Reviewer: Guest chapter 15 . 9h ago - Thank you for you kind words and encouragement. I had this chapter mostly written just needing the finishing touches. I have not forgotten about this story! I have had a few other demands on my time lately. I read your review and figure I would take an hour or so tonight to finish this chapter off and get it posted.
Thanks to everyone that reviews! Honestly the kind words are always so motivating and I am so grateful that so many of you care enough about this story to give feedback and telling about what you are liking or noticing! I cherish these reviews and get so excited when I see a review update in my email inbox!
Thanks you guys are amazing!
Without further ado, I give you the next chapter:
Chapter 16
A Party
"You have to promise to keep your eyes shut," he told her.
"Oh, you know I've always had a struggle about peeking! It isn't my fault, it is the anticipation of it all; but I know you wouldn't blame me for you know my personality too well. You'd have to have known I'd find the expectation too much to endure!" She was looking up at him with big eyes, and tugging playfully at the fine material on the sleeve of his jacket.
"Blame you? Of course I'd blame you. I told you to promise and I meant it. I'll not bother the trouble of surprising you in the future if you only plan to spoil it." He retorted with mock sternness. "But if you really can't be trusted there is always the option of a blindfold, if needs want" he offered softly.
"Well, it isn't a childish game—I've no want of a blindfold, I'm sure," she said with a slight clip, as if vexed that he didn't pander to it when she beseeched him smoothly. She added with less fervor, "I'll manage, but quickly now as the suspense is killing me," Emma replied moving her hands to cover her eyes, as if her hands instinctively knew her eyes would cheat if they were given any leeway.
"Yes, well –this way then," he guided through the hall his hand firm at her elbow as he helped her navigate.
The double doors were already open in advance, and everything in the ballroom was on full display. But he was sure she had not peeked because he was fairly certain she would be shocked by the display—the extravagance flickering in the glow of candlelight.
"You may look," he told her releasing her elbow as he said it.
"Oh, my! Wow." Emma froze feeling speechless for one of the few times in her life. "I—I don't know what to say. Is everything for me?" she asked.
"Yes. I thought of the desire you had to host a ball and the impracticality of it—but then I question what was to stop you from having a ball just to yourself—something all your own. The musicians are all from London for privacy reasons, hence my trip with the carriage earlier today. Thus, you are free to dance and enjoy yourself at your leisure,"
"A punch table? My very own?"
"Well, I know how much you like punch, and obviously it is of the non-alcoholic variety,"
"Thank you, that is very considerate, although I do recall suggesting that perhaps our birthdays might be the occasion for partaking," she smiled up at him with a silly expression she reserved for her own jokes.
"The Coles' party still fresh in my mind, I'll pretend I did not hear that," he echoed lightly.
"And you plan to dance with me?" she asked gleefully.
"Yes naturally. It would be rather little like a ball without dancing. Not to mention it would grossly undercut the other efforts I have made for authenticity," he said with a gesture around them.
"It is beautiful! Are those all chrysanthemums? They are glorious, and the vases are stunning-what a wonderful patina" she told him taking in the room.
"My mother's selection, I'm afraid I cannot claim credit but for asking the staff to dust them and remove them from their dormancy in storage, but the white chrysanthemums I did choose," he obliged.
"This is all too much," she smiled, "I am certainly the very picture of spoilt in this moment,"
"I am glad you like it," he told her.
"And what will we be dancing?" she asked looking at him expectantly.
"Ah, this string quartet is made up of some of the most talented musicians in London. They have agreed to play anything you would like, you will first select the music and the order and then we will dance," he explained.
"To anything? Even a waltz," she asked.
"I'm sure they can play a hundred different waltzes, waltzes are as popular as anything in London," he said.
"I meant you, would you mind a waltz? I know among the other dances which you find scarcely tolerable, waltzes are generally not your favourite," she replied.
"Even a waltz Emma, it is your special day; I'd dance every dance a waltz if it pleased you,"
"Even I am not that cruel," she teased back.
"You say that now, but you've not made your list of dances yet," he retorted.
"Thank you," she smiled fully at him, "I think this is the most thoughtful gift you've ever given me," she told him.
"But more thoughtful than lollipops?" He inquired with a teasing tone.
"After hearing the tale surrounding them I think perhaps not, but those weren't a birthday gift," she replied, and then she skipped over to the table that had various music options awaiting her selection.
"I love everything about this day," she said gleefully holding up one of her favourite pieces.
And it remain so long into the evening as she danced to her heart's content to each of her favourite songs and she felt that if he were really honest, George enjoyed himself just as much dancing more than a dozen dances with breaks for punch in between.
She had stayed up enjoying her birthday and as a result she slept later into the morning than was usual.
Her post had long arrived and she took her breakfast as quickly as was dignified in order to survey the contents of the letters sooner.
A card from the Miss. Bates' and a separate card from Miss. Fairfax.
Miss. Fairfax extended her regrets that she was unable to attend Emma's Birthday Dinner. She had been granted opportunity to meet with her good friends the Dixon's in London. Mr. Dixon was paying for the trip, so that Jane Fairfax might be reacquainted with his wife. As much as it saddened Jane to miss the dinner party, it was clearly an opportunity that was unlikely to happen again soon and one that she could not pass up.
She has declined, I Emma Wood—Knightley have invited Jane Fairfax to my birthday party and she has declined. Emma exclaimed within her own thoughts the note in her hand flapping as if to keep time.
Well, that was fine. Emma thought folding the note and placing it in her skirt pocket; they would get along quite alright without Miss. Fairfax. She was above the insult of it, she promised herself and then she determined to think no more about it. Afterall she had received confirmation from Frank Churchill, Mr. & Mrs. Weston, Mrs. Bates and Miss. Bates, Harriett Smith & Mrs. Goddard and Mr. Elton. In fact, the symmetry in the numbers was all the better for it, Emma thought. A total party of ten, including herself and her husband, was far better than an offset party of eleven.
She happily carried on.
She had been humming a tune from the string quartet—it was still in her mind from a few days before and she had a tendency to hum quietly while focused. She was in full swing with her party set up when a letter arrived from Enscombe in the second post. She had got rather used to a fairly frequent correspondence and although Frank had not released the name of the women with whom his interest was kept, Emma felt she were getting closer to his confidence on that matter. Perhaps this letter would shed light on just such a matter.
She was still humming happily as she opened the letter.
July 20th 1815
Emma, it is entirely regrettable.
In fact, I am so glad we have become close friends, because I am certain this would greatly offend a casual acquaintance. As we are friends, I know I can rely on you not to be too offended and while perhaps disappointed, you will not hold it against me as others might. I regret to inform you that I am not able to attend your birthday party; a matter has come up and must remain close to my aunt. Her sickness prevails more than usual and I find I must accompany her, first to London and then to Bath to take the waters there. You'll have a birthday gift from me the next time I see you, I swear it.
Until then,
Frank Churchill
That put so much more the damper on her spirits than Jane Fairfax's rejecting an invitation ever could.
Oh and she couldn't rationalize it away either. Since an unsymmetrical party of nine was far worse than an evenly matched party of ten. Nine! What a pity!
She couldn't help feeling sorry for herself. It almost felt as if everything was going awry—what next? How long would it be before Mrs. Goddard and Harriet or Mr. Elton would declare themselves unable to attend with a myriad of pale excuses?
She decided to ride to Weston's to confirm they were still planning on attending. It made for good practice as well as she had been trying to make an effort to improve on her riding skills.
As she went it all she could think about was the pessimistic thought, 'Exactly how bad would it appear to have all of her guests back out of her birthday dinner?'
"Yes, my dear, Mr. Weston and I are very much attending—we've looked forward to nothing else since your invitation arrived. And it is so unfortunate, I'm sure you've heard that Frank may not attend as he needs to be near his aunt. Mr. Weston had a letter about it just this morning, he is naturally disappointed, but still very much looking forward to your birthday party—it is bound to lift his spirits," Mrs. Weston told her, sighs and inflections where they ought be as she worked to sooth Emma's disappointment. "But no one can deny, it is so unfortunate about Frank,"
Emma fought an exasperated sigh she still had his note in her skirt pocket—though she thought of burning it earlier out of sheer frustration. Who backed out of an invitation to a birthday party?—yet she knew she would have done the same for her own father had he taken ill after she had agreed to attend something or another. It must have been just the same for Frank, except she had understood for Mrs. Weston at other times that it may have been more obligation than affection that informed his choice.
"And I have also a note from Jane," Emma told her, explaining the situation that Jane had relied in her note.
'But at least Jane had not accepted and then changed her mind,' Emma thought bitterly before she pushed the thought out of her mind.
"And it is such a shame that Jane is unable to attend, but how nice it is that she is afforded the opportunity to travel. I'm sure it is a luxury that will be less common now that she is no longer with the Campbells. I think it right that she accept the opportunity while she has the chance." Mrs. Weston assured.
"Yes, I agree," Emma said flatly.
The party had not gone the way she had imaged and like all things one looks forward to, it was over and done it seemed in the blink of an eye. She wasn't fully sure if she ought be relieved it was over or disappointed. If anything she wanted a do-over, she wanted to predict the failings and fix them.
She let out a sigh that she had been holding in, "Was it as horrible as I imagine it was thinking over it again now?"
"Don't be dramatic Emma, I don't think anything is ever as bad as your imagination can conjure and in my opinion, the evening was fine," he offered from his place opposite her.
"Were people bored, do you imagine they were? I couldn't help but think they must have been when Miss. Bates launched into that longwinded account of when the previous rector came to Highbury. It seemed rather insulting, since Mr. Elton had only mentioned him in passing, and that it is his predecessor—what should Mr. Elton have thought? Miss. Bates' high praise of the man made one almost think that she does not so much favour the style of the more youthful mister Elton. And oh how she wore on about Mr. Geoffrey with his sage tone and his years of wisdom, I did not know fully what to do with myself—should I have put a stop to it by interrupting? Or would interrupting have proven a worse choice as the hostess? Was it as terrible as I imagine?—do you think people were bored or worse insulted? Because I think—"
"Emma, if you are to ask questions of me, you need permit me the space to answer them—at present even with an economy with words a person is not able to slip a word in edgewise," he told her, cutting in.
She took a deep breath and relaxed into the mattress, pressing her feet against his calf gently. "Sorry, I do an uncanny impression of Miss. Bates when I am flustered," she offered, relinquishing her death grip on her side of the blanket at the same time.
"It was not as bad as you think. I do think Mr. Elton understood that Miss. Bates was merely looking to make the connection—a topic of mutual interest for discussion sake. I took her praise as to the role of a vicar in general, not to be tied to a singular person. If nothing else, he seems an understanding sort of person; I do not think he felt pricked by any of it,"
"Oh, well that is good," she breathed out again, wriggling slightly in an attempt to become more comfortable. "What do you think of the idea of he and Harriet together? They were rather chatty at tea,"
"Oh, you would Emma," he responded dryly without a spec of humour in his tone. "I would not make something of nothing—for one, who else had he to talk with? Miss. Bates? And given the option Harriet is very much a harmless option, more interesting in her topics of discussion and more concise, which as you know is not Miss. Bates' greatest strength. All that in mind, do not imagine them paired off just yet, as it reminds me of my second point, which is the fact that it is widely known that Mr. Elton is looking for a wife to bring with her an income. I have heard it said that he hopes for a figure in the range of £30,000 and that he will not settle for less than £20,000,"
"From who have you heard it?" Emma challenged,
"As I have said it is widely known," he told her, refusing to indulge her for it had been Mr. Cole who he had heard it from and he knew Emma's dislike would colour her judgement of the facts themselves.
"Really! Widely known? Well, I have not heard it said, it must not be so widely known if it has not been upon Ms. Bates' lips" she replied with a light clip.
There was a vacant pause as her husband made no attempt to re-engage the matter.
"But surely if he were to fall in love," she postulated.
"Emma, when Mr. Elton takes a wife, if it is love at all it will have to have an income of £20,000 to match,"
"I do so badly want to see Harriet married well," Emma hummed, "what do you think of Harriet and Frank Churchill," she asked trying to imagine it herself.
"I heard it said he is in love with unnamed lady, or have you reason to think that that has changed?" he asked her.
For once he didn't seem to have bristled with the mention of Frank's name.
"Well, she is still unnamed—and yes, I have no reason to think that anything has changed, but I have it from him that his aunt would not approve of the match, perhaps she would approve of Harriet," Emma
"Harriet Smith, the natural daughter of nobody knows whom, with very likely no settled provision at all—Emma, I know that you are fond of her but Dowager Churchill is not likely to think the same. The Churchill family would intend for him a woman with means and title—someone known, someone with prominent connections. A Harriet Smith, although pretty and charming in her own right would not fare any better with their ilk than this unnamed love interest,"
"I think you still hold out hope for Mr. Martin," she offered with a sigh, turning her back to him.
He reached across and pulled her to him, so that her back was against his chest and his arms encircled her waist, "Of course I do, he is a good man and I know how much the man cared for her, and I regret entirely that I must use the past tense, for I do not know how he now feels- having been rejected. Would he still have a mind to marry her, I would support the match in a heartbeat—but I know we disagree, so I will not press the matter,"
She almost wanted to refute what he had said, but he had spoken so softly and then tenderly kissed the top of her head bidding her a good sleep—she didn't have the heart to disturb the moment.
There you have it, Chapter 16 done and dusted! As always, review and tell me what you think, want to see or anything you feel like sharing!
