A Continued Affection

Part 14

Mary was so enjoying speaking to Georgiana and Sally that she almost missed the announcement that they would all be now going into dinner. As it was, there was a confusing riot of movement and somehow, quite without her realising it, she ended up beside Mr Egerton, who walked beside her into dinner. She was half expecting to have to escort him herself and not the other way around, yet to her surprise, by running his fingertips lightly along the wall, he was quite capable of walking, and had she not known about his infirmity she would never have been able to tell he could not see as well as any other gentleman. His hands helped him, again, as they reached the table, and he ran along the backs of the chairs, counting around until he found the two that would be theirs.

"How do you fare this evening, Miss Mary," he asked, as they waited for their neighbours to be seated. The low hum of conversations retreated to the background as Mary focused entirely on him, grateful for this moment to be together.

"Well, thank you, Mr Egerton. And you?"

"I trust my sister has not been too overbearing?" He pulled a face and Mary laughed, reassuring him that Sally had been nothing but charming. She relayed her introduction to the young Miss Georgiana Darcy and shared her delight at meeting another musical young lady.

"It seems that your visit to London already suits you well," Mr Egerton observed, his smile growing. "I confess I am pleased that you came, for it would have been a great disappointment to leave you behind in Hertfordshire." He paused, as if realising, once he heard his words spoken aloud, that their meaning might be misconstrued. "That is, I am pleased that Sally was not forced to leave such a friend behind her."

Mary nodded, murmuring an agreement when she recalled he would not see the subtle movement of her head and feeling grateful, then, that he would not, for she was certain that her features betrayed her disappointment. She had dared to hope for a moment that when Mr Egerton spoke of missing her, he meant that he, himself, would miss her.

"You are quiet, Miss Mary," he observed after a moment, as their first course was served. "I fear I misspoke." He paused. "Or perhaps you would rather a different dining companion. You may speak truthfully and be assured I shall not take offence."

"I am not sure what to talk about," Mary confessed, speaking more freely than she might have done with any other gentleman. "I fear that my topics of conversation would be dull to you, and -"

"Since when have they ever been dull?" Mr Egerton put in, laying down his fork and turning towards her. "I hope, Miss Mary, that I have never given you that impression because it could not be further than the truth." He swallowed, and reached for his fork once more, carefully lifting it to his lips. "Tell me of your plans for the rest of this week. I have a visit to my doctor to look forward to, so am dearly in need of some distraction. Tell me what you have in mind to do, while you are here."

"Well, on Thursday there is the assembly," Mary put in, praying her voice would not betray her disappointment in acknowledging that Mr Egerton would not be in attendance. His presence at the assembly was almost the whole of her enthusiasm for the evening, for she was not fond of crowds of strangers, as Lydia and Kitty were, and even her excitement to hear the music waned when she thought of being surrounded by so many people she did not know. The promise of finding a quiet seat beside Mr Egerton, of talking and hearing him talk all evening, whilst also enjoying the music, had been her dream. Now, she was forced to acknowledge how unlikely it would be to happen if he had doctors' visits instead to fill his time.

"Ah, yes, the assembly." Mr Egerton's lips quirked. "I might have remembered it, for my sisters have spoken of little else all week! You are to attend?"

Mary nodded, before offering a quiet "yes" in response.

"Then perhaps we will be afforded a chance to revisit our first meeting," Mr Egerton smiled. "I have not forgotten a long evening at an assembly made all the more bearable by your presence. I should certainly not be averse to repeating the experience, if you are not."

Mary beamed, modulating her excitement so that by the time she opened her mouth, her voice betrayed nothing beyond calm contentment.

"I should be delighted." She leaned a little closer, speaking in a low voice that might only reach his ears. "I confess I was a little anxious to attend, for I do not enjoy crowds, and dancing with strangers is not how I should choose to spend an evening."

"No, I recall that about you," Mr Edgerton replied, matching her low tone with his and making it seem as if they were the only two people in the room. "But perhaps you would not object to sitting with someone who is not a stranger and enjoying the music and the dancing from a distance."

"I should not object to that at all," Mary said, with a smile. "I should prefer it."

"Very well, then, we are agreed."

"We are agreed, Mr Egerton."