Hazel looked over her sister's dress and hair, adjusting a curl, fluffing the sleeve, and shook out her dress as it had become flat in the back from standing against a wall. She pushed back her sister's shoulders—but something of the confident air that brings people's respect was still lacking.
"You look beautiful, Esther. Every man in this room will be lining up to dance with you. You are a powerful woman with a strong character, and meek and gentle when you want to be, as every woman should possess. If you do not end the evening with at least three marriage proposals, you can have my jade earrings."
"Truly?"
"No. But bat your eyelashes enough and I am sure of three proposals from any number of men who are able to buy you jade earrings."
"I would rather have your jade earrings."
Hazel spun Esther around and caught her by the shoulders, pointing to a handsome gentleman with her fan. "You'd rather have that man over there—with those soft eyes and the strong chin. He is the cousin of those stand-offish Emmerson people who think they are too good for society."
He is quite handsome…perhaps… Esther thought. But then her shoulders became heavy again and the thought of exerting energy simply to ensure someone thought she was pleasant seemed exhausting. "In fifty years, he'll be dead, but the jade earrings will still look beautiful."
"Be quiet and let me introduce you to that woman, his sister, whom I met when I ran into Sally Emmerson in the milliner's shop—with any luck she will introduce us to him!"
"You promised to introduce me to single men, not overprotective and catty sisters."
"With your state, it is a wonder you are being introduced to anyone other than the carriage drivers. Now hush, she moves this way—Miss Howard! I daresay your maid performs artwork with your hair! It is so pretty!" The lady looked a little shocked to be spoken to, and clearly from her face, it took a few seconds for her to recognize the eager Wickham girl she had been introduced to in the milliner's shop. Wickham…what did Cousin Sally say about her? Oh yes, she stole her sister's beau. Wonder if that would be the exact sister. To Hazel's opening, she could say nothing but thank you.
Ms. Howard's brown hair held a hairstyle that no one being truthful would call extraordinary. The knot in her hair was simpler than the one Hazel had performed in Esther's hair, but it still suited her well. She was so lovely she did not need elaborate hairstyles. The lady was blessed with wonderfully smooth skin, which highlighted her and chocolate brown eyes. She wore a lilac printed dress, and she had the largest puffed sleeves Esther had ever seen in person, and in pictures, outside of the royal family.
Not wanting to be outdone by even the richest of catty sisters, Hazel immediately jumped into, "I have some skill and accomplishment with hair myself, and while being quite rich enough to afford our own ladies' maid, my sisters and my mother often call upon me to make them look at their best. Take Esther here for an example. She is so handsome not much has to be done to make her look exquisite. On this occasion, however, I felt a truly elaborate hair style would show off her features. Do you not agree, Miss Howard?"
Miss Howard had nothing to say in return, so she feigned interest and replied with "How incredibly lucky of your sisters and mother to have you, Miss Wickham." Vulgar. Truly vulgar. No—pretentious. If the lady is as pretentious as the hair, I would rather be thrown into the water trough than talk to a too-eager girl and her older sister who thinks she hung the moon. Perhaps that is the reason her most recent beau rejected her.
Esther nudged Hazel; she had forgotten a formal introduction. "Miss Howard, this is my eldest sister, Miss Esther Wickham. Esther, this is Miss Lilly Howard. She is the cousin of the wonderful Emmerson family that we cherish so dearly."
Esther gave a little curtsey. Please, God, do not make me talk to anyone related to the Emmersons for more than five minutes. If I am still here in five minutes, I will jump out that window. Alright, game face. I am lovely. I am wanted. I am an exceptional conversationalist. I have wit and taste. Everyone wants to be around me. "Miss Howard." The lady reciprocated. Esther's eyes turned to scan the general crowd. "How do you do? How do you like the ball?"
"I am not as used to coming to the public balls, but as we know little society in this town, it is a good way to see the people who live here."
"And how do you find our common folk? We could dust them off if you find yourself dissatisfied with them." Esther's politeness was wholly intact, but the joy in her voice was missing. Lilly took Esther's complete lack of liveliness as a dry sense of humor, and her favorite people always had a dry sense of humor. Lilly found it endlessly amusing.
"They are as common as they are in Weypark, I assure you," she said with a bit of a laugh. She found Esther more tolerable than Hazel. Esther's manner was not as pretentious as the hairstyle she wore, and now that Hazel had told her it was her artwork, Lilly understood why. Hazel wore her vibrant vigor on her face and confessed it in her speech. Esther had restricted vigor to her eyes and intelligent conversation.
They began politely chatting about travel, the weather—the safe topics. Esther still found it difficult to hold a conversation at all, but the lady was polite and lively enough that Esther did not have to fight herself to speak.
Hazel apparently felt as if the two ladies were excluding her from the conversation. Impress the sister, impress the gentleman. Esther and Mr. Howard will be in love by September. Wedding in December, family Christmas at whatever estate he owns in whatever part of the country he is from. Compliment the sister. "And, Miss Howard, this is a lovely dress you have here. I particularly like the details of your sleeves."
Miss Howard seemed instantly bored. Can young women talk about anything else than fashion and hair? I suppose the only thing to talk about when you have not lived is what you wear while you wait for things to happen. "Thank you, Miss Wickham."
"Is your engagement in town a long one?" Esther saves the day.
"We have not decided. The Emmersons are so kind, of course." Those dreaded cousins. God, I hate every last one of them and their smug remarks. We are four times as rich as they are and one would think they were the royal family by how they expect to be treated. They speak with pride of a title they are forbidden to inherit. If only I did not need a husband so badly because of the dreaded Silas situation. "As it inevitably goes, my brother John and I have met all the people in our own town, and must now go to another to visit our cousin and meet everyone else's cousins."
Hazel saw an opportunity and said something that reminded Esther of her Grandmamma Bennett: "Oh, we are very well acquainted with the principle people in the town, and we have a fair amount of cousins, I assure you!"
Esther laughed. Miss Howard had the gift of being frank and observant without offending people. "Ironically, I do have a cousin in Weypark. However, as she is a distant cousin, I do not remember her name. She is the daughter of Mr. Owen Lloyd."
"Miss Sarah Lloyd. A charming girl. Mr. Lloyd is an acquaintance of my father." And for an older man, dashing. The girl is common enough.
"The very one. How remarkable." A slight lull in the conversation. The floor suddenly became very interesting. Esther resumed it with: "And how does your brother find the town and its people?"
"Indeed. We find the town here particularly charming and the people very respectable indeed. Even the common folk are well kept and dusted regularly."
Miss Howard and Esther shared a giggle. Hazel laughed a bit too hard.
Miss Howard ignored Hazel and continued. "We are particularly fond of the beautiful country here. However, we have not seen much of the town yet. What is your suggestion for activities?"