Midnight Rain:

Chapter 20: The Royal Races: Part 1:

"Are you really wearing that, Sister?" Mary, Charlotte's eleventh child, asked Evelina, who walked out to the carriages with her entire group of siblings.

"Yes, Mary... I like this shade of blue." Evelina sighed, looking down at her gown that was in her mother's Georgian style instead of the Regency-style gowns that her sisters wore.

"It's not the color, Eve." Evelina's sister, Charlotte, chuckled at her.

"It's the style, Sister. You dress like Mother." Augusta smirked when Evelina looked down at her skirt.

"Enough talking." 

The sisters stopped snickering as all thirteen children looked over to see their mother walking out with Brimsley and her ladies.

"Come now. We must not be late because you all wish to stand around." Charlotte scoffed at her children. "Come, my dear... You shall join me in my carriage." She smiled, looking at Evelina, offering a hand to her.

"It is a marvel you love literature as much as I do. Do you enjoy Byron?" Lord Lumley smiled at Edwina while they walked around the canopies at the Royal Races.

"I have read some, my lord. Though I believe myself a novice when it comes to poetry." Edwina said, walking with her arm interlocked with the gentleman.

"How fortunate to have found such a well-versed teacher in Lord Lumley, then." Kate smiled at her sister as she walked on the other side of Edwina while Lady Danbury walked ahead of them.

"Many find poetry a flat medium. Words read silently from a page. But I believe it is meant to be read aloud like music... Here, I carry a small pocket copy of my favorites with me wherever I go." Lord Lumley smiled, stopping as he tried to get his small notebook out of his jacket pocket.

"Lady Danbury."

The four of them turned to see a gentleman walking up to them. "I would be so honored if you could facilitate a proper introduction. I fear my calling card got lost in the shuffle at your home this morning." The gentleman continued to say to Lady Danbury.

"Ah... Mr. Thomas Dorset, allow me to introduce Miss Sharma and Miss Edwina Sharma." Lady Danbury smiled while Kate and Edwina bowed their head to the gentleman.

"A pleasure." Mr. Dorset smiled at them.

"I am afraid my sister already has an escort for today, Mr. Dorset," Kate said, smiling as she looked at Edwina and Lord Lumley.

"That is very well. Though I was hoping to speak with you." He said, looking at Kate.

Lady Danbury and Edwina smirked at Kate as they continued to walk, and Mr. Dorset joined Kate's side.

"How are you finding the season, Miss Sharma?" He asked her, joining her side.

"It is a season. Mr. Dorset, I really should--" Kate went to say.

"London is a far cry from Bombay. It is where you traveled from, yes?" He asked her as she smiled a bit.

"Yes." 

"I have visited. It is a wondrous place." Mr. Dorset smiled when the two stopped for a moment. "You must miss it dearly." 

"Oh, every minute of every day. But most especially at teatime." Kate chuckled, glancing around them before she saw and made eye contact with James, who was standing with his brother, Elijah, and his aunt. He tipped his hat to her when she tried to ignore him.