As Robin observed the lively dancing and conversations around the room, he began to notice Holly's influence everywhere. Earrings featuring her signature heart stone, a necklace resembling ivy gracefully winding around a neck, and even a man's gloves adorned with a small wheat charm—all unmistakably her creations. A sense of pride swelled within him, at the sight, causing him to stand a bit taller in his custom suit.

Robin searched for Holly, finally spotting her in a corner, conversing with a new woman who appeared to be one of Adel's more wealthier citizens. Robin had noted that the wealthy in Adel had fashion that trailed a few years behind London's own trends, while the less affluent townsfolk had cultivated a distinctive style all their own. Holly's outfit effortlessly blended the luxury of jewels and art favored by the wealthy with the rugged, authentic style of those less well-off, as if trying to appealing to both demographics.

Catching Holly's eye, she quickly gave him a small wave, but her expression quickly turned to concern as she gestured for him to join her. Robin suddenly felt self-conscious, realizing he'd been standing awkwardly alone by the refreshment table just staring at her. Robin quickly shook his head to reassure her with a smile, turning back to the food and pretending to be occupied.

When Robin glanced back, he saw that Holly had excused herself from the conversation and was making her way over to him.

"How are you doing, Robin?" She asked, with concern in her eyes. "Is this overwhelming for you?" 

"No, not at all," Robin shook his head, trying to reassure her with a smile. "I'm used to events like this in London. Truthfully, you've caught me in my usual spot for these events." He confessed as he gestured to the table. "It's the perfect location to admire the beauty of the event."

Holly scanned the plain cream ballroom adorned lightly with autumn harvest decorations—hay bales in the corners and leaf garlands hanging from the ceiling—and looked up at Robin with a skeptical smile.

"I agree. The view over here is most spectacular," she said with a giggle, eyeing the napkin in Robin's hands.

"Ooh, is this a pear tart?" Holly exclaimed. "How does it taste?"

"I don't know," Robin admitted. "I got it for you."

Holly delicately took a tart from the napkin in Robin's hands and took a bite, her eyes lighting up with delight. "It's not bad! Do you want a bite?" She asked as she took one from his hand and offered it to him.

"I told you, I'm more of an apple tart kind of guy," Robin said, taking it carefully from her and putting it back in the napkin. "Which seems to be a minority opinion in this town-"

"Well, good then," Holly interrupted with a shrug, "more for me." 

She smiled at him cheekily as she took the napkin from him and enjoyed another bite.

Holly paused for a moment, reviewing the tart again between bites. "You're right though,—apple might have been better."

Robin shook his head  and sighed with mock seriousness. 

"I'll have to have a word with the chef," he said, exaggerating his Kingsbury accent.

Holly laughed and pointed to a random lady nearby who seemed to be arguing with her husband.

"I believe I saw her set the tarts down when they arrived. If you'd like, you can address the complaint to the chef right now."

Robin took the napkin back from her. "Tragically, it seems my hands are full. I'll have to reschedule that confrontation when I am not so busy."

Holly let out a quiet laugh in amusement as she took another tart from his hands.

"Miss Ivy!" a shrill voice called out from the crowd.

Robin turned to see Corrine, her arm hooked protectively around Dexter's as they approached the two of them at the refreshment table.

Robin couldn't help but notice the sour look on both of their faces, snidely eyeing Holly and Robin's clothing in an envious appreciation. The couple was also dressed nicely in a burnt orange color that matched the theme of the dance, but the two's attempts at catching attention with their matching outfits appeared amateur and cheap compared to Holly's creations. 

Robin felt a smirk creep onto his face at both Dexter's jealous expression, and the sight of the man's horrid hair, looking even worse than Robin could have imagined from Holly's description.

Dexter's new hairdo had one side shaved off completely, the rest kept longer and placed in a short, low ponytail. However, Dexter's hair was not quite the right length for the hairstyle, causing most of what was left of his hair to slide out of its ribbon and around the one half of his face. Robin had to hold back a chuckle as he watched Dexter continually shake his head to get the hair out of his eyes.

Holly, on the other hand, was not as amused at the couple's arrival. Her face quickly turned sour as the two came to a stop in front of them.

"Hello, you two!" Corrine greeted with exaggerated politeness, reaching out to touch Holly's diamond cape. "My, Ivy, what a stunning dress! I'm always in awe of what you can do. I was just begging Dexter to get me this cape of yours for my birthday in a few weeks. I just- oOPs!" Corrine  gasped, accidentally snapping the chain between her fingers. "Oh, my darling! I am so sorry! I didn't realize it was so fragile-Oh but I guess I should have known shouldn't I?"

"Oh, It's fine, Corrine," Holly snapped with annoyed laugh, carefully taking the chain out of the small woman's hands to analyze the damage.

Annoyance rose in Robins chest, and he let out a loud, deliberate cough to gain the two's attention.

Dexter and Corrine's cheeky expressions turned to him. Corrine's eyes narrowed, clearly frustrated and suspicious of his intervention.

"I'm sorry, my good lady—Miss Carrie, was it?" Robin said with a professional air.

" It's Corr-"

"Right, I'm so sorry Miss Coraline, but with the attention these capes have been getting tonight, I'm afraid she won't be able to fulfill your request this winter." Robin interrupted with a pitting smile."I've already informed a few gentlemen tonight that they shouldn't expect their wives capes until February at this rate." Robin lied with a harsh laugh, carefully placing Holly's arm through his and giving her hand an encouraging squeeze.

"I'll add," Robin continued, despite the disbelieving glare on Corrines face. "In the the two times I have met you, Miss Caroline, you have manage to destroy three of Miss Ivy's works which, might I be so bold to say, were not yours to begin with." Robin said, clicking his tongue in disappointment and shaking his head. "Miss Ivy prefers to prioritize the costumers who will cherish and look after of the works she has so painstakingly created. I'm afraid, you have proven yourself otherwise."

Corrine scoffed, seemingly at a loss for words.

"Ah, yes," Holly said, her expression shifting from annoyance to smugness as she tagged on to Robin's initial bluff. "The publics response for these looks has been overwhelming, I think I might have overdone it tonight," 

Holly let out a dramatic sigh as she reached up to straighten Robin's vest. "At this rate, I'm afraid I won't even be able to fix the other jewelry you broke until mid-next year," She added, tilting her head in mock pit as she turned to Corrine. "But I'm sure you won't mind," Holly continued, turning to Dexter. "After all, I gave the ring to Dexter for free, so I'm sure he has the budget to buy his special woman a ring to replace it."

"Oh, for-for free..." Corrine muttered, eyeing Dexter.

Dexter laughed awkwardly, patting his fiancé's arm in nervous reassurance.

 "Yes, well, of course. I should have known it would be made cheaply." he grumbled, before turning to Robin, "The research institute, or wherever your brother is from, will be disappointed to have come all this way to find such low quality work, I'm afraid. I guess we all overestimated your abilities, Miss Ivy." Dexter sneered with a snarky laugh, shooting Holly a cocky smirk.

"I think we both know it was you who underestimated her, Mr. Dexter," Robin said, meeting the man gaze, refusing to let the insufferable man get the last word.

There was a brief, uncomfortable silence that followed as the two men glared at each other. 

Corrine's visible annoyance slowly simmered into outright anger at finding out she had been given a free ring by her fiancé . Her glare was dangerous as she looked up at Dexter, aggressively tugging at his arm, trying to get his attention.

Holly shot a grateful smile at Robin, and turned back to Corrine and Dexter with a cheeky grin. "Yes, well... It was a free ring, after all. Just imagine what quality you could have had if you'd been willing to spend a pretty penny." She said as she once again took the napkin from Robin's hand, displaying his multiple golden rings inlayed with gems of various sizes. "I have plenty of new designs I'd be happy to discuss—at a premium price, of course. And If you need it before your wedding, I'm afraid at this point there will be an expediting fee, as well." Holly said as she let Robin's hand drop to his side, quickly reaching down to grab hold of it, and giving it a slight squeeze in reassurance.

"Now, if you'll excuse us, I had someone else inquiring about the men's rings, so unless you wish to continue talking business, we'll have to move on." Holly asserted, pushing past Corrine and Dexter. "Enjoy the dance!"

Holding tighter onto his hand, Holly led Robin through the crowd and to a table near the back of the hall, a tall pillar blocking the table from the view of the refreshments.

"That was amazing Robin! You were so poised, and..." Holly was beaming with nervous excitement. "Thank you so much for being there with me. I felt so much more confident with you by my side." She added with a giggle, sneaking a glance around the pole to catch a glance at the couple they had left behind..

Robin had to admit, he felt quite proud of himself too. Any insecurity he'd had about his outfit vanished after seeing the hint of jealousy in Dexter's eyes as he stared at Robin's vest and tie. Despite Dexter's words, Robin could tell Dexter was envious of him, which made Robin feel like the wealthiest man in the room.

Holly grabbed another tart from the napkin and started nibbling on it, her eyes scanning the dance floor to ensure Dexter and Corrine didn't catch them in their lie.

She chuckled mischievously, turning her attention back to Robin. "Did you see Corrine's face when I mentioned the free ring? She looked almost as devastated as I felt when I saw her wearing the ring." Holly scrunched her face in an evil grin, letting out a small, wicked laugh. "What a fool... proposing with a gifted ring? I know Dexter has enough money to buy a proper one, too. He's just lazy. He's always been lazy. I don't know why I ever..." She trailed off, shaking her head.

"Well, he is a handsome man," Robin mumbled, teasingly, "and I'm sure you thought he'd be the best in town to showcase your designs—well, that is, before I came along."

Holly laughed, looking him over once more. "You're right, but Dexter could never make them look as good as you do." Her eyes lingered between his before briefly glancing at his lips. "I'm glad he never had the chance."

"Me too," Robin smirked as he leaned against the table, inching closer to her. "I'm getting so much attention. I feel like the King of Kingsbury."

"The King of Kingsbury wishes he looked as handsome as you," she said, leaning in as well. Her eyes, lingering on his lips a bit longer this time. 

Robin was suddenly aware of the nearness of her face to his, yet he didn't want to pull away. He tried to hide the blush creeping onto his ears as he caught himself wondering what she might do if neither of them decided to distance themselves.

 "When you're back in London and run into him, put in a good word for me, will you? I hear he's very fond of jewelry." Holly whispered, her eyes searching his.

"Ah, yes, we have tea every spring, so I'll be sure to mention it. Especially the part about being more handsome than him..."

"No!" Holly said, wrinkling her nose in amusement, pulling back as she shook her head. "I'll be beheaded! How will I show off my necklaces with no neck?"

"Hmm... good point," Robin said, leaning back and shaking his head. He carefully pushed the part of him that felt disappointed to the back of his mind. "I won't bring it up then."

Holly watched him with an amused smile. "You don't seriously know him, though, right?"

Robin laughed, analyzing her face to gauge whether she was serious. "No, of course not, Holly. Not everyone in Kingsbury knows the king."

"What's the point in having one then?"

"Good question... I'll ask him over tea, if I ever have the chance."

Holly laughed, but as the music changed on the dance floor, her eyes widened.

"Mr. Robin! It's the Heel-Toe Polka!" Jo shouted, pushing through crowd and running to their table, quickly grabbing both Holly and Robin's hands to pull them into the dance circle that had formed in the center of the old ballroom.

The three of them quickly joined in, with Robin jumping and spinning to the best of his ability as  he tried to keep up with the Heel-Toe Polka he had only learned a few hours earlier. Robin found himself laughing as he stumbled through the steps, quickly relaxing after noticing that no one else was dancing precisely the same as he'd been taught—everyone was adding their own flair, and just having fun. Seeing others fumble and add their own touch to the basic steps helped Robin feel a little less frightened of the embarrassment from his mediocrity.

When the dance finally came to an end, Holly approached Robin as she caught her breath, clapping with a happy glimmer in her eye.

"Great Job Robin! You looked like a professional!"

"I almost hope they play it again—I was just getting the hang of it," Robin said with a laugh.

"I do too!" Holly smiled. "It's one of my favorites. Maybe if we're lucky—"

 Jo grabbed Holly's arm, pulling her to dance again as the next song began, interrupting their conversation.

Robin quickly waved them off, and excused himself to the side, as it was a dance he hadn't learned earlier in the day. It was another lively country partner dance, full of hopping and twirling. Watching from the sidelines, Robin noticed how Holly's cape and skirt whirled around her like diamond-studded halos, almost as if by magic. 

A small pang of jealousy hit him—he wished he could have more chances to dance with her like that. Maybe, if he was lucky, he could learn it for next year.