It is, all things considered, a very nice drawing room. Portraits adorn the walls and the heavy drapes are open to let starlight from the moonless night through. There's a table far too small for the large room with a pot of tea, a set of tea cups and an arrangement of cookies and fruit. Two oaken doors are firmly closed to one side, and to the other a single door is slightly ajar, the sound of sobbing coming from past it. Every once in a while it's possible to hear a page being turned in the other room as well. The drawing room on its own is silent, save for the ticking of a grandfather clock and then, with no prelude, an exclamation.
"Yes, and I'm happy about that....So, I think particular sorts of clouds are needed to get the extra bands beneath rainbows, but I don't have enough examples to figure out which, it's very frustrating."
Sophie can describe the three examples that she's heard of or seen - they definitely seem unusual, but finding a pattern is hard.
Haru can be a rubber duck for weather mysteries till it's time to step back onto the dance floor.
Sure, fine. Dancing. She can go to the man who wants her dowry enough to have signed her dance card.
Haru can dance with whoever the fuck this is and produce pleasantries as needed and then next he joins hands with Lucette.
She is not naturally graceful, but she's empowered and has studied the relevant dances exhaustively, which more than makes up for her lack of talent.
"How has this evening fared for you thus far?" Lucette drops the 'Mr. Swan.' she would normally add, conscious of Haru objecting to that formality.
"Well, I spied the Duchess Metcalfe's talkative cousin dancing with Lord Metcalfe when he caught sight of you and Miss Anderson and the expressions on both their faces make me optimistic as to the success of that particular manuever. ... which I admit I feel a tad guilty for but needs must."
"You'll have to go over this with me later when there can be diagrams to accompany the explanation."
"You are really quite skilled at charming women for one so new to England's social scene."
"Ah, of course."
Lucette can't help but smile while dancing with Haru, though she keeps it to an appropriate amount and will be sure do so with other men later in the evening so she does not seem to be favoring him and instead will be perceived as being in a generally cheerful mood.
Haru is maintaining a generally even-keeled demeanor and may actually have smiled more at Sophia.