Charles was growing increasingly nervous the closer it was to the actual play. He'd been happy enough during dinner, enjoying the polite table conversations and the food. Now, however, he found himself pacing the edge of the ballroom aimlessly. He would want to share a dance with Abigail at some point in the evening and hopefully pull her aside to talk with her about his risky behaviour. It was all in the name of his art, he reminded himself, and therefore worth it. The words seemed hollow in his own mind and he wished he'd had a second glass of wine.
"Mister Laurent, was it?" Charles said with a smile as he realised how anti-social he was being and paused next to one of the guests. He was a well dressed young man, and attractive, but didn't seem to be actively enjoying himself. That would never do. "Have you been enjoying your visit to Bailston Abbey?"