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Lydia was glad to see that Archie was just as light-hearted and playful as he had been at the debut ball. It was strange to quickly feel comfortable with someone she hardly knew. “You mean to tell me I spent the entirety of the past few days mastering my Waltz craft for nothing?” She told him in a jokingly-exasperated tone. As Lydia spoke, she could hear the host of the event beginning to gather people around, but Lydia ignored their beckons, despite knowing her mother would possibly be looking out for her now. “Well, when you word it like that,” She answered him, speaking as though Archie had been extensively trying to convince her rather than the half-hearted statement he gave. “Suddenly, I agree, the concept of us ladies being bought sounds quite appealing,” Lydia remarked, though barely able to hold the forced-smile she gave while she spoke.
From a distance, she could see Aurelia in the audience for the bid. She appeared to be extremely engaged in the whole setup, which Lydia could never have imagined she would see. It wasn’t how it was supposed to be. Lia was supposed to be with her, and they should have been here sneaking their baskets out and scheming a way to sabotage the others or put in fake bids. Instead, Lydia had to watch her basket on the table, waiting to be taken by some stranger with her alongside it.
It seemed Archie’s attention was on the table too, as he expressed his wonder of what went into a typical basket. The joys of not needing to know these things. “Well for mine, as it must pass the Ellis standards it should contain nothing short of perfection,” She told him, recalling how much her mother had emphasised that when she was hovering over the maids. “Naturally I would not be trusted to contribute on such matters - I would falter in arranging some bread and a handful of roses, of course,” Lydia quipped in amusement.
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@.astxrism Arch
@.benitz786 Lia