The hour was imminent. The curtains had been hung with precision and Sophie had just put the final touches on Lowri’s evening dress. She’d spared no expense with the Christmas party, even going as far as having the staff dress accordingly, though their outfits still identified them as such. In addition to her standard lady’s maid black with a white apron and cap, Sophie’s had been modified to include dark velvet seventeenth century stays decorated with gold trim, and even a small ruffle at the back of her dress invoking a medici collar. Some of the male servants even wore floppy ruffs in place of their collars. From her gathering in the servant’s hall, everyone seemed to be having good fun with it all. Those who worked for the Dempseys weren’t strangers to the eccentricities of the family.

Having completed the majority of the work necessary before the doors opened, Sophie wandered down to the main ballroom where people were still milling about getting everything ready and putting final touches on the decor. Her eyes scanned the crowd, though it didn’t take long to find him. It was as if she had known where he would be. She couldn’t help the smile that played at her lips as she moved forward; gingerly, as her hip had still been bothering her from yesterday’s walk around the grounds.

His back was to her, but she could tell by the wild curls that it was Endymion. She could see where his gaze was directed though; at a passing mirror that John and William were carrying past to bring to the main foyer. Laughing to herself, she reached him and teased, “Mr. Dempsey, your reflection is never going to respond back, you know, no matter how hard you stare.” Of course she couldn’t blame him. He was - in her opinion - the more handsome of the brothers (though at one time or another, she’d harbored a crush on all of them, not that she’d ever tell).