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Authors: Just One of Those Flings
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duchess, quite obviously struck by Emily's exceptional looks, could not seem to take her eyes off the girl, who was quite aware of Her Grace's scrutiny and sat up straight and tall.
"I trust you are making the best of the warm weather," the duchess said. And several minutes of polite, inconsequential conversation about the weather and their good health followed.
Two housemaids were soon ushered into the room by a footman. One was carrying a tea service, the other a tray of dishes piled with a variety of sweetmeats and biscuits. The footman brought a tea table from a corner of the room and placed it in front of the duchess. The service was arranged with precision on the table, and another footman came in with a large silver urn on a stand and set it beside the duchess so she could easily refill the teapot with hot water.
She poured out cups of tea for each of them. One of the maids delivered their cups while the other passed around the dishes of sweets and biscuits. The duchess spoke a soft word to one of the footmen, who nodded and followed the rest of the staff out of the room.
"Now, then," the duchess said, "you wish to make use of our ballroom, I understand?"
"If it would please Your Grace," Beatrice said. "The Benevolent Widows Fund trustees have asked me to inquire if you would allow us to hold our last ball of the Season here. We understand you have a rather large ballroom."
"It was the Great Drawing Room at one time," the duchess said, "but the furniture was removed so often for balls that we decided to convert it permanently into a ballroom. There are several other drawing rooms, so it was no sacrifice to transform the largest of them. We have four daughters, you know, and when they were younger, one of them was always wanting us to host a ball for her."
Beatrice took a sip of tea and smiled. "I have two young daughters myself," she said, "and already they talk about the balls they will be wanting in a few years. They are certain to keep me busy."
The duchess nodded. "If they are anything like my girls, they will. But it is a great pleasure to fire off one's daughters into Society. And you are getting early practice this Season with your charming niece." She turned to Emily. "Are you enjoying your Season, my dear?"
"Yes, Your Grace," Emily said, "very much so. Thanks to my aunt, who takes me to all the best parties and balls."
The duchess smiled. "And a pretty girl like you never sits out a dance, I'll wager."
Emily lowered her eyes in a look so demure, so meek and modest, that Beatrice had to bite back a smile. If she didn't find a proper match for the girl, there was always the stage.
"Thank you, Your Grace," Emily said. "I have been very fortunate to dance so often. I enjoy dancing. Especially at my aunt's charity balls, which are the best of them all."
Well, bless her little thespian heart. It truly was difficult not to be charmed by the girl.
"Yes, the Widows Fund balls are quite popular," the duchess said, "and support a very good cause."
"The response to our balls has been most gratifying," Beatrice said. "We raise enough money to support a large facility where war widows and their children may stay while the staff helps them find respectable employment and permanent housing. We have been privileged to help a great many women to get back on their feet again. But this war makes more widows every day, and many of them are left with little or nothing. And so we continue to raise money for their support. We trustees are all widows ourselves, you see, but more fortunate in our circumstances. It seems only right that we should reach out to help women who don't have our advantages to recover from such a loss."
"You are to be commended for stepping up and doing what the government ought to be doing," the duchess said. "But the country is run by men, and they really have no idea how their wars affect the lives of women, do they? Your balls do a great service, Lady Somerfield. Of course you may use our
"I trust you are making the best of the warm weather," the duchess said. And several minutes of polite, inconsequential conversation about the weather and their good health followed.
Two housemaids were soon ushered into the room by a footman. One was carrying a tea service, the other a tray of dishes piled with a variety of sweetmeats and biscuits. The footman brought a tea table from a corner of the room and placed it in front of the duchess. The service was arranged with precision on the table, and another footman came in with a large silver urn on a stand and set it beside the duchess so she could easily refill the teapot with hot water.
She poured out cups of tea for each of them. One of the maids delivered their cups while the other passed around the dishes of sweets and biscuits. The duchess spoke a soft word to one of the footmen, who nodded and followed the rest of the staff out of the room.
"Now, then," the duchess said, "you wish to make use of our ballroom, I understand?"
"If it would please Your Grace," Beatrice said. "The Benevolent Widows Fund trustees have asked me to inquire if you would allow us to hold our last ball of the Season here. We understand you have a rather large ballroom."
"It was the Great Drawing Room at one time," the duchess said, "but the furniture was removed so often for balls that we decided to convert it permanently into a ballroom. There are several other drawing rooms, so it was no sacrifice to transform the largest of them. We have four daughters, you know, and when they were younger, one of them was always wanting us to host a ball for her."
Beatrice took a sip of tea and smiled. "I have two young daughters myself," she said, "and already they talk about the balls they will be wanting in a few years. They are certain to keep me busy."
The duchess nodded. "If they are anything like my girls, they will. But it is a great pleasure to fire off one's daughters into Society. And you are getting early practice this Season with your charming niece." She turned to Emily. "Are you enjoying your Season, my dear?"
"Yes, Your Grace," Emily said, "very much so. Thanks to my aunt, who takes me to all the best parties and balls."
The duchess smiled. "And a pretty girl like you never sits out a dance, I'll wager."
Emily lowered her eyes in a look so demure, so meek and modest, that Beatrice had to bite back a smile. If she didn't find a proper match for the girl, there was always the stage.
"Thank you, Your Grace," Emily said. "I have been very fortunate to dance so often. I enjoy dancing. Especially at my aunt's charity balls, which are the best of them all."
Well, bless her little thespian heart. It truly was difficult not to be charmed by the girl.
"Yes, the Widows Fund balls are quite popular," the duchess said, "and support a very good cause."
"The response to our balls has been most gratifying," Beatrice said. "We raise enough money to support a large facility where war widows and their children may stay while the staff helps them find respectable employment and permanent housing. We have been privileged to help a great many women to get back on their feet again. But this war makes more widows every day, and many of them are left with little or nothing. And so we continue to raise money for their support. We trustees are all widows ourselves, you see, but more fortunate in our circumstances. It seems only right that we should reach out to help women who don't have our advantages to recover from such a loss."
"You are to be commended for stepping up and doing what the government ought to be doing," the duchess said. "But the country is run by men, and they really have no idea how their wars affect the lives of women, do they? Your balls do a great service, Lady Somerfield. Of course you may use our
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