A slow, elegant closing dance came to an end...
Lorne took half a step back, released Audrey's slender waist, and bowed with impeccable gentlemanly grace.
With the end of that dance, tonight's private soirée, which had drawn the attention of all of Backlund's high society, officially drew to a close.
Lifting her skirts, Audrey returned gracefully to the crowd and rejoined her family.
To be honest, everyone present, including the Hall family, had been somewhat surprised by this unexpected closing dance.
After all, from most guests' perspectives, Viscount Scott had spent the greater part of the evening dealing with politicians and businessmen. Before this, he and the radiant Miss Audrey had barely exchanged a word or interacted directly at all.
Yet at the very last moment, just as the banquet was about to end, the two had suddenly come together without warning and danced the finale in perfect harmony.
Quite a few perceptive politicians and nobles privately wondered whether there was some particularly significant political message behind it.
After all, under the unspoken social rules of Loen's high society, apart from the ceremonial tribute of the opening dance, a closing dance personally offered by the host as the evening's finale often carried a strong suggestion of personal affection.
Even Earl Hall had initially thought along those lines.
After all, he had just lent Viscount Scott a huge sum on extremely favorable terms, and lately, being caught between the New and Old Parties had left him overwhelmed by political troubles.
By openly extending a gesture of goodwill toward the Hall family through this closing dance, watched by everyone, Viscount Scott was also indirectly showing support for his "creditor."
Among the members of the Hall family present, Hibbert was the most clearheaded and the one who knew the most about what had