would have shocked their more gently bred counterparts, who would rather discuss options over brandy and cigars rather than fight with their fists. Katherine supposed that it was one of the reasons that the new rich men now flourished, while the gentlemen seemed to be a dying breed obsessed with their own shrinking stance of power. Or just aging she thought as she was released from the arms of a man more than three times her age.
Before she could speak to her sister Katherine noticed that Robin had a light gleam to her eyes that often happened right before she did something bad. She didn't have time to warn her sister not to approach anyone from the other group before she was swept up into another dance that she had promised earlier. Looking over the shoulder of her partner, she watched as Robin waited for Mrs. Brentley to become distracted by the arrival of another friend, and then Robin quickly wound her way between the many groups and towards the section of loud and gruff speaking men.
Robin paused beside them, not quite joining in, as she listened and watched intently. One man stuck out from the group. He was taller, seemed self aware and was more confident than the others in his circle. The thick blond of his hair reminded Katherine of the honey that she adored the taste of, but she knew his taste would be far from calming as he looked too dangerous and exotic to be safe.
He was built too large and strong, with his sleeves straining from the force of keeping his muscles pinned inside of the slim style that less physically developed society men preferred and had made fashionable.
Robin waited nearby until she caught his eye before giving him a flirtatious nod and strolling over to the refreshment table with her hips swaying seductively through the silky green dress. Katherine kept her eyes fixed on them, trying to watch her sister's every move, worried that she might have to stop Robin from making a terrible mistake like the one that she had made last night.
“The gown that you're wearing matches the color of your eyes, so truly,” Oliver whispered, trying to bring Katherine's attention back to him as he noticed her looking over his shoulder.
Katherine had not fully realized, until that moment, which man had asked her to dance and she smiled sheepishly up at his boyish looking young face. “Thank you Mr. Buckman,” She said, trying to turn the dance back to where she could watch her sister and the strange man again.
“No, please Katherine, call me Oliver,” he insisted before again commenting on her eyes, the only subject that he seemed to know very much about.
During their brief exchange Katherine had lost sight of her sister, and she looked over at the group of men to find that one particular man was missing. Looking over at the refreshment table Katherine found that the doors to the Emerson's back garden had been opened to let in some fresh air. Once in a while a man or woman slipped over to the table, looked around the room and quickly vanished into the waiting darkness. Knowing her sister's wild and competitive nature, it was easy to assume that Robin had fled outside with him and was searching for her own late night kiss with a stranger.
Katherine had to get outside to make sure that her sister was not making a scene where anyone could walk past and witness it. Mrs. Brentley had been generous to them yet how would she react to having that generosity thrown back in her face?
She could only think of one way to escape Oliver, and fast. Cringing from the humiliation of sinking so low, Katherine held her hand up to her forehead, the way she had seen her mother do so often before, and let her knees start to collapse before catching herself at the last moment. She didn't let herself fall all of the way, Oliver did not seem like the kind of man who would know how to catch a fainting woman. To sell the act, she then swayed on her feet lightly as Oliver grasped her around the
Before she could speak to her sister Katherine noticed that Robin had a light gleam to her eyes that often happened right before she did something bad. She didn't have time to warn her sister not to approach anyone from the other group before she was swept up into another dance that she had promised earlier. Looking over the shoulder of her partner, she watched as Robin waited for Mrs. Brentley to become distracted by the arrival of another friend, and then Robin quickly wound her way between the many groups and towards the section of loud and gruff speaking men.
Robin paused beside them, not quite joining in, as she listened and watched intently. One man stuck out from the group. He was taller, seemed self aware and was more confident than the others in his circle. The thick blond of his hair reminded Katherine of the honey that she adored the taste of, but she knew his taste would be far from calming as he looked too dangerous and exotic to be safe.
He was built too large and strong, with his sleeves straining from the force of keeping his muscles pinned inside of the slim style that less physically developed society men preferred and had made fashionable.
Robin waited nearby until she caught his eye before giving him a flirtatious nod and strolling over to the refreshment table with her hips swaying seductively through the silky green dress. Katherine kept her eyes fixed on them, trying to watch her sister's every move, worried that she might have to stop Robin from making a terrible mistake like the one that she had made last night.
“The gown that you're wearing matches the color of your eyes, so truly,” Oliver whispered, trying to bring Katherine's attention back to him as he noticed her looking over his shoulder.
Katherine had not fully realized, until that moment, which man had asked her to dance and she smiled sheepishly up at his boyish looking young face. “Thank you Mr. Buckman,” She said, trying to turn the dance back to where she could watch her sister and the strange man again.
“No, please Katherine, call me Oliver,” he insisted before again commenting on her eyes, the only subject that he seemed to know very much about.
During their brief exchange Katherine had lost sight of her sister, and she looked over at the group of men to find that one particular man was missing. Looking over at the refreshment table Katherine found that the doors to the Emerson's back garden had been opened to let in some fresh air. Once in a while a man or woman slipped over to the table, looked around the room and quickly vanished into the waiting darkness. Knowing her sister's wild and competitive nature, it was easy to assume that Robin had fled outside with him and was searching for her own late night kiss with a stranger.
Katherine had to get outside to make sure that her sister was not making a scene where anyone could walk past and witness it. Mrs. Brentley had been generous to them yet how would she react to having that generosity thrown back in her face?
She could only think of one way to escape Oliver, and fast. Cringing from the humiliation of sinking so low, Katherine held her hand up to her forehead, the way she had seen her mother do so often before, and let her knees start to collapse before catching herself at the last moment. She didn't let herself fall all of the way, Oliver did not seem like the kind of man who would know how to catch a fainting woman. To sell the act, she then swayed on her feet lightly as Oliver grasped her around the
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