The preparations for Esther's May Day ball were well underway when Charlotte arrived the next afternoon with her sister several hours before the ball was set to start at her friend's insistence. Charlotte and Madelaine had been invited to prepare for the evening at the Babington's townhouse by Lord Babington with the purpose of managing his wife's anxiety and preventing her from overtaxing her energy before the guests even began to arrive.

The two women had bathed cleansed themselves earlier that afternoon so as not to add to the demands being placed on the household staff that day as they went about clearing out a series of the downstairs rooms, opening out partition walls and windows to allow air to circulate and arranging flowers and decorations as befitting a May Day celebration. Much of the larger furniture and valuables had been removed to storage below stairs or deposited in the unused chambers on the family and guest floors.

Alyona had accompanied the pair and would coordinate with Esther's own maid, Lucy, in supporting their mistresses to ready themselves for the night. Madelaine and Charlotte's gowns had been carefully stored in lightweight trunk which was transported with them in the carriage.

Madelaine would wear a jewel-toned green silk gown with a sheer embroidered overskirt and cream velvet trimmings on the bust and sleeves. Madelaine considered it fortunate that she already possessed a lovely pair of cream slippers and soft gloves to pair with it. They would be well complemented by the silver and emerald pendant and drop earrings her husband had gifted her a few days previously upon learning that she was increasing.

Charlotte had elected to wear one of the gowns she had decided against for her first Almack's Assembly; the one of pale golden silk fading into prominent honey and amber then black floral embroidery and broderie anglaise patterning towards the hem of the skirt with tiny seed pearls sewn in the slightly puffed cap sleeves. The gown had been specially commissioned the previous summer as one of many she had taken with her to Russia but had as yet gone unworn and this meant it had already been paired with elegant dancing slippers and a well matched cloak and shawl.

She intended to adorn herself simply that evening with only an amber cameo with a drop pearl choker strung on a thick black ribbon and a pair of amber and pearl earrings that she had inherited from her aunt. The colours would go wonderfully with her gown and she was pleased to have saved it for this evening for it was much better suited to a ball than an assembly.

The carriage the two women travelled in traversed the streets with ease to deliver them at Grosvenor Square in good time. Stepping down from the carriage they were greeted at the door by the Babington's butler who, if a little more outwardly rumpled than usual, was austere as ever he had been and guided them with efficiency to the mistress' chambers having been given strict instructions by the master that they were to be taken to his wife immediately upon arrival that they might sooner distract her from her need to control everything.

Esther was pacing the boudoir attached to her bedchamber as they entered. Charlotte knew her friend, who always seemed so outwardly confident and blasé, was secretly terrified of being judged and found wanting. She knew Esther surely thought it unbearable not to be acting the ringmaster of the preparations that were underway downstairs.

Charlotte approached her friend cautiously as one might a wild animal, greeting her as the pacing ceased and guided her to sit down. "You needn't worry so, Esther," she soothed lowly, "Everything downstairs looks wonderful, you are going to look wonder and I am sure all you guests will have a wonderful evening. Now, where did you lose that smirk we're all so fond of?" Madelaine and Alyona who had just arrived with their trunk nodded effusively in agreement as Charlotte reassured their hostess.

Esther merely scoffed at her friend's teasing and let out a final fretful breath before steeling her nerves and taking back control. She quickly instructed Lucy and Alyona to empty the trunk and hang the gowns to let out any creases until they were ready to dress. The two maids set to their task quickly and then went to collect a tray of refreshments while their mistresses gossiped through much of what remained of the afternoon until the light slowly began to fade and they turned their attentions from talking to toilette.

The ladies could her the musicians that had been employed for the evening setting up downstairs and tuning their instruments as Alyona and Lucy set to helping them prepare. The three ladies rotated between the two maids and staggered their turns at quickly refreshing themselves, cleansing their arms and faces of any gathered dirt. Once they were clean, Alyona would lace them into their corsets and then go about securing their gown and ensuring the fold of the skirts fell as they ought.

Lucy meanwhile was occupied with dressing their hair. Her own mistress, who wore a deep blue gown with an open overskirt edged with elaborate silver and gold embroidery, had elected for an elaborately braided bow knot that evening and would be decked with gold, diamond and sapphire jewellery.

Charlotte was next to suffer at the mercy of the French maid and spent some minutes convincing her that she was certain a simpler affair would complement her own gown far better than many of the currently fashionable styles. Eventually the two compromised and Charlotte's hair was coiled into a simple bun surrounded by a braided coronet and pinned in place with a simple gold and pearl comb generously lent to her by their hostess.

Madelaine opted for a similarly simple style as was her wont on most occasions and had a braided bun with a few stray curls escaping it to frame her face, though she too was kindly offered the use of some of Esther's many pieces of jewellery and, when faced with their prettiness, agreed to let Lucy place a few scattered jade hair pins.

The three ladies ventured downstairs and arrived in the entrance hall at the bottom of the staircase just as Lord Babington and Charlotte's brother, who had arrived some moments earlier, emerged from the billiards room where they had partaken each in a glass of brandy and a game as they waited for the women to venture down. Both men smiled besottedly at their wives, and somewhat less besottedly at his sister in Justin's case, and offered their arms to escort them through to the rooms where the ball was to be held.

The formal rooms of the ground floor which had been built to form an enfilade had been emptied of much of their furniture and were beautifully bedecked in the colours of spring and summer. The walls were strung with garlands in pastel and jewel tones, the heavy curtains covering the many windows to the front and rear of the house replaces with lighter drapes that had been drawn back to reveal candlelit displays in the gardens and to allow for movement around the terrace through the French Windows. The chandeliers in the formal dining and sitting rooms formed a glittering trail of light as the flames of the candles about the room reflected of the surface of their many crystals.

The large formal dining table had been replaced with several round tables allowing for a greater number of people to enjoy the evening meal that would be served later in the evening. The largest of the three sitting rooms that formed the enfilade had been cleared entirely to make space for the dances and the band of musicians had set up to one side of the room. The remaining sitting rooms had been filled with clusters of the smaller chairs and chaises relocated from other rooms of the house and tables of light refreshments that could be enjoyed throughout the evening.

In due course, the arrival of carriages could be heard drawing up to the front steps of Babington House and depositing their burdens into the care of their host and hostess. Charlotte, Madelaine and Justin retreated to one of the many clusters of chairs as Esther and Lord Babington positioned themselves to greet their guests as their arrivals were announced.

The first to arrive were an older couple accompanied by a younger gentleman whose back was the only part of him Charlotte could observe and a girl who could only be recently removed from the schoolroom. Given the familiarity of the greeting they received, Charlotte supposed they must be close friends if not the family of the couple. With no-one else yet present, they followed Esther's motion to join Charlotte and her family and it was quickly discovered that the younger gentleman was none other than Mr Fitzwilliam.

That gentleman was quick to make the introductions between his party and her own upon which she learned the older couple were his uncle and aunt, Sir and Lady Lanthorpe, who were cousins to Lord Babington through the lady, and their daughter, Miss Sophie Lanthorpe. The group were engaged in polite conversation as the rooms slowly filled with guests and Mr Fitzwilliam made particular effort to assure her that she needn't dance the first with him following the cessation of his pursuit of her. Charlotte assured him in kind that she felt no discomfort and, as her dance card was as yet still quite empty, she felt no need not to keep the prior engagement and was sure they could dance as friendly acquaintances only.

The conversation was then interrupted by the appearance of the rather large Howard, Levson-Gower and Somerset parties whom had all arrived in perfectly executed sequence. Susan, Harriet and Georgiana spotted the group with ease and corralled their companions in that direction with no little determination and proceeded to greet them in a most familiar fashion.

George, having been waylaid momentarily by another gentleman who had shared several of his classes at Cambridge, eyed the other gentleman with thinly veiled displeasure and, having greeted Mr Fitzwilliam curtly, endeavoured to monopolise Charlotte's attentions. Charlotte, having seen the greeting between the two men, recognised his ploy for what it was and laughed gaily at him without a care for who heard her.

"Sir, I do believe you are entirely too obvious in your dislike," she murmured lowly to the Viscount so as not to be heard by the secondary object of her humour. "It is visible on your countenance for all to see!" she teased.

Lord Morpeth's head snapped to look at her, a frozen, uncertain sort of look upon his features reminiscent of a child being scolded by their parent for misbehaving. "My apologies, Ma'am" he said at last, rather sheepishly at being caught out. Charlotte only laughed again and moved to direct his attention away from the perceived rival for her affections and into conversation with both their sisters.

The rooms opened for the ball filled quickly and it soon became apparent that the evening stood every chance of being labelled a brilliant success. Charlotte had made yet more new acquaintances; many she was introduced to by Esther or the Viscount himself as the elder ladies seemed quite content in the introductions they had made already. But, though that first part of the evening had indeed been pleasurable, Charlotte most eagerly anticipated the start of the dancing and was delighted to hear the music start up as Lord Babington escorted his wife into the larger space to open the evening.

With this announcement, Mr Fitzwilliam approached to partner her for the first set and outwardly seemed only slightly unsettled by the scowl on the Viscount's face. Charlotte accepted his arm and gave a parting smile to their friends as they went. George, upon recognising the strains of the music as matching Jack's Maggot he consoled himself with the knowledge that this particular dance allowed little opportunity at speaking or any sort of intimacy.

Charlotte was delivered back to her family when the set ended and Mr Fitzwilliam bowed and went in search of his own relatives. Her second set was claimed by the Viscount's brother, Mr Frederick Howard, whose acquaintance she had previously met while her third, fourth and fifth had been reserved earlier in the evening by a Mr Holbourne, a Mr Croft and a Mr Lewis with whom she danced a combination of reels and cotillions. George sat brooding, ceasing this only to revel in Charlotte's smiles and teasing and disguised flirtation between sets and waited for the dinner set with rapidly waning patience.

The dinner set, when it came, was the La Zeraphine quadrille that had been introduced the previous year followed by The Maid of Avenel. Both were lively and, though some of the dances where spent crossed with other pairs, they were equally together as not throughout.

The pair happily made their way into dinner on each other's arms and were pleased to find their other dinner partners pleasant company and a source of good conversation and lively humour and that the dinner served was rich and flavoursome and filling to the point of satiation but not to bursting. Discussions were had on a variety of current affairs of interest with each other and their respective neighbours though it must be observed that often they were inattentive to the communications of others as a result of their enamour with each other.

As the final course was cleared from the table and some of the guests began to drift back into the other rooms, Charlotte snapped open her fan, desirous of a cooling breeze to relieve the heat from the candles and the crush of bodies but otherwise content to remain as she was for a few moments more. Lord Morpeth however, having noticed the flush that graced her cheeks, suggested they might take advantage of the coolness of the evening air and retreat to the terrace for a time.

Charlotte readily agreed to this and placed her arm in the crook of his elbow as he guided her through the throng to the French Windows that had been thrown wide for just such a purpose as they sought. George led her towards a bench set in a slightly secluded area, protected from the view of others by carefully placed trellises, flowers and shrubbery.

They sat in comfortable silence, content to allow their thoughts to wander. The silence did not last long though for the Viscount turned to her set upon speaking only to pause at the sight of stray curls being blown across her nose and, in an uncharacteristically forward manner, moved to brush the lock away from her face and the words he meant to speak slipped from his mind.

Charlotte was brought out of her own thoughts as she felt the warm and slightly calloused skin of a hand that was not her own brush across her temple as it plucked at the curl that had escaped its braid. She turned her head to look at him only to let out a small breath of surprise at their closeness. Her eyes, which had been settled on his hand, darted up to meet his own, a bright spark flaring to life in them as she saw the tenderness his which hid a tightly reigned passion.

Charlotte swallowed dryly as his gaze returned to the lock of hair he still held in his fingers and reached to tuck it back into the confines of her coiffure. George coughed slightly and, knowing they could remain outside no longer without drawing undue attention to their absence, stood and offered his arm to her once more. Charlotte took a breath and placed her hand in his, allowing him to help her to her feet and escort her back inside.

"Might you allow me to partner you for the next, Miss Heywood?" He asked as they passed through the French Windows leading back into the house. Charlotte startled for a moment, wondering what he meant by asking for a third dance in a single evening but he interrupted her as she went to question him. "I do mean as well, Miss Heywood." He repeated firmly as he looked down at her and noticed her confusion. "And, if you would permit it, I should very much like to call upon you tomorrow. Alone, that is, with the hope that I will be speaking to your brother immediately afterwards." He pressed a most determined light emerging as their eyes met.

Charlotte could not contain her happy smile at hearing his words. "I would permit it, my Lord. I would very happily permit it." She accepted with a tremulous, shaking voice that betrayed the feelings within and was granted a happily triumphant smile in return.