Springtime Pleasures Read Online Free PDF

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    And in a moment she would, yet the dancing and all the excitement—giddy nitwit!—had rendered her decidedly breathless.
    Spying a row of chairs at the wall, she walked towards them, and with a grateful sigh sank down onto one of them. As she now wriggled her toes, she became aware how much her feet hurt. The soles positively burnt .
    Charlie scowled at the tips of the flimsy slippers that peeked out from under the hem of her dress. How aggravating that such light things were deemed suitable footwear for dancing the night through! Why, they were so flimsy that a brisk walk through the grounds of St. Cuthbert’s would probably shred them to pieces!
    “What a beautiful dress you are wearing,” somebody said.
    Charlie raised her head and only now became fully aware of the young woman who sat two seats down from her in a wicker chair and was studying the hem of Charlie’s dress with obvious admiration.
    “The embroidery is exquisite.” She looked up, and Charlie caught sight of a pair of sparkling brown eyes under a mop of corkscrew curls. “You must tell me where you had it done!”
    Charlie gave a surprised laugh. “Well, nowhere. I did it myself.”
    The brown eyes rounded. “You don’t say! How extraordinary.”
    “Oh dear.” Charlie clapped her hand over her mouth. “I shouldn’t have told you this, should I? My aunt tells me that too much knowledge of plain sewing is most indelicate in a young lady. Though why it should be indelicate I don’t know, do you? I daresay it is one of those curious things about London.” She nodded to herself. “Yes, most likely.” Then she focused her attention on the other girl again. “Do you find London curious?”
    The brown eyes seemed flabbergasted. “I… I can’t say…”
    “Ah well, you probably are from London, aren’t you? Then it would be different for you, of course. How exciting!” Charlie slipped onto the chair nearer to the girl. “Have you lived in London all your life, then? You probably have, and I envy you most dreadfully. It is such a thrilling place!” She slid onto the next chair so she finally sat side by side with her new acquaintance. “Absolutely smick-smack, if you ask me. I am Carlotta Stanton, by the way.”
    “Lady Isabella Griffin,” the other girl said in somewhat faint tones. “How do you do, Miss Stanton?”
    “Oh dear,” Charlie sighed. “I shouldn’t have said that either, should I? I should have called the hostess or somebody to introduce myself. How very vexing!”
    At this Lady Isabella smiled, a genuine smile that lit up her pale face. “Pray don’t vex yourself. You are perfectly charming, and where in this… this…” She indicated the crowded room.
    “Mêlée,” Charlie provided helpfully.
    A surprised giggle. “Mêlée—I like that. Where in this mêlée would you have started to search for Mrs Featheringham?”
    “Quite.” Charlie nodded in what she hoped was a wise fashion and tried to hide her relief. Navigating the social niceties of London had proven to be full of pitfalls. “Pray, would you care for some refreshments? I am rather famished myself, I have to say.”
    Which, alas, seemed to have been the wrong thing to say, as a grimace flickered across her new friend’s face. “Thank you, no. I don’t partake of refreshments tonight.”
    “You don’t?” Flabbergasted, Charlie stared at her, trying to think of a reason why somebody would want to abstain from food and drink. “Is it,” she asked in an undertone, leaning towards the girl, “is it for religious reasons?” She knew from experience that some Catholics were very strict in their customs. Rather like Puritans, only with incense.
    Apparently that was yet again the wrong thing to say because Lady Isabella stared at her in the most flabbergasted way.
    “Oh dear.” Charlie sighed. “I have put my foot in, haven’t I? My Aunt Dolmore tells me that I am very clumsy indeed when it comes to polite conversation, and unfortunately