Gregory watched as Colin walked forward, smiling as he passed him, and reached the end of the floor. Bowing to Princess Wei, before they both made their hands into prayer position, and then their white gloved hands touched. Gregory felt a wave of cold, but a certainty that this dance of his brother and the Princess would not repeat.
Colin took the Princess' hand, with an Officer holding her fan, and led her to the centre. They danced, both hands together, a formal dance as the orchestra played Handel's Ombra mai fu. The Princess, considerably shorter than Colin, betrayed little emotion as she danced - at least from what Gregory could see. As they moved past him, Gregory felt a deep surge of hate. Yes, he thought within himself, hate is not too strong. She cannot be with him. This lady, this Princess, she belongs to me. What I would not do to beat my brother and take her hand forever!
Eventually Colin brought her back to her place on the row. They bowed, and he returned to his position next to Gregory. Lady Danbury stood up and said: "Excellent work Mr Bridgerton. Are you perhaps the finest of our nation's soil? Now, let us all dance and make the Princess feel at home. But I shall select, for her next partner, Sir Peter Lindsay."
The gentleman in naval uniform, walked to the end and bowed before the Princess. Gregory's view was now blocked by a row of ladies and gentlemen selecting partners and beginning to dance. Miss Penelope Featherington walked up to Gregory - Colin moved in front, yet Penelope gave her hand to the younger brother. Colin looked aghast, but found somebody else. Gregory and Penelope danced in regal style.
"I saw you looking favourably on our oriental debutante," Penelope whispered to him.
"I wished to comfort myself that she is being received with the utmost hospitality."
"The Chinese are a fascinating people. I have been reading about their inventions."
"You are certainly a learned and lettered lady, Miss Featherington."
As they danced, Gregory glanced over and saw the Princess dancing with Sir Peter. He couldn't quite tell if the Princess found favour with him, but he attempted, unsuccessfully, to catch her eye.
"I have read that the Chinese invented books," Penelope went on, "and that the oldest book in the world is a Chinese printing of the Diamond teachings of the Buddha."
Gregory barely heard Penelope's words. His body danced, but his mind was on the Princess. Sir Peter finished the movement and the Princess returned to her place beside the Officers. Gregory, seeing this, broke off the connection with Penelope and attempted to dart past several men. He reached the Princess, cutting off Colin who also made a similar move. Bowing before her, smiling, placing his hands in prayer position, he stood hoping in his heart's core he would be acceptable to her.
"Nee hoe," he said softly. Princess Wei giggled to herself as she fanned her face.
"Ni hao" she replied, in correct pronunciation. Gregory's face went red as an autumnal English sky. But she took his hands, and together they began to move.
Time before this moment, for Gregory, ceased to exist. There was the past of shame, the past of inferiority, the past of being beneath his elder brother. Then, she had sailed across the seas. All the ages of my future life are to be the age of success, the age of perfect love, the age of blessed intimacy with this wondrous Princess. Such was his thought as they crossed the dancing floor. He didn't see Colin, who looked on with some jealousy as he returned to dancing with Penelope. But the Featherington girl saw his constant looks towards Princess Wei.
She was unsure if there was any desire in his eyes for the Princess, or if he merely wished to defeat his brother in this contest of recognition as the finest man born from English soil. But she felt it as a betrayal, and was certain she would never love Colin again.
Gregory and the Princess danced with such grace that the married nobles watching from upstairs shared astonished glances amongst themselves, before Lady Danbury stood up and announced that "the time has come to retire for the night. Tomorrow afternoon, over tea, Princess Wei shall become further acquainted with each of the gentlemen whom she has known the company of tonight."
Gregory stopped, bowing before her once more as the Officers came to chaperone. The women left the hall first. As the men were subsequently leaving, Colin whispered in his brother's ear, barely audible: "tomorrow then, she becomes mine."