Realistic or Modern Cads & Credibility (open)

[Julian Spooner]

While guests would continue to trickle in throughout the night, the ball had well and truly begun now, and was exceedingly lively. They were hovering at that moment of transition between evening and night, where the light of the setting sun gave way to the light of the candles, lamps, and especially the grand chandelier hanging above the guests in the ballroom. The band had struck up, the card-tables were laid int he drawing room, and married people ensconced themselves in the elegant sofas that bordered the ballroom. Lady Marjorie, as she descended the staircase, could see the young people beginning to pair in that telltale manner that suggested that dancing would soon begin. Her keen eyes, scanning the hall and searching through the great doors that opened onto the ballroom, picked out many familiar faces, though for the moment she could not see her nieces and nephew. Lady Marjorie would be swamped with guests soon enough eager to pay their respects, but- truth be told- grand Lady did not push herself on her guests at such occasions, but rather seemed to hold back, allowing her nieces and her companion Mrs Fletcher to take on many of the duties of hostesses, while she assumed the more formal offices.

Lady Marjorie was a little wizened, but still gave the impression of being a rather strong young woman in her day. She carried herself erect, dressed in a gown of lavender silk, wearing a cap bedecked with pearls and carrying an exceedingly large and ornate japanese fan. The chatter in the drawing room quieted a little as the descending lady drew the guests' attention. She reached the foot of the stairs and turned her attention to the group of guests lingering there.
"Mr de Courcy" she greeted the gentleman with curtsy, "your daughter has grown since I last saw her". Her ladyship's shrewd eyes swept the other guests: the other young lady she did not know, Mr Nightengale she knew only slightly (she understood he was in trade, and so they did not quite move in the same circles), the Mr Addingtons she regarded with the same slight suspicion she felt appropriate for all fashionable, unmarried young men. Lady Marjorie's dark-eyed, thin-lipped face was peculiarly expressive at times, and she managed to convey her feelings towards all present by simply casting her eyes around them. And speaking each of their names in turn:
"Mr Nightengale, I believe? Mr Addington, Mr Addington... Mr Nightengale, I believe this must be your daughter?" she gave the young lady an appraising look

thumbelinaaa
SandraDeelightful
jbreezy

 

[Generic Brooding Antihero]

To say that Rupert looked displeased was an understatement. His brows were knit into a frown all at once, his lips pressed into a hard line. Rupert’s brown eyes looked every which way for his clumsy perpetrator, but it was clear -- since dawn broke this morning, in fact -- that Lady Luck did not and would not smile down on him tonight. Once more, he found himself alone in a crowd of strangers, armed with nothing but his non-existent wits and a wine stain that vaguely resembled the country of Italy. Rupert mustered all willpower to keep himself making a fuss about it. Perhaps if he ignored its existence hard enough, others would be obliged to do the same.

And so he simply looked up, deciding to instead resume his search for his cousins. By this time, though, the damage had been done. His mood had plummeted low enough that he couldn’t care less for the niceties he tried so hard to practise the previous night.

When Rupert caught a glimpse of Miss Anabelle heading in his general direction, he nearly smiled, though he elected not to, in the end. Consistency was a virtue, at least to him, and he was just busy looking very displeased about his run-in with someone.

‘I am impressed,’ Rupert said. He had his hands behind his back, his typically slouched posture momentarily corrected as he belatedly realised he was not just in the company of his cousins, but a uniformed stranger. His voice was soft -- even he wasn’t oblivious enough to know how balls involved eavesdropping as much as it did dancing -- but the edge in his tone was there nonetheless. Rupert could not stop himself. His temper had got the better of him. ‘You must tell me, cousins, how you managed to fit the entire county into the ballroom.’

Julian Spooner Winter_Wolf

 

[Julian Spooner]

For a surprising, brief moment Mariah could have sworn Rupert seemed relieved to see them, but then next moment he seemed the same as before- stiff and composed. His composure was surprising enough under the circumstances, Annabelle's juggernaut approach had been known to make brave men tremble. The youngest Miss Gossage deposited her companions at Rupert's feet with a flourish, shooting a lively look at the Captain.

Despite his unpromising manner, Mariah flushed with pleasure at Sir Rupert's words. She did not need much encouragement to take them as a compliment. She cast an eye around the crowded ballroom with a swell of pride- indeed, it was more bustling even than she had anticipated. The next moment though she felt a pang of anxiety, hoping this was not an indication that she had not been discerning enough about the guests list...

"Rupert!" Annabelle cried pertly, recalling Mariah to the present moment "this is Captain Burns. We've brought him over on purpose to introduce him to you, and you'd better like him... Mariah and I have only just met him and we like him exceedingly" she hung upon the Captain's arm, looking smug.
"Captain Burns, this is our cousin, Sir Rupert Adler. He has been visiting our Aunt following his father's passing" Mariah provided the more formal introduction, choosing to ignore her sister's "Rupert, this is Captain Burns, of... I beg your pardon, I'm afraid I can't supply you the name of his regiment" she smiled winningly at both men.
"Captain, you see how direly our cousin is in need of someone to make him lively" Annabelle cried. She cast her eye around to see if Addington was nearby, but she could not see him. She caught a glimpse of Miss Fogerty nearby, without Addington, and smiled- this was enough satisfaction for the moment. Mariah had not yet laid eyes on Miss Fogerty, she certainly would not have been so rude if she had.

Winter_Wolf
Generic Brooding Antihero
Maxilgal (mentions)
jbreezy (mentions)

 

[jbreezy]

Thomas had just taken Miss de Courcy’s hand to begin leading her to the dance floor, when a familiar voice stopped him in his tracks. Thomas met Charles’ eyes briefly and he dropped Miss de Courcy’s hand, knowing that it would be rude to whisk her away when their hostess had just arrived. He smiled apologetically at Miss de Courcy, before turning towards Lady Marjorie.

Charles had also paused his conversation with Miss Nightengale. “Lady Marjorie, it’s a pleasure to see you again.” He said politely, bowing in greeting. As Lady Marjorie made it clear she didn’t know the Nightengales very well, he allowed his gaze back to Miss Nightengale. He hasn’t remembered seeing her at any balls before, although she looked to be quite the lovely young lady. In fact, he was surprised Thomas wasn’t flirting with both ladies at the same time.

“Lady Majorie, thank you for having us here, your balls never fail to entertain.” Thomas added with a cheeky smile, earning a disapproving look from Charles, who was well aware in the ways Thomas enjoyed entertaining himself. Of course, Thomas couldn’t help himself when he was surrounded by drinks, merry music and distracting bodices. At the current moment, it took all of his willpower to avoid staring at Miss de Courcy’s. However, the company of Lady Marjorie, Mr. de Courcy and Mr. Nightengale was enough to deter him for the moment.

Instead, Thomas merely turned to the young lady beside him and smiled at her, hoping it conveyed a sense of his eagerness to dance with her, the Gossages and Miss Fogerty completely forgotten at this moment.

Julian Spooner
SandraDeelightful
thumbelinaaa
Maxilgal (mentions)

 

[Winter_Wolf]

August Burns opened his mouth but shut it again as he found himself transported across the way towards one man in particular. At first he was confused and even affronted, and opened his mouth to ask but what about dancing! Yet that soon changed, at least somewhat. Miss Annabelle's nature forced his eyebrows apart and commanded a little smile. He looked to Miss Mariah, and it seemed like she had also surrendered the prospect of dancing for the moment; that was that.

As he was halted in front of the man, Captain Burns noticed an elongated wine stain, and the man's generally dour demeanor--which seemed to improve a bit. But nonetheless August glanced between the man and Lady Annabelle, noting the dichotomy. Then he learned his name, Sir Rupert Adler. August responsed most readily to Mariah's introduction.

"Ah, the 42nd Highland Regiment of Foot, to fill in for Miss Mariah, Sir Rupert--but alas, I have been captured and restrained," said the Captain with some wryness in his voice; he lightly shook the arm Miss Annabelle had secured, as if struggling against bonds.

"Now Sir Rupert, would I be right in wagering that you're a man of nature?"

Julian Spooner Generic Brooding Antihero

 

[Julian Spooner]

Lady Marjorie squinted narrowly at the young couples.
"Well, well, don't waste time here." she said abruptly "go and dance." But she made it clear as she eyed the brothers and their partners, that she was watching closely. The warning was better deserved by Thomas than by Charles, but he came in for a share of it by association, and by merit of being a young man at her ball. The young ladies she decided she would assess later. They had the good luck and disappointment of not being singled out by her Ladyship, at least not yet.

Annabelle was delighted at the Captain's response. She glanced from her cousin to the Captain gleefully, taking in the contrast.
"Have you ever been taken prisoner by enemy soldiers?" she asked him "were they as frightening as us?" she laughed loudly.
Mariah also watched the exchange between the men closely, hoping that the introduction would be some form of success. As she did so her dark eyes lit on the ruby stain on Sir Rupert's cravat with a little frown of surprise and disapproval. She was relying on Sir Rupert to be the best turned-out and the most prestigious partner at the ball, and this stain was an unexpected tarnish on his prestige. At that moment, the music began to play, signalling that the first dance would begin soon. Mariah was flustered, aware of Captain Burns' invitation- as yet unaccepted- and her expectation, loudly announced by Annabelle not two minutes earlier, that she would open the dancing with her cousin. Unable to resolve this situation, the young lady coloured and looked confused. She seemed unsure where to fix her eyes, and more than once they fell, again, on her cousin's stained cravat, as if this added to the confusion.
"It's time for us to dance!" Annabelle cried "Oh Rupert, do put Mariah out of her misery, she looks like she's going to lose her hat!" and she laughed with gay abandon. Feeling more secure of her partner, she glanced over her shoulder and lit on Miss Fogerty again
"Oh Miss Fogerty, have you lost your partner, poor thing?" she cried with a grin "you have to work harder to keep an eye on that Addington, he is rather apt to wander!" each moment closer to the dance seemed to make Annabelle more gay and less civil.
Mariah glanced at Miss Fogerty with some distress at her sister's words, but momentarily could find no polite words to smooth the situation. She was far too flustered by her own.

Winter_Wolf
Generic Brooding Antihero
Maxilgal

jbreezy (Lady Marjorie)
SandraDeelightful (Lady Marjorie)
thumbelinaaa (Lady Marjorie)

 

[Maxilgal]

“Oh, I find myself quite comfortably spectating, Miss Annabelle.” She had only been offcentered a moment or two her comment. She hated how unlikeable she must be being. A young lady of adequate fortune and of marrying age with no pleasure for dance? The scandal would be reaching London couples within the fortnite. “I must say Miss Mariah, that I have waited to make your acquaintance. Of course, being in the country many people have told me of you, but I simply can’t bear to be without first hand accounts.” She gave a small smile and leaned in closer. “I’m afraid I might have scared off Mr. Addington for good though. I’m not the most talented at dancing...I would hate to embarrass the both of us in front of everyone…” She could only look off at the place she had last seen him. It seemed he was much more interested in another young lady though. She returned to watching the gay going-ons of the party. Miss Annabelle seemed to relish in her gayety, and Eliza could only dream of such unabashed happiness. She was much to anxious for that sort of thing.
( Julian Spooner )
(Mentioned: jbreezy )