Twins of Tenby Hall

Chapter 8

Morning dawned on the final day of the Tenby house party. Those who lived nearby returned, bringing the number of guests steadily back up over the course of the afternoon. Isabel Riley was met with sorry news as Miss Dunsworth informed she would be leaving before the ball. Isabel cried out in dismay and begged they stay for the ball and 'could they not postpone one night?' but alas Miss Dunsworth's family had booked rooms in Bath prior to the invitation to the Tenby house party, and must claim them on the promised day.

Mrs Dunsworth and her husband, who were lounging nearby on a setee, offered a spontaneous solution to the problem of their leaving.
Mr Dunsworth began. "Gracious me, you two girls are so loath to part, my wife and I do not feel right in separating you. What say you to this then, Miss Riley; if you can bear missing tonight's ball, and are not oppose to a rushed departure, we have room in our humble barouche for one more and our rooms in bath have extra bedchambers – then we may return you home on our way back to Southamptons." 

Mrs Dunsworth greatly approved this plan, saying she would tell her son – who would arrive in Bath an hour ahead them – to inform the staff to prepare a room and everything would be arranged without any fuss or bother. 

Isabel Riley was flustered and unsure; not that she cared for a ball over visiting Bath with a family who'd become so recently dear to her, and she did not think three hours too little time to gather some trunks – those could be sent after her of course – but she did not wish to be a burden and she worried her father would not approve. It took little convincing to satisfy her that she would be the opposite of a burden, and Sicily Dunsworth's joy at the prospect of Isabel joining them secured her.

All that was left was to speak to Lord Riley, who's good opinion of the family solidified his approval. 

Miranda was far less pleased or approving and was quite angry with Isabel, who tried to calm her livid sister while also choosing gowns to bring, nearly shaking with excitement and haste. 

"This is our party and our ball! You cannot be absent! You must be present to thank everyone for coming, and you will miss out on dancing, and who will I speak to while you are gone; you are abandoning me! Do you not care for your sister's comfort and happiness??" 

"Oh Em, you know I love you, do not take to such dramatics. Though I feel guilty and melancholy leaving you, Love, you know I shan't be very sorry to miss tonight's ball. I have already thanked people a hundred times over for coming, I am not fond of crowds and the general overabundance of noise that follows them; I do love dancing but the positives of balls are far outweighed by the negatives in my opinion." 

"Not so! In any case, you are only thinking of yourself and chasing down your splendid Mr Dunsworth. He may be the handsomest man in the room but he is still poor as a mouse and very cold-mannered." 

"I am not chasing Mr Dunsworth, I genuinely love his sister and find her company preferable to anyone else's but yours! And he is not poor as a mouse, five-thousand a year is far more than enough to sustain a very comfortable living!" 

"Lawd help us you are dreaming of a life with him already." Miranda scoffed derisively. 

"I am not. And I don't see how you get off slighting the Dunsworths when your Mr Kirkley isn't nearly as wealthy as they!" 

Miranda fumed silently, not having anything intelligent to respond with. "Why?" she said finally "What is he worth and who did you hear it from?" 

"I heard from a handful of people he has two thousand or less to his name and that it is rumored he would have much more would he not gamble so often." 

"I doubt you heard it from anyone reputable, most likely gossips, I don't believe he is the type to gamble." 

"Oh and you know him well of course," Isabel interrupted dryly "having briefly spoken to him on three occasions, danced with him five, and fluttered your lashes at him too many times to count."