CHAPTER NINETY TWO - POPPING THE QUESTION

Gwen was everywhere, her infectious energy carrying her from person to person with reckless glee. She danced with servants and sisters alike, her laughter ringing out over the music like a clarion call. Even Lady Becky was not spared her daughter's whirlwind enthusiasm. Gwen emerged from the crowd, her cheeks flushed and her hair in wild disarray, and grabbed her mother's hands. For a moment, Becky's stern countenance flickered, torn between disapproval and the overwhelming spirit of the night. Then, with a reluctant shake of her head and the faintest of smiles, she surrendered to Gwen's lead, allowing herself to be swept into the maelstrom. The hours blurred together in a haze of music, laughter, and tangled limbs. Karina lost count of how many partners she danced with, how many times she found herself pressed against John's solid form, only to be whisked away by Nancy's teasing hands or Zaya's heated gaze. It was pure, unadulterated revelry, a night where rules and boundaries he