3rd October 1814, All the Gaiety of a Ball

Vickery produced a card, offering it to Lord Uxbridge. "My card." He looked among the gathered gentlemen and made a quick bow. "If you will excuse me, gentlemen," he added.

Vickery's move signalled the break-up of the group, and several gentlemen moved to find their next dance partners, those who had agreed to actively participate leaving cards which the newformed commitee accepted.

Thinking it better to keep Willoughby company for a bit longer, Torrington touched his shoulder to get his attention.

"Your cousins are with Bella and Miss Vickery - I believe where my mother is seated."

Willoughby left the card as well with the interested party then felt a touch on his shoulder He turned around and blinked surprised at Torrington. "Yes." He said, quickly regaining his composure. "Then we can greet them since we have settled all we could. My apologies that you had been dragged into this." He smiled. He followed Torrington's lead, the dance floor finally being cleared for all intents and purposes that it was named after.

Vickery had decided, during his dance with Miss Sylvia Bromwell, that he was going to find Estefania - whom he hadn't seen since Spain - and enquire whether she had promised the next dance to anyone. If not, he would ask her himself.

If she even danced according to the English style; he was embarrassed not to be able to recall whether she did or not.

After the crowd began to clear, the two Spanish or nearly Spanish ladies had turned as well. Estefania was somewhat calmed, though she had muttered some strong words about these men who had never seen the battle field and what right they would have had to comment on anything. Maria Ines, her friend had sighed and shook her hand and attempted to change the topic instead, by asking her - all still in Spanish - if there were any men of those who volunteered that she personally had met.

To this Estefania answered with a curt nod, telling Maria that she had pointed some of them to her before, but that yes indeed several she had met. The conversation went from there into lighter waters. They have stopped soon after and turned towards the dance floor again.

"You will have to excuse me now, dear friend, I have a dance to attend to." Maria smiled lightly.

"Boa noite," Vickery said, approaching the two. "Ah. No - buenos noches." He smiled; they had been talking Spanish rather than Portuguese, after all. "I thought I heard your name announced earlier," he said to Estefania. "Have you promised this next dance to anyone?"

Maria Ines curtsied to Vickery: "Buenas noches, senor." Estefania echoed her greeting and smiled."Do you want me to.." Estefania shook her head. "Go, you said you were in a hurry."

Ines turned to the officer and added a quick. " If you will excuse me now..." She bowed again and departed not too long after, leaving Estefania with the new gentleman.

"Indeed. I have been invited to accompany my friend.."She indicated the lady who had just gone. "..to England, while she is to marry here." She gave a light shrug then smiled at the question of dance. "I have not. And yourself?" She spoke in English now. She seemed quite different in the attire chosen for the ball. Instead of the fierce irregular she looked almost tame now, though there was still a slight flare that even the dress of society could not put out.

"Nor I. Should you like to dance?" he asked. "Presuming you do not find the English dances too... restrained, for one of your tastes, that is," he added. She looked quite different from her appearance the last time he had seen her, in trousers astride her horse.

"If you will guide me in some of the steps and can bear that I'll most probably not do them all in perfect succession." Estefania answered running her hands over the dress. She missed the manner of dress that allowed her comfortable and easy riding astride her horse, but she knew the necessity of wearing this. Had she appeared in her usual attire she doubted that either the women or men would consider it anything if not a scandal.

"They are different from our dances, if anything much... quieter in certain ways." She said, looking amused.

"Indeed they are," Vickery said, offering his hand to lead her to a place in one of the sets that were now beginning to form. "I remember seeing the bolero and fandango performed, in Spain." As well as some of the wild gypsy dances, such as the flamenco, when they were in the area around Salamanca. "It must be to do with the cold. The British are not such a... passionate people, I think, as your own people are."

"Have you perhaps seen the Seguidilla danced? " She inquired, following his guidance to the dance floor with a proud and confident posture.

"Which kind of fandango have you seen?" She inquired and smiled stopping as she stood in the right spot, glancing briefly at the people that would join them for this dance.

"There's also the jota, Muñeira...Oh there are so many dances, some you may be able to only see if you are in the right region...Did you dance any of them?" She chuckled lightly. "Oh, Major, do you not hop faster where you are cold than when you are warm? Just to get yourself warmed up, if nothing more?"

"Very likely - we saw a lot of the different dances in the different areas of Spain, though we were not so good at actually learning them. That was not for want of trying, however." He smiled. "I believe the cold may be one reason for the speed of some of the Scotch reels; I don't know if you saw any performed, but there are one or two marked down for this evening."

"So, you would be willing to dance, should there be one Spanish performed?" She asked and then smiled quite brightly."Ah, I have not had the.. enjoyment?.. to see it, but I look forward to seeing them, then." She adjusted her dress so that she would not trip over it when the first steps of the dance would begin.

She listened and observed so that she would be able to follow the dance well enough, even if she was much less knowledgeable in the dances of England. She turned briefly to Vickery again and asked. "Will you visit Spain or Portugal again, now that you need not lead an army in it?"

James smiled when he saw Torrington reappear again with not a too grim expression on his face, and Gwydyr beside him.

"Seems we don't have to fear a duel at dawn after all", he softly joked, giving Anne a relieved look.

Edward, suddenly rather conscious of the fact that he had left the ladies, especially Miss Vickery, who had only just joined the group, with what could very well be constructed as a slight, said, rather contritely.

"Forgive me, ladies. Is there anything I can do to make you overlook my rather sudden disappearance?"

"Is my brother all right?" Emma asked. She was sure she had heard her brother's voice somewhere in the confusion, but had no very clear idea of what had just taken place.

"Yes, he is. I believe he is trying to find his partner for the next dance. He agreed, though, to participate in a dressage performance in three days time."

He smiled rather grimly.

"I don't know how much you have heard, but Lord Gwydyr suggested that if there was any doubt about the British officers' riding skills, it could be easily remedied. So two groups of eight riders, one military, one civilian, will perform a horse quadrille each in three days' time, in Hyde Park or Kensington Gardens, to the amusement of the public."

"I apologise. I had not meant to draw either of your brothers into this." Willoughby spoke, gazing at Anne who was giving him a disapproving look before she turned to James and smiled gratefully to him, relieved as well that her cousin did not end in a duel. It was as near as one, but nobody would get hurt,shot or stabbed and face was not lost among them. "I am glad to see my cousin has kept atleast that amount of head." She answered to James and sighed.

Willoughby turned to Torrington. "It was not exactly the whole army that I challenged him on account of, but of the hussars that he has insulted specifically in the way we ride. He said that we can do nothing but run straight." He shrugged. "But It won't hurt to remedy his opinion of the whole army, while we are trying to prove something already. And to have him perhaps speak a little less ill of the army as a whole and its officers"

"Oh, dear." Emma had to hide her smile behind her fan. "John used to hate dressage when he was younger, before our uncle bought his Colours for him. He is a very good rider though - a very light touch on the reins. And Lord Alconbury has never had a very high opinion of the Army." It was because of that, of course that she had no very high opinion of Lord Alconbury.

"Are neither of you dancing this set?" she enquired, suddenly that sets were forming behind the two officers.

Edward frowned, realizing that indeed he had no partner for the next dance.

"It seems I will not be, unless you will take pity on me, Lady Anne?"

Belle had already been claimed by her partner, and James looked as if he was working up the courage to ask Miss Charlotte.

"Nor I." Willoughby smiled at miss Vickery. "Does your partner wait already, or...." He wondered if miss Vickery was fully booked or not. If she was, the question was just the sort that would avoid most embarrassment for asking.

Anne smiled curtsying to Torrington. "I would gladly dance with you, Lord Torrington" She curtsied again to James. "Thank you for the dance, it was very enjoyable." She spoke as she at final last parted from him.

Willoughby glanced at Charlotte and smiling lightly added as well. " I apologize for my earlier disappearance and thank you for the dance as well." He said to her, wishing to make sure that she knew that she had been valued as a dancing partner, even if the youth's temper was lost a bit later!

Torrington offered his arm.

"Then if you would allow me ... and perhaps do me the honour of telling me what we are going to dance?"

He said the last jestingly.

"Oh, I do not know, sir. I had hoped that you would enlighten me." Anne countered with a playful smile. "Perhaps we can recognise the melody.. else we are quite doomed." She knew of course which dance was danced, and would, if needed tell Torrington the name. She did however believe that he was merely teasing.

"Then let us hope that it is quite an old dance then. Otherwise, Mylady, the chances are more than slim that I will recognize it! However, unless I'm very wrong, I believe next we will have to deal with a gentleman's rather unusual pet."

With an elegant flourish, he twirled her after a few steps onto the dance floor until she was standing opposite him.

Charlotte, who had agreed to James' question with a rather delighted little blush was led to stand next to them - the dance would be Mr. Beveridge's Maggot.

"No, I had not engaged anyone for this dance," Emma said, looking up at the Hussar; he looked very dashing in his uniform. "But if you have, please do not let me detain you further - your partner must be wondering where you are."

"Oh no..I have hardly covered any of my dances." He smiled politely. "If you would wish to accept I would be honoured to have your company for this dance." He held his arm out in an offer that she might take his elbow, should she accept.

--

Anne chuckled softly and subtly, recognising one who knew how to dance and had grace on the dancefloor in an instant. She did an elaborate bow, but all not too excesive and all in good taste then smiled again. "I believe I know this one then. It should not be a problem."