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Back in line, Fleur watched the dancing couples yet again. She'd broken free from her parents, under the lie of promenading for suitors. Instead, she gave herself the mission to find Penelope. She'd found Prudence and Philippa, and Lady Featherington, but Penelope seemed unfindable. After a while Fleur just gave up and headed back to the side of the dance floor.
After what felt like an eternity, Lady Danbury joined her by her side. She leaned both hands on her cane in front of her, as she always did. Fleur didn't even look up from her sudden presence anymore.
"I don't know how to do this a third time, Lady Danbury." Fleur confessed to her. Her voice was so light, she feared she hadn't been heard. But Lady Danbury turned her head, and quipped a brow.
She said. "You, my dear, need to worry less about what society thinks of you. Look at Simon. He does not need validation from anyone, and everything worked out for him."
"What if my mind does not work the same way as Simon's?" She asked absentmindedly.
Sloane had once described the feeling she had gotten when she'd first courted Cristian. She had described it as if butterflies were fluttering in her stomach. She said she still got them after a year. Fleur had never gotten that feeling with anyone. The closest she had come to it (she thought) was with Eloise. And that was the disturbing part.
Lady Danbury seemed to think of what she said. She had a smirk displayed on her face. "I have someone here for you," That made Fleur turn her head. "Though I mustn't introduce you to him anymore."
Fleur frowned at first. But then she looked further than Lady Danbury, and saw someone she had not seen since she was a kid. "Remember me?" He said, smiling.
"Thomas Romeo Ashby, my word," She smiled back. Fleur didn't even notice Lady Danbury slipping away to the other side of the ballroom. "I haven't seen you in years. When did you get back?"
Thomas had been one of Fleur's few friends growing up. He lived next door to them up until his family's leaving ten years back. Fleur hadn't expected him to ever return. Back when Thomas and Fleur were still young, society believed them to get married once they were both of age.
"I got back about an hour ago. Heard Little Daphne Bridgerton was having a ball, so I thought I'd see how good of a host she was," He joked. "I figure she's done a great job, do you not?"
"Surely, Mr. Ashby!" Whenever Fleur was excited and smiling, her voice would automatically come out louder. She was speaking loudly, but had no idea she was doing so. Thomas only smiled to himself, recognising the pattern she'd already done when she was a kid.
