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Authors: Cynthia Harrod-Eagles
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who is a friend of James's, and by the colonel's wife, who inspected them on purpose.’
Mrs Micklethwaite laughed. 'Then there's your problem solved,' she said. 'Ask the officers to bring a friend. Depend upon it, they will have no difficulty in recruiting someone, and the girls will be delighted to have the choice of four red coats instead of three.'
‘ But the mamas,' Héloïse asked anxiously. 'How will they like it? I do not wish them to think I am bringing their daugh ters to meet strangers.'
‘ If they're gentlemen, unwed, and possessed of anything resembling a fortune, the mamas will be as meek as pussycats, I promise you,' Mrs Micklethwaite said. 'Particularly Lady Grey, with her seven daughters to shift off her hands. I presume you must be having one Grey girl at least to the dance? Nothing ever happens within twenty miles of York without a Grey girl turning up.'
‘ Actually, there are three invited,' Héloïse said guiltily. ‘Lady Grey was so pressing —'
‘ Three! The impudence of that woman knows no bounds! Well, my dear, you ask the officers to bring a friend. The Grey girls will dance with anything male and over eighteen.’
*
On the evening of the ball, everything looked set fair: it was dry and mild, and the full moon sailed clear between a few small clouds, so there was no reason for anyone to cry off. The family dined early to allow time to dress, and to give the servants the chance to clear the dining-room and lay out the supper. The floor of the long saloon had been chalked and tested, the flowers had been arranged and the chairs set out, and the musicians had already arrived and were being enter tained in the servants' hall under Ottershaw's watchful eye.
The only problem, apart from Mathilde's extreme nervous ness, which Héloïse hoped and trusted would go away of its own accord as soon as the fun began, seemed to be Fanny. She had always regarded Mathilde with too much contempt to wish to torment her, but the thought of a ball being given in her house for that ugly, freckled thing was too much to be borne in silence; especially when she discovered that she, Fanny, was to take no part in it.
‘ But Fanny, love, you're only eleven. You're much too young to go to balls. When your turn comes, when you're older —' James coaxed again and again.
‘ I don't care! It's my house, and she shan't have a ball if I can't go! It's not fair! I'm nearly eleven-and-a-half, and it is old enough, it is!’
Fanny raged, and then sobbed, and then threatened. 'I'll spoil it. I'll do something, and then you'll be sorry.' And finally, her most pointed weapon, 'You don't love me any more. Ever since that woman came, you love everybody better than me. Everybody has things, except me. You killed my dog, and now I haven't got anything!’
Héloïse retired early in the altercation, knowing her presence would not help. Edward, rolling his eyes expres sively, left the room the moment it began and went down to the kennels to shut up the house dogs, and managed to stay there settling them until the storm had passed. After long negotiation, James finally persuaded Fanny to go to bed and not to spoil the ball on condition that she would be allowed to watch the arrivals from the upper hall, and that James would personally bring her a tray of supper, and sit with her while she ate it.
Meanwhile, Héloïse and Marie had attended Mathilde in the Red Room to help her dress. Her gown was a present from James for her birthday, fine white jaconet muslin, embroidered with tiny flowers.
‘ It is very pretty, mademoiselle,' Marie observed, hooking up the pearl buttons down the back. And it fits you to perfection. But you will need to tuck a little lace,' she added appro vingly. Mathilde had filled out a little since her come-out last year, and now, in Marie's opinion, had a very adequate figure.
‘ I wonder what my poor Flon would have said about it,' Héloïse sighed. 'I wish she could have lived to see you dancing at
Mrs Micklethwaite laughed. 'Then there's your problem solved,' she said. 'Ask the officers to bring a friend. Depend upon it, they will have no difficulty in recruiting someone, and the girls will be delighted to have the choice of four red coats instead of three.'
‘ But the mamas,' Héloïse asked anxiously. 'How will they like it? I do not wish them to think I am bringing their daugh ters to meet strangers.'
‘ If they're gentlemen, unwed, and possessed of anything resembling a fortune, the mamas will be as meek as pussycats, I promise you,' Mrs Micklethwaite said. 'Particularly Lady Grey, with her seven daughters to shift off her hands. I presume you must be having one Grey girl at least to the dance? Nothing ever happens within twenty miles of York without a Grey girl turning up.'
‘ Actually, there are three invited,' Héloïse said guiltily. ‘Lady Grey was so pressing —'
‘ Three! The impudence of that woman knows no bounds! Well, my dear, you ask the officers to bring a friend. The Grey girls will dance with anything male and over eighteen.’
*
On the evening of the ball, everything looked set fair: it was dry and mild, and the full moon sailed clear between a few small clouds, so there was no reason for anyone to cry off. The family dined early to allow time to dress, and to give the servants the chance to clear the dining-room and lay out the supper. The floor of the long saloon had been chalked and tested, the flowers had been arranged and the chairs set out, and the musicians had already arrived and were being enter tained in the servants' hall under Ottershaw's watchful eye.
The only problem, apart from Mathilde's extreme nervous ness, which Héloïse hoped and trusted would go away of its own accord as soon as the fun began, seemed to be Fanny. She had always regarded Mathilde with too much contempt to wish to torment her, but the thought of a ball being given in her house for that ugly, freckled thing was too much to be borne in silence; especially when she discovered that she, Fanny, was to take no part in it.
‘ But Fanny, love, you're only eleven. You're much too young to go to balls. When your turn comes, when you're older —' James coaxed again and again.
‘ I don't care! It's my house, and she shan't have a ball if I can't go! It's not fair! I'm nearly eleven-and-a-half, and it is old enough, it is!’
Fanny raged, and then sobbed, and then threatened. 'I'll spoil it. I'll do something, and then you'll be sorry.' And finally, her most pointed weapon, 'You don't love me any more. Ever since that woman came, you love everybody better than me. Everybody has things, except me. You killed my dog, and now I haven't got anything!’
Héloïse retired early in the altercation, knowing her presence would not help. Edward, rolling his eyes expres sively, left the room the moment it began and went down to the kennels to shut up the house dogs, and managed to stay there settling them until the storm had passed. After long negotiation, James finally persuaded Fanny to go to bed and not to spoil the ball on condition that she would be allowed to watch the arrivals from the upper hall, and that James would personally bring her a tray of supper, and sit with her while she ate it.
Meanwhile, Héloïse and Marie had attended Mathilde in the Red Room to help her dress. Her gown was a present from James for her birthday, fine white jaconet muslin, embroidered with tiny flowers.
‘ It is very pretty, mademoiselle,' Marie observed, hooking up the pearl buttons down the back. And it fits you to perfection. But you will need to tuck a little lace,' she added appro vingly. Mathilde had filled out a little since her come-out last year, and now, in Marie's opinion, had a very adequate figure.
‘ I wonder what my poor Flon would have said about it,' Héloïse sighed. 'I wish she could have lived to see you dancing at
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