Chapter 22 #2
Not a few times when he saw the knocker up at Darcy House he thought about throwing himself on Mr Darcy’s mercy and begging for money to clear his debts plus a little more to help with his living expenses.
He quickly changed his mind as soon as he remembered the final words Mr Darcy had spoken to him the day of his departure from Pemberley: “George, all connection between us is now severed. Like your late father did, I hope and pray you will make something of yourself. If you wisely invest the money you have and work to add to it, you could be very comfortable. Have a good life, George.” With that dismissal Wickham had been escorted off Pemberley’s land.
At least he had received his father’s gelding, as it had been his own, and had begun his ride south.
Once he had lost all his money, Wickham had sold the gelding, but when the amount he had received for the horse was gone, he had had no choice but to gain credit and run up debts until his luck turned at the tables. It had not.
A day ago, he had seen an advert for a companion for the Carrington-Bennet sisters.
That had given him an idea of how to gain all the blunt he needed and much, much more.
If Karen could be appointed as the new companion, then she would be able to take that interfering Elizabeth somewhere without the men who were always with her when he watched her in the park.
He had not approached Karen yet to gain her agreement to assist him when he saw the notice of the chits receiving the elevation to be called ‘Lady’.
He needed to execute his plan to gain his revenge and get his due all at once.
He could not stand by and allow Miss Lizzy to get everything while he had nothing.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
Jane was very excited for her ball to begin, though not because of all of the decorations or pomp and circumstance. She was very much looking forward to dancing with Richard.
Papa would open the ball with her, as it should be, but she had granted Richard the supper and final sets.
The next four were reserved for Uncles Reggie, Robert, Edward, and Frank.
Then after supper, Jamey, Andrew, and William had reserved dances.
That only left her one set still available before the final pair of dances she would have with Richard.
Jane had to admit that knowing who all her partners were ahead of time, save one, was comforting to her.
She was not a misanthrope who did not enjoy meeting new people, but like William, she preferred to dance with those she had met prior to the dance.
She had begun to attend local assemblies in Holder and Meryton when she was a little past the age of seventeen, where she had discovered that she had this desire in common with William.
Lizzy teased them both about it, teasing girl that she was.
Not that she objected; she loved Lizzy as she was, teasing and all.
Jane knew when it was her turn, Lizzy would just want to dance and would not care if there was a prior acquaintanceship.
She looked at herself in the mirror; her maid had just left after taking Jane’s straight hair and curling it to resemble wavy tresses.
Her intricate coiffure was held in place with sapphire-tipped hair pins and a sapphire and diamond encrusted comb.
They, along with the earrings and rivière she wore, were gifts from Mamma and Papa.
The rivière had alternating diamonds and sapphires, increasing in size from the back of each side until they met in the middle where a large sapphire sat just above her décolletage.
Her empire-waisted silk gown was a shimmering light blue silk. Her gloves were off-white satin and reached her elbows. As she looked at herself, she could not believe she was the elegant woman staring back at her.
There was a gentle knock on the door. “Come,” Jane called out.
Edith and Holder stepped into the chamber followed by Lizzy, Mary, Kitty, Anna, and Lydia.
“Jane, you look like an angel in blue!” Lydia exclaimed as she looked at her eldest sister.
“Lydia has the right of it,” Elizabeth agreed, as did everyone else who had entered the chamber. “Janey, no I suppose we will have to call you Jane now because you are a lady out in London society. Jane, I have never seen anyone look better than you do tonight.”
“Thank you, Lizzy. All of you,” Jane responded as her cheeks pinked.
“I hope I will be half as beautiful as Jane when I come out,” Anna stated. “I am pleased I yet have seven or eight years.”
“Anna, you look like a younger Aunt Anne, and you will be as pretty as Jane when it is your turn,” Elizabeth opined. “Uncle Robert will be very vigilant, just like Papa will be with our Jane tonight.”
“Jane, dear, Papa and I will be in the receiving line,” Edith said.
“Once the guests have arrived, Johns will escort you to the landing at the top of the stairs which lead into the ballroom. Your father will come collect you and escort you into the ballroom as Mr Fenster announces you. And yes,” Edith looked at the younger girls, “you may all sit on the landing to watch the opening sets of dances, but I do not expect to hear any giggling or loud voices from there. Am I understood?”
There was a chorus of, “Yes Mamma,” and “Yes, Aunt Edith.”
“Two sets are all you are allowed to see; then it is off to bed with all of you. That will already be close to midnight.” Edith looked around and saw nods from all of those not attending the ball.
After kisses on the cheeks of her daughters and nieces, Edith followed Paul out of the room to take up their stations for the receiving line.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
The Fitzwilliams, Russells, Darcys, Gardiners, and Phillipses were already present before the line formed. They, along with the four couples from Meryton who had arrived that morning, joined Jamey as they all migrated to the ball room.
The Lucases, Longs, Purvises, and Gouldings had been in awe since arriving at the mansion on Park Lane.
Charlotte, who had been in residence since the Carringtons arrived in London from Hertfordshire, did her best to calm her parents and those from Meryton.
She told them it was only a home, a large one, but a home, nonetheless.
Sir William had been stupefied when he had met the two earls in Meryton, and now he had just met the Duke and Duchess of Bedford and had heard that both the Dukes of Devonshire and Hertfordshire and their duchesses would be present on this night.
The lesson he had learnt in Hertfordshire about the insignificance of his knighthood was reinforced many times over this night.
Once he was able to relax, Sir William enjoyed himself.
After Bingley cleared the receiving line, he made his way over to where he saw Hadlock, Fitzwilliam, and Darcy standing and speaking.
“Welcome, Bingley,” Hadlock stated warmly as he extended his hand to their friend. “Did Miss Bingley’s exclusion tonight cause you many problems at home? I am sure she was not well pleased.”
“No, she was not,” Bingley responded after greeting his friends. “However, I made sure she was aware that the consequences for her would be severe should she try to gain entry.”
“How is it she is so very different from you and Mrs Hurst?” William enquired.
“That is a mystery to all of us,” Bingley replied.
“Neither my late mother nor my late father put this nonsense about climbing the social ladder into her head. As you know from meeting my older sister, it did not come from that quarter. From the time she was eight Caroline began to feel disgusted with trade and began to spout nonsense about raising herself to the heights of society.”
“Bingley, I know that beautiful, willowy, blonde, blue-eyed ladies are what you prefer. My eldest sister, Lady Jane, is such a woman. She only has one set open, and I will not see you make a cake of yourself with my sister, will I?” Hadlock prompted.
“If you forget, I am sure that one of her cousins will remind you.”
Bingley knew he needed to be on his best behaviour when he saw the looks from Fitzwilliam, Darcy, and then Viscount Hilldale as well.
He would always behave properly, but he had to admit that women like the one Hadlock described, the same one he had seen in Hyde Park that day but had not been introduced to, always attracted his notice.
His thoughts were interrupted when the crowd stilled and all heads looked towards the stairs at one end of the ballroom.
Bingley hardly heard the butler’s announcement when his eyes locked on the beauty on Lord Holder’s arm.
He had to fight to make sure that his mouth did not fall open.
Knowing Lady Jane only had one set available and seeing the crush of men wanting to be introduced, Bingley kept back. He could tell by the one smug and many disappointed men that Lady Jane’s final open set had been awarded to someone.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
Miss Bingley had her hackney carriage arrive at Holder House an hour after the ball began.
She was sure that as there was no longer a receiving line, there would be no one to stop her slipping into the ball.
Once inside, the earl and countess would not want a disturbance at their so-called daughter’s ball, so she would be allowed to remain.
On alighting, Miss Bingley paid the driver and dismissed him. She made sure her gown was displaying her assets in a most alluring way and made her way towards the broad stone steps leading from the drive to the enormous front doors. Much to her chagrin, there were two footmen near the closed door.
Thinking they would not stop her, she tried to look as if she belonged. It did not work.
“Invitation,” Biggs demanded.
Up close Miss Bingley saw how large and intimidating the man was. “Out of my way, do not question your betters,” she said with her nose in the air. Rather than move aside, the men stood firm.
“The butler told me everyone invited is ‘ere. No invitation, no entry,” Biggs reiterated. “Mistress says to look out for a Miss Bingley trying to enter without an invitation. Is that your name?”
Seeing that the men would not move and allow her entry, Caroline Bingley did all she could do. She stamped her foot and turned away to go seek a hackney cab.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
Jane enjoyed herself at her ball from start to finish. The highlight for her was dancing with Richard for the supper and the final sets. She hoped he felt about her like she felt about him, and if so, he would not make her wait too long before declaring himself.