Southerland's Ball

[Samantha Montgomery]

Sam raised an eyebrow at that remark and came further out onto the terrace. By the looks of things the pair were doing quite well. Sam had second thoughts toward returning to the ballroom, but she was also curious.

"Haha." she deadpanned, "If Marianne hadn't complained about you, I doubt I'd have had much luck at all. Speaking of which I thought she had moved past her little crush." she said curiously looking at Mason.

"She did. But I'm guessing Julian hasn't made an offer for her hand since I've been gone either." Mason said with a sigh.

Sam blanched and looked at Lyra, then swiftly back at Mason, "No. No he didn't."

[Lyra Newbury]

Lyra opened her mouth, about to make a sarcastic comment regarding Samantha's skillful ability to escape Marianne to find them, when her voice stuck in her throat. She looked to Mason, her head turning like a whip. "You...you know Julian?" she asked him, a twinge of disappointment in her voice. "Of course you know Julian," she said softly, mostly to herself.

Lyra felt a new contradictory set of emotions at the mention of Julian. She was disheartened that she seemed unable to get away from Julian even in the presence of Mason. But there was also a bit of jealousy. Lyra was clearly more attractive and a better conversationalist than Marianne. Even if Julian had only asked Marianne to dance in order to save Mason (because of course the noble bastard would do something like that), he had still asked her. No matter that it was a year ago. Had it been a year ago?

[Samantha Montgomery]

Sam read Lyra very well, luckily Mason didn't at least not yet.

"Mmm, yes. I was actually hoping to run into him tonight, but I didn't see him inside." he said looking at Sam.

"He was here earlier." Sam answered with a frown, she didn't see Julian leave. She wished to hell that Mason had been interested in finding anyone else.

[Lyra Newbury]

Although she probably already knew, because Samantha had a way of knowing these sorts of things, Lyra didn't want to let on that she had seen Julian after Sam warned her from chasing after him. And in Lyra's defense, she hadn't been the predator in that instance. She just didn't happen to fight against him once he found her. And who could blame her? Julian was...

Lyra blinked and inhaled deeply, mentally shaking the thoughts of Julian's commanding presence from her head. She mumbled a comment to prove she hadn't seen him, "bloody rude of him to leave without saying goodbye," and then took a long sip of her champagne, turning away from Samantha.

[Mason Marlowe]

Mason laughed, "Well that's different. Most women love Julian." he said surprised that Lyra was calling the man rude, and being completely unaware of the circumstances.

"I take it you must be well acquainted then."

[Lyra Newbury]

Most women did love Julian, Lyra in particular. But things were such a mess between them. She thought, after their walk to the church, that things were going to get easier but tonight proved that wasn't the case. They couldn't see each other anymore, it was too hard. Lyra decided in that moment that she would be done with Julian. If they couldn't be lovers and they couldn't be friends, then they'd have to settle for strangers. It was the safe alternative.

With a wavering sound of determination in her voice she smiled at Mason and replied, "Well, he hangs around Samantha so, you know...Acquaintances, really." She avoided looking at Sam and stayed focus on Mason's face instead.

[Samantha Montgomery]

Sam watched the two of them speculatively and felt something sharp shoot through her. Lyra was her friend, so was Julian for that matter. Julian was plenty conflicted right now, but he wasn't a bad person, and were he to get over the past he would be perfect for Lyra. Sam had also thought that Lyra was right for Julian. But Sam had been hurt for her friend, and now she was pushing Lyra to just move on. This wasn't about her, it was about Lyra, and maybe Sam shouldn't be interfering.

"I'll let him know you were looking for him." she said simply, though Mason only had eyes for Lyra when she was looking at him the way she was.

[Lyra Newbury]

Maintaining eye contact with Mason, effectively avoiding Sam's look, was the goal for the moment. Mason was lovely and she wouldn't have minded talking with him for the rest of the evening, if they could avoid the subject of Julian. She smiled at him and pulled his coat tighter around her.

"Did I see Gwendoline Barbary, in there?" she asked, as a change of subject. Gwendoline Barbary was one of the more famous songstresses of their day (mother to the future famous Heathcote Barbary of The Weird Sisters).

[Mason Marlowe]

Mason shrugged, "It wouldn't surprise me." he gave Lyra an assessing look, then turned to Sam with surprise. "Is this a coming out Samantha?"

"Well, not an official one."

"Why didn't you say so?"

"I already introduced her to most anyone of interest, then you arrived." she huffed, "Besides you know I find the idea positively archaic."

"It is at that." Mason agreed. "Do you have a date set for it?"

"Actually Mason, I haven't talked about it with her yet, but thank you for acting the excited school girl." Sam chastised.

Mason merely chuckled.

[Lyra Newbury]

Lyra's face lit up, her eyes sparkling. "I get my own party?" she asked, brows raised at Samantha. Lyra didn't mind playing the excited schoolgirl if it meant she got a party.

[Samantha Montgomery]

Sam was overrun, Mason on one side looking gleeful and Lyra just as excited on the other. She looked heavenward, "Since when do you like coming out parties Mason?"

"Since when do you not?" he shot back, "Especially when you're planning one, which is part of your answer there." he turned toward Lyra, "Sam's parties, both formal and informal, are quite the thing." he turned back toward Samantha, "Will it be at the Chateau?" he asked with even more interest.

Sam thought about it, "Or at Montgomery Manor."

At that Mason's eyes widened.

[Lyra Newbury]

Lyra laughed at both of them. Sam looking somewhat put out at the idea, and Mason looking enticed. Lyra was excited. "Why didn't you tell me I get my own party?"

She turned to Mason with an impish grin. "How amazing are we talking here?"

[Samantha Montgomery]

Samantha smiled then, seeing Lyra's excitement, "We didn't have time to discuss it, and you've been busy at Enchanted." she said, though the real excuse was Julian. She knew now however that a party was exactly what Lyra needed to get her spirits up.

Mason smiled widely, "Well with Sam...Skies the limit really."

[Lyra Newbury]

Lyra bounced excitedly on the balls of her feet. Talk of the party had effectively pushed Julian out of her thoughts, and Lyra was once again a spirited young woman instead of the anxious, unstable girl she'd slowly been becoming. She did love Julian and Sam was right that they could be perfect for each other, but maybe they weren't meant to be together right now. Lyra wanted to focus on making her life better and the confusion surrounding Julian was the opposite of what she needed.

What she really needed was a party. 

[Samantha Montgomery]

"We'll discuss the details later."

It would give them plenty to talk about and hopefully distract Lyra from thinking about Julian. Hopefully Mason could distract Lyra too.

[Lyra Newbury]

"Fine," she replied with a mischievous look toward Samantha. Lyra would pester her about the party later, and Sam would certainly be expecting it. "I suppose we should focus on one thing at a time," she said, indicating the ball inside. Through the large windows they could see couples dancing and important people (and people who thought they were important people) networking and conversing.

"Should we head back inside? I don't see your girlfriend anywhere..." she teased Mason about Marianne. "And I'm sure we can handle her if she pops up." Lyra quite liked the idea of seeing Marianne's face as Lyra hung on Mason's arm.

[Mason Marlowe]

Mason gave her a look when she called Marianne his girlfriend, but shrugged it off when Lyra took his arm, "I believe I'll be quite safe indeed." he smiled at her, content to leave the pretty girl on his arm all evening. Though he knew it would set the gossips to hound, but Lyra was charming and not as impressionable as Marianne, besides Sam was with them.

"Shall we?"

[Lyra Newbury]

The trio reentered the party, which seemed much louder than it had earlier compared to the relative silence they had encountered on the terrace. The bodies around them were warm and Lyra shrugged off Mason's coat and handed it back to him. "Thank you," she said sweetly, meeting his eye.

[Mason Marlowe]

He recovered his jacket and nodded toward her, "Well I suppose there are some rounds you'll need to make before your party." he told her. It was too early for him to leave after just arriving and he planned on sticking by her and Sam until he could make an escape.