June 17th, 1892 - Dashwood Debut
Poppy Dashwood

Torie's invitation to Miss Dashwood's debut had come at a bit of a surprise, as she was technically competition, but she knew the Dashwoods were an extension of the Foxwoods and so it made more sense with that knowledge. Like her attendance at other debuts, Torie chose something understated, but fashionable. Tonight was a soft green without much fanfare, as she was again well-aware this was not her night, but it was quite well draped and hugged her figure exactly where it should. Her jewelry was simple but elegant, just some simple gems to compliment her coloring. All in all, she looked like she belonged without trying to make herself stand out.

So far she had enjoyed a couple of dances, kept an eye out for both of the Foxwood brothers, though had yet to catch either. Torie was still unsure of how Mr. Foxwood felt about her, after their interesting first encounter, but she could also count on Professor Foxwood for a candid conversation and a friendly face in the crowd.

Her dance card for this dance was empty and for that, Torie was momentarily grateful for a respite. She had a glass of champagne in hand and could now quite easily see her sister lined up to take a turn with Mr. Foxwood. Well, well, wasn't that an interesting turn. "My, my," She murmured to herself, hiding a bit of a puzzled smirk behind her champagne flute. She was going to have to ask about how that went when she caught Estelle next. For now however, she was quite eager to watch the scene unfold from the sidelines.

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   Estelle Malfoy

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Red again! June 1894

So far the evening was going splendidly. Poppy had managed to politely greet and become acquainted with half the ton (the half that mattered, according to Georgiana), she’d opened the ball with Atticus sans interruptions, and her dance card had been full most of the evening! All in all, the brunette had few complaints. Well… her feet were sore in these too-new shoes her mother had insisted on swapping last minute, but otherwise she was perfectly pleased. As the dance she was enthralled in came to an end, Poppy allowed herself to be escorted off the dance floor by her partner and excused herself to find some refreshment. (The gentleman tried to stop her, but Poppy insisted. She needed a moment alone to breath.)

Under the glittering, twinkling, exquisite displays her mother and helpers had put together, Poppy took full advantage of the respite. She was exhausted already and there were still many more dances to come. Poppy reached out to accept a glass of champagne from a passing waiter and caught her cousin moving to the dance floor a little belatedly as he practically ripped past her. Poppy turned around in a full circle only to watch him make his excuses to— oh no! Estelle Malfoy!

“Of course he’d make a poor impression on Ms. Malfoy!” the brunette muttered to herself, miserably. It was like he was trying to spite her efforts to set him up well! The last time Poppy had spoken to Estelle woman to woman, she’d spoken nothing but wonderful things about Atticus: how diligent, caring, and respectable he was, and how family and prestige could be counted upon. Why the gentleman had to go and practically undo all of her hard work, Poppy would never understand! (It had to have been Merlin, she thought sourly. There wasn't much else that distracted Atticus from his responsibilities. She still wasn’t sure what had possessed him to bring the little fluff with him at all!)

Moving through the crowd to find a better vantage point, Poppy watched her cousin with rapt attention. He had better not prove her a liar to Ms. Malfoy, else he’d never hear the end of it! “Atticus Foxwood, you’d better not trip over your own feet…” she mumbled grouchily to herself again. So distracted was Poppy in her spying that she didn’t realize she’d come right upon someone else until it was too late. Someone else who probably heard her. “Oh!” She intoned, quickly. “I beg your pardon.” A warm blush spread across her cheeks and Poppy offered the young woman a lopsided smile. There was no way the other didn’t know what she’d been focused upon. Well... this was awkward.

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Victoire Malfoy

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   Estelle Malfoy

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© Fox

It was the muttered Miss Malfoy that had first caught her attention. It was hard to tell if they were addressing her or... no it looked like the other young woman, the debutante of the evening, if Torie wasn't mistaken, was also watching her sister dancing with Mr. Foxwood. That was highly amusing.

Torie moved closer, conspiratorially, at Miss Dashwood's further observation. Waving off the accompanying apology easily, Torie leaned in further, "It is not Mr. Foxwood we should worry about." She chuckled good-naturedly. "My sister, for all of her... accomplishments, is a passable dancer. I only say this as her sister, please do not think me too harsh."  Estelle probably didn't truly get enough practice to be exemplary at it, but that was neither her nor there. Sisters were supposed to be somewhat critical after all, that had been her experience, how else were they supposed to better themselves?

"I do hope you've been enjoying your evening Miss Dashwood? Your dress is absolutely lovely." When Torie looked back on her own debut she had fond memories, but it all still felt like a bit of a blur.

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Red again! June 1894

Poppy was surprised when the young woman she’d practically run over seemed as interested as she in the couple occupying current attention. And when she spoke, Poppy understood why. Oh, sister! She thought quickly. Then this would make the pretty blonde before her Miss Victoire Malfoy, if Poppy was not mistaken. She knew there were three Malfoy sisters and a brother, her mother had made sure to mention that, but this Miss Malfoy looked much too young to be one of the elders considering all three of them were out and all unmarried to date.

Poppy offered Miss Victoire a gentle smile as she shuffled closer, pleased the young lady felt comfortable in her confidence. “Your sister is lovely,” she replied, politely. “I’m not so sure my cousin will make the best impression upon her, but it was a good attempt.” She sighed, resignedly. The two of them seemed to making an attempt at dance, from what Poppy could tell, but she didn’t yet see a smile on Estelle’s face which made her anxious.

As Miss Victoire distracted her from the others, Poppy looked down at her dress self-consciously. “Thank you,” she breathed, a warm blush dotting her cheeks. She was used to wearing the height of fashion, but this dress really was something spectacularly new, even for Poppy. She felt a small tickle of pleasure in her belly every time someone complimented it. “Yes, it has been a very lovely evening indeed!” Poppy intoned, happily. “I’ve never danced so much in my life!” A small, twinkly little laugh escaped her and Poppy brought a hand up to cover it delicately. She leaned closer towards Miss Victoire again. “I even had to ask Basil to fetch me a new pair of slippers,” she whispered, lifting her gown a touch to wiggle her toes towards the lady. “The new ones were simply too stiff and my feet were absolutely pinched!”

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Victoire Malfoy

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© Fox

Her sister was lovely. Torie could barely contain the laugh that bubbled up, hiding it behind her champagne, taking a sip to keep herself from saying something. Clearly Estelle could make a good impression if she wanted to. Otherwise Miss Dashwood was just easily fooled. Torie would not judge quite so quickly, as she was fairly certain Estelle could play nice if she wanted to. It just didn't seem to happen often. "We'll see how they fair. Mr. Foxwood has always been pleasant in my experience." Which granted, was minimal, but she and Basil were working on it.

Speaking of Basil, "I believe I was down to my stocking-feet by the end of mine, thank goodness for long skirts." Only near the very end when she was saying farewell to her guests, but Torie could certainly sympathize with that scenario. "I am also fairly certain I slept the entire next day. It's worth it though. I must say the entire room is simply stunning, you and your mother have fine tastes." Every debut had its own personality, entirely like the young woman making her way into society. Torie's had been all hydrangeas and peonies, white of course, but the smell alone had been heavenly.

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Red again! June 1894

Poppy was surprised, perhaps, that Miss Victoire Malfoy was acquainted with her cousin, but thrilled nonetheless. It would seem Atticus was out there trying, and if the young Miss Malfoy’s pedigree was anything like her sister’s, then she was as fine a choice as any. She wasn’t sure how pitting the two against one another would fair, but Poppy resolved to stay out of it in as much as she could. So far she very much liked both of the sisters and was hopeful one of them would be her new sister-in-law cousin. Grinning at Miss Victoire, Poppy nodded. “He is a marvelous gentleman, but I might be biased,” she teased lightly.

Laughing a little at Miss Malfoy’s comment about her socks, Poppy nodded. “Oh I can certainly imagine,” she replied. The brunette knew she, too, would be spending the majority of the day laid up tomorrow with throbbing feet. Blushing again, she tilted her head gently away from the following compliment. “Thank you. I was very excited to see how it came together after so much preparation!” Then, tittering for a topic less about her and more inclusive, Poppy turned back conspiratorially towards Miss Estelle and Atticus and linked her arm through Miss Victoire’s.

“He brought his owl,” she sighed, dramatically. “I do love him, but sometimes I wonder if he’d marry Merlin if given the chance…”

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Victoire Malfoy

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© Fox

"It has been an absolutely splendid evening." Torie assured Miss Dashwood with a genuine smile, watching out of the corner of her eye as her sister and Mr. Foxwood finally got underway with their dance. It was hard to read their expressions from across the room, but Estelle looked especially stiff, which was not uncommon, but this was even more so than usual. What she would not give to be close enough to overhear their conversation! It was probably not very sporting of her, considering she should be championing her sister's success, but she was just a tiny bit jealous that she was not in Estelle's place at this very moment.

Torie couldn't help but to chuckle at the mention of Merlin. She was rather enthralled by the idea of Mr. Foxwood. Each conversation and conspiration with Professor Foxwood led her to believe they were well-suited and now talking to Miss Dashwood was solidifying the fact. Torie couldn't tell if it was Mr. Foxwood she was enraptured by, or merely the idea of him, but either way, she would very much like to find out. Merlin was just a delightful little bonus. "He is on my dance card for later, I do hope darling Merlin does not take my spot!" The thought of it was rather amusing though!

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Red again! June 1894

Poppy couldn’t help the twinkly little laugh that escaped her at the thought of Merlin taking anyone’s place for a dance with Atticus. Sometimes she wondered if the owl felt even a fraction of the affection for her cousin that Atticus doted on him; for the elder’s sake, she certainly hoped so.

“Hopefully not,” Poppy replied, keeping in line with the easy tease. “I have had him locked away in an ivory tower with all the treats he could possibly need!” She chuckled. In truth, he’d really just been confined to one of the bedrooms. But either way, Poppy was glad he was out of her hair. Atticus needed all the focus and attention he could muster to make it through this evening in one piece!

Turning once again to the youngest Ms. Malfoy, Poppy appraised her. She was beautiful in the traditionally gentle, sweet kind of way. She also had an elegance about her that Poppy found exceedingly comfortable. She did so hope they could be friends. She was just about to say something to that effect when suddenly a vulgar hiccup caught her attention. The brunette looked just over her shoulder to see none other than Ms. Twiglett draping herself all over poor Basil! Goodness, was she drunk? He looked so incredibly uncomfortable Poppy couldn’t help the small laugh that bubbled up. She raised a hand to cover it quickly.

“My goodness what a sight,” she breathed mischievously, drawing Ms. Malfoy’s attention to the pair. She didn’t know if the young lady was well acquainted with her other cousin, but she had spotted them dancing earlier in the evening. A rare sight indeed! If Poppy’s curiosity was piqued, well, who could blame her.

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Victoire Malfoy

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© Fox

Torie echoed Poppy's laugh with one of her own, "Understandable, but almost disappointing. He and I do get along so well." Her visit with the brothers Foxwood had been interesting to say the least, but she had made fast friends with Merlin over the course of it.

Her attention was diverted to where poor Basil struggled with Miss Twiglett on the dance floor. The laugh that bubbled up was inappropriate and loud, but she quickly stifled the sound behind her hand, taking a quick sip of her drink to hide her mirth. "A sight indeed." Torie's friendship with Professor Foxwood was one of social necessity, but she also enjoyed him quite a bit. A little awkward, in an endearing way, it was nice to have a friendly, familiar face at events such as theses in which she could find a moment of respite and be herself under the guise of normal conversation.

"I would rescue him, but as we've already taken to the floor once to night, he is decidedly on his own." Not to mention it was absolutely hilarious to watch. "Unless you think they will make a spectacle. I would hate for anything to damper your evening." A second dance on her part would look far less suspicious than whatever it was that was happening on the dance floor currently.

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Red again! June 1894

Poppy found herself a touch surprised that Ms. Victoire had met Merlin before; perhaps she had been to visit the cousins in Wellingtonshire or she had an ongoing correspondence with… Atticus? (Surley not Basil, as he was away at term most of the year.) Whatever the matter, Poppy appraised Ms. Victoire with a new eye and settled upon the fact that she rather liked this fresh development. Be it Basil or Atticus, either might be lucky enough to find themselves courting in the near future and if Ms. Victoire was the target, Poppy settled upon the idea of getting to know her better.

As the ladies then directed their attention to Ms. Twiglett and Ms. Victoire also let out a rather abrupt laugh, Poppy found herself liking the blonde more and more. She listened interestedly to the lady’s response and hummed a little mischievously. “Yes,” she replied. “I suppose I did spot the reclusive Professor out on the floor tonight. I applaud your efforts and am not one to stand in the way of further such developments.” Poppy laughed again. “He needs all the female attention he can tolerate, save for maybe… any of that nature so publicly.” She added, gesturing towards the unsightly display going on a bit of a ways away.

“I’m sure he would appreciate any intervention, especially on the part of one as lovely as yourself,” she added. If an indecent halo had have appeared above her head, Poppy could not have looked more the picture of scheming innocence.

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Victoire Malfoy

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© Fox

Torie's smile turned conspiratorial as Poppy mentioned that she would not stop any further developments there. How did one politely say it was in fact the other Foxwood that Torie had her eye on? "I should, shouldn't I?" After all, being friends with Basil only made having her sights set on Atticus that much easier. If she could win over one Foxwood brother, surely she could win over the other, no matter how different they seemed to be. Torie had a type after all, and it was handsome first sons.

"I have truly enjoyed your company, Miss Dashwood, and congratulations on a splendid evening. You must call me Torie from now on, it is what I prefer my friends to call me. Perhaps we shall have tea sometime soon?" Torie did feel a bit guilty about ditching Poppy, but the Miss Twiglett debacle was snowballing out of control. "Oh my, I should get in there. Enjoy the rest of your night, Miss Dashwood." Saving Basil would look pretty forward of her, but hopefully it would save everyone some face.

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   Poppy Dashwood

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Red again! June 1894

Pleased with Ms. Malfoy’s acquiescence at intervention on her cousin’s behalf, Poppy tuned a charming grin on the lady. What a lovely turn of events! It seemed Basil might in fact have a lady friend! She nodded encouragingly and couldn’t help the bubble of joy that surged within at being asked to call the pretty blonde ’Torie’ rather than Ms. Victoire.

“Thank you, Torie,” Poppy grinned. “I would love to have tea, whenever best suits!” And the brunette found herself meaning it too! If there was any success to come from this evening what with Atticus’ failure with Estelle, then it was at least her newfound friendship in Ms. Victoire! Nodding again, a grateful expression spread across Poppy’s face. “And thank you for your intervention,” she replied, honestly. “We do so owe you one!”

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Victoire Malfoy

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   Victoire Malfoy

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© Fox