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One morning, it was Julia’s turn to be fitted for several partly made gowns, so she was standing on a box while the seamstresses knelt on the floor, pinning hems, and themodistetutted over her. Madame Farage made no open comment on the deficiencies of form before her. When it was Rosie’s turn on the box she clapped her hands in delight, and smiled benignly on Angie and Mama, but Julia’s ungainly shape brought only frowns and sighs.
“You look lovely, Jules,” Rosie said, walking around to admire a ball gown from all angles. “You can wear such wonderful colours, and think how splendidly you will look going down the dance.”
Julia raised her eyebrows at this, but there was no point contradicting Rosie. She had such a romantic view of the world that she saw everything in glowing terms.
“I cannot wait!” Angie cried. “So many ballrooms, so many dances! We shall have such a glorious time, dancing our way around London.” She curtsied to an imaginary partner, and then danced her way elegantly around the room, deftly avoiding the numerous chairs draped with fabrics.
“And so many partners,” Camilla said, lifting her head from the journal she was reading. “So many eligible gentlemen, so many lords, so many heirs to dukedoms.”
Madame Farage tittered at this optimism, but Mama said calmly, “Many partners, we must hope indeed, but there are not so many heirs to dukedoms, and if there were, even Rosie could hardly aim so high. Julia, hold your arms up a little. Hmm, I am not quite convinced about that sleeve, Madame. A little more fullness, do you not think?”
“Perhaps, but we do not wish to widen the shoulders.”
“That is true. You do have very broad shoulders, Julia. They are not your best feature. There was a style in the journal that arrived yesterday that might suit. Rosie, dear, would you run down to the parlour and fetchLa Belle Assembléefor me? It is on the small table near the fire.”
Rosie ran off at once, but she returned in a few moments, empty handed. “It is not there, Mama.”
“Nonsense! I put it there myself, not an hour ago. Did you look on the big table?”
“Yes, Mama, and on both sideboards, and in the cupboard.”
“It must be there. I shall go myself.”
But she had no more success than Rosie, returning puzzled and rather cross, and spent quite some time trying to explain the style she had in mind to Madame Farage by waving her hands vaguely in the air.
One of the consequences of Camilla’s arrival was an increase in the number of gentleman callers. Julia could not quite see what the attraction was, or why men flocked around Camilla when Rosie was so much more beautiful, and had a dowry of fifty thousand pounds besides, but then, men were a mystery to her, she decided. Why, for instance, was Lord Charles Heaman such an assiduous caller nowadays? Or the two Plummer brothers? Mr Michael Plummer seemed attentive to Rosie, but that was understandable, for she was a very desirable bride for the heir to an impoverished baronetcy, but Lord Charles seemed most drawn to Camilla, which was odd in a married man. Odder still was that Mama seemed to encourage him, not interfering when he spent the whole visit at Camilla’s side, although she had grumbled about him in the past, complaining at his discourtesy. His great crime, seemingly, was that he was deaf to her hints that an introduction to his brother, the Marquess of Barrowford would be a great kindness.
As for James Plummer, he seemed to seek out Julia herself. Not that she minded his company, and he never engaged in tedious flirtation with her, but she wondered at his coming very much.
“I am surprised to see you here again, Mr Plummer,” she said to him one day. “This spell of fine weather cannot last for ever and I had thought you would be out with your gun today.”
“I went rabbiting before breakfast,” he said with his pleasant smile, his eyes creased at the sides. Even when he was being serious, those creases were still visible, as if he liked to laugh a great deal and his face remembered. “I potted a few pigeons, too, and if conditions are propitious, I might go down to the river later to try for some fowl. There is plenty of time for sport without neglecting the pleasures of society.”
The pleasures ofhersociety? She chose to take it as such, since he always sought her out on these visits, but she had no wish to press him on the point, and perhaps oblige him to be more directly complimentary. Heaven forbid she should be thought to be flirting with him. Her eyes strayed to Mr Michael Plummer, making laborious conversation to a silent Rosie. “Your brother’s visits are more understandable, I believe,” she said. “He has not your enthusiasm for the pursuit of small birds and beasts.”
“A man may have other pursuits in mind,” Mr Plummer said, his frankness causing Julia’s eyes to widen.
“Of course. Rosie is so beautiful, it is no wonder that every man should be drawn to her.”
“Not every man is drawn to your sister,” he said easily, “and beauty is not the only or even the best guide to a woman’s desirability.”
“Her dowry is the principal reason for her desirability, I imagine,” she said mischievously.
He laughed merrily. “That is a consideration, too, and rather a substantial one, but again, not the only one.” He leaned forward to speak more softly, as if he did not wish to be overheard. “When a man is considering marriage, Miss Fletcher, he must look first for a woman of like mind to his own, able to enter into all his deepest concerns and support him in his endeavours, a woman who will be a companion and helpmeet for all the years to come. And once he has assured himself of her suitability, then he must open her eyes to the future before her.”
“Open her eyes? As if she is asleep, and needs only to be wakened and the banns may be called? I can assure you, sir, it will take a great deal more thanthatto persuade Rosie to marry your brother. Or anyone at all, perhaps.”
He looked startled, but recovered himself with a laugh. “Oh, indeed. Michael is not quite at that point yet… nor may ever be. He must marry before too long, of course, to secure the line… or I must.” He smiled at her. “We arebothof an age when marriage rises to the forefront of one’s mind, but Michael is still considering his options, I believe.”
Julia was not quite sure what to make of this conversation, but she reported it to Mama as faithfully as she could remember it, as she knew she was expected to do.
“Well, it is no matter,” Mama said with a lift of one shoulder. “In some ways it would be a shame to have Rosie snatched up before she has even spread her wings in London. The heir to a baronetcy is not to be despised, certainly, but I feel sure she can do much better.”
They were in the withdrawing room after dinner, and Angie, Rosie and Camilla were in the music room next door, while Pa and Will were playing backgammon. Aunt Madge had gone to see that Bella was safely in bed.
Lowering her voice, although no one was near enough to overhear, Mama went on, “How is Camilla? Not giving you any trouble?”
“No, not at all. She is behaving herself very well.” Suspiciously well, Julia almost added, but perhaps that was unkind. The Westons were a wealthy family, but they had never moved in the level of society to which their wealth entitled them. It may be that Camilla was finding her stay at Chadwell Park rather congenial.
