Aftermath (13)

Quite the finest visit

Oh, they were having quite the finest visit to Town! Jeremiah had, Nancy suspected, been somewhat daunted at the prospect – had made certain visits before, prior to their marriage, but purely of a business nature, had not gone about in Society at all – but sure, all had gone exceeding well.

The most excellent hospitality at Sir Harry and Lady Louisa’s Blackheath residence. How charming a house! How very desirable a location! The fine parkland close by – the proximity to Greenwich – the nearness of the river –

The very good girls’ school that their daughters attended, that Nancy had visited, as one of the governors of the Firlbrough girls’ school, out of interest in paedagogical matters.

A number of social occasions, but so far, only among Sir Harry’s business acquaintance, and his sister Mrs Knowles’ City circles, that were quite fine enough to daunt the pair of 'em a little, though Meg herself was the kindest creature, entire her mother’s daughter.

But tonight, were bidden to dine at Lady Bexbury’s and that did indeed create some perturbation in their bosoms. Oh, Lady Bexbury herself was the most charming of creatures! – had gone so far as to send her own carriage for 'em, that was most exceeding thoughtful – but they must worry a little about the kind of company they would find themselves among.

One must suppose that any that Lady Bexbury invited to dine would not show haughty and insolent to provincial industrialists, surely not? But nonetheless one knew that she moved in very distinguished circles.

So she and Jeremiah sat in uneasy silence, clasping one another’s hands, as they made the journey across the river and into Town.

How very amiable their welcome! The famed Hector took their outer garments, and here came the equally famed Sophy down the stairs to offer to take Mrs Gaskell to tidy herself afore going into company. Sure it helped her to compose herself before going to rejoin Jeremiah and being announced by Hector as he showed 'em in to the very fine reception room.

 Nancy fancied that they were relatively early comers, as came up Lady Bexbury to greet 'em exceeding cordial, and hope the journey from Blackheath had not been too arduous, and remark that of course, they knew dear Josh of old –

Though indeed he was changed from the shy small boy had used to be!

 – but, permit her to make 'em known to the Dowager Duchess of Humpleforth –

It was hard not to gape. Dowager Duchess made one think of a figure much older – very like swathed in black bombazine – not this exquisite quite exotique creature like unto something in the Arabian Nights – could barely be entering middle age –

–  a great patroness of Josh’s explorations – Nancy minded that they had read somewhat of that: that she had set up a private menagerie of Indian fauna –

The Dowager Duchess gave 'em an enchanting languid smile and said, must be quite antient friends of the Ferrabys? to which they concurred.

Introduction was then made to Mr di Serrante, that young American that had, 'twas said, fought with Garibaldi. But seemed no fire-eater: very quiet and civil-mannered, none of your brash Yankees.

Lord and Lady Raxdell were announced. They did not look proud or haughty, and Nancy had some recollection that they had not anticipated to inherit. After introductions had been made, Lady Raxdell went converse with Josh Ferraby concerning one Muffet, that Nancy deduced was her lapdog, and not a pet-name for one of her offspring. His Lordship, however, seemed in a disposition to converse of the affairs of Italy with di Serrante.

The Dowager Duchess turned to Nancy and enquired in pleasing low tones whether the Gaskells had children? Nancy responded that she and Mr Gaskell were not blessed – had stepchildren from her first marriage – for one did not need to expatiate that they were in fact the by-blows from Mr Allison’s irregular union with Bertha Watson, a very good sort of woman in her way but most unsuited to be the consort of the town’s leading banker – all of 'em grown and doing well in the world.

Stepchildren, sighed Her Grace. I hope they are agreeable and dutiful? I was very young when His Grace my late husband took me to wife – had a son and two daughters older than I was as well as a schoolroom miss and two boys at Eton.

And do you – ? asked Nancy.

The Duchess gave a wistful smile and said, alas, her husband had been somewhat elderly –

Nancy gave her a sympathetic look. Sure that must have been hard! Being elevated to a Duchess sounds a fine fate in novels, but in real life – a young girl of out of the common remarkable looks – a much older man – with a grown family – did she not collect some tale by A Lady Anonyma that was somewhat on those lines?

And here came, all at once, Lord and Lady Vinwich, and a young couple, Lord and Lady Undersedge. O, that was an enviable amber necklace Lady Undersedge was wearing!

After the introductions had been made, and Lord Undersedge showed most particular eager to engage Jeremiah in conversation – very gratifying! – Nancy ventured to admire Lady Undersedge’s amber, at which she gave a pleased smile and caressed it and said, was a very recent present from her mother, that was in Prague – dared say they were now at Carlsbad, where they journeyed for Lord Trembourne’s health –

Nancy remarked that one heard that the springs at Carlsbad were give out most exceeding sanitive.

Lady Undersedge gave a small sigh and said, her Papa made quite the Grand Tour of continental spaws – they fancied a course at Malvern a couple of years since had quite set him up but alas, the effects had not lasted –

But your mother enjoys health?

Oh, indeed, Lady Undersedge agreed, and fortunately at these spaws there are usually diversions enough for those that accompany invalids.

Lady Vinwich came up and made civil, admired the amber, commented that she had seen that Nora had a similar piece, turned to Nancy and said, heard very remarkable things of the excellent good works that went forth in Firlbrough!

Nancy blushed a little and said, why, they had been put on sound lines by the late Lady Ferraby, counselled by Lady Bexbury –

At which moment the signal was given for all to proceed to the dining-room.

Nancy observed that dinner was to be in the modish à la Russe fashion – she was most interested to see how this went on! – and found herself seated 'twixt Mr di Serrante and Lord Undersedge.

Turning to Mr di Serrante as they were served the first course – most elegant by the young man she must suppose Hector’s son and a couple of footmen that he was supervizing – she took the thought that very like everybody desired to speak to him of Italy and Garibaldi &C, so she said she apprehended that he came from Boston, that she understood to be of some antiquity as a city as these things went in America?

Mr di Serrante was indeed happy to expatiate upon the charms of Boston and the surrounding parts, in particular Concord, where had family connexions, and his family – his Papi and Mama and sister Bianca were by now, he calculated, already partway across the Atlantic bound for England –

O, business and pleasure?

It crossed her mind that they might invite Mr and Mrs di Serrante to come speak in Firlbrough on the Abolitionist Cause.

Meanwhile she could see from the corner of her eye dearest Jeremiah looking to be in the most amicable converse with the Dowager Duchess – very pleasing.

As the course was removed and replaced by the next she turned to Lord Undersedge. He smiled very civil and remarked that he had heard a deal about the very fine institute there was at Firlbrough – education and improvement of the workers &C –

Nancy responded that, one did not like to boast, and sure, the foundations had been laid by Sir Josiah and Lady Ferraby, and that tradition kept up by Sir Harry, but indeed they took a certain pride in that matter.

Had been in some notion of doing the like in their mining districts –

Aha! coaling interests! she flicked a quick glance at Lady Bexbury, that was hearkening with an air of absorbed interest to some tale that Lord Raxdell was telling her. Had that been in her mind when considering upon invitations?

When the ladies had withdrawn to take tea or ratafia and macaroons, leaving the gentlemen to port and brandy and tobacco, the Dowager Duchess came up to Nancy and said, had already spoke to her charming husband – hoped Mr and Mrs Gaskell might come to one of her summer parties at the Dower House at Maraston Towers – Nancy gulped – my stepson is obliged from his position to host a deal of terrible bores, but I chuse to assemble gatherings of persons that have more than antient Norman blood to recommend 'em – wit and talent and learning &C –

Nancy murmured that neither she nor her husband could, indeed, boast any elevated breeding: her mother came from a very respectable banking family in Manchester – her father had been an officer that died in the Peninsula – alas, Your Grace, not even in any heroic fashion, camp fever –

Her Grace responded that Mrs Gaskell would doubtless have heard that her own dear Papa had been a Bombay civilian – thus her desire for a little Indian menagerie to remind her of her childhood –

Nancy noted inwardly that she said naught of her mother, and fancied those striking exotique looks owed somewhat to Hindu blood. She said that they would entirely honoured to attend one of Her Grace’s summer gatherings – had heard somewhat of 'em from Lady Bexbury and the Ferrabys –

At which moment entered the gentlemen, all looking on excellent good terms, but also positively eager to rejoin the ladies.

Later, in the carriage returning home, Jeremiah, in exceeding spirits, took Nancy’s hand and said, would she mind very much did they stay over another day or so beyond the original time they had set? – supposing Sir Harry and Lady Ferraby did not mind 'em still about the house! – young Undersedge was very eager that he should come talk to his father, that is the Earl of Nuttenford –

Coaling interests! said Nancy with a grin.

Quite so. Have recently opened up a new seam that they have some notion would be particular good coking coal – and besides that business matter, they have been trying to bring round conditions for a deal of a while, for they were very badly neglected under the previous Earl, and would be glad of our experience in the matter of improvements – Would mean a jaunt to Derbyshire –

Why, I think matters are in such shape that you do not need to be overlooking all the time! And a fresh source of good coking coal would be a fine thing!

Precisely so. And did the Dowager Duchess open to you this invitation to her house-party in the summer?

She did. What a very remarkable style of woman she is.

O, exceedingly! But, said Jeremiah, pulling her towards him, I will not concede that there is any woman finer than my own Nancy.