October 31st, 1892 - Jekyll & Hyde Masquerade
Anthony Alderton

Torie had put a lot of thought and effort into her costume for tonight. Inspired both by Estelle's change to her hair (it was still quite red and Torie was still enjoying every minute of it) and her sister's distinct lack of effort into her own costume, Torie rather thought she had come out on top. Though she honestly did not harbor any ill-will toward her sister, Torie was less forgiving in nature than she had originally thought herself to be. She did not put nearly as much thought into her sister's comfort or honestly give her sister much thought at all these days. Estelle, though Torie had always known her sister's nature, had show what level of petty she was capable of, and Torie had chosen to take the high road. What better revenge than to simply be more successful?

So her costume was that of a rose, a rich red rose, her mask and accessories were carefully selected down to every detail. Torie was out to shine tonight and she was making it obvious. Her dress was a shimmering gold fabric, littered from top to bottom with real blooms, enchanted to last the evening then turn back into fabric. The neckline was a bit lower than she was used to, but Torie was on a mission. She wore some family heirlooms, bright red rubies that glittered at her neck and ears. Even the capelet she had made for the evening was covered in roses. Typically one to wear either jeweled or pastel tones, the red was something new, but tonight Torie was feeling bold.

Too bad Basil wasn't present for her to gently cling to and keep people wondering about just what was going on between them. It had happened by accident, a friend had asked if there was something there, and Torie, without thinking or consulting Basil, had been vague enough to lead the conversation on, without giving an exact answer. It seemed she had missed the boat on Mr. Foxwood, despite her best efforts. He was officially courting some exotic beauty and Torie could not bring herself to feel bitter about it at all. She wished them the utmost happiness. Hers would come. Hopefully sooner rather than later.

The evening itself had started with an interesting twist and Torie took her potion (the Jekyll one) as it was what was unexpected of her. Tonight was a night for chances and she was taking hers. Why she felt this way, she hadn't any idea, but she was going to run with it. Torie loved a good theme after all. It took away the bland normalness of a regular ball and replaced it with something interesting. One day she would be able to host events like this, of that she was sure. Whatever the potion's intention, Torie rather thought it was working as she danced and socialized her way through the evening and the events multiple rooms. She had played a parlor game or two, indulged in a drink that she hadn't any idea what the liquor inside it was, but it was devilishly delicious and had moved onto one of the side rooms that she had yet to explore. Her poor chaperon was having a time keeping up, but Torie was not entirely worried about it. She had made it into the room, which appeared to be that of a haunted house, foggy and spooky, but had promptly stationed herself by the door to keep sight of Torie but not partake. Ah well, Torie would not let it spoil her fun.

That was until something scurried across the floor near her hems and it took all of her willpower not to screech in surprise. It propelled her backwards, turning her around and straight into the chest of a somewhat familiar face, though it was hard to tell with the masks. "My apologies sir," Torie had yet to extricate herself from his personal space however, still a little leery of the movement that had startled her just a moment ago. "Did you see which way it went?" She asked tentatively of the rat.

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mask | dress inspo | capelet | jewelry

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   Anthony Alderton

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Red again! June 1894

Anthony Alderton: Sun God. It was a good look on him, really. The masque he’d chosen had really set the tone for the evening, its light colors bleeding into his champagne-colored attire. Every aspect of the gentleman’s look was light and airy. His waistcoat even had little rays, like sunbeams, littered across it: a detail that only those close enough physically may notice. Anthony was not ostentatious about costumes, or themed events for the most part, but he was a good sport. He liked to put forth at least a little effort.

On this particular evening, as he gently shepherded Miss Sophia Voss forward, the brunette was surprised by the house elf offering potions outside the event. His question was a touch sillier than Sophia’s and with a laugh, Anthony appraised the elf. Would you rather speak in riddles or rhymes for the rest of your life? “Rhymes,” he responded unabashedly. “Much easier to communicate, and I can drive my loved ones bananas.” Beside him Sophia rolled her eyes and Anthony laughed again, accepting the potion from the elf. Slinging it back, he was surprised by how bitter it tasted. With a cough, Anthony entered the house and followed Sophia as she made her way along. He kept an eye out for his mother and Tillie, unsure how the pair had decided to dress.

For the first portion of the evening, Anthony played a few hands of cards - watching on in amusement as the lovely Ms. Voss utterly trumped the table with her whiles - but soon growing bored, the gentleman excused himself. He was feeling something tug at the innermost desire in his gut, something cold and slightly chilly. He was… lonely, in his way, and for the first time in awhile Anthony felt himself craving the comfort and familiarity of his family.

It wasn’t a feeling the eldest often indulged, this nagging guilt that he didn’t spend enough time with them. Lucy was married, Tillie now debuted… Slowly the whole of the household was growing up, moving up and out, and Anthony had missed a great deal over the past few years. Even Archie, who’d once been glued to his leg, seemed perfectly happy to ignore him most days. His most recent efforts to bridge the gap had been focused upon Tillie. If he could be there for her, to chaperone and guide, perhaps she might forgive him one day for being so absent.

As he meandered about in search of his baby sister, Anthony poked his head into a rather darker room: foggy and dimly lit. He balked at the idea of ever finding Tillie in here. Merlin above, he hoped the newly minted debutant had no intention of inciting scandal! He didn’t know of any gentleman she might have drawn a fancy to, at least not recently, but it wasn’t like she was forthcoming or he was around enough to really notice. Another pang of guilt hit the brunette and Anthony felt a desire to engulf Tillie in the biggest of bear hugs welling up from within. He hadn’t been paying particular attention to his surroundings until someone launched almost entirely into his chest. Catching the small, feminine form - reactively more than consciously - Anthony blinked down into a covered face. She was pretty, from what he could tell, and unfamiliar if the red-hair was any indication.

“Went?” The brunette asked, dumbly. Oh. Something must have startled her into him then. Anthony peered at the ground around them, a light fog covering the floor preventing much disclosure. He shrugged a little sheepishly. “I didn’t notice,” the man admitted. “But there seems to be nothing lingering about now.”

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Victoire Malfoy

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   Daffodil Grimstone

Momentarily distracted by the fact that she could still hear the creature scurrying around had her panicking. There were so many layers and folds to the skirts that she couldn't possibly see all around and beneath them and that was starting to give her anxiety. So much so that she sort of forgot to keep a respectable distance, tightening her grip on her mystery man instead of heading for her chaperon and the exit.

"There's a rat! Or something and I can hear it and—!" She felt something skitter along her hems and that had her up on her tiptoes, arms wrapped securely around Mr. Sun. "I don't do rodents!" Torie hissed, losing her typically carefully composed nature as the panic surged. She was dancing around on her toes trying make sure nothing touched her. Pressing herself toward the exit meant pushing her gentleman friend in that direction as well. Torie had no idea if this room was meant to be this creepy or if the rat was an errant problem and she should warn the hosts. Either way she didn't want to stick around to find out!

As much as she did enjoy a good theme, she did not enjoy a good scare and so Torie tugged on her company and kept pushing toward the door. "Please get me out of here." She squeaked, trying to remain calm, but not doing very well. She would feel incredibly foolish later, but for now she just needed to not have a rat in her skirts!

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   Anthony Alderton

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Red again! June 1894

The young lady, yet unknown, seemed to be much more alarmed than he’d first imagined on closer inspection. Anthony, concerned for her and this rat—?! she had mentioned, bent again to peer around for the creature. He couldn’t see anything, or hear it, but he also wasn’t the one wearing an immensely heavy, multi-layered rose costume and petticoats. The young lady pressed into him alarmed, and for a moment, Anthony was reminded of his cousin Poppy and her dramatic fear of insects. He almost chuckled to himself. Almost.

“I don’t see anything—” the brunette tried again, but then something moved. Something big. Anthony didn’t see exactly what it was but the errant flick of a long tail definitely caught his attention just near her skirts and the gentleman balked. Oh, this would not do! In the same instance the young lady was pushing him back, all but crowding him for the exit, Anthony made one quick movement to lift her as elegantly as he could up and away from that creature. He was glad in that moment the room was primarily empty, save for a house elf shuffling around in the corner. It was brazen and forward and so rude of him to lay a hand on this poor woman, but he hoped her fear might trigger understanding and he quickly swept towards the exit.

She was exceedingly light in his arms, small as she was to begin with, and he made quick work of crossing the threshold and setting her down gently. The fog around their ankles had dissipated, enchanted as it was to remain in that particular room, but Anthony swept the floor with his gaze once more to ensure that thing hadn’t followed them out. When he was satisfied, the gentleman straightened and made to apologize. “Er- sorry about that,” he said, awkwardly, reaching up a hand to scratch the back of his head. “I saw it, your rat. Or, the tail at least. It was bigger than a normal rat and I just, er, reacted.” Well if that wasn’t bumblingly off-putting he didn’t know what was.

“Are you alright?” Anthony asked, more gently this time.

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Victoire Malfoy

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   Victoire Malfoy

Torie was too caught up in her panic to truly comprehend the impropriety of the next few moments. However, instead of incredulity that would have surged in any normal circumstance, Torie only felt relief flood her system as her rescuer scooped her up like a sack of flour and quickly vacated the rodent-infested room. The hammering of her heartbeat in her chest was nothing short of deafening as she tried to rationalize just how silly she had been with the real fear that had overcome her. Well! Now she knew she would be no good in a disaster. That poor show, coupled with her problems at the Sanditon after the disaster there, she was starting to think she was useless altogether!

At least she hadn't been the only one to see the rodent of unusual size and her hero had taken her seriously then. Once her feet were firmly planted on the floor once more, outside that heinously creepy dungeon room, Torie finally blew out a shaky chuckle. "No apologies necessary, I owe you my thanks." She assured him with what she hoped was a charming smile. She could still feel her limbs shaking, her body betraying the confidence she was trying to force into her voice.

"You were quite gallant if I do say so myself." She added, a little more breathless. Torie had yet to fully let go of her white knight, which was a good thing, as her head started to swim and her vision blur. His inquiry after her health fell on fuzzy ears as Torie leaned forward once more toward him, this time as she slipped briefly out of consciousness.

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Red again! June 1894

Anthony appraised the young lady before him with discerning blue eyes. He ran his gaze quickly up and down to make sure she hadn’t been bitten - not that he’d know if she had under all those petticoats but he was trying - and at last seemed satisfied she was in one piece. Her thanks, however gracious, was shaky and the brunette didn’t let go of her. He could feel her trembling in his grasp still and didn’t trust her to stay upright. “It was nothing, really,” he added, brow creasing in concern.

“Are you quite sure you’re alright Miss?” The pallor he could see creeping behind that masque was not inspiring. Anthony was about to offer escorting her to a chaise and fetching a glass of water but he didn’t have the chance. The poor woman dipped forwards towards his chest and for a moment Anthony thought she was about to burry her nose in him. He blushed immensely, and then realized - a second too late - that she was, in fact, swooning.

Catching her with a flourish, blue eyes grew wide. Bollocks! Anthony Alderton was unsure of what to do next. He had an armful of fainted debutant and nowhere particularly soft to set her down! Bending to one knee, the man gently eased the small form into his arms fully so that he might carry her to a chair. From over his shoulder there was an exclamation and Anthony turned. “Please, is there somewhere she can rest?” He asked hurriedly. “The lady is unwell.”

The person who’d gasped over his shoulder turned out to be one of the staff, hired for the event. She curtseyed silently and then gestured to follow her towards another room down the hall. Anthony did so, and then was shepherded into an elegant sitting room. He placed the fainted debutant gently on a long chaise and brushed the hair carefully from her face. “Can you send a house elf to find the woman’s chaperone or family?” He asked, gallantly. It wouldn’t do to be caught in a private room with the poor woman, especially undone. The jester-staff nodded and made to do so.

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Victoire Malfoy

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Generally Torie was made of stronger stuff, but rodents and some reptiles were really her limit. (As it should be for any proper lady!)

Her consciousness faded in and out, the trip to a sitting room hardly registering as Torie was as limp as a ragdoll in Mr. Alderton's arms. She heard his voice in the distance, and another, but nothing was really connecting until a few moments later. It wasn't long after she was set down that Torie started to come to. The fuzzy feeling was back but as her head lolled to one side, her eyes fluttered open and she brought one hand to her forehead.

"What—" She still felt a little woozy and could feel her heart hammering away in her chest. Torie blinked a few times as what happened started to dawn over her and immediately she flushed with embarrassment, sitting up on the chaise, nearly as red as her mask. "Oh! My sincerest apologies." She stammered, not one to get flustered easily, she sure felt foolish now! What a mess! He must think her some silly, vapid waif!

Well, at least her identity was still a mystery? Perhaps she should keep it that way! The temptation to take off the mask was certainly gone now, even if she thought it would make her feel better.

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Red again! June 1894

The young woman slowly came to and Anthony turned to refocus all of his attention on her. He wished he had… a fan, or something! She must be so terribly warm under all those layers and with that masque on. Feeling useless as his hands sort of hovered nearby, not doing anything helpful, Anthony’s brow creased. He  decided ultimately to tug off his own masque so as to not frighten the poor woman from what must feel like a small nightmare. (How dreadful it would be to wake up with a dark black face just glowering down at one!)

The young woman became a touch frantic then, understandably so, and in her apologies he could hear the faintest lilt of embarrassment. Anthony offered her what he hoped was a warm, reassuring smile. “There is no need to apologize,” he replied, his soft tenor of a voice low. “Can I fetch you anything? Perhaps a glass of water?” Anthony wasn’t sure what one did with a swooning woman when she recovered. Rest was likely the best for her, or a nice warm cup of tea. As this was not his house however, he had no real authority to command the house elves or staff any more than he already had.

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Victoire Malfoy

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Disoriented as she was, Torie felt soothed by the gentleman's smile and the reassuring tone of his voice. As he took off his mask, Torie realized he was not as altogether unfamiliar to her as she had originally thought. She was unsure as to whether or not this made her feel better or worse— because she knew him to be related to Basil, a cousin perhaps, and there was no way that she would be able to hide herself away from the embarrassment forever. Torie had gotten all of the details on the extended Foxwood family as soon as her mother had found out about her... friendship with Basil (and Poppy, too!) and so at each subsequent party, a new family  member had been pointed out. Not to mention she was not oblivious to how handsome he was. He had also been very kind to her thus far, so hopefully he would not hold it against her! If only Basil were here to bail her out!

"Water would be lovely, Mr. Aldteron, thank you." She managed as she set up better, fingers pulling at the string holding her mask in place. "I just need to sit for a moment." Torie was usually pretty quick about gathering her wits about her, but she honestly could not remember fainting with such severity at any point in her life that had left her so dazed.  Having the mask off was helpful, her face still felt flushed from a mix of embarrassment and the excitement, but she pulled her fan from her dress pocket and gave herself a little waft.

"Thank you so much for your kindness and your gallantry, I'm not usually so easily flustered." Her head was still reeling a little and so she ran her hand over her face, pushing her hair from her face once more. Hopefully he did not think too poorly of her!

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   Anthony Alderton

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Red again! June 1894

Anthony was surprised when the young lady addressed him by name. He wasn’t a notorious bachelor by any means, but… well, he could be rather private sometimes. And he’d been scarce on the social scene over the past few years. It was always a little bit awkward for him when someone recognized him before he recognized them, but it did speak volumes as to the type of informed, socially apt lady he was dealing with. (It did not occur to him for a single moment that she might be friends with Tillie, Poppy or any of the handful of other women in his life. It did not occur to him that they might know of him from such a connection either, much less a connection from the notoriously unsocial Basil Foxwood. How amusing.)

“Of course,” he replied with a gentle incline of the head. It was lucky that in that moment the staff member from before appeared with a woman, likely the lady’s chaperone. The chaperone swept into the room with a small crystal glass. It was quickly handed to the lady and Anthony let out a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding. He never was very comfortable about being alone in a room with a lady unchaperoned. It didn’t feel right, and he didn’t like to give the impression that he was that sort of rake. Once upon a time, in his travels across the continent, perhaps Anthony had been exactly that sort of rake. These days, as he considered more and more what it was he wanted from life, he did not find the same thrill in the forbidden as he had before. This was obviously an extenuating circumstance but, still.

Anthony’s face broke into a grin as the lady excused herself and pulled out her fan. He didn’t recognize her even without the mask, a fault he would be sure to correct once he found Lucy, but she was very pretty. Even flushed pink and slightly out of sorts, the lady was… breathtaking. A poetic word, but one that he supplied nonetheless. There were many woman in the world who varied in their degrees of beauty. Some were exotic and spectacular from the first uptake, wrapping up a gentleman's heart in all the fantasies a beauty like that could promise. There were others, more plain in the face, but that had a heart they would share with the poorest, most miserable sod. Both were forms of beauty that Anthony found himself attracted to and this one... well. She was certainly stunning on the uptick, he had to say.

“It is of no matter so long as you’re alright,” he replied. A teasing lilt touched his voice then, screaming 'Anthony Alderton', and he offered her a lopsided little smile, glad they were through the worst of it. “I am happy to clear any oversized rodents from your path in the future, should you ever need.”

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Victoire Malfoy

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   Victoire Malfoy

Her chaperone came bursting in like a storm wind and Torie knew she was going to get an earful later. She couldn't be fussed now though as the water was welcome (and Mr. Alderton did not have to leave to go get it!) which was thrust into her hands as her chaperon stood back in observation. Determined not to let that change anything, as it was the proper course of action, Torie swung her legs over the edge of the chaise, moving the myriad of skirts accordingly. Sitting up still had her feeling a little dizzy, but the chilled water was helping, as was Mr. Alderton's understanding of the situation.

"Your gallantry continues, how delightful." Torie passed him a more flirtatious, more normal for her smile, hoping she looked better. "I do feel much more like myself now, thank you." He was like a knight from a fairy tale she'd been told as a child. Torie had no grand delusions that life would actually be like that, but here she was! Taking a couple of more small sips of her drink, Torie felt refreshed, though still embarrassed, she did hope Mr. Alderton did not think too poorly of her, she would be mortified if that were the case!

Still, Torie was all swept up in the moment, one she wasn't quite sure she was ready to end and so she took another few pensive sips of her water. "Do you think I could monopolize your time for a little while longer and help me find my mother?" The whole ordeal had tired her out and she should probably see if she could be excused early for the evening. It was regrettable, but probably the best choice for her this evening.

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Red again! June 1894

Another small breath escaped the curly-haired brunette as the lady sat up and responded. Anthony was pleased she was alright. She seemed to be coming into her normal color now and her demeanor, though still soft, was livening a bit. He appreciated her smile and returned it with one of his own. The thought of responding with ‘you look a bit better’ seemed rude however, so he remained silent.

As she took a few sips of her water, he straightened from the crouched position at her side. It seemed awfully intimate to be in such close proximity as she gathered her wits. He wouldn’t like someone hovering over him if the circumstances were reversed, certainly. So Anthony picked up his mask from where he had lain it on the chaise beside her and tied the strands elegantly together. He chuckled at the lady’s next comment, pleased to see she was not so mortified as to run for cover from him. “Of course,” the man said again. He extended a hand then towards her to assist her in standing; one could never be too careful. She was likely to be wobbly after such an ordeal.

Anthony cleared his throat a little awkwardly then.

“I apologize if I seem less than apt by stating as much, but I never did catch your name Miss?” He trailed off, gently. The embarrassment at having to ask the lady for an introduction swirled in his gut and nearly enough to tinge the pale man’s cheeks red. He couldn’t well go off and meet the poor girl’s mother without a hint of identity however! That would be even more embarrassing, and rude. They hadn’t been properly introduced anyhow so perhaps she might not think him so terribly odd.

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Victoire Malfoy

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Pleased that Mr. Alderton seemed amenable to her request, she smiled as he stood and used her free hand to take his offered one. She didn't even look at her chaperon, as it was not one of her favorites, but Torie could hear her rolling her eyes. Still, she wasn't going to worry about that, and so therefore, she took one more sip of her water and set the glass aside.

It didn't surprise her that he had no idea who she was and so she chuckled quietly. "No apology necessary, there are so many young ladies at these events I can scarcely keep track myself," That wasn't exactly true, but a little white lie never hurt when soothing awkward moments. "Malfoy, the youngest, Victoire." She kept her hand on his, using him to steady herself and prolong the moment. "My friends call me Torie, though." She liked to toss that out, hoping that stuck as much as her surname. This was an unusual sort of introduction, but she had fainted on him, some propriety had to be skipped.

"I believe I'm well-acquainted with your cousin, Poppy." She said by way of an explanation. And Basil, obviously, but her friendship with Poppy was far more normal, given their debutante status. It was Torie's job to know the people of the ton and who ran in their social circles. Having that connection to Poppy and Basil did had only made her ensure her knowledge of their extended family was up to date.

Keeping her hold on Mr. Alderton, Torie was hoping her unsteadiness was a good excuse to stick close. His smile and his kindness had won her over, despite the rocky start to their evening!

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Red again! June 1894

Anthony was put at ease by the young lady’s response to his awkwardness. She was a pleasure, really, when one got beyond the swooning. He wasn’t surprised by her name as much perhaps as he ought to have been. Mama had certainly mentioned all three Ms. Malfoys in one of her quests to have him settle. He couldn’t remember anything particularly poignant about the youngest, as that was not the one he’d been directed to entertain, but he was pleased to have made her acquaintance now anyhow. He stood patiently as she steadied herself, a small smile on his face.

“Well Ms. Torie Malfoy, it is a pleasure to meet you,” he quipped playfully. “I see my cousin has good taste in friends, even if she is a startlingly competitive little thing.” He laughed for a moment, thinking back to their croquet game over Atticus’ birthday. She still held that victory over him to date. Anthony was sure she’d just gotten lucky, and next year would tell another tale! “Don’t ever bet against her in croquet,” he added, shifting so the young lady might hold onto his arm as they swept out of the room. “If she loses, she’ll force you into a challenge forever, and if she wins, you’ll never hear the end of it.”

The teasing eye-roll that followed was fond, even as he cast his diminutive cousin in a rather harsh light. Anthony could hear her now in his head, scoffing at him and swatting him with her fan, telling him not to be so sore a loser he ruined her reputation amongst her friends. He sobered a touch and dipped his chin. “She is fiercely loyal person though,” he added. “If you’ve managed to befriend her, I’m sure you’ve made a true friend for life.” If there was one thing to be said for Poppy Dashwood, it was that she would set all odds aside for those she cared about. They had that in common.

As Anthony and Ms. Victoire swept over the threshold out of the small room, chaperone in tow, the gentleman slowed his pace to let the youngest Ms. Malfoy direct them. He didn’t know exactly what her mama looked like, or where she might even be at this time, so he didn't try to lead.

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Victoire Malfoy

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Torie smiled, a little flush coming to her cheeks by the way he addressed her. It was most delightful to hear how he said her name. "I do wish it hadn't been quite so dramatic, but the pleasure is all mine." She assured him, casting a look up at his handsome face through her lashes. Torie kept a firm hold on his arm mostly for selfish reasons, but also be she still did not feel the most steady on her feet either. While she was loathe to go home after this, she really did think that was enough excitement for tonight. She wouldn't be able to take to the dance floor or anything else of the sort this evening after that and so she might take the long way to find her mama, but she would have to depart from Mr. Alderton's company after that.

"We met earlier in the season at her debut, which was simply stunning and so very well done." Torie had thoroughly enjoyed Poppy's debut and had made a delightful new friend out of it. A sentimental sort of smile tugged at the corner of Torie's lips. She always loved hearing the affectionate sort of anecdotes between family members. She didn't have any to speak of herself, so it was nice to hear that other families enjoyed one another's company. "I shall keep that in mind, if the occasion ever arises. I do hope we will be friends for a long time." Friends were all Torie really had. Her family didn't have such traditions and games of croquet or anything like that really. They avoided one another mostly, despite Torie's best efforts growing up.

As they returned to the main hall, Torie took a quick scan around the room, but did not immediately see her mother. She was certain their chaperon knew where to look, but Torie wasn't about to ask. Mr. Alderton seemed to be letting her take the lead on their search, so Torie turned so they could walk around the edge of the room. "Do you think we might stop for another drink? I'm still a little parched." Truthfully she thought some lemonade or something sweet might help her return to her full glory. Even some champagne or something of the like to get a little energy back into her system. She wasn't trying to draw out her time with Mr. Alderton or anything, not at all.

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   Anthony Alderton

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Red again! June 1894

Anthony chuckled a touch in response to Ms. Malfoy’s reply. At least she seemed keen on making light of the situation which suited him just fine. He held her steady blue gaze for a moment, a lopsided smile greeting her. She really was very pretty. He found he didn’t mind at all as she held tightly to his arm. The explanation as to Poppy only made him hum. “It was rather, wasn’t it?” He replied. Not one to really know the difference between what made a debut successful and what didn’t, Anthony decided to hold back commentary on his baby sister Tillie’s. Hers had been fine too, but it was with some chagrin that Anthony remembered the scolding he got from Mama for standing guard about poor Mathilda all night. He just didn’t want anyone unworthy to come into her vicinity! She deserved better than some rake like Olixander Blackwood.

Anthony considered making a comment then as to appreciating the sentiment. He should rather like to see Ms. Malfoy again, even if by proxy of his baby cousin. It seemed a little too forward to admit as much however, even with a jocular hint at protecting her from rats again, so he held the quip back. Instead, Anthony nodded as they entered the ballroom. “Certainly,” he responded, quickly. The notion of ensuring the young lady was well hydrated sat well with him. He didn’t know what it was to swoon, but he could imagine it made one very dizzy.

As they swept by a small group of debutants chittering away, Anthony caught the eye of a server. He elegantly made to pick up a glass of circulating… something, and then hesitated. All the drinks here tonight seemed to be spiced with something a little extraordinary. He wasn’t sure if handing Ms. Malfoy something obscure was the best idea. “Erm— might you have anything delicate for the lady? Predictable?” He asked the man dressed as a joker. The server nodded and gestured to hand over a glass of some clearer looking liquid. “Lemonade, sir,” he said. “Ah yes,” Anthony accepted the glass and made to pass it over. “Will this do?” He asked the lady.

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Victoire Malfoy

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