Page 11 of The Marriage Game
February 1815
As Elizabeth had told Lady Amelia Fane, the Darcys had received an invitation to a ball at the home of Lord and Lady Stewart. The Stewart family had been on the Countess’ list, as Lord Stewart was a Viscount who had inherited the title, the estate and a considerable fortune rather earlier than had been expected as the result of his father’s untimely death. Lord Stewart was, Elizabeth had learnt, apparently on the verge of offering for one of the Season’s “diamonds,” so he was not an option for Georgiana, but there were bound to be other eligible gentlemen in attendance.
He had a sister, Charity, who was nineteen years old. The Stewart family was an old one, highly distinguished, and owned an estate in Sussex as well as a house in Town.
“Is this Charity Stewart’s come-out ball?” Georgiana asked.
“No, she has been out for two years. She has a fine dowry, but is not much to look at, poor thing.”
Georgiana bit her lip. “It seems a bit unfair, does it not?”
“Unfair?” Elizabeth asked.
“Well, how she looks is not her fault, is it?”
“No, of course not. But fairness has little to do with the Marriage Game, I am afraid,” Mrs. Annesley said.
Georgiana sighed.
***
When the day of the ball arrived, there was a flurry of activity in the family bedrooms. Gowns had been decided upon long ago, of course, but this did nothing to diminish the flurry and excitement that getting ready for a ball necessitated.
Mr. Darcy was at a loss to understand it and said so to his wife. Elizabeth replied, “Oh, this is nothing. You should have seen five girls at Longbourn getting ready for an assembly. Utter chaos, with poor Sally dashing from one room to another, trying to help everyone with their gowns, gloves, hairpins, and what not!”
“So this is calm in comparison?” Mr. Darcy asked, skeptically.
“I assure you, very calm. But you may certainly retreat to the library, my dear, as my father generally did.”
Mr. Darcy did not object to being compared with Mr. Bennet, of whom he had become rather fond, and so kissed his wife and went downstairs to his books.
Elizabeth thought she should check on Georgiana, and so went down the hallway to the girl’s room and knocked on the door.
“Come in!”
Elizabeth found Georgiana sitting on a bed covered in gowns. “I thought we had decided on the cream silk with the ivy embroidery?”
“We did, but then I thought about the white gown with the blue flowers! Or the lilac with the cream lace, that is very pretty as well!”
“And you will wear all of them before the Season is out, I promise you, Georgiana. It is best to not get yourself too upset before a ball, as it lasts until the wee hours of the next morning,” Elizabeth advised. “Remain calm and rest as much as possible.”
“Very well, Lizzy, I shall take your advice.”
“Thank you, Mrs. Darcy,” Cathy mumbled, clearly exasperated. “Miss Darcy would have pulled out every gown she owns at this rate.”
Georgiana soothed her maid, promising that it would not happen again.
“Have you decided on what to do with her hair?” Elizabeth asked Cathy.
“Curls, of course, and pinned up with a few curls framing her face. I think to just wind a few ribbons in and out, as I believe she is too young for turbans and feathers and the like.”
“I agree,” Elizabeth said at once. “I have some emerald hairpins that she could wear; it would set off the ivy embroidery perfectly.” There would be a tiara for Georgiana’s own ball, but it was to be a surprise for her.
“Oh, I love those hairpins!” Georgiana exclaimed.
“That would be perfect, Mrs. Darcy,” Cathy said.
“Then you shall have them. Georgiana, there is no need to be nervous,” Elizabeth said.
“I am more excited than nervous, I think,” the girl answered. “Some of my friends will be there, so that helps.”
Georgiana was delighted that she had already made some friends. She was on a first-name basis with all the young ladies who had come to tea at Darcy House, even Lady Agatha, the sister of the Earl of Westmoreland. Agatha had whispered that her brother, Lord Fane, planned to ask Georgiana for a dance, but Georgiana had said nothing of this to Elizabeth. After all, it was best not to raise anyone’s hopes, as it might come to nothing.
***
The ball was to start at nine in the evening. Anticipating a long line of carriages at Stewart House, the Darcys planned to leave at a quarter past eight.
Mr. Darcy stood at the bottom of the staircase at Darcy House, watching his wife and sister make their slow descent. His heart swelled with love and pride, and he thought – as he did several times every day – that he was the luckiest man in the kingdom.
When Elizabeth reached the next to the last step, he extended his hand to her. She took it, smiling her glorious smile at him, eyes bright.
“You look utterly enchanting,” he told her, his love and pride evident in his voice.
Indeed, her ruby gown set off the russet highlights in Elizabeth’s hair, the cream lace at the hem called attention to her cream slippers set with rubies. Her hair was up, and tied with a bandeau at the back; the bandeau glittered with rubies. She carried a fan decorated with red flowers. She looked every inch what she was – a woman of exquisite taste married to a man who could afford to indulge that taste.
She now unfurled the fan and held to her face. Her eyes peeked flirtatiously at her husband over the fan.
“On second thought, you look far too lovely to be allowed out of the house,” Mr. Darcy said, only half-joking.
Georgiana said, worriedly, “Oh, no, Brother, we have spent hours dressing! We must go!”
“Your brother is only teasing, Georgiana, I promise you.”
Georgiana made an exasperated sound, as well she might. She had been standing behind Elizabeth impatiently, waiting for the little flirtation to end.
“I am sorry, Georgiana,” Elizabeth said, finishing her descent and turning to look at her sister. “Oh, Georgiana, you will turn every head!”
It was unlikely, as there were several true beauties out this Season, but Georgiana did look very well. The cream dress marked her as a young lady newly out, and it showed off her slim body and pert breasts very nicely. The emerald hairpins, loaned by Elizabeth, perfectly matched the green satin ribbons in her hair, which in turn perfectly matched the ivy embroidery around the neckline, hem and sleeves.
Looking at his sister, Mr. Darcy thought she looked young, but also – well, he supposed ripe was the word. He winced at the thought.
Elizabeth saw the wince and knew the reason for it. He was struggling with the idea of his baby sister being out now, and participating in the Season. Georgiana would soon be married, and she would leave Pemberley; the great house would seem empty and quiet without her.
***
As expected, there was indeed a long line of carriages at Stewart House. Georgiana fidgeted impatiently as the carriage slowly meandered up the street, waiting behind other carriages as they disgorged their passengers.
“Heavens, so many people!” Georgiana exclaimed. “How will I find my friends?”
“It can be difficult sometimes,” Mr. Darcy allowed. “Just be patient and try to enjoy yourself.”
The Darcy carriage finally pulled up to the front door. The footman leaped down and opened the carriage door; Mr. Darcy thanked him and climbed out. He reached in to help his wife and then his sister. There was, of course, now the receiving line to wait in. As they inched up toward their host and hostess, the babble of voices grew louder.
Mr. Darcy turned to his wife. “I do this only for my sister’s sake, you know.” His voice was grim but resigned.
“I do know,” she assured him. “You find the noise distressing, I am sure.”
One of the many things she had learnt about her husband was that he very much disliked a good deal of noise. He would never have survived Longbourn, she often reflected. Mr. Bennet was much the same; the loud clamour of his wife and daughters drove him to hide in his library more days than not.
Elizabeth, being a far more social creature than her husband, found the hubbub vastly entertaining. She looked forward to seeing and being seen, to dancing with her husband and whoever else might ask her, to dine on whatever delicacies would be served at supper. There was much to occupy her at Pemberley, and she loved being out in the gardens and the nearby forests, of course, but she did sometimes long for a bit more society than was available to her in Derbyshire. She would make the most of her time in London!
Finally, the Darcys reached their host and hostess. Lady Stewart greeted Elizabeth and Georgiana kindly, asked for an introduction to Mr. Darcy, and then presented her son. Georgiana blushed gorgeously upon being presented to a viscount, and curtsied perfectly. The young man smiled as he bowed to her.
The Darcys then made their way into the ballroom. It was lit with a thousand candles, or so it seemed. The floor had been chalked, but there were so many people mulling about that it was impossible to make out the pattern.
“Would you like a drink?” Mr. Darcy asked. His expression showed nothing of the distaste Elizabeth knew he must feel at the idea of making his way through the crowd to obtain that drink; she hastily refused, as did Georgiana.
The musicians struck a few chords, signaling the beginning of the dance. The first dance was the Fairy Dance; Elizabeth longed to dance it with her husband, but she would not leave Georgiana alone.
Indeed, Georgiana was looking rather lost. She had not yet spotted anyone she knew, and of course she could not dance with anyone to whom she had not been introduced.
“Darcy! I say, I did not expect to see you here!”
Mr. Darcy turned to see a gentleman approaching them. “He is a member of my club and a good man,” Mr. Darcy whispered to Elizabeth.
When the gentleman reached them, he bowed. Mr. Darcy promptly introduced the man as Mr. Stanley of Overshire Park in Dorset.
Elizabeth’s brows rose; she recalled seeing Mr. Stanley’s name on the Countess’ list! “Are you here for the Season, Mr. Stanley?” Elizabeth asked.
“Yes; my mother insists it is time to set up my nursery,” he said, a trifle glumly.
Elizabeth laughed. “I recently participated in a discussion of whether gentlemen wish to get married or do not wish to get married. From your tone, I believe you to be one of the latter.”
“Oh, no, you misunderstand me, Mrs. Darcy. The idea of being married to a lady I love is most appealing; it is the process of finding such a lady that I find daunting.”
“A man after my own heart,” Mr. Darcy said. “But it was worth the wait!”
“Rumour has it that you found your lady-love in the country and did not have to endure a good deal of society,” Mr. Stanley replied. “I believe your road to happiness must have been easier than mine will be.”
Both Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy laughed at this. “There was nothing easy about it, I assure you,” Mr. Darcy replied, smiling.
“Well, faint heart never won fair lady,” Mr. Stanley said. “And so saying, might I be permitted to dance with Miss Darcy?”
Upon receiving permission, he led a blushing Georgiana out for the next dance.
“Come, William, let us dance as well,” Elizabeth urged.
“Very well; you know we cannot dance together more than twice.”
“Yes, so let us save our second dance for the waltz!”
When the dance was over, and the Darcys were reunited, Georgiana’s eyes were glowing. Mr. Stanley had been very kind, and they had spoken together as much as the dance had allowed.
Lady Agatha Fane appeared then with her mother; greetings and introductions were made.
“My brother will ask you to dance; just wait here with me! He will come and I will introduce you,” Lady Agatha whispered to Georgiana.
It was but a few minutes before Lady Agatha’s brother, Lord Fane, was at his sister’s side. Upon being introduced to the Darcys, he begged permission to dance with Miss Darcy, of whom he had heard so much from his sister. Blushing with excitement – dancing with an Earl! – Georgiana departed on his arm in a swirl of cream silk.
“Georgiana was afraid of having no dance partners at all; being seen on the arm of your brother will do wonders for her confidence,” Elizabeth said to Lady Agatha. “It was kind of you to arrange that for her.”
It was Lady Amelia who answered. “Not at all; my son needs to meet as many young ladies as possible this Season.”
Elizabeth was not certain how to reply to this, but Lady Agatha forestalled the need for a response by adding, “Mother is keen for grandchildren.”
“And my daughter shows no signs of forming a suitable attachment,” Lady Amelia said. “So I must rely on my son to provide them. And an heir is required for the title, of course.”
When Georgiana and Lord Fane returned, Elizabeth saw that Georgiana was now the recipient of many interested male glances. Word had doubtless spread that the Darcy heiress was in attendance, and introductions to her were sought out. Mr. Taylor and Mr. Dunfred, whose names Georgiana and Elizabeth recognised from the Countess’ list, were introduced by Mr. Stanley, and these gentlemen all invited Georgiana to dance.
Elizabeth was asked to dance by those gentlemen to whom she had been introduced as well, though she made certain to save the final dance – the waltz – for her beloved husband.