IC
Charlotte arrived in the new dress the hotel had provided her. It was not the pale pastel colors of her opera dress, with fine lace trim as was the style in France, but bright and bold in color, adorned with with jewelry. French styles may have been more popular among the rich, but Charlotte was fond of British fashion.
She offered smiles and a small curtsy to anyone that acknowledged her with a look but did not attach herself to any particular arm. Charlotte was the spider and the web. She would be inviting and attractive but waited for others to come to her rather than make any social demands of anyone. She knew her place.
Normally she would have placed her bets on Doc. She knew him and had seen what he was capable of. But she was curious about his tiny challenger. She did not look like a great fool and for a woman to challenge a man in a contest like that, she had to be every bit as capable.