The Christmas Ball (25/12 Evening)- Xmas 1677

[Guest]

John and Robert

 

“L-l-let’s meet on Piccadilly. We c-c-can ride out f-f-from there. Say l-l-late morning, ten or so.” John smiled. Perhaps he would bring his dogs. The exercise could do them some good and he couldn’t see Robert being jealous of the attention.

 

John let out a bemused puff of air as the man spoke of his mother and his maid, “A m-m-m-mother and a maid? You are Casanova reborn. You m-m-must teach me when we ride.”

 

The advice of Ablemarle, that women demanded a bit of lechery, rung at the back of his mind. His fanciful idea of getting Ablemarle to run a club for awkward young men with Ogle and John and now this fellow was starting to be a little less fanciful. John still wanted to call it the Birdwatcher’s Club.

 

“Oh, I… read a g-g-great deal. I lay out g-g-gardens and p-p-parks. G-g-grow plants, boat sometimes. Have snowball fights. I’m having one on the… thirtieth, you’re welcome to c-c-come.” John said. Perhaps he would invite the lad to his reading club as well, if that got off the ground. Since it was scheduled for the end of the season, it was mostly a distant thought.

[Louis Killington]

Louis and Lady Bridget

 

"Ah, Lady Bridget, a Happy Christmas to you," he called out to the young lady as he neared. "I hope you are enjoying the ball." For now he did not wish to query her about her father. It would be poor form to do so without a opening.

 

It was unlikely that Danby shared many secrets with his daughter. She was likely present at court to serve as his eyes and ears, so it might be entertaining to toy with her.

[Douglas FitzJames]

Cordelia and Douglas

 

Lady Lucas might have been amused to know what Douglas didn’t mind the motherly overtones. He’d never known his own mother and Lady Lochend had been a witch, so it was oddly reassuring to have an older lady fussing over his concerns and advising him. Perhaps there was some old need being filled.

 

As such he listened to her. Aloof. Douglas didn’t do aloof very well; he tended to tackle things head on. But surely it could be worth a try? The two walked on slowly back towards their starting point, as Cordelia plied him with wise advice.

 

“Nae, thank ye m’Lairdy, fer the dance an’ fer yer kind words.” He said as the moment came to part. “Ye put nae few dancers tae shame, an’ I appreciate yer advice. I weel seek ye oot later.”* He promised. St Marks, a little odd for a lady of Cordelia’s age and standing, but strange things happened to all of them.

 

“I’ll leave ye wi’ a challenge thou’.” He added as he turned to bow to her. “Fin’ ano’er young man tae dance the last dance wi!”** He declared, holding out a hand for hers to kiss goodbye if she would let him.

 

Douglas wandering around, passing Louis and Brigit, looking for fresh blood

 

Aloof, she said. Not that in fact he’d intended to head in that direction. But there were lots of people in the hall, and having collected the rest of his drink and his salvaged mince pies, Douglas moved through them fairly idly, until he spotted the woman in question, in the company of a man he knew. Best to just move past tonight, since you’ll meet tomorrow.

 

“Guid e’en Laird Basildon, m’Lairdy.”*** He said, smiling and nodding politely as he passed the pair, deliberately not intruding, then paused a short distance away.

 

He wasn’t really sure where but he kept walking a short distance then paused. Lady Kendishall was speaking with a one-eyed man he didn’t know, and getting into the drink. He looked for Anne Scott but couldn’t spot her in the throng; no doubt she was about somewhere. Sophia was with her husband, no doubt they would share the last dance. As would most married women. That left the unmarried, if he wanted a dance.

 

He could go and find his sisters. Fiona particularly probably warranted checking up on, but at the same time he knew that she would resent the implications of the same. Right now he didn’t want to worry about her, she could make her bed and bloody well lie in it. There was one dance left and Douglas was keen to have it, but the question was, with whom? Nicolette would be a coup but she was still deep in conversation with Killigrew, damn the man. Not her, not married women. Most of the unmarried women he knew were occupied.

 

That only left someone he didn’t know. A world of opportunity there. Who looked likely?

 

Subtitles

* “No, thank you my Lady, for the dance and for your kind words. You put no few dancers to shame, and I appreciate your advice. I will seek you out later.”

** “I’ll leave you with a challenge though. Find another young man to dance the last dance with!”

*** “Good evening Lord Basildon, my Lady.”

[Charles Audley]

Caroline and Charles

 

Charles laughed again at the quip, passing a generous glass of brandy to Caroline and claiming one for himself.

 

"Oh, indeed we are. I'm not sure if the occupation attracts homicidal maniacs, or merely induces homicidal mania in those who practice it." A shake of his head. "I apologise if I've offended your sensibilities with my... brutishness, but my blood is up, and it's murder or ravish I'm afraid." He waggled his eyebrows.

 

Well, there's arson and looting as well, but I feel his Majesty might object to those.

 

He took a moment to savour the aroma of his brandy and sipped at the liquid, luxuriating in the rich flavour.

 

"So, tell me Hippolyta, what are your plans for the season? Beyond exhibiting your musical talents and hosting riotous parties, I mean."

[Aria]

Louis and Bridget with a cameo by Douglas

 

She was about to give up her search when she saw Lord Basildon heading toward her. Bridget smiled, maybe a bit too brightly, when he called out a greeting. She knew that he had been her father's ally and was pleased that he was willing to brave the ire of the nobles who shunned her in order to speak to her. And he was very handsome.

 

“Happy Christmas to you too, my lord.” Her smile faltered for a fraction of a second when he asked her how she was enjoying the ball. “It has been pleasant,” she replied vaguely. He probably knew that it had been anything but. Still, she had an image to uphold and she must pretend that everything was going well.

 

Would he refuse if she asked him to dance? Maybe if she was seen in his company, other courtiers would follow his example and be friendlier. From what little she knew of him, he was respected and well-liked.

 

Just then, an unusually tall gentleman walked by, greeted Lord Basildon and herself, and then walked on by. Bridget smiled at him and nodded politely and then turned her attention back to her current companion. “I hope you are enjoying yourself as well. Do you have a partner for the next dance yet?”

[Fortune]

Maldon was quick with a reply on the details of their planned ride, all of which was doable for young Robert.

 

"Picadilly...yes, I will be there by ten then," the young man nodded. Well, it didn't turn out to be a girl, but at least he met at someone this night.

 

Maldon was amused at his comment about the 'women' in his life, he had meant it rather seriously but 'Robert could see that the remark could be taken humorously too and smiled along, "Casanova would be jealous of me, my lord."

 

He then asked the lord what else he did for amusement besides horseback riding. Turned out the fellow had other activities, at least a couple quite surprising, though not the reading. Robert did not comment on that though, he never much liked books.

 

"Gardens and parks? Interesting," he replied, but it really wasn't.

 

However some of it actually was.

 

"Boats? Oh, I didn't tell you but I am a fine swimmer...Father thinks it unbecoming to even engage in such a thing given our status but..." Robert paused to shrug.

 

"And a snowball fight sounds like it would be very much fun. I have not done such a thing since I was a boy," Robert declared with a smile, in his mind he was an adult now.

 

"I should like to participate, very much so."

[Caroline Despanay]

Caroline and Charles

 

It was agreed upon a brandy was needed following the dance and Audley handed over a rather good sized glass of the liquor to her besides another for himself. Caroline took it with a nod and a smile as he joked around.

 

"At least you are a good natured homicidal maniac," she replied then added, "You do not offend me in the slightest, do not be concerned. I am content with either of those activities....though not necessarily both at this instant. I will settle for drinking."

 

Caroline meant to show him she could handle her alcohol and drained half of it with barely a twitch as if it were merely water. Alright, so she was showing off a bit, nothing bad about that.

 

"I've experienced arson....no looting though, perhaps in my future," she laughed.

 

He wanted to know what other plans she had besides her cello playing and her exciting party. It was a fair enough question but she paused then not really having a ready answer.

 

"Well, being a Merry Widow.....literally....I certainly have no plans for marriage in my near future. But let me think.....hmmmm, oh, I know!" her big blue eyes widened.

 

"I shall fit out an expedition to the New World, hire me an army, and conquer myself a kingdom...no wait, it couldn't be a kingdom, I'm female...." she then downed the other half of the drink and grinned.

[Guest]

John and Robert

 

John nodded to the confirmed plans and let out a light puff of amusement at his retort.

 

John was more of a shut out than a shut in. “Where I luh-live’s full of rivers and on the ocean. So there’s p-p-plenty of opportunity. I m-m-must admit my swimming c-c-could be better. Maybe we could go when it’s warmer.” John didn’t mind the cold much but he certainly wasn’t going to swim in a lake he had to break the ice to get to.

 

John’s smile took on just a hint of awkwardness as the immature nature of John’s amusements reared itself. But it was only a hint. “It’ll be good fun. It’s in St. James.” John said of the snowball fight. He suspected Robert would prefer to be an attacker. But he would see. He still wasn’t sure the entire thing wasn’t going to devolve into merry anarchy.

 

John closed his eyes and shook his head a moment. He smiled. His mood seemed to be picking up, or perhaps liquor was simply working its way through his system. "Well Giacomo," as in Giacomo Casanova, "Since your m-m-maid and your... mother aren't here, perhaps you should try her." John pointed to Danby's daughter, currently talking with Basildon. "Lady Bridget. You have the suh-same t-t-taste in plumage." He said plumage in French.

 

Robert had the hair to end all hair. She was dripping with jewelry. By fashion, they were made for each other. Or so that orange brandy whispered in John's ear.

[Aria]

Juliana approaching Douglas

 

It was difficult to miss the extremely tall gentleman making his way around the room with a drink in one hand and pies in the other. Juliana Hesse-Eschwege couldn't help being intrigued by him. He didn't seem to have a certain destination in mind. Was he, perhaps, looking for somebody to dance with?

 

Her last dance had been less than satisfactory. Her partner had been handsome but she suspected that if she looked into his ear, she would see a 'for rent' sign where his brain should be. The beautiful blonde preferred gentlemen with intelligence and wit, as well as good looks. And height was a definite necessity. The self-proclaimed Princess was taller than most men.

 

Grabbing a small pie and a glass of wine from one of the refreshment tables, Juliana headed in Douglas' direction, smiling engagingly as she approached him. “Ahh, a kindred soul who knows how to make the most of the evening.” She spoke with a slight German accent. “There is nothing like a bit of food and drink to refresh oneself between dances.”

[Charles Audley]

Caroline and Charles

 

"Well, I suppose drinking makes for a fine preliminary. Your health."

 

He brought his glass to his lips and paused as Caroline dashed off half her brandy with nary a cough or splutter. He manfully resisted the impulse to follow suit, less out of any wisdom or maturity on his part than a deeply ingrained belief that brandy was for sipping, at least when one was in public.

 

Sink me, but the lady can drink though! And she such a small slender thing!

 

Was there a sign of something wrong with him in the fact that he found her apparent capacity attractive? Perhaps.

 

But, frankly, what is one issue more or less? We have so many to choose from already.

 

He thought her eyes pretty too, though, and that was likely more acceptable, so he focused on them as Caroline outlined her extravagant plans for the season. He laughed at her confusion over the terminology, and her downing of the rest of her brandy.

 

"Hmm. Not sure it makes a difference. I fancy England was still a kingdom under Mary and Elizabeth, though perhaps that was merely because it was founded as one." He considered for a moment. "Well, let us avoid any further linguistic debate and resolve to conquer you an empire, and crown you an empress. Much simpler that way."

 

He halted a moment to procure fresh brandy for her. If she was inclined to exhibit her tolerance for alcohol, he was inclined to let her.

 

"I'd advise setting your sights east rather than west, though. The New World is full of Spaniards, and they are a dour lot and, worse, possessive of their holdings. India, however, is full of Indians and they, from all I've heard, make for much better company."

 

He glanced around the room.

 

"No maps about, which is a damn shame. Can't plan a campaign without maps."

[Francis Kirke]

Francis & Frances

 

The blond chuckled as she asked what sort of a story he would like to hear.

 

"Nothing right now, your grace. Such confidences are best made privately." He grinned, "Besides, how shall I persuade you to sit in my lap here?"

 

She was good at this game.

 

"Something worthy of my dancing embarrassment, but only of yourself. And when shall we have this tit for tat of stories? As the duchess, it is for you to decide." He punctuated his statement with a cheeky wink.

[Louis Killington]

Louis and Bridget with a cameo by Douglas

 

Louis suspected that Bridget's ball had been anything but enjoyable. Being the daughter of a pariah was little better than being a pariah oneself. There was a nod at Douglas as the man passed. It never hurt to be on the good side of a Life Guard officer.

 

"I am having a merry time," Louis replied cheerfully. "Nothing like the warmth of a good dance and the company of ladies of quality." It seemed that poor Bridget was in search of a dance partner. Louis repressed the pleased smile he felt tugging at the corners of his mouth.

 

"I do not have a partner for the last dance," he admitted freely. "A sad state of affairs surely. I am at your disposal my lady. I would be delighted to be asked, or delighted to be of service introducing you to any gentleman you desire." Either way could be of use to him. If she was sweet on some gentleman, it would be good to know. If not, he would dance with her and look to see if he might loosen her up a bit for possible scandalous whispers later in the evening.

[Aria]

Louis and Bridget

 

“That's good to hear.” What was actually good to hear was that he thought she was still a lady of quality. Or that was what Bridget assumed he meant. Almost everyone else treated her as if she had the plague. Her father's presumed transgressions had nothing to do with her and she didn't like being looked upon as an outcast. It was very disconcerting.

 

Lord Basildon, however, made her feel appreciated, as she believed she should be. She fought the urge to grin happily when he admitted that he had not been claimed for the last dance. That dance should be reserved for his wife, but Bridget knew that she was in the Netherlands with the Princess Mary. She was pleased that he wanted to share such a special dance with her.

 

He offered to introduce her to other gentlemen, but she knew how that would turn out. They would just look at her with a mixture of pity and disgust and make some lame excuse to flee. “I can think of no one else I would rather dance with,” she replied sincerely. “So to be formal … would you like to dance with me, Lord Basildon?”

[Blackguard]

The Toledos

 

“Yes,” she enthused, smiling brightly. “And nobody has avoided me or shunned me. I told you that I would not be condemned for my performance last night. Everyone knows that I am not like the character I portrayed.”

 

Esteban gave his wife a patronizing look that suggested he knew better. "We shall know in time," was all he replied. She was so quick to see what she wanted.

 

"It is you that should light the candles," he urged. "It was your idea." And, she was a fellow German.

 

As for Chatham, Toledo would need Diego to look into the matter. The man was very resourceful.

 

"The Lady of Misrule has the opportunity to make sport of people with her whims. She is French and she may seek to make light of Spaniards in her games. It would be best if she did not." He assumed Sophia would understand his goal.

 

Francis and Frances

 

"Oh, I had not noticed," Frances lied when it came to forgetting about sitting on his leg. "Yes, perhaps a more private moment then." In a playful mood, as was often the case, she wondered how else she might gain some gossip this evening. It was the perfect opportunity and event.

 

Francis seemed equally playful, though it was difficult to coax gems from his lips. It was possible that he knew nothing interesting, but Le Belle Stuart did not credit that scenario. It was more likely that he was being too discreet for her liking. I shall just need to work that out of him.

 

Changing the subject, she adopted a more collected air. "Have you met any new interesting persons at court this season? I do hope that we have some interesting new faces." The debutantes all seemed the same to Frances, year after year. So few were witty. Instead, they were well-trained. The gentlemen tended to be much more varied. "There are some new Germans at court," she began cryptically, her fan coming to life in her hand.

[Caroline Despanay]

Caroline and Charles

 

Charles made a good point, England was still a kingdom even when Elizabeth had ruled but suggested she instead settle for an empire thus making her an empress. Caroline nodded, pleased with his creativity.

 

"Oh yes, I like that! Empress Caroline the First has a real ring to it, does it not?" she beamed, she enjoyed all their silly conversation.

 

Noticing she had already finished her glass of brandy, he took a moment to provide her with another which the girl did not hesitate to accept, "Why thank you."

 

That taken care of the man had another suggestion, that her empire making expedition should mayhaps aim east instead of west, laying out his reasons. She listened as solemnly as if this was all actually going to be happening before replying.

 

"Spaniards, yes...my father detests the Spaniards. Almost as much as he detests the Germans and Austrians. I hear there are many savage tribes which live there also? But I do not know about the wisdom of going to India though? I have heard it is so hot people run about without hardly any clothing. And the diseases make England seem positively healthy."

 

She gave a dramatic sigh then declared, "This empire building sounds like hard work."

 

Now as far as his concern for maps, she waved that off, "I have no need of such things, this would be why I would command others to do the sailing and the exploring and the fighting then simply sit back and wait for news of their triumphs."

[Fortune]

John and Robert

 

Surprisingly Lord Maldon did not seem to share Robert's father opinion of the uselessness of swimming and even offered the young man a chance to visit his property sometime and do a bit of swimming. Obviously not in winter though, Robert nodded in agreement, "Oh of course, I did not mean now. We would freeze to death."

 

The noble was also trying rather selflessly to help him out as regarding his lack of any success with the ladies, going as far as to point to a specific one, he identified her as Lady Bridget. Robert recognized the lord this Bridget was conversing with, Lord Basildon. As for the lady, he knew nothing about her.

 

"You forget one important detail, Lord Maldon, it is not we menfolk who are doing the asking on this evening but the ladies. They come up to us and ask us to dance," Robert gently pointed out.

 

No lady was heading their way, that much was quite apparent.

[Guest]

John and Robert

 

“They ask us t-t-to dance.” John said. “But there’s nothing b-b-but your courage stopping you from… going up and implying you’d want one. Ladies d-d-do it to men all the time.” John said in reply, a bemused grin. He was not very experienced with ladies but even he knew this much. He looked over as Basildon seemed to snag her. So her two dances would be with Ogle and Basildon tonight. He wondered if she had others or that was the whole of it.

 

“If you d-d-don’t like Lady Bridget, point to someone else. I’ll tell you how you m-m-might get a… dance with her.” John was rather enjoying being a bit meddlesome. Perhaps there was more of his family's matrons in him than he'd admit. One thing was for certain though: he was drunk and enjoying himself.

[Sophia de la Cerda]

Oh, how she loathed that condescending expression! He thought he was so superior just because he was older, more experienced at court, and most importantly … male. Her father and Lord Kingston had given her similar looks when she had said or done something they deemed foolish. Sophia barely suppressed the urge to roll her eyes at him.

 

This time she was right. She had been treated well tonight. If her performance had been as scandalous as Esteban seemed to think, everyone would have avoided her. “Si,” she agreed, not quite managing to keep the annoyance out of her voice. “Veremos.”* The petite blonde didn't know why she felt compelled to answer him in Spanish … maybe just because she could.

 

“Very well,” she shrugged. Maybe she would ask Lord Maldon's sister if she would like to do it. That might help bring her to the Queen's attention. Sophia wanted to be the one who actually presented the gift. She couldn't hold it and light the candles at the same time.

 

She should have known why he had asked about Mademoiselle Vauquelin. Honor for his country. Did he ever think of anything else besides honor and politics? He certainly didn't think about sex, and his lack of concern for his wife's desires was about to send her into the arms of another man.

 

“She is not malicious, nor does she seem to hate Spaniards. I would think that she would be aware of the dangers of a foreigner insulting another foreigner. Is not France looked upon less favorably than Spain. I can speak with her and ask about her plans, but she might not tell me. She did not choose me to attend her.”

 

Which wasn't at all surprising. Nicolette, although unmarried, was old enough to do whatever she wished without the approval of a guardian, and she had selected widows to attend her. A married lady would be a liability, for she would be unable to participate in any activities that were seen as outrageous or libertine. Unless her husband approved, and Sophia knew that Esteban wouldn't, for fear it would bring him dishonor.

 

 

*We shall see.

[Charles Audley]

Caroline and Charles

 

"Well, the New World is not exactly temperate either. Prone to both extremes, actually, depending on where one is. And it has any number of interesting diseases, too. But I suppose that nothing worthwhile was ever easy. The New World would be easier logistically at least. Hmm. This bears consideration."

 

Charles took a thoughtful sip of his brandy, pretending to ponder the strategic conundrum.

 

"We could start by knocking over a few of the Italian principalities, I suppose. They're wealthy enough, but not up to much. Cut our teeth on relatively soft meat, secure a staging area and supplies and move from there." He snapped his fingers. "No, I've a better idea. The Barbary pirates! No one likes them, so they shan't be missed, and they have many ships which we can appropriate after our victory. And, should empire building fail to live up to your expectations, you have the option of being a pirate queen."

 

He grinned at Caroline, distinctly amused by this ridiculous conversation.

 

"You'd enjoy that, I wager, spending your days being fanned and fed grapes by dusky slave boys, needing only to perform the occasional atrocity to remind the rabble who you are and keep them firmly under heel."

[Douglas FitzJames]

Juliana and Douglas

 

Having paused in his wanderings to ponder where to make a nuisance of himself next, the big Scotsman was a little surprised – but quite pleased – to be approached by an attractive blonde woman with a height to rival his sisters’. When she spoke it was with a faint accent, German or Dutch he thought. A compatriot of the Queen’s perhaps? But not a close one, or should wouldn’t be here.

 

“I believe in makin’ the mos’ o’ aw o’ life.” He replied with a broad smile, bowing gracefully to her. “Wi’ the comin’ famine I thocht’t best tae stock up.” He replied in an amused tone of voice, referring to the Misrule edict that the food be cleared away and more drink supplied. “Great minds think alike.”* He observed. She’d managed to keep a cake to herself despite the absence of the platters.

 

And was she a Lady who intended to make the most of the evening then? “B’sides, ye need energy tae dance weel; naebody likes a limp dancer.”** He added, taking an enthusiastic bite out of one of his mince pies; he could almost fit the whole thing in his mouth in one go. He could think of a few limp dancers that no amount of pie and cake would help, mind you.

 

“Baron Dundarg, m’Lairdy.” He said, spreading his long arms wide in a ‘this is me’ gesture, the white lace and silver edging contrasting starkly with the black velvet of his outfit, standing out against the more festive colours. “Hou may I be o’ service? Wuid ye like a mince pie?”*** Even he had to admit that the spicy fruit mince and sweet pastry was particularly good.

 

Subtitles

* “I believe in making the most of all of life. With the coming famine I thought it best to stock up. Great minds think alike.”

** “Besides, you need energy to dance well; nobody likes a limp dancer.”

*** “Baron Dundarg, my Lady. How may I be of service. Would you like a mince pie?”

[Aria]

Douglas and Juliana

 

The gentleman's accent was a bit difficult to understand. If there had been any Scots in Sweden, Juliana had not met them. “Oh, so do I,” she said with a mischievous grin. She had definitely made the most of her encounter in the garden with Lord Chatham, which was probably the main reason she had swiped a cake before the servants took the food away. A good shag almost always made her ravenous.

 

“I do wonder at the motivation behind that decision. Depriving everyone of food is not the first proclamation I would have made if I had been chosen the Lady of Misrule. Maybe there's a method to her madness. I suppose we shall see.”

 

One thin blonde eyebrow arched when he claimed that nobody liked a limp dancer. “I emphatically agree. A limp dance partner is no fun at all. I prefer mine to be lively and tenacious, with a firm grasp on the most pleasing and creative ways of performing the steps.” Her innuendo was not very subtle, but then neither was she.

 

Juliana watched as he took a bite of one of his pies, her eyes lingering on his lips for a few moments before looking down at her own cake. It had a flaky crust and was filled with what looked like nuts and honey. The pretend princess adored nuts as desserts but not as companions. Of course, all gentleman had nuts; she just preferred that they weren't nuts.

 

There was nothing at all nutty about Lord Dundarg. She found him quite intriguing “I am Princess Juliana of Hesse-Eschwege. It is lovely to meet you.” His mince pies did smell delicious. “Perhaps we can share our pies … as well as the next dance?”

[Douglas FitzJames]

Juliana and Douglas

 

There’d been something about Juliana that suggested, bluntly, that she was no wilting wallflower; rather a lady who knew what she wanted in life and how to get it. Her reply that she too was out for all life could give only confirmed that. Perhaps the evening might end on a high note after all.

 

Douglas too had wondered at Nicci’s reason for removing all the food and supplying more drink. “Haps she thinks tae git the comp’ny drunk.”* He suggested with a shrug. If so, it was not quite the flair he’d expected of her as Lady of Misrule. The true Libertines needed no drink to encourage them, and any that were less Libertine that got up to mischief whilst on the drink tended to complain about it in the morning. Either way, it took a lot to get Douglas drunk, he was a big man, and the lady before him was not tiny either.

 

The innuendo wasn’t subtle, but he’d started it and in truth he was quite amused that she not only took the metaphor, but ran a marathon with it. “An’ enthusiastic.” Douglas added, on the subject of dance partners. “Thairs nocht better than a partner wha really enjoys a dance’.”** As with a great many things in life. There was little worse than being in the close company of someone who didn’t want to be there.

 

A princess? His guess had been right, she was German from the sound of things. And his evening was looking up. Two dances with Duchesses, a motherly old lady who had been surprisingly fun company, and now a beautiful Princess who sounded like a Libertine’s dream, and for the last dance at that.

 

“The pleasure’s aw mine, Yer Heeness.” The big man assured her. “I am yers. My comp’ny, my dance an’ my pies.” He added, amusement sparkling in his cornflower blue eyes. “An’ ocht else ye tak a fancy tae.”*** He added out of mischief.

 

Still, he was a little surprised that he hadn’t seen her around court before now. It wasn’t like she was someone you’d miss. “Hae ye cam tae London tae serve Her Majesty?” He asked, curious about her political links. Certainly London was friendly to Germans and Dutch now, as it wasn’t to the French. How things changed. “Haps I cuid show ye some o’ the sichts, if ye hae the time an’ th’inclination.”+

 

Subtitles

* “Perhaps she thinks to get the company drunk.”

** “And enthusiastic. There’s nothing better than a partner who really enjoys a dance.”

*** “The pleasure’s all mine, Your Highness. I am yours. My company, my dance and my pies. And anything else you take a fancy to.”

+ “Have you come to London to serve Her Majesty? Perhaps I could show you some of the sights, if you have the time and the inclination.”

[Aria]

Douglas and Juliana

 

“If she wants to get them drunk, she should let them eat. Cake can be dry. You need something to wash it down with.” Juliana shrugged. “Maybe she plans on playing some kind of game where the tables might get in the way. A drinking game, perhaps.” If that was her plan, Juliana would bow out. She could hold her liquor better than most women, but she only drank when she wanted to, not when somebody else decreed it.

 

“Enthusiasm is a must. Experience is essential too. Who wants to dance with someone who doesn't know what he's doing?” Juliana surmised that this charming man was quite adept at dancing, both at a ball and between the sheets. And he said he was hers. Her eyes narrowed playfully as she took a sip of wine, enjoying the smooth way it slid down her throat. “All mine? Are you certain? You might regret that statement later.”

 

Juliana bit into the nutty pastry, shaking her blonde curls when he asked if she served the Queen. “No, I came to London because I heard good things about it and I thought the Christmas season would be a festive time to visit. I've lived in Sweden since I was a child and it has been quite boring of late.” Especially since she had been confined to an estate in the country after her disgrace. Nothing much to do there but tip cows. “I thought it was time for a change.”

 

She grinned when he asked if he could show her the sights. “That would be splendid. I only arrived a couple of days ago and I haven't seen much of the city yet. Time is not a problem and I most definitely have the inclination. Shall we set a date?”

 

Juliana looked up at him. He had beautiful blue eyes. “Might I ask where you are from, my lord? You have the most delightful accent and I have never heard its like before.”

[Louis Killington]

Louis and Bridget

 

"I should be delighted to accept your invitation my lady," Louis answered gallantly. Now was the time for the next step in his plan.

 

"The next dance is not due to start for a few minutes, so let us go enjoy some refreshments shall we?" He attempted to lead her to the nearest table, fully intent on inducing her to start drinking heavily.

 

"The holiday punch is heavenly," he recommended, knowing it to be spiked. "I must say, this holiday season does not seem so bright and glorious as years past don't you think?" The first step was to feed upon her melancholy for what she had lost this season so as to encourage her to lower her guard to drinking more than she might otherwise.

[Nicolette Vauquelin]

Nicolette smiled benignly, shamming attention to the advice given... her eyes meanwhile flitted, noting the movements of her fellow courtiers as they shifted about. After-all, this newly made Lady of Misrule had a court to manage...

 

Her attention lingered upon Louis a moment, though knowing he needed none of her help to find some mischeif of his own, it was interesting none the less to see whom his attention fell upon. An inferior woman, Nicolette deduced, wondering why he bothered with anyone other than herself.

 

Her interest further fell upon her dear friend Caroline, who seemed happily entangled with a fellow of a smugness that intrigued (though his cake eating habit was somewhat alarming at the same time). Breath held. But thank heavens he didn't break a tooth on a brass ring.

 

Then Douglas, ah, such a man! It was a pain in her heart that her ambitions could not be advanced through gushy show of devotions to him! But he was attending to Juliana, and she, she needed to focus on His Majesty. The frenchlings eyes swung to the position The English King had taken up... and then flared.

 

Davina.

 

Now that would not do.

 

Worse. The English King escorted Davina to the dancefloor....

 

"Mmm... excusez-moi." her hand was briefly placed on the others arm, a smile fleetingly given, before Nicolette moved with some pace to the dancefloor.

 

Under usual circumstances it was unheard of for a woman to interject upon a dance pairing, but these were not usual circumstances were they.

 

Cont:on the dancefloor

[Caroline Despanay]

Audley seemed compelled to point out the New World had it's own share of risks and disadvantages. Caroline nodded, confident he knew more about the place than she certainly did, having only caught hearsay. She was half surprised he had not been there for she knew him to be a soldier and adventurer. He was the sort her father would get along splendidly with she imagined.

 

"Ahh, well there is no perfection on Earth it is said. We must wait for heaven...which, to be honest, I am not confident I shall see," she boldly ventured and with a smile, the brandy was warming.

 

"The Italians...poor soldiers...or so my father says," she nodded then heard him out on the Barbary pirate possibility before commenting, "Hmmm, well, it does sound like quite the adventure and indeed no likes them, pirates AND pagans. But I am quite certain I do not wish to spend too much time on ships - I did not much enjoy even my crossing over the Channel."

 

"Fanned by slave boys, huh? Intriguing. I hope they are handsome lads too? Now as for atrocities, I will need someone quite vicious to carry them out.....would you accept the position? I would reward you very well."

[Fortune]

As Lord Maldon tried to encourage (or was it push) him into being more bold....some others might say 'forward', the lady in question seemed to have settled on a dance partner. Honestly that was alright with Robert, he wouldn't have approached her anyhow, regardless of his new acquaintance's prodding.

 

"I believe she is taken now," he did point out.

 

The man encouraged him to point out someone else then. Robert swallowed and began to look around, without trying to be obvious of course. His gaze paused at one in particular.

 

"Oh, isn't that the lady who was the lead singer in the opera the other night? She was most enjoyable to watch...and listen to also, of course. A great voice. I had imagined opera to be quite boring but that was entertaining."

 

Actually it hadn't been that good but ogling the woman was the lone highlight.

[Diana Butler]

Digby and Diana

 

Diana laughed throatily at the idea of a New World being exotic and full of savages and strange creatures. That wasn’t a new world to her. England was… Ireland was most definitely. She’d heard her father once talking to his friends about the mysteries hidden and the fortunes to be made in the East Indies. She’d also remembered returning to England to find out she was penniless from all his adventure seeking.

 

“My Lord, every new world is exotic. Every culture odd. Savages and strange creatures fill them all.” She smiled silkily, “Gold Cities and Fountains of Youth sound like the stories from children’s tales. If it’s the adventure you seek I can not fault you though… I wish I’d journaled more when I was in the East Indies but there never seemed to be enough time in the day for that.” Diana’s gaze arched cheekily, “Besides, I am sure my cousin can find more than enough adventure here to occupy him, can’t he?”

 

Shooting a glancing around the room for the familiar handsome blonde head of her husband.

[Aria]

Louis and Bridget

 

“Refreshments would be splendid.” Bridget let him lead her over to one of the tables, keeping her attention on him instead of glancing around to see if anybody was watching them. She hoped those who saw them together would rethink their opinion of her. Perhaps when they parted, she would see friendliness rather than contempt in the eyes of others.

 

“I wish the food had not been taken away.” She would have liked a small piece of cake. Because of the way she had been treated, Bridget's stomach had been tied up in knots, but now that she had been shown a bit of kindness, she didn't feel queasy anymore. Still the punch sounded good, and she picked up a glass from the table.

 

Her eyebrows rose at his view of the season. “I thought I was the only one who noticed.” If her father had not been accused of treason, she would probably have thought that this season was just as spectacular as the others she had participated in, but her impression had been colored by her unfortunate situation, although she was not aware of it. “Christmas doesn't seem quite as festive this year.”

 

She took a sip of punch. It was quite delicious and if it had any alcohol in it, she couldn't taste it. Her next sip was more of a gulp. “Have you heard from your lady wife, my lord? I wonder what Christmas is like in the Netherlands.”

[Charles Audley]

Caroline and Charles

 

"I very much doubt I shall see it either. But at least we shall be guaranteed good company, hmm?"

 

Charles laughed and took a quick draught of his brandy.

 

It seemed that the Barbary Coast was to be the object of this ridiculous venture, once one or two minor niggles were ironed out.

 

"Oh, a marvellous adventure indeed. Quite the sort of thing songs are made of. And I shouldn't worry about the sailing. The lower orders are there for a reason. You could simply install yourself in a palace somewhere on the African coast and let other people crew the ships and fill your coffers with plunder."

 

Another sip at his brandy, and a quiet chuckle at her question on the slave boys.

 

"Handsome? Why of course. What's the point of being fanned by ugly slave boys? No, your minions shall scour the waves to find only the finest featured and most lithe specimens to dance attendance on you and obey your every whim."

 

Charles grinned lasciviously as Caroline offered him the position of Master of Atrocities. He leaned in, voice like sin wrapped in velvet.

 

"Oh? How well, exactly? And-" his voice dropped further, "-are you certain that you wish to place such trust in me? I have the aptitude for the position, certainly, but I'm venomously ambitious. You would need to keep me under very tight rein indeed, lest I get... ideas."

 

He straightened up, maintaining eye contact, and drained his brandy with a long, savouring sip.