time. It’s as if she has no mind of her own. She
shouldn’t be thinking of marriage for another few years.’
I smile to myself when I think how Thomas asked me to marry him although I am not much older than his sister. Privately I’m not sure that his view of Elinor as a sweet little child is
quite accurate. There was something rather spiteful in the way that she looked at me and she definitely seemed to be gossiping about me to Newton’s sister. However, I promise him that Jane
and I will do our best to be friendly.
I look thoughtfully over at Elinor. She is still dancing with Sir Walter. He is a very elegantly dressed man in pale primrose-coloured breeches. His hair is rather long, but it suits him. He has
a very handsome face, almost as though he is a carved statue. I wonder what the scandal was, but guess that Thomas won’t tell me. Elinor is looking up at him timidly, her uncle watching her
with a smirk on his face. Obviously he approves of her partner!
And then Thomas dances down the line and I wait, marking time. I see Elinor glance over at me. A look of dislike crosses her face. She stands on tiptoe, her mouth at Sir Walter’s ear. He
looks across at me and doesn’t lower his voice.
‘A country parson, no breeding, no family, no fortune? What can your brother be thinking?’
My heart sinks.
And then Thomas is back and together we dance to the end of the line. Now we will wait here until our time comes to dance again. I decide that I won’t tell him about Sir Walter’s
words. I don’t want to cause any bad feeling, and I still hope that Elinor and I might be friends eventually.
While we mark time Thomas starts to tell me about his home on the Isle of Wight and how his house is near to his uncle’s, and both of them overlook the sea but Thomas’s house has a
woodland to the back of it.
‘If only I didn’t have this trip to the East Indies,’ he says, ‘and if only you could come and visit in May. The beech woods are full of bluebells then. I’d love to
see you standing there among them – just you and the carpet of blue and green. It would make such a beautiful picture. Your eyes are the exact shade of the bluebells.’
And now the bell goes for supper. Everyone is streaming through the door leading to the Octagon Room. The card players are coming in from the card room. Elinor and her
governess are just ahead of us and the admiral pushes his way past us to join them. There is no sign of Sir Walter Montmorency now, and the admiral looks angry. Colonel Forster comes up to ask Jane
for the after-supper dance, and she writes his name on her little dance card. I see Lavinia glare at Jane and whisper to a girl sitting next to her. I do hope Jane is not getting herself a
reputation in Bath! And then we have reached the opposite side of the Octagon Room and manage to enter the tea room. The room is almost as beautiful as the ballroom, the walls a delicate shade of
salmon pink and the three fairy-tale chandeliers lighting up the dozens of circular tables spread with snowy-white linen cloths. At the top of the room there is a row of white marble arches and
beyond a long table spread with the most delicious food: sweetmeats, jelly, biscuits, cold ham, turkey and many other wonderful things.
‘Oh la,’ says Jane from behind us. She is with Harry now and I am touched to see how happy he looks. I’m glad I thought of suggesting that he come to the Assembly Rooms.
Jane seizes me by the hand. ‘Let’s join Eliza,’ she says rapidly. ‘The tables are just for six so that will save us making conversation with my mother and my aunt and
uncle – not to mention dear Phylly!’
Eliza and her escort are already sitting at a table just next to one of the four fireplaces. She is smiling and waving so I follow Jane while Thomas and Harry go to get a tray of food and cups
of tea for us.
‘Jenny,’ says Eliza softly, ‘your dear uncle, Mr Leigh-Perrot... who is his heir?’
I look at her
shouldn’t be thinking of marriage for another few years.’
I smile to myself when I think how Thomas asked me to marry him although I am not much older than his sister. Privately I’m not sure that his view of Elinor as a sweet little child is
quite accurate. There was something rather spiteful in the way that she looked at me and she definitely seemed to be gossiping about me to Newton’s sister. However, I promise him that Jane
and I will do our best to be friendly.
I look thoughtfully over at Elinor. She is still dancing with Sir Walter. He is a very elegantly dressed man in pale primrose-coloured breeches. His hair is rather long, but it suits him. He has
a very handsome face, almost as though he is a carved statue. I wonder what the scandal was, but guess that Thomas won’t tell me. Elinor is looking up at him timidly, her uncle watching her
with a smirk on his face. Obviously he approves of her partner!
And then Thomas dances down the line and I wait, marking time. I see Elinor glance over at me. A look of dislike crosses her face. She stands on tiptoe, her mouth at Sir Walter’s ear. He
looks across at me and doesn’t lower his voice.
‘A country parson, no breeding, no family, no fortune? What can your brother be thinking?’
My heart sinks.
And then Thomas is back and together we dance to the end of the line. Now we will wait here until our time comes to dance again. I decide that I won’t tell him about Sir Walter’s
words. I don’t want to cause any bad feeling, and I still hope that Elinor and I might be friends eventually.
While we mark time Thomas starts to tell me about his home on the Isle of Wight and how his house is near to his uncle’s, and both of them overlook the sea but Thomas’s house has a
woodland to the back of it.
‘If only I didn’t have this trip to the East Indies,’ he says, ‘and if only you could come and visit in May. The beech woods are full of bluebells then. I’d love to
see you standing there among them – just you and the carpet of blue and green. It would make such a beautiful picture. Your eyes are the exact shade of the bluebells.’
And now the bell goes for supper. Everyone is streaming through the door leading to the Octagon Room. The card players are coming in from the card room. Elinor and her
governess are just ahead of us and the admiral pushes his way past us to join them. There is no sign of Sir Walter Montmorency now, and the admiral looks angry. Colonel Forster comes up to ask Jane
for the after-supper dance, and she writes his name on her little dance card. I see Lavinia glare at Jane and whisper to a girl sitting next to her. I do hope Jane is not getting herself a
reputation in Bath! And then we have reached the opposite side of the Octagon Room and manage to enter the tea room. The room is almost as beautiful as the ballroom, the walls a delicate shade of
salmon pink and the three fairy-tale chandeliers lighting up the dozens of circular tables spread with snowy-white linen cloths. At the top of the room there is a row of white marble arches and
beyond a long table spread with the most delicious food: sweetmeats, jelly, biscuits, cold ham, turkey and many other wonderful things.
‘Oh la,’ says Jane from behind us. She is with Harry now and I am touched to see how happy he looks. I’m glad I thought of suggesting that he come to the Assembly Rooms.
Jane seizes me by the hand. ‘Let’s join Eliza,’ she says rapidly. ‘The tables are just for six so that will save us making conversation with my mother and my aunt and
uncle – not to mention dear Phylly!’
Eliza and her escort are already sitting at a table just next to one of the four fireplaces. She is smiling and waving so I follow Jane while Thomas and Harry go to get a tray of food and cups
of tea for us.
‘Jenny,’ says Eliza softly, ‘your dear uncle, Mr Leigh-Perrot... who is his heir?’
I look at her
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