Blood Diamonds

Chapter 24

Leila

When I stepped into the crowded ballroom my heart quickened. Seeing everything in all its Gothic majesty brought flashbacks of my first introduction to that weird and grand world. As expected of these magnificently wealthy, they brought out their finest costumes, each trying to outshine the next. People from all reaches of upper society were gathered in their Gothic attire, talking and laughing maniacally as they socialized with crystal goblets filled with blood red wine or Champaign in hand. The atmosphere was crazy, a lot more chaotic than the charity ball. They swirled and swayed in capes and cloaks of rich velvet, dark and colourful, twirling to the string quartet that played a sultry tune, which added to the Gothic ambience that sparkled from crystal chandeliers. Rectangular tables encircling the dancefloor were decorated in red and gold cloth with brass centre-pieces, and laden with all sorts of fine food; masked figures flowed majestically to socialise with each other, some just chatting gaily and others waltzing in slow sweeps to the subdued music. Estelle was very adamant on the theme to her masked ball (which was described as Gothic extravagance) and the scene was a beautifully eerie one. My breath was really stolen away by the mesmerising décor. It was amazing to think that all of that was set up in the very house in which I lived.

I entered holding Estelle firmly, the crooks of our arms intertwined. Estelle's slender figure was beautifully clad in a crimson dress of lace and silk, with bold, intricate designs in the embroidery, and a black cloak which contoured her frame so fittingly. Gold jewellery adorned her pale skin, compounding the rich tone, including a golden diadem that encircled her head to fix her raven-black hair in place, which also fell in long, shiny ringlets around her lean neck. She looked riveting, like a dark goddess among her throng of worshippers.

I myself felt slightly underdressed standing beside her in my less dramatic outfit. A thick, red cloak hung loosely from my shoulders; a plain but fashionably classy gold gown with a shiny silk bodice contoured my busty frame; and, of course, a theatrical gold mask decorated with golden feathers was plastered perfectly to my face.

"Do you like it?" Estelle asked, towing me around the hall for a full tour. Her dark crimson lips, which contrasted her blanched skin, were curled in a gleeful smile.

"I love it. Certainly is... grand," I whispered, my gaze still trying to absorb the splendour of the entire scene spread before me.

"I'm glad," she replied with a chuckle. "Come on, let's mingle. My show-stealing mother will be here soon."

"Do you know where's Rodney?" I asked a little concerned. I had not seen him all day. Estelle had stolen me away early hours of that morning. Although the setup was done by hired professionals (with her own creative input), she insisted I help her with the necessary preparations, which was code for last minute costume shopping, and once that was done she 'helped' me get dressed at her own lavish estate by passing on her knowledge of classy dress code like a fashion dictator, so I hadn't seen my husband since that morning.

"Oh, I'm sure he's around," she quipped with a nonchalant swat of the hand, waiving the thought away. "Rodney was always a bit strange like that; never one for fancy affairs you know. But that shouldn't mean you can't have a bit of fun. Let's meet new people, and catch up with some old acquaintances. Oo, look, there's Jason Corburn, the mayor's son," she said gleefully, pointing at a very handsome boy in his mid-twenties who was laughing with his mask off. "He certainly does look mighty dashing today, don't you think? Let's go say hi." I found her statement oddly disturbing considering she was a married woman, and Rodney was her brother. Where was the loyalty in keeping his wife unconditionally faithful?

Handsome men of all statures and appearances saluted us in their costumes with a bow when we walked by, and women curtsied giddily as though we were royalty in this strange setting. Everyone was weirdly loud and cheerful, raucously laughing in frenzied tones. I spotted a few people clumsily spilling their drinks, not bothering to hide the fact that they behaved like toddlers, and a couple of people actually dropped their glasses in the wild fray of partying, leaving the mess for the poor caterers to clean. It was all a joke to them, so long as they were having fun that was not invigilated by any party. I soon joined this cheerful party of people, behaving in a manner that was far removed from my usual countenance—that night I was wild and unrestricted. The air could possibly have been pumped with a strange opiate that made us all soar with this giddy feeling.

That evening I drank, I laughed and I danced innocently in the arms of strangers, forgetting about my absent husband and not entertaining a thought to his whereabouts, like Estelle planned for us to do. I was dizzy with delight and having the time of my life amidst the frenzy.

Then I saw him. He was simply dressed in a black and white penguin-suit tuxedo, with a white mask covering half his face (looking sort of like that character from that musical, The Phantom of the Opera). He stood amidst a sea of guests in the centre of the floor, staring creepily at me. I was awe-struck by his sudden appearance, even in my giddy state with copious amounts of alcohol running through my veins and intoxicating every physical sense I had. Without saying a word to anyone I left the circle of people with whom I laughed and conversed, and coursed my way through the merry throng of colourful fabrics, towards him. The string quartet played an upbeat waltz. Once I reached the masked figure who hypnotised me I knew from the depth of his eyes and shape of his pink lips that Henry Eckhart hid behind the mask.

"Care to dance?" he asked charmingly.

Before I could make up my mind whether it was a good idea or not or muster a reply, he gently took my hands in his and before I knew it I was waltzing across the dancefloor with him.

Time froze and became a complacent illusion of dreamy, enjoyable twirls and drifts for the two of us in those precious moments. The people; the costumes; the dazzling décor; every corporeal substance that took my breath away before, passed by in a blur in the periphery of my vision as we spun and swept our feet with gracious glides, lost in our dance. I could see only his sweet face hiding temptingly behind the mask, and his supple, heart-shaped lips seducing me by the second; I saw nothing, and no one, else. My pulse quickened, causing my body (especially my groin) to be awash in a wave of sweaty warmth. My chest pounded and the thoughts racing through my brain were mixed and hazy, wrestling with the unfaithful idea of kissing him. We stared into each other's eyes, hypnotised by one another as we danced. No one else existed; not my husband; not my sister-in-law; not any member of the party or Smith family. It had been a long time since I had felt that happy, that elated, but I felt it in his arms.

When the song was over we stood still and longingly gazed into each other's eyes a moment longer, refusing to break the spell. But he did, and after a deep bow he turned his back to me and started to retreat to join the party. I was still captivated. My chest heaved with a quickly beating heart. I wanted to spend more time with him; I wanted him too badly.

Forgetting the terrible consequences that may follow, I darted in his direction to seek him out before he disappeared, dreamily pushing anyone in my path carelessly aside. I had to find him. Finally I spotted him walking slowly away with his back still to me, but I caught up and grabbed his hand in a daring move of defiance against my marriage. It was so soft; so gentle; so full of love. He spun around, a little startled by the intimacy, and when he saw me he smiled.

The electricity between the two of us was palpable. A thick cloud of desire encapsulated our thoughts and bodies in one, adulterous, forbidden bubble of longing. It was a bold move, and definitely a bad idea, but I knew that if I didn't have him then I would never be content with any outcome of my life ahead.