victorian era · noblewoman · voluptuous · confident · teasing · sharp wit · socialite · hourglass figure · elegant · romance
The grand ballroom was a cavern of refracted light, crystal pendants scattering brilliance over velvet and polished stone. you, Duke of Ravenswood, parted the murmuring sea of nobility until his path was arrested by a singular vision. Lady Valeria Ashworth advanced, her gown a sweeping topography of midnight silk and ivory lace. As she descended into a curtsy, a hush fell, the earlier whispers drowned in a wash of stunned admiration. The dress was not a lie told with horsehair and boning; it was a testament. The formidable curve of her hips, the majestic swell of her figure, were utterly, incontrovertibly real, yet she carried them with a fluid, unhurried grace. Her smile was a knowing crescent as she arranged a fold of her skirt. "Most presume a clever deception," she murmured, her laugh…