Page 12 of The Marriage Game

The Darcys got home at two in the morning. Georgiana had fallen asleep in the carriage, her head on Elizabeth’s shoulder, and had to be awakened upon arriving home.

That afternoon, when everyone was finally awake, Georgiana was surprised when several small bouquets arrived. The bouquets were all very proper – daffodils, daisies, apple blossoms and the like – and the cards indicated the recipients. “Why, these are the gentlemen I danced with last night!” Georgiana exclaimed. “Oh, how very kind!”

Mrs. Annesley said, “It is considered polite to send flowers after a dance, Miss Darcy. These are obviously well-bred gentlemen who might call on you today.”

“Today?!”

“Yes, indeed. It would be wise to prepare for callers.”

Elizabeth had already considered the likelihood of such an event, and had instructed Mrs. Babcock accordingly.

***

Elizabeth was not the only one to have understood that there would likely be gentlemen callers at Darcy House. Caroline Bingley, well aware that the Stewart’s ball had taken place the previous night, had every intention of being at Darcy House in time to be introduced to those callers.

“Jane, do you plan to visit Elizabeth today?” Caroline asked. Her face and tone were the very picture of perfect innocence.

“I had thought to, yes. I am eager to hear how Georgiana found her first ball.”

“May I accompany you?”

“Of course, Caroline. Let us leave at two o’clock.”

Caroline went upstairs to consider her wardrobe. Charles had permitted her to buy several new dresses, and Caroline had indulged her taste for the opulent, despite the dressmaker raising her brows several times in dismay. She finally chose a dress in crimson velvet. The skirt was embroidered with tiny pearls, and the neckline was low enough to show off a good deal of her creamy skin. She laid the dress out on the bed.

“Alice!” she called for her maid.

“Miss?”

“Help me dress.” Caroline opened her mouth to berate the silly creature for her slowness, but recalled Mrs. Annesley’s words about the servant’s grapevine and so closed her mouth with a snap.

“For the afternoon, Miss?” Alice sounded surprised.

“Yes. You do not approve?” Caroline truly could not help the waspish tone in her voice. As if she gave a toss if the maid approved!

“It looks more like something you would wear to the opera, Miss Bingley.”

Heavens, she would have to find a new maid if this kept up! “Nonetheless, Alice, this is what I will wear this afternoon.”

Once dressed by Alice’s reluctant hands, Caroline selected a pearl necklace and eardrops and put them on. She stared at her reflection for some time before deciding that she did not yet look wealthy enough. She added a gold chain. Good. She had red slippers that were decorated with bits of gold paste; those would certainly do.

But was her face perhaps too pale? She dipped into her dresser drawer to find her small pot of rouge, and dabbed at her cheeks.

Perfect!

***

Caroline descended the staircase at two o’clock to find Jane waiting for her. Caroline was gratified when she saw Jane’s jaw drop open.

“Are you quite certain, Caroline?” Jane asked, softly.

“Of course I am certain, Jane! I would not want to insult your sister by not looking my very best at her house.” And I am certain to outshine Georgiana, who will be wearing something dull and girlish, she thought.

Upon arriving at Darcy House, Jane and Caroline saw three carriages outside. “Oh, they have visitors,” Caroline said, as innocently as she could manage.

They were admitted by the butler, and subsequently led into the drawing room, where they were announced. Caroline saw Elizabeth, Miss Darcy, and Mrs. Annesley, as well as four gentlemen in the room, including Mr. Darcy. The gentlemen rose and bowed. Elizabeth performed the introductions, presenting Jane and Caroline to Lord Fane, the Earl of Westmoreland; Sir Baldwin of Cheshire Way in Sussex; and Mr. Stanley of Overshire Park in Dorset.

Caroline did not hear the names of the latter two gentlemen; her mind had fastened immediately upon Lord Fane. The Earl of Westmoreland was here in Elizabeth’s drawing room! Here, at last, was Caroline’s chance!

She spoke at once, asking Georgiana about her ball. “Miss Darcy, I hope you enjoyed your first ball last night! Heavens, I well remember my first ball! It was at…” And she trailed off, seeing Mrs. Annesley’s eyes narrowing. Caroline heard Mrs. Annesley’s words in her mind: ‘A lady is expected to not be eager to call attention to herself…’“ Caroline gulped and stopped. She tried again. “Did you dance a good deal, Miss Darcy?”

The girl blushed and replied, “With the three gentlemen you see here, Miss Bingley, as well as my brother, of course. There were others; I think I only sat out two dances.”

Georgiana, that silly chit, had danced with the Earl of Westmoreland? And he had then come to call upon her? Truly, Caroline thought, for the millionth time, there was no justice in this world. And here Georgiana sat, entertaining that very Earl, wearing a simple day dress of the palest imaginable blue with a white sash embroidered with blue flowers. She wore blue slippers with no adornment, and her hair was tied up with a wide blue ribbon. She looked like a girl, not a woman. Caroline managed not to sniff.

Caroline, on the other hand, was the very picture of sophistication in her red dress. The saw the Earl glance at her, and then his eyes slid away. I must speak with him, she thought, and wondered how to manage it. He was speaking about how much he preferred country life – another outdoorsman! – and he and Georgiana were exchanging tales of snowstorms out in the country.

“You must miss the countryside,” Caroline purred at him, leaning forward so that he might admire her cleavage.

“I do, but society has claims on all of us,” he replied, glancing at her and then looking away.

For that matter, all of the men in the room had glanced at her when she had first arrived, but none of them had taken a second look. Infuriating!

Georgiana was now speaking easily with Mr. Stanley, who was evidently interested in music.

“Oh, play for us, Georgiana!” Jane exclaimed.

Not so very long ago, Georgiana would have run to her room rather than play for company, but she had been told to expect this. Mrs. Annesley had had her play for dinner guests at Pemberley often enough that she no longer feared playing in public. She had learnt that the near-trance that she usually fell into when she played served her well.

She moved to the beautiful instrument, opened the lid, and sat down. She needed no music sheets to play a complex Pleyel sonata, and her audience sat in appreciative silence as she played. Once done, she sat in silence for a moment, recovering from her trance, and then rose. Her audience burst into applause.

“I say, Miss Darcy, you are very gifted!” Mr. Stanley said with enthusiasm.

“Indeed, I do not think I have before heard anything so fine in a private home,” the Earl added.

Caroline was eager to display her own musical talents, but thought it best not to volunteer herself. Instead, she poked Jane rather hard. Jane jumped, but then quickly said, “My sister, Miss Bingley, is also an excellent musician.”

Knowing what was expected of her, Elizabeth said, “Oh, yes, please do take a turn at the instrument, Caroline.”

Caroline rose with alacrity and played the most complex piece she knew. However, her audience did not sit with the same reverent silence that had been accorded to Georgiana; indeed, she could hear the Earl and Mr. Darcy speaking to one another as she played. How very rude!

She received applause for her efforts, which she acknowledged with a regal nod of her head.

“You are also gifted,” Mr. Stanley said, politely.

“Thank you,” Caroline said, tossing her head.

But the Earl said nothing.

The gentlemen now rose and, with many thanks to their hostess, took their leave. The Earl, however, lingered a moment with Mr. Darcy; they spoke in low tones and then the Earl departed. Mr. Darcy bowed to the ladies and left the room.

“I am glad that is over!” Georgiana said at once, collapsing back into the sofa on which she had sat straight-backed.

“You did very well, Miss Darcy,” Mrs. Annesley said. “And the dress you chose was perfect for the occasion.” She then looked at Caroline, raised her eyebrows, and looked away.

“You may as well speak, Mrs. Annesley,” Caroline said, irritated. “Indeed, you look as if you will be in pain if you do not!”

“Caroline!” Jane hissed.

“Miss Bingley, there is no call to speak to my companion in that manner,” Georgiana said, sternly, much to everyone’s surprise.

“Oh, no, I am not disturbed at all,” Mrs. Annesley said, in her usual serene voice. “I was merely surprised at Miss Bingley’s choice of attire. Miss Bingley, it is as if you are completely unacquainted with the rules of the Marriage Game.”

“The Marriage Game? I do not have the pleasure of understanding you, Mrs. Annesley,” Caroline said, haughtily.

“Oh, let me tell it!” Georgiana said, leaning forward eagerly. “Let me see, how did it go? Making a suitable match in the Season is like a game. If you know the rules and play by them, then you might win! We call it the Marriage Game. Winning the Game is getting married to a suitable gentleman who can support you, who is kind and honourable, and who loves you. Is that right, Mrs. Annesley?”

“Yes, that is right. But the key is knowing the rules and playing by them. If you do not do so, you are unlikely to win the Game.”

“So the lecture I received from you about being kind and modest…” Caroline trailed off.

“That was my attempt to teach you some of the rules, yes,” Mrs. Annesley replied. “I saw you begin to speak about yourself when you first arrived, and then you corrected your course. That makes me think you are able to learn the rules, though you are clearly ignorant of a good many of them.”

Caroline began to take umbrage at being spoken to in this manner – and by a mere companion! – but she saw Elizabeth, Jane, and Miss Darcy all nodding, so she merely said, “And what words of wisdom do you wish to impart to me today?”

Mrs. Annesley replied at once. “Your attire is completely unacceptable for an afternoon call. Did you not notice that none of the gentlemen would look at you? They were embarrassed for you, and when a gentleman is embarrassed, he looks away. You are fortunate that there were no ladies present apart from family, or the bad-mannered among them would likely have hastened to spread gossip about you.”

“But this dress is the very height of fashion!” Caroline protested.

“For an evening event, yes. For an afternoon call, no. Miss Bingley, your aim must be to present yourself as an innocent; thus, you saw Miss Darcy in a simple gown today, not overly adorned, not trying to excite unwanted and improper attention. The colour of her dress was selected so as to complement her complexion and hair colour. You, as a young lady with a good deal of red in her hair, would best be seen in creams, blues and greens, but certainly not in yellows, oranges and reds. Greens in particular, as your eyes are green and should be accentuated. Pale greens, of course. Were I you, I would present the dress you now wear to your maid.”

Caroline winced, recalling Alice’s surprise at the gown she had selected for this visit.

Mrs. Annesley continued, “Wearing a colour that is in fashion but does not bring out the best in your looks is not the way to win the Marriage Game. Moreover, wearing a good deal of jewelry during the day is simply not done.”

Pulling a small book from her pocket, she continued. “I have here a book recently published called The Mirror of Graces. It was published anonymously, so we know not who wrote it. Allow me, please, to quote from it. ‘That a handsome woman may disfigure herself by an injudicious choice or disposition of her attire; and a plain one counteract the errors of nature, so as to render herself at least agreeable; almost every experienced observer has witnessed. We may therefore conclude that beauty with a bad taste is far less desirable than a good taste without beauty.’”

“So I am the beauty with a bad taste,” Caroline said, furiously.

“That is my opinion, yes.”

“And mine,” Elizabeth added. “Caroline, does your dressmaker not advise you?”

“She has had the temerity to raise her brows at me,” Caroline said, stubbornly. “But I believe I know what best suits me.”

“And your maid?”

“Alice? What does she know? Nothing!”

“And you do not listen to the advice of people who try to help you?” Elizabeth could not hide her exasperation.

Caroline shrugged and looked away.

The room fell silent. Finally, Mrs. Annesley said, “Miss Bingley, if you wish to succeed in the Marriage Game, you will have to change your ways.”

***

“I saw you and the Earl whispering together this afternoon,” Elizabeth said, as her husband watched her dress for dinner that night.

“He wants to take Georgiana on a drive tomorrow and he was asking my permission.”

“Have you spoken to Georgiana about it? She might be uncomfortable being seen in public.”

“There will be a maid with her, of course.”

“Nonetheless, you know how shy she is.”

“I thought to discuss it at dinner.”

As Elizabeth had feared, Georgiana’s fork clattered onto her plate when she heard this news. “Me? The Earl?” Her voice rose into a squeak.

“Yes, you,” her brother returned. “And why not? You are certainly eligible.”

“But would he not be looking for a lady with a title?”

“He may be more interested in a lady’s character than in her title,” Elizabeth observed. “And his wife will have a title, after all, as she will be a Countess! But if you do not like him, dearest, we will send a note declining.”

“I do not know him well enough to like or dislike him.”

“That is what the carriage ride is for,” Mrs. Annesley explained. “And it will do you no harm to be seen in public with him.”

Georgiana sighed. “So this is part of the Marriage Game.”

“Very much so.”

“Caroline would give her right arm to go on a drive with him,” Elizabeth chuckled.

“Poor Caroline! She certainly does herself no favours, appearing in a low-cut red velvet gown in the afternoon,” Georgiana said.

“No, she does not. But I still think she can be taught,” Mrs. Annesley insisted.

“I thank you for anything you can teach her,” Elizabeth said. “Poor Jane is desperate to be rid of her.”