But Hector had not been long at his post when he heard a couple of ladies commenting that Mrs. In his excitement, he arrived unfashionably early, not wishing to miss Valérie, and after greeting his host had positioned himself strategically so that he could watch every elegant guest who entered the vast ballroom. White gloves and mother-of-pearl studs completed the ensemble. Hector had dressed according to the weight of the occasion in a new double-breasted black dress coat, white shirt, and a white bow tie. He had no direct connection to the De Villiers-or hardly anyone else in Loisail, for that matter, having spent the past ten years abroad-but he did know Étienne Lémy, who was able to secure him an invitation. He was glad to discover she was in Loisail and, moreover, that she would be at the ball thrown by the De Villiers. The first thing he’d done upon disembarking was to make discreet inquiries about the whereabouts of the lady. He knew no one here except for Étienne and Luc, and he was waiting with breathless expectation for the arrival of Valérie Beaulieu. He had attended many glittering balls, but none in this city. The revelers might as well have been wild animals ready to tear off a chunk of his flesh.Īs Hector watched from a corner of the room, ladies and gentlemen partnered to dance, women fanned themselves and smiled, and men greeted each other with a tilt of the head.
Hector was like a castaway who had washed up on a room of velvet curtains and marble floors.
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