People, people, people. So many people. Penelope watched with slight disdain as families greeted each other, fans gestured from across the room, and old friends exclaimed at seeing one another again. She had some how been ushered into a small private corner and was now sitting beside her father, who was completely oblivious to her aching need for social interaction with someone other than Patrick, Miss Garrison, or himself. They were all lovely, truly they were, but a ball was for associating with peers. It was certainly not for quietly nodding in turn as the Marquess spoke with another balding man with another rotund wife, who's plump, shiny faces were perpetually set into a countenance of obedient pleasantness, though she was sure they had not the slightest interest in her father's detailed description of the fireplace in his study.

She again allowed her disappointed eyes to wander, longing to speak with someone her age. Not one of her friends had come to save her, or even come to greet her. It was all very well and good, for Penelope understood the importance of a ball to a girl, but she had expected perhaps one person to make an effort (though, admittedly, she hadn't really made much of an effort either.)

"And it hardly smokes out at all, and it really is much warmer than the fireplace in the drawing room. I believe it is the style of-"

Oh, for goodness' sake! She would even be willing to converse with Rosalind Fairmont if that's what it took to be away from this party. She had glimpsed her as she passed the ballroom and thought her dress very pretty, which was a shame. Patrick had already scuttled off to greet some old school friend or other, leaving her to fend for herself in the world of the well-loved, yet rather dull elderly.

OOC: Throwing Neil in here, just cause he's not doing anything, and really, annoying Penny is one of his favourite past times. ^_^ Should be interesting to see who else we get in here! :)

"How now, Lady Penelope, why do you look so glum?" Daniel said in a low voice from behind her. He had noticed her from his dark corner of the room, sans Patrick, and she was looking rather put out. While he didn't want to encourage any...unbrotherly feelings that she may or may not have towards him, it would be incredibly rude of him to not greet her, and if saving her from boredom came with greeting her, so be it.

He grinned, moving so that she might see that it was only him. "You look radiant tonight, as always," he said, taking her gloved hand and brushing a kiss over it. The next question out of his mouth should have been 'Haven't seen your brother lurking anywhere, have you?', but given her current mood, he didn't think that abandoning her for Patrick was a wise idea.

From his lofty vantage point in another corner, Nicholas had noticed the Groves and made a passing note of Lady Penelope's situation. Had he been in a better temper he would have excused himself from his current conversation and approached but no, his mood would do nothing to please or amuse anyone. He sighed inwardly.

When Lord Daniel Rossington sidled into the periphery of his vision and greeted the Groves, Nicholas cursed himself for not doing so himself. First. What the deuce?! Like a blasted weed, the man was suddenly everywhere!

Penelope was very close to exclaiming, "Excuse me, sir, you are blocking the view to the only pleasure I have at this moment, move now." as the a dark figure of a man loomed above her. Then she realized, Oh! Thank God. "Daniel!" She breathed, relief flooding her face in smiles, forgetting constricting propriety for the moment. Now was not the time for stilted greetings, lest he figure her too boring and leave her again to sit submissively at her father's right hand. She stood, nodding to her father and his friends, who grinned back in response, then determinedly walked with Neil through the crowd. Once they were out of earshot, Penny sighed heavily.

"Thank you." She voiced gratefully, "You saved me from the most invigorating conversation of hearths and chimneys I have ever heard." She slid her eyes back over to the Marquess, noticing as she did so a very dark man in what looked to be a very dark mood. Ah, the Duke seemed rather unhappy this evening. She attempted to catch his eye, but realized the feat was fruitless.

"And it was very dull indeed." She finished dryly, then returning her attention to the family's old friend and the compliment he had paid her. "You cut quite dashing figure yourself, my lord." She smiled a bit, noting that he did look quite handsome, though she felt odd thinking it.

A grin spread over Neil's face as Penny called him by his Christian name. "I knew you would give up that 'Lord Daniel' nonsense at some point, Pen," he winked at her, laughing. He nodded to the Marquess, greeting him, before offering his arm to Penny so that they might walk about the room together.

"You did seem rather bored," Neil chuckled. "Your eyes had that glassy look to them, like a doll," he noted. "I knew then that if I didn't save you, Patrick would never forgive me," he smirked again. He wondered briefly if fetching Penny some lemonade counted towards their bet...

"Why thank you," he smiled at her in return. "My valet will be pleased to hear that you appreciate his handiwork," he said, looking down at the dratted cravat. He glowered at it for a moment, and then looked up again. He caught the eye of Leighton. Blast it all, he thought. Can't seem to shake that man. He wondered if Leighton and Miss Hampton had made amends, though given the surly look on Leighton's face, this didn't seem to be the case.

All that 'Lord Daniel' stuff? She smiled gently thinking back on earlier in the day. She had been rather stuffy, hadn't she?

Her expression shifted for a moment to that of worry. Had she really looked all that bored? She hadn't meant to.. oh dear, she hoped no one else had noticed. She did enjoy her father's company, just not all the time.

"Yes, please give him my kindest regards." She replied, her eyes crinkling at the edges as he glared at the cloth about his neck. She noticed his eyes catch something over her head, and turned to see what had caused the flicker of subtle emotion that crossed his features. Nick again? Well, well.. She smiled in his direction, perhaps to communicate that they- er, she was happy to see him.

"Are you acquainted with the Duke of Leighton?" She inquired quietly, looking up at Neil dubiously.

"Oh yes," Neil grumbled. He cleared his throat. "Leighton has some sort of vendetta against me...well, perhaps not vendetta," he amended quickly. "He seems to think that I have my eye on Miss Elise Hampton," he said quietly to Penny.

"And while she's a perfectly lovely girl..." he trailed off. She reminds me far too much of Jane. But Penny didn't know about Jane - so he had to remind himself to not slip that into the conversation.

"I'm not foolish enough to get into a war with Leighton over her," he said firmly. "And while I may have done some things that may have lead him to believe that I am actively pursuing Miss Hampton...I'm not," he concluded lamely.

Penny was listening curiously, until Daniel mentioned Miss Hampton, then her mind was racing with the idea of them together. Daniel and Elise! Oh,wouldn't they be darling together. But, wait, did he say Nick had his eye on her as well? Goodness, she's done well for herself, two potential suitors even before her debut ball? Penny would have to tip her hat, if she wore such a silly thing.

"Mm.. What sort of things?" She asked quietly, raising her eyebrows curiously. She allowed her fan to rest on her right ear, since obviously the gesture didn't mean anything. I mean really, who decided that gestures with a fan should mean romantic things anyway? It was ridiculous. If a lady rested a fan on her left ear, she could just be tired and placing the item there without much conscious note of it. It wouldn't mean the person she was speaking with has "changed." And what if a lady was to accidentally draw her fan across her right cheek because perhaps she had an itch, and couldn't scratch it, for doing so would be improper at a ball. Is every man supposed to believe she is in love with them? Utterly ridiculous.

((We need some fan flirting up in this ball! :lol:))

OOC: Bahahaha! Awesome. :)

"Ah, well, you see..." Neil started, before he was distracted by Penny, who was busy playing with her fan, before resting it on her right ear. What on earth is with women and their fans tonight? First the young deb who had told him that she wanted to kiss him (quite by accident, of course), and now Penny had taken up this confounded fan flirting business.

He shook his head, and tried to get back on topic. "Miss Hampton and I had a little riding lesson this past Thursday...she had mentioned to me that she wasn't a very good rider, so naturally I offered to instruct her," he began. "Miss Hampton unfortunately fell off of her horse, and I, er..." Neil's gaze slid back over to where Leighton was glowering. "Well, I caught her, which is a good thing, all in all," he rambled. "Except the Duchess of Beaumont and Leighton saw us...though I think that all they saw was Miss Hampton in my arms, not the actual falling bit..."

"All in all, a complete disaster, and when they approached us, we explained, except Leighton wasn't being entirely polite to Miss Hampton...so I may have indicated that I too have an interest in the lady..." he trailed off. "Leighton took off in a storm, and Miss Hampton and I had a lovely picnic," he grinned, fully expecting to be whacked on the arm by that confounded fan of Penny's for his behaviour.

((Argh, sorry this took so long Izzie. :( ))

Penelope listened intently to her brother's best friend's somewhat bumbling explanation. She did not shift her position, nor did her steady gaze move from his own. She soaked in all the information, her face set into practiced repose. When his speech was finished, she noticed he looked expectant, and... did he just flinch? She remained silent, simply looking up at him, her mouth tensing at the corners as she tried hard to restrain her laughter. Her countenance returned to the cool, emotionless expression she had previously been exhibiting. She took a moment to collect herself, then asked slowly, "You caught her as she fell off-" A giggle broke lose, and she had to suppress it with her finger.

"Forgive me, forgive me, she fell off her-" She laughed again, this time nearly having to cover her mouth with her whole gloved hand to keep a snort safely within. She squeezed her eyes shut for a moment, then looked back to Daniel, her lips pressed tightly together. "Horse." She finished quickly, working extremely hard to conceal her amusement.

It was just too ridiculous a visual, though! Daniel running to Elise's aid as she fainted dramatically from her horse, being caught just in time, cradled within his arms. Penny became very serious again, and she laid a gentle hand on his forearm, lowering her voice. "Daniel, I need you to tell me honestly," She took a breath, then continued solemnly, "Did you two share.. the moment?" She grinned, then began to laugh again. And after all of that a dark, brooding Duke coming over to once again claim his lady. It was so wonderfully absurd, like a chapter right out of one of those silly novels. Oh, good grief!

Victor grinned but managed to hold his tongue for the moment as he and Patrick approached the young lady and her companion, waiting for all the propers of the introduction to take place. He could not help but take in the girl before him, and indeed she was quite pretty, and had a lovely laugh.

However, he could already see that Stanwood would be more use to him as a friend than his sister would be of use to him as a matrimonial prospect, and wisely kept his inspection casual, including the man with her in his genial smile of greeting.

OOC: It's okay! :)

Neil glanced down at Penny, confused. "What's so funny?" he asked in a slightly wounded voice. "I couldn't very well let her fall to the ground, she might have been hurt," he said, defending his actions. Though why you have to defend them to Penny, is an entirely different story, a little voice inside his head pointed out. He shushed it.

"Penny, what on earth are you talking about? What moment?" he asked her, now completely lost. Women! So damned confusing. "I caught her so she wouldn't hit her head," he said again. "Something you clearly seem to have done in the few hours since I've seen you last," he added in an undertone, more to himself than Penny.

He shook his head, and looked up to see Patrick and another chap that Neil didn't know. "Patrick, is something wrong with your sister?" he asked his best friend, wildly confused. "She won't stop laughing!"

Patrick arrived at the scene just in time to catch Neil's baffled cry for help. He suspiciously slid his gaze over to his sister, who seemed unable to control her amusement. He raised an eyebrow skeptically. She tended to do this when she thought she had made a joke. She just wasn't funny, he couldn't understand why she insisted on pretending to be so. He shrugged, and replied so only Neil could hear, "She tends to laugh when she's insecure. Just go with it." He smirked and looked back to Penny, who stopped laughing immediately when all eyes were suddenly set on her in a very judgmental manner.

It was now her turn to be confused, for the whispering council before her was not something she particularly enjoyed watching. Gossiping? Grown men gossiping? About her? She softly cleared her throat, then turned to the man who had come with Patrick (hopefully not one of a similar personality, she wasn't sure if she could take another Neil or Patrick in her life).

Patrick quickly picked up on his cue and stated the introductions swiftly and easily. After her brother's practiced sounding speech, Penny smiled at the Viscount and asked, "How are you enjoying yourself this evening, my lord?"

((Katherine's laziness is rearing it's ugly head. No introduction dialogue today. :P ))

Neil produced an identical smirk to Patrick's as his best friend clued him into the situation. Daniel patted Penny's hand comfortingly as three sets of eyes turned to her. "There, there, Penny, it's alright," Daniel told her soothingly, before breaking into a grin. "Ever thought that we tease your sister too much, Patrick?" he asked his friend with a laugh, while giving Penny's hand a light squeeze.

And so the realm of appropriate conversation starters is opened, Neil thought dryly as Penny took part in her duties as, well, a lady. Neil was fairly certain that they must teach ladies these kinds of things as they're growing up, though Neil was of the opinion that a good dosing of Greek and Latin might do them some good. Put something in their heads that wasn't related to the weather, dresses, or ribbon.

"Quite well, thank you, my lady, and all due credit must go to your brother for being quite amusing, or at least knowing amusing people, which must count as much the same thing," said Victor lightly, with a wicked-though-largely-harmless edge to the smile he gave Penelope. "And you seemed to be enjoying a very fine joke just now--pray share it, if you will. I have not laughed so hard in quite some time, and it may do me a great deal of good."

((Crap!post is crap. Mea culpa.))

Penny gave Neil a sharp look as he patted her hand, his words ever so condescending. It was just as if she was her seven year old self again, asking to play with the boys and receiving, "Oh, Pen, just go play with your dolls or whatever it is you girls do." She could still feel the choking lump form in her throat, the stinging tears she forced not to fall until she made it safely to her room, or else be mercilessly teased. She no longer felt that way. After years of ridicule, one learns discipline. It was no less irritating however..

Patrick laughed, then shook his head. "Ah, it's good for her." At this he nudged his sister's shoulder and winked, "Builds character." Then he shot a grin towards Hawksley, happy to have yet another ally in their Penny-Teasing-Marathon. It had really been too long since the last one.

Oh, vomit. Boys always thought themselves so droll, didn't they? Well, she didn't think them amusing at all. She was only hoping upon hope that Viscount Hawksley was a sensible man. Please, God, have no sense of humor. "And you seemed to be enjoying a very fine joke just now--pray share it, if you will. I have not laughed so hard in quite some time, and it may do me a great deal of good." No such luck.

Her cheeks nearly flushed. Nearly. She was not so green as to allow a little teasing to color her face. No, she stayed calm, smiled along with the boys, and slid her gaze to Neil. "Well, it really isn't my joke to tell." She raised her eyebrows daintily. She again hoped fervently that Neil would not want to share his gallant efforts of catching the debuting lady this evening. Please have more sense than that, Daniel.

Patrick grinned, then also looked to Neil. A joke? Well he did like a joke! And it obviously must have come from Daniel, because Penny couldn't tell a joke to save her life, could she?

"Oh. Right then," said Victor, not quite daring a wink to Penny as he turned his head towards Patrick's other young friend. "Your joke, sir?" he said evenly, smiling blandly as he sipped at his wine to smother a more knowing smile. If this Lady Penelope were anything akin to Juliana, there would be horrible vengeance eventually enacted for teasing that was too merciless. Three men against a single girl was hardly a fair bout, he would own that; and he even felt a little guilty...what true victory could there be in merely bullying someone, even in jest?

Pack away the philosophy for one night, man, he chastized himself. Just...be a little kinder to the poor girl.

Neil raised one eyebrow at Penny as she encouraged him to share his story. He found this rather confusing, as she was the only one who thought it was funny - Patrick had already heard it, and hadn't laughed as hard as his sister had.

"Pen. It's really not that funny," he said with a shake of his head. "I was just recounting for Lady Penelope my riding lesson with Miss Hampton on Thursday," he explained to the Viscount and Patrick. "Apparently it's unendingly funny...?" he said with a sidelong glance to Penny.

"It really isn't as funny as she makes it out to be," he said apologetically.

"Come now, Daniel, if Penny thinks it amusing, it simply must be. You know she's famous for her sense of humor." The sarcasm was all too obvious. "Please. Do tell." Wrinkling his brow, Patrick shot a grin towards his best friend, then took on an expression of complete fascination.

Penny sighed, terribly tempted to roll her eyes. Instead she shifted them to Viscount Hawksley, who was also looking toward Neil. He was quite handsome, now that she had chance to take note of it. A nice chin. Of course, since he seemed to have similar personality traits to the brutes in front of her, she could never, ever think of him romantically. Men. She thought dryly.

Neil laughed at his best friend's overacting. "You're going to be very disappointed, Patrick, you've already heard the story," he laughed. "But for the Viscount's sake, I shall tell you the shortened version of the story: I was helping a young lady learn to trot, and she fell off of her horse. I caught her as she fell," he shrugged. "Lady Penelope seems to find this devastatingly hilarious," he said with a look over to the girl on his arm.

Unfortunately, Penny wasn't looking at him. She was looking at Viscount, studying him almost. Neil wondered what all that was about.

"...and so she finds active gallantry amusing?" Victor's eyes twinkled almost imperceptibly as he glanced at Penelope. "I dare say we all might laugh to see such a scene outside of a novel...but never mind that, sir, your heroism does you credit, I am sure," he added, turning his eyes back to Rossington as he felt all the sudden discomfort of Lady Penelope's piercing gaze.

Damn girls for being so keen to pry into absolutely everything, even the unremarkable...determined to find something with which to fascinate themselves.

Not that Victor imagined the lady to be forming any sudden designs on him. No doubt she had a dowry that would allow her to set her sights higher even than a viscount with eight thousand a year. Still, to have a pair of vivid blue eyes fixed unblinkingly as a cobra's upon a canary was unsettling in the extreme, knowing, as Victor did, the proclivities of the teenage female mind.

((I love Victor comparing Penny to a snake. :D ))

Patrick was the only man in the group who didn't take notice of Penny's intense gaze. He simply continued being amused by his companions. He chuckled at Hawksley's retort, then flicked his cheerful gaze right back to Daniel. "Daniel's acts of gallantry are always amusing to Penny." He gave her a sly smile, "Perhaps because she secretly thinks it very romantic." He raised his eyebrows and chuckled

Penny, on the other hand, having become bored with the Viscount's profile and speech, softened her expression. Her gaze turned on her brother, who was just bursting his seams with all his infectious energy. She smiled to herself, thinking back on how dreary life must of been whilst he was away. She couldn't remember it feeling dull, but it must have been. How could it not be? Then he spoke. She laughed. Her? Think Daniel romantic? Ha! He was like a brother to her! "Oh, dear, it seems you've caught me." Came her light-hearted sarcastic reply. "No, no, I laugh simply at the situation. As Viscount Hawksley pointed out, it seems a scene right out of a novel. Your acts of gallantry are amusing, but I daresay quite appreciated by Miss Hampton. Therefore I shall laugh no more." She nodded her head once for emphasis, then pressed a gloved hand to her mouth.

Patrick laughed, then seemed to be distracted by something. Penny followed his gaze and grinned. All the heads in the roomed turned in time, all eyes became fixed as a vision in white floated down the grand staircase.

Victor saw that every gentleman's gaze seemed to be riveted on the meringue currently bobbing inexorably down to the ground floor, and so he dutifully followed suit, fighting the urge to blink or scratch his nose. She was quite pretty, if a little pale for Victor's liking. He wasn't about to fight the better part of the entire male population of that ballroom for the attentions of a consumptive, and so he contented himself with another sip of wine, though as yet he did not allow his gaze to wander. He had to break off, say something, anything that would allow him to close the business of making this show of gawping at a girl he had absolutely no interest in.

"...Lord have mercy," he muttered under his breath. Though he could have kicked himself a moment later, he decided to play to what had regrettably slipped between his teeth, shrugging the comment off as if it were to give credit to the divinity of the beauty before them. He wasn't quite certain he'd managed it, however, and so he shoved the Manners Boat out a little further.

"Who is that lovely creature and how may I secure an introduction?" he asked his companions.

Too far, Victor. The boat's gone out too far.

He bit the inside of his cheek lightly, chiding himself for wasting his own time with this nonsensical business of panting along with the rest of his sex. With his luck and deuced lack of apparent cleverness in avoiding such scrapes, the girl would probably chatter on about inane things. True, no one really socialized for great stretches of time at these functions, but every minute counted, for Victor.

The Manners Boat was well into the middle of the sea. With no oars.

"You? Stop laughing? Penny, if that day ever comes, I shall be highly surprised," Neil said dryly, looking down at her.

He then shot a glare towards Patrick for his comment about Penny being romantically attracted to him. If the past few minutes had taught him anything, it was that she had no such notion. And he would like to keep it that way.

Neil's eyes drifted away from Patrick to the sight of Miss Hampton making her stunning entrance to the ball. He exhaled deeply, both eyebrows raised. Now that beautiful a creature does not belong in the hands of Leighton, he concluded firmly.

"That would be Miss Elise Hampton," Neil breathed, still unable to take his eyes off of her.

Penelope's keen ears caught the falsity in the Viscount's tone. A vague shadow of a smirk brushed across her features, before she glanced about the group to see if the other two had noticed. She seemed to be the only one. Daniel was gawking like a naive school boy and Patrick simply sipped his wine uninterestedly.

Opening her mouth to reply to the question previously asked, Penny soon realized that it wasn't her voice answering the inquiry. She snapped her mouth shut quickly, surprised to hear Daniel speaking Elise's name so tenderly. She looked at his eyes. She'd seen that look before. The boy was enamored. Her gaze caught her brother's, and the siblings shared a dubious look.

Both Grove's waited a bit, before clearing their throats gently. "Yes, Miss Hampton certainly is lovely. Miss Pritchard as well." Patrick replied gruffly.

It didn't take a genius to feel the sudden tension in the air, and Victor was no simpleton. Glancing at Patrick, then his sister, he followed their eyes to Daniel, who seemed utterly undone. Victor wondered if the man would remember his own name, if asked in that moment. That was love, then. Victor felt a strange kind of happy relief well within him that he was thus far immune to Cupid's deadly bolts. It wouldn't surprise him in the least to find the chubby little bastard flew around with a brown bess.

"Miss Pritchard. Indeed," said Victor agreeably, more for something to say as not, finding himself as indifferent to the other debutante as he was to the snowflake Rossington evidently hoped to catch on his tongue. "Are they friends of yours, my lady?"

"Indeed, Miss Hampton and I.." Blah, blah. Patrick had heard the Penny's explanation many times, and had no interest in listening to it again. So, as she spoke to Hawksley, who he had decided was a very good sort of man and wouldn't mind spending more time with, he allowed his gaze to wander. The first set was beginning. Perhaps he should seek out his partner.. and then his eyes hit an atrocious costume even more embarrassing then the girl who looked as if she had been tarred and feathered.

A silken shepherd walked the hall, wide eyed and stumbling, two steps behind a very smug looking Duchess. He nudged Daniel discreetly, grinning, and nodded his head in the boy's direction. It was that fool poet Penny had been speaking to in the park, and who's volume she had been reading so vivaciously. Why on earth was she so enchanted, he looked like a simpleton and country bumpkin at his best. Just now he looked nothing but a fool, poor fellow.

Neil shook himself out of his moment of reverie, and took a moment to wonder what exactly Miss Pritchard was wearing. Women, along with their sense of fashion, never ceased to make him wonder about their sanity. Though some ladies certainly had an excellent sense of style, he admitted, thinking back to Miss Hampton.

He glanced over to where Patrick had nodded over to, and had to keep his eyes from popping out of his head for the second time in the span of a few moments. "Dear lord," he whispered to Patrick. "What is that?" he asked. "And why did he agree to it?"

Patrick laughed and shook his head in slight disbelief. His blue eyes flicked quickly to the dance floor, where the first dance was lining up. He sighed and furrowed his brow. Perhaps he should find his partner.

Penelope's thought process was very close to her brother's. She looked round once more at her companions, then decided that perhaps the party had been together long enough. She exchanged a look with Patrick, and smiled gently at the men. "Well, gentlemen, I believe we must take our leave." Patrick tipped his wine glass in agreement. "It was a pleasure to meet you." She directed toward the Viscount, then turned to Neil, "And I am sure I will be seeing you again very soon." She said, dipping her head with her farewell. Then off she turned, making a beeline for her father again. Patrick stayed for a moment and grinned. "Gentlemen."

"Here I must leave you to your ladies," said Victor, with a slightly sardonic smile. "I have been quite remiss and have not yet secured any young lady for any part of the evening. Well, I shall learn from my mistakes, and end up dancing with an absolutely ghastly goggle-eyed harpy who no one else would have. May I wish you both a deal of luck, this evening, whether at cards or dancing."

He briefly toasted the two men before moving off amongst the crowd, looking, always looking. He knew it was foolish, but he harboured some kind of hope that the lady he hoped for would appear surrounded by a halo of white light, just so he could more easily find her. Alas, the ladies at the ball were rather more earth-bound, each and every one. Some were quite pretty, and all appeared to their best advantage, of course, but Victor began to wonder in his heart of hearts if he would ever find a satisfactory bride.

OOC: Phew, a lot of coming and going here!

"Don't forget Penny, we have the third together," Neil said with a chuckle. "I'll never forgive you if you stand me up." Neil made his bow to Penny, and turned back to the two gentlemen. "Good luck you as well, good sir," Neil responded, nodding in Victor's direction.

"Lord Patrick!" a female voice called, and Neil turned to see the approaching form of Miss Charlotte Tolson, with her brother. "Ah, I believe your dance partner has arrived, Patrick. I'm afraid I must go track mine down. I'll see you soon?" he asked, swallowing his champagne, and nodding to his friend. "Give my regards to the Tolson's, will you?" he said, before ducking into the crowd in search of Lady Rosalind.

"I'm terribly sorry for not finding you sooner," Charlotte said as she reached Patrick, dipping a curtsey. "I was caught up in something...was that Lord Daniel who just left?" she asked curiously. Edward eyed his sister, who seemed to be in a much better mood all of the sudden.

"You must forgive me, Lord Patrick, I have to go find my dance partner as well. I shall see you on the dance floor," he said with a grin, nodding to Patrick, and also taking his leave.

((Yeah there is, well done. :D))

All of a sudden, Patrick found himself in whirlwind of people. Penny; gone, Hawksley; gone, Tolsons; forthcoming, Neil; leaving. And there he loomed in the midst of it all, simply overjoyed to be there. He nodded to Daniel as he left, then turned an apologetic smile on his new companions. "No, no apologies necessary, it is I who should have come to you. I find myself increasingly dilatory these days," He sighed and furrowed his brow with an expression of worry, but, I vow never to make you come to me again. It shall always be the opposite." He grinned, his voice all in jest, though quite a bit of truth lay in the statement. He was not quite lazy enough to truly proclaim it a usual characteristic, but upon seeing the sweet girl before him, did feel a pang of guilt for making her move through the crowd to seek him, and made a note never to allow that again.

He turned to catch Neil's retreating form and replied, "Indeed it was, and he asks I give you his regards." His eyes flicked to the young Mr. Tolson as he spoke. He seemed quite a fine sort of fellow as well. Patrick returned the grin he was given, then offered his arm to his lovely partner. "Shall we?"

((New thread?))

OOC: New thread sounds great! Any preference on who starts?

Charlotte smiled kindly at the man's apologies. Since leaving Lord Foxford's (somewhat infuriating) presence, her mood had brightened somewhat, though it was still tinged with the disappointment that would most likely face her at the end of the night. "No apology necessary, my lord," she smiled.

She nodded at Lord Daniel's retreating back, and commented on how kind it was of him to send his regards, especially as she had only known the man for a day or so. "Yes, we shall," she responded with a slight tilt of her head, and took Lord Patrick's arm so that they might join the other couples on the floor.