"Mujhe sard mausam se ghrna hai..." 

The unpleasant thoughts of frostbite and hypothermia filled her head as she opened the door of the building, letting out an uncharacteristic squeal as the cold slammed her cheeks. The warmth of her coat was more than enough, especially considering the fur trim, but for her she may as well have been without it. Her stockings did little to protect her legs from the wind, and she ended up in a shaky, clumsy sprint as she ran outside. Throwing herself into the cab, she let out a huff of annoyance as the driver opened his door, his chuckling doing little to lift her mood. She never did like the cold very much, the sight of snow alone being enough to dampen her spirits. Rubbing her shivering knees, she made herself comfortable as the cab drove off.

All things considered, Lakshmi Datta was excited--cold weather notwithstanding. At first she had tried not to think about it too much, to keep her expectations realistic about the man who had requested her presence. Of course that was immediately thrown to the way and her head was filled with the fantasies she often read about in journals and books. Her imagination went from the mundane to the most fantastical stories she could come up with--she had thought she had heard of Thomas Cornell once, but after properly reading the letter she realized the bloke's name was Thomas [i]Cormack[/i]. Who was...a man of wealth? A count? No, a lord? The proper thing would have been to do some research beforehand, but she just figured she would take things as it would happen. Or something. She never was any good at properly planning things.

Of course, as the cab arrived at the estate, a prick of regret came. The place was enormous, immediately reminding her of her previous in-laws', though that memory was pushed aside as she would lean towards the window to get a better look. Before she knew it, the cab had come to a halt. Perking up, her enthusiasm was whisked away as the driver opened the door. There was no excusing her scowl as she heard his laugh at her once more, though she did thank him properly as she quickly walked to the door of the manor. Knocking rapidly on the door, she took a few steps back, exhaling impatiently as she looked down at her heels. Heels. Why did she decide to wear heels? Why did she decide to wear a fancy dress and heels when she could have worn some warm trousers?

Thankfully the sound of the door opening and warm air beckoning her forward would snap Lakshmi out of unpleasant thoughts. Throwing on a smile, she summoned her dignity as a man greeted her pleasantly. "Good evening," She said, her voice dripping with honey for her savior from the wicked weather. He seemed amused at her distaste for the cold, but she hadn't noticed as she took off her coat. Once she was instructed on where to go, she gave herself a one over one last time; her long hair in a high, elegant bun, her celeste blue dress hanging off her curves favorably, and her white heels currently biting into her toes but still looking fabulous. 

Lakshmi couldn't quite stop her jaw from dropping as she took in the sights, the echo of her heels clicking the floor being her only companion. It was a lot grander than she had pictured, putting her imagination to shame, and she was practically giddy by the time she reached the banquet hall. She stood at the doorway, standing still as she looked all around the hall. It took her a moment to realize there was someone else already seated. He looked relaxed, a drink in hand as he was likely waiting for whoever else had been invited. Was this Thomas? No, he looked much too young...though that didn't mean he wasn't the lord. Then again, he looked too rough, too weathered for someone who was likely to have lived a sheltered life of luxury.

Rather than staying in mystery, Lakshmi decided to simply get his name. The worst that could happen was a correction on her part, to which she would fully own up to and apologize for assuming the lord to be an older, scruffy man. "Hello there," She said, giving him a small wave. "First to arrive?"