Chapter 8: First Meetings (I)

Brighton, England. July 7th, 1815.

Dressed in his best summer suit – Valery had insisted upon it – and his fancy top hat and boots, James took a deep breath before entering the room full of the young women waiting to meet him. He could hear their excited chatter from behind the door, and he was half tempted to flee. He looked at the closest escape route, but a stern frown from Henry and two redcoats he did not know the names of standing in the way dissuaded him. He really did not want to be chased like a child by guards through the gardens. He would have to choose a more appropriate moment. He adjusted his white gloves and made sure the list of questions Henry had given him – and which he had gone over three times – was securely in his breast pocket before nodding at Henry.

"Ready?" his friend asked with a wide smile, his excitement almost – but not quite – contagious.

James nodded once, not trusting his tongue to say yes. Henry nodded to the two footmen on either side of the door and they opened the double doors in what seemed like a rehearsed choreography. In an instant, the chatter stopped and all the ladies stood at once, curtsying to him. James raised an eyebrow. There was still work to do, but he figured they had time to work on manners.

"You fell in love with a farmer's girl, James, remember that…" said a small voice in the back of his mind. Was it his inner conscience or Marianne whispering to him, still with him despite him saying goodbye to the woman he had loved – and still did – not two days ago?

"Good morning, ladies," he said. He had rehearsed his little introduction at least seven times in front of the mirror earlier, but alas, it was still very morose and monotonous, and entirely unenthusiastic. "I hope you are all enjoying your stay in Brighton, so far. I am looking forward to meeting all of you." He even tried a smile but he was fairly sure it looked like a grimace. At least he had cleanly shaven that morning.

The ladies all rose from their curtsy and smiled. Henry then grinned. "Well, this is it," he said. "His Royal Highness will be waiting for you on the terrace outside, with refreshments and food, and I will personally escort you to his side and back here, one after the other; you will have a few minutes to introduce yourselves."

A hand rose a little timidly on the side of the room.

"Yes, Miss Delaney?" Valery said, nodding at the blonde young lady.

"Will we be chaperoned the whole time?" she asked.

"Yes," Henry replied. "I shall chaperone each interview personally." And with that, he invited James to go sit on the terrace. "I will bring the first lady to you momentarily."

James nodded and was out of the room before anyone could say anything. When he arrived on the terrace, the Windsor siblings had gone way beyond what would have been totally necessary: two plush seats with cushions were waiting for him, as well as a table laden with all kinds of foods – pastries, fruits, cakes, and whatnot – and drinks such as tea and lemonade. At least he could eat something if he didn't know what to say. Purple, white, and blue flowers decorated the table and the balustrade as well.

He took a deep breath and let it out slowly as he sat on the seat with a view of the door where the young women would come through. He took out his paper full of questions – thank God for Henry for already picking questions for each lady – and prepared himself for the first introduction.

"Your Highness," Henry said, coming over with a young lady. "This is Lady Priscilla D'Herblay."

James stood to slightly bow to the woman – as etiquette demanded – as she curtsied to him. She was wearing a blush dress probably made of satin or silk with delicate lace embroidered on the neckline and the sleeves. The skirt flowed slightly in the breeze, and James told himself that Marianne would have worn a dress just like that.

"Focus," the little voice said again, and James mentally kicked himself.

"A pleasure, Lady D'Herblay," he said. "Please, do sit down." He offered her the other seat and waited for her to be seated before sitting too.

"Thank you, my Lord," she said, her smile soft as her voice was. Her upright position and her hands in her lap were impeccable, and she seemed to be used to using her good manners often. Her family name did ring a bell in James' mind, but he couldn't for the life of him remember if her father was a Baron or a Viscount. Maybe an Earl?

"Lady D'Herblay," he said, remembering his list of questions. "How do you find the Pavilion so far?"

"An absolute dream, Your Highness," she replied. "It surpasses any other building I've visited in London, for sure."

James nodded. "That I can agree with." He paused. "Would you be so kind as to tell me what your strengths are, Miss D'Herblay?"

"My strengths?" she repeated, quite taken aback by the question. When James nodded, Priscilla thought for a moment. "I am quite fluent in French, my Lord," she said. "And I also like to think of myself as fluent in the language of flowers as well."

James raised an eyebrow. "Flowers." Now that was something most unfamiliar to him. Flowers spoke?

"Yes," she replied. "For example, this lilac in the flower arrangement," she said pointing at the flowers on the table, "means first love." She paused, a little unsure if she should continue. "Which is not really the best choice of flowers for today, is it?"

"No," James agreed. "It most certainly is not. Tea?"

Miss D'Herblay nodded and a footman came to fill a cup of tea for her and the prince and they drank in silence after this little awkward turn in the conversation. Henry, sensing the awkwardness waited for them to at least sip some tea before escorting the lady back inside and coming back with the next one for James to meet. He just hoped it wouldn't be as uncomfortable as the first one…

A minute later, Henry came back with a lady wearing a dusty green dress and white lace wrist gloves with a small golden button on the side of the wrist. Her black hair was styled in the usual day-to-day fashion, a half-updo with the other half curled over the shoulder.

"Lady Letitia Davies, Your Highness," Henry said, presenting the lady. James stood and bowed as the lady curtsied to him. It was flawless, to say the least.

"Lady Davies," James said. "I am honored to make your acquaintance."

"Likewise, my lord," she replied, sitting down where James was indicating. "It is a pleasant day if a bit too warm."

James hid his surprise. Hadn't the ladies been told not to speak to him unless spoken to? Her curtsy was flawless, but were her manners as well? "It is," he said. "I take it you are not used to the warmth of the summer?"

"The warmth, yes," Letitia replied, "but that doesn't mean I enjoy it."

"I see." James didn't really know how to introduce the question Henry had prepared for him after this little exchange so he ignored it completely. "Where do you live, Lady Davies?"

"Pembrokeshire, in Wales, my lord." She paused. "I live in a small town on the coast, so Brighton will not be that much of a change for me."

"How lucky of you," James replies. "Have you ever participated in the London Season? Or been to London before?"

"No." Letitia helped herself to a biscuit on a beautiful china plate and nibbled on the edge. "If I had, I would have already found a good match and wouldn't be here your Highness, don't you think so?"

"Indeed…" Now James was becoming wary of her… Was she looking for a love match or simply a good position in society by marrying a Prince? Surely, she would know that becoming a Princess of England would come with many responsibilities, would she not? "Well, Lady Davies, thank you for your time." He cast a quick glance towards Henry who immediately came to his rescue, escorting the lady back inside. James let go of a long breath and forced himself to not groan in agony as he mentally counted still seventeen ladies to meet. He only hoped he would make it in time for luncheon.

"Your Highness? This is Miss Henrietta Grace, from Sussex, England," Henry said, presenting the next Selected lady. She was wearing a plain pastel pink dress with a round neckline and no embellishments but a simple silver necklace and a matching pink pin holding her gentle dark brown waves away from her face.

"Your Royal Highness," Henrietta said softly and curtsying gracefully to him.

"Miss Grace," James said, allowing her to rise from her curtsy. He invited her to sit on the other chair and offered her a drink. Miss Grace chose a lemonade. "May I ask you why?" James said.

"It is much too warm for tea, my lord," she said. The pale yellow beverage in her drink was decorated with a slice of lemon and some flower petals, and she sipped on the juice with her eyes downcast. James smiled: Marianne would have chosen the lemonade for the same reason. Anytime there was something cold, even ice cream or sorbet, she would choose this above anything else.

He quickly looked at his list of questions on the seat beside him. "Miss Grace," he said. "Do you play any musical instruments? The pianoforte perhaps?"

"Oh no, my lord!" she replied. "I mean to say, I do not play the piano– I do know how to play a little, but I do not enjoy it. But I do play the harp," she quickly added.

"The harp?"

"Yes. I brought my instrument here with me. I can…" she trailed off, remembering her manners.

"Yes?" James prompted.

"I can play for you one day if you would like that, my lord." Henrietta knew better than to look at the prince. She had dared offer something without being asked.

James looked at the young woman for a moment, silently appraising her soft boldness. He did love to hear Marianne play the pianoforte while he drew in his sketchbook. "I would like that very much, Miss Davies."

Pink filled the young woman's cheeks as she smiled and nodded her head once. They drank their beverages in silence for a moment before Henry escorted Henrietta back inside to the group of women. Which gave James a mere few minutes to compose himself. Was he going to compare each and every one of them with his dear Mari? Well, if she could just stop whispering things in his mind that would help a great deal. Or was it really her in the first place?

"Hm," Henry said, clearing his throat and pulling James out of his thoughts. "May I introduce Miss Jemima Delaney, Your Highness. From Ireland."

"Miss Delaney," James said, bowing to her. Her curtsy and her dress were outrageous, to say the least, in a bold pink color and a rather low-cut neckline, showing off too much skin for his taste. Not that he didn't mind skin, but for meeting royalty for the first time, this was a rather bold choice of clothing in the first place. Her dirty blond curls seemed to have golden streaks in them, and it was held back by a matching pink ribbon. Around her neck and at her wrists over long gloves were heavy jewelry, and James wondered if these were all hers…

"Your Highness, sir," the young woman said in a forced proper British accent. It was clear she was trying hard not to sound too Irish.

"Please, do sit," James offered, hoping he did not seem too monotonous in his responses.

Jemima flared out her dress as she sat, sitting up straight and smiling, looking all around her in awe, her eyes falling on the food on the table. At how her eyes lit up at the sight, James wondered if she had even eaten since morning. She reached for a sweet but quickly retracted her hand and looked at the prince to apologize.

"Please, help yourself, Miss," James said. "It is not there just to be looked at."

A smile curled Jemima's lip. "Thank you, kind sir." She took a blue macaron from the plate and popped it all at once in her mouth, chewing with her gloved hand in front of her mouth. Honestly, James didn't know if he wanted to cry or laugh, so he opted for the latter, surprising the young woman.

"Have I- have I done something funny, Your Royal Highness?" she asked her mouth still full.

James sipped on his tea that was becoming colder and colder. "I think Lady Valery will have lots of work to do, Miss Delaney. So, tell me," he said, changing the subject. "What would you say your ideal life would be? Does that include being a Princess and a mother?"

Jemima swallowed the sweet pastry in one gulp and absentmindedly played with the golden bangle at her wrist. "A do like children, sir," she said. "And being a princess, crikey! Wouldn't that be glamorous?" Her Irish accent was very perceptible at this point, especially at the end of her sentence. But what surprised James the most was the swear word she had just used, which made him swallow his tea down the wrong hole and cough.

"Sard!" Jemima cursed under her breath. "Your Highness? Are you alright?" And without thinking, she started tapping him on the back to get him to stop coughing.

Henry and Clinton were right away onto her, holding her away from James who was gasping for breath. After a moment, James felt a bit better and looked at Henry and Clinton. "It is quite alright," he said. "She did not mean to hurt me. You can let go of her, Captain."

Clinton nodded once and let Jemima go. She sat back on her chair, her eyes looking everywhere but James.

"I apologize, sir," Jemima said once Henry and Clinton had stepped away to give them a semblance of privacy. "I didn't mean to–"

"It is quite alright, miss," James said. "No harm came of it. Another pastry?"

Jemima took one without being asked twice before being escorted back inside by Henry. James wondered at these ladies, all so very different. Different from each other, and different from Marianne, though he recognized some small things of her in them. He knew he would never find someone who was exactly the same as his beloved wife, but what he didn't know yet was if he needed someone similar to her, or entirely different. Only time would tell.

"Lady Elsie MacGregor, Your Highness," Henry announced when he came back with another lady who curtsied rather well.

"Lady MacGregor, I hope you are enjoying the south of England," James said, bowing to her slightly before inviting her to join him for tea or lemonade.

"Aye, my lord. Thank ye very much," she added, receiving the cup of tea. She held the saucer with one hand and the cup with the other. Her accent was quite thick, but he still understood her well

"MacGregor," James mused. "I take it you are from Scotland, then?"

"Aye, my lord." She paused. "If the name did not let on, then I am certain my accent did."

James let out a minuscule smile. "That must have been a long journey to come all the way to London. Where exactly do you live?"

"Aberdeen, my lord," she replied. "Have ye ever been to Scotland?"

"Once, yes," James said. "It seems as though it was a lifetime ago…" It had been with Marianne, on their honeymoon. She always wanted to go see the Scottish Highlands for some reason, and they had never regretted it.

"And did ye like it, then?" she asked.

"Very much so."

Elsie MacGregor smiled to herself and sipped on her tea.

"What is making you smile?" James asked, curious.

"Everyone seems to find Scotland beautiful when they visit, yet they wouldn't want to stay there forever." She shrugged slightly and sipped on her tea.

There was not anything else to discuss for the moment for James was traveling back to Scotland in his mind, his beautiful newlywed wife at his side, having eyes only for her. He did not even notice Henry escorting the young Scottish lady back inside. His memories were full of green pastures, rocky mountains, blond hair blowing in the wind, and late mornings spent in bed with his bride.

"Your Highness?" Henry said, pulling James back to reality. "May I introduce Lady Louise Grierson?"

James shook the memories away and faced reality once again. "Of course. Lady Grierson, I am honored to make your acquaintance." It felt as though he was repeating the same words over and over again.

"Likewise, Your Royal Highness," the lady said, her curtsy impeccable. She accepted the seat James was offering her, as well as a glass of fresh lemonade. "Thank you, my lord."

They sat in silence for a moment, as both drank their lemonade. Her composure was exquisite, and her smile so bright it would have illuminated even the darkest of rooms. James found himself staring at her and quickly looked away. He cleared his voice and put his glass on the table, grabbing a biscuit in the process. "Lady Grierson, how are you finding England so far? I understand you are from Ireland, am I correct?"

"You are, sir," she said. "And apart from the storm last week, I find England to be quite a beautiful country." She spoke slower than most would, but James thought she was probably trying not to let her Irish accent come out too much. "I am looking forward to seeing the sea, here."

"Ah, yes," James said, picking up his glass again. "I am quite fond of the sea myself." He paused. "I am sure you would love the cliffs as well, Lady Grierson. Unless you are afraid of heights?"

"Oh no, my lord," she said. "There are many Fjords in Ireland, and the higher one is, the better the view."

James nodded. "Then you should make sure you go see the cliffs here."

"I shall," she replied. "Would you like to show them to me, one day?"

James was taken aback by the reminder of having to spend time with the ladies. Wasn't simply meeting them enough? Henry would have his head if he uttered such an idea, that was certain. "Of course," he replied. "We shall find a moment to do so."

Louise smiled brightly at the Prince. "Then I shall be looking forward to it, my lord."

They drank the rest of their lemonade before Henry escorted Louise back inside. And while Henry was gone, James left the terrace for a much-needed break. He was not running away and was not intending on the guards to run after him, but he simply needed a few minutes alone to gather his thoughts and stop always trying to see Marianne in each of the girls. Lady Grierson's smile was as bright and welcoming as Mari's, and it had unsettled him quite a bit. He just needed to put some water on his face and breathe alone for a moment.


Hi, thanks for reading! and for all the reviews on the previous chapter ;) I hope you enjoyed this one as well...

I decided to split the ladies into 3 groups rather than 2 so as to not be too overwhelmed with too many characters ;) so there will be three chapters of introductions, in order of submission. I have all the ladies for the second chapter, and none for the third one lol. I would really appreciate it if the 8 remaining submitters could send them before the end of June, that would be great! thank you so much!

anyway, see you next time!