Right when the word husband was uttered, Henry froze. Did he translate her correctly? The woman was clearly talking to him, and was obviously using him as an excuse to leave the two men, but it was something about the woman herself that made him pause. Then she grabbed his arm and Henry's first thought was Catherine.
But this woman couldn't be Catherine. Catherine was in her room faking an illness to avoid him, so being at a party that she knew he would be at would make no sense. The dress this woman was wearing was plain, he'd never seen Catherine in a gown so boring, in fact this gown made Henry think the woman was from a less wealthy family, an image Catherine would never foster. This woman was short too, shorter than Catherine, although as he looked down upon her, maybe that wasn't quite right. It was hard to tell especially since Catherine was always in heels, and this woman most definitely wasn't wearing heels, but nonetheless Catherine would be wearing heels if she were at the party.
But of course this woman would remind him of Catherine that was his whole purpose in seeking out a woman tonight. Wasn't that the reason he was drawn to her in the first place? Knowing he'd found the perfect woman to satisfy his Catherine itch, Henry settled.
"Please play along"
His plan did not involve these other two men and if she wanted to get rid of them, he'd happily oblige. And Henry enjoyed playing the role of chivalrous knight.
Remembering that the woman was speaking in Italian, Henry added to the ruse, "Thank you kind gentlemen for keeping watch over my wife. I have been looking for her everywhere."
He heard the woman stifle a laugh, so before she could accidentally blow their cover Henry and his mystery guest took a stroll around the room, plus it would allow for them to separate from the group.
"Thank you so much! Those two were absolutely tedious" she continued in Italian. Maybe she didn't speak French? "I had been trying to escape their company for ages."
Her accent was thick, though it didn't sound quite the same as the Venetians, and she spoke quite quickly. Henry struggled with making sure that he translated everything correctly, people usually accommodated his French tongue. Despite having an Italian wife, his Italian took a minute for him to translate.
"And how is your evening going?" As Henry slowly translated he heard her stifle a small chuckle, another action that reminded him of Catherine, mostly when she was trying to perfect her French in the first years of their marriage. He hadn't heard Catherine make that noise since they were maybe eighteen. "I shall speak slower for you."
Slightly embarrassed Henry responded, "Thank you, I have not had the chance recently to brush up on my Italian, but it is slowly coming back."
"So well-educated enough to know at least two languages, but out of practice which means you don't visit Italy often. Does that mean you stay mostly in France?"
If she only knew.
"As it happens my work does keep me in France, I don't often get to leave the country. " She was assessing him, despite not knowing this woman, he could swear he could see the gears turning as she tried to figure out who he was.
"So you must be a courtier, otherwise you would not be here. Do you have a role in the upcoming festivities? "
Henry chuckled, "Trying to figure out my identity?"
The woman gave him a sideways glance, "I'm only trying to discern how many times our paths have crossed and I've deemed you unremarkable until now."
Then she smirked, the most charming, enticing smirk Henry had ever seen. It looked so similar to Catherine's.
Henry felt his heart bang into his chest. This woman was perfect, her only flaw being that she was not Catherine herself, but maybe that wasn't such a bad thing, this woman at least enjoyed being in his company.
"Our paths couldn't have crossed, I would have found you remarkable in any crowd" Henry found that charm that had helped him, but hurt Catherine, in so many cases ooze out of him.
Catherine continued to size up the gentleman. He was clearly a Frenchman, but whom? The gentleman clearly did not want his true identity to be discovered; he gave no indication to his true identity, and was clearly playing with the tone of his voice.
His build and movements gave away nothing, save for the fact that he reminded her of Henry. There were several nobles that had been invited for the festivities that Catherine wasn't very familiar with, maybe he was one those?
"Perhaps you did find me remarkable, but would not dare approach me in front of your wife."
He froze, and despite only being able to see the bottom of his face, she saw the blood drain. This man was definitely married. That tidbit didn't help her discern his identity, most nobles were married, but it ruled out at least five gentlemen of her acquaintance.
"Perhaps I did find you remarkable, but waited until we were away from your husband."
Catherine felt herself freeze for just a moment. Clearly her mysterious gentleman was not afraid to play her game. She too had just accidentally let it slip she was married. Luckily, just like in her case, that would not help him determine her identity, a lot of women at court were married.
Deciding to forgo lying, Catherine decided to just admit her painful truth. Chances are her mysterious friend would think her story was part of a ruse rather than reality.
"Oh you needn't worry about him, he finds me tedious."
"Surely not."
"He probably wouldn't even notice if you had approached me in front of him." Catherine really wasn't sure why she delving so deep into her pain. This night was supposed to be about ruses and mystery, and yet here she was beginning to pour her heart out to a complete stranger that was supposed to know nothing about her.
"Madam, you've held my attention since I first laid eyes on you. If I were lucky enough to switch places with your husband I can assure you, you would not be speaking to some strange gentleman."
A thrill shot down her back, Henry used to act like that with her, but now not seeing her for days was a blessing to him. Catherine looked up into the man's eyes and was stunned by the warmth radiating from them. It truly seemed as if this man cared for her.
Except this man's honest gaze so reminded her of Henry's gaze from long ago. Was she so longing for her husband that this man's every action seemed like Henry's? Either that or Henry had a wonderful doppelgänger running around his court and she had never noticed him before.
"But what of your wife" Catherine had to deflect, her own thoughts were going to be her demise. "Surely she would not like you speaking to some strange woman."
The gentleman seemed to pause, almost inwardly sag, perhaps he had guilt?
"My wife would beg you to take me off her hands. She hates to be bothered by me."
Catherine laughed a real laugh that started in her gut and completely took over her.
"It would seem, strange sir, that we were destined to meet each other tonight."
Perhaps this man was lying to her, coming up with some sap story just to land in her bed, especially after her maudlin story, but Catherine didn't care. His tone, his demeanor, everything about him felt genuine. The irony of the masks affording them anonymity and deception was not lost on Catherine.
"It would seem like some twist of fate, strange lady, that us poor fools, unlucky in love would find one another." His tone, despite his joking words, hinted at more.
"You love your wife" Catherine said matter-of-factly. While the man didn't say much Catherine could just tell. She didn't know how she knew, just that she did. Maybe it was his choice of words, maybe she was completely off base, or maybe it was the sad look in his identical to Henry's eyes.
Not that she could tell they were identical to Henry's, she could barely make out the color of them between the dim lighting, and masks, but she imagined they looked identical to Henry's. Goodness she was hopeless.
"And you love your husband."
He shouldn't have said that, Henry chastised himself. A comment like that might scare her off. He just couldn't let her get away with knowing his deepest secret. The woman had known him for approximately an hour and she ferreted out his true feelings towards Catherine. He couldn't let her off the hook.
And this woman did love her husband. It was obvious. Her eyes conveyed a hurt that he imagined she could probably see mirrored in his own. Her tone betrayed much more emotion behind her words.
"I…"
"Do" Henry finished for her. He didn't want her to lie to him. She had seemed so open with everything else that lying about something this obvious seemed unfitting.
"Is it that obvious?" The woman seemed perplexed. Henry imagined that under her mask was a furrowed brow and an adorable questioning expression, much like one Catherine had exhibited in the past.
"Probably as obvious as me."
"Oh no" she added with a sly smile, "It is that bad?"
And it was back to levity, which Henry found set him back at ease. He didn't like the thought of a man leaving this wonderful woman neglected, she deserved so much better. That and he was forced to confront his treatment of Catherine.
But Catherine didn't want his attention, she hated him. Everything about him annoyed her, and while this was in part (maybe mostly) due to his actions, she never wasted an opportunity to remind him how much of a disappointment he was to her. Small arguments and rifts had now grown so large between them he wouldn't even know where to begin to mend them.
This woman so clearly wanted the attentions of her husband. It made him feel gallant to at least make her evening an enjoyable one. And since she reminded him so much of Catherine, though Henry was sure there was some transference on his part wanting her to so badly be Catherine, it made him feel a little bit better. Suddenly he felt her hand touch his arm.
"Sorry, it just seemed like I lost you there."
Henry looked at her. There was no chance of carrying on an affair with this woman. She was clearly in love with her husband, and she was so similar to Catherine, that she was only driving his desire for Catherine tenfold. However, he could find solace with this woman. Talking with her felt therapeutic, she had a calming effect on him, one that he hadn't felt in several years, and only ever with Catherine.
"Let's dance"
Catherine allowed the man to lead her to the dance floor. He seemed jumpy all of a sudden, eager to be moving, rather than just standing. Not that she minded dancing, in fact she loved it and was quite good at dancing.
However as the music started, Catherine realized that she was significantly shorter than her partner, since she chose to forgo her normal heels, making the dance a bit more awkward for herself, constantly having to readjust the placement of her hands. Whenever their hands touched, or she'd have to touch an arm, she imagined it was Henry dancing with her, and it was so easy to imagine. On one spin she accidentally grabbed the man's forearm instead of hand and slid her hand up along his arm, noticing how similar in build this man was to Henry.
As the music came to a close the gentleman led her to edge of the room. His hand naturally fell to the small of her back as they skirted around people, making Catherine relive the moments Henry used to do that same motion. The feeling gutted her.
"How do you cope?" The gentleman looked back at her questioningly, "with your marriage? I mean."
Catherine wasn't sure where that came from, it was an oddly personal question, and especially for a person she had just met, and barely knew. In fact she really couldn't blame him if he so chose to walk away from her that moment.
But he didn't. Instead he stood there a moment and seemed to give the question deep thought, or maybe he was coming up with the best excuse to leave her company. As he thought, Catherine realized she was dying to know his answer. By this point she had long given up on a one night whirlwind affair with the man, but she did realize that she connected with him on a more personal level. He was the first person since Henry in the early years of their marriage she felt a genuine connection too, and that meant so much more than sex.
"I hurt her, emotionally. " His honesty quickly pulled her from her thoughts, "I pull little exploits that I know will get under her skin just to see her reaction. Only just to see if there is a reaction, because if there is one, I know that she feels some sort of emotion towards me, which is better than the opposite. I know it's wrong, and seeing the hurt guts me, but at this point I don't even know how to stop."
"I purposely defy what my husband wants" Catherine knew she shouldn't open up, it would be so easy to let a detail slip that would not apply to a normal noblewoman. But she wanted to comfort him, and she genuinely believed he was sorry for doing antics towards his wife. She understood completely being in a vicious cycle with her spouse.
"I want him to know that he has no effect on my actions. I parade my independence in front of him so he knows that I don't need him."
"And do you? Need him?"
"Yes"
Henry sighed with relief. It comforted him to know that he was not the only person who was madly in love with someone who couldn't stand them. This woman saying yes to his question felt like Henry had just received confirmation from Catherine that they still had a chance. It was odd that this woman could simultaneously rattle and set him at ease.
"I need her too. More than she probably knows." Henry knew he couldn't divulge too much, he and Catherine had to face many dilemmas that most couples would never even dream of. But watching the smile come back to the woman's face was worth every secret he might accidentally spill, and even though he could only make out the bottom half of her face, he knew that when this woman smiled it radiated from her whole face, much like Catherine's.
"I were correct earlier when I said it seemed we were destined to meet. You have made me feel better about everything. You have comforted me in a way that I have not felt in years. Thank you."
"And thanks to you, my lady. You have given me a sense of peace that I believed I had lost."
"You know, I came to this party to have whirlwind affair with some gentlemen to get back at him."
Henry chuckled.
"What is so funny?"
"You don't strike me as the type who conducts affairs."
"Oh I don't, in fact you were supposed to be my first one, but since my damn husband can't even leave me alone when I'm trying to forget him it seems pointless now." The woman shrugged but didn't seem defeated, "at least now I won't have to carry that guilt."
"That guilt never goes away either, trust me, as a man who has made the dumbest mistakes. Be glad you can still hold your head high."
The woman looked at him curiously, hopefully by admitting he was a philandering wastrel he didn't ruin the odd friendship he had created with this woman.
"Before you judge me too harshly, it is usually her name that slips out during the throws of passion. Mostly because I can't get her out of my head, and in those most intimate moments I think of her."
The woman laughed, "I'm not sure how your wife would take that but I find it a good penance, your bedfellows must hate that."
"After her name is uttered I'm often left. I've even been hit."
"You deserve that" the woman choked out between laughs.
"I'm glad that you find my destruction humorous" Henry added with a wry smile. The woman then took on a mischievous appearance. She ducked in low, as if she was about to divulge a secret of the state.
"Perhaps, since by your own admission you are a debaucher, you wouldn't mind debauching me." Henry felt his eyes widen, did the woman not pay attention to anything he had just confessed?
"Only just a little! Perhaps just a kiss goodnight. My plans tonight had been get even with him, and well since I'm not worried about it going any further, would you mind helping me feel like I'm not bowing out of an affair because of him?"
Catherine knew she was nuts, she had just plain confessed to loving Henry and was asking this stranger to kiss her. She could sense his befuddlement.
"It doesn't need to be some grand kiss, just a kiss between friends. It will be odd with the masks anyways."
His eyes dropped to her lips, Catherine held her breath. The man wanted to kiss her, the desire she had first noticed in his eyes when they first met was back.
He dropped his head slowly, and she rose to her tip toes, without her heels she really needed to extend. Their lips connected, and it was a small kiss really, but had far reaching effects. The man pulled her closer, while she invited the kiss to get deeper. He tasted wonderful, a mix of how Henry used to kiss her and an Italian wine she hadn't had in ages.
Pulling apart for air, Catherine rested her hands on his chest, more to stop herself from going back. The man was just as affected, she could tell.
"Thank you and good night" she quickly got out between heavy gasps, she figured she needed to put distance between them before things did escalate.
"Goodnight mysterious lady" he whispered as Catherine turned to walk away, a small smile forming. Maybe during the rest of the party she could try to figure out which lord he was, that would certainly liven things up.