The Dressmaker’s Secret

by Charlotte Betts

  The drawing room had been transformed into an elegant ballroom, where everything glittered and shimmered. All was brilliantly lit; the crystal chandeliers blazed, gilt torchères gleamed with the glow of beeswax candles, flickering candlelight was reflected into infinity by the faceted mirrors of the wall sconces.

  The double doors had been opened wide to the adjacent sitting room, which was set up with card tables for those who did not care to dance. The musicians chatted quietly together while the harpist softly plucked the strings of her instrument and the air was perfumed with beeswax and flowers.

  ‘It’s very fine,’ said Father, eyeing his reflection in the overmantel and smoothing back his hair.

  I was immensely flattered that all this splendour was in my honour. ‘A few months ago,’ I said, ‘I could never have imagined being invited to an event such as this.’ I cast a glance around, checking there were sufficient chairs and noting the small tables set out for the chaperones to congregate around. The carpet had been rolled up and removed and the golden parquet floor beneath dusted with powdered chalk to prevent unfortunate slips during the more energetic dances.

  ‘We shall sit down while we can,’ said Aunt Maude, lowering herself onto one of the gilt chairs. ‘Now, don’t forget, Emilia,’ she said, ‘you may only accept one dance with each partner.’

  ‘But two dances are acceptable with Dolly,’ said Father, ‘since he’s family.’

  Nerves fluttered in my stomach. What could I say to Dolly now I knew he wished to propose to me? It would be impossible to meet his eyes. I pulled aside the cream damask drapes to look at the street below. I couldn’t see the torches that had been lit on either side of the front door but their welcoming light pooled over the pavement. Then a yellow carriage drew up.

  My stomach gave a little lurch. ‘The first guests!’ I said.

  Father nodded at the musicians and they started to play.

  Aunt Maude led me to the door and Father joined us. A moment later one of the footmen announced our visitors as they came up the stairs. Then the next ones arrived and there wasn’t time to feel nervous as I smiled and curtseyed to a seemingly endless procession.

  I found myself looking up at Dolly, who was studying me with a proprietorial air. ‘Good evening, Dolly,’ I said. My voice was calm but a blush raced up my chest and neck.

  ‘Well,’ he drawled, ‘the duckling has turned into a veritable swan. Congratulations, Emilia.’

  ‘You look most elegant, too,’ I said, regarding his immaculately starched neck cloth and understated but superbly cut coat.

  ‘I shall claim you as my partner for the supper dance,’ he said as he moved on.

  ‘Almost all the guests are here now,’ said Aunt Maude a while later, ‘although we still await Lord Liverpool. Come with me and we’ll make conversation until a young man asks you to dance.’

  ‘Supposing nobody does?’ I asked, anxious again.

  ‘Of course they will!’ said Aunt Maude.

  It appeared she was right because in the following five minutes three young men and one elderly one crowded round to ask me to partner them. Father, however, appeared at my side and claimed me for the opening quadrille.

  ‘After that,’ he whispered, ‘I must do my duty and partner the dowager duchess in the mauve silk.’

  Mr Sandys, my dancing master, had agreed to act as Master of Ceremonies and made introductions between the young people. Soon there were enough couples for the first dance.

  The strains of the violins, harp and flutes rose above the chatter of conversation. Mr Sandys clapped his hands and organised the dancers in facing rows.

  I stood opposite Father at the top of the dance, waiting for it to begin.

  My neighbour, a pretty girl with dark curls, smiled at me and said, ‘At my last ball I danced until dawn and wore my shoes into holes.’

  The violins played the introduction. Mr Sandys nodded and we began. At first I had to take care over the steps but before long my feet remembered what to do as we danced up and down the rows. Father proved to be a competent dancer and I began to enjoy myself. It took half an hour to move all down the set and then to repeat it. At the end I was flushed with enjoyment.

  Father led me back to Aunt Maude before going to claim his dowager duchess. I had only a moment to sip a glass of lemonade before my next partner, a Mr Perry, came to find me. He had brown eyes and dark hair that kept falling over his forehead and made me think wistfully of Alessandro.

  ‘I saw you talking to m’sister at the beginning of the first dance,’ he said.

  ‘The girl with the dark curls?’

  ‘Araminta. She’ll ask you to her ball next month.’

  ‘I should like that,’ I said. ‘I’ve been living abroad and don’t know many people here.’

  ‘I heard about that,’ said Mr Perry. ‘M’father knows your father. Quite a mystery, when you disappeared.’ He smiled. ‘Still, you’re home again.’

  The music began and, as we readied ourselves, I noticed Dolly and Francis Gregory further up the set with their partners.

  ‘I’d like to hear about your adventures abroad,’ said Mr Perry as we began the dance. He wasn’t a good dancer but remained cheerful throughout his mistakes. ‘Always had two left feet,’ he said as he stepped upon my toes again. ‘Prefer to be out hunting than indoors practising my steps with some foppish dance teacher.’

  Dolly, however, was an accomplished dancer, I noticed. He bowed and twirled with grace and elegance, his cool fingers touching mine briefly as we came together for a moment before we turned to our next partners.

  Some two hours and five partners later I was looking forward to the end of a particularly energetic Scottish reel. I’d danced every dance and was hot, breathless and anticipating my supper. Father and a group of older men were watching me and I caught his eye as I spun around. He smiled encouragingly and then I was off again. At last the reel came to an end. I curtseyed to my partner and there was a touch on my arm.

  ‘Come with me, Emilia,’ Father said. ‘Lord Liverpool is here and has brought a distinguished guest. He was dining with the King when he mentioned he was coming to your ball afterwards. The King professed a desire to meet you and has accompanied him. It’s a very great honour.’

  I pressed my hands to my hot cheeks. ‘The King! What do I say to him?’ I was totally unprepared for such a meeting.

  ‘Curtsey and, if he speaks to you, answer him as best you can.’ Father tucked my hand into the crook of his elbow.

  I recognised the King immediately from the illustrations I’d seen in the newspapers, except that he was a great deal fatter and much less handsome than his portraits. Flustered, I barely heard the introduction as Father presented me and simply murmured, ‘Your Majesty.’ I sank into a deep curtsey, my knees shaking, and stared at the King’s highly polished shoes for a moment before rising.

  ‘An uncommonly handsome girl, Langdon,’ said the King, looking me up and down with protuberant blue eyes. ‘You must be happy to have her returned to you after all this time.’

  ‘I had given up hoping for it, sir,’ said Father, ‘so you may imagine my joy that she’s at my side now.’

  The King inclined himself slightly towards me. ‘Enjoying the dancing, Miss Langdon?’

  ‘I am indeed, sir,’ I said. Dolly had been right, the King’s corset did creak when he moved, and I suppressed a sudden desire to giggle.

  ‘Used to like dancing myself,’ said the King. ‘People were astounded by my elegance when dancing the gavotte.’

  ‘I am sure they were,’ I murmured.

  The King lifted a glass of punch to his small, pink mouth while I wondered what he would say if he knew I had been a member of his wife’s household.

  Father introduced me then to Lord Liverpool and I curtseyed again. My knees still trembled but I retained my outward composure.

  ‘I knew your mother, Miss Langdon,’ said Lord Liverpool. He shook his head sadly. ‘A great loss to us all when she passed on.
She was beautiful, too.’

  ‘Thank you, sir.’

  Over Lord Liverpool’s shoulder, I saw Dolly watching us.

  ‘Dancing always made me hungry,’ said the King. ‘Run along and have your supper.’ He waved his hand in dismissal. The presentation was over.

  I curtseyed and then Father took hold of my arm and we backed out of the royal presence.

  I heard the King say, ‘Attractive little thing with her cheeks all flushed and her curls coming loose, don’t you think, Liverpool?’

  ‘Very well done, Emilia,’ whispered Father. ‘What a feather in your cap to be presented to the King tonight!’

  I let out my breath slowly and was fanning my hot cheeks when Dolly came to join us.

  ‘The King has an eye for a pretty girl,’ he said. ‘His approval has sealed your success.’

  ‘I’ll warrant the invitations will come in thick and fast now,’ said Father with satisfaction.

  ‘It looks as though you’ve had enough excitement for the moment, Emilia,’ said Dolly. ‘Shall we take some refreshment?’

  He went to fetch our supper and I was grateful to sit down for a while. It had been strange to meet the King; the man Queen Caroline had called a monster. He seemed a surprisingly ordinary, elderly man with broken veins on his nose and cheeks. I wouldn’t have looked twice at him if I’d met him in the street. Despite that, knowing he was the King had made me nervous.

  Dolly returned with supper plates laden with tempting delicacies. Mr Perry and Araminta came to sit beside us as we ate the poached chicken, jellies and sweetmeats.

  ‘What is the King like at close quarters?’ asked Araminta, her brown eyes wide.

  ‘Very…’ I tried not to picture the King’s dissipated complexion. ‘Very regal,’ I said with as much diplomacy as I could muster.

  ‘But he’s terribly fat, isn’t he?’ she whispered.

  ‘He called me an “uncommonly handsome girl”,’ I said, trying not to giggle as I avoided answering the question.

  Mr Gregory and his supper partner came to sit with us, too, and after a while I felt less agitated and began to enjoy the lively conversation of my companions. By the time we returned to the ballroom the King and Lord Liverpool had left.

  The dancing began again and young men were queuing up to partner me. I danced every dance but couldn’t help noticing that Dolly’s gaze was often upon me. Later, he arrived at my side to rescue me when one of my partners, spotty and sandy-haired Mr Fortescue, began to press moist kisses upon my hands.

  ‘Miss Langdon is my partner for the next dance,’ said Dolly. ‘Let go of her immediately, if you please, and take a turn outside for some air.’ He released the young man’s limpet grip from my fingers. My rescuer’s tone was light but there was an edge of steel to it. ‘And I suggest you don’t imbibe any more punch.’

  ‘Thank you, Dolly,’ I said, after Mr Fortescue had glowered and taken himself off.

  ‘Irritating little cub!’ He cleared his throat a couple of times and straightened his perfectly arranged necktie. ‘Emilia,’ he said.

  I noticed his usually pale face was even paler than normal.

  ‘Emilia, I’d hoped for the opportunity to have a quiet word with you tonight. I know that your father has mentioned to you that I spoke to him…’

  ‘He did.’ I held myself ramrod straight, desperately wishing I were somewhere else and could avoid the forthcoming embarrassing exchange.

  ‘Perhaps this is not the time to discuss the matter of my proposal.’

  ‘You haven’t proposed to me,’ I said, ‘only discussed the matter with Father, but I have no intention of marrying anyone in the immediate future.’

  His lips curved slightly. ‘Neither have I.’

  ‘Oh!’ I said, taken aback.

  ‘Emilia, marriage is inevitable for both of us but there’s no hurry. I do believe, however, that we might make an eminently suitable and convenient match in the fullness of time, should you wish it. My family are constantly pressing me to find a wife and your father wishes to see you settled. Perhaps there’s some merit for both of us in suggesting that you are thinking about my proposal but require, say, six months or so to come to a firm decision. What do you say?’

  I stared at him but his blue eyes were dark and unfathomable. My thoughts whirled so fast it made me dizzy. I intended to be reunited with Alessandro before six months had passed, unless, of course, he didn’t love me anymore. I swallowed hard at the distressing thought. In that case, I might decide handsome, eligible Dolly was a good choice for a husband in the absence of the man I truly loved.

  ‘This proposed mutual arrangement would allow us to make our own decisions in the fullness of time,’ said Dolly, ‘without familial pressure.’

  I fingered the pearls at my neck while I thought. Aunt Maude had impressed upon me that if I passed this season by without accepting an offer, I could find myself on the shelf. I did very much want a family of my own so, however much I loved Alessandro, it would be foolish to slam the door on Dolly’s offer.

  ‘Emilia?’ A muscle flickered slightly in his jaw.

  ‘I shall consider your suggestion,’ I replied.

  He glanced at Mr Sandys, who was organising another dance. ‘Shall we sit this one out?’

  Relieved, I said, ‘I must find Aunt Maude.’

  She sat with the other chaperones and smiled up at me when we joined her. ‘Well,’ she said, ‘the King’s visit was a delightful and unexpected surprise!’

  I nodded and smiled, not really listening to the conversations going on around me, and soon my next partner whisked me away. My shoes were pinching and I was relieved it was the final dance.

  The guests began calling for their carriages and came to pay their respects before they left. I stood beside Father and Aunt Maude, bidding our guests goodbye. My face ached from constant smiling and trying not to yawn.

  Dolly and Francis Gregory were the last to leave.

  ‘The ball was a triumph,’ said Dolly.

  ‘An outstanding success!’ declared Mr Gregory.

  ‘May I call on you tomorrow, Emilia?’ said Dolly.

  ‘We shall expect you,’ said Father, giving him a meaningful look.

  After the last guest had gone, the musicians left with their instruments and at last the front door was bolted against the night. Yawning, the servants began to move the furniture back into the drawing room and remove the remains of supper to the kitchens.

  Father put his arm around me. ‘I’m proud of you, Emilia,’ he said. ‘Now go and get some sleep before the sun rises.’

  ‘Goodnight, Father. And thank you. I shall never forget my first ball.’

  He kissed my cheek and I watched him climb the stairs, wishing he’d shown Aunt Maude some sign of appreciation for all her efforts.

  The poor lady drooped with exhaustion. ‘Come to bed,’ I said, gently. ‘You’ve worked so hard to make everything perfect and must rest now.’ She looked very frail and I helped her upstairs and handed her into the care of her maid.

  Daisy was waiting for me in my room. I was grateful she was there to undress me and take the wilted flowers out of my hair. Afterwards, I lay in bed reliving the evening. I recalled the King’s polished shoes and how my knees had trembled when I curtseyed before him; the heady perfume of narcissi and the aroma of beeswax candles. I remembered how Dolly had saved me from unpleasantness with Mr Fortescue and the subsequent extraordinary proposal. I recalled Father’s proud smile and heard dear Aunt Maude’s words of pleasure at my success.

  And then, as dawn light began to creep through the curtains, I thought how I would have been pleased to forgo all of that, if only Alessandro could have been at my side.

  Chapter 21

  May 1820

  London

  The weeks since the ball had been a constant round of tea and supper parties, balls, routs and excursions, until I barely knew which day of the week it was. I soon discovered that more or less the same guests went to each even
t and, since I didn’t much enjoy gossip, it was becoming tedious. Despite that, I’d made friends with Araminta Perry and her brother and was always pleased to see their cheerful faces.

  Dolly and Francis Gregory, both eligible bachelors with prospects, were usually present at these occasions and so I hadn’t been surprised to see Dolly at Violet Braithwaite’s tea party.

  Mr Perry made a point of sitting beside me, as he so often did. I suspected he was half in love with me and was hoping for a sign that I might encourage him. His chatter was generally of a frivolous nature but he aroused my interest when he mentioned the intense speculation in London on the date of the possible arrival in England of Queen Caroline.