The silence in the carriage on the way to the ball was as loud as the evening was going to be. Joane felt nervous, but certainly not as much as her twin sister who had been fidgeting with her gloves the entire ride. “Stop fidgeting Adel” Cicely says for the umpteenth time while she gently taps Adeline’s hands. “I can’t help it” Adeline sighs before she immediately starts again. “We were…I was expected to be the diamond of the season and we missed the presentation to the Queen,” she laments.
“Joane, help me out of here, calm down your sister” Cicely sighs.
“Adel, we can’t do anything about it happening, I personally think it’s unbecoming of for us to go to the ball at together after everything that’s happened. But we have to redeem ourselves.” Joane sighs before she continues. “It won’t be easy for us to earn you the title of the diamond. The first time they will see us will be belated, without papa and mama, and without Sigric, Marion and Olivia. We will immediately get the wrong first impression” she continues and Cicely scoffs.
“your motivational speech is missing the motivational aspect”
Joane sighs.
”But you are worthy of a diamond. You are an example of beauty, the leader in elegance. We all know that you deserve to be the next diamond, and this season we are going to prove that to the rest of the ton"
Joane continues as she takes her twins’ hands and smiles
. “you are going to claim your place as the diamond of the first water you are” she adds as the carriage comes to a stop.
With the help of the coachman, the ladies get out, Joane struggling with the dress that is too long for what she is used to. Her mother insisted that she look as good as her younger sister because it will also technically Joane’s debut. But even though Joane had made and designed the dress herself, she didn’t think she would be the one wear it. After all, it was designed for her sister. When they enter, it is clear that many eyes are on them. Some briefly inspecting who has entered, others long and judgmental. Joane could see a few mothers gossiping to each other as they looked in their direction and it made her blood boil. She feels her older sister’s hand on her shoulder and Cicely mumbles, “Keep your heads high and proud sisters, we are The Claimond Family and no one should have the nerve to talk about us", as she steps past Joane and leads the sisters inside.
While among the crowd, they were approached by a young man, Bainbridge Brantly, as Joane remembered during her lessons on the rising men and ladies of the season. “Sir Brantly, good evening” Cicely greeted him as all three ladies curtseyed to the gentleman. “We are sincerely sorry, but my youngest sister and I must urgently arrange something first. Would you be offended if we temporarily leave you with my sister Joane while we accompany some other ladies whom we need to speak to out of respect for our family?” Cicely asks as she walks away with Adeline to greet some family friends. Joane turns to Sir Brantly with an apologetic smile.
“I have to apologize for my sister, times are very hectic within the family at the moment and she is doing her best to keep us within the season as best as she can,” Joane explains. “It is also correct that we were regrettably unable to present ourselves before the Queen due to some unexpected family matters,” she added. “But we are here now and I can guarantee that my sister and I will be as active this season as we are expected to be," she promises before sighing. "We just have to survive tonight and we will be fine for the time being”, she mutters more to herself than to him. "Is there anything I can do in the meantime to entertain you Sir Brantly?" she then asks.
@LunaticLeviTheSecond - Bainbridge