Sir Thomas Jameson, watched the whole affair unfold before him from behind the polite, expressionless mask of professional civil and military courtesy that he had spent a lifetime learning as a naval and merchantile marine officer and medical doctor. While, Sir Thomas did not altogether approve of snubbing people in public, in Roderick Crossley's case, he was prepared to make a very broad exception.
He did not hate, Roderick, as much as Ursula did in the personal sense, he had however met enough people - whether they were passengers, peers or superiors both inside and outside the Royal Navy or the Locke and Key Line - like Roderick to at least thoroughly dislike him on general principal. The fact that Roderick had repeatedly pursued Ursula, dispite her complete lack of interest or approval of his suit, transformed that dislike into something approaching deep personal loathing.
That said of course, Sir Thomas was just as quietly relieved that the situation had not developed into a full blown donnybrook in front of the great hall's assembled guests. Though he could not get the idea out of his head, that Ursula would have welcomed it, especially if it had allowed her the opportunity of physically slapping Roderick across the face if he chose to contest her announcement of their engagement. The dangerous, sparking light in her eyes had warned him that might actually be the case, though once Roderick had retreated from her immediate presence, she had readily and calmly turned her attentions back to other matters.
Regis Crossley, always a study in contrast to his spoilt younger brother, further helped to defuse the still tense social situation by detaching himself from their presence, saying he ought to be circulating amoung the rest of the assembled friends and well wishers of the Wraithdale family and not deflecting his hostess from her duties in greeting her remaining guests. Sir Thomas noticed that Lady Penelope Wraithdale, did not really let herself breath until the last of the arriving guests were dealt with and then quietly let out a breath of ill ease and relief, while fanning herself vigourously with her fan to hide her discomfort. Ursula comfortably slipped her arm around his, and guided him towards the nearest knot of assembled guests, so they could begin their circulation of the great hall, chatting and engaging with various guests and assorted honourees.
Sir Leo considered the matter for a moment, his monocle turning into a pool of light as it caught the reflected glow of the various nearby chandeliers and candelabra. He watched wordlessly as Ursula and Sir Thomas departed to make their rounds of the assembly, then dismissed it from his mind. He offered his arm to Lady Penelope.
"We should be circulating as well." He remarked to the other Wraithdale trustees, just the hint of a wry smile touched his lips. Thistlewood, a loner by nature, tipped Sir Leo and Lady Penelope a salute with one hand and then made for the nearest of the long tables loaded with food and drink. The others nodded in agreement, Scattergood offered his arm with a elegant bow to Lady Fieldhouse, who graciously accepted. Dame Daphne and Foster broke off from the group together as well, all of them joined the ensemble of guests.
The rest of the evening passed pleasantly enough, though all the trustees made a point of keeping an eye out for Roderick Crossley, who they all expected to make some sort of scence the moment he reappeared. Regis Crossley had actually been mystified by his young brother's virtual disappearance. After making the social rounds of his society peers and seniors present at the party for several hours, he decide it was high time that he found Roderick before that idiot did anything that they would both regret in the morning.
A few inquiries with the palace postilions quickly located Roderick, who had been guided to a private room well away from the main hall some hours ago, provided with food and drink and then locked into the room. The two door warden automatons posted outside the room, were waiting for his older brother to arrive to take custody of the younger Crossley. They informed Regis Crossley, when he arrived to see his brother, that Roderick had been in sulky, distraught mood for several minutes, when first put into the room. He had paced up and down in a nervous state of agitation for some time with much cursing and swearing. A great deal of it was directed at the Duchess of Kendal, although some caustic remarks were addressed to himself. Gradually though he had consumed a considerable amount of alcohol and some of the provided food before lapsing onto a sofa in a drunken or emotional stupor. Right, if that was the worst, Roderick did tonight, all would be well on the morrow as far as Regis was concerned. Well past time I got Roderick home, before he could do anything really socially damaging.
Regis, asked the automatons to summon several more of their kind, as he doubted his very thoroughly inebriated younger brother was physically able to walk by this point. He further asked the postilion, who had accompanied him, to summon his carriage to take Roderick home. Regis then braced himself and entered the room, closing the door shut after he had entered. He found Roderick, sprawled untidily and semi-conscious across the sofa as he turned from the door, he noted the considerable number of empty spirit and liqour bottles scattered around the room and the nearest tables. Regis decided they were going to need a stretcher at this point, either that of they could just roll Roderick up into the nearest carpet and surreptitiously carry him to the carriage that way. Regis walked over to his brother and began shaking him awake or rather he attempted to.
"Wake up, you drunken lout." Regis snapped harshly. The only response this illicited from his brother was halfway between a drink sodden snore and an incoherent mumured curse. Regis, had often dealt with his brother after one of his frequent drinking binges but this time he was exasperated beyond endurance and grabbed a pitcher of decorative flowers from one of the tables, removed the floral contents, then promptly emptied the water contained within in the vessel over Roderick's head. This brought a startled although by no means sober Roderick bolt upright, as the cold water hit him in the face.
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