The Heiress of Rosings

Chapter four - The Blanchard’s musical

The first invitation they received in reply to the calling cards Lady Catherine and Miss de Bourgh had left at the homes of their acquaintances was to an evening musical performance for the following night at the Blanchards. The Blanchards had two daughters who were apparently quite musical, as it was said that Miss Mariah Blanchard played the pianoforte and could sing quite beautifully, while Miss Susan Blanchard played the harp. The Blanchards also had a son aged 23 years old.

Young Mr. James Blanchard was hardly Lady Catherine’s idea of an ideal husband for her only daughter, but there might be other eligible young men at the party, as the Blanchards would likely have invited several single men from good families with their own daughters future happiness in mind. So Lady Catherine sent a reply that they would both attend, and that they would also bring her nephew Colonel Fitzwilliam.

Colonel Fitzwilliam was to join them at their town house in the course of morning the day of the Blanchards musical, and as he himself had claimed he was to escort them about town, Lady Catherine felt no qualms in adding him to their invitation. Particularly as the great lady obviously had not quite given up hopes of a potential marriage between her daughter and the young Colonel. Therefore she would take every opportunity of throwing them together that she could contrive.

The colonel did in fact arrive early that day as was generally expected, but Lady Catherine was vexed to learn that he had matters of business to attend to at once, and so he had planned to leave again just as soon as he had refreshed himself properly. He would then be away from the town house until quite late.

“Couldn’t you put off your matters of business until tomorrow, for my sake?” Ann asked of her dear cousin, just before he could take his leave of them. “Mamma will be in an awful mood if you don’t change your mind, and I am the one she will vent her spleen on!”

He stood there in the doorway with his hat in hand, looking indecisive.

“Please?” She pleaded prettily. “You did promise to escort me about town, did you not?”

“I did promise,” He agreed finally, although he looked very unhappy about the matter. “Alright. I will escort you about this evening, my dear cousin, but I make no promise for tomorrow night. The business matters I am putting off cannot be long neglected.”

Ann gave him a quick kiss on the cheek and thanked him very prettily, then ran off after saying they would meet again in time to leave for the Blanchards musical entertainment. Henry handed his hat back to the butler, along with his coat and his gloves. Then went to get changed into appropriate attire for an evening party, where he didn’t expect to get even a moments enjoyment. And he needed to send off a quick note to his solicitor and to his cousin Mr. Darcy explaining his absence this afternoon.

Lady Catherine watched from a hidden recess, pleased to see that perhaps her daughter was not such a simpleton after all. She had handled her cousin Henry quite well, in fact. So perhaps things were not quite as hopeless as they at first appeared to be?

Upon arrival at the musical evening party, Lady Catherine had immediately joined a group of her usual friends, leaving Ann, Henry, and Mrs. Jenkins to find their own amusements until everyone was ushered into the music room for the performance.

The evening was indeed a tedious one for Henry, but for Ann it was considered to be quite a delightful party. She claimed to have enjoyed the music very much, and had made several new acquaintances, including amongst them all three of the Blanchard siblings, but the elder daughter Miss Blanchard in particular since the two were of an age.

“You are so lucky to be in London for so long,” Ann told her new friend Mariah upon learning that she had spent the last 4 years in town. “It is such an exciting place, is it not?”

“Oh, but I much prefer the countryside,” Mariah sighed, as she picked at the lace on the bodice of her gown. “The air in the countryside seems much less oppressive to me. But mamma is determined that my sister and I gain our accomplishments with the help of the masters, in order to attract the best husbands.”

“I do not know when I should ever speak German outside of the classroom,” Miss Susan Blanchard added. “Mamma claims we might need to speak German if we should go to court, but diese sprache ist dumm!”

The sisters giggled merrily at whatever Susan had just said. But Ann could only smile and pretend to understand as she had only ever learned a bit of basic French and Latin in her youth.

“Oh, I see,” Ann replied, suddenly feeling that she perhaps ought to be gaining in accomplishments while in London as well. But as she realized she had only a few months to find a suitable husband and secure a marriage proposal, she felt the endeavor to be entirely hopeless. Accomplishments like music, drawing, painting, or languages can take years to master. Years that she doesn’t have to waste on the pursuit of something she will never need after the marriage.

Henry noted to himself that his young cousin had been holed up in the countryside for far too long with limited friends and amusements, if she found the Blanchards insipid musical to be so delightful. He needed to make an effort to get Ann moving in broader circles.

On the carriage ride home, he inquired of the ladies if there were any evening plans for two night hence.

“I do not believe we currently have any engagements for that evening.” Lady Catherine responded, pleased to hear Henry making inquiries of that nature. “Do you have something in mind?”

“I heard there is a new opera opening that evening, The American by John Brahams,” Henry informed the ladies, thinking the idea was a good one. “If you are interested I might get us a box.”

Ann expressed great delight in going to the opera, so the scheme was soon decided upon providing that Henry was able to get the private box. He would be sure to go straightaway on the morrow to enquire after a box, before he went to complete his business affairs in the afternoon.

London was turning out to be vastly amusing compared to the countryside, Ann thought happily to herself as she brushed out her dark hair before bed that night. Now she just needed more gentlemen acquaintances, that she might have some romance!