A young man had given a Chinese puzzle box to a young lady, but with no note or explanation to accompany it.
It had taken her a nearly week to open it, but on completion late one night, she had immediately woken her father and shown him the contents, before making him rouse his footman and have a carriage repair them straight to the young man’s house.
Battering on the door at gone midnight had caused the house occupants to leave their rooms on mass, and for lamps to be lit in fear that the house was afire, or under attack.
When the iron studded oak door was eventually opened, it revealed a bleary-eyed butler who was most put out to find a young woman standing there in what he could only describe as an agitated state. He was even more put out when she immediately pushed past him and rushed into the ornate hall before he had a chance to speak.
A swift sweeping glance from left to right revealed a young man standing stock still in nightclothes and a dark blue silk dressing-gown at the bottom of the right-hand staircase as if to attention, and an older couple in similar attire stopped in open mouthed incredulity, a few steps from the bottom of the left-hand staircase. Servants began to line the balcony on the landings to either side, wiping sleep from their eyes whilst pulling on clothes as they watched the spectacle unfolding below.
The young woman’s eyes locked with that of the young man, her breast heaving with exertion, and panting so hard she could not speak. After a few seconds she threw off her cloak and began to run straight at the man. He made no attempt to move; not until that is when she leapt into the air from two yards out, her fists raised as if to strike an opponent.
Gasps came from across, behind, and above as the spectators feared they were about to witness a vicious fight. At the last minute the young man broke his rigid stance, lifted his hands as if to defend himself, and took half a step to the side in an effort to avoid the flying woman, who was hurtling towards him at a most alarming speed.
Then suddenly they were a single swirl of silk and fine embroidered cloth, their mouths interlocked with their arms around the other’s back as they spun a full circle, before coming to a halt, their lips just touching, and their eyes still locked on the other.
“Yes,” breathed the young woman directly into the young man’s mouth so nobody but him could hear.
Lord Anthony Woodward walked across the marble floor before ascending the first three stair treads, whereupon he shook Sir James Mcallister’s hand and said, “I believe, sir, that we have just witnessed the betrothal of our children.”
Everyone’s eyes were now on the young couple, the woman holding her left hand out so all could see the contents of the puzzle-box set upon her finger as it faintly sparkled in the candlelight.
Inspired by the deaf actor, Rose Ayling-Ellis, on the UK’s Stricktly Come Dancing TV show.
