When the Marchioness greeted Fanny, she had been distracted until she looked up, and without hearing the name again, she knew exactly at whom she was looking—Priscilla’s sister, about ten years her junior.
Ladies Edith & Elaine recognised the lady at the same time and understood Fanny’s look of shock. If Lady Marie saw Lizzy, she would think she was seeing her sister, as the likeness was so close.
There was nothing to be done immediately, as the receiving line duty was not complete. After Lady Marie and her husband moved past the line towards the ballroom, both Fanny and Lady Edith pointed out Lady Marie to the Prince by inclining their heads.
Lady Matlock called Richard to her side and told him to delay the Marquess and Marchioness until the Prince could act. She then left the receiving line to seek out Lizzy and remove her from the ball room. It took a little longer than she would have liked, but she found Elizabeth and Mary with Jane, Cassie, her sons, Darcy, and Jamey.
“Elizabeth and Mary, my dears, we will have to ask you to retire now,” Lady Matlock stated, giving a nervous look towards the doors leading to the hall outside. The Prince had engaged the Marquess and Marchioness in conversation to delay their entry into the ball room, so Richard joined them.
“But Aunt Elaine, Mama and Papa gave their permission,” Elizabeth stated plaintively.
“Something has occurred that we believe may affect either your or Mary’s safety, so as much as it pains your parents, they ask that you and Mary retire this instant,” Lady Matlock insisted. After his mission to delay the Birchingtons, Richard joined his mother. Captain Richard Fitzwilliam was well aware that the Marchioness was someone who could identify Elizabeth as connected to Lady Priscilla.
“I will escort the fair maidens to safety, Mother,” Richard gave a mock gallant bow.
“As will I,” Darcy repeated Richard’s bow.
Without further complaint, although neither was happy, Mary took Richard’s arm and Elizabeth William’s.
As Lady Marie Rhys-Davies entered the ballroom with her husband, she scanned the room, hoping to glimpse her sister. She was about to give up when she saw the back of a lady who was being escorted out of the ball room.
From what she could see from behind the lady, she swore it was her sister, Priscilla!
Chapter 18
“Sed, SED!” Lady Marie demanded her husband’s attention.
“What is it, Marie?” the Marquess asked.
“I swear I just saw Priscilla being escorted out of the ballroom by the Darcy heir,” Lady Marie insisted. “Why would she run as soon as I entered?”
“If it were my ex-wife you saw, it may have something to do with the disgraceful way your family treated her when the King forced the divorce on us,” the Prince stated, none too quietly. The couple had forgotten he was nearby.
“Your Royal Highness,” Lord Sed gave a deep bow while his wife gave the deepest of curtsies.
“I was but twelve when my father did what he felt he had to,” Lady Marie managed. She was not able to explain how her father had forced the decision on them as the Prince spoke again.
“Do you try to defend their despicable actions toward their own daughter in my presence?” the Prince bristled. In his anger he missed that the younger lady had said it was her father’s decision alone. “I understand you were a young girl at the time, but how many letters have you written since you came of age, since you married?”
“If you will excuse us, your Royal Highness, I think my wife is overwrought and we need to depart,” the Marquess stated and then gently guided his wife out of the ball room to collect their outerwear and call for their carriage.
“Is the Marchioness not well, Lord Sed?” Lady Edith asked when she saw the distressed look Lady Marie was displaying.
“It seems that is the case. Lady Holder, Mrs. Bennet, Lord Matlock, please accept our good wishes on your daughters’ entry into society and our apologies for not being able to remain for the ball.” The Marquess led his wife out to call for their carriage.
“Sed, I promised your parents that the royals did not hold the actions my parents took against us, as my father stated what he did was done in support of the crown,” Lady Marie cried as their coach pulled away down the drive towards the exit from Holder Heights.
“It seems your father may have been incorrect in his calculation, Marie,” her husband said blandly. “Are you sure you saw your sister?”
“My eyes did not lie to me, Sed,” Lady Marie insisted. “Unless there is another who looks just like her, that was my sister.”
“You need to write to your father and inform him the opposite of what he thought has happened as far as the royals are concerned,” Lord Sed suggested. “My parents are not going to be happy, especially with my mother being a distant cousin of the Queen.”
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
Elizabeth and Mary were escorted back to the ballroom. To assuage their confusion, they were told that the perceived threat was not an issue any longer. The two soon forgot about the oddity as the former was engaged for the first set by William and the latter by Richard.
Richard had Cassie’s supper and final sets. The two had become close over the last few times Richard had liberty from his unit and both realised that they were forming tender feelings, one for the other. The feelings were creating a quandary for Richard.
