She was guided into a seat by a footman and when she noticed the other ladies remove their long evening gloves, she followed suit and tucked them away. Then she placed her napkin in her lap and prayed she could make through the dinner without embarrassing herself.
* * *
The girl was doing well, splendidly in fact. If he hadn’t grown so accustomed to her small tells, he would never have known how nervous she was. She presented herself as a poised lady whose manner was the very essence of calm. He had been seated next to Bridget by some luck, or more likely, his aunt’s clever planning, given that Bridget might need Trystan if she ran into any difficulties.
splendidlyAs the first course was served, Bridget carefully emulated everyone around her and said very little.
“Miss Ringgold, you ha
