by Don Miller
“I suspect you are more qualified than you believe, Miss Farnsworth. Few people really think about their circumstances in life, until something happens to make them look at themselves. I think, once I started asking you questions, you would find you know many things that I do not know--things about which I will need advice. For instance, until I met the Matlocks, I had never conversed with a member of the peerage. I suspect there is much you can tell me that you may not realize one such as I would not know, about how best to interact with members of high society—particularly, young men.”
As they were speaking, Col. Fitzwilliam, Georgiana, two gentlemen, and a young woman approached them. After greeting them, Col. Fitzwilliam said, “Miss Elizabeth, I have been talking to my friends here and discovered they had not yet met you. Farrington, Vollenbrook, Lady Penelope, may I introduce Miss Elizabeth Bennet? Miss Elizabeth, this handsome dark haired gentleman is Lord Roger Sutherland, Earl of Vollenbrook, this equally handsome blond haired gentleman is Mr. Harold Farrington, and this gorgeous young lady is Lady Penelope Sutherland, sister to Lord Vollenbrook.
After the appropriate curtsies and bows and greetings, the three newcomers also greeted Margaret Farnsworth, whom they all knew. “Roger, Harry, I cannot believe that you two are here,” said Margaret. “Did you drag your brother here, Penny?”
“No, he came voluntarily. I believe he heard a lovely young woman whom he had never met was to be introduced and perform at this tea and you know he could not stay away. We have since discovered it was you, Miss Elizabeth, so of course he needed to meet you.”
Margaret looked with surprise at Elizabeth. “You are performing? Lady Dumont has asked me to perform also. I did not know anyone else was to perform.”
“Neither did I, Miss Farnsworth. May I ask what you play?”
“I play harp and piano, but prefer the harp. And you?”
“I sing and also play the piano, but am not yet as accomplished on it as I would wish.”
“I have heard both of you,” said Col. Fitzwilliam, “and I can say both of you are exceptional at what you do. I believe we are all in for a treat. Now for the important questions. Miss Elizabeth, we were just informed the upcoming ball at Denby House might be your introduction to the ton.”
“This is very confusing, Colonel, because, as I told Miss Farnsworth, I did not even know there was to be a ball. If I do attend, it will certainly be the first ball of the ton I have attended, but it would definitely not be a debut for me in the formal sense. I have been out for three years in my community in Hertfordshire.”
“That is very strange. I think you should talk to Lady Denby, who is giving the ball. She seems to think you will be one of the young ladies being formally introduced to the ton. Assuming you will be there, dare I ask for a set during the ball?”
She cocked her head to the side a little and with a smile, replied, “I do not think I am qualified to determine whether you dare or not, although I would think it would be rather easy for a seasoned veteran like you.”
Her response drew a laugh from the assembled young people. “Oh, I say, Bravo, Miss Elizabeth,” said Lord Vollenbrook. “That puts Fitzwilliam in his place.”
“Touché, Miss Elizabeth. I see I must be explicit in my questions to you. Would you please do me the honor of dancing a set with me at the ball?”
“I could hardly refuse such a nicely phrased request from such an eligible gentleman. It would be my pleasure to dance with you, if I am there.”
Turning to Margaret, he said, “Miss Farnsworth, may I also request a dance with you?”
“You may Colonel, and I will gladly give you one.”
Finally, turning to Lady Penelope, he smiled and said, “I will not ask you, Lady Penelope, because, as I recall, the last time we danced, at your coming out at the Queen’s ball, you told me you hoped I would return from the front lines safely and you looked forward to dancing with me again. You see, I do not forget such things and I am here to hold you to your promise.”
Lady Penelope gave a short curtsey and said, “I have not forgotten either Colonel. I am honored you remembered and I can oblige. I was very happy to hear of your safe return and your heroic service. I expect to hear all about it at the ball.”
Col. Fitzwilliam's requests were followed, somewhat to Elizabeth's surprise, by those of Lord Vollenbrook and Mr. Farrington. She was quite sure they probably knew of nothing of her and wondered why they would seek to dance with her. She decided they were being polite because they wanted to ensure they each had a set with Margaret and felt they could not slight her while she was there with them. She, of course, accepted their requests.
At this point, Georgiana finally found the courage to join in the conversation. “Lizzie, I think it is wonderful you are going to the ball. I am sure my brother will be pleased also, but disappointed he could not be there so he could dance with you.”
“Ah, Miss Elizabeth” said Lord Vollenbrook, “so you know the enigmatic Mr. Darcy. Miss Darcy, are you sure he would be disappointed? I thought dancing was not a favorite pastime of his.”
“But he knows Miss Elizabeth and has spoken highly of her. I am sure he would like to dance with her. In fact, he has already danced with her at least once, is that not so, Lizzie?”
“Yes, we did dance at a ball at Netherfield Park last fall,” responded Elizabeth.
As they were talking, Lady Monttard came over. “Miss Elizabeth, Peggy, I think it is time. Are you ready to perform?”
Elizabeth and Margaret looked at one another, and then Elizabeth asked, “Who is to go first, Lady Monttard?”
“I would like you to begin, Miss Elizabeth, because you are largely unknown among this group. However, I am going to introduce both of you, and I thought you could turn pages for one another.”
Excusing themselves, the two young women followed Lady Monttard over to the piano, which also had a beautiful, large harp alongside of it. Lady Monttard picked up a little bell on the piano and rang it. Everyone looked at her and when she had their attention, she said, “As you know, the main purpose of this tea was to introduce you to our charity, Hope Home, and to solicit your support for it, and your response has been everything that we could desire. I think we should give a round of applause for Mrs. Madeleine Gardiner, whose idea it was and whose drive and determination to help the unmarried young women of London caused it to happen.”
As everyone applauded, Mrs. Gardiner arose and bowed her head in appreciation to the applause. When it stopped, Lady Monttard continued. “A secondary purpose was to introduce you to the talents of two young ladies. The first is unknown to most of you.” At this point she motioned Elizabeth forward to stand beside her. “She is Miss Elizabeth Bennet, a gentlewoman from an estate in Hertfordshire, who happens to be Mrs. Gardiner’s niece, so I think it very appropriate she grace us with her talent. The second most of you already know.” And this time, she motioned Margaret forward. “This is Miss Margaret Farnsworth, granddaughter of Lord and Lady Denby. Miss Bennet will be playing the piano and singing and Miss Farnsworth will be playing the harp.”
As Elizabeth and Margaret took their seats at the piano, Elizabeth whispered to Margaret. “Do you know any Irish or Scottish ballads or folk tunes on the harp?” At Margaret’s nod, she continued, “Be thinking about one that you might play and I might sing. We could really surprise them.”
Elizabeth first sang an English ballad. As she was setting up to play and sing a semi-classical solo, Margaret whispered three tunes she thought that Elizabeth might know. After Elizabeth finished her solo, she whispered back that she could sing two of the three, and then sang her third piece, a Scottish folksong. When she had finished, as the audience showed their appreciation with much applause, they moved over to the harp. As they sat down, Elizabeth suggested to Margaret that they perform the second song Margaret had mentioned at the end of her performance, to which Margaret nodded her head. Margaret then played a rather classical harp piece, followed by a very lively Irish melody the a
udience very much appreciated. When she had finished, Elizabeth stepped forward and when the applause died, she announced, “I hope you will indulge us, but we only met today and neither knew the other was performing. It occurred to us that harp is a wonderful accompaniment for an Irish folksong we both know, so we have decided to give you an impromptu encore. We hope you like it.”
Margaret played through the entire song they had chosen and then Elizabeth sang all three verses with Margaret’s accompaniment. To Elizabeth’s amazement, Margaret was able to add chords and flourishes which had not been in her initial playing of the piece. Elizabeth knew those additions greatly enhanced the entire performance. When they were done, the audience stood to applaud them and many asked if they could do another. As Lady Monttard stepped forward to announce the end of their performance, Elizabeth said softly to her, “Would you like us to do another?”
“No, my dear, you have impressed everyone enough; let us leave them wanting more. I am sure you can continue, but I believe you should save your talents for another night.”
She then turned to the audience. “I am sure this last song has impressed you as much as it has me with the talents of these two young ladies. But let us allow them to rest on their laurels while we get back to the main purpose of the tea. I know some of you have not had a chance to talk to Mrs. Gardiner and I hope you will take the opportunity to do so before you leave.”
Elizabeth and Margaret then sought to go off by themselves to discuss what had just happened, each wanting to find a way to continue their collaboration. However, it was not to be. Lord Vollenbrook intercepted them, telling them his father and mother, Lord and Lady Willingham, and Mr. Farrington’s mother, Lady Wingate, all three of whom were part of the Group of Seven, wanted to meet Elizabeth and say hello to Margaret. They could hardly refuse.
After the introductions were over, Lady Penelope was absolutely gushing with praise. She had rarely heard such beautiful playing and singing and thought their last song was amazing. That they could do it extemporaneously absolutely astonished her. “Tell me, Miss Elizabeth,” said Lady Willingham, “have you been training with masters of voice and piano for long?” When Elizabeth admitted that she had never trained with a master in voice and had only recently been seeing a master of piano, even further amazement was expressed by all.
“I am embarrassed,” said Lady Penelope, “I have been seeing a piano master for years and I am not as good as you are and I even took voice lessons for a while, but I was a hopeless case. I envy you your talent. If you were not one of us, I am sure you could be a famous songstress.”
“I understand you have several sisters,” said Lady Wingate. “Are they all as talented as you?”
“Not in music, although my middle sister is getting quite good on the piano and my elder sister does sing a little. Their concentration is mostly in what my mother calls the gentlewomanly arts, where I fear I am not as proficient as I might be.”
“Well, I am most impressed,” said Mr. Farrington. “That you should become so proficient on your own is a testament to your inherent talent. Peggy showed the same kind of talent early on the harp, which, to play well, I understand, is very difficult. I have heard her play pieces I could hardly believe were possible. I think the two of you should do more collaboration. You would be in much demand.”
“That is precisely my opinion,” said Margaret. “I am going to try to capture as much of Miss Elizabeth’s time as I can while she is in town.”
Chapter 11: To Debut or Not
Later, Elizabeth finally was able to spend some time with her aunt. As they sat on a couch in the salon, Elizabeth asked, “Aunt Madeleine, do you know anything about me being invited to the upcoming ball at Denby House. Miss Farnsworth told me her grandmother told her it would be my coming out ball, and Col. Fitzwilliam and two other gentlemen have already asked me for dances. What is going on?”
“I am sorry I have not been able to get to you earlier. I had hoped to speak to you right away, but I have been busy talking with potential sponsors. Apparently Lady Denby, after hearing you and Margaret play and hearing from Margaret that she would like to spend more time with you, decided she would like to have you come to perform at the ball. That would mean you would have to be one of those debuting, which currently includes her granddaughter and two other young ladies. She made a rather spur of the moment decision she would be willing to sponsor you. She informed me of her intentions not long after you played and asked if I approved. I, of course, told her I was ecstatic about it, because I thought you would be a wonderful addition to the ton and that people would be exclaiming about your talent for singing every time you performed. Lord and Lady Denby apparently love to do things to shake up the ton, and they thought introducing an unknown young lady from Hertfordshire would do just that. However, I now have some misgivings about making it a formal debut for you because I think many, once they know your background, may be quite rude to you or shun you altogether. I told them I would talk to you about it.”
“But why would Lady Denby be willing to sponsor me? She has only met me and does not know my character at all.”
“I am told she puts great store by what her granddaughter says and apparently you made a very good impression on her. And, of course, she heard you sing and thought it was one of the best performances she has ever heard. She also admitted she liked your looks and demeanor. She thought you just looked like you should be a member of the ton. And, as I said, she likes to do things that are not usually done. Furthermore, when she mentioned it to Lord and Lady Matlock and Lady Alicia, they seemed to thoroughly approve the idea. You have developed friends in very high places very rapidly, Lizzie”
Elizabeth shook her head in disbelief. “I am amazed Lord and Lady Matlock thought it was a good idea and that Lady Denby would make the offer without getting to know me personally.”
“You have to understand that Lady Matlock and I are very close. In fact, she and I and Lady Monttard and Lady Marshall are all very close. We have been working on this charity for months and meet together often. They seem to have accepted me as one of their own and do not treat me as most upper class folks treat their merchant class acquaintances. I think the fact your uncle and I are doing so well and he and Lord Monttard have had a close and prosperous business relationship for years has made them decide our praises of you count a great deal and from our description, you are a gentlewoman whom the ton might tolerate attending their functions, even if you do have little wealth or social status. The endorsement of Lord and Lady Denby, Lord and Lady Matlock and Lord and Lady Monttard carry a lot of weight in the ton.”
“But is it enough? You said I may be tolerated, but surely no man of the ton would be interested in one of no wealth or social status. Why should I even be interested in attending these functions?”
“According to Lady Matlock, there are men of the ton who are not particularly concerned about finding wives of wealth or status, as long as they are gentlewomen. They, themselves, provide all the status and wealth needed. They are not peers, but are brothers or second or third sons of peers or are just wealthy men, perhaps like Mr. Darcy, who have peers in their family tree. If such a man were to take an interest in you, you could find yourself well-situated for life.”
Elizabeth thought about that for a few moments. “If I do not debut, would the Denbys still sponsor me?”
“No, if you just attend the ball, Lady Matlock said you could go as part of their party. They would just introduce you as a friend and let everyone wonder about your background.”
“Therefore, you are telling me I can go the ball as part of the Matlock party or I can debut at the ball as a woman sponsored by the Denbys, whatever that involves?”
“Yes, and Lady Denby and Lady Matlock say it is up to you. I think they would rather you take part in the formal presentation of debutantes, or you can just go as the Matlock’s guest and never have a formal presentation to the ton. If you do decide to make it a formal debut, they will be glad to t
ell you all you need to know about it, including what kind of gowns we will need to get you.”
“Are you sure this is something we can afford? The gowns worn by women of the ton are very expensive and I know to be seen at ton functions more than once or twice during the season in the same gown would be considered shocking. I am sure father cannot give me the amount of money it would take to attend many such functions, and if I can attend very few of them, why should I go to any?”
“Lizzie, you have the advantage of an uncle whose warehouse supplies the material to many of the best modistes in town and who also has Mrs. Sheffield, one of the best seamstresses in town, working for him. We can find patterns for the latest styles and Mrs. Sheffield can make you gowns at a fraction of the cost others may pay for them. I would venture to say we can make you three or four gowns for the price a member of the ton pays for one. We would, of course, talk to your father about the costs, but we are willing to support you monetarily, if the Denbys and Matlocks will provide you the social sponsorship. And before you protest, understand we are much better off than you know, so it will not be a hardship to us. If you decide to go, we will get you gowns and tell your father you need to stay in town for at least an extra month so you can attend several functions. He will protest, but we can either shame him into it or threaten him by telling him we will tell your mother what we want to do and how it will possibly keep her out of the hedgerows, and you know she would badger you father relentlessly until he agrees.”
They had been so involved talking that they did not notice Lady Matlock, Lady Denby, and Margaret had entered the salon and were approaching them. They were startled when Lady Denby said, “So here you are. We have been looking for you to see what Miss Elizabeth’s decision about the ball is. We are about to leave and we would like to know if your name, Miss Elizabeth, should be added to the invitations as one of the new debutantes.”
Elizabeth hesitated before answering, but finally said, “I believe I would rather not take part in the formal presentation. I am afraid I would feel somewhat awkward and it would be presumptuous of me to have a formal debut. My family is unknown in this circle and I know few members of the ton, particularly the young people. Thus, I am ignorant of the unwritten rules and regulations of the society that young people of that society grow up knowing. I think it best if I just go as your guest and then if my introduction to the ton is a dismal failure, I can disappear with little impact on your reputation or mine. I am sure if I make a formal debut, the newspapers will report it and, given my background, I would expect them to be particularly critical of any faux pas I happen to make. I would rather keep a low profile and gradually adapt to the ton.”