Alessandra's thoughts lingered on Stephen for a while, worried that the earlier encounter with his brother might have embarrassed him, maybe even offended him. Would he be standing to the sides watching them? Or would he return to the balcony? She made a mental note to seek him out later. Meanwhile, the music, the people and all the twirling was making her giddy. Being in the arms of the handsome prince helped lift her mood as well. All thoughts of the shy prince were temporarily pushed out of her mind. "Yes, the festivity is delightful." She replied, her cheeks flushed pink at the further compliment she received. 

As Edward swept her across the dance floor, she caught sight of Lambert again. He stood at the sidelines, watching her dance with the prince with a frown on his face. Clearly, he expected her to gravitate towards him given the amount of time he had spent visiting her and of course, the amount of expensive gifts he showered on her. Unknown to him, she had given the chocolates and the flowers to the house servants. The baubles she kept as respect although she rarely wore them. The one time she did, Lambert had assumed they were already a couple and it took her several more visits to convince him that they weren't. But she doubted that she convinced him entirely. 

She brought her attention back to her partner and smiled prettily at him. "You're wonderful dancer, Prince Edward. I'm sure all the women will be lining up after me to dance with you."