Hide and Seek at the Ball

Hide and seek was not the most ladylike thing to be doing, especially at a ball. However, I, Miss Evelina Beaumont, was never one to let things like society’s rules and propriety hold me back from doing what I wanted. It wasn’t even obvious that I was playing hide and seek anyway. This was a little game that I played with my brothers when we were bored at any social function we’d been forced into by our mother.

While dancing with some gentleman whose name I’d long forgotten, I swept my eyes around the room, trying to see where Stephen and Francis had gone. I always hated being the seeker, but as I was the youngest and the only girl I was never given much of a choice. Tonight I had been given the choice between being the seeker, or being abandoned to the ballroom while the boys spent the night in the card room with the other men. “Traitors.” I whispered under my breath while thinking back to the smug looks on my brother’s faces when they had given me that choice, knowing they would be winning either way.

“Pardon me, Miss Beaumont. I didn’t quite catch what you said.” I had completely forgotten about my dance partner, and easily dismissed his concern with a smile. I wished I didn’t have to dance at all, but if I just went running around the ballroom searching for my brothers my mama would surely learn what was going on, and our fun would be ruined. I smiled and nodded assuringly at the man in front of me as if I was listening to his incessant rambling while continuing to look through the crowds outlining the dance floor. Stephen’s strategy was usually to hide himself in a group of people in the hopes that I would never have enough chances between dances to ferret out which one he was in. This had been a very effective plan when they had first started their games. But since then I had become adept at pretending to be engaged with my dance partners, which allowed me to use that time to search while continuing to keep up appearances.

The dance finally ended and I curtsied to my partner and immediately began pushing through the crowds toward a group on the far side of the dance floor. I was sure I had seen Stephen’s curly red hair and blue tailcoat in that direction. Out of the corner of my eye I saw one of my mother’s friends, Mrs. Huxley, heading towards me. Mrs. Huxley had been trying to match me up with her son all year now, but I refused to go anywhere near that creepy man again. I’ve suffered through too many dances with him during which his eyes never left my bosom. I quickly swept around a group of gossiping ladies, managing to avoid the matchmaking mother. I eventually reached the group of people she had spotted Stephen near, and quickly recognized my eldest brother. I walked up to him with a triumphant look on my face, and he offered me his arm with a sheepish look on his face.

“I thought I’d be able to switch groups before you got to me, but Brisbane started asking me about my new horse, and I couldn’t get away.” Stephen explained after we took our leave from his group of friends. He was leading me toward the balcony, because after very nearly running across the ballroom, I was in need of some fresh, cool air. “You’ve gotten too good at this game, Evie. It’s not quite fair anymore.”

“Perhaps,” I shot back, with a glare aimed sideways at him, “if you or Francis took a turn as seeker one of these days and allowed me to hide, some of the challenge would return to the game.” Stephen snorted, obviously not even considering the idea. Hiding allowed the brothers to avoid most of the social interaction normally required at balls, such as dancing and speaking to more than one group of people during the night. If they went seeking, they’d be running into new people across the ballroom all night, and forced into dancing with girls who hadn’t been lucky enough to find another partner.

Stepping out onto the balcony I released Stephen’s arm and took a deep breath of the cool fall air. I leaned against the railing to look down at the garden, taking in the beautiful colors of the changing leaves on the trees, and the flowers that had yet to die away. Moments like this made me wish I was taking a walk around my favorite gardens at home, or even just sitting in my father’s library window looking out across his lands while listening to the crackling in the fireplace. I really do hate all these balls and parties.

“Have you found Francis yet? I haven’t seen him all night.” My brother’s voice broke me out of my daydream, and I turned around to face him. “He’s not as fair of a hider as you are. I think he’s probably gone off to hide in the library, or the card room, or he could be wandering around in the gardens down there even,” I complained, waving my arm towards the view I had just been admiring moments ago. 

“Well,” Stephen sighed, “I wouldn’t put it past him. I don’t think you’ll be able to find him, though, if that’s the case. Mama is probably already on her way here now to scold you for leaving the dance floor. She thinks you need to spend every moment of your life chasing down a handsome, rich man and convince him to marry you.”

I rolled my eyes. Maybe I would enjoy all of these events if my mother wasn’t constantly forcing me into the path of whatever happened to be walking by. The only things I ever got to do were first approved by mama. “How about you help me sneak into the library then? Even if Francis isn’t in there, it would be a great place to escape from mama for a while before she sniffs me out and forces me back into this torture.”

Stephen chuckled and held out his arm to me. “We should get moving then. Mama is likely almost here.” He ushered me across the ballroom, somehow avoiding being trapped in a conversation on the way. We ducked through a door and into a hallway. Stephen continued walking confidently, and I looked at him, wondering how he knew where to go. Has he been in this house before? I didn’t know him to be particularly good friends with Mr. Fletcher, the owner of this estate, but I suppose I don’t know what he does most days when he’s working with papa and learning the ins and outs of the estate business. 

After a couple minutes of walking down the hall, Stephen pushed a door open and led me through. I happily looked around me at all the shelves filled with books. Reading was one of my favorite things, and I would gladly spend weeks straight in here going through every page of every book. I turned toward Stephen and saw him looking out the door, back the way we came. “It doesn’t seem like Francis is here, but I’m sure you’d like to stay here instead of returning to the party? I’ll go and distract our mother for as long as I can, so enjoy your brief escape.” I gave my brother a quick hug and turned back to the shelves as he left, closing the door behind him.

I seemed to lose track of time looking at all the books stacked together. I was flipping through the pages of one of my favorite books, Gulliver’s Travels, when I heard the door of the library open and shut. I hid behind the bookcase, thinking for sure my mother had finally come to drag me back to the dance. I held my breath and hoped that she would turn around and look for me somewhere else. When I heard footsteps making their way across the floor, I knew it couldn’t be my mother. The footsteps were too heavy, and there was no swishing of skirts. It must be a man. I peeked around the edge of the bookshelf and managed to see the edge of the man’s shoulder and arm. My eyes went wide as I recognized the deep green color of Francis’ favorite coat. 

Stepping around the corner of the bookshelf I’d been hiding behind, I proudly stated, “I’ve found you finally, and you even brought yourself right to me.” My expression fell, and I could feel all the color leave my face as the man turned around and I immediately realized this was not my brother. I’d never seen this man before, because I’m sure I would’ve never forgotten the jet black hair falling across his forehead, or the piercing green eyes that made my legs feel like jelly. He raised his eyebrows at me and curled his lips up in a mocking smirk that might have thrown me right into a rage if it hadn’t been so attractive. “Well, I didn’t know you were searching for me, or I would’ve made myself much easier to find. Now may I ask why you were looking for me?” 

I felt my face heat up as all the blood that had just left rushed its way back into my cheeks. “I apologize, sir. I thought you were someone else. I assure you, I don’t go seeking out men I’ve never met before.” He bowed in front of me, and straightening up said, “My name is James Ashbrook, my estate is Rainham Park. Would you introduce yourself to me?” Taking a deep breath I tried to compose myself. “I am Miss Evelina Beaumont. My father’s estate is Tatton Hall.”

 Mr. Ashbrook nodded his head. “Now that we have officially met each other, shall I look forward to you seeking me out again in the future?” Hearing his words, my mouth fell open in a very unladylike manner. After a moment I drew myself up to my full height, folded my arms, and gave him the darkest glare I could. “No, Mr. Ashbrook, I will not be seeking you out again. I was looking for my brother, and your coat is similar to one he has, so I mistook you for him. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I will be returning to my family in the ballroom.” 

I turned to replace the book I’d been holding back on the shelf, and when I looked back to Mr. Ashbrook, I reddened again as I saw the curious, teasing look he had in his eyes. I took a long breath in, drew up my chin, and marched out of the room, making sure not to look back at the aggravating man remaining in the room. As I entered the ballroom and sought out my mother, I told myself that my racing heartbeat was caused by my frustration at not finding Francis. It definitely didn’t have anything to do with the completely irritating, yet extremely handsome Mr. Ashbrook.