Charlotte: The Practical Education of a Distressed Gentlewoman (12 page)

“
Oh, come on, Lizzy. You're
talking like one of those French revolutionaries. I know you're
not.”

“
You're right, but still, your
great-aunt didn't have to insult me. You know she's used our
bank.”

“
Really?”

“
Her husband's gambling debts were
excessive and she only found out about them when he died. We worked
out a repayment plan that didn't send her to debtor's
prison.”

“
Out of the goodness of your
heart?”

“
I doubt it. Probably a loan, with
interest, and security, that she can repay without going
bankrupt.”

Charlotte was upset by her friend's
radical views, “Lizzy, some people are born better than others.
That's God's way.”

“
I agree, some people are born
with more talent or skill than others, and they deserve to rise to
their proper station.”

“
That's not what I
meant.”

“
I know.”

“
Lizzy, you're just being
difficult.”

Elizabeth was still fuming when she
sat down to dinner with her brother. “What is it Lizzy? You seem to
be upset about something.”

“
I was presented to Lady Alsop.
What a dreadful person.”

“
How so?”

“
She said I 'smelled of the
shop'.”

“
What's wrong with
that?”

“
I don't know. We do, don't
we?”

“
Lizzy, we'll never completely fit
into their world. It's their loss, not ours.”

“
I guess you're right.”

“
I know I am, so this assembly
tomorrow. What are your plans?”

“
I was hoping you would chaperon
me. The Answorths are nice enough, but watching after Charlotte
seems to be about their limit.”

“
I intend to dance too. It's been
too long since I've been to a ball, and I don't want to let my
skills on the floor get too rusty.”

“
Even if you have to stand up with
your sister?”

“
Alas, even if I have to do
that.”

Freddy may have
entered the upper assembly rooms with his sister, but he didn't
have to dance with her. They arrived early in the evening, but not
too early to catch Charlotte dancing with her new friend, Mr.
Christie. Freddy dryly commented to Elizabeth, “I see Miss De Vere
has found a friend.”

“
That's Mr. Christie, Mrs. Jones'
younger brother.”

“
Indeed.”

“
What's the problem,
Freddy?”

“
I don't know. I shouldn't care
who she dances with, should I?”

“
It's not as if you and she are
the best of friends, is it?”

“
No. Well, no we
aren't.”

The set ended and Charlotte found
Elizabeth. “Lizzy, I'm so glad you,” she paused, suddenly shy and
unsure of what to say, “and your brother could make it.”

“
I said I'd be here, so here I
am.”

Freddy asked Charlotte, “Have you
heard any more music that you liked?”

“
Not since the concert two nights
ago. I try to avoid listening to the ballad singers in the street.
They're so very vulgar, and worse than being vulgar, they usually
can't hold the tune.”

“
How true, I was thinking of dance
music.”

“
Dance music?”

“
Would you do me the honor of the
next set?”

Charlotte blushed, then shyly
replied, “If you would like.”

“
I would, if just to show you that
we can dance in perfect civility.”

“
Oh please forget that time Mr.
Talbot. I was not at my best, and, maybe,” she paused, considering
how to delicately imply apology without apologizing, “I didn't know
you so well as I do now then.”

“
The couples are forming, please
come and join the line with me.”

Elizabeth added her voice to her
brothers, “Do go, while we stand here stupidly talking, I can't
look for a partner myself.”

Elizabeth didn't have to look for
long. Mr. Christie came up and asked if he might have the pleasure
of the next set. She replied that it would be her pleasure. He
continued and asked her, “How close are you and Mr.
Talbot?”

“
Very.”

“
I was wondering if.”

“
I do hope you're not asking me to
find you a position with his firm. Because if that's so, our
conversation is over.”

Mr. Christie stammered a quick
recovery, “N-n-no. Not at all. I was wondering if you would care
for a glass of punch while we wait for the set to
finish.”

“
Thank you, let's get something to
drink before we dance. If we can get through the crush before the
set forms.”

Early the next morning, Freddy as
he warned, left Bath to attend to business issues. Elizabeth felt a
bit downhearted at seeing him go. She decided she would look for
her friends as a diversion. Though she wouldn't look immediately as
they were usually much later at rising than she was.

While Dr. Answorth was consuming
his prescribed morning dose of the hot sulfurous brew dispensed in
the pump room, Miss De Vere and Mrs. Answorth were introduced to a
distinguished looking woman of an uncertain age. She wore fine
clothes, was heavily powdered with rouged cheeks and wore a
brightly colored wig over her close cropped gray hair. The woman
began,“Why Mrs. Answorth, what brings you to Bath?”

Seeing that Mrs. Answorth did not
quite recognize her, she continued, “It seems so long since we met,
but it was only last year. Have you been keeping well? No don't
answer for I can see that you have.”

Mrs. Answorth searched her memory
and put a name to the face. “Are you Carol? Lady
Chalfield?”

“
The same.”

“
It has been a long time since we
last met. You should visit us more often, Chalfield isn't far from
Staverton. What brings you to Bath?”

“
The waters, and the company.
London is so gauche nowadays. I don't know why I spend so much time
there.”

“
My husband, Dr. Answorth is here
for his gout.” She pointed to Dr. Answorth as he grimaced and tried
to swallow more of the water. The doctors at the Rheumatic hospital
kept that part of his regime, stopped the long hot baths,
discontinued the dose of rhubarb water, and had given him a
prescription for a very small amount of a tincture of the autumn
crocus, a novel treatment from Vienna. It seemed to be
working.

“
Is that so? Mine has long since
departed to meet his maker. I suppose that is why I spend so much
time on diversions in London.”

Mrs. Answorth remembered Lady
Chalfield as a flighty young woman who lived a life dedicated to
amusement and pleasure. Both her and her husband had especially
enjoyed the pleasure of gambling. She replied, “Diversions? Surely
by now you have begun to settle down, to reflect on
life.”

“
I still feel the need for
entertainment, it helps the time pass. Otherwise, life would be so
tedious and dreary. Who is this beautiful young lass that you have
attending you?”

“
Miss Charlotte De Vere, Lord
Staverton's daughter. She has been kindly lending us her
continence.”

Lady Chalfield immediately attached
herself to Miss De Vere with an inspired devotion. Her devotion was
inspired by her fond remembrances of Lord Staverton. He was a sure
mark for a sucker-bet, and remarkably generous when he was in
funds. She hoped his daughter would be similarly inclined. One way
for her to find out was to talk with Charlotte and see if she had a
similar combination of soft head and warm heart.

“
Miss De Vere, I knew your father
and mother well. Back in the '90's.”

“
Really? I remember my mother
fondly, but she died while I was still young and we never really
got to know each other as adults. You must tell me about what she
was like as a young woman.”

“
She was one of my best friends.
Both she and your father.”

Charlotte's naive response played
right into Lady Chalfield's wishes. “What did you do
together?”

“
We went to parties, at homes,
rode in Hyde park, all the thing's society does in
London.”

“
I've never been to London, I'd
like to see the sights. See where they lived.”

“
Miss De Vere, next week I am
headed back to London. Would you like accompany me? You can stay in
my town house.”

“
I would love to, but I should ask
my companions, Dr. and Mrs. Answorth.”

Elizabeth came into the pump room
in search of Charlotte. “Miss De Vere, I hoped I would find you
here. Would you like to ride up Claverton Down this afternoon,
maybe a bit beyond if we have the time?”

Charlotte introduced her friend to
Lady Chalfield. “Lady Chalfield, this is Miss Elizabeth
Talbot.”

The two women coldly examined each
other. Lady Chalfield, because she knew that any of the Talbot's
would be a difficult nut to crack, and Elizabeth because Lady
Chalfield plainly bore all the hallmarks of an adventuress. She had
met more than enough of them in London for her tastes, and found it
highly unpleasant to run into one in Bath. Lady Chalfield was the
first to speak. “Miss Talbot, I was just telling your friend that I
knew her parents, and invited her to stay in London with me next
week.”

“
Really, have you met
mine?”

“
Maybe, but I don't mix in social
circles that are below my rank.”

Elizabeth gave her an ambiguous
response, “Neither do I.”

Charlotte replied to Elizabeth,
“I'd love to come riding with you.” Then she asked Lady Chalfield,
“Did you wish for my company this afternoon?”

Lady Chalfield replied, “Go ride
with your friend, my pretty one. There is plenty of time to arrange
our trip later. There is so much I should discuss with my old
friend Mrs. Answorth. We have a lot of old times to catch up
about.”

Riding together up the Claverton
Down with Elizabeth's groom discreetly in tow, Charlotte turned to
Elizabeth and asked her, “Lizzy, I had the impression that you were
not overjoyed to meet Lady Chalfield. Why is that?”

“
Nothing I can say directly, with
those manners, that dress and that horrible wig she doesn't move in
the first circles of London society, at least not the parts of
those circles I inhabit.”

“
You move in the first
circles?”

Elizabeth blushed, “Well,
Charlotte, I think I do, or at least as much as I want to. Except,
perhaps, places like Almacks and Carleton House where birth
completely trumps wealth.”

“
As much as you want? Why wouldn't
you want to do?”

“
I don't gamble, at least not for
real stakes in a gambling hell. When I'm there during the season,
Freddy and I get invited to so many balls and 'at homes', that I
have to turn some down.”

“
Turn down an
invitation?”

“
It's either that or be very rude
and just show up for a few minutes, then leave.”

“
I do wish I could persuade Lady
Chalfield to invite you to come with me.”

“
You can try, but I doubt you'll
succeed.”

“
Oh, but you were so helpful here
in Bath, and London is ever so much bigger. I'd be lost without a
friend.”

They looked out over Bath from the
top of the down. Elizabeth replied, “There is nowhere near London
where you get such a good view of the city as this view of Bath.
Should we try for a ride to Farleigh Castle?”

Her groom coughed, “Ma'am it's a
three hour ride from here.”

“
Darn. That is too far. Is there
anywhere closer? I am so enjoying this ride. It's much too soon to
return to Bath.”

“
Monkton Combe is not too far
Ma'am. We could return by Warminster Road.”

“
That's on the canal, isn't
it?”

“
Yes Ma'am.”

“
Charlotte are you game for
it?”

“
I've been so idle these last few
weeks that any ride will do.”

“
Then Monkton Combe it
is.”

They worked their way down the
other side of the down to the small town of Monkton Combe and the
Somerset Coal Canal. Charlotte was surprised at the level of
traffic.

“
Good Lord, Elizabeth. It is so
busy!”

“
It is, isn't it?”

They followed the towpath towards
the junction with the Kennet and Avon. Part of the way there,
Charlotte suddenly asked Elizabeth, “Lizzy, have you ever been in
love?”

“
Where did that question come
from?”

“
I don't know, it's just, well I
don't know what it feels like, and since you seem to know so much,
maybe you'd know.”

“
Charlotte how old are
you?”

“
Twenty-three.”

“
I'm only twenty. So why do you
keep making me feel like an ancient crone?”