Cynara stepped into the ballroom with a gasp. It was beautiful; it looked like she had stepped directly into a movie. Everyone was so regal in their long, flowing dresses or jackets and high collars. She eagerly went ahead of her party, looking anxiously around. She walked around the edge of the dancers to get a closer look at the band.
"You like it?" she heard a voice in her ear. She turned around to see Charles standing at her elbow.
"Oh, it's spectacular!" she responded enthusiastically.
"Would you like to dance?"
"Oh, I don't know how," she said regretfully. She would have loved to try the prim and proper dancing that they were doing: A choreographed picture of perfection.
"How do you know?" Charles asked. Good point, she thought, but before anything else could be said, Finley walked up to them.
"Look who I ran into," he said presenting a young man, about Cynara's age. It must be Sanford, she thought.
"Oh, so this is the elusive Sanford?" she asked Finley.
"Indeed it is," he responded. This was only the third night she had been staying at Margrave Manor, but it already felt like much longer. And in turn it felt odd to not have met Sanford before now.
"And this must be the forgetful Cynara," Sanford smiled.
"That's me."
"If I had known such a beautiful girl would be staying in our house I would have made a point of coming home last night."
"There you are Mr. Stanmore," a middle-aged woman approached Sanford and smiled seductively. Despite the fact that she was older, she had a sophisticated charm about her and a sort of regal beauty.
"Mrs. Hulery, what a pleasant surprise," Stanmore smile back. "Would you care to dance?"
"I would love to," and he lead her out onto the dance floor.
Charles leaned and whispered in Cynara's ear, "Mrs. Hulery's husband died last year, and ever since then she seems to be paying particular attention to Sanford."
"A cougar," Cynara whispered back to him.
He chuckled softly, "You know, I never thought of it like that, but that is the perfect word to describe her. She definitely wants to sink her claws into our poor Sanford."
"Somehow I don't see Sanford as a helpless little rabbit up for the kill."
"Listen you two," Finley interjected, "Cynara, you are a distant cousin staying with us for a few months for a vacation," and his gaze wondered off to across the room, then as an afterthought, "Oh, and your last name is Waldorf."
"Got it," Cynara nodded gravely, but Finley was lost in his own little world.
"Earth to Finley," Cynara poked him. Finley seemed startled to be pulled out of his thoughts.
"Who were you just staring at?" Cynara asked mischievously.
"No one!" Finley scoffed.
Cynara rolled her eyes and scanned the room in the direction Finley had been looking a few moments ago.
"Was it that petite blonde that just walked in?"
Finley nervously cleared his throat, "Why would you think that?"
"Ooh, Finley has a crush," she cooed teasingly.
"A what?"
"You like her," she elbowed him.
"I don't know what you're talking about," Finley defended, "Now if you'll excuse me," and with that he walked off.
Cynara looked up at Charles, who was grinning down at her. "So who is she?" Cynara asked.
"That's Jane Withurby, she just came out this season and every eligible bachelor has his eye on her. She has the pick of the crop."
"And does she like Finley back?"
"Honestly, I don't think she even knows he exists. God knows Finley has never even spoken to her."
"Why on earth not?" Cynara asked, not thinking that Finley was the shy type.
