His work

"And what of army life?" Alice asks Simmons with a smile. "Does that offer as many pleasures to you as the country?"

Simmons folds his arms and purses his lips, but he's smiling. "A dangerous question to ask a Captain, Miss Foxhaven. For we're chosen for our loyalty and passion for the army - but at the same time, we must bear up under the worst and most obnoxious of the army's regulations and demands!" He laughs, and Alice joins him. As their laughter subsides, he sighs. "No, the truth is that I love my work. I wouldn't trade it for the world. And with Napoleon's wars looking like they might finally come to an end...well, I feel that it's time for every British man with some breeding to give his all for his country. Don't you think?"

Alice practically swoons.

"You're awfully brave," she manages after a moment. Simmons chuckles.

"No, not really - just duty-bound, I suppose."

"But you, ah...you find your job enjoyable?" Alice asks, gathering herself. "What is it exactly you do all day?"

Simmons shrugs. "It's enjoyable enough, I suppose. We're here for training, so mostly the answer is: drill the men, oversee their education in the ways of war, and make sure they don't get up to too much trouble. I enjoy the first two well enough. It feels good to take a young layabout and turn him into a soldier. The last, well...it's part of the job."

"Hmmmm. I can imagine," Alice says thoughtfully. "{if Barnes-Alice < 0}I believe I saw some of your men in town, headed into a pub. I was surprised to see them out and about, but {endif}I'm glad that the men have a leader with such a firm hand to guide them."

Simmons smiles down at her. "You're a very sweet and thoughtful girl, Miss Foxhaven. I do my best." Alice's heart flutters slightly at his smile.

Across the ballroom, Esther watches Alice flirt with the young Captain, filled with boredom. 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...