Elodie could scarcely believe it. She clutched fistfuls of the periwinkle outer-skirt as she ascended the steps in the procession with Captain Jennings and the rest. She glanced around her as Captain Jennings showed her invitation to one of the guards at the door. Never had she ever thought she might be so lucky as to attend one of Mrs. Hawkins's legendary parties in Yorkhaven.

Already she could faintly hear the music through the walls of the mansion, the clinking of glasses and the roar of a crowd. Through the wide-open windows, she could see the silk-clad dignified guests, all as beautiful as the clothes and jewels they wore as they stood about the ballroom with glasses of champagne, or were dancing in its center, in movement like clockwork. Every step perfectly in sync, neatly in place. Beautiful, in its own right.

Nothing like the raucous hedonism of Libertalia.

For how Elodie's palms sweat through the lace gloves Captain Jennings had acquired, the excitement did not carry so much dread or fear. Rather, it was a pure thrill, just as much as standing aboard the deck of the Albatross for the first time and seeing the open ocean. For how long had she heard of Mrs. Hawkins in Yorkhaven and her parties?

As she glanced around, she noticed a missing figure, distinct in the lack of her voluminous garnet gown. She looked to Kas, who stood with her, Carina, and Ventus, and lowered her voice so that Captain Jennings wouldn't hear.

"Where's Jade?"

"Look ahead, a little to the left," he whispered.

Among the other sailors and soldiers, there was a shorter figure in a deep green riding habit jacket, the type a lady might wear, with long, draping trousers in the style of some of the southern islands under the control of Oyeshima that looked almost like a skirt when she kept her legs close together. Her dark hair was still tamed in one of the dark curled styles, but she stood much more confidently.

Elodie had not seen such a style, even if she admitted that it quite suited Jade.

"She's not really the kind of girl who wants to wear dresses, and she'd much rather be mistaken for a man, so it only made sense." He shrugged.

Elodie frowned, remembering the fight that had occurred onboard only a few hours earlier. "But I thought Captain Jennings wanted—"

"What she doesn't notice won't hurt her, and what Jade's wearing is the least of her worries tonight." Kas's voice took on a fiercer edge. "I think that sometimes the captain gets so caught up in preventing Jade from making her mistakes, she forgets that some of them aren't mistakes—at least, not for Jade."

He then offered up his arm. "May I?"

She smiled in spite of herself, accepting it. The way their arms slid into place connected perfectly. "You may."

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Mrs. Hawkins's house truly was a sight to behold. Never had Elodie seen so many candles, or bands of musicians, or even so many finely-dressed individuals. This was a beautiful places filled with beautiful people and beautiful things. And it was so large, too, with people going in every which way or so it seemed.

The company quickly separated upon their entry, leaving the younger group to their mission.

"I'll go find the gambling table, see what they might have to say about this place." Kas looked to Elodie. "Would you like to accompany me?"

"No thank you." Elodie disentangled herself from him. "I think I'll walk about this place, see what I can."

Disappointment flickered in his eyes, but he smiled all the same. "Take care then, darling."

With that, he disappeared into the crowd, and Elodie was left on her own.

She kept close to the walls, wandering through the rooms as she observed all of the sights, so many entertainments that she did not recognize. She now understood why so many thought these parties to be such a wonder.

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She slipped into the ballroom, and found a place on the sidelines where Ventus was watching, shifting uncomfortably in his jacket. He nodded as an acknowledgement of her presence.

They watched as the party-goers danced a complex series of steps, one of the new dances created in the heart of Albion, Elodie supposed. Still, she ached to join them, as she would do in her debut if all went well in two months.

The song came to an end, and everyone applauded as they were supposed to—except for Ventus, who tugged at his cravat as if it were choking him. Some dancers left the ballroom floor—but others remained and still others joined in.

The musicians played the opening notes of the next song, an open invitation for all who knew the dance to join the floor, and Elodie's heart skipped a beat.

"Oh, they're about to play one of my favorite songs!" Elodie turned to Ventus excitedly. "Dance with me, will you?"

Ventus's face turned pink and he quickly looked away. "I don't think that's a good idea. I'm not a good dancer."

"I can teach you, it isn't so hard really." Elodie reached for his arm to reassure him.

But he pulled away, his voice dropping to a whisper. "We should remain focused, dancing's a distraction from our mission."

"Oh." Elodie felt her stomach sink, and her own face felt flushed. She looked down to her shoes, wishing she could be anywhere else, even the brig of the Foxtrot. "I suppose you're right."

"I'm sorry, for what it's worth." Ventus coughed awkwardly and looked throughout the crowd. "I think I see Jade over there—I'll talk to her and see what she knows."

"Alright, then." Elodie bit her lip. "Good luck."

"Thanks." His lips twitched into a small smile, before he hurried off.

Elodie looked back at the gathering dancers. It was about to start—but she couldn't just dive in with no partner, it wasn't that sort of dance. She remembered when they had first practiced the dance for the Pine Waltz, how she and the other girls had fought over who had to do the lead and who would do the follow for each practice. She'd been excited to do any part, as she'd loved the sound of the violins, the way their solo seemed to soar.

"I hate to see a lady such as yourself standing on the sidelines all by your lonesome." Elodie turned her head to see that Kas had somehow appeared beside her, an open hand outstretched to her. "May I have the honor of dancing with you?"

She faltered. She supposed that Ventus did have a point, that this interfered with their mission to search the party for Marius Hawkins's map.

But she had also heard about Mrs. Hawkins's parties her entire life. They were the height of society, to attend one even once was something to talk about forever at all tea parties and other functions. She might as well enjoy it to the fullest.

And she'd also always dreamed of dancing with a handsome young man, one who thought her pretty.

She supposed Kas did fit that description.

Seeing him like this, under the candlelight of Mrs. Hawkins's elaborate chandelier, in a garnet-colored formal jacket, he looked every bit a storybook prince, and only a little bit of a pirate in his gold-rimmed hazel eyes and the smirk playing about his mouth.

She accepted his hand, her eyebrows set together in determination. "Yes, my lord."

He looked for a moment as if he were swallowing back a laugh. "Then lead the way."

He let her tug him along into the ballroom, among the outer ring of the dancers.

"Have you done this dance before?" Elodie asked as she turned back to face him.

She then dipped into the customary curtsy to start, as he bowed.

Then he took her hand, lifting them clasped together into the air, and drew her closer with another hand around her waist, exactly where it should be. "I have."

It was then that the music picked up, and she went whirling into the ballroom floor, in a world of music and light.

It was unlike the practice dances she'd had at Miss Griffin's classes. Everything was so much faster, and there were so many more people—and she could feel the eyes of others in the crowd on her. There was also the closeness of Kas's body to hers, that stirred an excitement within her that she did not entirely understand. Perhaps it was the mere proximity to the line between proper and improper that had awakened such a feeling.

Still, it was exhilarating.

Kas remained perfectly a gentleman, dancing with a well-practiced grace, firmly and gently guiding her across the floor. Something about seeing him like this, it made her realize all the more how beautiful he truly was.

Too soon, the dance ended, and they were to part, curtsy and bow, and then either take to the sidelines or continue.

Elodie had not expected to be so out of breath after one dance.

"We should go get drinks." Kas offered his arm to her again. "I believe they've made a punch with fruit from one of the islands further south. Dragonfruit, I think they call it. Will you join me, milady?"

"I would be happy to, my lord." Elodie could not stop herself from giggling.

It was the sheer euphoria of everything she had ever dreamed of coming true for just one night. For just one night, she wasn't a girl with no home, the daughter of pirates, the bastard daughter of a bastard daughter. She was a beautiful young lady in a society dance, who could dance with a gentleman in a beautiful dress, surrounded by beautiful things.

For what it was worth, Kas seemed delighted by her response.

"After that, I believe Mrs. Hawkins has hired a fortune-teller, perhaps—"

"Kaspar, is that you?"