Beginning, Section II, Next Section
My dear Miss Darcy, how it pains me to say that both L and I are unable to be with you in London at this present time, but circumstances you understand keep us in the North. Our friendship I know is vital to you at this moment and I hope it shall still exist when we do return and that you have not quite cast us off. Your brother I am happy to say is well (as well as being the support and guide of my brother), but does not look to return to London until early March before passing on to Lady C. We shall hardly return to London until he does. I do hope you have continued practicing that delightful concerto that I bought for you at Christmas....
Georgiana had been quite put out to find that letter awaiting her return from her excursion; though Kitty had to own that her response to the letter was far beyond that of Georgiana's.
Kitty had not liked Miss Bingley or her sister. They thought too well of themselves and felt themselves allowed to do things they condemned in others. And to write such a letter to Georgiana constantly coupling her name with her brothers and hers... Kitty did not know whether Mr Darcy was going to marry Miss Bingley sometime in the future, but they were not engaged now and as such Miss Bingley had no claims on Georgiana.
If Kitty was entirely truthful she was slightly jealous, she had never had her own particular friend before and did not want to share the one she had finally found. She blurted this fact out to her friend who laughed and reassured her.
"Oh! As if I could ....I'm afraid Miss Bingley alarms me. She always is so very kind to me...but I do not think she would be at all kind if I was not Fitzwilliam's sister and..." Georgiana broke off here and looked towards the floor.
"Well, " Kitty replied brightening, "if you are afraid that I am like Miss Bingley let me reassure you, I quite dislike your brother."
This did make Georgiana laugh. "But you are only funning. You do like my brother do you not?"
Kitty was not funning, but she had to own she did not know Mr Darcy enough to dislike him or like him so she said so.
"Well then I must go find my aunt and depart I only have time to write a letter to my mother before I must start getting ready for the theatre."
"You know, if I were you Kitty, I should take care what I wrote to your mother," commented Clara as they drove back to Cavendish Square.
Kitty drew her eyebrows together. "I beg pardon?"
"I just do not think your mother needs to know every detail and every body you meet."
Clara had the deepest concern that Fanny would implore her daughter via the medium of the royal mail to marry the first young man she saw, or worse come up to London to make sure of the fact.
Kitty too saw the problems arising from mentioning all of her doings in London, she had not been in London above four days and already she had met a baronet and a group of young ladies and gentlemen, and was often in the company of a countess and heiress. And the future only looked more complicated! She would probably bring on her mother's nervous spasms if she mentioned all of this in her letters.
"No I think you are right. Beside I always get left out of things at home, I do not see why I have to let them into my secrets."
"Well you should not have secrets from me. That would be most improper."
Kitty smiled. "No I will not keep secrets from you. No clandestine meetings or letters nor sneaking young gentlemen upstairs dressed as chimney-sweeps."
Clara gave a start. "Dressed as what?"
"That is what I am told happened to young Mr Kirby in Bath I am told, but he was found out and the young lady was sent into the wilds of Northumberland."
"Why a chimney sweep?"
"I know! I would have thought that was a stupid disguise because he would have to be all dirty and grimy to fool anybody and that is hardly very romantic."
Clara recovered her wits. "Very true. But it would be most improper of you to keep any secrets from me, as I stand in place of your mother while you are in London and anything that she needs to know I will write to Thomas about."
Kitty stifled a giggle.
In fact it was not just a letter to her mother that Kitty had to compose. Lydia had replied to her letter.
Kitty stared at the letter before dashing up to her bedchamber to read it in private.
The contents surprised her.
Not only had Lydia read the letter but she had gone down to demand from Mr Sacking an explanation.
If Kitty had the means of transporting herself back to Longbourn she would have kissed Mr Sacking there and then. Whatever he said, it had been enough to convince Lydia that Mr Wickham was not a gentleman to know.
It seemed as though Mr Wickham was running up debts with the tradesmen of the town and meddling with their daughters, but it appeared it was the fact that he had interfered with Mr Sackings employment and family that weighed most with Lydia, that and the fact Lydia liked her men to only be in love with her. She did not have to be constant, but they did.
The only alarming part of the letter was the fact someone had revealed to Mr Sacking that Mr Wickham was hanging out for a rich wife and did not much care whether he came by her rightfully or wrongly. Lydia who had some innate shrewdness had made the staggeringly correct guess of assuming that Miss Darcy had been in love with Mr Wickham and possibly wanted to run off with him. After all Lydia could not conceive how any women would not be charmed by him even one who had known him all her life.
Kitty took up her pen to beg her sister not to talk nonsense about Miss Darcy, but as the rest of the letter contained no other mention of Lydia's theory she was not sure whether it would be best to let the matter go. Especially since, Lydia ended her tirade on Mr Wickham by telling her sister she refused to tell anybody about Mr Wickham, since as far as she was concerned if they could not tell what sort of man he was, it was their own fault.
Lydia continued by roundly abusing Kitty for being such a boring correspondent and that nothing, not even the delights of London could make her letters anything but those fit to be consigned to the fire.
Kitty frowned at this, for Lydia would have been the only one she could have openly revealed all her London news. Lydia would hardly make it family gossip, firstly because they would not listen to it and secondly because it would make Lydia realise what she was missing out on and Lydia never willingly made herself second best.
Kitty tapped her pen against the pile of novels Clara had picked up from a circulating library, during their shopping expedition on Monday. Kitty idly picked up one which was a lurid romance entitled the Castle of Wolfenbach, and she had an idea.
Dipping the pen into the ink she began to write her reply to her sister.
The party made up for the theatre that night was, the Blaketons and Mr Fancot.
Lady Blaketon confided to Kitty as they took their seats in the box that young gentlemen did not like to dance attendance on young ladies, and that it had to be a compliment to her that both the young men had brought themselves up to scratch.
They had only arrived in time for the curtain to go up at the Sans Pareil on the Strand, as the Miss Blaketons had changed their gowns several times and had invited Kitty up to their chambers to help them choose. As a consequence Kitty was slightly out of patience with them. She understood it was dowdy to want to arrive exactly when the doors opened, but Kitty wanted to experience all London had to offer immediately and fully. She supposed it was a fault to be so impatient. Mary would indeed say so.
As it was Kitty did not care for the first play - being a farce, with the title "An Animated Effigy" was enough to explain this. The Comic opera that followed had a long and improbable title, and final piece, the pantomime, was entitled "The Poison Tree; or, Harlequin in Java" yet was celebrating a British military victory of the previous year in Java. Kitty applied to the gentlemen of the party to explain what the context of this pantomime was, but neither of them could tell her beyond pointing out to her the 'superb orangerie and garden of Asiatic plants' As it was she was more confused (though not in an intellectual sense) by the material presented on the stage then she had thought to be. She far more enjoyed the social aspect of the theatre.
The Miss Blaketons pointed out every single person of note they were acquainted with in the theatre, but considering it was only mid-January there were not many persons of rank in the place.
Clara and Lady Blaketon held their own conversation towards the back of the box for most of the intervals between the plays, but occasionally both would contribute to the general conversation.
"That is a very pretty dress Miss Bennet."
"Really?" Kitty looked down. "It is a dress I had made up in Meryton!"
"Oh, but it is very pretty! If that is what country dress-makers can achieve!" Miss Blaketon smiled.
"Yes Miss Bennet you take the wind out of my sisters' sails, and them in proper London fashions."
Kitty smiled at Mr Blaketon, trying hard not to let his flattery go to her head.
"A very unhandsome thing to say Blaketon, you will make your sisters unlikely to invite Miss Bennet anywhere!" added Mr Fancot deftly.
The Miss Blaketons immediately disclaimed that they would do any such thing.
"And it is very unhandsome of you to say that, Mr Fancot, when you know that they would never do such a thing," retorted Kitty.
Mr Fancot smiled. "A hit! Miss Bennet. It was very un-gentlemanly. Both Blaketon and I are!"
"Un-gentlemanly! Speak for yourself Giles! I know how to behave with ladies!"
The ladies laughed at this.
Kitty was exhausted after her night at the theatre and tumbled into bed and slept soundly, she was only thankful they had nothing planned for the next morning or the next evening. Clara warned her that just because the beginning of her visit had been so hectic, not to expect such a pace until much later as the season had not even officially started.
The morning brought a quiet breakfast with her aunt, and helping her with organising the management of the household. Mr Morris had hired all the servants beyond the skeletal staff kept even if there were no tenants, but Clara preferred to speak to all of them to ascertain their worth herself. Also it was a way of learning their names.
Kitty knew all of Longbourn's servants by name and a great deal of servants who belonged to other household's by name as well, but she did expect in London that things would be different and told her aunt so.
"They could be different in other households, but in mine I prefer to know who exactly is doing what!" was how her aunt answered her remark.
Kitty helped draw up the planned menus for the nights that they expected to be at home, and organise the full turning out of the household that Clara deemed necessary.
"I should have done this as soon as we arrived, but we fell in with the Blaketons."
Thus when Lady Blaketon offered to escort Kitty to a different theatre that night, promising the plays would be much better, Clara declined from going, but after a pleading look from Kitty (who could not bear to catalogue a single piece of linen more) agreed that Lady Blaketon could offer enough chaperonage.
The party was, with the exception of Clara, the same party from the night before.
It was an agreeable party and considering that the same persons had spent three nights running in the same company, everyone was well on the way to thinking that Kitty was very much part of their set and always had been.
The play that night was Shakespeare's "Hamlet," which Kitty enjoyed far more than she had the plays of the previous night.
"You prefer Shakespeare Miss Bennet?" asked Mr Blaketon
"Oh yes, I have read his plays you see and to see it performed is exciting!"
"How very blue-stocking of you!" commented Miss Blaketon.
"Is it?"
"Oh yes, and it is quite bad ton to be a bluestocking Kitty!" giggled Miss Sarah.
Kitty, after grasping this meant that the Blaketon's thought she was scholarly, tried not to have fit of giggles. She wondered what they would think of Mary!
"Is knowing Shakespeare considered bad ton?"
"Oh do you know the playwright?" commented Miss Blaketon.
"I think Miss Bennet, meant knowledge in the sense of having read the plays -" added Mr Fancot with a smile in his eyes that Kitty noted and appreciated.
"Thank you Mr Fancot, that is exactly what I meant."
Mr Blaketon seemed to consider this appreciation for that rotter Shakespeare as proof that a girl he was well on the way to placing on a pedestal had feet of clay. Mr Fancot however seemed to find it charming.
Mr Blaketon took himself and his sisters off during interval to speak to a group of his cronies and their sisters in a neighbouring box, leaving Mr Fancot and Kitty to rather restful chaperonage. Indeed Lady Blaketon had managed to fall asleep.
"I promise I shall not take advantage."
Kitty was not quite sure she could believe that, but of all the gentlemen friends Mr Blaketon spoke about, and of those at Lady Blaketons little party, Mr Fancot was the most stable.
"If you did I should scream and scream," replied Kitty not entirely truthfully.
Mr Fancot leaned back in his chair and smiled.
"Most young ladies would only say that they would do such a thing, but secretly hope I would - and I do not mean they wish I would scream."
Kitty gave Mr Fancot a look that she hoped did not convey the fact that she was - or had been - such a lady.
"I do not think well of such ladies. It is most improper." Kitty hoped it was her most haughty tone.
"Indeed Miss Bennet. What type of lady are you?"
"I do not think that is a proper question and you are quizzing me."
Mr Fancot held up two hands in defeat and gave up, which secretly disappointed Kitty she did not like to win so easily.
Kitty did not know quite what her feelings were about Mr Fancot. After all knowing someone for three evenings together was hardly anything. And it was not at all like Bingley had been towards Jane (though perhaps that was not the best example), Mr Fancot was not wholly inattentive to everyone else and neither was she. Neither was it at all like a romance novel.
Though Kitty did suppose he was a very gentlemanly like gentlemen, despite being present at the table leaping, and having bet on how many carriage wheels Mr Arthur Kirby could scrape in a laneway in Gloucestershire.
Though his inability to make sure the carriage was brought round on time as they were leaving the theatre did put a blot on his good reputation as far as Kitty was concerned. Even though that responsibility should have been Mr Blaketon's in the first place.
"Did you have a good time Kitty?"
Kitty jumped, having not seen her aunt in her little antechamber.
"What are you doing in here?" exclaimed Kitty feeling as though her territory had been invaded.
"Seeing what the maids have not been doing while I have been away."
Kitty blinked. Considering it had been ten years, Kitty was not surprised the maids may have forgotten how to please their mistress, considering they probably did not even know who she was!
"Aunt, what do you think of Mr Fancot."
Clara frowned. "A very respectable young man I daresay, past that trying time, unlike his friend Mr Blaketon."
Clara made to leave the room before a thought struck her. "You are not - were not - thinking of Mr Fancot when you made that decision about - what you should do in London?"
"Marriage?" Kitty shook her head. "Oh no I was not thinking of him. Do you think I should be?"
"No." replied Clara shortly. "I do not think you should."
Kitty frowned, not sure what to make of this.
...It is too odious Mama, my grandmother does nothing but hint to Miles that he should offer for my hand, and Miles does nothing but glare. I have informed Grandmamma that you have begged for me to come back to town. I know it is only a slight stretch of the truth because how could you not wish for me back? M. will attend us of course. Though he has much business on his estate so I am not sure precisely when that will be. I long to see both you and G. again. It is such a pity that D. would not allow dear G. to come out this year. For she is so pretty and ladylike she would have all of London at her feet! You see I am not selfish enough to deny my cousin her right, I do not need all of London at my feet!..."
Georgiana blushed. "My cousin is too kind."
"My daughter," replied Lady Matlock from her seat facing forward in the landau, "is far too flighty for her own good, and such a trial. Playing hard and fast with every man that comes her way! And then creates such a scene that - "
Clara smiled at Lady Matlock's grievances, indeed it sounded as though Lady Annabelle had far too much of a much younger Harriet in her, but she felt obliged to stop her friends tirade. "When do you expect to see Lady Annabelle in town?"
"Oh do not ask me! I am only her mother! I have entirely undutiful children! All of them!"
Kitty giggled at the affronted look on Lady Matlock's face, but Georgiana hurried broke into a voluble defence of her cousins.
They were taking the air in the Park, Kitty was slightly envious of those she saw riding about the park. Not that she was particularly enamoured of the sport only being a reasonable horsewomen, it just seemed far more dashing and fashionable. The only good thing was the look of dismay in her young friends' faces when she had to decline their offer to come riding in the Park. Clara did not have a suitable horse in her meagre stable and was not at all supportive of the idea (offered by Mr Bradford on that first night at Lady Blaketon's) that Mr Morris should go to Tattersalls and purchase a horse suitable for a lady. (It had to be said that Mr Morris did not think himself a judge of horseflesh and would have strongly fought against the idea that he should choose one for his employer's niece).
So Kitty had to be content with the landau.
It was nice however to be able to look around at leisure and not have to think about controlling the actions of your mount. Not that there was much to see.
"So you enjoyed the theatre Miss Bennet?"
"Yes I did! Though I much preferred Hamlet at The Covent Garden, rather than what was showing at the Sans Pareil."
"Really you prefer a more serious play? I would not have thought it!"
"Oh no, I did like the amusement, but I had thought the theatre in London would be more serious!"
"Serious? London! What odd notions you have my dear!" smiled Lady Matlock.
Kitty was about to make a response when she saw that the countess was distracted.
"Of all the abominable!" Lady Matlock exclaimed and started waving her closed parasol (for the weather was quite good) in a distracted fashion. Lady Matlock signalled to her coachman that she wished him to slow down.
Kitty turned to look at what or who had attracted such a violent response and saw riding towards the carriage, a man on a grey horse. Kitty could discern little from this distance and was loath to stare at him as he rode the rest of the way to the moving carriage.
"Of all the horrid disobliging..."
"Mama, no! When I particularly came to find you!"
"It is Friday! Friday!"
"Is it? " The man's tone had an ironic inflexion in it. "Where would I be without you, my dear mama?"
"Do not take that tone with me! You know what I mean! I was expecting you in the middle of the week. Friday is not the middle! Georgiana and I stayed home last night expressly..."
Kitty at this point realised that the gentleman before her had to be Lady Matlock's eldest, Lord Ashbourne. She had leisure to admire him now that the carriage had stopped and he had closed the gap between them. She could not tell his height, but she supposed him to be tall and of a medium build. What she could perceive was that he was immaculately dressed and that unlike poor Mr Kirby had the shoulders to do justice to his coat.
Lord Ashbourne addressed himself to his cousin, "I am very sorry if you waited for me last night."
"Oh, but we would have been at home anyway!" replied Georgiana, earning a hurt look from her aunt.
"I expect you did not come here to look for us! I expect you have been in town all this time and forgotten us." Lady Matlock was not to be swayed from her grievance.
"I swear on whatever you wish me to swear on that I only arrived in London today and the first thing I did was ride directly to your door. It is not my fault you were not there, instead here - on pleasure bent again!"
Lady Matlock frowned. "I expect you left a card."
"Of course I did. I am always polite!"
"You left your own mother a card! A card!" Then she noticed her son's expression. "Oh you take delight in vexing me! But I am most put out! You have abandoned us all with no male escort!"
It was then Lady Matlock realised she had forgotten to introduce her companions.
"Oh my dear Clara, and Miss Bennet, may I present to you my eldest? Ash, this is Mrs Sutton and Miss Bennet."
Lord Ashbourne bowed as elegantly as it was possible on a horse that was clearly becoming restless.
"I should not listen to your mother Lord Ashbourne, I can speak for myself and my niece when I say we have not at all suffered from having no male escort. And we cannot impose upon you in such a manner." Clara smiled at the viscount, seeing in him a great deal of resemblance to his father who had been a very handsome man, though his son appeared a great deal taller.
"Yes," added Kitty, "I find there are a number of gentlemen in town quite happy to attend to us! So you see you are quite let off the hook as far as we are concerned!"
Clara's eyebrows rose sharply but Lord Ashbourne laughed. Clara expected him to make some further response to her niece, and was happy to find he turned the subject back to his mother.
"Shall I redeem myself by presenting myself at Grosvenor Square tonight?"
"Well considering I did not expect to see you - We are dining with Mrs Sutton tonight."
"You are most welcome to come if you like my lord? Though there is to be no one there but ourselves," added Clara with little expectation that it would find favour with the gentleman.
"I could not think of anything more charming."
"You mean, I collect my lord that you have nothing better to do?" Kitty was aware of her aunt's quelling look, but she could not help herself.
"Miss Bennet you injure me!" Lord Ashbourne laughed as he spoke.
At this point Lord Ashbourne's mount showed an alarming tendency to wish to strike out.
"I am afraid, ladies that this is my cue to depart."
Kitty peered at the horse. "He is a very handsome horse, what sort is he?"
"Andalusian, from the Peninsular. He was my mount when I was there; the least I could do was bring him back with me. But I am afraid he is getting far too impatient with this pace! I shall see you all tonight."
With that Lord Ashbourne picked up his pace and started to allow his horse to kick out his fidgets.
Clara was slightly apprehensive. She really had not expected Lord Ashbourne to accept her careless invitation.
"Why do you look so concerned?" Kitty had not made any special effort to dress for dinner, after all it was only an informal affair.
Clara looked at her niece appraisingly, she wondered if she should make Kitty aware of exactly who was to be her dinner guest. She wondered what Kitty's reaction would be when she found out exactly how, charming, handsome, rich, titled and unmarried Lord Ashbourne was.
"Aunt?"
"I am just concerned that we shall not be exciting enough for Lord Ashbourne."
Kitty stared at her aunt. "Well he needn't have come if he did not like it!"
Kitty liked the look of Lord Ashbourne. He was very handsome, and she liked the fact he seemed to laugh with his eyes as well as his smile. Something in the back of her head did prick at her, telling her that she could not just class him as she had previously classed all men that came her way as either like the Lucas boys, the officers, or other.
The Lucas boys were Kitty's mould of the young men she had grown up with, who were inclined to think longingly of the larks they could be kicking up in London. They also were very amateur when it came to flirting.
The officers were far more refined, had more address, but were equally likely to want to (and actually did) kick up larks like dress up as women and fool each other.
The others, as the category suggested was everyone else, those people a young lady could easily ignore, such as fathers and uncles and those older gentlemen who liked to relive their youth by putting their arms in a strictly avuncular way, around young ladies waists.
Kitty usually had no problem placing gentlemen she met into their proper place, but Lord Ashbourne may on reflection need his own category. Though Kitty was not silly enough to assume he was a unique person, just that she had never come across his type before.
Not even Mr Bingley and Mr Darcy. Mr Bingley with his affable ways tended to be more like the Lucas boys and Mr Darcy had immediately been stigmatised as an other.
Despite Clara's misgivings the dinner passed off creditably, and Lord Ashbourne did not linger over the port Clara had provided, instead almost immediately followed the ladies up to the drawing room.
Kitty had learned very little over the dinner table. Clara, Lady Matlock and Lord Ashbourne had spent the dinner conversation talking about mutual acquaintances and family. Kitty had also learned that Georgiana was slightly wary of her elder cousin. This meant very little to Kitty as Georgiana was very wary of everyone!
"So my lord, you said you had been in Spain?"
"Yes I was in the army."
Kitty's eyes lit up. "You were?"
"Yes I joined after several terms at Oxford. I found it was not for me."
"Really? Not an intellectual?"
"I decided I preferred to live my experiences than gain them by reading about them."
"But we have only recently started out expedition into Spain..."
"You are very knowledgeable."
Kitty smiled. "Well there is at present militia stationed in Meryton." Kitty flashed a brief look at Georgiana, but she was not attending to their conversation instead deep in conversation with her aunt and Clara.
"Ah, well yes I joined some years ago, but was present in Portugal for the battles of Rolica and Vimiero, so I may have mislead you slightly when I said the Peninsular. "
"No I quite forgot about Portugal, I am not very good with geography. Did you serve with Wellington?"
"Yes, I also served under Wellington in India, when I was part of the 33rd Foot. But that seems an age ago."
"You have sold out now though?"
"Yes, I was injured - thought not gravely - in Portugal and my father and I decided it was for the best if I sold out. After all it would not do to for my father to have both his sons fighting."
"Where in India did you go?"
Lord Ashbourne took a breath as he thought. "Perhaps if Mrs Sutton had a globe or an atlas?"
Kitty looked over to her aunt as Lord Ashbourne repeated the question.
"Well, Fredrick, my late husband certainly had an atlas among his books in his study, but I suspect that it would have been stored somewhere else in the house as Frederick's study has served many purposes besides such for my tenants. I have been turning out the house, but I have not as yet found that particular set of items."
Clara rang the bell and a footman materialised. On being questioned, he ventured that such an item would be most likely found in a closet on the third floor.
"Kitty, be a dear and run up and find it if you need it, I should not like to put the servants out."
Kitty stood up to do as she was bid when another voice joined her aunts. "If you have no objection Mrs Sutton, do you mind if I accompany Miss Bennet. I find when one is looking for something it always tends to be just out of reach."
Clara looked at Lady Matlock who seemed complacent at the idea and nodded her ascent.
Kitty followed Lord Ashbourne, out the door, turning to her aunt just as she did, "Do not worry Aunt, he is not dressed properly for the occasion, see no soot!"
Clara choked on the sip of wine she had just taken so was unable to reply until the door had been firmly closed.
"Not dressed for the occasion?"
Kitty could have burst out laughing at his face. She hesitated, but only slightly, in explaining her comment.
"You are not dressed as a chimney sweep. At least unless the fashion for sweeps has changed?"
Lord Ashbourne blinked, but rallied tolerably. "No, but may I beg to know why I should be a sweep?"
"Do you know at all, a Mr Blaketon and his set?"
"Very vaguely."
"Well Mr Arthur Kirby I am told was smuggled up to his paramour, you know because a young man should not venture pasted the first floor, as a chimney sweep."
Lord Ashbourne laughed as they reached the third floor and headed towards the storage area, on the way he noted to Kitty that: "if one really wanted to climb up to one's love, it is far more romantic to do it outside, via a trellis."
"One would have to be a good climber. It would not be much fun to fall two floors at least!"
"Indeed Miss Bennet."
The Atlas turned out not to be in too arduous a location and it was not long before it had been brought back down to the drawing room.
Kitty wondered where such an unwieldy book, for it was large, should be placed as Clara only had several small tables in the room. Lord Ashbourne solved the problem by placing it on the floor and inviting Kitty and Georgiana to join him on the floor.
Kitty who had not found Lord Ashbourne particularly stiff in his manner, not compared with his cousin at least, found nothing wrong with this invitation. The other occupants of the room found it slight disconcerting, but were soon distracted by the lively conversation the Atlas threw up.
The party, though it could hardly be called one, broke up far later than a informal party would be expected to and not before Georgiana begged her cousin to take her driving on Monday to see the Kensington Gardens despite it being winter, and of course the invitation was extended to Kitty and Mrs Sutton. Kitty was looking forward to the excursion but did not entirely wish to drive to Kensington confined in a full carriage and expressed this dissatisfaction with the plan, but added her entreaties to go nevertheless.
...If my daughter is causing any trouble, pray remember you asked for her. She is silly enough for anything! Her absence has produced a change in my youngest daughter. Instead of her effect being maximised by my penultimate daughter's absence, it is quite minimised. I am quite disappointed. Though I know she hopes that she too will be allowed to expose herself in some public place as her sister is doing! Fanny asks me to tell you to throw my daughter into the path of every rich man you can find. I doubt very much if this will answer! For men of sense do not want silly wives. Though I am assuming here that wealth equals sense, which is not always the case.
Clara folded the letter distastefully and put it aside. Thomas could be so flippant. She wondered idly what he would say if he knew that Kitty would be the only eligible female in a party where the only male was an unattached heir to an earldom. Fanny would have a nervous complaint, but Thomas would laugh and that rankled with Clara. She was even more determined to keep Kitty's season from her parents and family. If Kitty was a success then so be it, and if she was a failure, which often so many young ladies were, then at least she could have the knowledge that no one of her family could laugh at her.
"Kitty! I do wish to be ready when Lady Matlock calls!"
"Coming!" Kitty ran down the stairs lightly, running her hand along the banister.
Both ladies had spent the weekend fixing up both the house and their wardrobes. For this excursion Kitty was wearing a riding habit. She knew the closest she was getting to a horse was watching them pull the landau, but she just had to have a riding habit.
She had chosen the latest riding habit out of the Lady's Monthly Museum, though had it made up in a deep blue, it was ornamented with frogs militaire and came with a charming velvet hat trimmed in white. Kitty felt safe in the knowledge that she must look very fashionable.
"Look here is Lady Matlock," remarked Clara peering out the window, at the landau, which drove up, but it was only Georgiana who burst through the door.
"Kitty, you will never guess!" Georgiana looked as though she was about to burst with happiness.
"Where is your aunt?" questioned Clara peering out the window again.
"Oh she has taken the carriage around the block! But Kitty, Ash has bought me a horse!"
"Oh." Kitty felt a pang of envy. Now Georgiana would ride to Kensington and she would be shut up in the carriage. Kitty scolded herself that the carriage would be an open one for the weather was not at all inclement and that should be happy for her friend. "That is delightful! You have such a good cousin! Such a handsome present!"
"Oh but you misunderstand me. He brought the mare around on Saturday, she is black and named Cleopatra!"
"Out of Shakespeare! Or is it purely from history? I can never remember!"
Kitty's train of thought, made Georgiana shake the muff she was holding petulantly. Kitty was not paying attention to the important point!!
"Yes!" she exclaimed torn between exasperation and delight, "but Ash thought I would not be scared of her! Indeed he had thought I would have quite outgrown my fear of horses! But I have not!"
Kitty blinked. That was quite true now she thought of it, Georgiana had even walked on the opposite side of a laneway if a horse was pacing around in a field. She only tolerated carriage horses as a necessity.
"But..."
"Yes. Ash was going to take her back, when I came up with a famous notion! You could ride her! Indeed I shall loan her to you for the season! You need a horse and I have a horse!"
This speech was the most voluble and bubbly Kitty had ever seen her friend, so much so it was impossible to say no, even if Kitty had such a wish.
"Aunt may I?"
Clara had watched this display with a slight frown, but it cleared, "I see no problems, at least for this once, I have no desire to be cooped up in a full carriage either. Now I see your mother driving up once more, along with Lord Ashbourne, we must go."
Clara descended the stairs first and thus was in a position to see Kitty's face as she came down the stairs. It startled her slightly; she had not seen her niece look so pretty.
"Famous! I must warn you though I'm not a very good horsewomen!" declared Kitty on seeing Lord Ashbourne leading Cleopatra.
"Oh no, you are much better than me!" laughed Georgiana. "For I cannot even look at one."
"I am quite inured to female riders Miss Bennet. You can have no fear from me, or a horse that I have picked. "
Lord Ashbourne helped Kitty mount Cleopatra and kept an eye on her until he was sure she could handle navigating her way through the busy streets. The state of the roads around Mayfair allowed neither rider the chance of speech with neither each other nor the occupants of the carriage until they had passed the Piccadilly turnpike.
"I believe you were saying something about female riders, my lord?" Internally Kitty was very happy to have managed to navigate herself without coming to grief but her mount was very docile and easy to control yet not a complete sluggard.
"I believe I was."
"What precisely did you mean by that? You cannot say we are all similar!"
"No, Miss Bennet, but you do fall into categories." Lord Ashbourne smiled at the look that came over Kitty's face.
"What categories would these be?"
"Well you have those that are passable riders, those that are excellent riders and those that think they are excellent but are merely passable. It is that last category that a gentlemen escort has to watch for. They are likely to try to go fast at wood and slow at water and take a terrible fall."
"Which am I?"
"Passable Miss Bennet. Merely passable."
Kitty looked affronted. She supposed it was the truth, but it was not very gentlemanly to say such a thing.
"You should hope, my lord, that I do not take it into my head to think I am excellent and try and jump that hedge!"
At that point the road allowed them to ride next to the carriage, which opened up the conversation to all members of the party.
Later, the conversation turned to Kitty and her family, with Lady Matlock questioning her on whether she often had excursions of this type around her home. As Kitty could not remember a time when she had taken a trip to see a garden, or some other feature of nature, especially not with her family, had laughed.
This allowed Lord Ashbourne to talk of the militia that was stationed in Meryton.
"I managed to discover which militia was your militia, Miss Bennet."
"They are not my militia." Kitty looked anxiously towards Georgiana for a brief moment and tried to convey in her tone that this was not a welcome topic.
Lord Ashbourne sensed this, so directed his next comment to his mother. "You will never believe who is part of that regiment! George Wickham! I am surprised to see him in the army. "
Kitty could immediately see that Georgiana had grown slightly pale under her bonnet. Not considering how she would figure to the either her aunt, Lady Matlock or the viscount and only caring of how to turn the subject away from Wickham - Kitty gave Cleopatra a taste of the whip that Georgiana had lent her, and called out over her shoulder, "Who is passable now, my lord?"
Lord Ashbourne accepted the challenge and rode up beside her and they continued the rest of the way to Kensington, riding in front of the carriage.
It was not easy for Kitty, once arriving at Kensington to break Georgiana away from the party to make sure she was all right. For one it would have been impolite, something Kitty was surprised she cared about, and two it would have looked very odd and likely would have drawn more comments than either of the girls would have liked.
It took some time but finally Kitty found herself walking down a path with Georgiana. Both their aunts had sat down to refresh themselves and who knew where Lord Ashbourne had gone.
"Are you all right Georgiana?"
Georgiana nodded. "Yes I am fine. Though I am glad you distracted everyone. I know I should be perfectly able to hear his name being mentioned, but I am not especially when spoken by my family. I wish they knew what pain it causes me. I wish I could tell them."
"Why do they not know?"
"Fitzwilliam thought it was best that no one other than those directly concerned, he only told Richard - Colonel Fitzwilliam, because he is also my guardian. I confess I did not wish them to know, they would be disappointed, perhaps very angry with me."
"Why? It is not your fault George Wickham is an unconscionable cad! But let us not talk of him, let us sit down and talk of something much nicer."
Georgiana gratefully took a seat near a sculpted hedge and smiled.
"Have you had a letter from your brother?"
This promising line of conversation unfortunately did not prosper for it made Georgiana turn quite red.
"What is it?" Kitty could not think what he could have written to make Georgiana look so unless - "He is not engaged is he?"
"Oh no! It is just. He was not very nice in his last letter."
"To you?"
"No... I do not think he quite understood what I had written to him."
"What had you written to him?"
Georgiana looked up from where she had been examining her own lap intently. "I had written to him of my new friend, of you. But I think I did not express myself very well, for I fear he misunderstood me! So I shall have to be very carefully how I do so in the future! Perhaps I should not try to explain things to him until he comes to London!"
"He misunderstood you?"
"Yes, but I am such a terrible correspondent, of course he must have done so. He could not think - as he does - if he..." Georgiana trailed off.
"If he knew me better?" Kitty remarked ironically. "Well, I shan't ask you what his impression of me is!"
"Oh pray don't. I am very sorry. It must be my fault, because he is usually so amiable to my friends - not that I have ever had - "
"Well I was not very well behaved when I knew him in Meryton. So of course he has a bad impression of me." Kitty felt this was being a trifle too generous towards Mr Darcy, but Georgiana thought the world of him so Kitty was only too happy to find excuses for him.
"Well, " confided Georgiana gently, "He seems to be quite mistaken about Mrs Sutton as well, so I do think it was the way I wrote about it. I was so happy that perhaps I phrased it very wrong."
Kitty stiffened. She was on the point of enquiring exactly what impression Mr Darcy did have of both her and her aunt, for she could understand that he had taken her in dislike (for he was the type not to like free manners) but what had her aunt done? However the approach of Lord Ashbourne interrupted her.
"Miss Bennet I do hope you will excuse Georgiana but I would like a word with her." His tone was inflexible and Kitty noticed it gave his countenance a rather forbidding aspect.
Georgiana's eyes widened. Kitty was about to make a flippant remark regarding gentlemen who abandoned girls alone in pleasure gardens, but on reviewing Lord Ashbourne's face decided against it. Especially since Georgiana seemed to wish to speak to her cousin.
Kitty watched them walk off and took the opportunity to look at her surroundings. It was very pretty, even in winter.
It was almost a quarter of an hour before Georgiana returned alone, looking as though she was about to faint and obviously trying not to cry.
All Kitty could coax out of her was that her cousin had guessed some secret was attached to George Wickham from both her and Georgiana's reaction to his name and had demanded to know what it was. He had apparently not taken the news very well, and Georgiana was convinced that he now detested the sight of her.
Kitty could make no response to this, and had not time to formulate one as her aunt sailed into view. All she could think of was to get Georgiana home as soon as possible.
"Oh aunt, Georgiana is feeling most unwell I think we must return immediately."
"Where is Lord Ashbourne? I had thought him to be with you." Clara was annoyed that he had left the girls alone.
"He has gone looking for you both, so that the carriage may be fetched." Kitty thought rapidly. "But he did not know the direction in which you may have walked, perhaps you should make sure Lady Matlock is aware of what has happened."
"Very well. Do not move. I do not like the idea of two gently bred females alone in such a place."
Kitty gave a sigh of relief as her aunt disappeared around a corner.
"Now Georgiana, try and be calm."
"He will tell my aunt and she will throw me out of doors, and Mrs Annesley is not back until Wednesday!"
"Do not be ridiculous!"
"Yes, Georgie do not be ridiculous." Kitty jumped at the arrival of another voice. This is becoming quite a farce of arrivals and departures! She thought.
Lord Ashbourne sat next to Georgiana on the bench and took her small hands in his large ones. "I am not angry with you. I could never be angry with you. There are people that I am angry with, but they are not you. None of this was your fault."
"But I agreed - "
"You should have had better guidance, if that woman was any kind of companion - You would not have thought of George if she had not promoted his visits would you?"
"No."
"And you told Darcy, rather than stick with your plan, did you not."
"Yes."
"Then no, it is not your fault. I am sorry that I - but you could not see me like that."
Georgiana smiled, her tears starting to dry on her face. Lord Ashbourne then appeared to notice that Kitty was there.
"Forgive me I - "
"She knows Ash, I told her."
"Yes and I swear I will not tell another soul, though I think that Georgiana should tell her aunt she will not judge her will she sir?"
"No, my mother would be the last woman to judge!"
Georgiana nodded. It took several minutes for her to completely agree to tell her aunt, and tell her that night. It was clear Georgiana felt ashamed of what she had done and clung to the opinion that she would deserve the censure that she was sure her aunt would express. But she did agree to tell, and to tell Mrs Annesley if Lady Matlock thought that was for the best, for as Lord Ashbourne said Georgiana needed guidance, and female guidance.
"For I am no help," he added. "What I wish to do would do nothing but harm."
Kitty brightened. "If I was you, I would go straight down to Meryton and run a sword through him. Is that what you wish to do?"
Lord Ashbourne blinked. "Not quite Miss Bennet. I was thinking of only..."
"Knocking him down? I think that is quite paltry! A mill! When you could duel with him! Though I suppose that would not answer for it would create a scandal for why would you duel with him? No it is much better for just run a sword through him."
"I think arriving in Meryton only to attack him with my sword would probably create a scandal by itself, Miss Bennet."
"But everyone would think you had run mad and not connect it all with Georgiana."
Georgiana giggled quite unable to help herself.
"I love you very my much dear," said the viscount to his cousin, "but I will not spend the rest of my life in Bedlam for you."
"Oh no, please do not Ash, for I am sure they make you wear very dowdy clothes."
The idea of her cousin in Bedlam took a very strong hold in Georgiana, indeed it was an image that amused her greatly so when the elder ladies returned to escort her to the carriage she was able to say with perfect truth that although she would like to return home she was feeling in much better spirits.
The trip back to London was just as oppressive to Kitty as the trip to Kensington had been once Lord Ashbourne had mentioned Wickham. Both he and Kitty rode ahead of the carriage.
Kitty was hopeful that her friend would recover a great deal quickly than she had previously if her aunt could provide her with support. Kitty had been taken aback when Georgiana had told her these events had happened a little above a six-month ago.
She could not conceive of being so affected by a situation, indeed she could have only understood it if Georgiana had still been in love with Wickham. Yet how she could be when she knew the truth! Kitty had fancied herself in love several times in her life, but that love had withered and died once some distasteful thing that been revealed about her chosen partner. (Usually this distasteful thing was a predilection for one of her sisters!) So it must surely not be love that kept Georgiana hurt over this occurrence. For what could be more unpalatable and more able to kill love than finding out your love was really only after your money and wishing to revenge himself upon your brother?
The more Kitty thought about it then more she realised it was about what Georgiana had been about to do - throw herself on the mercy of a man, leaving her family to do so. Kitty had thought that was romantic. But what if one picked the wrong man? She knew that she could not be targeted for her wealth, but it would have been Georgiana's wealth that would have protected her, Wickham would had to have married her to get the money, Kitty did not have that certainty. It was certainly food for thought.
"Miss Bennet?" Lord Ashbourne sounded unsure. If Kitty had known his lordship, she would have known how very infrequent it was that such a tone would find its way into his voice.
"I am a very poor companion," smiled Kitty ruefully. "And you have had a much bigger shock than I have!"
"I assure you Miss Bennet, I am very capable of recovering and dealing with shocks."
"What I do not understand, my lord, is why you did not know?" Kitty paused, wondering why she had said that; after all it was possible the cousins were not close. Though from what Georgiana had told her there was not even a year between Lord Ashbourne and his brother, and Colonel Fitzwilliam was certainly a close companion of Mr Darcy.
"That Miss Bennet, is a question I too would like answered."
...Oh how I wish I had confided in my aunt much sooner. I feel a weight has been lifted, and I feel comfortable knowing that soon Mrs Annesley will be here, so that my aunt instead of being tied to me (not liking to go out leaving me here by myself), shall be able to go to parties with my cousin when she returns, which I hope will be soon. You shall like Annabelle, everyone does! This note is simply to say thank you and to tell you that we are going out of town for a couple of days to stay with a relative of Lady M's...
Clara watched Kitty pouring over the short note sent around from her friend.
"I hope you are not keeping secrets from me Kitty." It was said playfully, but Clara was serious about such matters.
"Yes, but it is not my secret to tell, and she is not keeping secrets from her relations, so it is all perfectly acceptable."
Clara smiled, and thought to herself for probably the hundredth time since meeting her niece that she was a good girl and vastly improving every day.
"Well as long as that is the case, then I shall not keep secrets from you. Mrs Hick is having a small drum, tomorrow and has invited us."
"Have you accepted?"
"I have." Clara laughed as Kitty jumped up and kissed her on the cheek. "That is not all! A good friend of mine Mrs Gilmore has invited us on Thursday to a small card party."
"And you said that London may be flat at this time of the year!"
"This is flat! We only have one invitation per night! And not for all nights!"
Kitty stepped down from Mr Sutton's antiquated carriage and looked up at the Hick residence in Clarges Street. She dutifully followed her aunt up the stairs wondering who else she would know besides the hostess and her daughters.
All of the party from Lady Blaketon's dinner were there, and many more besides. Kitty did not think it was a small party, and almost gaped at her aunt when she had whispered that this was not a crush in London terms.
A whole number of people were whisked before Kitty to be introduced; the only person really standing out was Mrs Gresham the former eldest Miss Hick. Mrs Gresham was about twenty years old and was only lately married, having married in the summer.
"My sisters told me all about you Miss Bennet! But now you must tell me about yourself!"
Kitty had no objection to this, and was quite happy sitting next to Mrs Gresham, though was slightly bewildered when some other young ladies gathered around her. She wondered what was fascinating about Hertfordshire.
"So have you seen much of London?" asked a girl with blonde ringlets who Kitty had not caught the name of, after Kitty had exhausted all the conversation that Meryton left open to her.
"Yes we took a drive around to look at St Pauls and the Tower and all the other sights, oh and we drove out to Kensington Gardens on Monday."
"Who is we?" asked Miss Hick.
"Oh my aunt, Mrs Sutton, and myself...and of course Miss Darcy accompanied us around London and her aunt Lady Matlock came with us to Kensington."
Kitty paused, "Oh yes and her son Lord Ashbourne."
"Really?" Mrs Gresham's eyes lit up as though this had been what she was waiting for. "And what is he like? In person?"
Kitty suddenly found herself in the centre of the piercing gaze of half a dozen young ladies.
"What is he like?" she repeated rather stupidly, wondering what on earth they would want to know for, and how she could describe the Viscount Ashbourne.
She was rescued from this fate by the appearance of Mr Blaketon.
"I have persuaded Mrs Hick to let put on a bit of a hop. Will you do me the honour Miss Bennet?"
Kitty accepted. How long it was since she had danced! She hoped that she had not forgotten any of the steps, or that London dances were vastly different from Hertfordshire ones.
They weren't and Kitty had barely finished the hastily formed set with Mr Blaketon then she was asked to dance by Mr Bradford, indeed she did not sit down at all for all the dances.
Mr Fancot who she had danced with last before Mrs Hick announced supper, lead her down the stairs.
"You are an excellent dancer Miss Bennet."
"Thank you! My sister and I love dancing and try never to be sitting down during a set when we go to assemblies."
"Do you often succeed?"
"Oh yes! Well at least Lydia, my sister does, for if she is without a partner she just goes up to a young man and tells her he is to dance with her."
Mr Fancot laughed. "Well Miss Bennet if I am ever at a dance with you and you have no partner you have my permission to inform me I am your partner."
"That is very kind of you Mr Fancot."
Kitty allowed him to fetch some supper for her and then sat down with him to eat her supper. She noticed she was getting some rather ogling looks and not just from men. Not that Kitty expected men to ogle her...
Mr Fancot seemed to notice the attention they were received and frowned.
"Are you going to Mrs Gilmore's tomorrow Mr Fancot?"
"Are you?" asked Mr Fancot a smile on his face.
"Yes."
"Well then Miss Bennet you shall see me there."
Kitty laughed at this. "Very flattering. I hope you did not decline her invitation in that case."
"No I never outright decline an invitation, or accept one for I can never tell of a morning just what I want to do that evening."
"And yet here you are making up your mind today about tomorrow, be careful that you don't have a change of heart in the morning."
"I won't Miss Bennet."
Kitty decided it was wise to change the subject. "Why are we attracting so much attention? You are not some sort of august personage are you? A noble prince in disguise?"
But this change of subject brought them back to where Kitty had judged they were before. "No, sadly just a gentleman from Dorset, but I fear that this set tend to gossip and jump to assumptions very quickly, and while this is very true of most of London society, they are not quite as averse to showing that interest."
Kitty blushed. Of course she was used to that sort of interest being generated in Meryton but she had thought London would be different.
"Oh."
"Indeed Miss Bennet."
This revelation did much to sour Kitty's evening and she did not know why. She barely knew Mr Fancot and to be subjected to all those prying eyes. She wondered if that was the root of the question about Lord Ashbourne.
She now sincerely pitied all those girls in Meryton who had conducted their courtship in front of everyone. Poor Jane! And then to have Mr Bingley leave town without - It was too much to be borne!
Clara noticed her niece's distraction in the carriage ride home. Clara had enjoyed her evening well enough, though had surreptitiously kept an eye on Kitty and had thought she was enjoying her evening well enough as well.
"Are you quite well Kitty?"
"No I am not" - was the blunt answer.
Clara raised her eyebrows to express her displeasure with being addressed in such a way.
"First I am asked - well one impertinent question - though it was not that impertinent but it was the manner in which it was asked! And then everyone stared at me having supper with Mr Fancot! And you know why they stared at me!"
Clara did know why. "Well surely you should be used to such behaviour?" she asked gently.
"No! Not on the receiving end of it! And certainly did not expect it in London. I thought everyone was very proper in London!"
"No, everyone just pretends London is very proper. What was the impertinent question?"
"Mrs Gresham asked me what Lord Ashbourne was like. Why on earth would she want to know? Surely she would know him herself, after all this is my first season and I've never been to London before!"
Clara could answer her niece's questions, but chose not to divulge the answers.
"Perhaps you should not dedicate too much of your time to Mr Fancot, or any other gentlemen, if you do not like the reaction?"
Kitty let out a long breath. "No! It is much more likely to make me want to spend more time with whoever I choose to spend my time with, to spite them! Though poor Jane."
"Poor Jane?" Clara was momentarily thrown off by this change of tack.
"Yes, to be always in Mr Bingley's company, to truly fall in love and then have him abandon her! See I shall be on my guard and shall not care! But poor Jane!"
The next morning, Mr Fancot called to ask if Kitty was allowed to drive out with him. Kitty was doubtful that her aunt would agree, remembering Clara's talk about never being without a chaperon. Clara however made no comment against the idea so Kitty was left to assume that a tiger clinging up behind the phaeton was perfectly acceptable as a chaperon.
"I am surprised you came to see me Mr Fancot, considering we are to see each other tonight?"
Giles turned his head in mock shame. "I am afraid Miss Bennet I must break my promise."
Kitty frowned and then laughed. "Did I not tell you?"
"You did indeed! An aunt of mine who lives in Margate has requested my attendance; she claims to be an invalid but I have a feeling she will outlive us all."
"You are a good nephew then Mr Fancot."
"How do you know I am not dancing attendance on her simply for her great fortune?"
"Does she have a great fortune?"
"No. But I could be lying."
Kitty laughed. "You are being very frivolous today!"
"Perhaps it is a result of my charming company."
"Now that is too toadying!"
Kitty loved being whisked about the park in Mr Fancot's high perch phaeton, and was sorry to see it end, though she did still have to write a return letter to Lydia and get ready for the party.
Kitty was surprised at how well Lydia had taken her last letter, but she had, and she had written her return letter in a similar style. This made Kitty laugh more than she would have if Lydia had just written of the happenings in Meryton, instead of writing in a flowery, hyperbolic, tone much admired by heroines of gothic novels. Kitty laughed as she wrote her letter in a similar but more satirical tone, painting all those she had met in London in broad defining brush strokes. She faltered slightly when describing Lord Ashbourne, but she recovered admirably after spying the old Lady's Magazines Clara had found in the attic. The ridiculousness of the story contained in one of them whereby a libertine, a Mr Fairfax, was reclaimed to himself by what appeared to be a perfectly normal set of actions by his wife, (though done in an overly dramatic fashion) appealed to Kitty. Though of course Lord Ashbourne was the direct opposite of this Mr Fairfax, but still it was difficult to go past the idea of ' the romantic part of Derbyshire.' Kitty wondered what the romantic part of Derbyshire looked like. She would have to ask Lord Ashbourne whether that was the part Matlock Close was situated.
The Gilmore's lived in a comfortable house in Half Moon Street. It was very soon obvious to Kitty that the Gilmore's consisting of a widow, her son and her last unwed daughter, were members of a much more tonnish family.
Mrs Gilmore seemed genuinely happy to see Clara and Kitty, exclaiming to Clara that she had been so surprised to see so many people in town in January!
"I thought I simply must have a little party for all us poor dears still in town!" Kitty was entranced by the lilting in her tone, and afterwards ascribed this to her being of Welsh origins.
It was at this point that Kitty realised she did not see the Blaketon's or any of their friends. By all, Mrs Gilmore clearly only meant her friends.
It was a larger party than either lady had expected, and Clara not knowing anybody by sight apart from Mrs Gilmore, seemed more than happy to stand near the door talking to her old friend.
Kitty wished that Mr Fancot had consigned his aunt to the Devil and not gone off to Margate where he must be for several days. It was uncomfortable not knowing anyone, and it did not seem like a party where it would be advisable to introduce yourself to anyone, and Mrs Gilmore was too concerned with waiting for the rest of her guests to perform the introductions herself.
Clara was herself beginning to wonder exactly how they would be able to avoid standing in a corner looking to all the world like Mrs Gilmore's poor relations, or some such thing, when the next guests arrived.
"My dear Lady Marianne!"
The lady in question was a middle-aged lady, who left an overall impression of being rather faded.
"Oh Mrs Gilmore. I am so sorry I did not respond to your kind invitation. But I had no notion that my niece would be in town and require my attendance."
Kitty regarded Lady Marianne's niece, she was a very pretty brunette with striking eyes, and demure would not be a useful descriptor.
The girl made a curtsey to her hostess before explaining herself to no one in particular. "How was I to know that my mother would choose this very week to absent herself from town?"
Clara chose this moment to bring herself to the attention of Lady Marianne Bassett.
"Marianne. I daresay you do not remember me - "
"Clara! Clara Sutton! Harriet said you were in town! How do you do? May I present Harriet's daughter Lady Annabelle Fitzwilliam?"
Clara inclined her head and assessed Lady Annabelle. She was a pretty girl and must owe much of her stunning looks to the combination of her father and mother, as she did not resemble either of them greatly.
"And may I present my niece, Miss Bennet? It appears we are both on chaperoning duties tonight."
"Indeed! Though why Belle even wanted to attend tonight I do not know!"
"Because it would have been insufferably insipid to sit at home!" retorted that lady. "Miss Bennet would you care to take a turn about the rooms?"
Kitty agreed and smiled up at Lady Annabelle who was more than slightly taller than her.
"Is this your first visit to London?"
"Oh yes! Your mother has been very kind to us."
"Well she had taken such a liking to you! And she wrote to me that you have helped with my cousin?"
Kitty furrowed her brows. "Helped? If you mean by that, that I am Georgiana's friend then certainly I have helped."
"My cousin's manners are very reserved, especially compared to mine! I know my aunt was shocked that I had returned to town with very little warning to my relations!"
"Lady Matlock was...slightly put out that you had not written the dates. "
"Slightly put out?" laughed Lady Annabelle. "Are you sure you do not mean my mother was furious?"
Kitty made no answer, so Lady Annabelle pressed on.
"I am lucky, even though I found my mother not at home, her letter advising me that she was visiting Cousin Lucy must have passed me on the road, that I have an obliging brother who is happy to quit his lodgings to stay with me in Grosvenor Street! And an even more obliging aunt who will come to parties with me."
"Is not Lord Ashbourne coming to the party?"
"Yes, but he did not wish to accompany me. I expect it means that he had not decided whether he wished to come, and also wanted the ability to leave whenever he wished. Selfish. " Lady Annabelle laughed.
Kitty smiled and thought that was probably the case. She knew the Lucas boys never wanted to squire Charlotte and Maria around, and they were paragons of sisters! (Except for the desire to marry revolting clergymen.)
Lady Annabelle was a charming companion and happily introduced Kitty to a range of people. Though she was always telling Kitty that all the best people were still in the country. Kitty loved the blithe way Lady Annabelle seemed to disregard the fact that they were currently in town, thus her statement excluded a fair few of her own relations and her companion.
"You are probably wondering why I am not still in the country!"
"I collect you were bored."
"Yes it was such a trial...oh Ash has come, and Miles too." Lady Annabelle broke off and smiled at the two newcomers to the room. Kitty turned and immediately pinpointed Lord Ashbourne in the throng. The man with him Kitty judged to be a little older than the Viscount, and very handsome. Handsome in a different way to Lord Ashbourne as he was blonde, but he had an engaging smile. He reminded her slightly of a more manly Mr Bingley.
If this was Lord Upton, then Kitty's estimation of Lady Annabelle severely plummeted, how on earth could she have been bored?
The gentlemen reached them and bowed. After a brief interlude of greetings between those of the party that knew each other Lord Ashbourne introduced 'his oldest friend' Miles Carlon, the Earl of Upton, to Kitty.
"Do you mean to stay long at the party my lord? Lady Annabelle thought you might attempt to run away?"
Lord Upton shot a look at his friend, but Lord Ashbourne laughed. "I would never do such an unhandsome thing."
"Do not believe a word he says Miss Bennet, I have seen him do it with my own two eyes," added Lord Upton.
"Yes he abandoned me once at a ball - "
"You were with mama, it was hardly abandoning!"
"He abandoned me, to the sole care of Miles and - " Lady Annabelle broke off here in semi confusion.
Kitty sensed that Lady Annabelle had almost made reference to something that would be better off undiscussed and launched herself into the breach.
"I would have thought that you would both prefer to be hunting?"
"Indeed, in fact I came to town to see what was keeping my friend here," responded Lord Upton. He smiled down at Kitty, "and now I have found my answer."
"Really? But of course you know now that Lady Matlock is in town and does not wish to let her male escort leave."
Kitty was not naïve. She realised Lord Upton meant to imply that she was the reason Lord Ashbourne was still in town, however that was ridiculous. He had been in town a week. Hardly absenting himself for a long period of time!
Lord Upton smiled in reply, and turned to his friend.
"Yes and I mean to escape my mother as soon as possible, in fact if you are not adverse I thought we should go into Leicestershire next week," was Lord Ashbourne's response.
"You see Lord Upton; nothing will keep a gentleman from his sport."
Lady Annabelle had been unusually quiet during this interchange and used the break in conversation to excuse herself.
Kitty noted that Lord Upton watched her intently until she had left the room.
At this point Kitty noted that a great number of people had sat down to cards, which was she supposed the point of a card party.
"I suppose we should play cards." Kitty's tone was doubtful.
"You do not wish to play cards Miss Bennet?"
Kitty looked up at Lord Upton as she stepped forward to whisper conspiratorially to both gentlemen, "I'm not very good. I do not think it very wise for me to play for money...or with anyone else!"
"Well, there I think we can help you, can you play piquet?"
"Marginally. Your mother only taught it to me several weeks ago mind!"
"Then let us play piquet, and Miles can watch."
"Very condescending of you, my lord," replied Lord Upton sardonically.
There were several tables for two set up in the corner of one of the rooms and Lord Upton pulled up a chair.
The cards were dealt but before Kitty picked them up she bit her lip. "I think we should play for some stake, I would not wish to be provincial."
Kitty wondered why she added that, it was not as though they had openly mocked her, but perhaps they were by agreeing to play with her in such a manner, after all even in Meryton they played for stakes. Not to mention at Mrs Hick's drum she had heard the whispers of 'a mere country girl', being passed about behind her. She was certain worse things would be said here.
"Very well, I think we should play for answers," responded Lord Ashbourne promptly. "If you win a point you can ask me a question, if I win a point then I shall ask you one."
"That is very impertinent of you," replied Kitty in her tartest tone; it was more a lip service to what she felt her aunt would expect her to do. Kitty was not at all averse to answering question. Partly as she did not feel that Lord Ashbourne was a gentleman and would not ask entirely debauched questions, and partly because Kitty had no answers to give to such questions! Unless she pretended she was Lydia! If she had not been assured of these two points she may have felt adverse to such a game.
"Very well Miss Bennet, you may ask me questions and I shall ask mine to Miles."
Kitty giggled, especially at the affronted look on Lord Upton's face.
Ash:
Kitty:
Miles
Injured shoulder, broken window, once stole apples from Farmer Maggot...Score
IIII IIII IIII IIII IIIIII IIII IIII IIIII IIII II
Kitty scribbled on the piece of paper with the pencil that had been provided to her after Ash had requested both items from Mrs Gilmore's footman. She scribbled both the score and any little notes she wished to remember. After all it was pointless to find out such things from people if one didn't store them up as ammunition.
She was surprised at her score; she felt that both gentlemen, Miles having filled in both for her and for Ash in various points, were being easy on her. Though she could understand that considering she asked far easier questions than either of them asked the other.
Clara had warned Kitty that most gentlemen of the ton were likely to be rather stiff and formal from what she was used to. (Unless of course they were sad rattles like Mr Blaketon.) Indeed Kitty had seen Ash being stiff and formal though that was while he was reeling from the shock of Georgiana and Wickham!
But nobody listening to the banter between these school friends and her would think either the Viscount or the Earl was anything less than affable and sociable. Indeed Kitty had a hard time drawing the difference between the evening and any evening she had spent at home. Though if she thought hard about it she could, it had not for instance descended into petty arguments, or stepped over the bounds of what was fun into scandalous behaviour, and of course the participants were far more interesting than anyone at home.
Kitty did not realise that the behaviour of her partners, had a lot to do with her demeanour. She did not know that young ladies of the ton often did not submit to play such foolish, even if completely innocent games, and if they did they used it to their advantage and asked simpering, stupid questions easily exposed for the flattery it was. Kitty asked questions straight from her own curiosity with no underlying scheme attached.
The only plan that Kitty had had since coming to London was to accept the first man who proposed to her, but that scheme had easily been forgotten in the face of the enjoyment London was providing. After all, her mother had been the one with all the matrimonial schemes; Kitty was unused to having and executing them all by herself.
Thus she was enjoying herself greatly listening to the revelations her questions resulted in, and had consented to answer some of her own. She had now the entirety of the history between the two gentleman, where each had been born, schooled and everything until now. They knew too about her own life, both expressing a wish to see Meryton. Kitty thought they would change their mind about that the minute they arrived in the place. Expanded also was her knowledge about various society members, and of course, of sport, both were loquacious on that subject. They had also ascertained that they all liked the colour blue the best and that at school they preferred the Classics, well Kitty would have if she had gone to school. They were rapidly running out of things to ask.
Kitty won a point and sighed. "I think I have run out of questions."
"Impossible!" replied Miles.
"Indeed it is not my lord. What am I to ask?"
"May I take your question?" Ash asked it so innocently that Kitty looked sharply at him.
"Of course."
"Well then, Miles when are you going to ask my sister to marry you?"
Miles glared at his friend. "I shan't dignify that with a response," was his haughty reply.
Kitty couldn't stop a giggle escaping. She decided to rescue Miles. "I have thought of a question. Who is that gentleman?"
Kitty surreptitiously pointed towards a young man of about both their ages who was dressed meticulously all in black and could only be described as solid. He was standing in the opposite corner of the room to them and looked heartily bored.
"You have not met our host Miss Bennet?" Inquired Miles.
"Oh is that Mrs Gilmore's son?"
"Yes, quite a wealthy man, and puts up with his mother's parties, not to mention matchmaking, and the squiring of his sisters, though there is only one left now. A better man than either Ash or I."
Kitty looked inquiringly at Miles, she ignored the obvious hint that she should reassure them both they were better men.
"You do not think he is likely to fall into the clutches of a matchmaking mama?"
"No, Gilmore is a confirmed bachelor," replied Ash.
"Yes, a confirmer bachelor," echoed Miles with a smile.
"But he is your age is he not? Are you both confirmed bachelors then?"
"No, we are not clever enough to be confirmed bachelors, we shall be caught eventually."
"Miles, I do hate to be the one who points it out to you, but you are already caught."
"A trap of my own making."
Ash laughed and Kitty could not help joining in. Although neither she nor Ash had directly asked about Lady Annabelle, her name had arisen in many of Miles' answers leading Kitty to the conclusion that they were definitely a match, though Lady Annabelle sounded as though she needed some convincing.
They had been playing while they spoke and it was Ash's turn to ask a question.
"How is Cleopatra treating you Miss Bennet?"
"Very well, though I do not have a chance to ride her as often as I would like, in fact I have not been on her since our excursion to Kensington."
"Cleopatra? Are you consorting with mummies Miss Bennet?"
"Mummies? No! It is a horse, a very beautiful little mare that Miss Darcy has lent me. Or should I say Lord Ashbourne has lent me, for he bought it for his cousin..."
"And Georgie does not care to ride," concluded Ash.
Miles raised an eyebrow at Ash, but said nothing to him instead directed a comment at Kitty.
"You should ride with us; we would of course slow down for you."
Kitty suppressed a childish urge to poke her tongue out at Miles. "When you come back from Leicestershire you mean? And should you be speaking for your friend?"
"Oh, I always speak for him," replied Miles cheerfully.
"Does that mean I should speak for you?" Ash asked quizzically. "If so I think I may go find my sister."
Ash had only half-risen from his seat before Miles made a move to restrain him.
"I think Lord Upton can speak for himself in that matter," interjected Kitty smiling. "I think he will speak very creditably on the matter."
It was at this point that Kitty became aware of the fact she had spent a great deal of the evening, in fact one could say all of the evening, in the company of two gentlemen. Even in Meryton that would look particular, so Kitty with great reluctance asked to be returned to her aunt.
Clara looked approvingly at her niece. She had not had to fetch Kitty away; Kitty had come all by herself. Clara was surprised that Kitty had spent a great deal of the evening tucked away in a corner with two gentlemen who were if her ton spies and her instincts were correct, were two notable Corinthians or if one was to use vulgar parlance, bucks of the first stare.
She had seen them playing cards and enjoying themselves greatly, not to mention scribbling things down on pieces of paper. Clara was marginally alarmed. She very much doubted that either of the young noblemen would be fleecing her niece, but she knew Kitty did not have a great deal of money with her, only a few coins that Clara felt one could not come to a card party without.
She accepted Kitty's return without comment; it would do no good to ask now in front of so many prying eyes even if they were only the vestiges of the ton at the moment.
However, one of Mrs Gilmore's cronies, Lady Agatha Hagg, was not going to let the opportunity pass, as soon as an introduction was made between Kitty and herself.
"You simply must tell us how you do it!"
"Do what ma'am?" asked Kitty bewildered.
"I'm the doting mother of three hopeful girls and they could never inspire such attention from the gentleman as you have just done! Especially such gentlemen."
Kitty frowned. "We were playing piquet ma'am. It was very enjoyable."
"To be sure my dear!" laughed Lady Agatha presenting what she knew was a knowing smile to the gathered ladies. "I hope you won a little Miss Bennet! But they are such accredited card players!"
"I won but little, and I doubt at all fairly, but we were not playing for money, so it did not matter."
"Not playing for money! Well I do not know what to say to that. Indeed I do not. How very charitable!"
Clara was about to deflect Lady Agatha's comments when her niece spoke again.
"Yes, Lord Ashbourne is the cousin of my very dear friend Miss Darcy. It was very kind of both him and Lord Upton to take pity on me and rescue me from having to inflict my card playing abilities on others." Kitty said this calmly but directly to Lady Agatha. She then turned to the young lady opposite her.
"I'm sure you will be looking forward to seeing Georgiana again Lady Annabelle?"
Lady Annabelle smiled. "Yes! Dear Georgiana! It is a pity that Darcy will not let her come out this season! Perhaps she is a bit young, but to be cooped up another year! I could not bear it!"
"But Miss Darcy has a far different temperament to you!" retorted Lady Marianne; clearly wishing that Georgiana was her niece.
"Well it would be a very sad world if we were all alike," concluded Clara before suggesting that Kitty accompany her down to supper.
The rest of the evening went pleasantly; Kitty avoided playing any more cards by taking a turn around the room with Lady Annabelle. Despite being three years older, Lady Annabelle did not appear to Kitty to be much different to herself, and not at all likely to assume Kitty would not understand or enter into her feelings due to her being younger.
From her conversation, Kitty's theory that Lady Annabelle needed any persuading to accept a proposal from Miles seemed quite incorrect. Indeed if Kitty was correct she would welcome it. .
"I feel I must warn you, Miss Bennet that spending time with any one young man, or rather allowing him to spend time with you, does tend to set the tongues wagging!"
"I have already experienced that."
"Tonight? That was nothing."
"No at another party, at a Mrs Hick's!"
Lady Annabelle's eyebrows flew upwards. "How long have you been in Town? Two weeks? You are worse than I! To be setting up so many flirts!"
It was Kitty's turn to feel surprised. She would not call any of them flirts! Indeed Kitty did not think she had properly flirted with anyone since she had come to town; Mr Fancot she supposed came the closest.
"No, do not say anything! You fear to incriminate yourself. All I can say is make sure they are respectable men! Otherwise.... You shall find yourself creating a bit more of a stir than you should like! Trust me I have experience!"
Kitty wondered if that was a hint to inquire more. On one hand she was tempted to ask more, but on the other she knew that she shouldn't.
"I am not sure I ought to inquire more Lady Annabelle..."
"Belle, please, or at the very least Annabelle!! If you are a dear friend of Georgiana's then you are a dear friend of mine. She would never do anything to disgrace her family, like I almost did. Very foolish, I was trying to push Miles away by flirting with the worst rakes in town. I succeeded in my object, but it was not a good idea."
Kitty smiled, she did not think at all that Annabelle had succeeded.
That night, as Bents helped Clara out of her dress and into her dressing gown, Clara could not help frowning into the mirror. Bents took this in umbrage assuming it was dissatisfaction in her appearance, and thus in Bent's abilities.
After assuring her dresser this was not the case she asked if Bents could summon Kitty to her rooms.
Clara wondered how to approach her niece. She did not wish to ask her directly because it would no doubt be seen as an assumption that Kitty did not know how to look after herself, or that Kitty was incapable of acting properly in society. Clara could tell that both were sensitive topics to her young niece. How Clara wished she had shaken some sense into her brother years ago!
On the other hand she could not abandon her niece to flounder along as best she could. Especially since she knew Lady Agatha would not have forgotten the 'not playing for money' comment. Heaven knew what construction she had placed on that! No, Clara did know, having heard whispers of 'poor girl' which all too soon would turn into other less nice words and ideas! It was at times like these that Clara wished she was in Debretts or some other publication of that nature. That way those nosy people could look up her family, instead of resorting to innuendo and gossip. Kitty, nor any of the Misses Bennet, if Clara could help it, would be painted as ' out for what they can get' even if Clara had to puff off her consequence to achieve such a thing.
Of course in this situation the ideal solution would have been Kitty come to her, but Clara was far too impatient for that.
At this point Kitty knocked on her aunt's door. Clara thought she looked charming, with her night gown falling off one shoulder and her hair falling out of it's plait even though it must have just been put up that way.
"You wanted to see me?"
Clara motioned towards the fire, which while burning low still gave out enough heat.
Kitty curled up in one of the armchairs and looked absurdly young.
"Did you have a good time tonight?"
"Yes, " Kitty yawned, "I think I am much better at piquet now, though I'm sure they were letting me win."
"I hope you won't be too offended with me if I point out how particular your behaviour seemed tonight!"
"No I know it did. But I did not realise how quickly time was passing, and after all it was with two gentlemen! They cannot say I am dangling, or encouraging someone to dangle after me, if there are two of them!"
Kitty paused. "No, of course you are right, they can say that!"
"I should not worry, you have hardly committed a major social faux-pas! Though I am wondering what you scribbled down, it could not be vowels, for you were not playing for money."
Kitty laughed, and thought of the pieces of paper she had secreted in the desk in her room. "It was the score and some notes."
"Notes?"
"We were playing for answers! Though I did not allow them to ask me questions ... well too many questions." Kitty amended.
Clara could not help looking surprised she wondered what Kitty had scribbled down, but forbore to ask. "Well I am glad you had a good time. I meant to tell you this morning but I have received a note from Madeline. It appears your aunt and uncle have returned to town. We should pay them a visit on Monday."
Kitty screwed up her nose. Of course she loved her Aunt and Uncle Gardiner, but she had never been a favourite of theirs.
Clara noticed her reaction. "It would only be civil."
As it was their proposed visit was postponed until Tuesday as Annabelle arrived on Monday morning and begged to be allowed to take Kitty riding.
Kitty was quite happy to postpone the visit, considering that the weather looked as though it was turning and both her aunt and herself could foresee at least of week of inhospitable weather.
Annabelle brought news from her mother and Georgiana whose visit was concluding and would be back in town for Wednesday.
"She charged me to ask you whether we should make up a party to go to the theatre on Friday. We would have gone Thursday but it is Martyr's day, poor Charles, and most of the theatres are closed."
Kitty could not think of a better plan, but then she paused. "Will there be gentlemen escorts?"
Annabelle giggled.
"No I did not mean it in - " Kitty became slightly flustered. "Oh this is ridiculous, I cannot say anything properly! Aunt Clara says that one should always have an escort to these type of functions!"
"I'm sure she says that because it is far more interesting if there is a gentleman in the party. They provide amusement, and are obliged to flirt with one."
"Were you speaking then as yourself or as my aunt?"
"As both! I think I should like to be an older lady, simply because young gentlemen would have to turn me up sweet, and flirt with me if they wanted me to smile on their flirtation with the young ladies under my charge."
Kitty privately thought that Annabelle just liked attention full stop, whatever her age and whatever her admirer's age. Not that Kitty could at all blame her; it was a very elevating feeling. Mary would scold something savage though!
It was while thinking these thoughts that Kitty noticed a rider further along the path.
"Lad - I mean Belle, Do you know Mr Fancot?" Kitty pointed him out with her whip.
"Oh yes! Though he is a trifle younger than I like!" Annabelle smiled inwardly. Mr Fancot!!
"Would your mother like him to help make up our party?"
"What a splendid idea Kitty! I knew we should be great friends!" replied Annabelle archly.