Meeting in the Moonlight

I (Part 2)

The one thing Katrina had been so good as to leave out of their earlier conversation was what the names of these new people were. After an awkward few minutes at the start of dinner, she had exchanged few words with the Northerner – now known to her as a Mr Elijah Edwards – who sat across from her but was becoming to enjoy the company of his sister, Miss Wilhelmina Edwards sat on her left. She was a sweet girl in her twenty-first year, was accomplished in the pianoforte, enjoyed singing and needlepoint, disliked the colour pink, had a fear of snakes, hated insects in general and was very, very talkative.

Most things she learnt about them came from Miss Edwards and from what Katrina had already told her: they came from the North – Yorkshire, to be precise, where her brother owned a cotton mill in Huddersfield; she had another elder brother which Emmeline sympathised with, having two herself, called James; their father had passed away when she was young, at the age of eleven; and that they were in town so she could debut in London society.

"Eli," which Emmeline had assumed was a nickname by which she referred to her brother, "did not particularly want to come to town. I persuaded him, however-"

"You begged me to." He didn't look up from his glass. That added to the total words he had spoken which so far consisted of good evening, pleasure, Elijah Edwards, and can you pass the salt? It seemed to her that he did not want to be here, but then she recalled how lively his conversation had appeared to be earlier. Maybe he just doesn't want to be here with me. Not that she cared. What he thought of her had, and would never have, any impact on her life. Nor, for that matter, would her thoughts of him.

Not that she thought about him – nor would she.

"Yes, alright, fine. I begged you to." At first, Emmeline had thought their accents strange, but it had grown on her in the short time they had known each other and now it made her smile whenever she said something. "You can hardly expect me to be content with the marriage prospects at home!"

"You are still young." Four more words.

"I agree." It just kind of slipped out. She realised what she had done when her brother gave her that face which she knew to mean that is enough, Emily. She had also said very little over dinner – she hadn't had the chance to with both Miss Edwards and Katrina talking to her and each other. A strange hush fell over that part of the dinner table. It seemed to stir something in Mr Edwards, however, as for the first time since they had been seated, he looked up from his plate and over to her. His eyes were a most peculiar shade of kelp green, she thought.

"Oh, really." It was not a question. He sounded like he was challenging her. It made her feel uncomfortable. She could feel Katrina lean back slightly and Emmeline knew she would enjoy what follows. She could feel the warning glare of her brother across from her friend. Even Miss Edwards had become silent, waiting.

"Y-yes." She said slowly, trying to muster the courage to go against what her mother had told her about keeping her mouth shut. 'Men do not like women who voice their opinions, particularly in matters that do not concern them', and this did not concern her. As her mother had pointed out in the past, she was 'not young and even when you were, there was nothing special to look at. You have lost your best years and now we are stuck with a useless, plain, disobedient child.' She swallowed, forcing away the feeling of embarrassment and the urge to flee, "In truth, I do not know why women are pushed to marry so young."

She had drawn more attention to herself now. There was an audible gasp from one of the women nearby and a few murmurs of disapproval. She had hardly said anything revolutionary or sinful, she knew that, but causing a scene and arguing with a gentleman was certainly not the appropriate manners of good breeding. And what was more, it was seemingly too late to stop whatever was about to unfold.