Chapter 14 #2
“Oh, don’t mind her!” Lydia giggled. “They’re saying you’re quite the young beauty! I’ve always admired your kind of farm-girl vision of beauty. It’s so… wholesome.”
“Oh yes,” Anna spoke quietly, but Beatrice felt an unusual chill in her tone. “Some ladies don’t require trinkets and baubles to shine.”
“Well, you would know,” Amelia snapped nastily. “You always made the best out of a bad situation.”
“I was taught thriftiness is next to godliness, Amy.” Anna smiled, flicking her fan.
“I am sure that is a virtue you no longer need, Mrs Klane. You have married so well,” Lydia added, smiling broadly, as if watching women hurt each others’ feelings was her favorite sport. “Why, what is the point of marrying a man in trade if you cannot have a few trinkets and baubles?”
“Oh, I assure you, I am not short of them.” Anna stroked the front of her gown, drawing the girls’ envious attention to the expensive crystal beading. “Beatrice is merely too modest for such fare.”
“Passing on your tricks of the trade?” Amelia sneered. “You spent years being the wholesome belle of society, charmed every man of standing, including my poor brother, and then threw your lot in with a criminal for the money!” Amelia glared at Beatrice as if she were horse dung under her shoe.
“Now you’re teaching his sister your cunning ways, no doubt, in order to catch a title for her. Well, don’t look at my brother, I’ll not have some Klane bob-tail sullying the Shelton name!”
Beatrice tried not to gasp, her heart thumping hard inside her chest. Criminal.
Bob-tail. In trade. She felt tears sprout in the corner of her eyes.
She must not cry, not in front of these girls, and not at her first ball!
She glanced desperately over her shoulder and saw Silas, hidden from the view of the women but still in earshot.
His eyes were dark with fury. He had certainly heard every word. Suddenly, Anna spoke.
“It seems you ladies’ have given in to the lure of gossip. I am so sorry to see it, but as an older, married woman, I feel my duty to set you right.”
Beatrice felt Anna’s supportive arm pressing discreetly against hers and saw Silas step back out of the corner of her eye. Anna smiled prettily, but her green eyes were as hard and sharp as sea glass chips.
“Firstly, there seems to be confusion about my husband’s business. All I can say is that it does not do to comment on the business of prominent men, particularly those so closely acquainted with the Prince Regent.”
Lydia’s eyes widened behind her fan. Amelia scowled even deeper but her eyes showed a flicker of fear.
“And secondly, Amelia, I am hardly one to sully your family name. I have always respected Henry and held your mother’s opinion in high esteem, which is more than I can say for you, after she forbade you from seeing the sea captain in Brighton when you were only fourteen years old and you tried to run away with him, only to be saved from scandal by our brothers. ”
“Anna!” Amelia gasped.
Lydia looked entertained behind her fan, and Beatrice felt a surge of dislike for her. What kind of woman took such pleasure in a friend's humiliation, however deserved?
“Oh yes,” Anna smiled coldly. “Did you forget how many secrets I hold for you, sweet Amy? Yet you accuse me so.” Anna tutted. “It is hardly right.”
“Oh, she sees that now.” Lydia nodded, smirking at her friend’s red, fuming face.
“I am glad. I hope you see it, too, Lydia.”
“Why, you hold no secrets of mine, Mrs Klane.” Lydia laughed, fluttering her fan. “No, no, you may not intimidate me now! You may have been the darling of the Beau Monde once, but your marriage has left you quite diminished in our eyes.”
Beatrice wanted to pull Anna away from these cruel comments. In fact, Beatrice dearly wished that they had never come to the ball at all. But Anna stood her ground.
“Then you should look closer, Lydia.” Anna smiled at Lydia as if she had merely said something amusing.
“I maintain all the reputation of the darling of society but now I also have unlimited financial resources, and a husband of unprecedented influence.” Anna lowered her voice so that Lydia and Beatrice only heard her threat.
“Imagine what a woman like me could offer you as a friend. Imagine what I couldn’t prevent for you if I were not.
Trust me when I say, I do not feel diminished. ”
The two women stared at Anna, their mouths open and their faces pale with shock. Beatrice could hear her own heartbeat thundering loud in her chest. She was not used to this kind of verbal warfare. Lydia recovered first. She turned to Beatrice.
“Forgive us, Miss Klane, for our jests. Mrs Klane knows how it is with society ladies,” Lydia’s glance slid to Anna, “-we can’t help ourselves when it comes to a little teasing.
We will ensure to keep our tongues to ourselves, won’t we, Amelia?
” Amelia nodded to her, seeming unable to speak.
Her lower lip was trembling with either tears or rage.
“Of course, it is so kind of you to do so.” Anna’s voice was as smooth as silk. “Now, we wouldn’t want to keep you from your game.”
Anna gestured to the hearts table in a clear signal of dismissal.
Amelia blushed even darker and hurried away, eager to escape Anna’s chilling gaze.
Lydia maintained her smile but Beatrice could see the slightest tinge of pink high on her cheekbones.
She had clearly not wagered she would have to go toe-to-toe with a lady like Anna.
“Are you alright?” Anna asked as soon as they had moved away.
Beatrice knew she wouldn’t be able to stop the tears coming soon. “Is there somewhere I can go that’s private?” She took a deep breath. “This is all a bit much for me.”
“The conservatory along the hall will be quiet.” Anna squeezed her hand. “Take all the time you need. I will come and find you when Silas is ready to leave.”
“Thank you,” Beatrice instinctively hugged Anna. “Thank you for defending me.”
“Of course.” Anna smiled, pushing Beatrice’s hair behind her ears with gloved fingers. “We are family.”
Beatrice squeezed her new sister’s hand and left the parlor, only breathing a sigh of relief when she had stepped into the cool conservatory.
In the dark, sheltered by the tall leaves of the ferns, she let her tears fall.
She had thought her first ball might be uncomfortable, but this was awful.
She had never felt so belittled. There was only one ray of light in the whole situation: Anna.
It was strange, Beatrice thought, that a person could feel so unwanted by a group of people and yet so loved by one person at the same moment.
This was something Beatrice had learned that evening: Anna wasn’t just her brother’s wife, Anna was her sister and she loved her.
No matter how her coming out into society went from this point on, Beatrice would be glad to have her on her side.