Antoinette shook her head. “Oh, we're not particularly close. It's only that he is the only other person I know here.”

“I invited your cousin too,” Duke Godwin said, his face a little tense.

“I could not find her, and when I ran into Mr. Perry I...” Antoinette trailed off. She then shook her head again and smiled. “If you would prefer, we could have the next dance together?” She could feel a wave of anxiety wash over her. Mr. Perry may be fun, and a great dancer, and one of her suitors. But he was not a serious prospect. She knew she would never be able to marry him. And, hurt Mr. Perry though it may, she could not afford to give him priority over a Duke.

Duke Godwin smiled a wide smile. “I would enjoy that very much,” he said, offering her his hand.

But just as they were about to depart, a tall, grizzly-haired, bearded man in a Colonel's uniform appeared, resting his heavy hand on Duke Godwin's shoulder. “Alex! My friend, how has life been treating you? What a splendid party.”

A slight look of panic, then frustration took over Duke Godwin's face. He breathed deeply before smiling as he turned to face the Colonel. “Hugh, so glad you could make it. I was just going to—”

“Surely you can spare the time to catch up with an old friend?” the Colonel insisted, sweeping the host away into the crowd.

“It seems you preferred suitor is a touch busy,” Mr. Perry said.

“Oh, Mr. Perry, I am so sorry. I did not mean to insult you, only—”

“Rank is important, I know,” he replied with a slight sigh. Nevertheless, he smiled gently. “I suppose you are still free to dance some more? After refreshments, of course.”

Antoinette stared wide-eyed. “You... still wish to spend the evening with me? After I almost dismissed you for Duke Godwin?”

“Oh, I would dismiss you for a Duke any time as well,” he smiled.

Antoinette laughed a little. “I suppose it is the done thing. It's just that I... There was no way out of that situation without offending somebody. And in the big picture I suppose offending a Duke and the host of the ball would have cost me dearly.”

“I am not offended,” Mr. Perry replied. “I am used to it. Come, let us have something to drink before we return to the dance.” He sounded completely genuine.

Antoinette felt deeply relieved that Mr. Perry was not offended by her rudeness. After all, she was right. Had she continued dancing with Mr. Perry at Duke Godwin's party, when Duke Godwin was available, the Duke would have been rightly insulted. So she had to be rude to someone, in that situation. And he understood, and he forgave her.

The guilt was weighing heavily on Antoinette's chest. She knew that Mr. Perry was a quiet, even-tempered, good-hearted man. And she knew that she had hurt him when she outright ignored him in favour of Duke Godwin. She wanted to make it up to him. But the only way she had of doing so was to dance with him and have a pleasant evening together.

As they sipped on some wine and had a few bites to eat, Mr. Perry seemed to be in a better mood. “I am glad you are here, you know,” he said. “I believe I am the lowest ranking person in the room, by title, and by wealth. Were it not for your company I am sure every other guest would assume I was a member of staff.”

Antoinette giggled. “Do not be so dramatic. I am sure that you have many qualities which align you with the people gathered here.”

Mr. Perry shook his head. “You know, growing up my family was incredibly wealthy. I have seen their world. But my father... He was not very smart with his money. He wasted a lot of it on various business ventures abroad. Then, one day, he just... disappeared. Just like that.”

“Heavens!” Antoinette gasped. “I don't suppose you know what happened to him?”

Mr. Perry shook his head. “We tried to find him to no avail. A few years later my mother was declared a widow. My three sisters all married, after all, they were still young and pretty, and the lack of a dowry did not matter too much. As for me? Well, I am a man who inherited a failing trading business. So yes, I know what their lives are like, and no, I am not in any way the equal of any person here. I long to return to that place, but who can tell if I ever shall?”

“I believe in you,” Antoinette replied. “You seem to know what you are doing, and you are here, so you cannot be going through too much hardship. I bet you can turn that business around in another year or two,” she insisted encouragingly.

Mr. Perry smiled a genuine, slightly tormented, yet still tender smile at her. “We shall see. I have good years and bad years, but every time I am a step ahead, some vulture lands on my back with debt, or some mighty heavenly hand strikes down one of my ships, and I am poor again.” He shook his head slowly again and sighed. “I do not know what I shall do, except persevere.”

“You say you are not the equal of any person here, but I disagree,” Antoinette replied.

“How so? I am fairly confident that, accounting for the debt my father accrued, that waiter over there has a greater net worth than I do.” Mr. Perry laughed a little. “Is it not ironic, that from riches to rags, I would now do better to begin working as a servant than to endure with this business?”

“Now you truly are being ridiculous,” Antoinette insisted. “You have something nine-tenths of the people in this room are lacking. You have perseverance, courage, and a focused mind. Of course these people are doing well with their lives. So am I. Because we have never wanted for anything. Meanwhile, you... You are saddled with a mountain of debt which is no fault of your own, you are facing constant hurdles, and yet you persevere. You believe in your potential to save yourself and your father's company. And here you are, still standing among Dukes and Colonels, despite all the hurdles life has presented you. You may not have a wealth of money, or status, or support, or assets. But you have a wealth of brains and heart, and with those two things you are sure to acquire the rest.”

“I do hope so,” replied Mr. Perry. “After so many years of continual setbacks, it is easy to lose faith. Yet... I do want my old life back. And I do want to give my children the childhood I had, if not a better one. Should I ever have children.” Mr. Perry laughed a little. “As things stand I can only hope a woman would marry me out of pity.”

“Nonsense, Mr. Perry. You are still deserving of love,” Antoinette replied. “And to be married out of love, without a penny to your name, is surely better than to be married in greed to a woman who despises you.”

“Those are very true words, Miss Byrd,” Mr. Perry said. He offered her his hand. “Come, let us dance some more.”

As they entered the ballroom once again, a pleasant Minuet was playing. Antoinette loved to dance the Minuet, and seized Mr. Perry's hand firmly, hurrying him to the floor so that they could join in. Mr. Perry chuckled as they finally joined the dance.

“You are just like my little sisters, so eager to get dancing that you forget yourself,” he said quietly as the eyes which had looked on in slight disgust turned away from them.

Antoinette blushed. “Has everyone stopped staring yet?” she whispered.

Mr. Perry nodded. “You were not too badly behaved, just a little overeager. I am sure they will forget by the end of the night if you do not attract any further attention to yourself.”

Antoinette nodded sternly and looked out at the other couples and onlookers. They had, in fact, stopped staring at her and resumed their own affairs. She breathed a sigh of relief.

“You said that I would be able to marry for love,” Mr. Perry said. “Do you truly believe that?”

“You are a sweet, good-looking, gentle man,” Antoinette replied candidly. “I am sure that some woman will find you ideal, whatever you have to your name.”

“Some woman... but not you? Could you not marry for love?” Mr. Perry replied.

“I could,” said Antoinette, “but...”

“You do not love me.” It was a statement, not a question. Mr. Perry smiled and nodded. “I understand. I suppose a Duke is easy to love.”

As the Minuet came to a close and yet another waltz began, Antoinette sighed a little. “You would think so, and yet...”

“And yet?” asked Mr. Perry after waiting a few seconds for her to finish.

“Mr. Perry, Duke Godwin invited me here. He did not know for sure that anyone else I knew would come, and he definitely knew my father was out of town. I expected I would be a guest of honour, and that he would spend much time dancing with me, talking to me, and getting close to me. But what happens instead? He is too busy to spend time with me, leaving me stranded.” She shook her head. “It is not what I expected.”

“So... you do not love him?” Mr. Perry asked.

“I did not say that. Of course I love him. It's just not easy to love him,” she explained.

Mr. Perry nodded. “I believe I understand,” he said. “And, if you love him, surely you would love him even if he were not a Duke, and not wealthy?”

Antoinette paused. Of course, her parents expected her to marry as highly as she could. But as for her... She thought back to his gallant rescue at the market. “Oh yes, I would marry him if he were a... a... a shoemaker!” She laughed a little.

“How come? What do you love about him besides his status and wealth?” Mr. Perry replied.

“Mr. Perry! Are you insinuating—”

“Not at all,” he insisted, shaking his head, “I am only curious about what could make a woman love a man so much that she would elope with a simple commoner, however high status she is herself. I know it happens. We have all heard about it. But... Every woman I have met has honestly not been interested in men beneath her rank, or beneath her family's wealth. I am just curious, now I have met a woman who believes in the powers of love, to discover what inspires it.”

“Very well...” Antoinette began. “I suppose it is his character that makes him lovable. He is brave, and selfless, he shows love for children and animals, he is generous with all that he has... He may be introverted and quiet at times, but he makes an effort to move outside his comforts and to be gregarious. He is a good man. And for that I love him.”

“I suppose I stand a cat in Hell's chance of someone loving me, if that is what is lovable,” Mr. Perry replied. “I am quiet, not particularly daring, and definitely not gregarious.”

Antoinette shook her head. “It is not like that. Those are the traits which I, as an individual, appreciate in Duke Godwin, as an individual. Other women may prefer other traits. And I may like other traits in other people. Take, for example, my cousin and Duke Haskett. I find his openness and honesty to be, quite frankly, rude and unnecessary. But she greatly appreciates it. And yet despite this, I know I possess some of the traits which I cannot stand in him, and that these traits are what makes Mary fond of me. Sometimes opposites are drawn to one another, other times it is our similarities which make us love one another. And you are perfectly lovable as you are.”

“Is that so?” Mr. Perry asked, shaking his head slowly. “You do not love me, so how can I trust your explanation of what may make me desirable? Even if what you are saying were true, would it not also be true that you could not possibly comprehend what another woman likes in me?”

Antoinette blushed. “I suppose... It is complicated. But rest assured, there are women out there who would like to marry you.”

“Is that any reassurance that I would want to marry them?” he asked, eyebrow raised.

“Well... I suppose not...” Antoinette admitted. “But it is a good start, is it not? And besides, I remain wholeheartedly confident that a man with your determination, your perseverance, ought to be able to succeed in life. So even if you were unable to marry without wealth, you are sure to have more wealth one day.”

“I do hope so,” he replied. “It may sound silly, but I am one of those people who cannot bear being left alone. I rarely do much talking. In fact, I find it quite tiring. After tonight I may need to rest and recover before I see anyone more. But I enjoy company, and listening. And I cannot bear silence or solitude.”

“I understand completely,” Antoinette replied. “I could not imagine spending the rest of my days alone. It is a good thing to have someone to accompany you through life, to bring you joy and peace and... Oh, I am so sorry,” she said. “I do not mean to insult you with all this.”

Mr. Perry shook his head. “Not at all. I understood from the beginning that I was not an ideal prospect for you, and assumed you would not take me seriously. It is a happy accident that we get along as famously as we are doing, and I do like you and enjoy your company. However, if there is no opportunity to marry you, I would rather ensure that you are happy. And Duke Godwin makes you happy, does he not?”

“Oh, so happy,” Antoinette said with a sigh. “He is everything I have dreamed of since I was small. And... Sorry I am doing it again.”

“No, it is no problem. It is early enough that I am not too attached to your person romantically, and I would much prefer to see you happy and be a friend to you, than to make you an unhappy wife.” He smiled broadly.

“Thank you so much for understanding!” Antoinette exclaimed, resisting the urge to embrace her new friend.

But now just one small matter remained. It was all well and good for her to focus all courtship efforts on Duke Godwin so long as she could spend time with him. But right now... where was he?