Beginnings Beyond Endings (A Sanditon Fanfiction)

Silk and Silver

Charity, upon leaving her reluctant suitor behind earlier that afternoon and having been invited to dress for the ball with Charlotte and Georgiana, spent what remained of the day exaggeratedly retelling stories of the previous Midsummer Balls and the many eventful happenings that always occurred during them. Following the first ball and the terrace fire there had been not one or even two but three public compromises and only the most recent had been between an already courting couple. The third ball had seen a rabble of drunken visiting sailors tearing through the hall with not a scrap of fabric to be seen among them and the fourth had been host to the discovery of one society matron's affair with another and was a revelation that neither of their husbands had accepted kindly.

There had also been the matter of a groom being almost overrun by a rogue carriage and the yet unexplained malady suffered by the newly returned Sir Edward Denham. He was freshly interred in the family's crypt having lost the battle with his sudden injuries and subseuent illness and his unhappy bride had disappeared before his corpse had even been collected by the undertakers. There had been whispers for many months after the fact speculating on her sudden absence and not a one of the rumours painted the lady in a flattering light.

Despite the shock of it all, the townsfolk could not claim to be very sorry for his loss and were even quite pleased with the new Baronet, a Sir William Denham, though he was absent from Denham Hall frequently. Charlotte would have the opportunity to meet Sir William that evening as he was due to return from a trip of some duration handling his business elsewhere and had promised to attend what would be his first event since assuming his cousin's title.

In short order, the hour of their departure had arrived and they were met as they descended the stairs by George and Mr Crowe, who had arrived to escort Charity for the evening. Georgiana had chosen to don a light blue gown with gold embellishments that was simple in design and construction but contrasted delightfully with her exotic colouring and was made extravagant by the diamonds draped about her neck and scattered in her hair. Charity had elected for a bolder, darker purple and her dress, though equally simple with nothing more to embellish it than a simple silver and opal cross, was made exquisite by the effect of the candlelight catching the fabric of the skirts.

Charlotte had dithered endlessly between two of her gowns that evening. The first was a creamy satin with only a very subtly pearly lustre with jewel toned birds and feathers embroidered across the skirts. The second, which she eventually settled on, was a deep, shiny, olive hued silk with only a little pearly silver lining the cuffs of the sleeves, neckline and hem and the skirts, lacking the usual stiff lines of the current fashions fell in soft folds that shifted and caught the light as she moved but seemed to almost mould to her skin when standing still.

Alyona had dressed their hair in elaborately styled coiffures and the young women had been slipping their fingers as they departed Charlotte's dressing room only to be met with a pair of open mouths before them and an ineffectually stifled giggle at their backs. The mens' reaction was not so unusual though, for they had, after all, been greeted with the sight of three beautiful women.

Charity reluctantly stepped down first and slipped her gloved hand into the crook of Mr Crowe's proffered elbow and the mismatched couple was followed quickly into the carriage by Georgiana. Charlotte bedecked in silk and silver and pearls descended after her friends and into her husband's arms. She had decided on fine but simple jewelled adornments that evening with a string of pearls about her throat and a plain silver comb tiara in her hair that her husband had presented her with upon their return home after browsing through the bazaar.

George had sent to London for the piece shortly after their arrival in Sanditon, intending to gift it to his wife during their stay and, after learning that their family would soon be expanding to three, had decided now was the perfect moment. It was the same simple construction that his grandmother, the late duchess, had worn to her presentation at court and had since only been worn at his own mother's wedding almost 30 years previously. It had been left to her eldest daughter upon her death and his mother had shown it to him upon the commencement of his courtship of Charlotte that it might be worn by her at her pleasure for his mother preferred her more extravagant gold pieces where the new viscountess had simpler tastes.