“she’ll either claim she forgot promising the box or any knowledge of my intentions to come tonight,” laurence hummed in greeting. perhaps tonight he wouldn’t fault her terribly–she had chosen quite interesting company for laurence tonight. he made no attempt to hide his appreciative glance; most would agree upon sophie de rohan’s beauty, but even moreso, laurence found himself fascinated by her reputation. 

in lady sophie, he saw many of his beliefs mirrored: most of all, an utter disregard of the ton’s expectations. “i worry you will get me in trouble, lady de rohan. it seems to follow you everywhere,” laurence teased with a grin. he leaned forward in response to her question, glancing down at the stage as if it would give him any inkling about the actors. “i know a few. rambunctious gamblers. don’t know much about their acting, though.” 

“trouble?” she repeated, a laugh in her voice. “tell me my lord, when have i ever caused you any?” there was a twinkle in her eye as she turned in her seat to look the earl in his face. she knew others spoke of her; she had read of herself in the gossip columns spread around town- gossip seemed a commodity as much as coin amongst the ton.

“gambling is always fun,” she said. “though i suppose that’s to be expected amongst actors. alongside indulging too much in cheap drink.” she hadn’t spent much time around actors, but had heard stories of actresses making most of their money on the arms of married men.

“Well, would you like there to be?” He offered, a raised brow in the direction of the man as he discreetly pulled out the edge of a flask from the inner pocket of his jacket.  While awaiting the man’s answer he carefully poured a respectable amount into the glass he had been handed only moments prior.

“i-” shock crosses his face at the man’s behaviour. “no, thank you, sir.” the earl gave a light shake of his head. “i am afraid vodka and i are not the greatest friends- from what little of it i have tried.” he didn’t think he had tried it since his school days, and it wasn’t too common to come across.

       isabel laughed, trying to keep her volume at an appropriately polite level. her mother was always reminding her not to be too loud, though surely it was a compliment that she found his words so amusing? ‘ i understand perfectly, ‘ she agreed. ‘ it is so difficult to choose one or the other. i imagine summer might be quite lovely in the country, and yet i could not bear to miss the season. it is far too entertaining. ‘ she may hate the marriage-market, but isabel had always enjoyed all other aspects of london, and that made it all worth it.

“i don’t believe i have missed a season since i was in school,” he admitted. between coming into the earldom at twenty and his duties in the house of lords, and it sometimes felt he had a sibling joining society every season; though thankfully the last would the next year. “i don’t think a year would feel complete without it.”

“Oh thank heavens, yes, thank you so very much,” Nicholas breathed out gratefully towards his brother-in-law as he finally found the refreshments table. The Marquess then swiftly downed the entire glass before sighing softly in relief. “Please pardon my manners, James, but I was just dead-parched and I couldn’t find an opportunity to escape for a reprieve till now,” he admitted with a bashful chuckle. 

there was a split moment where james stared at the marquess, a blink in shock at how fast he finished the drink. “of course,” he said, nodding his head as he put on a smile. “did marianne accompany you tonight?” he asked, glancing around the room in hopes of catching a glimpse of his younger sister.

Clad in a pale blue muslin dress of fine fit, Lady Diana had finally made her escape from the dance floor. Dancing left a flush of excitement in her cheeks, as did the attention she had received from a few gentlemen she hoped might come calling later in the week. It was not a bad first outing, to be sure. Her family would be pleased. “I’m afraid I had to take a break,” she laughed lightly, “Even a ballroom as fine as this can start to feel unbearably warm after a few turns.”

“How have you been?” Sophie was one she knew well, thanks to their shared interest in novels, and she offered her a true smile as she smoothed gloved hands down the front of her dress. “I’m looking forward to our next meeting. I’ve found the most marvelous book, written by a Mr. Samuel Richardson. Have you read him?” 

“if you are so warm, let us go out onto the terrace.” she took the other woman’s arm, leading her out towards the terrace. “we might even find something to drink. i know i am positively parched after so much dancing.” the room was warm, and sophie had spent much of the evening on the dancefloor as well; and so many bodies, all moving at once, was bound to make any room warm.

𝐄𝐘𝐄𝐒  𝐃𝐑𝐎𝐏  𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐎  𝐒𝐋𝐈𝐓𝐒  ,  𝐀𝐋𝐌𝐎𝐒𝐓  𝐀𝐒  𝐈𝐅  she’d  witnessed  him  poisoning  the  beverage  before  offering  it  to  her  .  she  was  going  to  need  something  stronger  than  the  lemonade  he  was  offering  .     ❝              i  believe  i  shall  pass  .   ❞     the  countess  muses  ,  waving  her  hand  in  decline  as  if  he  were  actually  the  help  .     ❝   perhaps  they  have  something  stronger  ?   ❞

“i doubt a de rohan could host a party without.” the duchess’ married name might be campbell, but that hadn’t meant she had left behind the eccentricities of her birth family. taking a sip of his own drink, he mused, “though this might have rum in it.”

Brandon spotted the Earl of Suffolk serving drinks at the evenings events. He found himself wandering over towards the table and offered one of the lemonades. “Have things become so terrible in Parliament that you’re forced to serve drinks now?” There was a teasing chasetisement in his tone as he asked the question. HIs own family having political ties and having worked with the Suffolks within the House of Lords. 

“ah yes, the first career i would begin would be as lemonade hander.” his own tone was less drole than that of his sister’s brother-in-law. james tended to attend balls mostly out of duty- and encouragement from his mother. “i’m not quite sure it would be as fulfilling as the jobs i am used to.”

In the past dancing had not been something that he had shied from when it had been impressed upon him from a young age how it was the polite and proper thing to dance with as many ladies as possible. Even once married he had still felt somewhat duty-bound to give young ladies their turn, a chance to show themselves at their best to potential suitors. Back then he had been able to enjoy the luxury of no expectations on him, able to go back to his wife without having to do anything more. But now he was back among the ranks of suitor and he found himself hesitating to claim a place on the dancefloor, all too aware that at times it was almost impossible for a dance to simply be a dance. “It has been some time since I was the asked rather than the asker.” Easy smile touches his lips at his confession, an honest one but he’s quick to move the conversation on before it lingers too long in sombre waters. “I trust you have not been so neglected? I should be quick to rectify it if that has been the case.” 

she had already had several spins around the dance floor, with as many different partners as there were dances; sophie had been a fan of dancing even before her debut in society all those years ago. “you haven’t seemed to have asked someone yet tonight,” the blonde said, her eyebrow arching as if she had asked a question. she knew the duke had been absent from ton events for a while, and she had always found it best to jump into things head first rather than dip her toes in it; and sophie thought she might help the gentleman do the same. “come along, one dance and then i shall show you where all the men have hidden away so they can smoke, talk politics, and gamble away their family fortunes.”

       isabel accepted the drink with a polite smile. heaven forbid she ever forget her manners, after all. ‘ thank you, my lord. i have been - that is yes, we spent our summer at Althorp, ‘ she replied, trying not to stumble over her words.  ‘ it is lovely to be in the city again. of course, there is nothing quite like all of this - ‘ she guestured to the room around them, in all its opulence - ‘ in northamptonshire. ‘ there was certainly far less opportunity to have such a wonderful party in the country. the season did have its moments, she could not deny that.

“i must agree with that.” he took a look around the room, before settling his eyes on isabel’s face again. “i believe i always find myself missing the city when i am in the country, but then missing the country once i have returned to london.” the earl let out s small chuckle. “both emtirely condradicting each other, but both home nonetheless.”

𝐒𝐇𝐄'𝐃  𝐀𝐕𝐎𝐈𝐃𝐄𝐃  𝐌𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐆  𝐅𝐎𝐑  𝐓𝐇𝐄  𝐁𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐅  time  she’d  spent  at  this  party  ,  every  movement  made  in  her  direction  of  eligible  lords  ,  she  promptly  disappeared  from  view  ,  it  wasn’t  that  she  didn’t  want  to  talk  to  them  (  well  ,  it  was  .  )  but  simply  she  wasn’t  much  a  fan  of  extravagant  parties  or  letting  the  lord  chatter  her  ear  off  with  stories  that  she  cares  not  for  .     ❝              are  you  looking  to  join  the  help  now  ,  my  lord  .   ❞     words  could  perhaps  be  taken  as  a  bite  towards  him  ,  but  they  are  meant  with  jest  ,  as  she  accepts  the  lemonade  .

“i merely thought you might be thirsty, and am standing nearer than you to the refreshments, ma’am.” nonetheless lord suffolk put on a polite smile; afterall, shylah of york was great-niece to the king, and cousin to the prince regent- if both the prince of wales and duke of clarence remained childless there was every chance her father might rise to the throne- though james would never voice such a thing aloud. “a lady such as yourself must have so little time for a drink before being asked to the floor by one man or another.”

𝐅𝐋𝐎𝐑𝐄𝐍𝐂𝐄  𝐖𝐀𝐒𝐍'𝐓  𝐌𝐔𝐂𝐇  𝐎𝐅  𝐀  𝐇𝐎𝐒𝐓  ,  that  was  her  brothers  choice  and  obligations  ,  leaving  the  young  woman  her  freedom  to  wander  their  estate  ,  mingle  with  their  guests  ,  but  what  she  didn’t  expect  was  to  find  the  earl  of  suffolk  lingering  at  the  refreshments  .     ❝              my  lord  ,  why  thank  you  .   ❞     florence  accepted  ,  surprise  hidden  in  her  tone  as  she  takes  the  offered  beverage  .     ❝   how  are  you  finding  the  night  ?   ❞

“it’s lovely, thank you lady florence.” the earl gave the young woman a smile. “you have a beautiful home.” james had been attending events since his university days, and always tried to be gracious to his hosts. “you campbells have truly outdone yourselves.”

Perhaps he shouldn’t have come.  It was clear he was in a sour mood, and polite parties such as these always seemed to sour it further.  There was nothing wrong with them, he just preferred his music a bit louder, and the drinks stronger than the one being offered to him.  “Does it have vodka in it?” he questioned back.

james chuchkled at the man’s words, glancing down at his own drink. “i don’t believe so,” he said. lord suffolk had never been too fond of the clear spirit- and thankfully, for him at least (and not so much for the man opposite) most englishmen tended to keep rum or brandy in stock rather than vodka.