Seeing Sir Dodge once again was much more relaxed than their first two encounters had been. She knew that they would have to return to the usual social norms as soon as they were at the Gala. But for now it was simply refreshing to see him acting more casually, more genuinely. He was definitely not as romantic as he had originally been behaving. But he was still rather charming. And still a little bland.

Both were dressed and ready long before the doors would open for the Gala, so Antoinette, Sir Dodge, her parents, and a friend of his, were staying at his house, sipping wines and talking until it was time to make their entrance.

“You do look truly lovely in that dress,” Sir Dodge said, looking her up and down. “Don't you agree?”

“You made a wonderful choice,” Antoinette replied, knowing better than to compliment her own beauty.

“Nonsense, any choice would suit you. You would look beautiful in a burlap sack.” Sir Dodge insisted.

“You are too kind,” she replied.

She could not understand why this did not work. He was doing all the things she wanted, saying all the things she read in her romance books, and yet none of it worked. It all came across as trite and meaningless. And Sir Dodge, consequentially, came across as dull and insincere. And his friend was not much better.

Sir Buxton was a very quiet, nervous-looking man. Although her parents had addressed him a couple of times, he simply answered in single words or hums, and did not seem at all comfortable with the situation. It reminded Antoinette very much of Sir Dodge's behaviour when Mr. Perry was visiting, and the whole connection left her once again wondering whether there could possibly be anything the matter with Sir Dodge.

She was relieved when they were able to make it to the Gala, and even more relieved when, as soon as she walked in through the door, she laid eyes upon Lucy.

Her best friend had grown up, but was still quite obviously Lucy Fitzroy. Her thick brown curls were now down past her shoulders, her slim and boyish frame had filled out a little, and her freckled face was much finer and older.

Antoinette felt her worries about Sir Dodge melting away as they were replaced with excitement that she could spend the evening catching up with her friend. Seizing Sir Dodge's hand, she guided him over to where Lucy, her parents, and presumably her first suitor, were talking.

“Antoinette!” Lucy exclaimed, her eyes lighting up. She walked to Antoinette as though contemplating leaping on her and hugging her, as they used to do when they were little. But then she stopped.

Antoinette was pretty sure they were both feeling the same thing, that slight resentment towards adulthood. There were so many things they used to do which they could not anymore. And so many things they used to believe which they could not anymore. Antoinette put one arm around Lucy as politely as she could. “I've missed you,” she said.

“And I missed you. Is this Duke Godwin?” Lucy asked.

Antoinette blushed and shook her head. “No, no, this is Sir Dodge.” Glancing back at him she could see that the damage was already done. He was already insulted. But what could she do? Was she supposed to just not see anyone else?

She tried to make eye contact with him, to reassure him he was a strong candidate and that she was happy to be seen with him. But he forced out an awkward smile, avoided her gaze, and wandered off, mumbling something about finding a drink.

“He seems odd,” Lucy said. “Or perhaps I have just been around girls for too long?”

Antoinette shook her head. “Well, maybe... but men are odd. Pardon,” she said, making eye contact with Lucy's date.

“No offense taken,” he replied, “I suppose the sexes cannot and should not truly understand one another. I am Isaac Jarvis.”

From the look on Lucy's face Antoinette could tell that the disillusion, for her friend, had not quite begun yet. She glanced over as though to suggest “Isn't he dreamy?” Antoinette, on the other hand, felt utterly corrupted by her own experiences and her time with her sister. She looked at Isaac Jarvis and saw a man not old enough to have much fortune, but not young enough to be excused, a man who was probably more interested in the Fitzroys' money than in Lucy herself.

Antoinette wondered whether she had become too jaded... But as Sir Dodge returned with a glass of wine for each of them, she again noted that the romantic gesture came with absolutely no emotion behind it. She was not too jaded, she was merely aware.

Watching Lucy and Isaac flirting and laughing left her feeling strange. As though she were watching an elaborate play. This woman... This was not who Lucy really was. Her gestures were exaggerated, her words were carefully chosen, and she bit her tongue where Lucy would speak up. And whoever Isaac Jarvis was, he was not truly the man who was being presented to Lucy. It was all an act, a dance...

She tried talking to Sir Dodge some more, but although he continued to say all the right things and keep up his part of the charade, she knew he was not truly interested in here. If he were, it would have shown. There would be some emotion, some interest... Not just this quiet jealousy towards any other person who spoke to her. She didn't even see the point in seeking our Mr. Perry if the only thing it would do is cause Sir Dodge to sulk. So she stayed and talked and wondered when the night would end.

“I do believe it is getting a little late for me,” she said as the clock struck ten. “I shall see if my parents wish to return home.”

“So soon?” asked Sir Dodge with an eyebrow raised. “The Gala will continue until midnight.”

Antoinette shook her head. “I am very tired. I usually do not stay out past nine,” she insisted.

“Very well, let us find your parents,” he replied.

“I shall see you soon, Lucy,” Antoinette said, hugging her friend again.

Lucy nodded and smiled. “Hopefully this weekend, though you can stop by any time you wish.”

“Thank you,” Antoinette smiled back. Hopefully at home Lucy would be more her usual self.

Antoinette's parents were not too difficult to find. They were sipping wine and talking to the hosts. Although they were a little disappointed in Antoinette for wishing to go home, they gave her permission before returning to their conversation.

Yet, as Antoinette moved towards the door, she noticed Sir Dodge was walking with her.

“Are you returning home also?” she asked.

He nodded. “Yes, it would be dreadful to be here without a date, would it not? Besides, I do not like the idea of a lovely young lady such as yourself returning home alone.”

Antoinette felt herself blush a little again, despite the obvious insincerity. At least he said and did all the romantic things, even if he did not mean them... “Very well, you may accompany me,” she replied.

In the coach on the way back Antoinette let out a slight sigh of frustration.

“What is the matter, Miss Byrd?” Sir Dodge asked.

“It's nothing, it's only that... Everyone is pretending,” she said.

“Pretending?”

“Yes, everyone is pretending to be someone they are not, trying to make a good impression, trying to ensure that nobody ever has anything bad to say about them... It's just horribly frustrating to never know who someone truly is,” she explained.

Sir Dodge shrugged. “That is just the nature of society. We all put our best foot forward and act like the person we hope to someday become.”

“Well, it is ridiculous,” Antoinette replied. “Nobody every truly becomes that person, they just keep pretending to persuade others to do things for them.”

“Aren't you being a little too cynical?” Sir Dodge replied.

Antoinette sighed again and looked out the window as the coach drew to a close by her house. “I... I simply wish I could see people for who they truly are.”

Sir Dodge stood and began to make his way out the coach.

“This... this is not your home,” Antoinette said nervously.

“I simply want to help you out of the coach,” he replied, stepping down and turning around to offer his hand.

Antoinette nodded and smiled, placing her hand on his as she stepped out of the coach.

“I had a fantastic time, despite the... inconveniences,” Sir Dodge said, his hand still holding hers as the other rested on her waist.

Antoinette felt suddenly very uncomfortable. “Well... The inconvenience was my friend whom I had not seen for a very long time so I suppose I can be forgiven for-” she interrupted herself to lean back, away from Sir Dodge's face as he leaned in. “Excuse me!” she exclaimed.

“I beg your pardon I thought you...” he began, not releasing her waist and moving in closer.

“No, I do not,” she replied, wrenching her hand from his and pushing him back. “What sort of a... common girl do you take me for?”

Sir Dodge hesitated. “I am sorry...” He glanced around. The coach driver had seen, but there was nobody else around. He took a note from his pocket and walked up to the driver. Muttering something Antoinette did not quite hear, he shoved the note into the driver's hand before wordlessly returning to the coach and, with a meek smile towards Antoinette, closing the door.

Antoinette stared for a moment as the coach took off before turning and dashing into the house as fast as she could run, heart pounding as she shut the door behind herself and put on the latch.

What was that man thinking? Had she truly given such an impression of herself? Now she began to understand a little why her mother was so cautious about leaving her alone with men. Looking around and seeing that there were no servants in the entrance, she decided to get to her room before anyone could stop her and ask her questions.

Sitting on her bed, she felt uncomfortable. Lucy's odd behaviour, her parents' social climbing, Duke Godwin's absence and Sir Dodge's indecency... Antoinette wanted to share all this news with someone. But it was not to Mary's tastes, and Lucy was too inexperienced in love to understand. She had a nagging sensation that Mr. Perry would understand... but she could not meet him alone to chat like a pair of old gossips. It was just not right.

Then, the thought struck her. It was only wrong if someone saw her doing it. After all, both she and Mr. Perry knew that their relationship would go nowhere. It was only in the eyes of the public that their meetings were a liability. So if she could meet him without anyone else knowing, then...

But what if he would act as Sir Dodge had acted? Was this a thing men did? No. It could not be. She had never been alone with Sir Dodge until that moment and he seized it instantly. On the other hand, she had been utterly alone with Mr. Perry before and she knew she could trust him.

Antoinette had sneaked out the house before at night, but once again a slight nervousness overcame her. Usually she would not do something her mother had expressly forbidden, and yet here she was, doing it again. But she could not stick to the rules of proper society when proper society was all about bottling everything in and pretending to be someone you were not. She needed to let it all out. And she knew Mr. Perry would understand.

Arranging her shoes and cloak by the front door to make it look as though she had come in and never left, she then found a spare pair of walking shoes and a heavy coat in case it rained. She contemplated using a bonnet, but knew she would merely attract attention to herself and instead grabbed a simple scarf. Mr. Perry did not live far and she would be able to get there by following a lane and crossing a field.

Although she was a little nervous throughout the walk, she had no true fear for her safety, not even after her encounter with Sir Dodge. No, she knew these paths and lanes like the back of her hand, and was used to sneaking out at night. Her true fear was that of being rejected by Mr. Perry, of being seen to be something she was not, and shamefully walking home.

That fear made her hesitate before knocking on the door. But she did not intend to walk all that way for nothing at all. Looking up at the simple country cottage, she drew a deep breath and knocked.

After a little rattling and clattering sounds, a maid in her night clothes opened the door, keys in one hand and a candle in the other, with a fairly unimpressed expression on her face. “Yes?”

“I am here to see Mr. Perry,” Antoinette said.

“I do not believe he is awake,” the maid replied, looking Antoinette up and down as though trying to make sense of her.

“No, I am awake Lauren, who is it?” Mr. Perry's voice echoed down the stairs, followed by his footsteps. He was, indeed, still fully clothed. He looked at Antoinette with an expression of complete bewilderment, as though she had grown a second head. “Antoinette? What are you doing here?” Mr. Perry gasped slightly.

“I am... visiting you, I suppose,” she said, feeling a pang of regret. “If you wish for me to leave, I shall.”

“Not at all,” Mr. Perry replied, regaining his composure. “Lauren, please get us tea.”

“Wine would be nice, actually,” Antoinette replied.

Mr. Perry shrugged. “I thought you did not consider me a serious suitor.”

“I do not, and it is for that reason that I trust you to drink wine with me,” Antoinette replied.

“Smart woman,” Mr. Perry said with a nod.

“Unless, of course, you wish to turn away your dear friend after she walked so long to visit you...” Antoinette said, gazing back into the dark.

“No, no... I cannot send a good friend away cold and thirsty at night,” he insisted. “Come on in. Although I do hope it is an important matter if you are behaving so... outrageously.”

Antoinette sighed in relief as she walked into the warm house. “You will not believe all I have to tell you.”