3rd October 1814, All the Gaiety of a Ball

"Why, thank you, sir, I should be glad to accept," Emma replied, standing and taking his arm to follow him to a place in one of the sets now forming. "I hope Lord Alconbury did not discomfit you too greatly?" she added, gracefully turning into her place in the ladies' line.

With the first draw-out chord, Torrington paid his respects to her, then as the melody started, began the dance with Anne. They parted to dance with their opposites in the second couple, the dancers stepping around each other gracefully to the measured beat. When they met in the middle again, he said:

"And know it rather well, it seems. Your dancing does you great credit."

"I allowed him to get to me more than I should have." Willoughby admitted and waited for the music to begin before he started with the first steps. He was quite light on his feet and his arm work was far from bad as well.

"But, it is all settled now... I heard, though not directly.. that he had been unpleasant towards you as well?" He spoke when they were for a few moments together again.

++

Anne blushed and made another turn before she was rejoined with Torrington. "Thank you, sir, you flatter me greatly. You would most certainly speak a lie, if you told me you do not know it perfectly as well!"

"I think that this dance is very different from those you are more used to dancing," Vickery said. "I always thought this more of a promenade than a dance, indeed."

He could still manage to be somewhat graceful in the turns, however, and smiled at Estefania as the measure brought them together again.

Estefania did not know the dance much at all, but she tried her best to follow the example of others and meet with Vickery at least when she was supposed to. She smiled in agreement. "Oh.. it is a sure odd dance...and quite confusing." The last she said apologetically.

"It is, isn't it?" Vickery said, catching her hand to give her a little guidance. "It's quite a long set, this, so you'll have some practice - you just repeat the same steps down the dance and then back up again.

"He was, a little," Emma said as the dance allowed her to reply to her dance partner's question. "There is a... littleness about him, which comes out when in company he resents, I think. My reply may have been closer to the mark than I suspected."

They circled back to stand in a row for the final steps and Edward lightly shrugged.

"It has the advantage of being an old favourite."

He took the hand of the second lady of the set and exchanged a few words with her, and the dance made private conversation difficult for a time, but as soon as they met again, he inquired:

"Do you share your cousin's interest in riding?"

Estefania just managed to catch the rhythm of the next few steps, managed to avoid another couple's partner and then more gracefully fell in with Major Vickery again. She was getting the hang of it slowly, but it still meant to go through a few trials and errors before it was good enough.

"Where do you learn all these dances? At home?...At the events such as these?" She inquired, quite satisfied to have improved her performance.

++
Willoughby shook his head. "It seems to come out in the company he likes to entertain, but certainly gets fueled by the one that disagrees with him." He had to part from her and for a few brief moments he was also with the new partner than returning again he nodded. "It is in no way an excuse for him to have behaved towards you in such a way." He paused an on a much lighter note added. "A trully fine dancer, my compliments, Miss Vickery."

++

"I do enjoy riding yes, and the country. I do not think I could as much as him, but it is a very pleasant and entertaining past time." Anne smiled. "Having him for a cousin means I may be able to ride many different horses..What about you, My Lord? Do you enjoy it?"

"I do indeed. In fact, as distasteful as the whole affair just now was, I quite look forward to riding a quadrille. It is a fine test for horse and rider."

Edward had to wait a few steps, then suggested:

"My sister and I usually ride in Hyde Park early in the morning, when we are in town, should you and your sister wish for some company."

"There are tutors one can hire to teach the steps, though that works best with a partner, at least, if not several other people, enough to make up even a small set." The sequence took him away from Estefania then. "I learned some at school," he said, rejoining her. "And my father engaged a tutor to teach my sister some, before I joined the Army, so I was necessarily drafted in to be her partner. And we danced in Spain, when we could - though there were times when there were not enough ladies and you would see officers dancing together." He smiled at the memory, ignoring the slightly shocked look of the lady to his right at that point.

"It is a shame men like that cannot be persuaded of their ill manners," Emma said, and inclined her head, being unable to offer a curtsey in the middle of a measure. "Thank you, sir. You dance very well yourself, if I may be allowed to say so. Did you dance often, in Spain?"

"I will have to ask my sister, but I think she would be happy to have some time away from home and in good company no less." She made a turn and was back again. "Oh, and our cousin, but I understand he is a good friend of yours?" She contemplated on the time and realised that so early momma would need good reason or entorage to allow them to leave the house.

"I think I have been witness of that.. on atleast one occasion. Though..what can you do, for lack of partners. " Estefania smiled rather amused to see that those who could hear them.. well some were not quite as apt in understanding the situation. "Necessity makes strange sacrifices." She added, meaning not only the dancing partners however.

Parting again she needed to wait to return to Vickery and then she spoke again."The dances must have changed some since you've last done them in England...yes?"

++

"We danced some yes, perhaps not as frequently as we would have found ourselves doing it at home.. but there were times it was almost a necessity." He smiled and nodded his head in gratitude at the compliment, parting ways only to continue a little later. "We had the fortune of seeing.. and even trying the Spanish and Portuguese dances. Though in varrying amounts of success. Their style is rather..different."

"He is. I have known him since our school days, and met him again in Portugal - rather unexpectedly, but a very welcome surprise."

Torrington's eyes sparkled at the memory of the ballgame and the resulting hunt where Willoughby had recognized him.

"This dance has not, and nor had the last," Vickery replied, adding in Spanish, "Please forgive them their manners, they are not used to such company as yours." He smiled at the even more suspicious look he received from the matron to his right at his use of the language. "I believe there is a waltz to be danced later, which is quite a new dance for this sort of gethering," he added, speaking in English again.

"It must have been nice to meet a familiar face out there." She watched Torrington in silence for those few moments, seeing his expression and his eyes change. She smiled and when next their hands met, hers squeezed his just a tiniest bit.

"I am happy to see that you have both made it home!"

"Oh you need not apologise for anything. "Estefania answered in Spanish as well, speech in that language flowing more smoothly. "It amuses me more than anything. Even more, if I think how they would have reacted, had they been there and seen it. Words.. perhaps would have seemed insignificant then!" She arched a brow and then nodded. "Ah.. the infamous waltz." English as well. "I would like to see it!"

"It had been indeed. We were both very fortunate."

He felt the tiny squeeze, but as he had only barely met the much younger girl, it had to be accidentally, and he paid it no heed.

"I believe your grandfather would have wished for him to come home sooner?"

"He would have wished he had never left." Anne replied softly. "At least not wearing that uniform." She turned again, only to rejoin Torrington a little later. "But he's accepted it now. He is just glad to see him alive and well and with some good reputation accompanying his name." She smiled. "But tell me...how true are these stories of grand deeds out there in Spain and Portugal?"

"Your cousin aquitted himself very honourably. While I'm not aware of what is told about him, you may believe that he did very well and was indeed part of some rather heroic exploits."

He led her to her place for the last repetition of the dance figures, letting go of her hand with a bow.

"Well, there are two sorts of waltz, neither of them English in origin," Vickery said, leading Estefania through the last few measure. "I believe it is a waltz in the German form which is to be danced later, so you shall certainly see one danced."

"I am glad to hear that." She followed the last few steps and then as the music quieted down curtsied to Torrington again: "My Lord. It was a pleasure." She smiled politely. "Without interruptions this time." She added, relieved that Alconbury had not been heard any more and others most certainly have kept their conversations light and meaningless.

++

"I see. It does sound quite interesting." Estefania may have preferred lately the nature, the saddle and what had been the feeling of significance which stemmed from her place in the war, but there was relief from the danger and this was the world she might need soon to get used to again. "We might show you one of the tamer, more suitable dances for sensibilities of this country later."

"As it ought to be!", Torrington agreed, bowing with all elegance. He had seen Alconbury disappear into a sideroom with his croonies, probably to straighten out their performance. He offered his arm again.

"Would you like to return to your mother and sister, or might I escort you to your next partner?"

"If I can spot my next partner, then we can go to him." Anne gazed about then checked her card again to remember who she had promised the next dance too.

"Lord Stafford I believe." She said, should Edward recognise the man as well. He was in his late thirties, a somewhat portlier man, most probably in habit of wearing a man corset, a little bit of a dandy but far from the extremes some of the men went to. A well spoken and hard to anger though a man who prefered the leisure of home to the mad adventures of the outside world. A friendly sort, never the less.