His family

"And what of your family?" Alice asks lightly. "Are any of them here with you in Wiltshire?" Please don't say a wife, please don't say a wife...

Simmons's face falls, turning rather dark, much to Alice's surprise. "...No," he says shortly. "No, I'm afraid...I don't have much family. And none here."

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that," Alice says (not feeling terribly sorry at all, but noting his expression). "It must be hard for a man to be without those he loves, his connection to the world...all alone..."

Simmons sighs. "Well, it's not quite alone. I have my colleagues and the men in my charge, after all." He gazes off sourly into the middle distance. "I have an elder brother as well...but we rarely talk any more..."

"Your parents have passed?"

Simmons nods mutely, and Alice puts a hand on his arm. "I'm sorry to hear that you don't speak with your brother much," she says. "I know that my sisters drive me wild sometimes, but I still need them terribly. I think siblings are a great blessing."

"Aye, I would agree," Simmons says, looking down at her. "But my brother...would seem not to." His lips twist in anger for a moment - and then he sighs and shakes his head. "Ah, well! There's no changing the past, Miss Foxhaven. And in the present...I'm afraid my men have disappeared and I should make sure they're not getting into any mischief. If you'll excuse me?" He gives her a short bow.

"Of course, Captain!" Alice drops him a curtsy. "I do hope you enjoy the rest of the party...and if you ever need anything, just let me and my family know." She watches him stride off, heart fluttering. I wonder if he'd like to use Debby? I could probably arrange a way to have it happen discreetly. Men are such simple creatures, I'm sure a new bond girl to play with would cheer him up!

Across the ballroom, Esther watches Alice gaze after the young Captain and is filled with irritation. She has been searching in vain for Annalise for several minutes now. She desperately wants to talk to her friend after their last conversation, but in the whirl of the ball she just hasn't found the chance. Finally she spots the redheaded girl across the room - and she's alone! The perfect opportunity for Esther to catch a brief, private conversation. As Esther begins to move toward her friend, though, the other girl slips out one of the side doors, not noticing her.

Determined to finally get a chance to continue their chat, Esther scurries out the door herself, finding herself in one of the Bellingtons' hallways. A door a few feet down the hall is open, and from childhood experience Esther knows it leads into the study; probably that's where Annalise has retreated. She pushes the door open and hurries in, saying as she does so, "Annalise, are you - oh!"

Annalise is in the room, but to Esther's surprise she's not alone. Standing quite close to her - Annalise is just pulling back from him, in fact - is a slightly disheveled looking young man with a poof of untidy brown curls and a smirk on his goateed lips. Esther blushes, caught off-guard at having found her friend alone with a man. "I - I'm so sorry, Annalise, I didn't - "

"Don't worry, Esther!" Annalise says brightly, with a breathless laugh. "This is actually wonderful! I've been wanting to introduce the two of you. Esther, this is Percival Winthrop, that distant cousin I mentioned to you. Percy, this...is Esther Foxhaven. I must have told you about her a thousand times."

"Of course. Enchante, Miss Foxhaven," Percy says with a smile. When she reaches forward uncertainly, he takes her hand and kisses it firmly, sweeping his leg out in a courtly bow as he does so.

Esther smiles politely. "Why thank you, Mr. Winthrop. I'm pleased to make your acquaintance." She's a bit perplexed by the way that he's still holding her hand, until he plants another kiss on it.

"You have such radiant skin, Miss Foxhaven. Have you ever been beyond England?"

"I..." Esther glances at Annalise, but the other girl is just watching with an enigmatic smile on her lips. "No, sir, I have not."

"What!" He glances in mock incredulity to Annalise, who gives him an I-told-you-so shrug. "A young woman of your obvious refinement should see the Continent! Become educated in the ways of the world! May I show you how people of taste greet one another in France? The French are so much more liberated than we are..."

Esther swallows uneasily. She doesn't want to offend this cousin of Annalise - or, worse, look inhospitable or provincial before her friend. But then again, she gets a strange feeling from him, and she doesn't want to be put in an awkward position, either...