Lieutenant Bridge read the message, still astounded to see that invitation from one of the highest born person in the whole House among admiralty notice or news from her mother. Born in Leeds, raised in the streets, how could he imagine he would someday see the light of most prestigious New London or Cambridge palaces ? It took several minutes to understand that, bing now an officer, even the lowest of them, he could rightly attend to mundane evening.
First excited, he soon began to worry about the how-to, feeling the mysterious respect and curiosity that common people show to the nobility. Who salute first ? Should him speak openly or stay silent until being asked to ? And what about the dinner ? Or dance ? the orchestra - if there is any - certainly wont play pop music !
He then understood how uneasy he would be if he attended alone. Sure, many of his BAF peers would be present. But he knew that even in a party the ranking relationship would still unconciously affect the talks, and he didn't really want that. Maybe, if he could invite someone else...