25 September 1891 — Sanditon Season Close
Ford hadn't even wanted to come tonight. Granted, he hadn't wanted to go anywhere after his sister had been kidnapped. Verity, apparently, was entirely unconcerned with her own safety and wanted to go right back to swanning around the social scene trying to flirt with potential husbands. In other circumstances he might have been glad of it — he and Noble had talked so much about how badly they needed all the girls married, but not at the cost of their safety and potentially their lives. But Mama thought it would be better if they came, to show that Verity wasn't traumatized by the experience — wasn't damaged goods — and for all their squabbling, Ford did still tend to defer to Mama when it came to matters of society and appearances. So here they were, at another ball just like every other ball they'd been through for months, because this one was going to be special and different and make all the difference on the marriage mart, apparently.
To his credit Ford had tried to at least pretend to enjoy himself. He'd danced with a few young women — some of Verity's classmates, some of Grace's, one of the new ones — none that he particularly cared about, of course, but he'd done his part and presumably they'd enjoyed the dance well enough. Noble had slipped away from the ballroom, but that was fine — Ford trusted Noble not to get kidnapped, at any rate. Noble was still missing when things started to go sideways (the chandelier literally), but Ford didn't have time to worry about him because now Verity was missing too, and if she didn't end up kidnapped or dead by the end of this hurricane Ford really might end up murdering her himself. At least he knew Grace and Mama were safe enough, and he left them together while he went off in search of his errant oldest sister.
He thought checking the ladies' powder room would be the best place to start (not checking the actual room, of course, but hopefully someone would be near the door and could be enlisted to help look around it for Verity), so he headed that way — but the hallway was already half-dark, because someone had opened one of the doors somewhere and the wind had snuffed out half the candles. The ones that were left were in a sorry state, leaning precariously. Half a dozen feet ahead of him one of them fell out of the wall sconce, right onto the skirt of a passing young woman.
"Wait, stop!" he called, rushing towards her. "Your skirt!"
To his credit Ford had tried to at least pretend to enjoy himself. He'd danced with a few young women — some of Verity's classmates, some of Grace's, one of the new ones — none that he particularly cared about, of course, but he'd done his part and presumably they'd enjoyed the dance well enough. Noble had slipped away from the ballroom, but that was fine — Ford trusted Noble not to get kidnapped, at any rate. Noble was still missing when things started to go sideways (the chandelier literally), but Ford didn't have time to worry about him because now Verity was missing too, and if she didn't end up kidnapped or dead by the end of this hurricane Ford really might end up murdering her himself. At least he knew Grace and Mama were safe enough, and he left them together while he went off in search of his errant oldest sister.
He thought checking the ladies' powder room would be the best place to start (not checking the actual room, of course, but hopefully someone would be near the door and could be enlisted to help look around it for Verity), so he headed that way — but the hallway was already half-dark, because someone had opened one of the doors somewhere and the wind had snuffed out half the candles. The ones that were left were in a sorry state, leaning precariously. Half a dozen feet ahead of him one of them fell out of the wall sconce, right onto the skirt of a passing young woman.
"Wait, stop!" he called, rushing towards her. "Your skirt!"
Set by Lady!