type.
He danced with her once more – after a decent interval , having relinquished her to another for the next country dance – and then left. He had also danced with a number of other girls, most of whom bored him by simpering at him or turning tongue-tied at the attentions of so important a man.
“Well he is very properly behaved not to draw too much notice to you by his attentions ,” declared George. “It does not do for a girl to be too obviously singled out by any one man. I like Alverston.”
Chapter 15
Lady Katherine sent invitations to an informal levee for the Knightleys and Prudence to meet her niece.
Emma wrote a letter of acceptance on behalf of all of them and expressed the opinion to her husband and cousin that whilst mornings were not her best time of day, by ten of the clock she should be feeling enough the thing to enjoy it and at least there would not be the ordeal of saying the right thing to a fearsome sounding dowager late at night.
“Alverston said she’s kind as well as formidable ,” ventured Prudence, “I fancy though from what he said of Miss Fairlees that she is a trifle, well, lacking in pluck.”
“I should imagine that Alverston could seem intimidating to a slight and nervous female ,” said George, “he terrified half the girls he danced with last night; not just the size of the man, but he has an offputting scowl that would make me dislike him if I did not know how much he cares for Arthur and how kind he can be. He went out of his way last night to thank me for my kindness and friendship to his nephew in the throes of his calf love; he is hoping of course that Arthur will transfer his infatuation to the next beauty of the season, for Alverston finds it an embarrassment that his nephew might embarrass Emma.”
“Poor Mr Alver ,” said Emma, “I treat him just as I treat small Henry; with the gravity needed to prevent any wound to youthful pride.”
“Never, however, say so to the poor youth ,” said George, “for he will be quite cast down to think that you compare him to a boy not yet eight years old and more than a decade Arthur’s junior.”
Lady Katherine was indeed a formidable grande dame who clung to the rustling brocades of her youth in a floral lattice pattern of black, grey and white, though made up in
more modish styles than the panniers in which she would herself have come out. Her iron grey hair was ruthlessly
coiffured under a black velvet turban that Prudence strongly suspected was designed to intimidate and which sported a black ostrich feather standing to attention as it rose from a ruby pin holding it in place. Somehow it was impossible to imagine any feather Lady Katherine had daring to droop. She utilised a quizzing glass with more ruthless efficiency than the effete and bored curiosity that was the wont of the Bond Street beaux Prudence had seen and glared at each of her visitors through it.
Miss Katherine Fairlees was by contrast a vapid looking girl with pale blonde locks fashionably dressed after the Greek fashion, rather vacant blue eyes and a pretty complexion with flawless features that might have served for a fashion plate, and with as much vivacity as a drawn page. She wore her fashionable blue muslin gown with elegance but without anything distinguishing about her. She smiled a timid smile that half apologised for her aunt’s intimidating manner.
Prudence, presented first, decided to refuse to be intimidated and smiled in greeting first at Kitty and then at Lady Katherine.
“Lord Alverston has been kind enough to tell me about you, Lady Katherine ,” she murmured as they touched fingers in greeting
“Hmmph, well, he is a truthful fellow if prone to levity and exaggeration at times ,” said Lady Katherine, “So I doubt he will have misrepresented me too much. I hear he doesn’t intimidate you at all?”
“No ma’am, why should he?” said Prudence “If he has told you of
He danced with her once more – after a decent interval , having relinquished her to another for the next country dance – and then left. He had also danced with a number of other girls, most of whom bored him by simpering at him or turning tongue-tied at the attentions of so important a man.
“Well he is very properly behaved not to draw too much notice to you by his attentions ,” declared George. “It does not do for a girl to be too obviously singled out by any one man. I like Alverston.”
Chapter 15
Lady Katherine sent invitations to an informal levee for the Knightleys and Prudence to meet her niece.
Emma wrote a letter of acceptance on behalf of all of them and expressed the opinion to her husband and cousin that whilst mornings were not her best time of day, by ten of the clock she should be feeling enough the thing to enjoy it and at least there would not be the ordeal of saying the right thing to a fearsome sounding dowager late at night.
“Alverston said she’s kind as well as formidable ,” ventured Prudence, “I fancy though from what he said of Miss Fairlees that she is a trifle, well, lacking in pluck.”
“I should imagine that Alverston could seem intimidating to a slight and nervous female ,” said George, “he terrified half the girls he danced with last night; not just the size of the man, but he has an offputting scowl that would make me dislike him if I did not know how much he cares for Arthur and how kind he can be. He went out of his way last night to thank me for my kindness and friendship to his nephew in the throes of his calf love; he is hoping of course that Arthur will transfer his infatuation to the next beauty of the season, for Alverston finds it an embarrassment that his nephew might embarrass Emma.”
“Poor Mr Alver ,” said Emma, “I treat him just as I treat small Henry; with the gravity needed to prevent any wound to youthful pride.”
“Never, however, say so to the poor youth ,” said George, “for he will be quite cast down to think that you compare him to a boy not yet eight years old and more than a decade Arthur’s junior.”
Lady Katherine was indeed a formidable grande dame who clung to the rustling brocades of her youth in a floral lattice pattern of black, grey and white, though made up in
more modish styles than the panniers in which she would herself have come out. Her iron grey hair was ruthlessly
coiffured under a black velvet turban that Prudence strongly suspected was designed to intimidate and which sported a black ostrich feather standing to attention as it rose from a ruby pin holding it in place. Somehow it was impossible to imagine any feather Lady Katherine had daring to droop. She utilised a quizzing glass with more ruthless efficiency than the effete and bored curiosity that was the wont of the Bond Street beaux Prudence had seen and glared at each of her visitors through it.
Miss Katherine Fairlees was by contrast a vapid looking girl with pale blonde locks fashionably dressed after the Greek fashion, rather vacant blue eyes and a pretty complexion with flawless features that might have served for a fashion plate, and with as much vivacity as a drawn page. She wore her fashionable blue muslin gown with elegance but without anything distinguishing about her. She smiled a timid smile that half apologised for her aunt’s intimidating manner.
Prudence, presented first, decided to refuse to be intimidated and smiled in greeting first at Kitty and then at Lady Katherine.
“Lord Alverston has been kind enough to tell me about you, Lady Katherine ,” she murmured as they touched fingers in greeting
“Hmmph, well, he is a truthful fellow if prone to levity and exaggeration at times ,” said Lady Katherine, “So I doubt he will have misrepresented me too much. I hear he doesn’t intimidate you at all?”
“No ma’am, why should he?” said Prudence “If he has told you of
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