[Imogen Rathbone (Vikki)]

Mama had insisted on her resting a while after their final caller had left - somewhat earlier in the afternoon than Imogen believed was normal. Not wanting to get into a bad mood before Almacks, Imogen had submitted with good grace, and exerted control instead by banishing Margaret from the room the moment she started fussing unnecessarily, suggesting that she might instead ensure that her reticule was in order. Thank goodness the woman would be staying at home tonight.


By the time Imogen and her mother descended from the carriage at Almacks, she was flushed with excitement at the evening's prospects. Of course her mother had tactfully suggested that if she wished to stay all evening, she should dance only every second or perhaps every third dance... which Imogen found to be, for once, a perfectly reasonable suggestion. She could easily while away the time between her dances with refreshments, walking with friends or sitting in conversation with those others who were not dancing. At least she would be out, in public, in a busy place, meeting hordes of new people. She could quite happily sacrifice a few dances from her card if it meant she could enjoy the evening for longer.


Her eyes darted around the ballroom as they were announced, taking in the sight of so many young and able-bodied people, glittering in all their finery. Her own dress was somewhat more subdued - a shade of green that was the least un-flattering to her complexion, and a simple style - but it was still of excellent quality and entirely up to date. Her jewellery, too, though light, was one of the family's heirlooms. She might not be as pretty as her sister, and her figure might leave much to be desired, but at least she would not attract any comment for being poorly dressed.


[ooc - TAG anyone!]

[Elizabeth Dunford (Liz)]

As Lizzie was not particularly interested in being particularly impressive, she had not taken any pains to look spectacular. Her gown was a creme colored piece, with a thin blue ribbon highlighting the dress' empire waist. Matching light blue lace tufted out from the neckline, which was not daring in the least, and complimented the small blue and white cameo necklace she'd chosen for the evening. Her blonde hair was curled and pinned, with small sprigs of flowers adorning it. The overall effect of her outfit was wholesome and sweetly pretty, of which her brother most heartily approved.

The Dunfords arrived at Almack's slightly later than the duchess would have liked, but as Tony had misplaced his dress shoes, it could not be helped. Dunford House had been torn apart and Tony's valet had almost been forced to resort to dragging out a pair of George's old boots when Tony's pair had appeared, in the library no less. The family had then proceeded to pile into the Claitonborough carriage and enter the crowded London streets.

Upon arrival, Tony promptly wandered away, claiming to spot an old school chum, leaving Lizzie and her mother with only themselves for entertainment. As this situation was rather untenable, Lizzie followed Tony's lead and pretended to see a friend with whom she simply must speak. She drifted aimlessly, nodding and smiling at various folk, until she spotted her newest friend, Lady Imogen. She lifted her hand in greeting and hurried over.

"Lady Imogen! How delightful to see you this evening!" she exclaimed, her smile wide and inviting.

[Imogen Rathbone (Vikki)]

"Lady Elizabeth!" Imogen exclaimed in her turn, smiling with genuine enthusiasm. "I'm so glad to see you here." The fact of her being One of the few friendly faces amongst all the strangers. "I begin to worry that I am underdressed after all," she whispered as her friend drew closer. "I have no intention of competing with those who come out tonight, but even so - I do wish to have at least some dances... I fear I'll fade into the background!"


She could see no sign of Lady Elizabeth's family, however; they must have dispersed already. Not that that was a problem - it was the young lady herself who she counted as a friend, not her mother or the older brother she had not yet met. "Have you had a pleasant day?"

[Elizabeth Dunford (Liz)]

"Indeed, I have, though ever so much more now that I have found you. I feared that I would be completely and utterly alone this evening, given the masses that I expect will be surrounded that dreadful Lady Julianne." Lizzie rolled her eyes, motioning to the recently arrived redhead, who was blocking the table with the lemonade and being a general annoyance. "I do believe the sun would fade into the background when presented with her blinding presence, so you should not let it trouble you overly much. If you fade, I shall fade with you!" she declared loyally, as she already considered Lady Imogen a friend.

"Besides, that color is lovely on you. I dearly wish my mother would have let me wear something more...colorful." She fingered her ribbon ruefully. "This, however, was the most I could convince her to allow."

[Imogen Rathbone (Vikki)]

"Why, then we shall be completely and utterly alone together," Imogen laughed, following Lizzie's directions to the lemonade table where two redheads -- one younger and dressed in white -- were standing with several gentlemen. "Although I must say I don't see anything particularly dazzling about her," she added with a delicate sniff. She was quite beautiful, it was true, and the red hair was a little more unusual than blonde or brown. But it wasn't all that unusual (this being Britain, after all) and Imogen could see a dozen ladies in the room who looked just as lovely -- one of them being Lady Elizabeth.


"I think if she has expectations of being the evening's novelty, however, she might be disappointed," Imogen confided with a smile. "Mama had a call from Lady Brenchley today, with her daughter-in-law -- newly arrived from the Indies. I suspect there will be quite a few people who are eager to see her and what sort of impression she makes, and she is very stylish. I suppose that being a mulatto she cannot afford to be anything less than perfect, socially speaking." This last was not an unkind remark, simply an observation. "And Miss Pritchard informed me earlier that there are to be Chinese ladies in attendence! The wife and daughter of a diplomat, I believe."


She smiled, touched by Lizzie's readily-expressed loyalty. "I believe I shan't mind fading after all, if I have such company. But your dress is lovely, Lady Elizabeth, and the blue is just the right shade. But mothers can be quite vexing in their restrictions, can't they? I am not to dance more than every second set, or else leave early!"

[Elizabeth Dunford (Liz)]

Lizzie pulled a face almost before she could reconsider it. Though she'd known Lady Imogen but a day, she already considered her a dear friend. Then again, that was a habit of hers. Lizzie's judgments, though quick, were often correct. Lady Imogen was shaping up to be a delightful friend, just as Lizzie had expected, and Lady Julianne was shaping up to be an obnoxious showoff, again, just as Lizzie had expected. Still, the fact remained that Lizzie was not fully acquainted with Lady Imogen's condition and for all she knew, Lady Huntingdon could be right and too many dances really could overset her.

Upon hearing discussion of the veritable world assembly that was taking place in Almack's that evening, Lizzie craned her neck and scanned the room. "Really? Lady Brenchley is to be in attendance? I'd heard she had come to London but I have not yet seen her. And a Chinese diplomat, you say? I do wonder if they'll be in their traditional garb." Turning back to Imogen, she smiled. "I should very much like to see them, though I fear I might treat them more like oddities and less as actual people. So perhaps I ought to refrain from meeting and just look." She paused, thinking that over. "Though that might seem rude...which would you choose, Lady Imogen? My meeting them, but possibly behaving poorly, or my simply staring, but avoiding overtly offending?" Lizzie's expression was almost comical, for all that she was making her seem like a heathen raised by wolves with no concept of what constituted proper behavior and no ability to control herself. Truly, the duchess would be horrified to hear her daughter speak in such a fashion.

[Imogen Rathbone (Vikki)]

Imogen nodded enthusiastically. "Indeed. I am quite excited at the prospect, since I have never seen any Chinese except in books. Nor, I imagine, have many people, but you know what I mean."


Lizzie's expression made her laugh outright, which tailed off in a cough, but one that she quickly recovered from - and equally quickly diverted attention from, too, by shaking her head. "Oh, you do look so earnest. But I think you should indulge your curiosity and meet them, since I don't believe you could possibly behave badly. And while I remember, would you mind very much calling me Imogen, instead of Lady Imogen, at least when we are chatting together just the two of us? It seems very formal, and I don't feel at all formal with you," she explained, words tumbling out at a rapid pace and accompanied by a slight blush. It felt so much more amicable to be addressed by her Christian name, just like Amelia would do. It would feel like she were somehow at home here instead of just a newcomer -- but that was a silly notion, wasn't it? She was hardly the only newcomer here.

[Elizabeth Dunford (Liz)]

"Well," Lizzie began in a teasing tone. "I should expect the diplomat and his family are quite familiar with their fellow countrymen. Why, they probably say in China, 'I should very much like to see an Englishman. Quite unusual, they are!' But meet them, I shall, if you think it best." She grinned, and her grin widened even more upon Lady Imogen's insistence on the use of her Christian name.

"I should be delighted! Nothing could make me happier, but only if you promise to do the same for me. But Lizzie, of course. Never Elizabeth. A dreadfully common name, I'm afraid. My dear friend Miss Pritchard's cousin, of sorts, is named Elizabeth, but she goes by Elise. Perhaps you've met? Miss Pritchard and Miss Hampton? They are the cousin of and ward of the Marquess of Emerson, respectively, though Elise has really been raised at Lady Emerson's daughter and the marquess' sister." She took a deep breath after that deluge of information, awaiting Imogen's reply.

[Imogen Rathbone (Vikki)]

"Oh!" Imogen had completely forgotten that, if the visitors were strange to them, they would obviously be equally strange to the Chinese. It was easy to forget, with England's influence so widespread. "Of course you're right." She suddenly giggled. "Wouldn't it be strange if they thought us barbarians for dressing as we do, and eating the things we do! Or for using proper cutlery instead of those sticks I heard that they use..." It was a comical concept, really, but Imogen imagined it could easily be true. Not that she would care about being thought of as an oddity by a little band of Chinese people, and especially not when her friendship with Lizzie had just reached the point where they had agreed to drop formalities. She was so pleased Lizzie felt the same way.


"Lizzie it is. Thank goodness your name wasn't something dreadful and near-impossible to shorten, like Euphemia! At least Elizabeth has a wealth of possibilities." Unlike 'Imogen' which couldn't be shortened at all. Imogen didn't find it a dreadfully common name at all - it was friendly and approachable, just like its bearer.


"I have met Miss Pritchard, but not Miss Hampton, though I'm invited to their coming-out ball on Sunday, so at the latest I shall meet her then," she replied, taking in the information about the family's relations. "You might be entertained to hear how Miss Pritchard and I met - she came rushing into our box at the theatre the other night, exclaiming in French about something deplorable, clearly mistaking it for her own."

[Elizabeth Dunford (Liz)]

Lizzie laughed, picturing her friend racing into a box, dark hair streaming and blue eyes flashing, looking for all the world like Liberté herself. The image was both impressive and comical. "Oh my, that does sound like Charity," she said. "Her aunt, Lady Emerson, is French, as was Charity's late mother, thus Charity's fluency in the language. I believe Miss Hampton is also fluent in the language, but I am not certain. She is not quite as given to excited outbursts as Charity." Though the Misses Pritchard and Hampton were as close as sisters, they really could not be more different. Especially when it came to their choices in friends. "Miss Hampton is quite close to Lady Julianne, I believe, thus we rarely spend time together. But, please, do share what happened next in your tale. I can only imagine Charity's chagrin once she discovered her error!"