Chapter 6 #2
“I see nothing at all wrong with my dress, my cap and my spectacles.” Viola replied stiffly, tugging on the offending button, which promptly fell off. As for that tea stain, there was nothing she could do. She had an unfortunate tendency to spill tea on herself.
“It screams spinster,” Lily proclaimed.
Well, yes. That was precisely the point. She wasn’t about to let Georgiana and Lily undo years and years of careful spinsterhood-cultivation. Much time, energy, and effort had gone into that. She had to prevent that at all costs.
Viola got up. “I much appreciate your concern regarding my appearance. I am truly grateful for your interest in my person and appreciate your invitation to the ball. But—”
“Come with me,” Georgiana interrupted, taking her by the hand. “I have an entire wardrobe of dresses that no longer fit me. It would be a poor show indeed if we could not find something for you to wear at the ball tomorrow.”
With those words, she pulled Viola out of the room, followed by an excitedly clapping Lily.
Almack’s.
That intimidating, hallowed ground of the ton, to which only a select few were invited. As a close friend of one of the patronesses, Princess Lieven, her cousin Georgiana managed to obtain an invitation for Viola with no problem at all.
The dress she had found for her was unexpectedly pretty. It was a soft China blue silk in a simple ankle-length cut with a flounce. Viola was surprised to find that she rather liked it.
“It suits your figure to perfection,” Georgiana agreed. “As for your hair,” she tutted. “The best thing would be to chop it all off.”
Viola’s hair was thick and dark, and wavy, and very difficult to tame. It nearly reached her waist. Hairpins usually popped out because her hair was too heavy. But Viola liked her hair and refused to have it cut.
Georgiana’s abigail solved the solution by braiding her hair into plaits and tucking them up.
The result was not half-bad, Viola thought. She thought she might even look passably pretty.
Lily wore an airy confection of white and pastel pink, and Georgiana looked regal in pomona green.
Georgiana’s husband, Lord Fenleigh, accompanied them. He appeared to be a kind but taciturn man who preferred the card room to the ballroom.
As Viola eyed the assembly, she swallowed. It was the first time she had ever set foot in such a place.
She would treat it as research. Yes, that would work. A shame she could not take her pencil and notebook along.
How splendid everyone here was, dressed in the height of fashion.
Maybe it hadn’t been such a bad idea after all to come here, for Georgiana knew everyone and everyone knew her.
She introduced Viola to countless people, who chatted politely with her, and really, everyone was quite kind, even though it was more than clear that they, at first sight, stamped her as an old spinster, but Viola did not mind that in the least. She wanted them to think of her as an old spinster. It suited her very well indeed.
To her surprise, a gentleman Georgiana had introduced her to promptly asked her to dance.
Mr Mainwaring, as he was called, was somewhat older and seemed to be particularly fond of politics, and could talk of nothing else.
Viola allowed him to talk, taking note of his quirks.
That was great fodder for a writer. He had a tendency to squint and to use the phrase as ‘everyone knows. "
“As everyone knows, Parliament convened in February, and it has been nothing but interesting. There is much at stake with the upcoming election. I, myself, am a Member of Parliament, of course.” He made a half-bow in the middle of the quadrille when he wasn’t supposed to bow, throwing Viola off.
“Of course,” she mumbled when she caught herself again.
“As everyone knows, the June election promises nothing but expense and disappointment for half the boroughs.”
“Indeed,” Viola replied breathlessly. She found it tremendously difficult to focus on his words while dancing. Thankfully, the dance now required them to separate and dance with other partners.
“What is your opinion on the matter, Lady Viola?” he asked as soon as they were brought back together again.
“My opinion on the matter.” Goodness. She’d allowed her thoughts to stray for a second, and now she had lost track of the conversation. They were talking about politics. “It is all terribly interesting, is it not?” she offered carefully.
He beamed at her. “It is indeed. As everyone knows, these elections will make or break many a man.”
The dance ended, and he bowed.
Viola sighed. “I beg your pardon, Mr Mainwaring. But I am quite thirsty. Might we go to the refreshment room?”
Georgiana was out of sight. So was Lily. Surely, she need not be chaperoned by anyone to the refreshment room?
“Naturally. Immediately.” He went ahead, leading her through the crowd, and then she promptly lost him.
The quadrille had ended, and couples were now forming a new formation for a country dance, and there was a general sort of confusion, so that she did not know where the entrance to the refreshment room was.
How vexatious. Her eyes swept the room.
“Fancy running into you here,” a baritone voice said behind her, making her jump.
She whirled around and gasped.
There stood a man she would not have wanted to meet under any circumstances.
“Lockwood,” she gasped.