Chapter 147 - Balcony escapades
There was such a thing as too much socializing in one night.
Whatever the original Scarlett’s feelings might have been on the matter, she currently felt that this statement couldn’t be more true. She had already been in a less-than-ideal mood when she first arrived, so the constant activities, conversations, and occasional odd looks tested her patience. While she would admit that not all of it was as bad as she had feared, as the night progressed, she found herself growing increasingly exhausted.
After that whole run-in with Count Soames, she had spent a good amount of time talking with Evelyne, Livvi, and Raimond until the latter two eventually went their separate ways. That was when the floodgates had opened, so to speak.
She wasn’t sure if it was because of the incident with the Count or something else entirely, but after that, she and Evelyne were approached repeatedly by strangers who wanted to converse and introduce themselves. Most of them were lower nobles, the last-born children or relatives of barons and the like, with a few merchants and others in the mix, but none were people she knew. Probably not anyone she wanted to know either, judging by how clingy some of them were.
It was at times like these that she couldn’t help but appreciate the original Scarlett’s general rudeness and indifference, which helped her to brush them off relatively quickly. At least the ones that Evelyne didn’t find it good to talk to for a bit.
But it was still annoying.
She had attempted to bring Evelyne along to find and introduce her to the Withersworths, but it took nearly an hour of maneuvering through and dealing with such encounters before they finally located the elderly couple and their family in one of the side-chambers. By that point, Scarlett had felt as though she might set the next person who approached her on fire, so she left Evelyne with them and excused herself to get some fresh air.
After asking some servants for directions, she returned to the ballroom and crossed it, entering one of the many glass corridors that extended from it and led to the other chambers. Passing through a series of corridors and rooms—each decorated in its own theme and featuring small bands playing away on their instruments—she eventually reached a hallway that opened onto a balcony. It was a quiet respite from the bustling atmosphere inside.
The balcony was spacious enough to accommodate dozens of people, but at the moment, it was empty. Most people probably wouldn’t want to miss a single opportunity to network or enjoy themselves.
As she stepped onto the balcony, a crisp breeze swept through the open space, carrying the fragrance of plants and flowers with it. Surprisingly, it wasn’t as cold as she had expected. She spotted some marble pillars spread out that had small glowing crystals as crowns, which she presumed held some sort of enchantment.
She walked over to the stone railing at the opposite end, which offered a view of the tranquil waters of Stockder Lake. The moon wasn’t out in full strength tonight, lending a somewhat dark ambiance to the scene, but it was still a beautiful sight as the night sky reflected on the surface.
Leaning gently against the railing with her palms, she looked down to observe the soft glow of the lanterns illuminating the railing from beneath, casting delicate shadows over what she realized were intricate illustrations carved into the stone. The Tyndalls certainly spared no expense when it came to adorning their home.