A Dance's Value, a fairy tales fanfic

Disclaimer: This story gives me no profit but fun. No copyright infringement is intended.

Author's Note: Dummies for Jane Austen planted the seed for this.

A Dance's Value

Cambridgeshire

Crevecoeur Park

8 August, 17—

Master Charles Woodcourt's Partners

Miss Libby King

Lady Polly has been dropping hints for months in Master Woodcourt's ear about the suitableness of Miss King, coming from one of the richest families in the county and all. She must be secretly congratulating herself over her son opening the ball with her favorite young lady.

Miss Heywood

The Honorable Lucy Martin

Miss Jane Plummer

A sweet lady, yet her family's wealth were made in trade. May not be enough to gain Lady Polly's consideration for the position of daughter-in-law.

Miss Ward

Miss Amy Gibson

Very kind of Master Woodcourt to ask her to dance despite her being viewed as an old maid now. Good form.

Miss Esther Bingley

Lady Caroline Kent

She is uncommonly handsome. Once was a close childhood friend of the young master. Ah! He just laughed at something she said – first time he has done so tonight. Pity she does not have a large dowry to offer along with her connections.

Miss Susan Kent

Miss Wendy Kent

Miss Harriet Kent

Quite shocking, the youngest Miss Kent being out while her eldest sister is unmarried! Young Woodcourt's grandmother, the Dowager Countess Osborne, looks most disapproving of that possible match.

Miss Molly Hale

Mysterious Gentlewoman

Just arrived at the ball. Handsome, well bred, dressed in the latest fashion, graceful dancer. Have never seen her before. Impatiently, unsuccessfully inquiring after her name.

Mysterious Gentlewoman

Master Charles Woodcourt is dancing again with the unknown lady! And they have only just met! (The footman at the door overheard him ask the lady her name when he greeted her; unfortunately, the footman did not catch the answer.) Sir Digory and Lady Polly are in all astonishment.

Mysterious Gentlewoman

Master Woodcourt and his partner both appear to be lost in a world of their own.

Mysterious Gentlewoman

This is turning into a scandal. Never have I seen anything like it. Master Woodcourt refuses to give up his partner, rebuking the few daring young gentlemen who seek her hand. He insults his guests by not offering to dance with any of the other ladies. He has forgotten himself, his duties as host, and his responsibilities to his family.

Mysterious Gentlewoman

They are engaged - that is the only possible explanation for all of this. Yet they are strangers. Whispers are moving through the company about a secret engagement. Absolute nonsense, of course! However, my master is terribly pale, my mistress is beside herself, and the Dowager Countess Osborne is being carried from the room half fainting, murmuring about the family being disgraced, laughed at, no longer viewed with respect after tonight's affair.

Mysterious Gentlewo—

Good gracious! The young lady just ran out of the room, totally disrupting the set by crashing into dancers as she fled. She offered no word of apology or explanation or anything. One moment she was dancing hand in hand with Master Woodcourt; the next she was racing across the floor and out the doors like hunters was at her heels while the clock chimed. Very strange. Undoubtedly very rude behavior – arriving late, and then leaving in the middle of the dance without taking proper leave. Young master stood for a moment as one awakening from a dream; then he chased after her, shouting frantically for her to come back.

With the ball so disrupted, no one quite knows what to do, whether to continue playing and dancing or not. Even Sir Digory and Lady Polly look to be at a loss about what is going on. Not that I blame them. Their son has never acted in such a manner before in his life.

And there is Master Charles Woodcourt returning finally, with a dancing shoe pressed to his chest. He claims it belongs to his partner, that he needs to find her again, he desires to marry her. Seeing him look so love forlorn after strongly resisting the notion of marriage (tonight's ball was his mother and grandmother's idea, not his) he reminds me of when I was his age.

Yet now is not the time for sentimentality. Young master's behavior tonight may be interpreted as being less than gentleman-like. Insulting his guests by ignoring them, keeping the same partner for almost half the night, and running out of his own ball…yes, the family has a large scandal on its hands. Marrying him to the girl will be the fastest way for all this to blow over. Alas, though it will not be easy for the family to regain their old popularity and respect. This event will be remembered for many years. Sadly, it has been generations since there were such excitement and goings on in the neighborhood.

Ah, the follies of young love!

THE END