Ballroom Blitz

[Connor Morrison]

Tag: Benedict Bridgerton        Thread: Ballroom Blitz           Notes: N/A Connor made little attempt to hide the flash of self-congratulatory satisfaction that shot across his face at Benedict's remark. He enjoyed admiration no matter what source it came from, but it was all the better when it came from an individual in whom he had a personal interest. He quite liked the idea of Benedict regarding him as impressive. He certainly intended to live up to the man's expectations — in his own estimation, his skills on the dance floor were second only to his skills in the operating theatres and dissecting rooms.  The question as to his intended partner, however, gave him pause. He was new enough in London that he hadn't had the chance to meet many of the young women. A few, he had met in previous years, but there were a fair amount who were on their first season out. It would not do to choose a partner with no skill at dancing. "A very fine question," he replied thoughtfully, letting his gaze trail over the crowd to study the throngs of young women. "I should not like to find myself with a poor dancer. Perhaps you might advise me, Mr. Bridgerton — if it is your custom to watch rather than dance, you must know which women have any talent."

credit to Laura of Adox

[Benedict Bridgerton]

I'm not bound by                                  

Benedict smiled as his friend asked to advise him as to which women would be suitable dance partners. Benedict casually glanced around the room, having done this enough times to not arouse suspicion nor appear impolite. When his eyes rested on a woman talking to two others, Benedict let his gaze rest there so that Connor may follow his line of sight. "Lady Selena is quite a good dancer," he mentioned. "However she tires easily. So if you are seeking a partner for a few dances, then you may need find someone else in addition." His mind flashed back to when she nearly fainted from over excursion . . . and not the kind to claim attention from a man. Continuing his search, Benedict rested on another choice, this one perhaps a bit more agreeable. ◈   ◈   ◈  ◈  ◈ "There is Lady Annabelle," he stated, seeing that she was talking to a gentleman. "My brother tells me she has high standards for a partner so perhaps you two will be a good match." A slight tease in his voice, though it did hold truth. "Lady Tamara is another fine choice." Ah yes. Benedict knew the ton well enough, as well as heard their boasts of who were grand dancers in these events. "And then of course, there is Lady Camila. I hear she is an excellent dancer." This time, the tease in Benedict's voice stronger. "From what my mother tells me," he added on with a smirk, concealed as he sipped from his champagne. "But I also hear she is in search for a husband so you may get more than you bargained for when asking her to dance." Meaning, he might have an interested mother after him. Tag Connor Morrison Note: Better layout coming soon!

                        the rules of society.

[Connor Morrison]

Tag: Benedict Bridgerton        Thread: Ballroom Blitz           Notes: N/A Chosing the right partner was always a deucedly complex matter. In a better world, it should have been simple: men and women could just choose a partner that suited them best, for whatever reasons they desired, and that would be as complicated as it ever got. In the world they inhabited, however, there were a thousand factors to consider. There might be a girl who danced well enough, but she might have an ambitious mother who would come hounding any partner she chose; there might be a girl with witty conversation, but whose scandal last season meant that a gentleman's reputation would sink just from being associated with her; there might be, in short, any number of social pitfalls.  Luckily, in his perusal of the room, Connor's gaze hit upon a welcome distraction: the sight of Dr. Hippolyte Barthélemy, not far from where they stood. He had been intending to introduce the Frenchman to Benedict when he next got the chance. "Well, I shall have to think the matter over," he replied to Benedict, shooting the Englishman a smirk and a roll of his eyes to acknowledge the man's little jests. "For now, there is a friend I should like you to meet. Come with me, won't you?" And with that, he set off in Barthélemy's direction, trusting Benedict to follow.

credit to Laura of Adox

[Benedict Bridgerton]

I'm not bound by                                  

The conversation abruptly changed when Morrison seemed to have caught sight of a familiar face; a friend it would seem. Benedict's line of sight had not followed Connor's so he was unsure who he had recognized. Never the less, if she wished to make an introduction then of course Benedict would not refuse. ◈   ◈   ◈  ◈  ◈ Before he could respond, Connor was already off towards the person's direction. Benedict took another sip of his champagne and followed Morrison. On the way, briefly greeting those who he passed as they too greeted him. Whoever this man was, Connor seemed eager to be in his company, or introduce him. Either way, Benedict made sure to follow his lead, not losing him in the crowd and well, being right back where he started prior to Connor approaching him. Tag Connor Morrison & Hippolyte Barthélemy Note: Better layout coming soon!

                        the rules of society.

[Hippolyte Barthélemy]

The grandeur of the ballroom was not insignificant, yet, aside from a few truly extravagantly modern elements, it mostly passed by his notice. Hippolyte always enjoyed being part of a crowd at events such as these. Not for idle gossip or manoeuvring any intimate affairs, but rather the incredibly unexciting sounding ideal of upholding his contacts and simply being quite one with the crowd. This evening had passed so far with mostly expected politenesses to old acquaintances from his return, few interesting discoveries alas, it seemed the world failed to change much upon the British Isles.

Ah but there, approaching his field of vision was a veritable vision, indeed, of a man he could recognize from his hurried, yet elegant, movement alone. Clad so perfectly in his finely tailored evening attire, with the silk stockings most certainly doing no disservice to the shapeliness of his calves and his silk breeches hugging his thighs as if they were painted on, Connor made a most welcome appearance. Hippolyte turned fully so that he might receive him properly, making his excuses to the young lady he had been conversing with briefly, and taking a sip of his glass as he met his eyes on approach. Very welcoming in return.

His gaze wandered to the other man who seemed to be approaching him as well, in hot pursuit. Now here was something curious. When he looked upon the man by Connor's side, a fine specimen no doubt, even if he looked a little wet behind the ears, he was struck by an undeniable sense of familiarity. Unplaced in the moment, but with some study his memory should cooperate. For now, he let the matter rest, it would do ill to make assumptions, and smiled politely at them both, bowing lightly as they approached to greet him.

His stiffness of manners fell slightly, however, as they were there close together, standing of course in his most proper posture but with an unmistakable glint in his eye as he looked upon Connor once more.

"Ah, dear Morrison," he greeted him warmly, "here I was afraid you should be tied to the dance floor all evening."

Connor Morrison & Benedict Bridgerton

Made by Riley at THQ!

[Connor Morrison]

Tag: Benedict Bridgerton  & Hippolyte Barthélemy     Thread: Ballroom Blitz     Notes: N/A The sight of Dr. Barthélemy was a welcome one indeed. The gentleman was always striking no matter what the setting or attire, but there was something about the formal attire of a ballroom that complimented his appearance like little else could. Connor could scarcely recall the last time he had seen the man in a ballroom — they must have attended a few balls during the Frenchman's visits to Edinburgh, when occasion called for it, but Connor was far more accustomed to seeing the man in the blood-stained apron of the operating theatre. This was a contrast indeed. Dr. Barthélemy never opted for quite as much opulence as his Scottish colleague, but his attire was of admirable cut and quality just the same.  Connor dipped into a light bow to greet the taller man, keeping his smile carefully measured and polite. He was, admittedly, rather pleased by the obvious curiosity slipping across the Frenchman's countenance; evidently, Benedict's presence had not gone unnoticed. Not that Connor had ever suspected it would, of course — nothing ever went over the head of Hippolyte Barthélemy.  When he rose from his bow, that smile was still fixed on his lips, albeit with a faintly more jovial hint beneath the politeness. Of course Barthélemy would comment on his affinity for dancing — even if he could not recall precisely which ball it was that they had attended last, he remembered well how earnestly Barthélemy had complimented his footwork. Quite the feather in his cap, that. "Well," he replied airily, "until someone tells those damned musicians to play something worth dancing to, I must find other ways of entertaining myself." Glancing over at Benedict, he motioned for the Englishman to come forward. "Come, Bridgerton, do not be coy. I should like you to meet my colleague, Dr. Barthélemy — the esteemed chef des travaux anatomiques at L'Ecole de Médecine. Barthélemy, this is Mr. Benedict Bridgerton."

credit to Laura of Adox

[Benedict Bridgerton]

I'm not bound by                                  

As Benedict drew closer to where Morrison was leading him, the Bridgerton son paused when his eyes lay sight on . . . apparently the exact person Connor wished to introduce him to. It was indeed a surprising sight but certainly not an unwelcome one. Barthélemy did not seem to recognize Benedict for their eyes met but he casually continued the conversation. It was of course no surprise that he may not. The last time that Benedict had seen him was . . . well, over a decade ago. Before their father passed away, and seeing him now . . . brought forth so many memories of his younger years. And well, Benedict was obviously a very different man now than the boy he once was. ◈   ◈   ◈  ◈  ◈ Out of all the Bridgertons, Benedict knew that the ones who would have the clearest memories of the man before him other than himself, would be Anthony and their mother. Upon hearing Connor mention his name, the younger male stepped forward, his lips curving into a smile. If Barthélemy didn't recognize him before . . . then he would most certainly recognize his name. But what Benedict could not ignore, was the fact that in the lengthy title of introduction that Connor offered, there was no mention of Marquis. Benedict supposed there was a reason for that, but right now, he was far too pleased to see an old friend. ◈   ◈   ◈  ◈  ◈ "Thank you Mr. Morrison but we need no introduction," Benedict said with an unwavering smile."A welcome sight as it has been far too long," Benedict said, extending his hand for the other to take in a friendly gesture. The man had all but disappeared so seeing him now, was truly wonderful. "It is so good to see you dear friend," he added on. The memories of how good of friends Edmund and Barthélemy were, and the outings they would all have together had Benedict warmly welcome him back to London, eager to find out what had occurred in the last . . . ten plus years. Tag Hippolyte Barthélemy & Connor Morrison Note: Better layout coming soon!

                        the rules of society.

[Hippolyte Barthélemy]

The two men before him were an interesting combination. Were it any other time, Hippolyte mnight not have taken much notice of the man that Connor had taken with him, but the thread of recognition caused more interest than merely a presence would. However, he could not keep his eyes firmly on this stranger, not as Connor spoke, certainly.

Connor's words made his smile grow crooked in amusement. Of course, Hippolyte would ensure he had ample ability to express his footwork on the floor at his best. He should never settle for less indeed. The man was a veritable wonder on the floor with those legs of his. Which were also more than servicable in... other contexts.

Ah! but here was that recognition. The moment Connor introduced Benedict Bridgerton, Hippolyte's face lit up with a laugh. Of course! He had only recently reconnected with his older brother, but even there the resemblance was immediate. The apple never did fall far from the tree, as the English said.

"Benedict Bridgerton!" he called out, laughing, "of course! You must accept my apologies, dear boy, last I saw you, you had not nearly grown as tall."

Connor Morrison & Benedict Bridgerton

Made by Riley at THQ!

[Connor Morrison]

Tag: Benedict Bridgerton  & Hippolyte Barthélemy     Thread: Ballroom Blitz     Notes: N/A Connor hardly thought Hippolyte could still be capable of surprising him, given how intimately he knew the man. He derived some amount of satisfaction, in fact, from how well he believed himself to know Hippolyte; the rest of the world knew the skillful, confident surgeon or the poised and elegant man of society, but Connor knew facets of him that went beyond those archetypes. He quite enjoyed the thought that he knew more about Hippolyte than anyone else.  Evidently, he did not know everything.  Logically, he supposed this news should not have shocked him quite so much as it did. Hippolyte seemed to have no end to his societal connections, even in England — it was not so odd at all that he might know one of the most prominent noble families of London. Knowing that fact on a rational level, however, did not stop him from staring open-mouthed between Benedict and Hippolyte as though both of them had just sprouted second heads.  When he finally found his voice again, he raised a hand to flick a finger back and forth from the Englishman to the Frenchman and asked, "I beg your pardon, but you two know each other?" Stupid question, as both of them had just very plainly indicated that this was the case, but Connor was still recovering from the shock.

credit to Laura of Adox

[Benedict Bridgerton]

I'm not bound by                                  

Benedict's smile grew, would that be possible, upon the man having recognized him by name and now, clearly by face. "There is no need for apology," he reassured the older male. "I would find myself concerned if I looked to exactly the same as I had the last you saw me." Benedict had obviously been much younger then and obviously shorter as Hippolyte accurately pointed out. ◈   ◈   ◈  ◈  ◈ "You on the other hand, look as I remember." The words meant as a compliment, that age indeed suited the man. Colin's words prompted Benedict to turn towards the man, now realizing the surprise on his face so of course Benedict knew it only polite to explain how they knew each other. ◈   ◈   ◈  ◈  ◈ "He is a dear friend of my family's," Benedict began to explain. "One that I hold many fond memories with from my younger years." Most of of them had of course, included Edmund. The hikes they all went on, horseback riding, outdoor adventures . . . yes. Those were truly wonderful childhood memories that Benedict would always hold on to dearly. Tag Hippolyte Barthélemy & Connor Morrison

                        the rules of society.