Susan might seek to look nonchalant and poised, but the contemplation of her very first London party was enough to make her as excited as Harriet. Lady Chelmarsh was not planning their own party until the Season had more life to it, and could guarantee a squeeze, but had secured invitations from one of her old friends, Lady Orpington, to her rout. Whilst the girls were advised to lie for an hour upon their beds in the afternoon to ensure that they were ready for the fray, it proved impossible for either to do so. Instead, they pestered Sophy about the most trivial details of their hair and jewellery. She recalled her own first party, though in her case it had been more in trepidation than excitement, and with her mama’s admonitions upon how to try and lessen her obvious height disadvantage ringing in her ears. She could not blame two pretty girls being giggly and nervous.
‘Mama has said just pearls, but do you think I might add the bracelet Godmama sent me for my birthday? She said it was for my first Season and it is pearls and diamond chips.’
‘I cannot see why not, but Mama is the person to ask, Harry, not me.’
‘But you do not think she would object?’
‘No, I do not think she would.’ Sophy kept a straight face at her sister’s earnest expression. ‘Which gown have you and Mama decided upon?’
This gave Harriet the opportunity to launch into how they came to their decision and what particular factors influenced them. It was so very innocent, and Sophy let her run on for some time.
‘… and Mama said that though it will not be a crush, we might meet Lady Jersey, who is one of Lady Orpington’s closest friends, and of course she is a Patroness and … Almack’s, Sophy … Will that not be wonderful?’
Almack’s, thought her eldest sister, was indeed wonderful if one were popular, and not the sort of girl whom hostesses had to thrust upon partners who would be too gentlemanly to refuse. She herself was not a bad dancer, in that she knew the steps and was light upon her feet, but few men enjoyed dancing with a woman to whom they had to look upward every time the dance brought them together, which limited the number of potential partners considerably. She recalled, even now, the horror of being presented with a partner, just after she had been granted permission to waltz, whose height meant that he spent the dance addressing what few pleasantries he could bring to mind to her bosom. There had been sniggers from some quarters.
‘Wonderful, indeed, Harry, but remember that it is a place where one commonly has to sit out some sets.’
‘Oh yes, I would not even imagine standing up for every dance.’
‘I would.’ Susan had seen the door ajar, heard the voices. ‘Wallflowers do not win suitors. Surely one should aspire to returning home exhausted, with sore feet, and a dance card without any gaps?’
‘Ah, but one does not get to know a man simply upon the dance floor. There are some very fine gentlemen who do not generally dance, and it does not mean they are old, or crippled. Would that not limit your number of admirers?’
Susan thought about this.
‘I had not considered the matter. I suppose you are right, but it would have to be a very special reason if a man did not choose to ask for his name to go upon my card. I am certainly not interested in men too old to dance, even if one was a duke.’
‘How good to hear that you are not mercenary, Susan,’ commented Sophy, wryly, and received a dagger’s look.
‘If you wish to be beastly …’ Susan turned away.
Sophy felt guilty, a weakness Susan resolutely refused to acknowledge, and sighed.
‘No, I do not. I am sorry, cousin. Did you come in to speak to me or to Harriet?’
‘Actually, it was you. You have so much more experience. I was wondering how to decline an invitation to dance without letting the gentleman know that one would not dance with him were he the last man standing in the room.’
‘If the hostess has introduced him to you as a partner, you smile sweetly and offer your hand, Susan, because to refuse insults her also, and it is her party. Be clear upon that. Even if the gentleman is not to your taste.’
Susan looked mulish, but sighed, and nodded her head.
‘If he approaches you himself and is an undesirable partner because you have seen he is a clumsy dancer, then claiming to be overheated and in need of refreshment is perfectly acceptable, as long as you converse with him if he procures you a glass, or escorts you to the refreshments.’
‘But what if you are trying to catch the attention of someone far better? How provoking if you were waylaid by somebody unimportant.’
‘That, Susan, is called courtesy. You are not meant to be so very single-minded that you only dance with men high on your list of “suitable partners”. If gentlemen applied the same rules, very many young ladies would sit out the evenings, and, incidentally, many matches would not be made, for it is not only the prettiest girls who make good matches. Some who are not “diamonds of the first water” do so because of their sweetness of nature, their humour and goodwill. Looks alone will not get you a husband.’
‘But they are such a good start.’
This was unanswerable.
Considering the date, Lady Orpington’s rout was very well attended. She had judged it better to have as many as were already up in Town come through her door, and linger, than to hold her first social event in the height of the Season, when it might be low on the list of priorities, and have guests drift in late and leave early, having other and more important commitments. Lady Chelmarsh judged the arrival of her party carefully, neither so early that they might find themselves ‘rattling about the rooms’, nor so late that any gentlemen would have already picked out likely partners for any dancing, and ensuring introductions.
Precedence meant that Sophy followed immediately behind her mother, with her sister and cousin to the rear, as they ascended the main staircase and were presented to the hostess. The sonorous voice still had the power to make Sophy shrink as ‘the Lady Sophronia Hadlow, the Lady Harriet Hadlow, and Miss Tyneham’ were announced.
Lady Orpington, assured of the success of her party, was in a very good humour, complimented the young ladies upon their gowns, and promised that there would be plentiful partners for such delightful debutantes. This effectively discounted Sophy, but then, she was not expecting to be picked out. Rather, she hoped to spend a pleasant evening chatting with acquaintances whom she had not seen for a considerable time, when not keeping a watchful eye upon her sister and cousin, and enjoying the music. Harriet looked charming, but clearly unsure of herself. It was not unappealing. Susan, by contrast, glanced about the room as if she owned it, and her manner shouted ‘look at me’. It was not that she crossed the borders of propriety in any way, just that she expected to be admired, and simply awaited gentlemen vying for her attention. It was so at odds with the youthfulness of her form that Sophy did not know whether to be amused or horrified. She most certainly had to control the urge to laugh when it was Harriet who was first solicited to dance. Susan might tell herself that the young man was too callow for her taste, but when he diffidently requested an introduction, and then led Harriet into the quadrille, Sophy saw Susan stiffen.
Lady Chelmarsh was caught between pride and a dread that her niece would thereafter set out to count how many dances she stood up for during the evening, and treat Harriet as another rival. This was increased when, much to her surprise, Sophy was invited to join the next set forming up. Susan did compress her lips for a moment, and asked who the gentleman might be, but upon hearing he was but a baronet she relaxed.
