Charming Miss Atherton

Fourteen

"Every man finds himself at a crossroad at some point in his life. . .and more often than not the choice of any road is not without its consequences or perils." -Lord Atherton having a heart-to-heart with his son, Henry, before his first term at Cambridge.

"Dear, dear Miss Atherton. I am so delighted you came to my intimate soiree," Miss Smythe greeted in the family's receiving line assembled in the marble foyer of her family's large townhouse located at the end of Grosvenor Street.

Intimate?

There were at least three hundred people present. "Miss Smythe, it is so lovely to see you again," Bridget replied in kind, handing her ecru velvet wrap to one of the guest attendants and showing off her finely cut aquamarine gown, white satin sash, and matching elbow-length gloves.

She glanced past Miss Smythe in an effort to enjoy the spectacle of couples that danced merrily on the black and white marbled floor.

An elbow at Bridget's back alerted her to Helen's close presence. "Do you see anyone we know?"

"Not yet," Bridget whispered scanning the room. "Wait. . .I see Miss Stanley is over yonder."

Helen followed Bridget's gaze to the young lady sitting on the bench by herself. "I do believe we should say hello."

Bridget nodded in agreement. "I'll follow you."

Helen and Bridget strolled along the perimeter of the dance floor toward Miss Stanley, who upon closer inspection sipped her punch rather nervously. She wore an emerald green gown with gold stitching along the neckline, white elbow-length gloves, and a modest tiara on the crown of her head. Miss Stanley smiled with relief when she saw Helen and Bridget approach.

"Lady Helen and Miss Atherton, it is so good to see you this evening," she said with a blush.

"Good evening, Miss Stanley. I must confess that I just adore your gown - such a lovely shade of green." Bridget offered politely.

"Oh - thank you, thank you," Miss Stanley gushed. "Mama helped select it for this evening."

"She has quite the eye," Bridget replied politely.

"Have you been here long?" Helen asked.

"Oh yes, several hours now. I arrived early to help Miss Smythe prepare for the party."

"Have all the guests arrived?" Helen inquired.

"Not all. Everyone keeps a close watch for Lord Ripley to arrive," Miss Stanley said, glancing past Helen and Bridget toward the door.

Helen pursed her lips, "Is that so?" She resented knowing vital social information secondhand. " I did not know he would be attending this evening."

Bridget pretended to act surprised as well.

"When Lord Ripley sent over his acceptance this afternoon, dear Daphne and I could hardly contain ourselves. We have been bustling about ever since. Daphne has quite the attention to detail, be them big or small."

Bridget and Helen nodded understandably.

"Oh my, mama is beckoning me to join her. I must go," Miss Stanley blurted suddenly.

Helen and Bridget glanced to the left to find Baroness Cudley waving impatiently at her daughter. She had managed to commandeer the attentions of Sir Palinore, a young unmarried baronet with a tidy fortune in Sussex. It was clear that the Baroness was wasting little time introducing her awkward daughter to any eligible bachelor in London.