Lady Snowdon looked out on her ballroom, full of the fashionable – and some not so fashionable, oh my, look at Miss Bingley's newest orange dress! – of London society. Ladies in colorful dresses were swirling around the room in the arms of gentleman leading their partners expertly in a waltz. Most of the faces were at least smiling a little in enjoyment of the dance, as she expected. But one couple stood out to her, due to their extreme differences in the expressions on their countenances.
Mrs. Eliza Campion, widowed, out of official mourning for about four months. Very wealthy, beautiful on the outside, yet insipid and frivolous in her conversation and often a spreader of nasty gossip. She was, in behavior, a typical example of a tedious London harpy. She had been engaged to a Mr. Sidney Parker for almost two months. One would expect, with the tales the widow repeatedly told of a decade of love and longing between them, that a wedding would be occurring shortly after the engagement. Mrs. Campion was however preparing for a society wedding that would be talked about for years as the premiere event of the season. Such a grand event could not be rushed.
Lady Snowdon could see Mrs. Campion smile coyly, fluttering her eyelashes and press herself closer than was proper against her dance partner, who was her fiancé. She saw the widow's fingers trail up the neck of Mr. Parker, who suddenly jerked away from her grasp.
Good heavens, Mr. Sidney Parker struck her again with his manly beauty. He was truly a gorgeous specimen of manhood in a society of men run to fat on drink, sloth, and excessive consumption. Tall, lean, muscular, with a powerful stride and a reputation for illegal boxing, which added to his allure. He cut a very fine figure in his black tailcoat, wine-colored waistcoat, and well-fitted black breeches.
Yet the look on his face was nothing to admire. He looked tonight, as he often did at society functions in the company of his fiancée, as if he was sucking on a lemon. His posture was stiff, holding Mrs. Campion at as much of a distance as was possible during a waltz. When they turned, she could see him roll his eyes and look at the woman in his arms with an expression she might call disgust. And he had done so before, many times, at other events.
No. No, no, no, no, no. Lady Snowdon shook her head sadly, feeling a little sorry for the bride to be.
This was no long awaited love match, no matter how much Mrs. Campion promoted it as such.
No man truly in love with his fiancée looked at her like that on a consistent basis. No man truly in love with his fiancée only danced one dance with her at a ball. No man truly in love with a woman almost completely ignored her during the after dinner entertainments at dinner parties.
Lady Snowdon didn't know what the real story might be, but she was certain this was no love match at all. Many of the other ladies of the ton were realizing it as well, she knew. She had overheard a few conversations tonight, some very cruel, mocking Mrs. Campion once the widow had stepped away after repeating her fantastical story for the hundredth time.
As the dance continued, she debated. Did the widow know her story was not being believed anymore? If not, did she deserve to know, to be warned that she was on her way to being a laughing stock in the ton? Should she tell her? Lady Snowdon didn't particularly like Mrs. Campion, but perhaps the woman could become a better person if someone showed her a little kindness.
The dance had ended, and slowly Lady Snowdon made her way over to the affianced pair. She stopped momentarily when Sidney Parker suddenly turned and walked away from the woman, in the complete opposite direction.
"Mrs. Campion, good evening. I wondered if I might have a quiet word with you? About your wedding." She smiled lightly upon approaching the surprised woman. Her powers of recovery were quite good, Lady Snowdon noted, as she quickly smiled and curtsied.
"Of course, my lady. Do lead on. May I say what a wonderful ball this is? My fiancé and I were just discussing how much we were enjoying dancing here tonight."
Lady Snowdon kept walking, heading toward a small sitting room nearby. She cringed inside at yet another tale. Did the woman think continual repetition made a situation true? It was a pitiable state of affairs.
They reached the sitting room, and Lady Snowdon gestured for her guest to sit. Right away Mrs. Campion started in. "My lady, it is so gracious of you to take an interest in our wedding. We are so excited to be engaged after all this time. Why Sidney was just telling me-"
"Mrs. Campion, please, I need to tell you that you are making a fool of yourself in society," she blurted out suddenly. The widow's jaw dropped in shock and she was speechless. Lady Snowdon took the opportunity to explain.
"I'm sorry to have to tell you that all these tales of long-awaited love and lovers reunited after a decade make you look ridiculous to most of the ton. Your fiancé simply does not look like a man in love, or behave like one who is as madly in love as you claim. I wish to warn you that you will soon be a laughing stock in society if you either do not stop these silly tales, or your fiancé changes his public behaviors. And you have been enough in society to know what happens to people the ton thinks of as fools."
By this time Mrs. Campion's face and decolletage were as red as her dress. Her face was constricted in anger, her fists clenching on the fine silk material of her dress. Lady Snowdon could see her chest rise and fall in rapid, shallow breaths.
To her astonishment, Mrs. Campion stood, trembling, and let out a loud long shriek. "No! No, no!" She shook her fist in the air, in Lady Snowdon's direction. "Did Lady Susan put you up to this? I shall not give in, I shall not let him go! He is mine, I will not let Miss Heywood win! No!" She stomped her foot several times.
"Get ahold of yourself, madam! What does Lady Susan have to do with this? And who on earth is Miss Heywood?"
But her words fell on deaf ears, as Mrs. Campion walked swiftly out of the room. Lady Snowdon followed as fast as she could without making a major scene in the ballroom. It was still very obvious to anyone who saw the widow that something serious had occurred. There would be gossip and speculation for days after this. She watched carefully from a few feet away, listening to Mrs. Campion request her carriage and then leave, without making one single attempt to find Sidney Parker.
She made her way to one of the terraces off the ballroom, needing a moment alone and a bit of cool air. Good gracious, what a reaction! She knew Lady Susan, she was a friend, but they had not exchanged letters recently. She was at her country estate in the north at present. Lady Snowdon would be sure to write a letter tomorrow to her, to find out more about the situation.
She did not have any idea about a Miss Heywood. And losing to this Miss Heywood? This implied the unknown lady was a rival for Sidney Parker's affections, and a very strong rival at that. It would explain the man's indifference and disgust with his fiancée. Perhaps he was in love with the other lady. But then why was he engaged to another? If so, all of this must have been bubbling just under the surface for Mrs. Campion to react in such a way.
Walking back inside, she stopped a footman to take a glass of wine, which she sipped very slowly. She would write to Susan of the entire episode, but for now she would tell no one else what had occurred. Mrs. Campion would be scorned in all polite society if it was known she had had a tantrum in front of a peeress. Lady Snowdon did not want to ruin anyone in society unless they truly deserved it. She did not have enough information yet to make that determination.
One month after her ball, she laughed to herself as she read the society pages.
The engagement between Mrs. Campion and Mr. Sidney Parker was at an end.
It was also announced in society that Mrs. Campion decided she wanted more freedom before remarrying, and was to spend some time traveling abroad. Because of her friendship with Susan, Lady Snowdon knew the all the details behind the announcements. The ton, however buzzed about this information, adding speculation to fill any gaps in knowledge.
Two months after the ball, she met Mr. Sidney Parker again, with Miss Charlotte Heywood, at a dinner party hosted by Lady Susan. Their engagement was announced that night during the meal.
This time, he looked and acted every inch the besotted fiancé.