#hannahbfrancesca

"miss beaumont?" a gentleman appeared at her elbow, another one, always another one. "might I have the honor of the next dance?"

esmee looked at him. looked at his eager face, his hopeful expression, his complete and utter irrelevance.

"no," she said simply, and walked away.

she moved through the ballroom with purpose now, her eyes scanning the crowd. she found francesca near the refreshment table, trapped in conversation with the aforementioned lord pemberton, who was indeed ancient and appeared to be lecturing her about something that made her eyes glaze over with polite boredom.

esmee didn't think. she simply acted.

"francesca!" she called, sweeping up to them with her most dazzling smile. "there you are. you promised me you'd show me the portrait gallery. you know how I adore art." she turned to lord pemberton, her smile never wavering. "you'll forgive us, my lord. we won't be long."

she didn't wait for permission. she took francesca's hand and pulled her away, weaving through the crowd with the kind of confidence that made people assume they had every right to do exactly what they were doing.

"esmee," francesca breathed, half-laughing, half-shocked. "what are you.."

"rescuing you," esmee said. "wnless you were enjoying lord pemberton's discourse on the proper management of sheep?"

"i was not," francesca admitted, and her hand tightened around esmee's. "but where are we going?"

"anywhere but here."

they slipped through a side door, into a corridor that was blessedly empty and quiet. the sounds of the ballroom faded to a distant murmur, and esmee finally released francesca's hand, though she immediately missed the warmth of it.

"we shouldn't be alone," francesca said, but she didn't move to leave. "if anyone saw..."

"no one saw. and if they did, we're simply two young ladies seeking a moment's respite from the crush. there's nothing scandalous about that." esmee leaned against the wall, studying Francesca in the dimmer light of the corridor. "unless you want to return to lord pemberton?"

"god, no," francesca said with such disgust that esmee laughed.

"then stay. just for a moment. just until we can breathe again."

francesca hesitated, then nodded. she moved to stand beside esmee, close enough that their shoulders nearly touched, and tilted her head back against the wall.

"thank you," she said softly. "for rescuing me."