Page 24 of Under the Seductive Ladys Charm
Charlotte whispered, “I do not know how society people handle these things. They seem very vexing.”
“They can be,” Lord Easterly agreed with a nod. “The trick is to not let them get complicated. How did you like your first ball?”
Charlotte let out a breath she had been holding. “It was wonderful and terrible. I felt as though people were watching me. I was afraid that I might bring some sort of shame on your house.”
“I think if my sister has not managed that then you shall be quite fine.” He clasped his hands behind his back and Charlotte hid a small laugh behind her hand. “That is better.”
“What is?” Charlotte eyed him with curiosity.
Lord Easterly whispered, “You are laughing and therefore you must feel better.”
“You always do make me laugh. You are a good man, Lord Easterly.” Charlotte dared not look up at him as she smiled at her feet.
The carriage drew up outside and Lord Easterly walked her down the steps to meet it. “Take her straight home, Richard,” Lord Easterly called.
“Right away, Your Lordship.” Richard gave Charlotte a little wave, which Charlotte returned. He was the same driver who had picked her up that first day.
Once Charlotte was inside, Lord Easterly bade her farewell with a lift of his hand. The carriage moved forward and Charlotte peered out of the window to see Lord Easterly as he walked back up the steps to go inside.
She settled down against the cushioned carriage seats and sighed. Her first ball was done. Charlotte smiled. Her would-be suitor was a silly thing for her to think of, yet he was exactly what she thought of as she rode home.
*
The next morning, Charlotte was already eating when Amanda came into the dining hall. “Ah, there she is,” she said with a grin. “Oh, thank goodness there is coffee. I always appreciate that bitter stuff the morning after a ball.”
“Were you out very late?” Charlotte had thought herself out late, but she knew that Amanda had come in later even than she.
Amanda lifted her arms in a helpless gesture. “Not as late as I would have liked, but alas my brother made me leave at some indecently early hour as he had some business this morning.” She sipped her coffee then shook her finger at Charlotte. “Which brings me to my next point, you abandoned me.”
“I did no such thing. I was simply overwhelmed and worn out,” Charlotte said with a frown at Amanda.
There was a smile on Amanda’s lips. There were moments here and there when Charlotte saw a true resemblance between Lord Easterly and Amanda and this was one of those moments. “How did you like your first ball?”
“It was, as I said, overwhelming.” Charlotte bit into a ripe strawberry. “Are they all like that or was it just because of the fancy-dress?”
Amanda stopped and seemed to give the question some thought. “As far as I can tell, with this being my first season, I would say that they are all like that to some extent. Perhaps the fancy-dress parties are a little more freeing for people.”
“Well, they certainly do test the stamina.” Charlotte shook her head at the grin her comment earned from Amanda. “You are a child.”
Amanda did not even try to contain the laughter that spilled over at Charlotte’s comment. “And what fun it is to be a child sometimes. Besides, I saw you dancing with some very legible and quite handsome young men. Care to talk about it?”
“I will not gossip with you,” Charlotte chided.
Amanda leaned over the table. “Come on, Lotte. Half the fun of going to a ball is talking about the ball and with whom you danced. You really must learn these things.”
“I do not know that I am cut out to be a gossip,” Charlotte admitted. She set aside her strawberry and took a sip of her tea.
Amanda assured her, “Everyone can gossip. It is the main currency of society. The more gossip you know, the more leverage that you have. It is like a game.”
“It sounds rather dreadful.” Charlotte made a face of disdain at Amanda.
With a roll of her eyes, Amanda took another sip of her coffee. “I saw you dance with Lord Stanhope, the brother of the Earl of Brunswick, for instance. How did you find him?”
Charlotte sighed and relented with a smile. “I found him amusing. Well, right up until he offered to court me.”
Amanda giggled. “Is that why you almost fell down?”
“I imagine everyone saw that. I feel so foolish.” Charlotte tried to be cross about it but she found herself laughing along with Amanda about her ill fortune.
