Carmella 'Ella' Camden, a curious and intelligent young woman, dreams of finding love and companionship. Despite her beauty and wit, she constantly feels overlooked by noble men during her social seasons, who only seem interested in her friends and...
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In the dimly lit chamber adorned with tapestries and antique furnishings, Rosie Buxton, daughter of Baron Buxton, fervently recounted the previous night's ball to her confidante, Ella.
"Ella, you should have beheld it! The Earl Lancaster's dance transported me to a realm where it was but him and I alone. The sentiments are indescribable; I find myself bereft of words," Rosie mused, her youthful countenance a canvas of enamoured innocence.
Ella, a seasoned companion with a touch of scepticism, cautioned, "I am glad to hear of your enjoyment, yet restrain your hopes until he clasps your hand in wedlock. Lovely as he may be, tread cautiously, for who discerns his true intent? Is he in pursuit of love, or does a covetous eye linger on a sizable dowry?"
Rosie, contemplating Ella's advice, questioned, "Should I seek other suitors?"
"Technically, yes," Ella conceded, "but I dissuade not from exploring the Earl's connection. Delve deeper if your heart beckons. However, be a closed volume, revealing your light sparingly, tantalisingly. Convey the notion that the truest essence of you unfolds only within the sanctity of marriage, as is proper for us women."
Ella's comforting words were interrupted by her teasing observation, "Your cheeks betray you, dear Rosie."
"They did not!" Rosie retorted, covering her rosy cheeks with gloved hands, inciting laughter from Ella.
"Ella, you must grace the next ball with your presence. It would bring immense pleasure," Rosie implored, hoping to coax Ella from her spinsterhood-induced reluctance to attend social gatherings.
"Rosie, you know my aversion to balls," Ella demurred.
"Change that promptly. Attend for your sake and your friends'. They worry for you, and I am fortunate to see you, thanks to our fathers' friendship," Rosie pleaded.
"I fear mishaps," Ella confessed.
"I vow, Ella, the next time you attend, I shall stand by your side, as will others. Grace, even after her marriage, would be with you. Do not fret," Rosie assured, invoking Ella's young sister, Grace, now Marchioness of Huntley.
"Did you see Grace? Is that why you ask for me?" Ella questioned, arching an eyebrow.
"Understand, Ella, Grace misses you. Is it not right for sisters to reunite?" Rosie expressed, a hint of melancholy in her voice.
Ella, relenting, promised attendance at future events. Rosie, enveloping Ella in a side hug, whispered assurances before the entrance of Baron Brixton and Viscount Camden, accompanied by their wives, marked the end of their intimate conversation.
"Thank you for the evening, but we must depart. It is regrettable that Adrian is absent; I desired a conversation with him," Baron Brixton lamented.
"He is engrossed in business, I trust. Mayhap next time. Farewell, Rosie," Viscount Camden added proudly.
