The Season (Season Series #1)

Chapter 3: A Full Day at Court

"I hope you realize how difficult it was for me to persuade Ella to let you stay after you disappeared for a good part of the evening," Rosanna said as she pinned my hair in place the next morning. The seamstress had come through with a rather homely day dress in an unflattering shade of peach, but it was far more acceptable than the uniform dresses I had brought with me.

"I'm sorry," I muttered, my stomach growling audibly once again. By the time I'd made it back to the suite, the girls had already dressed and departed for dinner. I'd put myself to bed before they returned, but I didn't miss Emily's arch, whispered comment about what I must have been doing while they were all at dinner.

"You should make an extra effort to be helpful today, especially with the opening ball tonight," Rosanna said, resting her hands on my shoulders as she looked at me in the mirror, "I sense a great amount of potential in you, Libby. I think you would be an asset to Ella if only because you're familiar to her,"

At a lack for a proper response, I said nothing until Rosanna released me, gesturing for me to stand so she could sit and pin her own hair. Emily was dressing Ella with her ladies' maid in the next room and it was all I could do not to sprint over when another maid appeared carrying a breakfast tray. The delicious smell of toast and bacon wafted through the suite as she settled it on a small dining table tucked into the corner of the main area.

"I do hope you weren't planning on helping yourself first?" Emily demanded, swishing her skirts as she emerged in front of a splendidly turned out Ella. My cousin's day dress was a muted rose, bunched and tailored to add womanly appeal to her slender physique.

"Of course not," I said, improvising and pulling out a chair for Ella. Emily's smug grin turned into a sneer as Ella gracefully settled herself into the proferred chair.

"I'm sorry about last night," I mumbled in her ear. She gave me a small smile as she reached over to help herself to a slice of toast. Rosanna emerged just then, taking the seat between myself and Emily.

"Now ladies, I'm quite certain you're all aware of the importance of tonight," Rosanna started, her tone full of self-importance. I groaned inwardly as I sensed an impending lecture.

"Our roles are to be one of support for Ella," she continued, daintily spreading jam onto her piece of toast as Emily helped herself to a soft boiled egg. I loaded my plate high with toast, bacon, and eggs, my stomach rumbling a hungry song beneath my corset.

"We will always ensure that she is either dancing with a suitor or engaged in conversation with a suitable courtier. We are not to draw attention to ourselves and we must make every effort to ensure that Ella is the focus of any who look upon her," Rosanna continued, waving her toast around in emphasis. Ella looked on, drinking in her words as visions of her dancing with the prince no doubt sailed across her mind's eye.

"But if we are asked to dance, what are we to do?" Emily asked sourly, "Surely it would be rude to deny someone a dance on the first night,"

"You shall endeavour to avoid any situation in which you could be asked," Rosanna fired back, unamused, "You have one role and that is to attend to Ella. If you are off dancing with someone, that is one less partner for Ella,"

I rolled my eyes as Emily and Rosanna got to bickering about the acceptable rank and title of gentlemen with whom we could dance. Ella's eyes had fallen to her plate where she'd left the rest of her breakfast untouched.

"You should eat," I said gently, as Emily's protests rose in volume.

"I'm too nervous," she admitted, shooting me a worried look, "What if no one asks me to dance?"

I nearly laughed aloud, but managed to tame it into a smile.

"Your aching feet will be pleading for them to stop asking you for dances by the stroke of midnight tonight," I said, attempting to reassure her.