She squinted at him incredulously. "What do you mean they don't count, of course they do!" She protested, her mouth agape. The last benefit they'd thrown was quite wonderful, though of course this was the moment that all the details Mabel remembered of that ball immediately flew out of her brain.

But at the mention of going to another ball - a grander one this time, Mabel blinked in surprise, a flush creeping over her cheeks. He would do that for her? Despite wanting to jump up and throw herself at him in excitement, the witch reminded herself to calm down and she beamed at him. "I would dearly love that." The mention of the dance card overturned her stomach slightly. That would mean men had to ask her to dance, didn't it? "A dance card sounds awfully daunting. Maybe choose a ball that has masks, that way my humiliation at not being asked so many times will at least be less!"

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