บท 252: Captivated

"You seem so tense, especially when you avert your gaze in that direction." He added, pointing with his thumb and replacing it back in hers.

At impulse, she averted her gaze to the floor, taking her hands to her chest. "I don't know either."

"But, I do," came an unexpected voice, injecting a cheerful note into the charged atmosphere. It was a voice that she knew all too well, and it brought a surge of elation to her being.

"Mr. Gerald!" She exclaimed, her excitement bubbling over. She instinctively lifted the elegant fabrics of her gown, intending to make her way toward him. However, the constricting nature of the dress hindered her movements, and the decorum of the occasion weighed on her mind.

Public displays of personal relations were frowned upon in such esteemed circles, seen as an ostentatious show of influence.