July 24, 1890 - Wellingtonshire, Hogsmeade at the Galleon Gala

There were many things that Daniel was good at, sharing had never been one of them. Sharing his wife with anyone, whether for a dance or an evening, was certainly not something that Daniel was good at. Nor would he want to be. One did not share one's wife, it was simply not acceptable. But for Daniel it went deeper than that. Every dance away from her was misery, every event without her side was desolate, every month she spent at her mother's was absolute torture. Of course at an event for charity it was required that Daniel did not monopolize his wife's time, but that didn't mean he couldn't spend money to dance a dance with her. What an expensive dance it had been. Daniel had finally had enough of the back and forth and had contributed a large sum of money simply for the pleasure of one dance with his wife - one dance to make his evening more bearable.

After having watched Freya whisked around the dance floor by gentleman after gentleman Daniel was finally able to claim his dance. A waltz, fitting as it had been one of their favorites in their courtship. That and Daniel wouldn't dare give another man the chance to dance at such an intimate distance from Freya as a waltz required.

"Good evening, my dear." Daniel bowed, a rare hint of a smile tilting his lips. He might despise events like this, but his wife looked radiant, everything about the evening seemed to agree with her. "Might I have this dance?" He held out his hand as couples lined up around them.

  

The quiet peace of the Sanditon did little to squash Freya's growing feelings for August. She often found herself sitting on the balcony watching the skies for any trace of his owl, and was left disappointed more often than not. They couldn't be too obvious, after all. People would talk about their odd friendship and question why they sought one another out at events when there were no obvious connections between the pair. It wasn't as though Freya could claim August was a friend of Daniel's, for she couldn't recall a single conversation between the pair.

The countless dances of the evening served as a far better distraction. Freya bounced from person to person, delighted to find that despite her married status she wasn't wanting for partners. Of course, the one man she wished to dance with above all others walked with a cane and had no dancing skills to speak of.

Daniel's sudden appearance before her broke her from her thoughts. The one man she ought to wish to dance with was her husband. He was meant to be her choice above all others. Even if he suffered from terrible mood swings and left Freya more befuddled than she'd care to admit at times.

"Good evening," Freya replied with a smile she hoped resembled that of their early courtship. She then took his hand and fell into harmonious step beside him as they lined up to dance. "This was an unexpected surprise."

  

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Freya's smile, when bestowed on anyone, was a gift. When bestowed on Daniel as it was just now it was a blessing. "It's been too long since we danced." Daniel admitted as the first strains of music started. He began to lead Freya through the first few steps. Better not to mention that he could hardly stand the thought of another man leading her through these very few steps.

"You seem to be enjoying the evening." He remarked as he turned them in time with the music. He might not dance often, but that did not mean that the steps of such dances had not been drilled into him since childhood.

  

"It has," she remarked with a wistful undertone. She longed for the early days of their relationship, when it was his letter and touch she dreamt of. Perhaps there was still hope yet.

Their steps were perfectly in sync, a surprise to her considering how long it'd been since they last took the floor together. "I am. Tonight is for a good cause." Truthfully, she didn't quite care either way for GLEE, but it never hurt to be an active supporter of a charity. "A distant cousin of mine paid for a dance earlier. It was fun to reminisce over our childhood." However much reminiscing could be done during a dance, anyway. "Are you enjoying yourself?"

  

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Her words cemented the feeling that Daniel had not been an attentive enough husband. He loved his wife, but with her mother's constant interference it was hard to make sure she knew that.

Good causes and distant relations did little for Daniel's desire to converse. He would simply be happy swaying in time to the music with Freya, clinging together until the end of time, but she wouldn't. He wasn't fool enough to think that would make her content. "I'm glad." He murmured politely.

Daniel on the other hand had had rather less of an enjoyable time, a fact he would be willing to be his wife would already be well aware of. "It has had its merits." Daniel replied blandly. "Such as dancing with you." Perhaps such a statement would illicit one of those smiles Freya reserved for him.

  

She knew Daniel was here only because she asked it of him, but there was always the lingering hope he might one day enjoy another's company. That he might strike up a random conversation with a stranger and leave the discussion feeling content having had it. It was a pipe dream, an outlandish thought she ought to forget, but that single shred of hope was how Freya survived the past few years.

Another smile stretched across her features as they danced. Freya didn't know what possessed him to crawl out of his shell tonight, but for the first time in months she saw a glimpse of who they used to be. Before the wedding and the vow. Before the fights about her mother. Back when they were happy to simply walk through the park together.

"I always enjoy dancing with you," she told him quietly. Merlin, Freya hoped the trend continued.

  

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"I'm glad for it." Daniel admitted quietly. There was nothing to be ashamed of in that statement but he found himself worried nonetheless. There were always people listening at such events.

"It's good to see you smile." He said once he spun them away from the nearest couple. She did seem to smile so little these days. The fact that it might rest with himself rather than her omnipresent mother was not a fact that he was willing to admit.

  

'You as well,' was the response poised on the tip of her tongue. Only, Daniel rarely smiled. He made no efforts to greet his peers with a polite, if fake, smile, or to beam at her if he felt a moment of happiness. Daniel was so riddled with fears that even now, when Freya felt at her happiest with him, the corners of his mouth had yet to uptick.

August would have smiled at her.

The thought of her dear friend came unbidden and stunned her into a single misstep of the waltz. "My apologies," she murmured as they felt back in step. Merlin, what was she doing? Thinking of another man while dancing with her husband was just about the worst betrayal she could think of. Freya flashed a perfected polite smile and silently hoped he wouldn't pick up on her inner turmoil.

  

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Daniel had expected a response from his wife, in fact he could almost see it written in her look but it vanished replaced instead by a missed step that was so unlike his wife. "Are you alright dear?" His eyes held concern as he met her gaze.

  

No, she wasn't alright. Her thoughts were so utterly consumed with her, now, undeniable feelings for August and the betrayal it meant for Daniel. Then again, hadn't her husband betrayed her in shackling her to a live led by fear and anxiety?

She maintained her flawless expression as a wide range of questions and doubts exploded in her thoughts. "Quite, I don't know what came over me." Other than betrayal and confusion. Merlin, what was she to do? "I didn't step on your toe, did I?"

  

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That was less reassuring than Freya would have hoped, but Daniel nodded. "Of course." He would keep an eye on her though as the night progressed, just in case.

"No. They remain unharmed." Another gentleman may have delivered this with a quirk of the lips or a small chuckle, Daniel was not inclinded toward such behavior and as such stated it simply as a fact.

"Have you had a chance to speak to Arthur tonight?" Daniel's brother had been in a fine mood when Daniel had spotted him speaking animatedly to a young lady. He loathed the idea Arthur might try to pay for a dance with Freya, but a conversation was an unavailable activity for their sort.

  

He still hadn't smiled. Had Freya stepped on August's foot (an unlikely feat considering his inability to dance) he likely would've at least smiled to reassure her that she hadn't hurt him. It was the same as always with Daniel. She shouldn't have been hurt or surprised by the lack of joyous emotion.

Arthur? Freya generally did her best to avoid the whorish man. Ambrosia was a saint for tolerating such behaviors, even if there was very little she could do. "In passing, perhaps," Freya commented, unsure of whether or not they had greeted one another tonight. "I haven't had a conversation with him tonight, though."

  

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"He seems in unusually high spirits this evening." Daniel remarked broodingly. Whenever his eldest brother was in high spirits it typically meant no good - and Daniel was determined to find out just why in any way that did not include talking to the man. "I had just thought you might have known why." Daniel's tone was careful to seem disinterested.

  

This was what her darling husband wished to discuss in the middle of what would likely be their only dance of the evening? His brother's drunken antics? By now, her mask had slipped firmly into place, her disinterest in continuing the dance increasing by the second. Did he even love her? Was Daniel capable of love?

"I've not spoken to him for more than the basic hello. Perhaps Ambrosia would be a better person to ask?" Arthur was her husband, after all. Freya wasn't about to approach her filthy brother-in-law, that was certain. "Her dance fee isn't high, I don't think. You might have a private discussion with her."

  

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Sometimes his wife did not understand the nuisances of his family, but now was not the time to discuss such things. "There is only one woman in the room I'll dance with and she is currently in my arms." Daniel looked at his wife remembering what it had been like to dance with her before they had married. "Nor is her dance fee of any matter to me."

  

The rush his words might have given her were but a gentle breeze to her current thoughts. She smiled as she was meant to, but knew before offering it it wouldn't reach her eyes. "It's nice to be back in Society," she commented instead of focusing on the compliment. "I'll appreciate London all the more once summer is over."

  

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Amazing Set by Stef!