One
Letitia
I enterthe ballroom behind my mother, my head down and demure, though my intentions for the evening are anything but. There is plenty of enjoyment to be had once Mother is distracted by her own friends, which is sure to happen at any moment.
A small part of me has always wondered whether she counted down the days until I was presented and she could entertain herself this way.
Or if it is the only reason she had a daughter in the first place.
I banish the thoughts, aware that they leadnowhere good and it is better for me if I focus on the fun I can have myself now that we're at the ball.
"Mother?" I ask.
She turns to face me. "Yes, Letitia?"
"Would you excuse me so that I may go and see my friends?" I ask, having spotted Georgiana and Mary across the room. If I am hasty, Mary won't disappear before I get there like she is wont to do.
Mother sighs, but I can tell from her expression that she's secretly pleased. "Very well." She waves her hand, shooing me off.
I hurry across the ballroom, nodding to guests I recognise and have been introduced to, but not stopping to speak with any of them. Small talk can be saved for later in the evening.
Georgiana snaps open her fan, using it in an attempt to divert the stuffiness of the room away from her, while Mary seems to be searching for any reason to escape.
"I see some things do not change," I say as I reach my friends.
"Have you seen Miss Rodyle anywhere?" Mary asks, still searching for the lady in question.
"Not yet. Are you expecting her?" I ask.
"I am. She promised to make an introduction to Lady Batloam. She's hosting a gathering next week and I require an invitation."
I raise an eyebrow. "I don't believe I've heard of Lady Batloam."
"That does not surprise me, Letty. She doesn't run in your circles."
Georgiana smothers her laughter, hiding her face with her fan, though I already know she's amused at my expense.
"I am able to have an intellectual conversation," I remind my friends.
"You can," Georgiana agrees. "But we're all aware that your attention is often caught by less serious matters."
"Perhaps you forget that finding a husband is a serious matter for those of us who are not already betrothed," I point out.
"Mary isn't engaged," Georgiana counters.
"She has her books," I murmur.
"And you have your flirting," she teases. "Speaking of, isn't that Lord Cygnus making his way over here?" She flips her fan shut and gestures with it to where the handsome swan shifter is making his way over.
"I believe it is," I say, straightening my back and resisting the urge to smooth out my dress.
"If you dance with him again, people might start to talk, Letty," she warns me.
"Let them. There are dozens of couples dancingwith one another multiple times. No one will pay us any mind."
"Yet you don't have any intention of marrying him."
"Of course not," I assure my friend. "It is a flirtation, nothing more. Merely for fun and diversion."