Of Gossip and Dances

"Lydia? Where are you? Oh, that child shall be the death of me!" The exasperated voice of the woman brought a smile to the girl's face. When would her mother learn that calling her name would not retrieve her from her spot? It had not worked for her sisters, but still her mother insisted on doing it. It often led to her mother exclaiming how she wished that she had not been burdened with three daughters that would surely send her to an early grave. It was amusing most times, and even their father never saw the need to step in.

Her heavy steps approached the door and Lydia Durham chose then to move from her spot, opening the door before her mother could. "I am here, Mother. Need you really call in such a hurry?" she said, smiling at her mother's flustered face.

"I shall call in whichever way I please," she bristled, placing her hands on her hips. "Now, had you answered my calls, come. You are the only one home and must help pack your father's things for his trip."

"Trip?" she asked, closing the door behind her.

"Yes. Your father is going to visit your cousin as he has to attend an important meeting."

Instead of following her mother, Lydia turned and descended the stairs in a hurry, laughing gleefully when her mother called after her. She found her father in the drawing room, bent over a book. "Father," she exclaimed, kneeling down in front of him. "Are you really going to visit our cousin?"

He smiled at his youngest daughter and closed the book. "Indeed I am. But worry not, my health is up for the travel. Your mother need not worry as much."

"Mother would not sleep if she did not worry," she said, shaking her head in amusement.

"But," he prompted, raising an eyebrow.

"Please may I accompany you?" she begged, grasping her father's hands. "Oh, please, Father! I have not seen Aunt Emma in so long, and cousin Eleanor wrote to me not long ago expressing how much she wished to visit us here."

However, her father frowned at her words and stood, making her rise from her knees as well. She watched as he crossed the room and placed his book down on the small round table that sat by the entrance. She had expected him to agree straight away, like he had on previous occasions that he had to travel for a meeting and one of her sisters asked to accompany him. His silence and expression made it seem as if the trip was not one he was looking forward to.

"Father?" she asked tentatively.

He turned to face her and put a hand on his forehead. "Perhaps it would be best if you did not accompany me this time," he said, coming back over and placing a hand on her shoulder. "I fear I will not be free often, and beside, what would your mother do without you?"

Lydia smiled. "Mother would entertain herself by singing," she said, amusement in her voice. "And I promise I will not be a nuisance! Eleanor shall keep me company while you are busy, and I'm sure she and I would go visit her sister as well. She just had a child, didn't you know? Oh, I would love to go see it!"

This time her father smiled, and it was the smile that she knew meant that he had relented. "Of course, my dear. How could I deny that face?" He hugged her close to him before letting her go. "On the condition that I am not the one to tell your mother."

Lydia grinned before turning on her heel and hurrying up the stairs. "Mother, I need to pack!"



It took longer than she would have liked to travel to her cousin's home. She knew that her father might not have stopped at an inn overnight had she not accompanied him, and had even tried to argue that they need not stop if he did not want to, but he would not hear her words and ordered the coachman to stop at the next inn. The bed was not as nice as she had hoped but the food had been well-cooked, so she had assured the owner's wife that she and her father would stay again when they journeyed back home before they set off in the morning.

Midday was approaching as they rumbled up the gravel towards the house. Lydia looked away from outside when her father touched her arm and nodded at the bonnet that was sat on her lap. She put it on and left the strings loose as the coach came to a stop and her father opened the door and descended the steps. "Uncle!" the shrill voice of her cousin rang out, making her grin.

"Guess who accompanied me?" he said, holding his hand out to her. She took a deep breath and took his hand, ducking as she descended the steps.

"Lydia!" Eleanor cried and the two girls embraced with joy. "Oh, my dear cousin, you should have written! There is much to tell you, and you have come at the perfect time! There is a ball and I was afraid I would have to suffer it alone, but now we shall both go!" With that, the girls linked arms and went inside the house, leaving Lydia's father and Aunt Emma to speak outside.