Week Three Practicing New Behaviors
The week began with tentative attempts to put her new understanding into practice. Madeline accepted an invitation to attend a small tea party with several ladies of solid reputation but modest fortunes, much like the Bennets.
Franny bit her tongue repeatedly as conversations flowed around her.
When Mrs. Buxton mentioned her daughter’s engagement to a young clergyman, every instinct screamed that she should launch into a detailed comparison with Jane’s superior match.
Instead, she forced herself to smile and offer quiet congratulations.
“How lovely for them both,” she managed.
Her sister’s approving glances provided the strength needed to restrain her conversation throughout the afternoon.
When another lady mentioned the shocking behavior of a neighbor’s daughter, Franny’s mouth opened with equally shocking gossip about the Lucas family.
Thankfully, she caught herself before the story escaped and simply said, “Young ladies do require careful guidance.” The words brought to mind her own daughters at Miss Peabody’s Academy.
The effort was exhausting. By the time they returned to Gracechurch Street, Franny might have been carrying miles of heavy road on her shoulders.
“It becomes easier with practice,” Madeline assured her. “You did very well today.”
“Did I? I scarcely knew what to say.”
“That, my dear, is precisely the point. Better to speak little and be thought intelligent than to speak much and remove all doubt.”