her without due caution (to which she had not the least objec tion), John had behaved just as a gentleman should do. She had better mention that to papa, she thought, writing swiftly: not the part about the kisses, of course, but only that Mr John Savidge was a most unexceptionable young man.
Should she exaggerate his fortune? No. Better not. It was more than respectable, in any case. Suddenly she began to laugh, for here she was writing of her expected marriage. She, who had come to Diddlington with no such thought in her head! It was so droll. What would Louisa say? And mama!
She went into such a fit of laughter that she collapsed on her bed, helpless and exhausted. Luckily, Aunt Camilla had heard nothing, so she was undisturbed. At length, she fell into a deep sleep from which she awoke the next morning completely refreshed.
Chapter Thirteen
UNEXPECTED DEVELOPMENTS
Before Lydia could post her letter the following morning, she received one herself. This was her father’s latest installment in the story of Louisa’s London season.
‘Another letter, my dear?’ Aunt Camilla was concerned. This will cost a fortune, I fear. Your allowance will never stand it.’
‘Papa has got a friend to frank it, Aunt,’ Lydia reassured her.
‘What news?’ the other lady could not refrain from enquiring.
‘Another debacle!’ Lydia’s head was bent over the page, the better to decipher her father’s minuscule handwriting. He had clearly reduced the size of his script to save paper. ‘Oh dear! I knew Louisa would make a cake of herself in that dreadful pink dress. With cherry-red ribbons too!’
She then went on to explain the famous argument over Louisa’s attire. Camilla shook her head in wonder and disapproval, declaring at last that poor Louisa had even less sense than her sister. Lydia took no offence at this, knowing that almost every word and action on her part went against her aunt’s strict notions of propriety.
Lydia read parts of papa’s letter aloud to her aunt: enough to inform her that Louisa’s appearance at an assembly in town had been greeted by universal derision. Even her hen-witted sister could not fail to notice the giggles hastily hidden by fans, nor the withdrawal of several ladies from her presence. She had, it seemed, gone home and treated her parents to a display of strong hysterics in which she blamed everyone for her disgrace: mama, Lydia - even poor papa, who had always main tained a safe distance from the proceedings connected with his daughter’s come-out.
‘It will be a miracle if she receives a respectable offer,’ Camilla pronounced fatalistically.
‘She never would listen to reason,’ Lydia said, for the first time experiencing something like sympathy for her foolish and headstrong sister.
‘I see,’ Aunt Camilla nodded toward the sealed missive beside her niece, ‘that you have your own news to dispatch. We had best go and do so at once.’
After a few minutes of bustle and confusion, they emerged from the cottage and made their way toward the center of town. On the high street they were apprehended by the Misses Digweed, who clearly had been acquainted with all the pertinent (and impertinent) facts surrounding her engagement to Mr Savidge.
‘Such wonderful news!’ cried the elder.
‘You know what they say about “marrying in haste”,’ the latter remarked.
‘A nine-days’ wonder!’
‘Been expecting it this age.’
‘So well-favored.’
‘Plump in the pocket too.’
‘Oh, Dorothea!’
It was some time before they were able to disentangle themselves from the verbal web of this enterprising duo. When they did so, Lydia was surprised to find her aunt hailing a complete stranger.
* * * *
‘Kate!’ Miss Denton called out to a short, plump young woman who had just stepped up onto the pavement perhaps three yards ahead of them. ‘It is Kate, is it not?’
‘Yes, Miss Denton,’ the young woman replied, dropping a slight curtsy to them
Should she exaggerate his fortune? No. Better not. It was more than respectable, in any case. Suddenly she began to laugh, for here she was writing of her expected marriage. She, who had come to Diddlington with no such thought in her head! It was so droll. What would Louisa say? And mama!
She went into such a fit of laughter that she collapsed on her bed, helpless and exhausted. Luckily, Aunt Camilla had heard nothing, so she was undisturbed. At length, she fell into a deep sleep from which she awoke the next morning completely refreshed.
Chapter Thirteen
UNEXPECTED DEVELOPMENTS
Before Lydia could post her letter the following morning, she received one herself. This was her father’s latest installment in the story of Louisa’s London season.
‘Another letter, my dear?’ Aunt Camilla was concerned. This will cost a fortune, I fear. Your allowance will never stand it.’
‘Papa has got a friend to frank it, Aunt,’ Lydia reassured her.
‘What news?’ the other lady could not refrain from enquiring.
‘Another debacle!’ Lydia’s head was bent over the page, the better to decipher her father’s minuscule handwriting. He had clearly reduced the size of his script to save paper. ‘Oh dear! I knew Louisa would make a cake of herself in that dreadful pink dress. With cherry-red ribbons too!’
She then went on to explain the famous argument over Louisa’s attire. Camilla shook her head in wonder and disapproval, declaring at last that poor Louisa had even less sense than her sister. Lydia took no offence at this, knowing that almost every word and action on her part went against her aunt’s strict notions of propriety.
Lydia read parts of papa’s letter aloud to her aunt: enough to inform her that Louisa’s appearance at an assembly in town had been greeted by universal derision. Even her hen-witted sister could not fail to notice the giggles hastily hidden by fans, nor the withdrawal of several ladies from her presence. She had, it seemed, gone home and treated her parents to a display of strong hysterics in which she blamed everyone for her disgrace: mama, Lydia - even poor papa, who had always main tained a safe distance from the proceedings connected with his daughter’s come-out.
‘It will be a miracle if she receives a respectable offer,’ Camilla pronounced fatalistically.
‘She never would listen to reason,’ Lydia said, for the first time experiencing something like sympathy for her foolish and headstrong sister.
‘I see,’ Aunt Camilla nodded toward the sealed missive beside her niece, ‘that you have your own news to dispatch. We had best go and do so at once.’
After a few minutes of bustle and confusion, they emerged from the cottage and made their way toward the center of town. On the high street they were apprehended by the Misses Digweed, who clearly had been acquainted with all the pertinent (and impertinent) facts surrounding her engagement to Mr Savidge.
‘Such wonderful news!’ cried the elder.
‘You know what they say about “marrying in haste”,’ the latter remarked.
‘A nine-days’ wonder!’
‘Been expecting it this age.’
‘So well-favored.’
‘Plump in the pocket too.’
‘Oh, Dorothea!’
It was some time before they were able to disentangle themselves from the verbal web of this enterprising duo. When they did so, Lydia was surprised to find her aunt hailing a complete stranger.
* * * *
‘Kate!’ Miss Denton called out to a short, plump young woman who had just stepped up onto the pavement perhaps three yards ahead of them. ‘It is Kate, is it not?’
‘Yes, Miss Denton,’ the young woman replied, dropping a slight curtsy to them
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