suppose all of her struggles were worth it for her to come out the other side and be so happy.”
“I think you are right,” her father said. He was nodding his head and there was a small, but appreciative smile forming on his lips. “I will let you get back to your guests. There must be many people for you to meet this evening.”
“Yes, it is a little overwhelming,” Andrea admitted. She touched her father’s arm one last time before turning back to find where James had gone off to.
