Page 77 of Seduced by an Irresistible Lady
“Alas! Here come Miss Morgana and her infamous train,” the short woman exclaimed.
“Hide yourself quickly lest she sets her eyes upon you.”
But instead of going in the opposite direction from the approaching Miss Morgana, the shorter woman was moving towards her.
“Why do you take such a risky path?” her taller friend asked, following her.
“You forget that there exists no better hiding place like plain sight. Tarry not, let us position ourselves behind the musicians as they play. Miss Morgana would never think of searching for me there,” her friend answered.
“Very true, she would never suspect,” Dr Frederick heard her friend respond.
Dr Frederick laughed at the hypocrisy of the shorter woman and apparent stupidity of her friend in lacking to see through her friend’s falsehood.
He saw a plump woman wearing a dress that revealed too much flesh. There were about five younger women behind her. The woman wore a white muslin gown with a plunging neckline. She had great size, and so her bust was greatly revealed. The reveal of cream skin made Dr Frederick remember the white skin of Miss Helena’s bust, the soft press of her nipples in his mouth. He pushed the thoughts away.
The woman was greatly adorned with jewellery.
That has to be Miss Morgana, and her train.
What was obvious from the women following her was that there was an attempt to style themselves after her. But her sheer size made her more remarkable. There was a ruckus behind her that made her turn. Some of the women in her train turned with her. Space appeared in the midst of the crowd at the door as people stepped out of the way; someone of great importance was coming in. Miss Morgana smiled on seeing the person and waited for the person to get to her. Dr Frederick couldn’t get a glimpse of who it was, but he reasoned it was a man, probably the Duke of Cornwall. Dr Frederick finally saw the man as he kissed Miss Morgana’s hand. It wasn’t the Duke, it was someone he hadn’t even thought of.
Lord Jeffrey, What business could you have with Miss Morgana that makes her so elated to see you?
More than a few words of greeting were passed between them. Lord Jeffrey turned to one of the debutantes in Miss Morgana’s train. He shook her hand and said a few words into her ear, which made her smile, before going back the way he came.
He couldn’t be leaving already? He just got here.
Dr Frederick’s attention was carried away by a tap on his shoulder. He turned to see Mister Frank standing behind him.
“Frank, I didn’t see you come in,” Dr Frederick said.
“No sir, you wouldn’t. I just came in and saw that you had your attention on Lord Jeffrey as he entered. I assumed I would catch you in the middle of a dance with a beautiful chit,” Mister Frank replied.
“I assumed I would see one that catches my attention, but alas, no one worthy,” Dr Frederick said.
“Many women stand without partners at the tail of the dance,” Mister Frank said, pointing to the young women still awaiting invitation from men.
He didn’t see any man standing at the edge asides himself and Mister Frank. Dr Frederick shook his head.
“I do not depict an enviable image, but I do prefer my loneliness to the rudderless conversations that I would be required to create if I was to engage a woman. Do not fashion yourself to be like me, find yourself a dance partner,” Dr Frederick said.
“I do intend to do that. I don’t think you’d choose to be like this for long, though. I did catch a glimpse of Miss Helena in the waiting room. She’s sure to walk in here soon,” Mister Frank said.
Dr Frederick was surprised.
“Are you certain it was her?”
“As certain as my name being Frank,” Mister Frank answered.
Dr Frederick sighed. He was happy Miss Helena was here, but he wondered why she had told him she would be engaged, only to attend the very party he asked to chaperone her to.
“Did you see her with any partner?” Dr Frederick asked him.
“She was here with her maid, the dark coloured lady I saw in their sitting room. Asides her, I saw no one else at her side,” Mister Frank said.
Dr Frederick nodded. He was tempted to go back out to meet her, but there was no need for that. She would surely come into the dance room.
The music slowed to a stop as the set ended and dancing couples curtseyed to one another before breaking apart.
