- Chapter 24 -

The next few months rolled in and by like morning fog, slow and quiet. Nothing of great interest occurred but Katherine kept herself satisfactorily occupied, settling into a comfortable routine. Time had not yet adapted her to the timetable of the Ton, she could not linger in bed past nine; she would wander down to the conservatory to create floral arrangements, or (as was more often the case) visit the garden's central installation to draw the colourful birds within – she considered her artistic skills to be improving rapidly.

Betsey usually joined her near or after ten and soon after they would often sneak to cooks special pantry to sneak a taste of chocolate fudge, pickles, or candied preservatives; Miss Compton caught them once, and laughed outright before playfully scolding them.

When they weren't stealing fudge, they were reading together on a window seat, sharing with each other the good parts and warning each other of the bad – Romeo and Juliette was considered particularly distasteful and pointless to Betsey, and Katherine was glad for the suggestion not to waste time on it.

Following two-o'clock tea with their family they often found themselves wandering the grounds; though 'wandering' may not be the most accurate word to describe their snowball fights and snowman-building (when there was enough snow), and (once winter turned to spring) frog-and-lizard hunting and tree-climbing. Eliza Ritewood visited often, but Katherine began to notice patterns in her dear friend's behavior.

Eliza was, at times, spacey and oddly more quiet and polite than usual; and these times consistently coincided with the appearance of Katherine's eldest brother. Katherine had thought for some time that Eliza may have developed a preference for John, but she was now certain her friend was properly twitterpated.

April was considerably taxing on their playful spirits as the sky was going through a difficult time and appeared to have been overcome with severe depression; gloomy and gray and tearful it was. Katherine claimed with an abundance of sarcasm "how lucky we've had but one rainstorm this month", for once it started it never once stopped. It came as a great relief when, late in the month, an invitation came from their sister and Mr Harding to join them for a week at Landyn House, for a small housewarming party.

The day they travelled was pleasant enough (taking recent weather patterns into consideration), it drizzled lightly; which made it easier on the men when Miss Compton's carriage became solidly stuck in a veritable lake of thick mud. After over a full hour of digging and pushing another carriage approached. It was Mr Routley, who was headed to the house party as well; he roped his horses to their own and the added strength of his horses eventually pulled them free and he was proclaimed their hero.

They arrived at Landyn House two hours late, the men covered in mud – especially poor John, who had slipped and bathed in it once the carriage finally started rolling. They all washed and went straight to bed though the evening had only reached ten-o'clock.

The first day of their stay was very full – despite having done really nothing at all – as they were introduced to members of Harding's family they had not met before. Thomas Harding's mother's (may she rest in peace) brother had come from Lewes with his family, and his Aunt Pierpont on his father's side from London with hers. A summary of their names and occupations falls thus:

Mr and Mrs Anton Tarrant had arrived the day before with three of their five children; Miss Grace Tarrant, eighteen, and Miss Elizabeth Tarrant, sixteen. One of their sons was pursuing his father's profession as a barrister in Cambridge, the other had become a steward, and their oldest (Sarah) had married four years ago. Sarah Tarrant-now-Chandler travelled with them, along with her husband Mr Chandler, and was heavy with child.

Mr Harding Sr's younger sister and her husband, Mr Philip Pierpont, arrived the day after Katherine and her party. Mrs Pierpont was a startling contrast to her brother Mr Harding Sr; she was bold of opinion and voice, enthusiastic in her boasting of her family and their accomplishments. Mr Pierpont was a splendid musician who taught violin, piano, and cello, and played in numerous orchestras; he was also a hobby composer and used every opportunity to have the ladies play his works, red with pleasure. Only one of Mr and Mrs Pierpont's seven children were able to come, their youngest child, sixteen-year-old Anne; they were hoping their second oldest would be able to join them, but he was to be married to a Miss Rook soon and had far too much to plan at home in London.

Introductions and conversation over the course of the first day carried out as follows:

Katherine Gray and Betsey Wheaton slumbered in bed, not awake, yet not quite asleep; the morning sun playing on their eyelids. The sound of carriage wheels on gravel caused them to stir and rise.

"What is the time?" Betsey asked, rubbing her eyes.

"It looks to be about eight or nine." Katherine replied from the window, "Someone is arriving, it must be more of Thomas Harding's family. The Pierponts from London I assume, Cecilia said the others had arrived before us."

They knew the new arrivals would wish to rest, and no one else would be up until proper visiting hours, so they slipped back under their sheets and tried to sleep. Betsey mostly napped, but Katherine could slumber no longer and so instead watched the clouds and birds lay shadows on the walls and ceiling through the window.

The clock finally struck eleven and Katherine rose, Betsey stirring and rising with her. They dressed and found the luncheon room - already occupied by their family and a few of those with whom they hadn't yet made acquaintance, the Pierponts.

Miss Anne Pierpont and Miss Betsey Wheaton became fast friends, both being cheerful and talkative, and having similar interests in fashion and social gossip.

After the general exclamations and praise over Cecilia's new home, they moved on to learning more of one another. The women soon moved themselves to the drawing room where Mrs Pierpont was then given the spotlight, and eagerly divulged the ages and detailed situations of all her seven children, followed by a lengthy description of her husband's great accomplishments and gifts. Miss Compton looked to Katherine a number of times throughout, with a brow subtly raised in incredulous humor at the woman's stamina and rapidity of speech.

"Mr Pierpont's French ancestry," she was saying "has blessed him with impeccable taste and appreciation for life's finer pursuits – theatre, music, fashion – the French are truly artistic and modern you know – that is where Mr Pierpont's qualities are best displayed. It is just too unfortunate they've gone and declared war on us, poor things, they have no hope of winning and are wasting talented and fashionable men on a gainless war. But where was I, Ah yes, my Mr Pierpont's ear for music is exemplary and he is always attired in the most avant-garde and recent fashions, as you could surely tell." Stated she with a proud smile, snapping open her large feathered fan with flourish. "He has been violin and cello in many concertos; even on stage with Beethoven twice you know, once in seventeen-sixty-nine, in Prague, and once again at Vienna, playing his first symphony. Oh, it was splendiferous in Vienna! Magnificent in its entirety, I was so out of spirits when the piece ended. I do so love music; our whole family does, Anne is a prodigy on the piano and sings like a dove, you must hear her play. Anne! Anne dear!" Called she to her daughter who raised her head from the cheerful tete-a-tete she was currently enjoying with Betsey and the younger Miss Tarrant. The girl looked as though she knew what was to be asked of her and was already begrudgingly resigned to her fate. "Do play for us lovey, they have a fine pianoforte and it is begging for use."

Young Miss Pierpont opened her mouth to weakly decline but her mother anticipated her response and interrupted. "Oh, do not deny your new cousins a song! You always feign modesty, it is so silly." Miss Pierpont flushed a little in embarrassment and reluctantly did as she was bid. Betsey joined followed and stood by to turn pages as her friend began a beautiful and tempestuous number that Katherine believed was played with a tad more ferocity than was required. Mrs Pierpont smiled contentedly, nodding and tapping her fan gently to the tune.

"She does play exceptionally well." Miss Compton observed, the other ladies expressing their agreement.

"Did I not say?" the ringlets in Mrs Pierpont's coiffure practically shivered with pride. "But I'm sure you young ladies have some talent as well." her gaze rested pointedly on Cecilia and Katherine in turn "Mrs Harding, Mrs Gray, you must take turns next! Miss Compton, Miss Wheaton, help me persuade them!"

The young ladies in question acquired a sickly pallor. Not having had the pleasure to ever take up any instrument before Miss Compton had adopted them into her family, they were decidedly not proficient in any musical arts, besides singing. For a very brief moment they stared at each other in panic, knowing full well the vociferate Mrs Pierpont would most likely not cease insisting until satisfied.

They were saved as the men entered that very moment, the last of the guests following; and Mrs Pierpont's request was promptly forgotten in lieu of making eager acquaintance with the Tarrants and Chandlers.

The ladies immediately begged the company of the expecting Mrs Chandler over all others, exclaiming and gushing and lending advice (the latter more abundant on Mrs Pierpont's part). Upon being asked how she and her husband met, Mrs Chandler divulged she had been a seamstress for the gentleman's sister and had somehow won him over during those times she visited for fittings. Her husband, having stepped away from the other men momentarily, added his sister considered Miss Tarrant (as she was known then) to be the best and most accomplished seamstress in England to her knowledge and the sweetest and prettiest thing besides and he finished by adding he couldn't agree more.

The ladies then asked if she yet maintained her position as a seamstress, for surely her new husband would not allow her to strain herself now she was managing a home and was with child. She assured them she had many ladies under her employ as seamstresses now and all that was required of her was to design and oversee, which she much preferred. The conversation quickly re-focused on babies thereafter.

Katherine wished not to speak of children; as happy as she was for the gentle young Mrs Chandler, she couldn't help but recall, with a little pain, the child she had lost not quite a year ago. Katherine Gray rested a hand on her flat stomach, trying to hide her melancholy and ignore a sudden sickly feeling that threatened to pool tears in her eyes. She instead attempted to distract herself by observing the room.

The Tarrant girls were both lively and social girls. It appeared the young Miss Elizabeth Tarrant had already been befriended by Betsey and Anne; the three were currently laughing in jolly unison while Miss Tarrant assured them with fervor the tale she was recounting was true.

She noticed her eldest brother, John Wheaton, was only half listening to the men where he stood, as his gaze lingered much in the direction of her own group. After a quick and subtle investigation, it was discovered his eyes were consistently meeting with the piercing blue eyes of Miss Grace Tarrant who sat by her sister-in-law. Katherine smiled to herself, remembering when she herself felt the first buds of affection forming; but poor, poor Eliza, she thought then what a pity if her long harboured affections never get the chance to sail.

Miss Compton soon after caught her gaze and, with a meaningful glance between the two youths, sent Kat a conspirative wink. Mrs Katherine Gray had to press her lips to keep from snickering aloud, and as her gaze wandered back towards her eldest brother, her eyes met with those of Mr Routley. He must have recognized the twinkle in her eye for he raised a brow at her with a hint of a smile. Her smile grew and she re-focused on the conversation of the ladies lest she laugh outright.

Come evening - and the ring of the dinner-bell - the house was sat down to feast. Katherine took a seat beside Miss Compton, who sat across from Mr and Mrs Wheaton and John. Grace Tarrant quickly took the seat by Katherine, who gave a welcoming smile as the girl pulled up her chair.

"Miss Tarrant, what a fine thing you sat next me, I was meaning to ask as it was mentioned your family is from Lewes. That is quite near the sea is it not? Have you ever been?"

"To the sea? Yes, on quite a few occasions. More often than I have been so far inland as this!"

"I would love to see the sea one day. Ah, but it must be difficult for your brother to be so far from his family in Lewes, now he is studying in Cambridge."

"His letters sounded a mite lonely at first, but I believe he has a few friends there now to occupy him; and a man finds it easier to fly the nest than us women I dare say."

"I dare say." Katherine agreed. "You know, John has expressed an interest in law since moving to Rosforte. He needn't pursue a living in it of course but it is wonderful he has someone to converse with on the subject, I mean while your father is here."

"Ah yes! It is an interesting subject to be sure, if I were born a man, I'm sure I would love to study law."

"Oh, gracious I wouldn't." Katherine laughed, as Miss Compton leaned forward to cut in with passion.

"I personally don't see why you shouldn't be able to. I think it the most ridiculous backwards thing that women are banned from such professions. What say you John?" She asked the young man, who had been listening in from across the table.

The young man's eyes snapped wide at being singled out. He stammered a bit, then looking at Miss Tarrant said "I'm sure Miss Tarrant is more than capable of doing whatever she puts her mind too. I see no reason why women could not take up any profession they wish.."

Miss Compton's grin of satisfaction reached ear to ear. "I couldn't agree more."

He finished "..besides the law being against it."

Miss Compton sat heavily back in her chair with a disgruntled "Humph!"

"It is alright, truly." Miss Tarrant consoled the older lady "Maybe one day we will have the privilege; but until then, I have a matron friend at home who also enjoys the subject; I have the pleasure of spending many an afternoon with her."

"What of your father? Surely you can enjoy subjects of politics and law with him as well?" Katherine inquired.

"Well, no, he wishes I would not dwell on such things so often. He believes it unladylike and I should focus on subjects I have more knowledge in."

"But that makes so little sense! Why, how are you to have more knowledge of something if you are not to speak of it or question.."

"Dearest Mariah," Mrs Wheaton cut in gently from across the table, "This is quite a heavy controversial topic for the dinner table.."

A relieved Miss Tarrant agreed "Quite so. You needn't worry on my account Miss Compton, I am quite happy with the little time I have to enjoy my more scholarly interests now and then, I assure you, I do not feel repressed."

"Well then I digress, for now. I am glad you at least have a friend to enjoy actual intellectual conversation with at home; and while you are here, you may talk on the subject in great lengths with John!"

John Wheaton and Miss Grace Tarrant gazed at each other, smiling shyly. Mr and Mrs Wheaton's eyebrows raised. Miss Compton and Katherine gazed at each other over Miss Tarrant's head, smiling mischievously, although Katherine couldn't help feeling a little sorry again for her dear friend Eliza at home.

In that moment, Katherine caught Mr Routley watching. He shook his head, eyes laughing, poor John and Miss Tarrant, to be subject to Miss Compton's schemes.

In reply, she wrinkled a nose at him, pay mind to your meal, never mind us, and lifted a hand to gently brush her fingers over her jaw. Is your cheek drooling??

He raised a brow with a smile. He then raised his napkin to his cheek and she could hear faintly as he spoke to Mr Chandler beside him. "I say, quite hot in this room, rather stuffy."

Katherine choked on her soup.