Chapter 113:
Choreography
Gerard hoped that when Gamilla quietly retreated from the hustle and bustle of the Great Hall that she’d slipped away to wait for him. He paused for as long as he could before following her onto the veranda. He found her seated under the arbor on the stone bench which Dr. Halifax favored. He gasped upon seeing her. The moonlight flickered in the beads on her gown and the rhinestones which adorned her headdress. Her black hair gleaming about her shoulders, she did, indeed, look as Gerard imagined the great beauty Cleopatra must have looked.
Clearing his throat to alert her of his presence, and, then, cautiously approached her.
Looking up, she smiled. “It’s hot in there.”
Gerard nodded shyly.
“But, it sure is beautiful. Ain’t it?”
“It is.” Gerard said softly.
“I think everyone’s havin’ a true good time. His Grace seems so pleased.”
“He likes to see people happy.” Gerard replied, stepping a little closer. “Are you enjoying yourself?”
“I am.” Gamilla grinned. “I ain’t never seen nothin’ like it—all them folk makin’ merry, laughin’ and dancin’ them Scottish dances. Everyone in their fine fancy dress. Drinkin’ wine and lookin’ so smart. And, that cake—did you ever see such a great cake?”
“Not ever.” Gerard shook his head. “Can’t wait ‘til His Grace cuts it.”
“Should be soon.” Gamilla sighed contentedly.
“Kinda reminds a person of a wedding.” Gerard blushed.
“Kinda.” Gamilla looked down at the tiles.
“Do you think you might like to dance?” Gerard asked.
“Oh…” Gamilla shook her head.
“’Milla?” Gerard grinned sheepishly.
“Well…I wouldn’t know how. I don’t know them dances—all them folk spinnin’ ‘bout to the pipers.”
“I don’t either, but we could learn.” Gerard answered softly. “Even Charles and Vi are dancin’.”
“Everyone is.” Gamilla nodded. She giggled. “Did ya see Georgie dancin’ with his ma? I thought Mrs. Pepper was gonna fall right over. But, she done real good.”
Gerard laughed. “I think she had a bit of the Duke’s wine. Don’t think she can handle it.”
Gamilla sighed again—this time it was an expression of sadness.
“Sorry.” Gerard blushed.
“What for?”
“I wasn’t thinkin’ ‘bout what happened earlier today.”
“I don’t mind.”
“Why’d you take the drink, Gamilla?” Gerard asked.
“Like Mrs. North said, I was…I thought it was yours.”
Gerard nodded.
“I didn’t expect it to be…you know…”
“I know.”
Gerard sniffed. “Gamilla…is there somethin’ you ain’t tellin’ me?”
Gamilla looked away.
“If there is, well…I want you to know that it don’t matter. Ain’t gonna change what I think ‘bout you. Nothin’ could. I mean…I feel…” he trailed off.
“Ain’t nothin’ wrong, Gerry.” Gamilla responded.
“Cuz if there is…”
“Ain’t nothin’.” Gamilla shook her head. Her mind raced with Finlay’s threats—his demands that she find a way to have Gerard fired, extricated from Dr. Halifax, or, as Finlay, claimed he’d kill Gerard. Worse still, Gamilla recalled, was Finlay’s threat that he’d harm Colin if she told anyone. Thank goodness, Gamilla thought, that Mrs. North could be trusted.
“What ya thinkin’ bout?” Gerard asked.
“Mrs. North.” Gamilla answered honestly.
“She took a real likin’ to you.” Gerard smiled.
“She’s a fine lady.” Gamilla answered. “I like her dress, too. Don’t know what she is, but I reckon it’s some kind of fairy.”
“Somethin’.” Gerard shrugged. “Some Scottish somethin’. I’m surprised she can see what with that bonnet coverin’ her eyes like that.”
Gamilla laughed. “She told me before she took her nap this afternoon that she was gonna look after Colin later tonight so that the Duke and the doctor can have some freedom. And, ‘specially, so I can enjoy the party.”
“I thought Mrs. Pepper was gonna do that.”
“Mrs. North—she volunteered. She said Mrs. Pepper was young ‘nough to still enjoy the ball. It were right kind of her.”
“Sure, she’s a nice lady.” Gerard said softly.
“Reckon we should go back in.” Gamilla stood up.
“So, will ya dance with me?”
“Gerry, ya know I can’t.”
“Why not?”
“Cuz…” Gamilla shook her head. “Ain’t fit.”
“Why?”
“It just ain’t fit.”
“Because you’re African and I’m not.”
“Part of it.” Gamilla shrugged. “What would all them folk think?”
“I don’t think they’d care.”
“Maybe not the other servants, but them lords and ladies from them other estates…”
“What do we care?”
Gamilla smiled slightly. “Remember what Mr. Speaight done said tonight. He said whatever we do is a reflection on the household of the Duke of Fallbridge and that we’re honor bound to show the folks of Aberdeenshire that His Grace is a man of elegance and fineness.”
“His Grace would be the first one to tell us to dance together.”
“Still…”
“I can hear the music.” Gerard stepped forward.
“Well, of course.” Gamilla giggled.
“So…” He took her hand.
“What ya doin’?” Gamilla stepped back.
“Do you want to dance with me?”
“You know I do, Gerry.”
“Well, then…” Gerard put his arm around her waist.
“Out here?”
“Well, you don’t want the lords and ladies to see you.” Gerard winked.
Gamilla took Gerard’s hand. Without another word, they danced in the moonlight.
Did you miss Chapters 1-112 of Mr. Punch of Belgrave Square? If so, you can read them here. Come back tomorrow for Chapter 114.
Gerard hoped that when Gamilla quietly retreated from the hustle and bustle of the Great Hall that she’d slipped away to wait for him. He paused for as long as he could before following her onto the veranda. He found her seated under the arbor on the stone bench which Dr. Halifax favored. He gasped upon seeing her. The moonlight flickered in the beads on her gown and the rhinestones which adorned her headdress. Her black hair gleaming about her shoulders, she did, indeed, look as Gerard imagined the great beauty Cleopatra must have looked.
Clearing his throat to alert her of his presence, and, then, cautiously approached her.
Looking up, she smiled. “It’s hot in there.”
Gerard nodded shyly.
“But, it sure is beautiful. Ain’t it?”
“It is.” Gerard said softly.
“I think everyone’s havin’ a true good time. His Grace seems so pleased.”
“He likes to see people happy.” Gerard replied, stepping a little closer. “Are you enjoying yourself?”
“I am.” Gamilla grinned. “I ain’t never seen nothin’ like it—all them folk makin’ merry, laughin’ and dancin’ them Scottish dances. Everyone in their fine fancy dress. Drinkin’ wine and lookin’ so smart. And, that cake—did you ever see such a great cake?”
“Not ever.” Gerard shook his head. “Can’t wait ‘til His Grace cuts it.”
“Should be soon.” Gamilla sighed contentedly.
“Kinda reminds a person of a wedding.” Gerard blushed.
“Kinda.” Gamilla looked down at the tiles.
“Do you think you might like to dance?” Gerard asked.
“Oh…” Gamilla shook her head.
“’Milla?” Gerard grinned sheepishly.
“Well…I wouldn’t know how. I don’t know them dances—all them folk spinnin’ ‘bout to the pipers.”
“I don’t either, but we could learn.” Gerard answered softly. “Even Charles and Vi are dancin’.”
“Everyone is.” Gamilla nodded. She giggled. “Did ya see Georgie dancin’ with his ma? I thought Mrs. Pepper was gonna fall right over. But, she done real good.”
Gerard laughed. “I think she had a bit of the Duke’s wine. Don’t think she can handle it.”
Gamilla sighed again—this time it was an expression of sadness.
“Sorry.” Gerard blushed.
“What for?”
“I wasn’t thinkin’ ‘bout what happened earlier today.”
“I don’t mind.”
“Why’d you take the drink, Gamilla?” Gerard asked.
“Like Mrs. North said, I was…I thought it was yours.”
Gerard nodded.
“I didn’t expect it to be…you know…”
“I know.”
Gerard sniffed. “Gamilla…is there somethin’ you ain’t tellin’ me?”
Gamilla looked away.
“If there is, well…I want you to know that it don’t matter. Ain’t gonna change what I think ‘bout you. Nothin’ could. I mean…I feel…” he trailed off.
“Ain’t nothin’ wrong, Gerry.” Gamilla responded.
“Cuz if there is…”
“Ain’t nothin’.” Gamilla shook her head. Her mind raced with Finlay’s threats—his demands that she find a way to have Gerard fired, extricated from Dr. Halifax, or, as Finlay, claimed he’d kill Gerard. Worse still, Gamilla recalled, was Finlay’s threat that he’d harm Colin if she told anyone. Thank goodness, Gamilla thought, that Mrs. North could be trusted.
“What ya thinkin’ bout?” Gerard asked.
“Mrs. North.” Gamilla answered honestly.
“She took a real likin’ to you.” Gerard smiled.
“She’s a fine lady.” Gamilla answered. “I like her dress, too. Don’t know what she is, but I reckon it’s some kind of fairy.”
“Somethin’.” Gerard shrugged. “Some Scottish somethin’. I’m surprised she can see what with that bonnet coverin’ her eyes like that.”
Gamilla laughed. “She told me before she took her nap this afternoon that she was gonna look after Colin later tonight so that the Duke and the doctor can have some freedom. And, ‘specially, so I can enjoy the party.”
“I thought Mrs. Pepper was gonna do that.”
“Mrs. North—she volunteered. She said Mrs. Pepper was young ‘nough to still enjoy the ball. It were right kind of her.”
“Sure, she’s a nice lady.” Gerard said softly.
“Reckon we should go back in.” Gamilla stood up.
“So, will ya dance with me?”
“Gerry, ya know I can’t.”
“Why not?”
“Cuz…” Gamilla shook her head. “Ain’t fit.”
“Why?”
“It just ain’t fit.”
“Because you’re African and I’m not.”
“Part of it.” Gamilla shrugged. “What would all them folk think?”
“I don’t think they’d care.”
“Maybe not the other servants, but them lords and ladies from them other estates…”
“What do we care?”
Gamilla smiled slightly. “Remember what Mr. Speaight done said tonight. He said whatever we do is a reflection on the household of the Duke of Fallbridge and that we’re honor bound to show the folks of Aberdeenshire that His Grace is a man of elegance and fineness.”
“His Grace would be the first one to tell us to dance together.”
“Still…”
“I can hear the music.” Gerard stepped forward.
“Well, of course.” Gamilla giggled.
“So…” He took her hand.
“What ya doin’?” Gamilla stepped back.
“Do you want to dance with me?”
“You know I do, Gerry.”
“Well, then…” Gerard put his arm around her waist.
“Out here?”
“Well, you don’t want the lords and ladies to see you.” Gerard winked.
Gamilla took Gerard’s hand. Without another word, they danced in the moonlight.
Did you miss Chapters 1-112 of Mr. Punch of Belgrave Square? If so, you can read them here. Come back tomorrow for Chapter 114.
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