A Constant Love: A Pride & Prejudice Continuation, page 42
Georgiana dropped into another curtsey – it seemed the best action – and felt Elizabeth do the same beside her.
“It is very nice to meet you, ladies. I hope you will both give me the pleasure of a dance, perhaps the second and third sets?”
“Miss Darcy is already engaged to dance with the Prince of Wales for the third set,” Elizabeth said. “So perhaps she may take the second, and I the third.”
“Very good. And I see Lady Caroline Russell over there; I shall ask her for the fourth.”
Captain Stanton smiled at the name, and the Duke of Clarence noticed this, saying, “Are you acquainted with the lady?”
“No, sir, for other reasons the name Caroline is very dear to my heart.”
Captain Stanton had the misfortune to say this just as the Prince Regent was walking past him, and the Prince stopped, looking red-faced at their party, and glowering more particularly at his brother. Georgiana felt her stomach drop; she did not follow court closely, but she certainly knew that the Prince Regent and his wife, Princess Caroline, had been on poor terms for nearly the entire duration of Georgiana’s life.
“Might I ask why that name is so precious to you, sir?” the Prince Regent asked. “More precious, it seems, than that of your fiancée?”
Georgiana had never seen Captain Stanton look anything approaching frightened, but he certainly looked it now, as he spoke, “I assure you, sir, not that precious. However, HMS Caroline was my first command as a Post Captain. I had her for five years, sir, a very lovely frigate.”
Georgiana trembled in the silence that followed, as they all stared at the Prince Regent. Finally, he burst out in a tremendous roaring laughter that made others in the ballroom turn to look at them.
“A frigate! Ha, ha, ha, a very lovely frigate!” the Prince Regent said. “Well, sir, you have given me one pleasant association with the name Caroline, where before I had none. Should you like to have her again? I expect we will be laying up the ships of the line soon enough, but I think we might be able to come up with a frigate command for you, once you are well.”
“I would like that above all else, sir.”
“I shall mention it to the First Lord, and then you might have both your Caroline and your Georgiana,” the Prince said, and then walked away, although they could hear him say, “a frigate!” and chuckle once more as he left them.
The Duke of Clarence left them as well, in pursuit of Lady Caroline Russell, and the Darcys and Captain Stanton continued across the ballroom, to a set of open seats against the wall. When they were seated, Captain Stanton whispered to Georgiana, “Miss Darcy, if I do something else to get myself thrown in the Tower this evening, I will understand if you end our engagement.”
Georgiana let out a nervous peal of laughter, felt some relief in having done so, and said, “At least the outcome was favourable, but yes, I was very worried for you there for a moment.”
“Indeed, it was favourable! I do not know if he will follow through on it, but still, the prospect of having the Caroline again someday pleases me greatly.”
“I hope you will not have her again too soon,” Georgiana said.
“Of course – I requested six months’ leave,” he said. “I will have time to rest, and for us to have the wedding, and then we should still have a good deal of time before I would even be considered for a command.”
Georgiana nodded, and smiled, but still felt that six months should go by impossibly fast, and her only hope for happiness beyond that would be the possibility of living on board with him. She could not say so, however, before the orchestra played the opening notes of the first set, and the Prince Regent and Lady Hertford walked out to lead the dance. Georgiana had not been asked for the first set; it might have been assumed that she would dance it with Captain Stanton. She encouraged her brother and sister to go dance, however, telling them she would be fine sitting there until the next set. Georgiana knew that ladies who were in the family way must eventually begin sitting out all dancing, at balls, and did not wish her sister to miss this opportunity, if it was not too late for her.
She made a successful argument; they rose, and went to join the dancers, but not until after her brother had leaned in close to her and murmured, “Will you promise to mind Captain Stanton’s advice and stay with him in the ballroom?”
“Of course, brother.”
In truth, Georgiana enjoyed the first set very much. The ballroom was the largest she had ever seen in town, and there were a great many dancers, but there were also quite a number of people who were not dancing, and many made their way up to Captain Stanton, congratulating him on his victory, on his baronetcy, and on his engagement, and, upon learning the lady seated beside him was the one he had become engaged to, requesting an introduction. They did not all have the greatest manners, and many of the ladies were dressed shockingly forward, but they were all very kind to Georgiana, and she was moved by the way they all esteemed Captain Stanton’s victory.
She hardly noticed the first set had finished until the Duke of Clarence was approaching her, and offering his arm, and she was glad to be dancing with him before his brother. That he was wearing a naval uniform made her more comfortable – yes, he was a prince, but he also belonged to the same world as all of the captains of her acquaintance.
He was a substantial man, but had a much more fit figure than his brother, and danced well. Georgiana waited for him to speak; she determined it would be best to let him set the pace of any conversation.
“So you choose to marry into the naval world, do you, Miss Darcy?” he asked, a few minutes into the set.
“Yes, sir. I will own it is not quite what I had expected when I came out into society.”
“Ha! Stanton won your heart then, did he?”
“Yes, he quite did.”
“You must tell me whether it was before or after he took the Polonais.”
“It was before, sir.”
“I honour you for it. Although I suppose you saw even then what sort of man he was.”
They were separated then by the figures of the dance, and when they came back together, he spoke again before Georgiana could reply.
“The sort of man who takes on a seventy-four in a fifty-gun ship – my, what an action. I must admit I thought it lunacy until he gave a better account of the details over dinner, and even then it is a fight most captains would have passed on,” he said, in a tone that indicated he did not think he himself would have passed on it. “How I wish I might have been there!”
“I did not know what to think of it at all, but that when he was assigned the Jupiter, he indicated there was little he might fight honourably.”
“So he made an honourable fight where there should have been none. But I find we speak more of naval battles than might be appropriate for a young lady.”
The dance separated them again, and as they came back together, he said, “Now that I think of it, it must have been you he spoke of at dinner. He mentioned a very accomplished young lady who played both the pianoforte and the harp. Was it you?”
“I do play both the pianoforte and the harp.”
“It must have been, then.”
Georgiana glanced over at Captain Stanton, still surrounded by well-wishers, and thought warmly of him. When she had worried he was not at all thinking of her, he had been speaking of her, and to the Duke of Clarence no less!
She had no fear of the duke trying to lead her out of the ballroom; their conversation had indicated his esteem for her fiancé, and, anyway, he knew her to be promised to the Prince Regent for the next set. He led her back to her family, therefore, and took up Elizabeth’s hand.
When he came over, Georgiana took the Prince Regent’s arm with a trembling hand, and let him lead her up to the front of the set. There was sweat on his forehead, and she wondered that he continued to dance when he did not seem to be well enough for it, or enjoying it.
As for her part in the dance, however, she need not have worried. The additional concentration required in leading the dance meant that he seemed to have little interest in conversation. At one point he complimented her on her dancing; she returned the compliment, although she knew herself to be far stretching the truth as she did so. Towards the end of the set, he inquired about the family estate in Derbyshire, and asked how the county was doing, and this she had no difficulty in answering.
When the dance had come to an end, she remembered Captain Stanton’s warning all in a rush, but again, she need not have worried, for he said, “Come, let us return you to your family,” and led her back to where Darcy and Captain Stanton were seated.
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Elizabeth had quite enjoyed her set with the Duke of Clarence, but found she returned rather short of breath, and that the halt in activity brought her little relief. It was not that her pregnancy was causing any particular issue; in another ballroom, she might have been able to dance at least a few more sets. Here, however, there were so many people that the place had grown hot and stuffy, and the dancers had by now destroyed the chalk patterns, causing a great deal of dust to be stirred into the air. Elizabeth felt overheated, she longed for fresh air, and was only able to compensate with the slight relief heavy use of her fan brought.
If it had merely been her own health at risk, she might have waited, and perhaps asked her husband to bring her an ice. But the knowledge that her present situation put their child at risk prompted her to say, “I do not know how much longer I can stay in here. It is very warm – I believe I need some air.”
Both Darcy and Captain Stanton looked at her with concern, although Darcy’s expression extended to a depth that was very nearly panic, and Captain Stanton said, “You should go – return to the gardens. I will stay for Georgiana.”
It might have been more logical for Captain Stanton to escort Elizabeth out; after all, he also was not in the best of health. Darcy, however, was worried enough about her that he took up her arm without any further thought, thanked Captain Stanton, and walked with her to the nearest exit with a most exceedingly concerned countenance.
Georgiana watched them go with her own measure of worry, and was only interrupted in her concern when she realised her fiancé had been introducing Lord and Lady Ashton, whose name she remembered eventually as belonging to the parents of the young midshipman Captain Stanton had mentioned in his first letter. Lord Ashton and his wife had a great deal of enthusiasm for Captain Stanton’s victory over the Polonais, primarily because their young son had, by all accounts – including Captain Stanton’s official dispatch – fought most honourably in the taking of the Polonais, but had returned from battle with hardly a scratch on his person.
“His gun crews kept up firing at a splendid pace,” Captain Stanton was saying. “I hope he shall have another chance to return to sea. He has the makings of a fine officer.”
“Indeed,” Lord Ashton said. “We had not expected his tenure to be so short, this time, but given he participated in the taking of such a ship, I suppose I do not know what else I could have asked for in his first outing. We would prefer he go to sea again with you, if he may.”
“I would welcome him in my midshipmen’s berth. I will keep you posted on my assignments, in the hopes he may join. I am on leave for the present, however.”
“Your uncle indicated how particular you are about the young gentlemen you take on there. I am glad to hear he has passed muster.” Lord Ashton said, turning his attention to Georgiana. “Miss Darcy, I apologise for speaking of service matters for so long. Perhaps you shall allow me to ask for your hand in the next set, to make up for it?”
Georgiana would have much preferred to remain seated with her fiancé, but gave her consent to dance with Lord Ashton with every bit of enthusiasm she could manage, and she found he desired to spend the entire course of their dance speaking of how good her fiancé had been to take his son in, how brave his son had been, in the action against the Polonais, and how much he intended to press for Captain Stanton to have another command, once he had recovered, so that Lord Ashton’s son could take up his place in the midshipmen’s berth.
She returned his remarks with compliments, knowing from Captain Stanton’s letter that his public praise for the boy matched his private comments on his merit, and as Lord Ashton was a good dancer, enjoyed the set far more than her last.
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If Darcy had been required to push a few people out of the way in order to reach the gardens more quickly, Elizabeth was fairly certain he would have. They had no such difficulties, however; they were far from the only ones seeking air at that time. Elizabeth breathed deeply as they reached the outside air, and although it did not yet bring her the relief she needed, she felt that it would soon. All of the temporary structures had taken up much of the garden’s space, but soon enough they found a bench, and were seated.
“How are you feeling?” Darcy asked. “Shall I call for a physician? Surely there must be one in attendance, with so many people.”
“No, I shall be fine. I am feeling better already. There was just rather too much heat and dust inside,” she said. “I do not know how Georgiana can stand to keep dancing. Oh, dear – we did just leave them both without a chaperone.”
“I am not very worried about the two of them – not in a ballroom so crowded as that,” Darcy said. “And I doubt he would have meant to begin an attempt on her virtue by beginning the evening warning us of the morals of some of the other gentlemen here.”
“Fitzwilliam Darcy, you must really trust him.”
“Of course I do. I would hardly have given him my consent if I did not.”
Elizabeth leaned up against him and looked around the gardens, which might have been quite beautiful, without the interruption of all of the additional buildings. They had been lit well by a succession of torches, and a number of other couples had taken the opportunity to stroll through them, or sit on the other benches. A rustling in the bushes behind them, however, indicated that not all of the couples had come outside for such innocent diversions.
“Hmm, I suppose these are the men of lesser morals Captain Stanton referred to,” Darcy murmured.
“For every man of lesser morals, it appears there is a woman thus,” Elizabeth whispered. “I shall no longer blush so severely over our interludes in our own house. It is our house, at least, and we are married.”
“You will rue the day you said that, Mrs. Darcy.”
Elizabeth laughed at his repeating her own words. “We had better make our return to Pemberley soon, then, for soon enough I shall be as large as Jane.”
“And yet still as beautiful as my Elizabeth.”
“You had best reserve judgement until I actually am so far along.”
“If this is still my already-beautiful wife carrying our child, I feel quite confident in committing to such sentiments now.”
“How confident?”
“I will lay down ten guineas that I still find you are beautiful, when you are ready to enter your confinement.”
“That is possibly the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard you say, Darcy,” Elizabeth said. “And I believe it must be twenty guineas.”
“Twenty guineas it is. And are you truly feeling better, now?” he asked, clasping her hand tightly.
“Much better, although not so well as I will feel with twenty extra guineas in my purse.”
“Then it is too bad you shall have twenty fewer guineas in your purse.”
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As she had danced a set each with the Duke of Clarence and the Prince Regent, Georgiana had gained the notice of all in the room, even beyond those she had already been introduced to. She returned to where Captain Stanton was seated on the arm of Lord Ashton, and wished to stay and sit beside her fiancé for the next set, for she did not like him to be here all alone except for well-wishers. However, a Sir George Wilcox approached them, was introduced by Lord Ashton, with whom he was acquainted, and asked for her hand in the next set. She looked down at Captain Stanton, wishing to stay, but he encouraged her to go and dance.
“You cannot sit all night with an invalid like me,” he said. “Go and enjoy yourself.”
Georgiana went off, therefore, with Sir George Wilcox, who looked to be in his middle forties, and had a great enjoyment of dancing. He danced exceedingly well, and spent most of the set asking about her accomplishments, and, as he heard of each one, praising her. Georgiana attempted to ask about his own family, but while he told her that he had a wife and two daughters, he did not seem interested in discussing any further details.
If Georgiana had spent more time in company with men such as him, she might have taken his disinterest in discussing his family as the first sign of what was to come after the set was finished, when he took hold of her hand, and said: “Have you seen the library yet? You must come and see it, if not. You really cannot come to Carlton House and see so little of it, if this is your first time here.”
Georgiana felt her breath catch in her throat; even without Captain Stanton’s warning, she would have felt most uncomfortable at the suggestion, but with the warning, she understood that Sir Wilcox wished the impropriety of what he openly suggested should be followed by something far more improper. They were on the opposite side of the rotunda, nearly as far from Captain Stanton as they could be, and although she looked up at her fiancé and caught his eye with a look of desperation, she realised it would be some time before he could make his way to where they were.
“I thank you for the suggestion, sir, perhaps my family and I shall go to see it later,” Georgiana said, attempting to pull her hand from his.
“I believe you would enjoy it more now,” he released her hand, only to put his arm around her waist, pulling her toward the nearby door. “I promise, you will be amazed. Come, let us go back inside the house, and I will show you.”
There were people around them, but no one seemed to pay any mind to his improper embrace, nor Georgiana’s increasing distress. She looked up at Captain Stanton and knew that he would never reach them in time; in full naval uniform, he had been required to substitute his walking stick for a presentation sword, which was useless at present, and although he moved far faster than she would have expected, the crowd hindered him.
