Chapter 27

CHAPTER 27

T hey were to dine in St James-street. The invitation had been left for them while they had been shopping in Bond-street the following afternoon, and on their return, Fanny having gone through the calling cards left in their absence, had seized upon one particular one with great satisfaction. Mr Ambrose's calling card was very plain, in the best taste, and on the back was inscribed the invitation to dinner at the end of the week, ‘in honour of Miss Dashwood's first season in town.'

Margaret did not know if she was pleased, to be so singled out, but conceded that it was kind.

But if she herself was uncertain, Fanny was smug in her pleasure, and John quietly gratified that his sister had been paid such attentions. ‘Mr Ambrose honours you, Margaret. You must have made quite an impression on him. Well done,' he added kindly.

Margaret was nonplussed. ‘We hardly spoke sufficient words for me to have made any impression, but it is very noble of him,' she replied with a self-conscious laugh. ‘It is a credit to you and Fanny, I suspect, more than to myself.'

Fanny was unmoved. ‘This is a very excellent beginning, I must say. Now you shall be invited into circles in which you will no doubt find yourself out of your depth. But let my behaviour be your guide in these things, and I shall do my best to introduce you into good society.'

John added kindly, ‘You need not be made uneasy on account of your background, my dear. My mother's family may not be of that wealth which might alone command respect, but your great beauty and your excellent manners will stand you in good stead, I am sure!

‘And,' added Fanny, well pleased with her own generosity, ‘you shall have your new gowns tomorrow. You shall be mixing in quite different circles to that you have been used, and you will begin well by being seen at Mr Ambrose's little dinner party. You shall have to wear your new lavender silk!'

Margaret, feeling not a little ashamed of both her relations, declined to mention more on the topic but when they had gone into the drawing room and tea called, she ventured to open the subject once again. While she owned that Mr Ambrose appeared to have the manners and air of gentleman, she had not understood him to have been a peer, to make him so esteemed in Fanny and John's eyes and said so.

‘Rank counts for something,' replied Fanny with a hint of impatience, ‘but good breeding, combined with such fortune as leaves him free to act as he wishes, cannot fail of making a gentleman most agreeable to his connections! Ambrose is a well-situated man, my dear. His wealth, his air, his education, his excellent family—all combine to make him a fellow worth being acquainted with. He is the heir to Charlton Park, you know, seat of Lord Thomas Ambrose, the Earl of Melbourne, a man of great influence at court.'

‘Oh!' cried Margaret in some astonishment, ‘that is a strange coincidence then, for is not Captain Edwin a nephew of that gentleman? His daughter told me so when we were at Norland and I have heard him speak of his relations at Charlton Park. '

‘There is no blood relation, I believe,' replied Fanny coolly, ‘and therefore almost no connection at all, but still, I believe the Captain goes up three or four times a year.'

‘Then I am sure they must know each other—Captain Edwin and Mr Ambrose, I mean,' said Margaret, much astonished that Fanny had not mentioned it before. ‘They must be distant cousins, I think?'

‘Mr Charles Ambrose, I suppose, would no more give the time of day to such a low connection,' remarked Fanny now, in chilly tones, ‘than he is required by civility to do so. For myself I can never respect that kind of fawning—I have no opinion of a man's putting himself forward in such cases. Captain Edwin is a well-enough looking man, and has, I suppose made a name and an adequate fortune for himself. But he does not hold a peerage, is barely related to the family Ambrose, and has no remarkable expectations beyond his two thousand a year.'

‘Adequate!' cried Margaret in astonishment. ‘Two thousand a year I would call more than adequate—why, that is Colonel Brandon's income and we consider Marianne to have done very well for herself!'

‘Even so, I cannot think why the Captain makes such effort to ingratiate himself with a family of whom he cannot boast as being his own line.'

‘I should think as a mark of respect to an uncle of whom he is very fond,' observed Margaret warmly before she could prevent herself from speaking so, ‘he ought to do no less.'

Fanny did not care to make a reply to this remark, and Margaret resolved privately on asking her new correspondent, Miss Edwin, if her father were not acquainted with Mr Ambrose. John, silent until now, was continuing his wife's labours in espousing the virtues of Mr Ambrose.

‘—good sort of fellow—been around the world, you know, spent some time in the Indies, Haiti, and in Africa, I think—you will find him a man of information, Margaret. And of course, that he is well-bred must recommend him to those around him, even if his manners were not so charming.'

Margaret, unsure if she really cared enough about breeding to oblige her to feel in awe of Mr Ambrose on that account, said nothing more and took herself upstairs, for she had wished to write letters after dinner, especially to her new correspondent.

Miss Emily Edwin was given a lengthy account of their journey up to town, the state of the roads and the tediousness of stopping at every turn pike, the grandness of Harley-street, the amazing number of shops in Bond-street, and of course an enchanting retelling of their walk in Hyde Park and the many fashionables who paraded there and whom had caught Margaret's eye. Of Mr Ambrose, her description was restrained.

‘He was very gentleman-like although with something in his manner of a great self-importance. He came over to us with his friend, I cannot recall the name—but it is Mr Ambrose, I collect, whom is my sister's very particular acquaintance. I think your father and he might be known to each other—are they not cousins, in some way? At any rate, Fanny thinks very highly of him, and was at pains to tell me that he is thought a very wealthy and legible beau in the Ton. He had the air of being very distinguished, besides dressing very elegant and being possessed of a very good address. I do not think I could say he was handsome, precisely, but he is very dashing in his person. If it is true about his wealth and rank, then I must concede that he did me a great honour in singling me out to speak to for quite some minutes, and was very kind. I suppose he is just one such specimen of my sister-in-law's acquaintance, for she and John seem to know half of London! '

Then she spoke of the streets, and how dirty they were and how clean she had imagined them to be, like the village at home, but that Miss Edwin would, she was sure, be just as entranced with the overall scene of the great city as she was herself. She ended her letter, by this time having used all the paper and turned side on, by writing a little note that they would go to dinner at St James-street at the end of the week, and that she would be all of a wreck for nerves, for it was to be her first formal dinner.

‘I am grateful to Mr Ambrose for asking Fanny and John to dinner on account of me, but I feel that despite his great solicitousness in including me, I shall be quite afraid in front of such fashionable and grand a sort of people! You must wish me luck, Miss Edwin, and pray for my deliverance from the trial of being obliged to converse with Rank!'

She mentioned her sister Marianne, whom she had been to see again early that morning, and had been glad to find in better spirits that the day before. She made no mention of Marianne's private situation as present, only that she was glad to have her sister in town and hoped to spend many hours with her when she was free from engagements with John and Fanny.

Her letter folded and given to the footman, she had nothing left to do but dress for the evening. The theatre was their object—they were to have a box with Lady Hyatt—and she was excited to attend her first entertainment. As she dressed she could not but help think of Mr Ambrose's invitation to dinner.

She was not sure she cared for his wealth as much as Fanny seemed to esteem him for it, although he had an air of great mystery and worldliness about him which intrigued her, nevertheless. She would like to hear of Africa and the Indies! Fanny had told her that he collected many beautiful objects of art from around the world—how interesting it would be to see them! Indeed, she needed to hear him speak more, to hear more of his opinion and notions, and only then would she be able to judge him interesting to her or not. There was still something about the way he had spoken to her which had inspired a great confusion of feeling, and she was not certain that she liked it. It had made her feel quite warm beneath her gown! And she was not certain she had liked being looked at so keenly from below those half-lowered eyelids.

Their evening at the theatre soon took first place in her mind however, and not a little excited to be going on her first outing she dressed with happy anticipation. She would, she thought with a smile, still prefer to be free of the need for gloves and other womanly fripperies, but at least the payment for slavery to London fashion she hoped would be very pleasant! They were to see Miss Siddons perform, and she was quite wild to hear the voice of whom she had always heard talked of admirably.

Four new gowns, in addition to the ones Fanny had ordered for her at Norland, were to be delivered tomorrow, but Fanny had ordered one for this evening to be made up in haste, and which was now laid out on her bed, more elegant than anything she had ever owned. She allowed herself to be helped into the lavender silk which flowed gently behind her as she moved. Charming lace points made the sleeves and neckline more modest and delicate embroidery on the hem complemented the lace.

Margaret had the maid arrange her thick dark hair, curling some pieces around her face with a hot iron in the fashionable way she had seen other young ladies wear it, and dressed it with a pearl hair ornament which Mama had loaned her. She put on a small gold cross on a chain which Elinor had given her and sent her maid away. When she was finally alone, she looked in the mirror. The subdued tone of the gown became her, and the dark eyes which stared back at her were very large and bright. Fanny, she thought, could not fault her tonight.

Drury Lane was busy, packed with fashionable theatre-goers, and Margaret found herself very quickly overwhelmed with the noise and heat, despite its being frosty outside. She was stared at openly by several young gentlemen, and, when she blushed violently at their lascivious glances, they laughed openly too! She thought it shockingly ill-bred of them, and she walked closer to John and Fanny with her eyes downcast. She was glad that being with her brother afforded her some protection from being approached by strangers!

Lady Hyatt was a female of fifty or so years, excessively well dressed, and decked with all manner of baubles and fine jewels. To Margaret, she seemed most impressive!

Taking Margaret by the shoulder, Lady Hyatt held her at arm's length. ‘Well! I heard you were a beauty, my dear, but it turns out that you are quite a rose among thorns,' said the lady, looking over Margaret with a critical eye. ‘There are many debutantes here, and some of them very pretty gels, but you may be sure that you equal the best of them. Mrs Dashwood tells me this is your first season. Well, you will be turning away admirers from the door, I suspect, Mr Dashwood. Your sister is very easily the prettiest creature here!'

John simpered and bowed, but Margaret was resolute. ‘You are very kind, Ma'am, but I don't think of admirers—I would not, I confess, know what to do with one!' She thought of Captain Edwin, and how she had been thrown into a fluster of tangled emotions just from one proposal. No, if being admired led to such a confusion of feelings, she felt she was better off without beaus!

Fanny interjected in order to urge them upstairs to their box, but behind her as they descended the stairs, Lady Hyatt took Margaret by the arm again. ‘Now, don't you pay a whit of care to my words, my dear—it is a fact commonly known that having no daughters of my own and nothing more to do with my days than hold evening parties and read novels, I must supply myself with the occasional amusement of trying to make matches! But you should not have come if you did not wish to try for a match, for you are too pretty to be ignored! If you are not husband-hunting, you must prepare to withstand an onslaught of suitors!'

‘I suppose I must thank you for your kindness Ma'am, but I fancy if you were to marry me off, I would be soon sent back to my mother in disgrace of being the worst wife in the world!' She said it gaily, hoping for the entire topic to be passed over quickly.

But Lady Hyatt, as impertinent as she was shrewd, remarked just as loudly as they emerged into a wide passageway, ‘I doubt that my dear, for you are much too pretty to make a bad wife—a sensible man will require nothing but looks and a pleasing temperament, of which you have both! Now, be sure you make a great fuss entering your box so that the young men know where to come and find you!' She cackled immoderately at her own joke so that Margaret, much too embarrassed to reply to such a comment looked away with vexation. She had never guessed a lady so well-dressed could behave in such an impertinent manner towards a stranger!

But her humiliation was now to be increased. They had stopped short, waiting to pass a party of ladies into the passage where they were to find their box, and as she turned away from her hostess she gasped. Mr Ambrose was standing across the passage with a small party of people a short distance away from her, and with none other than Miss Rush and her sister, Miss Henrietta Rush, who was clutching Ambrose's arm and fluttering her fan at him. With them was a rather foppish looking gentleman, large of figure, not particularly handsome, and dressed very fine, which she assumed must be Miss Rush's intended. At first Margaret was as astonished to see the Misses Rush as she was to see Mr Ambrose, but she supposed them all to be acquainted through John and Fanny.

Ambrose had already been observing her, and she could hardly tell if he approved or not, since his countenance was quite unsmiling. As their eyes met, however, he sent her an elegant but grave bow, which did not go unnoticed by Lady Hyatt, who laughed and jogged her arm and said loudly, ‘You see, Miss Dashwood, no gentleman will be able to resist you and so you must be ready to hear their proposals within a week! Mr Ambrose, from all I hear, is half in love with you already!'

Mortification and blushing self-consciousness had equal parts with her for a moment, and she felt a familiar stirring of her insides. Had Mr Ambrose overheard Lady Hyatt's dreadful teases? She hoped that he had been too amused by his companions to have overheard.

Margaret looked in vain for Fanny behind them, but she and John had been detained momentarily to greet other friends and Margaret could not turn and go back to them without looking quite stupid. But the Rush sisters had now seen Margaret's party and exclaimed their astonishment, and Miss Rush, seeing her pink cheeks, sent her a coy smile. To cover her embarrassment, Margaret dragged her eyes from Ambrose, who was still gravely observing her, and she turned away, hoping to retreat to the seclusion of the box without having to speak to him. Fanny and John however, having seen their friends, were now leading the way to Mr Ambrose's party.

The younger Miss Rush had disengaged herself from Ambrose, or was it Ambrose who had disengaged her? Margaret could not tell, but despite her aversion to the openly flirtatious younger woman, she made her greetings to the sisters as warmly as she could, all the while wondering at the Rushes being acquainted with Fanny's Mr Ambrose at all. They must be all mutual friends, she thought. Miss Henrietta certainly seemed very familiar with Mr Ambrose! Her heart seemed to be beating a trifle fast and she could not at first meet Mr Ambrose's gaze which seemed upon her alone.

The Misses Rush, having exclaimed again their exceeding astonishment at having met with Fanny and John so soon since their last meeting, now turned to Margaret and took turns exclaiming over her gown and how pretty a picture she made, which speeches Margaret had not looked for and knew to be quite insincere, since she knew herself to be not particularly liked by the older sister at any rate. But she was civil as she could be, and when they turned from herself to Fanny and engaged her and Lady Hyatt in some conversation about the quantity of people present and how insufferably hot it was, she was able to calm her senses and be almost tranquil again.

Ambrose had contrived rather cleverly to move to her side and isolate them in a little bubble of privacy, although she could not see how he had done it within so large a group. He now gazed down upon her with his half-shuttered eyes, and said rather without expression, ‘How pleasant it is to meet friends when it is unexpected, Miss Dashwood. Have you heard Mrs Siddons before?' His tone was lazy, as if it barely signified what he said, or the reply given.

‘No—not at all, Sir.'

‘Then you will enjoy hearing her sing,' he replied. ‘Not a better voice in town this season. I suspect that you have a taste for music. You have been brought up in a musical family, yes?'

‘I—yes, my sister and brother-in-law both play very well. I am afraid I never applied myself to the pianoforte—one can never regard seriously a lesson taught by one's sister, you know!' she laughed. ‘But I have great pleasure in hearing music performed well.'

She could hardly tell if her reply pleased him or not, for his expression was difficult to read and he seemed to have no comment in return. She tried again. ‘I—I did not know that you were acquainted with Miss Rush and her sister.'

‘I am somewhat acquainted with the family,' he replied smoothly after a moment. ‘They come every year, you know—being in the same circles, I cannot avoid them!' He leaned toward her slightly and added in a low, languorous tone, ‘I hold no great opinion of those who parade their daughters like chattels in an auction, Miss Dashwood, but I must admit Miss Rush's father should be well pleased to have procured a most elegant son-in-law for his daughter.'

‘He seems very—very smart-looking,' she replied with a smile.

‘Smart enough,' agreed Ambrose and smiled slightly. ‘You are looking very well this evening, Miss Dashwood. The gown suits your colouring. A charming picture. You are not at all tired after yesterday's outing?' His eyes were so intent upon the picture she made that she was quite discomposed. She said, somewhat flustered, ‘You must think me very in very poor health, Sir, to be tired out by one walk in the park!'

He lifted his gaze from her and surveyed the room at large. ‘I am very glad to hear it. Indeed, you will need as much of your vigour as can be preserved, for the coming amusements. You must take care that London does not tire you out.'

Now their private interview was interrupted by the arrival of Miss Rush's intended, asking Mr Ambrose if he would come and explain the program to Miss Henrietta, and Margaret was relieved. It was disconcerting to be stared at so openly, and to be unsure if she gave offence or pleasure!

But the bell was ringing, the performance soon to begin, and she was happy to be escorted by John away to their box. Mr Ambrose made her feel quite strange things, and she was not sure those things were at all lady-like! She had never felt herself so much admired, and she found that it was not at all unpleasant!

She wondered in which box the Rushes were to be seated, since they and Mr Ambrose appeared to have made a party together. Soon after they were seated she discovered the answer to her question, for the Rushes were seated in a box very near them, with Mr Ambrose and the man she recognized as Mr Claymore from the previous day.

Miss Henrietta Rush had managed to seat herself beside Mr Ambrose and was now and then turning to him, to ask a question perhaps, or to flutter her fan at him. It was odd to see the younger Miss Rush making eyes at a man so much her senior, but then Margaret remembered that at their first meeting at Norland Park the young lady had been ashamedly putting herself forward with several of the gentlemen, even the married ones. Her sister, Margaret supposed, would keep her in line.

Soon she was entertained by the various gentlemen and ladies who were coming and going, and the rather less well-dressed people in the pit, whom Margaret observed leaping over the backless benches, and calling to their friends up in the boxes. She found the confusion of it all amusing, fascinated by the newness of the experience, but soon, feeling herself observed, she looked over toward the other box and was not surprised to once again catch the eye of Mr Ambrose, whose gaze was fixed upon her quite intently.

She looked away quickly, feeling pleasant confusion at receiving his notice. She purposely did not look forward again, so as not to appear to be returning the stare which she felt upon her from time to time, but gave her attention to the activities and exertions of those around her. Shortly thereafter a general silence fell upon the crowds and the music began. The performers captured her attention quickly, and she was transported into a world of delight as the brilliant and sparkling voices of the singers lifted her out of the hum-drum of the city and into another world, and the pastoral drama of villainy, romance, love lost and found was played out in front of her captivated eyes.

After the recital had finished the crowds flocked to take refreshments in the tea rooms. She could not help but to look around for him, and quickly noticed that Mr Ambrose had left his own party, and was moving toward her. She felt a tremor of nervousness. He would speak with her again, she was sure! But he did not come to her side, and she was not sure if she was disappointed or relieved.

They sat down to supper with throngs of other theatre-goers, and Margaret was relieved that Ambrose had not tried to sit next to her, but was now engaged in conversation with Fanny. He was speaking in a very low tone as if the conversation were private, and once Fanny looked up at her as if she were the topic of their conversation!

When they had passed a half hour in such a manner, Lady Hyatt stood to lead the party back to receive their coats and cloaks and have their carriages spoken for. Now, Margaret observed Ambrose making his way to her, as she followed behind Fanny and John, and she caught her breath. Did she wish to speak to him? How should she act? Was she to smile and speak warmly of the performance, or frown and be cool with him? In Barton no lady would be on her guard against a gentleman as charming as Ambrose, but this was London. She could not go by her own experiences, for the strangeness of town manners seemed to be so much the opposite of what she had been taught to think and do!

When he finally approached her just as the carriage was being called, she found herself curtsying politely nevertheless, and readily answering his questions as to if she had enjoyed herself. It was only, she thought as he sought her opinion of the performance, that she wanted to know him better, in order to know if she would like to know him!

These confusing thoughts made her smile a little.

‘I have made you smile, Miss Dashwood,' said he, ‘although I can hardly tell if it was something I said or something you thought of yourself.'

‘In truth, Mr Ambrose, it was something I just thought of, although I didn't mean to smile.'

‘How perfectly clever of you.'

‘No, not at all. I was just thinking how ignorant and unsophisticated I must appear to those who are accustomed to the complicated rules which seem so necessary here.'

‘Ignorant, I think not. Unsophisticated, supremely so.'

‘Oh! I suppose I deserved that!'

‘I would not wish you anything but, however. You already know my opinions on that score. But perhaps a month here will alter you irrecoverably.'

‘Oh. Yes, I suppose it may.' She laughed. ‘I have only been here two days, paraded once out-of-doors, bought a hair-pin and a handkerchief in Bond-street, and attended one opera. I feel myself becoming cynical and jaded already. There is hope for me yet!'

‘Indeed,' he replied idly. ‘I hope you will not allow London to make you stale. It does, you know, if you stay long enough. That would be a great pity indeed! Ah, your carriage is here, I think. Your brother looks for you. Come.' He took her arm before she could step away and before she knew it, she had been handed in and sat down opposite Fanny.

‘Mrs Dashwood, Dashwood.' He nodded to John. ‘I look forward to seeing you all in St James-street soon. Good evening!'

The carriage jerked away and before Margaret was aware of it, she had turned to stare at the man who seemed the most charming and fascinating person in all of London.

‘You have impressed Mr Ambrose, my dear,' said John as they wheeled off. ‘To hand you into the carriage himself was a very particular attention he does not pay to many females. You have the power of pleasing a gentleman, and I hope you use it to your advantage. You may expect the attentions of many gentlemen in the next few weeks.'

‘You shall have the new gowns tomorrow,' added Fanny, smirking a little. ‘You should appear at your best tomorrow night. He is the most eligible bachelor in town presently!'

Margaret was not sure if Fanny understood the situation. ‘Dear Fanny, you are very good—and Mr Ambrose is certainly very charming and kind to me. But I am hardly the type of female to which he would pay his addresses if he was serious! He is attentive to me to honour you and John, I am sure!'

‘Nonsense—you are a great beauty and I can tell you have captured his attention.'

‘That is very kind of you to say so, but even so, Fanny, I do not think of marriage at present. Mr Ambrose is very kind I am sure, but I am certain his attentions are entirely disinterested and for your sake alone.'

Fanny merely smiled a little, but John was truly disappointed. ‘You know, dear sister, that I take the responsibility of your future quite seriously! Will you not think of our mother? I wish only to ensure your future for her sake and yours!'

Margaret refrained from mentioning the many opportunities he had missed over the last five years since their father had died, to help to ensure her future by giving from his great surplus, for she knew that their father had gained the promise of his supporting his sisters and mother after her father had passed. But Marianne had married well enough to provide for them all, and Sir John continued to see that his tenants at Barton Cottage never wanted for a thing, and so she kept her peace.

‘Thank you, John. You are very good, and I shall never be more grateful for your kindness in bringing me to town with you, only please do not try to make me take a husband just yet, for Mama needs me at home, and I hate to disappoint or anger you, for you have been so kind to me.'

‘Of course I shall not insist upon it, but you must think of others, you know. You cannot live on the goodness of Delaford all your life!'

‘Ambrose would be a fine prospect for you, Margaret,' added Fanny sharply. ‘If you have caught his eye, you ought not discourage him.'

‘Fanny, Mr Ambrose no more thinks of me than he would think of a serving girl. I am nobody at all, and if he is so rich, he may have anyone he chooses, not a country girl with a few pounds to her name and nothing else to distinguish in the way of breeding.'

‘We shall see,' replied Fanny mysteriously, and seeing that John would not defend either of them, Margaret did not like to argue with her sister-in-law anymore.