Page 89 of The Quiet Wife
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Frances’ relief when dinner passed without incident was immense. Her only qualm now was retiring to the drawing room with the ladies and leaving Freddie to the tender mercies of his father over the port. She caught Jemie’s eye, and he winked.She sensed he knew exactly what was on her mind, and she breathed a little easier in the knowledge he would keep an eye on her son. She looked around the dining room that they had only recently decorated in shades of green and wondered what dinners would be like in the new house with all the porcelain and portraits that Jemie was working on. She tried to dismiss the thought for now and walked with the ladies to the drawing room for tea.
As cups rattled on saucers, and teaspoons tinkled against china, Frances relaxed.
The girls came to join them. “How did we do, mama?” Fannie asked, cheeks pink with excitement.
“You were wonderful.”
“Told you,” said Florence with a soft laugh. “Everyone loves us.”
“They do indeed,” Frances concurred proudly.
“Including Mr Prinsep,” Fannie nudged her sister. Florence flushed but didn’t comment, leaving Frances to wonder if she did in fact feel warmly towards him. Mr Prinsep was a very nice man and an excellent artist, but he was almost the same age as she was. Far too old for little Florence, in her view. He was, however, perhaps, suitable for a first crush. She made a mental note to talk to Jemie about it and then made her way around her guests. Everyone seemed happy and for once, Frances felt as though things were going well. It made a change from some of the fraught dinners they had been hosting lately with Frederick’s colleagues from Bibby.
When the gentlemen re-joined them, and everyone seemed satisfied and entertained, she slipped away to pop in on Elinor.
She opened the door to find her daughter and Anna sat on her bed with a plate of what looked like madeleines, and Jemie sprawled in the chair.
“Oops,” he straightened up. “We’ve been rumbled, Elinor.”
Elinor spluttered out a laugh and covered her mouth with her hand. Anna laughed with her.
“And there I was, feeling sorry for you for being left out, when all the time you are up here gadding about with our guests.” Still chuckling, Elinor lifted the plate and offered Frances a cake. She took one and sat on the bed with her and Anna.
“So, what scandalous gossip do you have?” she asked after enjoying a bite of her cake.
“We don’t have gossip, mama,” Elinor said, outraged.
“Well, I’m disappointed. Anna, Jemie, have younogossip to impart?”
Jemie arched an eyebrow and took a cake. “Well…” he began, and then regaled them with outrageous tales from the art world. Frances could have stayed there all evening, but she knew she would be missed.
“I should go back,” she sighed, and Elinor pulled a face.
“We will follow in a moment or two,” Anna patted her hand. Reluctantly, Frances left her daughter and headed back into the fray to ensure her absence wouldn’t be noticed by her husband.
***
Back with her guests, Frances could see that her other daughters were behaving beautifully. Freddie, Alastair, and Mr Carlisle seemed bent on setting up card tables and creating much hilarity as they did so, and Lizzie and Rosa came to sit with her, laughing at the antics of the men.
“Your girls are managing the whole evening remarkably well,” Rosa observed. “I was sorry to hear they had been so unwell.”
Frances nodded, not even wanting to think about those anxious days.
“You must have been terribly worried.”
Frances swallowed. “It was a difficult time.”
Rosa nodded. “For both of you, I imagine.”
Frances clenched her teeth but managed a polite smile that she hoped Rosa took for agreement.
She was spared any further discussion by Alastair and Freddie inviting guests for a game of cards. As guests laughed and settled themselves into groups of four over the card tables, Alastair clapped his hands.
“What’s it to be, ladies and gentlemen? Whist? Hearts? Ecarte?”
“Will you play?” Frances turned to Rosa, who just chuckled and shook her head. “I’ll wager my husband will.”
