Sofia hurriedly ran up the stairs to her room. She quickly removed Katerina's dress, and now, naked, she began to open the package the seamstress had given her. When she opened it, she was stunned. Her heart filled with emotions, contrasting with each other. On one side, there was the red of anger for Miss Clarence's inappropriate behavior; the girl touched the red lace roses embroidered under the dress's bust. On the other side, there was hope and pure joy for her first ball; she touched the white, soft straps shaped like angel wings. Then, there was excitement and a new feeling for Edgar; she touched the high collar of the dress and its golden embroidery. Naked, she stood up from the bed and brought the dress closer to herself. This dress was mostly pastel pink, but unlike the previous one, it was more modest (no cleavage and the length was perfect).
Sofia began to put it on and only then did she realize she still had Mrs. Scott's necklace on. With a new high-neck dress, the necklace was no longer necessary. She took it off and gently placed it on the bed. She finished putting on the dress and looked at herself in the mirror. It fit her perfectly. She touched the red roses again that caressed her chest, spun around, and smiled.
She removed the pin that held her hair up and let it fall onto her shoulders. She took a comb and brushed it properly. Finally, she gathered Katerina's dress and necklace and put everything back in its place. She put the dress back in the wardrobe and the necklace in the silver jewelry box.
As she returned to her room to continue fixing her hair, she crossed paths with Nanny and her brother.
"You look stunning, big sis!"
"I still have to finish fixing my hair," said Sofia.
"Don't keep him waiting too long," Nanny said. "The ball has already started, and there's a gentleman waiting for you."
"Edgar..." Sofia whispered.
"Since when do you call him by his name?" Johnny giggled.
"I don't call him by his name, and neither should you!" Sofia objected, blushing.
"You're always good at scolding me!" Johnny said as he walked away. "I'm going to dance. Maybe tonight I'll finally find a wife."
"With that attitude, I really don't think so!"
"Can you not argue at least for tonight?" Nanny asked.
Johnny was already gone, having rushed down the stairs. So, it was Sofia's turn to respond.
"I won't speak to him again tonight," she said, "and I hope he leaves me alone."
"Excellent decision," Nanny said. "Come on, let me help you with your hair."
She took her under the arm, and the two women entered Sofia's room.
"Do you remember when you used to braid my hair?" the girl asked, sitting on her bed.
"Of course, my dear," Nanny sat beside her and got to work. With her tired, wrinkled hands, she made one braid on the right side and another on the left. Then, she joined them in the center with a white ribbon. The rest of her hair remained loose.
"Isn't this a bit childish?" Sofia asked as she observed herself in the mirror.
"It is, but it's not a crime."
"But I'm not a childish woman. I wouldn't want to give the wrong impression of myself."
"Since when do you care about other people's opinions?"
Sofia didn't know what to answer. One name lingered on her young lips: Edgar. But why was she thinking about him? What had changed between them? Did the fact that he had encouraged her to take the dress and necklace from his mother mean something? Was it significant that he had defended her from that noble but rude family? And then, the ball? Would he really dance with her? To get the answer to this last question, Sofia couldn't wait. She got up from the bed, blew Nanny a kiss, and ran out of the room. She only stopped in front of the stairs, not wanting to fall down them. She took a deep breath and then saw him. Edgar was standing right under the stairs, waiting for her. Her heart began to race wildly in her chest. The roses on her dress now seemed to have thorns, squeezing her chest and ribs. They surrounded that young and rare heart. A heart not of blue blood but noble in its ways and its purity.
Sofia met Edgar's gaze, took another deep breath, and began to descend the stairs, her eyes fixed on him. Sofia knew that because of her lack of nobility, she would have no chance with him, but at least for one evening, everything seemed different: possible.
Who knows if this ball, beyond being something new, would also be enjoyable?
"Maybe for a moment, he will forget about Angelica," Sofia thought. "Maybe Angelica won't come to the ball."
The girl still believed that Edgar was in love with Angelica, despite her marriage to a duke. She was convinced that the letter she had briefly held was a love letter. She would never have thought that it was just an apology letter. Poor Sofia, she didn't know that Edgar's heart was as free as hers.
Once in front of him, she smiled. He smiled back and took her hand. He led her to the center of the dance floor.
"Are you nervous?" he asked, whispering in her ear as he began to wrap his arm around her back for the dance.
"No," the girl lied.
"Then why are you so stiff? Your body says the opposite."
"And you? What does your body say?"
He didn't answer. The music began to play, and he began to lead her slowly, softly, and gently. It was a pleasure for Sofia to follow him. She wasn't stiff at all. Not that evening, not with him.
Sofia was surprised by this. She wanted to tell him he was a great dancer but then noticed that half the room was staring at them.
Maybe they were wondering who he was, and she didn't care for the introductions. She would dance with Edgar all night just to avoid that.
"Everyone's watching you," Edgar said.
"They're watching us," she corrected him.
Sofia started searching with her eyes for a young woman, the one she believed was Angelica. But too many women were staring at her. This made her nervous and agitated.
"After the dance, I'll introduce you to some professors," Edgar said.
"Professors, alright..."
Meanwhile, they kept spinning and spinning.
"Does your head spin?" Edgar asked.
"Not at all."
"Then I'm booking the second dance."
"When?"
"Now."
The music changed, and another dance began. This time, it was a group dance.
"I don't know how to dance this," Sofia said.
"Just copy the lady in front of you."
"Oh, I'll definitely do that."
"You don't have a choice," Edgar chuckled.
"I should have guessed you'd play a trick on me."
"Me, a trick? I'm not a child."
"I wouldn't bet on that."
The dance became faster and faster, and the two of them fell silent, but they didn't stop looking at each other. She focused, and he was amused.
"You don't have to be so serious," Edgar finally said. "Everyone's here to have fun. And my professors won't bite you. They won't even give exams. Follow me."
He took her hand and led her off the dance floor.
"Here he is," said a tall, bald man Sofia didn't know, "our favorite student!"
"Not anymore," said a shorter, thinner man.
"What do you mean, not anymore?" Sofia asked curiously.
She looked at the thin man and then at Edgar.
"Actually," Edgar explained, "I'm no longer studying medicine. But don't tell my father."
"And how long has this been?" Sofia asked.
"Since his mother died," the bald man explained.
"And all this time, you've been pretending. With me, with your father, with Nanny..."
"I think Nanny already knows."
"You've always been pretending," Sofia said incredulously. "You're a chronic liar."
And she yanked her hand from his.
"Excuse me," she added. "I need some air. I'm going to the park for a moment."
And she walked away.
"Excuse us," Edgar said to the two professors. "I'll bring her back inside."
And he followed her.
"It's cold outside," Edgar said as he approached Sofia. "There's a notable temperature drop."
"So I'll catch a cold, or maybe the flu? Or perhaps bronchitis, or maybe pneumonia? Oh, but you're not a doctor, how can you know?"
"Does it really matter if I'm a doctor? Why does it bother you so much?"
"Because you're a liar."
"And you're not?" he asked. "You're at a ball full of noble people, pretending to be one of them!"
"But I'm not ashamed of being a commoner!"
"Neither am I ashamed of being a failure as a student!"
"But weren't you one of the best?" a voice behind them said.
They both turned. It was Mr. Scott, in the flesh.
He was smoking a pipe and was very calm.
"Aren't you angry?" Edgar asked his father.
"I've known for a long time," the latter explained. "Let's say I've had several days to cool down the anger and disappointment."
"But why pretend?"
"Because these are your decisions. You have to make them... And anyway, you're wealthy enough not to need to work."
These last words struck Sofia's heart, freezing it. The girl realized how different they were. The one thing that had united them before was their love for medicine. Now, though, even that had turned out to be a lie. The truth was, she would never be considered a possible wife for Edgar. And besides... he wasn't even looking for a wife.
"I'll leave you alone," Sofia said, turning to leave.
As she returned to the hall, someone who looked very much like her brother bumped into her and ran off.
"Johnny?"
But no one answered or turned. That someone was in a hurry.
"Excuse me, let me pass, excuse me," Sofia repeated as she tried to reach the stairs to go upstairs.
"I see you've finished dancing," Olga said, standing in front of the staircase.
"It was very pleasant, but now I'm very tired," the girl explained politely. "Excuse me."
"What were you talking about while you were dancing?"
"What do you think they were talking about?" her mother asked. "Commoners aren't well-mannered enough to hold a conversation."
"I'm much more than that," Sofia said.
"For now, we haven't seen it," Nancy said.
"And you won't see it... You'll never see me again."
The girl ran up the stairs and disappeared behind the door of her room. For Sofia, the evening was over.