3rd October 1814, All the Gaiety of a Ball

Edward tried to use his superior height to locate the gentleman in question.

"Over there, Lady Anne."

He handed her over very correctly, then took his leave to find his own partner - and, if she still had a dance available, beg Estefania for one later.

"I think the company would like that - Lady Isabella was asking about the sort of dances we had seen in Spain. I don't know about the music though - Lady Caroline's musicians may not know any Spanish music to which you may perform." He led her through the last turn, and bowed as the music closed.

"May I do the English thing and escort you back to your party?" he asked, offering her his arm as the set began to break up.

Timothy Willoughby wrote:"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."

"I am sure that your acquitted yourself well, though," Emma said. "You dance very well, Lord Gwydyr." The music was drawing to a close and she performed the final turn back into her place with an elegantly curved arm that would please her dancing-master greatly. "Thank you, sir," she said, rising from her curtsy as the music ended.

Anne thanked Torrington for the dance one last time and for the escort to her new partner, curtsied to him and then turned to her new partner, as was polite and in good manners. He too had perhaps exchanged a few words with the other man, but only as many as it required to take the partner from him. Then, with a slight air of arrogance, he took his lady to the dance floor where he might begin the new dance soon.

---

Estefania nodded. "We will see what we can ask of them or whether we can borrow some instruments. While simpler and .. rather lacking in the number of instruments used, it might be enough to give melody to a dance." She bowed with equal grace, quite glad that she had gotten the hang of this dance and that she had no longer made odd mistakes or missed a beat. Perhaps her footwork would need improving a little.

"We are in England and.. It'd not do, to not respect your custom." She answered and took his elbow as she had known proper and as ladies would do. "Thank you for helping me not make a complete fool of myself in this set. You were correct. ...it becomes repetitive and more easy to follow!"

--

Willoughby smiled. "And you dance with a grace of a fairy." He answered, quite honestly believing that she had moved very light and perfectly in tune with the music and with that had made herself appear as if gliding across the ground rather than merely walking. He bowed to her as the dance ended and then, straightening again inquired. "Where do you wish me to escort you to? Your family or your next partner?"

"You flatter me, sir. But ladies like to be flattered, and so I shall accept the compliment." Emma smiled and took the offered arm. "I believe the next dance is a reel, and I am engaged to Lord Edrington for it."

"Very well, then we shall aspire to find him." Willoughby answered and chuckled. " I speak the truth, Miss Vickery, I hope that is as welcome as flattery." With a cheerful smile he offered her his elbow, while gazing around to see if he could spot Edrington, and then could make his way towards him.

"There, I believe it is the lord?" He indicated the direction more with his gaze than in any other manner that could be considered rude.

"I find most things grow easier with practice," Vickery told Estefania. "And you dance very beautifully, with a vivacity that one does not find in English girls. Are you engaged for the next dance - I believe it is a reel. Or shall I escort you back to your friends?"

"Thank you," Emma said, accepting the compliment with a smile. "And yes, I believe it is. Thank you - and I hope you find the rest of the evening to be equally as pleasant." And without any more insults, or further challenges of any sort. She passed from one partner to the other, allowing the hussar to discover his partner for the next dance.

"No. I haven't got a partner for the next dance." Estefania shook her head. "So my friends shall be a good direction, yes." She indicated them in the crowd though by their looks and manners they were not hard to pick out of the crowd.

"And thank you. I think you would really enjoy seeing, perhaps even joining us in our dance."

---
"And you as well... though I have no doubt that you will." He doubted also that she had a spot free on her card. While he probably had been somewhat irresponsible in not seeing to it that more names were put down. So far though it had worked. By chance he danced with Charlotte, by another he had danced with Miss Vickery. Perhaps next partner would appear soon enough.

He bowed one last time when they reached Lord Edrington and then left Miss Vickery safely with her new dancing partner. He looked around. Couples were forming again while some ladies remained on the sides, waiting perhaps for a free partner or even just merely resting from the dances they've done so far.

Edward found his next dance partner with his sister - another of her friends. As the next dance had not yet started, he remained with the group for a bit, making polite conversation. Most of the young ladies and gentlemen were nice enough and well known to him, but one of the girls was rather pushy, and two younger gentlemen seemed to believe they had to produce themselves in a rather absurd manner to outdo him.
Isabella more often than not had to fight a giggle while she waited for Major Vickery - if the young men wouldn't mean it in earnest, it would be just so funny.

-------

Seeing that Lord Gwydyr was walking through the throng without a partner or specific aim, Sylvia nearly giggled with glee. This was her chance to perhaps catch the handsome hussar before Fanny managed. So she approached him with her most ingratiating smile.

"Mylord Gwydyr? I'm sorry to trouble you, but have you by any chance seen Lord Trumhill?"

As this person was purely fictional, that seemed a rather good opening ...

Willoughby turned to see who addressed him. It was one of the Bromwells apparently searching for her dance partner and all on her own too. He did not personally know Lord Trumhill or had heard of one by such name.

He nodded a polite greeting to Sylvia:"I'm afraid I do not know the Lord. What does he look like?" He asked, thinking that perhaps at least, he could help her in locating him, should he have something distinguishable that he had noticed and thus seen him.

"Oh, I think he is not quite as tall as you, Mylord, and doesn't wear an uniform. Uh .... brown hair, a comfortable figure and doesn't say too much?", Miss Sylvia hedged. After all, she needed a Lord that was totally unrecognizable, subtely flattering to Willoughby, and at the same time a creditable dance partner for herself.

Vickery left Estefania with her friends, wished them all a good evening and made his excuses so that he could go and seek out Lady Isabella, who had saved the nest dance for him.

And there she was. He crossed the crowded room to her, murmuring apologies as he pressed through spaces between smaller knots of people to her side.

"Lady Isabella... or should that be Undine?" he said with a smile as he reached her side.

"You don't give me much to go on." Willoughby admitted having seen plenty of men with brown hair, plenty enough that were not the tallest, though perhaps a shorter one than himself would be easier to recognise and of a comfortable figure there were just as plenty. He indicated one that he spotted, which vaguely resembled the description. "Is it perhaps that one?" He inquired.

Lady Rose smiled sweetly at Torrington, her cheeks colouring a little. She was trying to make small talk with the man while admiring him sheepishly.

She had often visited Bella, hoping to see or meet her brother as well. She enjoyed playing music or performing with her dear friend of many years but was happier when she could have Lord Torrington as audience. Of course often then she would blush and feel awkward at conversation, at times becoming much more quiet because she really did not wish to displease him with sillyness or foolishness her words could bring. She was quite intelligent and with good poise and grace about her as she walked.

Carefully she adjusted a couple of loose strands of blond hair that had come loose at the side. Her hair was pulled up with a braid woven into them and some lavender completing the look at the top.

Torrington, not that much of a conversationalist with young ladies either, was in a slightly better position: After a bow, he could without any impropriety or awkwardness compliment Lady Rose on her appearance.

"You look very well indeed tonight, Lady Rose - and you bring with you the fragrance of summer. Is this lavender from your own garden?"

---
Bella laughed delightedly and curtsied.

"Major Vickery! But I'm not out for any souls - I only want to dance with the knight!"

The small circle made room for Vickery and the other young men coming to claim there partners.

Vickery had pleased her with his comment, at least. He bowed, with a serious look on his face - belied by the gleam of humour in his eyes - and replied, "Then I am afraid you shall be disappointed, my lady, for I am no knight. Although perhaps you would take pity on a poor and humble soldier and allow him to have this dance with you instead?"

"Oh certainly! After all, you have very gallantly slaid French ogers!" Her nose wrinkled.

"I would not care to dance a reel with a real knight of old. Just imagine him in his suit of armour, clanging with each step. We have some at Walham, and they squeak abominably."

Sylvia made a show of trying to see the man, than shook her head.

"No ... that is Mr. Stavenage. He is a terrible dancer. Lord Trumhill is more elegant, and he would never wear a waistcoat in this terrible puce shade!"

"Walham has some knights of old, or suits of armour?" Vickery said, smiling at Isabella, his good humour completely restored after the earlier insults and challenges of the evening. He offered his arm to the lady, in preparation for the sets beginning to form for the reel.

Lady Rose touched her cheek, her hand never reaching the lavender though she seemed as though to want to see if it was still there. "It is. I thought flowers would be quite fitting, and sadly it is too late for some with this weather and time." She gazed at Torrington. "..You look dashing, as always." Her cheeks coloured again and she dropped her gaze in embarrassment, wishing they had remained pale.

---

Willoughby lead Sylvia further among the men. Gazing at a few groups thinking he might spot the man she was looking for there. "Where have you agreed to meet him?" He inquired again, hoping that his taking her around would not actually cause the confusion of her partner looking for her, but never spotting her in the crowd. "Did he tell you what he would wear? At least colour would be quite helpful, too."

"Suits of armour!", she laughed, taking his arm. "Though our head gardener swears that in moonless nights, you can see the ghosts of the soldiers fighting for the old castle when Cromwell laid siege to it, and the daughter who got trapped inside when they laid fire to it, and jumped out of a window."

With a disappointed air, she added:

"I have never seen them. Have you ever seen a ghost, Major?"

"I believe I have, Lady Isabella, although it was not terribly romantic, and I did not realise what it was at the time. If I had, I should very likely have needed something more than merely a glass of brandy. It was not a knight of yore, either - or even a Roman soldier, although there must be plenty of those buried under Spanish fields." He led her out onto the floor again, smiling.

"One of my men once swore he'd seen an old friend of his, a man he knew for certain had died the year before, and refused to leave the fireside for the rest of the night."

Edward, slightly off-kilter by the compliment himself, bowed reflexively.

"Thank you. It's Scott's talent and the uniform, I'm sure ..."

He kicked himself mentally for the stupid reply and offered her his arm in the indeed superbly cut crimson superfine.

---

Lydia pulled a face.

"No, he hasn't. He said he would find me - But I haven't seen him all evening!"

Lady Rose accepted the arm and laid her hand under his elbow, ready to accompany him to the dance floor. "I remember that you left with a blue uniform though. " She said softly as they progressed."What happened? I do not recall that you'd changed to a different regiment or service."

++

Willoughby nodded again. The dance floor was filling with people, and the musicians were ready to begin playing again. They needed to hurry or else she would have remained without her partner. "Perhaps we could find him there." He offered, wishing he could spot the man soon, for Sylvia's sake.

"What about that one?" He had not recognised the lord either and he was short at least, darker hair, and a green coloured vest though he seemed to be looking in the direction of another lady, not too far from him. Quite possibly the two would dance.