Of Gossip and Dances

Lydia's desire to spend time with her father led to her accompanying him in her aunt's parlour where he sat and read over some documents while she lounged on the settee and read. She hated having to sit in silence but her father had only agreed to let her sit with him if she remained quiet so that he could concentrate. His work was always important to him and she was often curious about his work, but whenever she would ask her question would be dismissed. Her father would always say that he wanted his daughters to study and enjoy their youth without becoming familiar with his work, and that her husband, if she married well, would more than likely divulge parts of his work to her and entertain her inquisitive mind. It would then make her curious about what her husband would be like but she would quickly forget those thoughts for she wasn't quite looking for one just yet.

She had just quietly closed her book, resting it on her chest when there was a knock at the parlour's door and a servant appeared. "A message, Sir," he said, approaching her father and handing him a note.

The servant was dismissed and she watched her father rise to his feet after reading the paper. The expression on his face made her worry and she swung her feet off the settee and rose as well. "Father?" she queried.

He looked at her. "I'm afraid I have more work than I first thought," he said, folding the letter and placing it in his pocket. "Perhaps it might be best if you returned home, with your cousin if you wish."

"Oh, but Father, I am having such a joyous time, and Miss Carrigen said that she shall invite both Eleanor and I for tea again. I cannot just leave with such a blooming acquaintances, and besides my dear cousin is willing to keep me company while you work."

She approached him and wondered what the letter had said to prompt such a change. "We must speak with your aunt first," he replied just as the door opened once more.

"Speak with me about what?" Aunt Emma said, looking between the two. "I had come to see whether the two of you would like to join us in the garden, but I find my dear brother has need of me!"

Lydia walked over to her aunt and grabbed her hands. "Tell Father that I may stay while he is busy with more work," she pleaded.

"But of course!" she exclaimed, giving Lydia's hands a squeeze. "I would like nothing more than to have my lovely niece stay for longer. Your father was never one to make the best decisions without a bit of persuasion, not even as a boy!"

She looked back at her father and gave him a smile. "See! I promise I won't be any trouble, Father. Please!"

The look that crossed his face told her that he had been persuaded. He looked between them both before he gave her a smile. "How foolish of me to ever try to tell you no," he teased, making her drop her aunt's hands and hurry over to give him a hug. "We mustn't tell your sisters - or indeed your mother - how you bent me to your will during this visit."

Aunt Emma gave a chortle. "Dear brother, she always has you bent to her will! It would be peculiar to ever see you tell our Lydia no and have it stick."

Her father chuckled and tapped her arm slightly. "Why don't you go into town with your cousin?" he suggested.

Lydia knew that her father wanted her to leave but didn't want to tell her outright. He often did that home, telling either her or her sisters to go and do something that they enjoyed so that he may either do something he could only do whilst alone or so that he may speak with someone privately. So she respected his request and clapped her hands together. "Eleanor hasn't shown me the town yet!" she exclaimed.

"She's in the garden," her aunt said, and Lydia smiled and hurried out the room. Perhaps her father needed to speak more with her aunt, she wasn't sure, but she did know that she was still worried about what that letter might have contained. She knew better than to write about it to her mother, that was certain, and she also knew that no matter how she brought it up, her father would not divulge the true contents of it to her. Had she been a son then it might have been different, she supposed.

Her cousin was watching the clouds as she stepped into the garden. "Eleanor!" she called.

"Oh!" she exclaimed, directing her gaze over to her. "You gave me such a fright, dear cousin."

"We must go into town. Father suggested we do and I have still yet to become acquainted with your lovely town."

"Mother wanted to walk in the gardens."

Lydia shook her head. "She is speaking to Father now. Perhaps we can have a walk when we return!"

Eleanor gave her a bright smile. "Oh, yes! I do love our garden and I tend to the flowers right at the end, a most obscure place from here. I shall show you once we have returned."

"And I shall admire them too!"

The two girls linked arms and went back into the house, heading to their rooms to ensure they had their bonnets and bags before they left on foot. The town wasn't too far from Eleanor's home and Lydia very much enjoyed the walk. The weather was nice and she was glad they didn't have to ride in the carriage. While her family's carriage was certainly nice enough, it wasn't always very comfortable.

They reached the town and Lydia made her cousin take her straight to the shop that she said sold the prettiest bonnets. Through the window of the shop she could see a whole array of bonnets, and as she was about to pull her Eleanor into the shop a person down the street from them caught her eye.

"It's him!" she cried, clutching her cousin's arm.

"Who?"

"The awful dancer!" She pointed at him as she spoke before turning to face her cousin. "He's local? Do all men here in Kent have such poor mannerism?"

Eleanor giggled and covered her mouth. "That's Hugh! Hugh Seymour. Oh, Lydia, I did not realise it was he who you had encountered!" she teased. "And to think, all this time and I had not the faintest idea he could not dance! Come, we must speak with him."

"No!" Lydia protested, grabbing her cousin's wrist to try and stop her. Eleanor merely pulled herself from her grip and went off towards the man. Knowing that she couldn't just stand there, Lydia followed after her. Her mother had once said that her words would end up landing her in a predicament she would be unable to get out of, and she wondered whether this would be it.

When Eleanor was only a few feet away from the man, she called out, "Hugh Seymour!"

The man turned. "Miss Hughes!" he exclaimed. However his expression faltered slightly as Lydia reached her cousin.

"Fancy seeing you here," she said before pressing a hand on Lydia's shoulder. "I do believe you met my cousin merely a few days ago."

He looked surprised. "Your cousin?"

"She is here for a visit. How odd that it was you she encountered at the first ball of her visit!"

Lydia could barely contain her smile as he looked at her uncomfortably. "Please accept my apology, miss. I was caught off guard and was a poor partner for you," he said.

She couldn't keep in a giggle. "Nonsense! You made my first ball in Kent memorable, sir, and my dear cousin and I have been unable to stop talking about it. I certainly have never encountered a partner quite like you; perhaps Kent will keep surprising me!"

"Well, we must be on our way," Eleanor said, giving him a smile, "but we just had to stop and say hello."

The man looked slightly bewildered to Lydia's delight. "Of course, Miss Hughes!"

"Oh you wound me. What ever happened to calling me Eleanor?" Lydia had to nudge her cousin as she fought another smile. "Nevertheless, we must be on our way. Give your mother my regards!"

With that the two girls hurried back to the bonnet shop. Lydia had to admire her cousin's boldness. It was awfully amusing to tease someone like that. She just hoped her father never found out.