The Quinceys

Chapter III

"Miss Grant is very agreeable, is she not, Edward?" Was the first question Magali directed to her brother as soon as their carriage started. Her brother nodded,

"She is very kind and amiable, indeed. I would have enjoyed conversing with her more had it been possible,"

"Well you need not wait too long, you may dance with her at Rushmore in a fortnight. Miss Jane seemed quite excited about balls; I must say I find it quite peculiar that at fifteen, neither of her sisters yet married, she is already come out. Is that not strange?"

"I daren't say I find it queer. I believe it should be the parents' choosing when their daughter ought to be presented into society; besides, what difference does it make when a girl of sixteen is allowed into society whether her sister is married or not? I find that peculiar, for either way the young lady shall be the same age, and surely her judgement shan't be changed due to her sister's marrying,"

"Indeed, you are quite mistaken, for a young lady gains a sort of independence when her older sister marries. Especially at sixteen!"

"Of course," cried Edward, "The young lady should be forced to learn how to act in society independently. Nevertheless, I am against the idea of doing so according to her sisters' marrying. If ever the eldest refuses to marry and finishes as an old maid, shall her younger sisters remain confined from society? Besides, being presented is perfect for any young lady; what say you of young girls who believe everything they read in novels?"

"They are quite silly," Magali replied sim,

"Indeed! But mustn't that be corrected?"

"Of course, with well-breeding, good masters, respectable occupations and less novels,"

"Nay! What better way for young ladies to learn the truth of life than by being presented? I find five and ten a respectable age to be presented, whether a sister is married or not, for there remains enough time to correct any fault in her education; for what are words and morals without experience?"

Magali remained silent, for there was some truth in her brother's speech, and she wished to end the topic they were discussing.

"I must call on the Kingsleys to-morrow! I promised I would do so," exclaimed Edward after a short pause, "Mr. Kingsley has been so kind as to lend me a very interesting copy about Plato's philosophy,"

"How kind of Mr. Kingsley," said Magali, "What is his family like?"

"Very agreeable," Edward let out as soon as her question had been asked, "Very agreeable, indeed. Two daughters, very lovely, both about your age. The eldest, Miss Catherine is extremely amiable and very pretty, yes,"

"Oh, how lovely," Magali breathed, a sly smile on her lips, "And their mother?"

"Hm? Mother? Oh, no, Mrs. Kingsley disappeared when Miss Catherine was just twelve years of age,"

"Did Miss Catherine confide this to you?" Magali's curiosity was increasing greatly,

"Hm? Yes, yes, indeed. I had the great pleasure of encountering Mr. Kingsley accompanied by his two daughters yesterday afternoon at Redding. We walked from the dressmaker's, in front of which they stood, to the other side of the village. He had called that same morning, and Miss Catherine was very agreeable, very kind. She seems quite clever, and was understandably sad when I mentioned her mother. I know I should not have, for that was most silly of me, but I hadn't been previously warned of this. I do hope she hasn't a bad opinion of me now," Edward seemed very glad when he spoke of this Miss Catherine Kingsley, and Magali was quite amused. She hoped to have the chance to meet this young lady soon, and was eager to send her family an invitation to the ball at Rushmore,

"I expect not, my dear brother, for you are most kind and sensible. I must say, I've never heard you speak too ill of a lady who didn't deserve it. Do these young Kingsleys have a brother?"

"No, no. It is but the father and his two girls,"

Magali nodded softly, amused but disappointed at the same time. The lack of young men in the neighbourhood was quite disappointing. The young heirs she had heard of were much too young, and other single men she had been acquainted with were much too old for her liking.

However boring the thought of not finding a match for herself in the neighbourhood was, though, the attention young girls and their families paid to her brother compensated this, and there was no stopping her from match-making. It was, in her opinion, a very innocent way of occupying her mind. She pictured a Mrs. Julia Quincey, or a Mrs. Matilda Quincey, and thought of her brother calling his sweet wife "My dearest Kitty" as younger Quinceys ran excitedly around the couple. This warmed her heart, and amused her very much. There were many Lizzies and Kitties in the neighbourhood expecting his heart, however, and Magali was determined to pick the right one for her brother.

The very next day Magali had the pleasure of encountering the Kingsleys for the first time, as she took a stroll through the park that morning. The three had called upon Mr. Quincey, and she joined them in the drawing room, for presentations were to be made before she dared speak a word to them. Miss Kingsley was, to Magali's pleasure, a very pretty girl. Yet there was an awkwardness in her curtsey, and a shyness in her that could not be tolerated at her age (for she was now twenty). This, and her manner of mumbling when she spoke, alerted Miss Quincey. Her sister, Miss Alice, seemed more quick in thought and articulated a bit more than her sister. Magali took a quick dislike to both, however, but could only be civil to them, as was expected.

The Miss Kingsleys had accompanied their father to Rushmore to invite Mr. Quincey to dinner. However, Miss Quincey quickly understood that the invitation was only directed to him. She found this quite disagreeable, but remained unaffected in her composure. Mr. Kingsley seemed like a well-educated man, despite certain faults in his manner and his tone, but Magali found his daughters quite insupportable. Yet somehow she felt fairly entertained by the prospect of these two at the ball, and it made her seem pleased for she beamed whenever they caught her eye.

The Miss Kingsleys, upon returning to their home, found Miss Quincey quite amiable, and exceedingly well-bred,

"What a nice young lady," Alice stated quite plainly, Catherine nodded earnestly,

"Yes, she seems just as agreeable and sweet as her brother. I do wonder where they're from," she said her last sentence in an inquisitive tone, and Alice quickly said in response,

"Indeed! Magali! I do wonder where that name is from? I've never heard it before. It sounds quite... foreign. Do you think they aren't from here?"

Not in the least abashed by her sister's silly inquiry, Catherine solemnly replied,

"Oh, they aren't from Surrey there is no doubt about that. However, Mr. Quincey has many connexions, and his fortune leads me to suppose that they are from the country. Pray, where do you think they could be from otherwise?"

Alice shrugged brusquely, "I have no idea. But I've never heard that name before, and I do wonder what it might mean."

Catherine agreed with her sister, and while their father slept as their carriage made its way to their home, the two girls gossipped and exchanged theories concerning the meaning, origin, and reason behind Miss Quincey's birth name.