Elizabeth had her coming out in the little season of 1809. Like Jane before her, she chose to forego a full season. Unlike Jane though, she was rather vocal in her opposition to wearing, as she called it, thehooped monstrosity, which Queen Charlotte demanded all ladies being presented to her were to wear. Also like her older sister, Elizabeth practiced at Devonshire House until she was able to approach the imaginary queen, curtsy, and back out without any tripping or other errors.
The same ladies who accompanied Jane to St James were with Elizabeth, with one addition, Aunt Connie. Her son, Ian, had been sick, so she had not been able to attend Jane’s presentation or coming out ball.
Jane, as one who had already been presented, was also one of the party. For her, it was a good distraction from missing Andrew. Since he had departed England, there had been one letter. It had arrived four months after his departure—posted from the Cape of Good Hope—and by now Jane knew it word for word, especially his declarations of love.
Even though she was untitled, as the granddaughter of a duke, Elizabeth did not have to wait long to be ushered into the presentation hall. She approached Her Majesty’s throne perfectly and dropped into a low curtsy. As she had been instructed, Elizabeth waited for a signal to rise. Rather than it coming from her mother, she heard the Queen’s voice.
“Rise Miss Bennet. We think we remember you.” The Sovereign turned to Lady Rebecca. “Is this lady before us the girl who amused us so in Meryton when we were there with the King?”
Becca curtsied to the Queen. “Aye, Your Majesty, she is the very same one.”
“My, my. How you look so much like your grandmother, aunt, and mother,” the Queen remarked. “If it were not for your darker hair and those magnificent emerald-green eyes of yours, you would look just like them. We think you are very pretty.”
“I am very privileged to look like the three ladies you mentioned, Your Majesty,” Elizabeth curtsied as she replied. “And I thank you for your compliments.”
The Queen beckoned Lizzy to her and kissed her cheek. With one more curtsy, Elizabeth backed out of the hall. Her Majesty’s approval of Miss Elizabeth Bennet was not lost on any of the courtiers present.
“Do you know how rare it is for the Queen to kiss a debutante’s cheek?” Lady Georgiana remarked once they were in the coach on the way back to Devonshire House. “She has marked you as this season’s diamond.”
“It is a compliment to be sure, but not even that will tempt me to return for the full season,” Elizabeth insisted. Those with her knew not to try changing her mind.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
The ball was most enjoyable. Lizzy danced the first with her papa, the next with Grandpapa, then Uncle Reggie, Will, Connie’s Harry, and then Uncle Edward. The next set was with Henry, who had surprised her by attending the ball, which delighted her. She had Richard as a partner for the supper set.
“Mary turned sixteen recently, did she not?” Lieutenant-Colonel Richard Fitzwilliam asked Lizzy after he had made plates for each of them.
“Yes, that is correct; she looks rather good, does she not?” Elizabeth responded with an arched eyebrow. “In two years, it will be her turn to come out. It is hard to fathom how my little sisters and brother are growing up so fast. Tommy began at Eton this year!”
“And who would have thought thatlittle Lizzywould be eighteen already?” Richard teased, making a play of words on his cousin’s petite size.
“Do not think you can redirect me so easily. I did not miss the way your eyebrows shot up when you saw Mary at the family dinner last night. With your time on the Peninsula, you have not seen her for some years.” Elizabeth got serious. “We were all very worried when you were injured at the Battle of Roliça last year. I know how worried Aunt Elaine and Uncle Reggie were until they saw it was not too serious.”
“As I was bayonetted in my posterior, my pride was hurt more than anything else,” Richard jested. He knew he had been very lucky because it had been a glancing blow. Had his batman not shot the French soldier who had crept up behind him, Richard was well aware he would no longer be in the mortal world. He thanked God every day that the enemy soldier had been out of shot.
“Like your parents and many others in the family, I will be much happier when you resign from the army,” Elizabeth stated.
Richard did not respond to the last.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
Caroline Bingley had already reached her majority and was no closer to inducing Mr Darcy to offer for her. Hence, when she sat in her brother’s house, thanks to another coming-out ball at Devonshire House to which she had not been invited, she was not well pleased to read about the presentation and ball of another Bennet sister. If that was not bad enough, this one had been designated the Queen’s diamond for the season.
Who were these Bennets that were not seen in society and yet had stellar connections and were admired by Her Majesty? So far, Caroline had not been able to meet Miss Bennet, who she still believed would be her entrée into the circle she desired to inhabit.
At least according to the papers, Mr Darcy was not in London, and Viscount Hilldale had been absent, still out of the country. It seemed that Miss Bennet was waiting for Lord Hilldale to return.
Sadly Miss Bingley’s unrealistic desires clouded her judgement, or she might have sought someone who was available, who was reasonably rich and connected.
Chapter 10
Jane sat at the writing desk in her chamber. The page was ready, her quill was suspended over the inkpot, but she could not think of the words just yet; she was too excited.
A letter from Andrew had arrived that day; it was almost seven months’ old. Suddenly Jane realised that her reply would never reach Andrew before he embarked on the ship to bring him back to her and England. She admitted that his words had left her slightly addlepated. Jane picked up the missive she had read five times already and began to read it again.
10 September 1810
Fitzwilliam Diamond Mine
