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London, England 1813
The labels of being fierce and ferocious were often left to describe the dreadful Mamas of the ton, but tonight Betty would be taking the crown for the most frightful woman at Lady Danbury's ball. She struggled to calm herself as she rushed straight towards the refreshments, desperately hoping to discretely knock back at least two whiskeys before her own mother came looking for her with a potential dance partner in tow.
She snuck around to the back of the refreshment table so that she could keep a watchful eye on the members of the ton as she covertly grabbed two freshly poured whiskeys off the table. She turned away from the crowd and quickly shot the alcohol down her throat, allowing a moment for the warm burn to subside.
While her back was turned, Daphne departed her brothers, desperately hoping to escape the forcefield shield they were holding up against the ton. She just wanted one moment, away, to breathe. That is simply all that she asked for when she bid her brothers a farewell.
Daphne absentmindedly made her way over to the table with never ending refreshments, not even noticing the Morrigan girl partaking in a rather scandalous activity for a young woman in high society. As Betty turned back around to discard her empty glasses, she visibly jumped when Daphne was suddenly standing before her. She sighed a breath of relief once she realized it was just Daphne there, setting the glasses down to the side.
"Enjoying some lemonade, Betty?" Daphne playfully said with a grin.
"Why of course, only the finest lemonade at Lady Danbury's!" Betty winked. She inhaled sharply before leaning towards Daphne, hunching forward to whisper, "You do know that was not lemonade, right?"
"Of course..." She chuckled, reaching down to grab her own glass. "I, however, will be sticking to the real lemonade tonight. I'm afraid Anthony would never let me out of the house again if he saw me so much as glance at that whiskey right now."
"Yes, I'm very much aware of how watchful your brother can be... Sometimes, I often think I was the trial run for him to learn how to care for a sister. I'm not entirely sure if he truly learned anything..." Betty trailed off. "Although, for your sake, I really do hope he loosens up as the season goes on. And do not let him sway your heart, Daphne. Only you will ever know what is right for you."
"Thank you, Betty." Daphne smiled once more at the Morrigan girl. She finally took her first sip of the refreshing lemonade, letting the cool liquid glide down her throat.
Just as Betty was about to reach down for a third secret whiskey, Lord Berbrooke came stumbling over to the pair. "Small glasses." He noted. Betty quickly retracted away, giving Berbrooke a fake, but pleasant smile to still acknowledge the brazen man.
Daphne, being the far more pleasant and polite one, smiled and curtsied. "Lord Berbrooke." She said to the older man.
"Tiny little things, are they not?" He said, glancing down towards the glasses that lay across the long banquet table.
