New Member
7
posts
0
likes
your horizons must be...widened.
|
Post by Thomas Cartwright on May 20, 2021 0:16:01 GMT
Leaving Anthony to chase his dream of this beloved and faceless Penelope, Tom considered sneaking out of the ball to find amusement elsewhere. He was growing tired of the same things over and over again, like every single social event was out to suffocate him or drown him in too much wine.
Of course he was grateful for everything his grandmother was giving him (should he not royally mess up, that is), but there had to be a limit to the madness, a quiet reprieve for him to enjoy life while he could...right? Law was an absolute bore, and one by one, his friends were becoming betrothed and he very well knew what that meant. If Anthony's Penelope proved real, Tom was certain the man was soon to follow in everyone else's footsteps. It was a new season, after all, and Theadora was already beginning to shove him.
Before he could make his exit, he seemed to have people blocking every path, an eligible woman shoved in front of him at every turn. Tom had been forced to dance with five of them before he managed to back-step his way towards the balcony.
No, he was practically running towards it and considered throwing himself over the railing if it wasn't terribly high.
"Yes, yes, of course, Miss Marina-" he stammered out as he was silently cursing the door to open, pushing his way outside into the cool night air. "My next dance is yours!" Calling out his lie, he spun on his heel as the door closed behind him; the fake smile on his face immediately disappearing while he made his way to the balcony's railing. "Dear God," came his murmur in exasperation as he dumped what was left of his champagne over the edge and set the glass aside.
A slow and heavy sigh left him, drawing that dark blue mask from his face while he peered out at the shadowed estate lands. When his attention drifted towards the left just a bit more, it was then that he noticed he was not the only one out there. Tom stood up straighter, an apology lingering on his tongue for possibly interrupting her quiet but he didn't utter it. He also needed this moment of solace and wasn't going back in there any time soon.
[ Grace Ansley ] |
|
New Member
3
posts
0
likes
I have nothing to say.
|
Post by Grace Ansley on May 20, 2021 2:11:20 GMT
Grace wasn't much for balls. Sure, the Countess of Bath certainly knew how to throw one, and it was breath taking, but the glitz and glam didn't sit well with the brunette. Not when she spent most of her nights at a gentleman's club in her own gilts and glam, putting on a seductresses act all in the name of entertainment. Compared to this night, it was practically tame in comparison. And yet the mask that had been on her face for the ball, made her feel just as disgusted and undignified as Lady Silk's mask. She was exhausted of hiding behind the infernal thing. Hated that she had to do it in the first place. She could see the freedom that it brought, that anonymous sense that you could be anyone you wanted to be, and yet Grace couldn't help but feel like she was lying. Pretending to be something she wasn't. She did it, because her families survival depended on it. One day...One day she and Mercy would have saved up enough to hopefully be free of their father, taking their Mama with them, or Grace would make the gown of the century and sell it for a small fortune. Either way, she was dreaming of the day she could truly be free, and it wasn't behind a mask. She'd left Mama and Mercy somewhere inside. Having slipped away unnoticed, and found herself out on a balcony. Not caring that she was to be looking for a husband or else she'd be dubbed a spinster if she didn't find a suitable man by next social season. Fine, let her be a spinster. In Grace's experience men only had one thing on their mind. She'd seen it, when the snuck away from their wives and went to their gentlemen's clubs. Pigs. Each and every one of them. They all had something to hide, and the good ones hid it well. Like her Father. The great Baron Ansley. Taking one look at him you wouldn't expect him to be an abusive drunk that had a gambling problem, or that he'd gambled away nearly all their money. If it wasn't for Miss Hobbs, Grace feared what she would have been forced to do to make money for her mother and sister to survive on. She shivered at the thought. Practically clawing the mask from her face with a sound of disgust, she tossed it on the railing, and then rested her elbows on top of it. Resting her chin on her palm. Her dress was a mix of deep blue and various other shades. The skirt looking like rolling waves from the ocean. A blue butterfly was pinned to it, and she'd accessorized with some pearls. Enjoying the little sea theme she'd concocted. Her dark hair was pinned up in it's usual up do however there were pearled pins keeping it place. A voice drew her attention to the doors and she glanced over her shoulder curiously. Not bothering to put her mask back on to try and hide her identity. Even if the rules of the ball were to keep it on. They could bite her for all she cared. She raised a brow as the man seemed to lose the woman he was clearly trying to avoid, and then dump the rest of his champagne over the railing. She watched him for a few moments. He didn't seem to notice her yet, and she took the opportunity to look him over. He was shorter then most men, leaner, but she could tell from the angle of his jaw and nose and he was still likely handsome. As he pulled his mask off, she caught what she thought was a pair of blue eyes, but she couldn't tell given the shadows, and the only light coming from inside. He seemed to finally notice her, and the corners of her mouth twitched almost up in a smile at seeing him quickly straighten as if he was about to apologize. She merely leaned on the railing more, and waggled her fingers in greeting before she gripped her elbow. "That was a waste of good Champaign, Sir." She said in a somewhat cheerful tone. looking out over at the gardens. Her lips this time did curve into a coy smile as she glanced side long at the gentleman. "You might have needed it for your dance with Miss Marina." Because apparently you need it. |
|
New Member
7
posts
0
likes
your horizons must be...widened.
|
Post by Thomas Cartwright on May 20, 2021 2:39:25 GMT
Tom was prepared to bend in a small bow of greeting but refrained when all the woman seemed to do was...wave at him? He looked a bit perplexed then, bordering on amusement when she commented on the champagne. Attention flickered over to where he set the empty glass down, and when he glanced back, Tom spotted that coy smile.
'You might have needed it for your dance with Miss Marina.'
He toyed idly with his mask, casually leaning against the railing as he kept that distance between them. Even still, he noted the details of her dress in the dark, as well as a pair of black eyes that appeared to be lacking the glint of excitement for this social event. He also couldn't ignore the curves of her body as she leaned there against the railing.
Oh, sue him. His grandmother had plenty of money.
"No, no, I will not be going back in there," he assured, sounding very sure of himself. Yes, he had flat out lied to the young woman who was likely waiting patiently inside the ballroom for him. Of course, if she knew what was good for her, she would have found several other dance partners by now and give up. "I'll scale down the wall if I have to."
The thing was, he was more than half serious, and turned a bit to judge the drop in the shadows.
"And why might you be... hiding out here, miss?" Tom regarded her once more. "Shouldn't you be asking gentlemen for a dance?" There was a hint of snark in his tone, but it wasn't necessarily towards her. Still, he didn't say anything further to express that wasn't the case. |
|
New Member
3
posts
0
likes
I have nothing to say.
|
Post by Grace Ansley on May 20, 2021 3:04:53 GMT
Grace watched the man with a sidelong gaze before she was back to looking down at the gardens. A small laugh though escaped at how sure he sounded. So he was like her then? Avoiding the ball and all it’s torture? Poor Marina.
“Oh really?” She asked, turning to face him more, this time amusement clear in her voice. She started to look around to see what he could possibly scale down and found a wall of Ivy that was a bit more behind her passed the railing. She glanced back over at him then.
The snark in his tone caused a smirk to appear on her lips as her dark eyes looked over to the balcony doors. “And hog them all from Marina? No,” She said with a shake of her head as if it would be a grievance mistake. “No, I couldn’t.” She said, straightening up and crossing her arms over her chest as she leaned a hip against the railing. Her dark eyes flickered back over to the stranger.
“Besides, the Gentlemen, is supposed to ask for the dance.” She said with a pointed look before she shrugged her shoulder. “Too many people, awkward conversations, and if I have to see another girl practically throw herself at a man, I might gauge my eyes out.” She said simply. Not filtering herself and her current opinion on the matter.
“Besides,” She said with a sigh, glancing up at the sky. It was clear for the most part with the stars shining bright. “I’d much prefer to look at the stars. They don’t talk back you see.” She said with a small smile.
|
|
New Member
7
posts
0
likes
your horizons must be...widened.
|
Post by Thomas Cartwright on May 20, 2021 21:41:35 GMT
Oh yes, he was avoiding the ball with every fiber of his being at this point. When he had first come here and was old enough to start attending such events, he enjoyed them, perhaps a little too much. After some time, they all became the same thing over and over again, and it was easy to see the ways of society, how the women fawned and likely only over the money he could potentially inherit (despite what he claimed to Anthony about "being irresistible"). Tom knew better, and despite going into law, he really did not have the brain for politics more than half the time.
He tried, at times, just to appease his grandmother. Yet, trying was often fairly difficult for him in some circumstances.
"Really," he had answered her so matter of fact, still examining the sides of the manor. Noting the ivy near her, he was certain there was a trellis he could climb down. Whether or not it could support his weight was the big question...and there was only one way to find out.
'And hog them all from Marina? No. No, I couldn't.'
Tom paused to watch her again. It was her words that followed that really stilled him, causing a corner of his mouth to quirk up into a slight smirk. So, she was clearly miserable here as well, and that was possibly the first interesting thing he found tonight.
The cogs in his brain were beginning to move, already knowing this was going to be a foolish idea. But he liked foolish ideas whenever he could get away with them.
Lips pursed in thought as Tom slowly approached the woman. "That's all well and good, I suppose...until those doors open and someone guilts you into joining the party again." Ask him how he knew. "So..." He trailed off, brushing passed her to lean over the railing next to the brick wall. There, in the dim, he could see the ivy-covered trellis and that smile of his widened a bit more. "This is why I always have an escape plan." One that he made up on the spot just now, but she didn't need to know that.
Idly tossing his mask over the balcony, he began to shrug out of that suit jacket. If he dirtied it up or ruined it in some way, Theadora would nag him about it, so he was a little more careful when he dropped it gently to the ground below. He could faintly see the ground in all the lantern light, and it didn't appear to be too high...
Bright blues flickered back over to Grace, seeming to contemplate something before he finally spoke again while he busied himself with rolling up the sleeves of his crisp, black shirt. "I bet the stars look better out there," he noted, tilting his chin in gesture towards the gardens below.
Oh, it was inappropriate and ridiculous to suggest such a thing to any woman, but he only did because he didn't think she'd be daft enough to try in that ballgown. |
|
New Member
3
posts
0
likes
I have nothing to say.
|
Post by Grace Ansley on May 22, 2021 7:06:46 GMT
Grace tilted her head back down and arched a brow as she watched the man slowly approach. Wondering what he was getting at. Her eyes flickered to the door and then back at to the man. The only ones that would guilt her into going back were Mercy and their mother, and Grace hoped they’d allow her some time to herself before she dragged her feet back on in.
Her gaze followed him curiously as he walked passed her and she found herself coming up beside him, peaking over the railing to the ground below along with him. Catching that glint of his smile broadening, and Grace knew as soon as she saw it, it meant trouble.
And trouble sounded positively delightful in that moment. “Do all your escape plans involve jumping over railings?” She mused allowed. Resting her hands on the cool surface as she eyed the ivy and trellis below. She caught the movement of his mask falling down then and the glanced up to see him tossing his jacket over before he began to roll his sleeves up. Was he really going to jump down there? Apparently so. She didn’t know whether to laugh, or ask if he’d gone mad. But it appeared she might be a bit mad as well.
And then he was talking of the stars, and a coy smile appeared as she looked to the gardens where he’d nodded. “Oh you’re quite right.” She agreed. No doubt would they be more beautiful and probably more viewable. She new exactly what he was suggesting and Grace merely took one moment to consider. Reaching for her mask, she swiftly tied it back up and glanced at the doors. Afraid if she waited too long someone really would come through the doors.
In one fell swoop, she had her heels off and was tossing them over the balcony. Then with a literal snap of her fingers, magic seemed to hum in the air, and she felt her skirts shift around her. Oh the joys of being a fabric witch… Grace never had a bad outfit day, and she could fix any tear, change a seam, or make fast alterations with a literal snap of her fingers. The multiple layers of her skirts seemed to almost unwind as the top layer of deep navy, uncoiled itself and wound its way around the railing. Securing itself tightly, Grace threw the a man an innocent look as she proceeded to climb up on the railing. Reaching down she grabbed a handful of the skirt, as it essentially turned itself into a fabric rope. “Race you there.” She said with a wink before a large grin spread across her face. Then, without another word, and challenging look, she hopped off the railing. Using her skirt layers to act as her rope as she lowered herself down swiftly.
|
|
