How enthusiastic Albina had been about their dance before, she could not help but feel like something was off with him now after she had touched him. Her mind went to a place of worry, as she felt her actions might have caused the way he was now acting. Had she been too forward, had he not liked it? She decided to not bring it up now however, and talk to him soon at a hopefully quieter moment about, where they could talk more freely. Things went on, and Orpheus seemed to get more comfortable again.
While Albina had not necessarily liked hearing Orpheus considered himself as a self-important man, Albina had quickly forgotten about that as he complimented both her appearance and personality. “Thank you, for your kind words.”, she said, with a genuine smile on her face.
“Maybe you should indeed, because people who are in front of you now, might not be there forever.” Albina was happy that she had a chance with Orpheus this season, at least for the most part, cause she felt he was checking off again. It made her insecure, did he even like her? He had matters to prove to her over the season. It meant something to her, their dance, and she had most certainly felt something during their dance. She hoped he would not just take off with the next lady he would be dancing with.
She made a bow to him: “It was a pleasure indeed.,”
She had wanted to say more, but she had no chance as he was already walking off. Albina did not like how he was just walking off as quickly as he could, she felt they had shared a lovely dance. You don’t run out from a dance you had enjoyed like that. She shook her hand and let out a sigh. She just was so confused about the way their dance had ended, about him. But at the same time, she could not help but want to learn everything about him. Why he did this, what makes him the way he is.
She walked over to her mother, as she saw her wish to talk to her. “Oh, no, what this time?” were the thoughts running through her head “Who does she want to introduce to me now, or what have I done wrong?” As she got closer to her mother, who was standing by herself in a quiet corner, she could certainly see the expression on her face, and she knew that like any other, her mother was fuming at her.
“Albina, your conduct this evening has been most inappropriate! I have observed your overly familiar interactions on the dance floor, and I must express my deep displeasure. You are not here to engage in improper behavior but to maintain our family’s reputation. I insist that you immediately cease this touchy-feely behavior, or there will be consequences. Now, find a more respectable young gentlemen to dance with.”
Albina was in turn pissed off with her mother, they had not done anything that was too inappropriate, sure there were a few touches her and there, but nothing that would tarnish her reputation, or so she taught. She thought she had hidden and incorporated it into the dance in such a way it had not been too noticeable. She knew better than to talk back to her mother however, and the next dance would be starting shortly, which she did not want to miss. So she gave her mom a nod indicating she would not be touching at the next dances outside of the required touching for the dances that is. She walked off, hoping to find another dance. The last sentence her mother spoke however, it made Albina think. She had thought of Orpheus as a respectable men, what did her mother know about him that she did not? She had been initiating most of their touching, that could not be blamed on him. It would not have made him a less respectable gentlemen in her eyes either, if he would have been more physical, as long as it was with her permission. Where most of Albina’s worries were, was in the way he had walked off indeed, that was not the way a gentlemen left a dance he had enjoyed.
By now, she had almost walked along the whole wall of the dance floor, and not been asked for a next dance or approached for a conversation. She started worrying maybe her reputation had in fact been ruined by her previous dance. The past season, she could barely walk for a single second or a lord would have asked for some of her time.
@sunflowerjm - Atlas
@DandelionKate - Orpheus