Georgiana promptly replied, “Duke, marquess, earl, viscount, and baron.”
“And their wives?”
“Duchess, marchioness, countess, viscountess, baroness.”
“How are they addressed in speech?”
“Your grace for the duke and duchess, lord or lady for the others.”
“Good. Baronets?”
“Sir whoever?” Georgiana guessed.
“Sir first name or sir last name?” Mrs. Annesley pressed.
“Sir first name and lady last name?”
“Very good, Georgiana. And you will always want to have a copy of Debrett’s to refer to, in order to properly understand someone’s background. Members of thetontend to be rather persnickety about their ancestors.”
“Persnickety? I do not know that word.”
“Fussy, but usually meaning overly fussy.” Mrs. Annesley smiled.
“You do not place great store on birth?” Lady Anne said from the doorway, scowling.
Mrs. Annesley pretended not to hear her, but instead went on with the lesson, “Now, let us discuss seating arrangements.” And here Mrs. Annesley drew forth a piece of paper on which she had drawn a rectangle, and several smaller pieces of paper on which she had written various names: Duke and Duchess of Northumberland, the Earl and Countess of Sunderland, Baron and Baroness Hastings, Mr. and Mrs. Darcy, Miss Darcy. “How would we arrange the seating at a dinner table with these attendees?”
Georgiana began arranging the small pieces of paper around the rectangle as Elizabeth watched. When she was done, she said, “But where are you, Mrs. Annesley?”
“I am not in attendance at this hypothetical dinner table.”
“But you have a title, do you not?”
“No; as the relict of a baronet, I have no real title.”
“You are not a – I suppose it would be baronetess?”
“I am not; but if we were being formal, you would call me Lady Annesley.”
“Oh! But you do not prefer that? I thought most people liked to be called by their titles.”
“No, Mrs. Annesley does me well enough. I have no pretensions of grandeur.”
Unlike certain others in this household, Elizabeth thought, flicking a glance at Lady Anne, who had seated herself next to her daughter.
Once Georgiana had arranged the rectangles to Mrs. Annesley’s satisfaction, Mrs. Annesley continued. “Dinner parties are fraught with etiquette difficulties, Miss Darcy, as it is not just a question of where everyone must sit, but also a matter of which gentleman must escort which lady in to dinner. The highest-ranking gentleman must escort the lady of the house; the second highest-ranking gentleman would then escort the highest ranked lady, and so on down the line.”
“What if there are not equal numbers of ladies and gentlemen?”
“It is not much of an issue if there are more gentlemen, as it is not distressing for a gentleman to go into dinner alone; but if there are more ladies than gentlemen, then the last gentleman might escort two ladies.”
“I see,” Georgiana said. “It seems…well, unnecessarily complicated.”
Mrs. Annesley sighed. “It is even worse than you think, for some hostesses use a different strategy, having the host escort the highest-ranked lady and then the hostess going in last, escorted by the highest-ranked gentleman.”
“But how is one to know?”
“As a lady, your task is easiest; when dinner is announced, one of the gentleman will make his way to you and offer his arm. You take it and walk gracefully to the table.”
