Neither of them were awake before dawn, but it seemed that they were left well enough alone all night anyway. The only thing Helen could really complain about with regard to the situation was that it gave her a slight crick in her neck. Of course, as far as she was concerned, that was a small price to pay for the comfort of being near James for so long. She managed to pry herself away from him early enough to escape before anyone saw - or so she hoped - and she made her way back to her room to prepare for the day.

She wore her blue suit dress for the evening, pinning up her blonde hair so as not to appear suggestive in any manner. She was almost fifty, after all. Ancient by the standards of the age. Even so, age wouldn't deny her social expectations, much as she wished it would.

Once she was ready, she sought James out, allowing him to escort her all the way to the party. She held onto his arm as long as she could, allowing his touches, his looks, as she had all day. It was strange to think of how much had changed in such a short amount of time, but she didn't mind at all. In return, she offered him little smiles, looks she hadn't given him previously, and leaned into his touches as she let him guide her inside.

The first people they ran into were other guests, who greeted them happily, glad they both could make it. A few of them even glanced shrewdly from Helen to James and back. Helen knew someone would figure it out at some point, but wasn't entirely sure she minded. Perhaps she wasn't giving herself enough credit. Perhaps she was ready for this. She stole a glance at James to see how he was doing.