Page 66 of The Marquess' Disguised Heiress
“Knowing Eliza, she will forgive you in a heartbeat. Thank you for doing this, Lady Margaret. It takes great courage to stand up against your family, and you are doing just that. Saving Eliza right now might not have been possible without you. I will arrive at the ball exactly at the right moment.”
“I will see you there, My Lord. It is about time I grow a backbone.”
Margaret felt as if she finally had a purpose, and she was ready to fulfill it. As long as she remained strong and staunch, she would be able to get through everything, even if she had to defeat her own family to get there.
She was finally ready.
Chapter 19
“All of this is for me?” Eliza had never been more confused and stunned at the same time, the beautiful dress staring at her in all its glory.
It was the night of the masquerade, and after working all day, Eliza was simply making sure that everything was settled in place before the ball officially began when, to her surprise, Margaret had forced her to the attic, claiming she had a surprise for her.
Eliza was almost scared of the surprise, fearing the worst, but Margaret had not been lying. A beautiful ice blue dress made entirely of sheer lace was waiting for her, along with white shoes made out of silver thread, elbow-high transparent white gloves with sequins on them, and a tiara of diamonds. Margaret carried a pearly, white mask with her as well, which matched the dress beautifully.
“Yes, this is for you,” Margaret replied, a huge smile on her face.
“Why?” It was unfathomable for Eliza.
“You have been a very good cousin to me, Eliza, and I have only ever been horrible to you. I know this won’t make up for any of it, but I do hope this will bring you a little happiness. Would you return to my room with me so we can get ready there and attend the masquerade together?”
Margaret’s question stunned Eliza even more, but in her heart, she wished to do just that. She had always wanted to attend a ball, and now the chance was right there waiting for her.
“I would love to,” she sighed, still in shock, “but why can’t we get ready here?”
“My dress is in my room. Besides, it might be suspicious if a guest emerges out of the attic. If you come out of my bedchamber, I can simply introduce you as a friend, and we will not reveal your name to anyone because you wish to remain mysterious.”
Eliza nodded, picking everything up as they made their way to Margaret’s room, using the secret passageways in the house not to get caught. Once inside the room, both Margaret and Eliza went to work, and before Eliza realized it, it was already nine in the evening, and she was dressed like a lady.
She stood staring at her reflection in the mirror, the mask in place. Margaret had tied Eliza’s hair into a neat chignon, leaving tendrils on her face, which framed it perfectly.
The gloves made her hands appear beautiful and elegant, filling Eliza with happiness. She could never have imagined something like this happening to her, and she was still unsure about why Margaret was doing all this, but Eliza simply wanted to play along.
She felt as if this was her only chance of attending a ball and looking beautiful, and it would be absurd to throw the chance away simply because she was scared. If she were discovered, the consequences could be huge, but she had stopped caring.
How much worse could things get after all? Besides, this might be a chance to see her masked stranger. Even if she still would not be able to meet George, she could still hope to find the masked stranger. She missed him as well.
“Shall we head downstairs now?” Margaret’s question startled her, nervousness settling into her stomach.
“Are you certain we should be doing this?” She was terrified.
“Absolutely.” Margaret took hold of her hands, trying to calm Eliza down. “You need to simply be confident and enjoy yourself.”
Eliza nodded, and the two of them made their way downstairs, where the masquerade had already begun, the guests beginning to arrive. Eliza was certain her absence would have been noted by now, but she simply did not care. Being inside the ball as a guest beside Margaret, she wanted to have the time of her life, even if it was just for a little while. Whatever consequences awaited her could be dealt with later.
“Are you feeling alright?” Margaret asked Eliza as they set foot inside, several eyes turning towards them.
“No,” she replied honestly, unused to the attention.
“You will be fine.”
Margaret introduced Eliza to a few of her other friends, not giving her name to maintain her anonymity while diligently keeping her away from both Uncle Edgar and Aunty Beatrice.
She did not even let Victoria or Henry come close to Eliza, making Eliza feel as if she could truly trust Margaret. It felt as if she was on her side. Eliza continued to converse with several people, her eyes constantly on the outlook for the masked stranger, but he was nowhere in sight. That worried Eliza, but she was certain he would appear.
“Eliza?” Margaret whispered her name, taking her hand and dragging her towards the refreshments table.
“Yes?”
