AN: I am leaving today for a few days vacation with my better half to celebrate our wedding anniversary. We may be off the grid so I hope you will understand if there are no updates for a few days. Many thanks for all of the support I have received. Enjoy seeing what happens with the Lady Marie situation.
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 to quietly. The couple had not noticed his approach while they talked.
"Your Royal Highness," Lord Sed gave a deep bow while his wife gave the deepest of curtsies.
"I was but twelve when my parents did what they felt they had to," Lady Marie managed.
"Do you try and defend their despicable actions to their own daughter to me?" the Prince bristled. "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 overwear and call for their carriage.
"Is the Marchioness not well Lord Sed?" Lady Edith asked seeing the distressed look Lady Marie was displaying.
"It seems that is the case Lady Holder. Mrs. Bennet 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 their waiting carriage.
"Sed, I promised your parents that the royals did not hold the actions my parents took against us as my parents stated what they 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 parents may have been incorrect in their 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 parents and inform them the opposite of what they 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. When they looked confused they were told that the perceived problem 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.
The Captain 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.
He was not the typical poor second son, he owned an estate within five miles of Pemberley's western boundary called Brookfield. He had not joined the army out of necessity, but rather out of a sense of duty. If he were to ask for and be granted a courtship with Lady Cassandra Carrington his honour would dictate he must resign from the army because unless he took a commission in the militia, which he would not do, he would not be able to ensure he would not die on a battlefield soon after engaging Cassie's affections.
As he saw it, his only honourable option would be to remain silent until after the upcoming deployment and then if he survived, he would be ready to resign. The danger in that course of action however was that he risked losing the lady to another if his deployment was long. It was a conundrum he needed some advice to help his sort through.
While Lord Holder was dancing the first set with Cassie, Bennet was doing the same with Jane. Both debutantes shined like the jewels of the first order they were. While they danced, Ladies Elaine and Edith along with Fanny and Frederick met in a corner out of earshot of anyone. "When the Duke and Duchess of Bedford declined and sent the Marquess and his wife in their stead, I did not consider who he had married," Edith apologised.
"Edith, we all went over the guest list carefully and we all missed that fact," Fanny reassured her friend. "I am sorry she was upset, even had she remained, Lizzy was out of the ballroom and at best, Lady Marie saw Lizzy from the back as William escorted her upstairs."
"What I said to Marie was not just to take her attention off Lizzy," the Prince stressed. "I am still angry at the way the De Melvilles treated my beloved and I honestly believe that the treatment at the hands of her family was a contributing factor to taking away her will to live."
"If the De Melvilles write to Priscilla now after this confrontation what should we do?" Elaine asked.
"We do nothing, they will receive the letter after Lizzy turns eighteen," Fanny stated firmly. "Any contact now will be disingenuous, a reaction to a public berating by Frederick in front of many prominent members of the Ton. They proved what their priorities were when they cut Priscilla, so there will be no answer, if they deign to write." Fanny paused to reign in the ire she felt towards the De Melvilles. "They had almost sixteen years to write, to make some sort of inquiry about Priscilla and they did nothing. It will be Lizzy's decision if she desires a connection with them after her eighteenth birthday, not theirs."
"I agree with Fanny," Frederick stated simply. He still felt much anger at the De Melvilles and in a way he knew it was unfair to unleash it against his Priscilla's younger sister. He hoped the Marchioness would relay his displeasure to her parents. Frederick was sure the Marquess would not hide the confrontation from his parents, the Duke and Duchess of Bedford.
With the decision taken, the small group drifted back to where their family members were.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
Both Jane and Cassie were enjoying their ball immensely. Both had received many more requests to dance than spaces on their dance cards. Jane had the pleasure of dancing the second with Andrew while Cassie danced with her brother. Other than the small disturbance near the start of the ball—the reason for which neither debutante was aware—the ball was meeting and exceeding all of their expectations.
For Elizabeth and Mary their first ball and dancing experience could not have been more pleasurable. After dancing the first with William, Elizabeth had the pleasure of his father's company for the second set. The three sets before dinner were taken by Andrew, Richard, and Jamey respectively. The supper set was Lord Matlocks.
"Mary enjoyed her dance with the dashing Captain in his regimentals. Even though she was young, she was not blind and rather perceptive. She had not missed the looks which passed between Cassie and Richard, and unless she was misreading the situation, they were a couple in the making. She danced the second with William, then Uncle George, Jamie—on whom she had a secret crush—followed by Andrew, and then for the supper set she had the pleasure of her father for her partner.
Cassie and Jane each danced with their selected Fitzwilliam brother for the supper set so they had the pleasure of the brother's company for supper. When Jane and Andrew joined the table with Lizzy and Lord Matlock, Mary and Bennet, Anne and Jamey, and Fanny and the Prince, they took the last two seats. Seeing there was no room for Cassie and Richard, Jane volunteered herself and her partner to move, but she was waved off by Cassie.
Cassie and Richard found a table close by that had another two couples at, but neither of them had anyone sitting next to them. When Richard returned with their food, he noticed Cassie looked a little sad. "Cassie are you not enjoying your ball?" Richard asked softly.
"The ball is wonderful, Richard," Cassie replied. "I am just a little sad as I may have misread a situation."
"What is it?" Richard asked. "Is there aught I may do to alleviate the situation for you?"
"I had hoped so, but it does not seem so," Cassie averred.
"Please speak plain Cassie," Richard requested. "In the army an order is an order, there is no need to interpret it any differently in society."
"Are you sure you want me to speak plainly?" Cassie confirmed.
"Yes please, mayhap if I understand what the issue is, I will be able to assist," Richard returned.
"Is there something wrong with me, Richard?" Cassie asked. The question was not one Richard was expecting and had to collect his thoughts.
"Why would you ask that?" Richard replied. "You are all that is good and proper and any man who is lucky enough to win your hand will be most fortunate."
"Just not you it seems," Cassie stated as a single tear rolled down her cheek.
"What had given you such an idea?" Richard asked with alarm.
"You Richard, you have given me that idea," Cassie answered quietly, her mouth close enough to his ear he could feel her warm breath. Seeing the quizzical look, Cassie expounded. "You used to be so warm and open with me, tonight I find you withdrawn. You did not ask me for a third set. I had started to believe you may return…" cassie stopped herself just before she made a declaration.
"I have been such an idiot," Richard lamented. "In my inept attempt to protect your heart, all I have done is hurt you when it is the last thing in the world I want to do. Until you spoke to me know I almost forgot the lesson from Aunt Anne's life and death."
"What do you mean, Richard?" Cassie asked, confused.
"Life is short, we should not defer for tomorrow that which we can do today," Richard explained. The other two couples stood and left the table with a perfunctory greeting, but Richard and Cassie made no move to stand. "I thought that I had to first serve in the Dragoons and then, if you were still unattached I would ask to court you."
Cassie lit up at his declaration. "Waiting for you would be no hardship, but what if you do not return from the continent?" Cassie asked the critical question.
"That is just it. As much as I like serving in the army, I love you far more and it would be a folly for me to risk a future with you," Richard stated. "It was as if I could hear Aunt Anne in my head telling me I was a fool for risking the chance of a future with you."
"You love me?" Cassie asked excitedly.
"Very much so, yes I do," Richard confirmed.
"That is how I feel for you, Richard," Cassie declared.
"Lady Cassandra Carrington, will you accept a formal courtship with me?" Richard asked expectantly.
"Yes, Richard, a thousand times yes." Cassie felt like her heart was bursting with joy as it sped up to a rate she had never experienced before.
"Is there something you would like to ask me, Richard?" Lord Holder asked as he approached the couple who had just stood up.
"Mayhap at the ball is not best Uncle Paul, may I meet with you in the morning?" Richard asked.
"I will see you in my study at nine," Lord Holder shook the hand of the man he suspected would be his son one day.
Lord and Lady Matlock had been watching their second son with bated breath. Lizzy and William were not the only stubborn ones in the family. Even though he had Brookfield and its six thousand pounds clear per annum, Richard had insisted on joining the army. The Fitzwilliam parents were extremely worried about their son's life once his regiment was moved to the Peninsula.
They knew from reports and speaking to the Prince how junior officers were usually leading the charge and just as often were cut down. They had promised not to interfere in Richard's career in the army to make sure he never saw combat. As tempted as the Earl was, he had given Richard his word, so he did nothing once Richard's tentative orders to the continent were received.
"If I am reading this correctly, I think our son has just decided that a life with a woman he loves is not worth risking by remaining in the army," Lady Elaine surmised.
"I think you have the right of it my love," Lord Matlock replied. "As hard as it has been not to use my influence to keep him safe, I am glad I will never be tempted again. It seems both of our sons have selected the women they wish to spend the rest of their lives with."
"Jane and Andrew may take longer to commence a courtship. I believe Thomas wants her to have a month or two after coming out before Andrew declares himself," Lady Elaine agreed. "I could not imagine two better daughters than Cassie and Jane. Reggie, have you noticed that Anne and Jamey were together for dinner? I believe he will dance the final set with our ward."
"Now that Catherine has finally changed for the better and does not obsess about rank and status any longer, how ironic that Anne seems to be heading to become the next Viscountess Amberleigh," Lord Matlock opined. "When we return to Town, we need to talk to Anne and Frederick and decide what to do with regards to Catherine."
"It seems removing her courtesy title may have ended up being one of the best things for her," Lady Elaine agreed.
The rest of the ball went as smoothly as possible, the only noticeable difference was that Cassie seemed to be floating among the clouds.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
Lord Paul Carrington heard a knock on his study door and looked up at the clock on the mantle and saw it was one minute before the hour. He smiled to himself seeing how keen Richard was to speak to him.
After the ball, he and his Edith had spoken to Cassie who had let them know in no uncertain terms that she was in love with Richard and did not need a season in London to know her heart. She shared the gist of their conversation and that Richard had decided to resign his commission and take up his inheritance.
"Come," Lord Holder called out.
Richard—in full regimentals—marched into the study. Lord Holder found amusement in watching the nervous man who was normally so self-assured. "Good morning my Lord—Uncle Paul," Richard greeted.
"As tempting as it is, I will not sport with you Richard," Lord Holder allowed. "My wife and I spoke to Cassie last night. I have a few questions based on that discussion."
"Please ask anything you choose to," Richard averred as he sat in front of the oversized oak desk.
"You are resolved to leave the army?"
"Yes I am."
"And you will not resent my daughter for giving up your military career for her?"
"No, as I did not give it up for her, but rather for myself," Richard stated evenly. "Cassie never once asked me to curtail my career for her. Last night I was reminded of the lesson Aunt Anne taught all of us in her last month of life about the brevity of our time on the mortal coil. I am not willing to trade the love of a good woman for glory on the field of battle."
"If that be the case then I grant your request for a courtship. My condition is a minimum of two months, she will be eighteen in a fortnight, so her age is not an issue. If and when she grants you her hand, I ask for the same length minimum of a betrothal." Lord Holder stood and offered Richard his hand. The two men shook hands vigorously.
When Richard and Lord Paul entered the breakfast parlour, Richard nodded his head to Cassie whose face burst into a gleeful smile. No one was surprised at the announcement, however, there had been an inkling of the one Lord Matlock made: "It is my great pleasure to tell you that Jamey has requested a courtship with Anne, and I have granted it with pleasure."
Everyone looked to Bennet, but he shook his head. "I have no announcement—yet."