Nine Ladies Dancing (The Twelve Days of Christmas Book 4) by Emily E K Murdoch

Author:Emily E K Murdoch [Murdoch, Emily E K]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fiction, Romance, Historical
Publisher: Dragonblade Publishing, Inc.
Published: 2022-10-27T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Six

“I therefore consider this Christmas Eve ball open!”

There were cheers as Olivia’s father threw open the front doors to Chalcroft and welcomed in the waiting guests.

It was always the way with him, Olivia thought with a wry smile as she stood in the great hall with her sisters and cousins. Her father simply could not help but lean into the theatrics of anything he put his mind to—and though the Fitzroys rarely hosted balls, only two of their daughters out, there was always far more than a song and dance to an occasion when her father was permitted to preside over things.

“Come on through, come on through,” he was saying to some of their neighbors. Olivia recognized most of them from church, though they looked a little strange at present, all wrapped in their furs against the freezing cold. “We have music and dancing in the ballroom, food put out in the dining room—yes, of course, there is roast lamb…”

“So many gentlemen,” murmured Joy.

Olivia turned to her, and to her great surprise, her cousin flushed at being overheard. Joy, embarrassed? She was always jesting, always ensuring laughter.

“Indeed,” Olivia said. “There are a great number of acquaintances of ours who did not go to London for the Season this year.”

Olivia glanced at the guests pouring in. The Marnmouths, the de Petras, half the Axwick family…

“You should have plenty of partners for the dancing,” she continued in a low tone, seeing whether she could get Joy to smile again.

But her flush deepened, and Joy scowled. “I did not ask—I am not desperate for partners, Olivia, and I hope you will not say that I am so! I merely remarked on the number of gentlemen!”

She stalked away across the dining room, where Maria was ready to gravitate.

Olivia stared. It was such a strange response from Joy that she was quite unable to account for it. True, her sister Harmony had been married now for over a year; how strange to have one’s younger sister married before you.

Perhaps that was it. Perhaps Joy was feeling the pressure from her parents to find a match.

Gratitude to her parents for not pushing such expectations on her seared Olivia’s heart. There her father was, helping the Countess of Marnmouth off with her pelisse and shaking the snow off on the floor so as not to offend either his wife or the butler.

Her mother was about here somewhere—ah yes. Olivia could hear her voice in the ballroom, instructing the musicians, God help them. She should probably go through and protect them.

Olivia sighed. That was the trouble with being the eldest of four sisters; there was always some sort of responsibility.

“Please, come on into the ballroom,” she said in a slightly raised voice, indicating the way with her hands.

Esther and Lucy, dressed in matching gowns, giggled and rushed off in the direction of the ballroom, while a few of the guests bowed their heads in acknowledgement and started following her cousins.

Katarina was leaning against the wall near the door to the ballroom.

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