Letting out a long sigh of relief, Elsie felt instantly more at ease in the dim light of the library. Clearly her cousin wasn't expecting anyone to be in here, though a fire roared cheerfully in the hearth, it was the only light in the room. The crackling of the logs was the only sound aside from her own breathing and it served its intended purpose of giving her the time and space she needed- away from the crowded ballroom. She had to wonder just  how many of these she would attend in the long run; would it be more than she could actually avoid? Something told her that her mother would indeed win this battle, but Elsie had every intention of winning the war so to speak.

With her eyes closed she could feel all the anxious energy dissipate and she generally just felt lighter. She was about to push off the door to find a book- just for a few minutes, when a knock sounded behind her that startled her so much that she yelped in surprise. Quickly she covered her mouth and turned to stare at the large wooden door. There was no possible way that went unnoticed. Drat! Her quiet time was coming to a close far too soon for her liking.

"He-hello?" She called finally, moving toward the door. Elsie sincerely hoped it was just one of the staff making sure there was nobody wandering where they shouldn't be. She may be able to sweet talk her way into getting to stay if that were the case. Otherwise, she had no idea who might have been on the other side. Certainly somebody hadn't seen her, had they? She'd checked to make sure she was alone in the hallway whens he'd ducked in. Sighing, this time in resignation, Elsie moved to open the door and figure out just how she could finagle a few more quiet minutes to herself.