<div class="floatright">(http://elliquiy.com/elluiki/images/b/b7/Marguerite_Tuerny_12.jpg)</div><div class="floatleft">(http://elliquiy.com/elluiki/images/thumb/8/8f/Marguerite_Tuerny_07.jpg/600px-Marguerite_Tuerny_07.jpg)</div><strong>Name:</strong>Marguerite Tuerny<br/><strong>Date:</strong>Saturday, April 16th, 1870<br/><strong>Time of Day:</strong>Early Evening<br/><strong>Location:</strong>The Virginia Secession Debutante Ball and Cotillion<br/><strong>Tagged:</strong>Open<br/><hr/>"You're lovely, My dear Marguerite."<br/><br/>The girl addressed blushed, but then looked past her mother to the mirror hung near the entrance to the grand ballroom of the Virginia governor's mansion.<strong>"It is a pretty dress,"</strong>She admitted.<strong>"But couldn't we have put something in the bodice?</strong>"  The frilled collar of the vividly turquoise dress covered a decidedly boyish chest.  At sixteen, it was high time she started filling out!  Other girls had much lower necklines, and assets worthy of display.<br/><br/>Her mother simply smiled. "Ah, l'impatience de la jeunesse!<sup>*</sup>"  Élisabeth Tuerny scolded rather fondly.  "You have plenty of time for such things, and you are beautiful très.*   I am sure the men will not notice what you think is lacking."<br/><br/>That was all well and good for her to say, Marguerite thought with a petulant pout she well knew was adorable.  Her mother was the real beauty.  Why, this was a debutante ball, a showcase for the cream of  Confederate youth and beauty, and even dressed to mute rather than accentuate her radiance, Élisabeth was already turning heads.<br/><br/>Some of the heads might be turned toward her, but Rita really didn't consider the possibility that she was able to draw male attention when near her mother.<strong>"Easy enough for you to say."</strong>She replied, maintaining the pout, though with effort.  Her mother had a way of making her smile even when she didn't want to.<br/><br/>"Now Marguerite."  Her mother went into lecture mode.  "There are many fine gentlemen here, and you must seriously consider each one, weigh his assets against his flaws and decide which are both suitable and interesting.  Do not over value the later!"<br/><br/>Marguerite had heard all this before, on the ferry across the Chesapeake and on the road to Richmond, and during her fittings and... She was tired of it.  These balls were nothing more than marriage brokerages, with mothers proffering their daughters to other mothers presenting their sons, and it was all so callous.  Only her dress was lovely, and she certainly wasn't going to become betrothed this evening, and this was her first grown up ball!  The first time she was the star and was able to dance with men other than her father or uncles or cousins.  She was excited despite her misgivings, and she did so wish she looked more grown-up!<br/><br/>"...  and Edward Baldrick."  While she'd been daydreaming her mother had continued the lecture, moving on to her list of most-suitable bachelors.  "True, he's a rebel, but they all are at this ball, I hear he's a handsome man,  he's of good family with solid holdings, and he's just the right age."  In her mother's opinion an older husband was best.<br/><br/><strong>"Yes Mamma."</strong>Rita replied dutifully.<strong>"I will make sure all your choices appear on my dance card." </strong>And then they were Announced, and Marguerite became the center of attention for a swarm of young and not so young single gentlemen.  Her card filled quickly, and she rather enjoyed the flirtatious byplay and the dancing.<br/><br/>And as much as she hated to admit it, her mother had been right - out of all the dashing men in the room, Edward was the most intriguing.  Handsome and quite a good dancer, with the confidence to lead correctly and the grace not to step on her toes.  And funny in a dry way, and oh-so-handsome!<br/><br/>Only... try as she might, she couldn't keep his attention!  He was obviously a teat-man, because his eyes kept straying to exposed cleavage, of which she had none.  Why, he had even thrown more than a passing glance toward her mother, the cad.  Such a pity, because he was nine-tenths of what a girl wanted from an affair like this.  No matter!  She made do with other, less interesting companions and thought the night rather a success.<br/><br/>On the way home her mother quizzed her.  "Were there any gentlemen that impressed you, my dear?  Anyone that might want to call?"  And the answers were no, and yes.  Just the one fellow was of any interest at all, and she did not think he'd want to call on her.  As for the others - several had made it plain they would like to come calling, but none that she would like to encourage.<br/><br/>There were other balls this season, in Washington and Philadelphia and of course in Baltimore.  The girl looked forward to those.<br/><div class="spoiler_container"><div class="spoiler_header" onclick="hideSecond (this);" role="button">translations</div><div class="spoiler_body">Ah, the impatience of youth!<br/><br/>...very beautiful.</div></div>