A handful of ladies and gentlemen stood gossiping in their finest
outfits outside the Assembly rooms. Having been worried she would be
overdressed, Bea soon realised hers was a relatively simple design compared to the
majority of the ladies’ present. They looked like they belonged at the palace
amongst royal courtiers in their lace, feathers and pearls. One of the few
nights a year, the classes of Ulverston might mix even a little. This was only
the second time Bea had attended a comparable social gathering. The first had
been at the harvest festival two years ago, but that was far less formal, and
far less impressive.
Bea and Beth carefully weaved through the crowd to the main hall,
the splendour of the illuminating light issuing from the candles as it
reflected off the over-polished oak panels, their honey-scented wisps of smoke
smudging up the newly painted walls. The warm glow created a romantic
atmosphere in the large open space, as the music of the small orchestra flowed
sweetly over the dancers. They spun and swirled, every partner casting a
glittering shimmer onto their neighbour's silk finery.
The sisters were happy to stand back and watch every interaction,
absorbing every detail. They saw the disgust on some of the more gentile faces
whenever a lower-born figure approached to pay their respects. Bea noted the
awkwardness in some of the poorer ladies, attempting to hide in the corners of
the room so that no one would notice their simple, plain dresses against the
splendour of the county women. A few mothers scouted amongst the men for a
potential husband for their meek daughters, pushing them on to the dance floor
unashamedly, praying for a match.
In general, however, there was a gayness to the guests, and a
constant flow of laughter circulating the room. People were taking advantage of
the precious few hours of light merriment to forget their troubles, and enjoy
themselves in the company of friends, and a mediocre punch. She noticed a few
eyes glancing their way, but was too excited to register whether this should
flatter or trouble her.
"Is this not wonderful?" she remarked to Beth.
Beth could hear the joy in her sister's voice. It was rare to see
her this happy, and it pleased her to be a part of it. She deserved to have
cause to smile about.
"Yes, it is, - look." Beth noticed Alice on the other
side of the room and waved her over. Alice glided through the knotted crowd
immediately.
"You look beautiful." Bea beamed at her.
Alice stood poised in a new dress of her own creation in soft
violet muslin, with a velvet sash.
"You both look so wonderful. Look at that fabric, you did
such a fine job."
They continued to analyse the surrounding crowd, remarking on the
handsome men, and pointing out the most elegant women. All three failed to
notice Captain Hanley making his way towards them around the edge of the room.
"Good evening ladies". A gut feeling, something inside
Bea, twisted suddenly. It was time to pay up the cost of her evening of
freedom. She took a large gulp of her punch and focused on her friends as she
introduced them.
"Good evening, Captain Hanley. May I introduce my sister
Beth, and my good friend Miss Alice Little," Bea gestured to each in turn.
The girls curtsied. Beth gave her sister a puzzled look as she felt her squirm
under the Captain's gaze.
In the glow of the low light, Bea had to admit the Captain looked
handsome. Wearing a smart white cravat and deep blue tail suit, his smile was
bright, but his dark eyes seemed to see straight into her revealing nothing in
return.
"Miss Beatrice, may I say I knew you would create a beautiful
dress, but I never imagined it would be something so superior to every other
woman in the room.” Bea felt the overly familiar compliment prickle her skin.
She had imagined being noticed at such a ball by a handsome officer or
gentleman ever since she was a little girl, so why did it feel so wrong now?
She longed to be standing outside so that the cool evening breeze could take
away the heat in her face.
"Thank you, Captain…" she trailed off. No reply sprang
to mind. Hanley seemed pleased at her confusion.
“I believe it is time for our first dance." He held out his
arm.
He positioned her opposite him on the dance floor, marking their
space proudly. Bea felt only awkward and exposed, openly encountering the gaze
of strangers. She was used to being invisible, standing on the side-lines,
people passing by without giving her a second glance. In her usual clothes
these people never acknowledged her, but this dress seemed to shed any disguise
behind which she might have hidden. But that had been what she had wanted after
all, she told herself, to be one of these fine ladies for the night, to shine
like they did.
Bea recognised the music and sent out a small thankful prayer as
her feet anxiously waited to trickle across the polished floor. Bea knew the
common country dances upon which most of the motions were roughly based on but
feared the more recent waltzes from London. Their first piece seemed to evaporate
in a matter of seconds. They both smiled and laughed a little in the closing
bars, his hand holding tight around her waist and a look of longing in his
expression making her blush. By the time the last notes rang out, her muscles
had relaxed into each graceful step as a natural child-like enjoyment took
over.
As the second dance began, Bea found it harder to hide her smile
and her excitement, taking a couple of steady breaths to compose herself. She
looked down the line of other ladies as they waited, in an undulating sheen of
elegance and demure gestures. Beth standing four couples down from her, looked
a little anxious opposite an equally nervous-looking young gentleman. She
glanced up at the Captain and discovered him gazing back at her with a reassuring
smile. The pace of the violins eased; the tempo relaxed as the steps began.
Rising and falling on the balls on her feet, she glided back and forth,
greeting each partner at every turn, then twirling around the lady next to her,
bringing her back to the centre, then back to the Captain. He was not
forthcoming with words during the dances, and Bea found herself grateful for
this fact; it allowed her to feel more at ease and enjoy her own simple
movement.
Spinning around the lady next to her, Bea placed her hand out in
front for her new partner, and this time was taken by surprise, feeling the
gentle grasp and seeing the impenetrable face of the stranger she had seen that
early morning on horseback, a month ago. Time slowed again in that moment as his
face instantly delivered the same intensity of expression, and Bea became lost
once more in a tangle of thoughts. Pausing back in line, they waited as the
lady and gentleman standing next to them took their turn. Then the two sets of
couples weaved in and out of each other, finishing side by side in a line of
four, with the new gentleman standing next to her. She held her hand to her
side, counting the half-seconds until it was enclosed in his for another brief
moment. She stole a glance at his face and found him staring back at her with a
surprised warmth in his eyes. He gave her hand a brief squeeze before letting
it go, and smiled at her hesitantly, before moving back to his original
partner, of whom Bea could not help but feel envious of; her tailor-made silk
and pearls evidence of their mutual status and their conversation suggestive of
friendship.
Standing opposite the Captain once more, she realised he had lost
his occasion to shine in her eyes. He seemed smudged and distorted, somehow
smaller. Her heart, suddenly absent from the dance, ached momentarily, without
reason; she felt light-headed, breathless, and confused. How could her feelings
possibly change so fast?
The music stopped, and the couples broke away from the group as
new ones took their place. Bea used the opportunity to break away swiftly from
the Captain and seek her friends. She felt a hand on her shoulder as she tried
to negotiate the crowd and turned to see Beth smiling at her; in relief, she
smiled back.
"I need some more punch! Shall we?" Bea managed a small
nod and allowed Beth to guide her away.
Ropewalk: Rebellion. Love. Survival.
Copyright: ©H D Coulter
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H D Coulter
Hayley was born and raised in the lake
district and across Cumbria. From a young age, Hayley loved learning about
history, visiting castles and discovering local stories from the past. Hayley
and her partner lived in Ulverston for three years and spent her weekends
walking along the Ropewalk and down by the old harbour. She became inspired by
the spirit of the area and stories that had taken place along the historic
streets.
As a teacher, Hayley had loved the art of
storytelling by studying drama and theatre. The power of the written word, how
it can transport the reader to another world or even another time in history.
But it wasn't until living in Ulverston did she discover a story worth telling.
From that point, the characters became alive and she fell in love with the
story.
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