Elizabeth felt that shopping was a necessary evil. She would have preferred to be outdoors, either riding Saturn or taking Aggie for a walk in Hyde Park rather than leaving it to one of the footmen. The ordeal was thankfully over after her mother had ordered a half dozen gowns and day dresses for her daughter which were appropriate for one on the cusp of coming out into society.
Anne returned to de Bourgh House with her husband directly from the visit to the modiste as she was feeling rather fatigued. They also had things they needed to do—one of which was to rename the house, Ashby House.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
After the visit to Hatchard’s, the men headed to White’s to meet up with Perry. He had previously made an appointment at his solicitor’s office, so he had missed the chance to visit the book shop with his friends. The three men were shown to a private alcove where Perry waited for them. As they walked towards the alcove, there were not a few men who tried to work out who the unknown greying gentleman in their party was. It was not long before word got around that he was none other than Thomas Bennet, Lady Elizabeth Fitzwilliam’s birth father.
Much to Bennet’s relief, they did not stay long, and although the three greeted one or two acquaintances briefly, they were moving too fast for anyone to request an introduction to him. After retrieving their outerwear and canes from an attendant, the four struck out towards Gunter’s.
The ladies had been waiting for some minutes when Ladies Rose, Anne, and Elaine saw a good friend of theirs on the opposite side of the shop and went to talk to her. Only Jane, Elizabeth, and Georgiana remained at the table.
Sitting in the corner with two friends was a Miss Theodora Price. She had come out the past season and there had been no interest in her. The family was aware that she had been heard to boast how she would be the next Mrs Darcy. Her father was a tradesman, but that is not why she was universally disliked. She was cut from the same cloth as the late Caroline Bingley who believed that she should be higher in society than she was, so she acted as if it were so. She had not seen her quarry in Town for more than a year and had long been in a snit that the Darcys had not responded to the invitation to her coming out ball.
Despite all her training, she had ignored the unwritten rule that one did not send an invitation to those to whom one had never been introduced. She had heard that the family stayed away from London because of Lady Elizabeth Fitzwilliam’s family situation, and in her narrow mind, it was that lady’s fault that she did not have three sets at her ball with the Darcy heir. When she saw the matrons leave the table and that Lady Elizabeth was sitting there with two unknown blondes, she decided that it was time to make her displeasure known so that theladywould not make the same mistake again.
“They let just anyone in here,” she sneered as she flounced up to the table where the three family members sat in conversation.“Foundlings should be in a workhouse, not here with us members of the first circles.”
Elizabeth saw her mother, Mother Bennet, and Aunt Anne, start to move towards her, as did Biggs from his position in the corner. She shook her head very slightly, telling them to hold their positions and that she wanted to handle this.
“Mores of society dictate that we should be introduced before you address me; as you have broken them already, who are you to address me thusly?” Elizabeth asked acerbically.
“I am Miss Theodora Price,” the woman returned trying to affect as much hauteur as she could.
“You are a member of the first circles, Miss Price?” She turned to Jane with a big smile and wink, unseen by Miss Price and her two friends.“I have heard of you and as far as I know, you are a tradesman’s daughter. Did the rules change, Jane?” She asked as she saw that the four men had arrived and were watching her performance with her mothers and aunt.
“What does that insipid nobody who apparently smiles too much know of thefirstcircles?” Miss Price spat out, her words dripping with disdain. She thought that the gasps she heard were sounds of agreement and so did not check herself nor her surroundings as it was high time someone put this one in her place.“Wait until my friends, the Darcys, hear how you dared speak to me so!”
Elizabeth looked past the homely woman.“Let us ask them, should we not? Uncle George, Aunt Anne?” she said their names without raising her voice because it was so quiet everyone present would hear her doing so. She then looked at the unknown blonde to her left,“Cousin Georgiana, what have you to say about yourfriendMiss Price?”
Miss Price and her friends, who had been certain they were in control of the situation, now looked positively green around the gills. They had not known that Lady Elizabeth was here with her family; they had thought that the older blonde was her companion and the younger a friend of no consequence, but it was Miss Darcy!
“Lizzy, will you introduce this person to me?” Jane requested with ice in her voice.
“Certainly, Jane. This is Miss Theodora Price…” Miss Price seemed to find her voice and tried to salvage the mess that she had made.
“How dare you request that I, your better, be introduced to you?” She demanded; her haughty indignation evident in her voice. Again, there were many gasps, and now a low hum of whispers started in the background.
“As I was trying to say before your ignorant outburst, Miss Price, may I introduceher Grace, Lady Jane Rhys-Davies, theDuchessof Bedford.” Elizabeth’s smile spread as the colour drained from Miss Price’s pallor.
“If I were all of you,” Jane said her voice icy as she stood and glared at the three,“I would not try and show my face in society—ever again!”
Miss Price’s cohorts fled the store, trying to distance themselves from the social suicide their friend was committing, but running would not help them. As if it could not get worse for Miss Price, she saw Lady Elizabeth smile as someone approached behind her.
“This gentleman,” she indicated the man that had now walked over to stand behind the Duchess,“is my brother Perry, though to you he ishis Grace,Lord Peregrine Rhys-Davies,Dukeof Bedford!” The rest of their party now joined those seated.“Also joining us are my Uncle and Aunt, Mr George and Lady Anne Darcy, and my Cousin Fitzwilliam Darcy. Before I continue, Uncle and Aunt? Gigi does not seem to know her, yet she claimed a friendship with your family. Do you know this harpy?”
“Until this day, we have never had the displeasure of meeting this person!” Lady Anne responded, her eyes ice cold as she turned her gaze on Miss Price. Nodding that she had expected as much, Elizabeth then stood and closed in on the young lady who was now shaking due to shock.
“If I were you, I would follow your friends and follow my sister’s sage advice and run; run as far as you can, as fast as you can, because after today the cut direct will be thebestthat you can expect to receive in polite society!” Elizabeth advised the upstart. With that, Miss Price turned and walked out as fast as she could, then took the Duchess and Lady Elizabeth’s advice and ran.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
As they had expected, over the next sennight, Bennet House was besieged by callers during visiting hours. Once word was spread of who Mrs Bennet’s supportive friends were, any with nefarious plans gave up and kept away. By the end of the sennight the visits were at a manageable volume, and Tammy had met a few ladies with whom it would not be a chore to get to know better.
The tea with the royals was a roaring success, especially as the King was in rare form—so much so that one would not have been able to detect that he had been so ill if they had not known so already. As always, it ended with musical performances. The Queen was charmed by Lady Elizabeth’s solo performance; however, the highlight of the performance was the duet that the sisters played as their voices blended perfectly.
Towards the end of November, William and John arrived from Cambridge, and a few days after that James arrived from Eton. Before they realised it, the time to quit town and head home for Christmastide at Longbourn was upon them. On the eighteenth, the Monday before Christmas, many coaches were seen to depart for Hertfordshire.
Chapter 16
