Debutante in the Regency Ballroom: A Country Miss in Hanover Square

Could it be that he had been deceived in her? He had thought he was gaining ground, but now it seemed they had gone back to the start. Harry shrugged. He did not care to stay and watch. He would go to his club or perhaps visit the lady who had been his mistress until a few weeks previously. He had finished his affair with Elaine, for it no longer pleased either of them, but he could talk to her—and he was in need of some female advice at this moment. Advice that he would never dream of asking from his mother or his sister.

Susannah did not see him leave, but she became aware that he was missing just before supper. Glancing round the supper room, she thought he might be found there, but he had disappeared. However, she saw Mary Hamilton, Lady Hamilton and a gentleman of about fifty years she recognised as the Marquis of Stavely. He was wearing a puce coat, tight breeches that showed off his rather large stomach and a black wig that was really rather odd. As if aware of her interest, he lifted a gold lorgnette to his eye and looked her way. Susannah blushed and hastily averted her gaze.

She had turned her attention to the food and was deciding what to eat when Mrs Hampton came up to her. ‘It is good news concerning Miss Hamilton, is it not, Susannah? Have you taken the opportunity to wish her happy?’

‘No, Mama—I met her this morning. She told me she expected a proposal, but I did not expect it this evening …’ Her voice quavered a little and her mother gave her an odd look. Her look of distress was plain and Mrs Hampton frowned. ‘He said nothing of her to me even this evening …’

‘Are you thinking …?’ Mrs Hampton smiled all at once. ‘Susannah, my dear—Miss Hamilton is engaged to the Marquis of Stavely.’

‘The marquis …’ Susannah stared in dismay. ‘But I thought … I knew she had thoughts of … another gentleman.’ How could Miss Hamilton have accepted an offer from a man nearly old enough to be her grandfather?

‘I imagine that is the reason for your behaviour this evening.’ Mrs Hampton looked a little disapproving. ‘I knew there was something. I told you once I did not think Pendleton was interested in Miss Hamilton. I believe you should go and congratulate her, Susannah. It may look as if you are jealous of her good fortune if you do not.’

‘Yes, Mama, of course,’ Susannah said. She went at once and said everything that was proper, ignoring the smirk on Mary’s face. It was clear that the young lady was very pleased with her bargain—indeed, the marquis was wealthy and titled—but Susannah did not envy her one little bit. She would rather remain a spinster than marry the man Mary Hamilton had accepted.

After congratulating her, Susannah went back to the ballroom. She looked for Lord Pendleton, but could not see him. She ventured to the open door of the card room and glanced in, but he was not there. Obviously he had left at some time earlier and she had not seen him go. What must he think of her?

‘If you are looking for Pendleton, he is visiting his mistress,’ a harsh voice said behind her. She swung round to find herself looking at the Marquis of Northaven. ‘I heard him give the address to a cab driver as I got down from one myself.’ Northaven sneered. ‘I know the lady well. She is not particular in the company she keeps.’

Susannah bit her lip. She would not trust herself to answer such a remark, for it was said spitefully and not worthy of notice. ‘Excuse me, I must find my mama.’

She walked away from him, her heart racing. It was not her affair if Lord Pendleton had gone to visit his mistress. She regretted refusing him a dance when she might have given him a choice of two had she wished, but it would not have made any difference if he wished to spend the evening in the arms of his mistress. Susannah felt close to tears, because she had been foolish. She should have made sure of her facts before sending Harry Pendleton away. He must have thought her most rude, as she had been, a fact she now bitterly regretted.

Susannah did not see Harry the following day. He called while she was out walking with some friends and left her a posy of flowers. He renewed his promise to see her at her dance, but nothing more. She knew that she could not expect more. Indeed, she had not expected as much after her behaviour the previous evening. He must think her a flighty creature who changed her mind at the slightest whim.

She had, after some thought, decided to forget what the marquis had told her. She had no way of knowing that it was true—and even if it had been, Harry was a single man and entitled to visit any lady he chose.

Susannah knew that she cared for him more than was proper. He had not declared himself and she had no reason to expect it. However, if he should propose, she would make it clear that she would not wish him to visit other ladies if they married.

But she was foolish to consider it. Harry might not even be thinking of taking a wife. It was quite improper of her even to think such things! Yet she had begun to think of him as hers, and she could not help feeling jealous of the woman who had taken him from the ball.

It was a glorious day for her special dance. Susannah was allowed to sleep a little later than normal before Iris brought in her breakfast tray and a pile of notes and small gifts.

‘What are all these?’ Susannah asked, staring at them in surprise. ‘It isn’t my birthday for ages yet. I knew I might receive some flowers, but I didn’t expect anything more.’

‘Why don’t you open them?’ Iris asked. ‘See what you’ve got.’

Susannah picked up the first parcel and looked at the card. ‘This is from Mama—what can it be?’ She tore off the pretty wrapping and found a small velvet-covered box. Opening it, she discovered a pretty pearl-and-diamond clip for her hair. ‘Oh, that is lovely. It must have cost Mama some guineas to buy it for me.’

‘Well, it is a special day, miss,’ Iris said, smiling at her. ‘Go on, open the other two.’

Susannah knew her maid was excited and curious, so to oblige her she picked up the second parcel, which was from Amelia. Inside that she found a pair of pearl-and-diamond drop earrings, which she held up for Iris to admire. Picking up the third box, she looked for a card, but found none.

‘How odd,’ she remarked. ‘There is no card with this one. I cannot think who sent it.’

‘Perhaps it fell off,’ Iris suggested. ‘I’ll look for it when I go down, miss. Open it and see what’s inside.’

Susannah removed the wrappings and discovered a beautiful posy holder. It was fashioned of basketwork gold filigree, very delicate and pretty, and it had a large diamond set into the rim.

‘Oh, how charming,’ she said. ‘Do you see how it works, Iris? You can insert a small posy into this and wear it pinned to your gown if you wish.’

‘It is lovely,’ Iris said. ‘It isn’t just a trinket, miss; that’s a real diamond and a nice one. I expect your mama bought it for your dance.’

‘Yes, perhaps,’ Susannah agreed.

However, when she went to her mother’s room later to thank her for the clip and show her the other gifts, Mrs Hampton immediately asked who had sent the posy holder.

‘I thought it might have been you,’ Susannah said and looked thoughtful as she tried to imagine who else might have sent it. ‘There was no card. Iris thought it might have fallen off and she means to look for it. Amelia gave me the earrings. I do not think she would also have given me the posy holder, do you?’

‘I am very sure she did not, for we discussed what we should give you,’ Mrs Hampton replied with a little frown. ‘The trinket may have come from a secret admirer, Susannah. If there is no card, he may not have wished you to know he had sent it.’

‘Oh …’ Susannah felt a thrill of excitement as she looked at the posy holder. A secret admirer! ‘Do you think so, Mama? What should I do? I had thought I might use it to pin flowers at the waist of my gown, but now I am not certain …’

‘Well, I should do so if I were you,’ Mrs Hampton said. ‘It is a little difficult to be sure, for you would wish to thank whoever sent it—but if there is no card you cannot.’

‘Perhaps whoever sent it will mention it,’ Susannah replied. ‘Besides, I cannot return it if I do not know who sent it, can I?’

‘I imagine you may receive other gifts as the day goes on,’ Mrs Hampton said. ‘You will almost certainly have lots of flowers, though that holder is rather valuable and I would usually tell you to think carefully about accepting such a valuable thing.’

Susannah nodded—she knew that it was not usual for gentlemen to send such an item unless there was an understanding. She could not think of anyone who would send her such a thing secretly. Had a card accompanied it from—say, Lord Pendleton, she would have taken it as an indication of his intentions to speak. It really was such a pity that there was no card, though if Iris were right … A little shiver went down her spine. She had put the incident in the garden with the Marquis of Northaven from her mind, and he had not been invited to her dance. He would surely not have sent it? No, of course not!

She smiled as she pondered on the identity of her secret admirer, but after a moment or two an odd thought occurred to her. There really was no one other than Harry Pendleton that she wished to send her something like this beautiful trinket.

Now that was very strange, wasn’t it? Susannah wondered why he had become so firmly fixed in her thoughts as the only gentleman she really wanted to admire her. She wasn’t at all sure of his feelings. At times, she felt sure he would make her an offer before her Season was over, but at other times she thought that they were just very good friends. The uncertainty made her a little cautious, and yet she believed that if she were to encourage Lord Pendleton he might speak. She was beginning to think it might be pleasant to be married to a man she could really trust and like.

If Susannah were in doubt of the identity of the giver of the posy holder, Mrs Hampton was not. She felt quite sure that only one gentleman would have sent the holder and therefore she had no qualms about allowing Susannah to keep it. If it was discovered that it had come from a different source, it could be returned at a later date with a polite note explaining that the card had been missing.

Flowers and tributes poured in during the day. Susannah received several small gifts of sweetmeats in beautiful boxes, flowers and cards wishing her a lovely evening, but nothing that compared to her posy holder. These gifts were the acceptable trifles commonly sent on such an occasion, and she noted with pleasure that Lord Pendleton had sent both chocolates and a wonderful little posy of roses, which would fit very well into her holder.

She deliberated over what she ought to do as she dressed, but eventually decided that she would use the delicate trinket to hold the flowers Harry Pendleton had sent her. Wearing a gentleman’s flowers was often an indication of the lady’s preferences, and Susannah would not wish to give any of her other admirers the wrong impression. She knew that one or two of them might have spoken had she given them reason to think she would be pleased with an offer, but none of them had touched her heart. Only Lord Pendleton had become a true friend, one she would wish to know better than as a casual acquaintance. Therefore she would wear his flowers—and if the giver of the holder hinted at his gift she would thank him and explain that the card had gone missing.

It was very odd, for Iris had searched everywhere for the card and questioned the other servants, but no one had seen it. The only explanation was that it had become detached on the way to their house, and that was a nuisance. Unless of course it was from a secret admirer?

While it was exciting to think that she might have a secret admirer, Susannah had begun to understand that such a thing would only be pleasant if that admirer turned out to be someone she truly liked. The idea that a gentleman of the same nature to Northaven might admire her from afar was chilling and she almost changed her mind about wearing it. However, she decided that it must have come from a friend, because it was so perfect for her.

It might just have come from Lord Pendleton.

Harry looked for Susannah as he entered the ballroom that evening. She was wearing white, as she had been the first time he had seen her. Her gown was cut so that it wrapped about her body in swathes of silk and lace— and at her waist was pinned the posy of pink roses he had sent.

He had not been sure that she would wear white, but hoped it might be so. His first choice was for red roses, but he had thought it might be too blatant a statement of his feelings. The last thing he wanted was to make Susannah anxious. Now he saw the pink was a good choice. She was also wearing the posy holder he had sent. He smiled as he thought of the message he had written on the card.

Wear this for me if you have forgiven me for whatever I did. I hope to be your best friend again. Harry.

She was wearing it, but he could not tell from her smile whether she had forgiven him. He was not sure what he had done to displease her, but it had made him change his plans. He had thought of declaring himself and suggesting an elopement, but he no longer considered it a good idea. He had thought Susannah might see it as an adventure, but he wasn’t sure that she liked him enough to consider marriage to him exciting. He would continue to offer friendship for the moment and see what happened. In the meantime, he would begin by asking her to dance—he would ask for three dances, but she might only give him one.

Susannah danced three times with Harry Pendleton that evening. She had hoped he might take her into supper so that they could talk for a while, because she would have liked to ask him to forgive her for her behaviour the last time they met, but she found herself as part of a group of young ladies and gentlemen bent on having fun. It would have seemed rude had she refused their request to join them, for it was her dance and she was part hostess of the affair.

However, the disappointment was small, for Harry asked her if he might take her driving in the park. He suggested that she might be too tired the following morning, and arranged to fetch her the day after at nine-thirty. Susannah had decided that she would accept the next time he asked, and felt a warm glow inside when she saw his smile as she assured him she would be delighted.