His friend's oddities were soon forgotten, when Rob finally caught sight of Lady Julia, wearing a pained look upon her face as she entertained Lord Horace. As Lord Horace had been nicknamed Lord Halitosis in Eton, Robert did not feel too much disquiet in seeing another man attempt to woo the love of his life, yet he pondered just how he might rescue Lady Julia from his clutches.
Lord and Lady Cavendish were stationed nearby, and were Rob to march up and try spirit Julia away, the marquess would call him out.
Though, perhaps that was the solution, Robert thought idly; announce his love for Julia publicly and be done with it. On second thought, however, he decided that he should probably consult Julia before making such a rash move.
Thankfully, the cavalry arrived, in the shape of Miss Charlotte Drew and Miss Violet Havisham. The two ladies extracted Julia from Horace's greasy clutches, with far more finesse than Robert might have managed, and led her away toward the refreshment table.
It was time for Robert to make his move, but before he had taken a step, he was bested by the other Upstarts; Penrith was making his way across the room toward the trio, whilst Orsino had also taken off. In the interim, the lovely Miss Drew appeared to have gotten the buttons of her glove stuck in her mane of red hair, and as Robert pushed his way through the crowds, he watched in amusement as Julia attempted to free her friend. The struggle between button and hair ended in a vicious wrench, which no doubt had left a bald-spot, and once freed, Rob saw Miss Drew attempt to introduce her friends to the two dukes.
But one had disappeared.
As Rob neared, he heard Charlotte mutter something about Miss Havisham having stepped away, and no sooner had she said it than Orsino was gone again.
Which solved the mystery of just who it was that his friend was chasing.
Robert took a moment to appreciate just how serendipitous it was that the three Upstarts had fallen for three wallflowers, but in that moment, Lady Julia had taken flight, for when he arrived, he found just Penrith and Miss Drew.
"She went that way," Penrith said dryly, pointing Robert in the direction his prey had flown.
Apparently, the Upstarts had not fallen for three wallflowers, Robert though t ruefully, as he chased after Lady Julia, but three hares instead.
He saw a flash of a blonde head, before it disappeared through the French doors, and without thinking of propriety, Rob hurried after.
Outside, he found himself upon a veranda, which was filled with couples taking in the warm spring night. Robert went left, mercifully the only turn he could take, and paced the length of the walkway, wondering if it would be too much for him to call out Julia's name. Was she hiding behind a bush? He peered out into the dark gardens and tried to picture the elegant Lady Julia crouching beneath an ivy's thorns, and decided against it.
Where had she gotten to, he wondered, as he turned on the heel of his dancing slipper. As he made his pirouette, he caught sight of another set of glass doors, slightly ajar as though they had been closed in a hurry.
Ah-ha! This was where she was hiding.
Had Rob more foresight, he might have wondered just why Lady Julia was hiding from him this night, when the previous night she had sought him out. Excitement, however, had dulled his reasoning, and he slipped through the open door, anticipating a romantic union.
"Oh," Julia looked up from the fire, which she had been staring intently at, "It's you."
"Were you expecting someone else?" Rob asked, half in jest, half anxious that perhaps she had arranged an assignation with Lord Horace.
"I wasn't expecting anyone," Lady Julia was cool, "I wished to be alone."
"Alone with me?" Rob ventured, rather hopefully.
"That is a paradoxical question, my lord," Julia said, casting her eyes back to the fire, where a low flame burned in the grate, "It is not possible to be alone whilst with someone."
"Is it not?" Rob questioned, moving slowly closer, as one might approach a fawn, "Can you say that you have never been surrounded by people, yet still felt completely alone? Rudderless, like a ship on stormy seas."
"Fragile, as a leaf blown on the wind," Julia added, and as she turned to him, Rob saw that she looked just so.
Her blue eyes had a dullness to them. Her skin, which usually resembled polished alabaster, was now a ghostly pale. It was as though someone had dimmed the lights within her soul, and should a strong puff of wind come along, she was liable to blow away.
"What troubles you?" Rob asked, with concern, crossing the distance between them in one step, "Tell me?"
"You do, my lord," she answered, bowing her head as though she could not bear to look at him, "You, and your sweet smile, and your dancing eyes, and your shoulders that fill out a coat so nicely."
Despite his worry, Robert could not help but feel tickled with pleasure at her compliment. There was nothing a man wished to hear more, than that he had a fine pair of shoulders.
"I shall stop smiling," he offered, desperate to make her smile, "And I will forbid my eyes from dancing. As for my shoulders, I am afraid I cannot change much about them, but I shall endeavour to develop a hunch, if their broadness offends you."
"I do not wish you to change that which you cannot," Julia replied, her eyes still dull despite his jests, "But I am afraid that it is what you cannot change that leads me to say that we must end this madness."
"I am too tall?" Robert asked, though he already knew the answer.
