11-23-2025, 09:19 PM
(This post was last modified: 11-23-2025, 09:25 PM by Georgiana Selby.)
Lady Selby let out a sardonic: “Ha!” She took his arm to let him walk her around the room. Moving around meant there was less chance their conversation was overheard. “Not so great an honour, I’m afraid,” she explained. “The Enningtons are rather insignificant; not an old family, and not well-connected, not to anyone outside of Whitby anyway. Tradespeople – only very recently made their fortune. A very great fortune, I admit,” she added casually, though it was very much said on purpose and she turned her head ever so lightly to observe his reaction.
If they had stayed with their own set, Lady Selby might have liked the Enningtons better. She was all for industry and people bettering themselves. But the Enningtons practically thought themselves aristocracy, even though they clearly didn’t have the breeding to match the airs they put on. They were social climbers of the worst kind, pushing in where they didn’t belong and feeling entitled to do so just because they had money. Lady Selby only suffered their presence in her social circle to keep the peace. Some of her local friends were well acquainted with the Enningtons. She could not snub them without causing ripples.
Some of the daughters were tolerable. At least their parents had had the good sense to buy them an aristocratic education. Miss Catherine Ennington knew how to dress, how to walk, how to sit, how to speak, when to be quiet. She could boast a range of accomplishments that Lady Selby’s own daughters would have been jealous of. She was pretty, delicate, and had a kind nature by all accounts (for she was very involved in local charities). She was polite and respectful to everyone Lady Selby saw her interact with, including herself. In short, she was perfection incarnate. And Lady Selby found her incredibly boring.
“They bought an estate above Saltwick. And I suppose their daughters will marry into good families, as their dowries are said to be extravagant.” Of course, that had been the whole point of their rigorous education. The girls were their parents’ way into Mayfair. “As for Miss Catherine Ennington, she’s like most young ladies of her kind: very accomplished, very well-mannered, but with no opinions of her own. I wish I could have paired you with more interesting company, Mr. Du Pont, but I’m afraid I would be thought a bad host if I did not pair a young lady with a dashing bachelor like yourself.” Her eyes lit up. “Ah, here she is now.”
She led Mr. Du Pont to where young Miss Catherine was standing. “Miss Ennington, how are you? May I present Mr. Frank Du Pont?”
Lady Selby wouldn’t mind seeing Mrs. Enningtons ambitions for this pretty little puppet thwarted by scandal.
If they had stayed with their own set, Lady Selby might have liked the Enningtons better. She was all for industry and people bettering themselves. But the Enningtons practically thought themselves aristocracy, even though they clearly didn’t have the breeding to match the airs they put on. They were social climbers of the worst kind, pushing in where they didn’t belong and feeling entitled to do so just because they had money. Lady Selby only suffered their presence in her social circle to keep the peace. Some of her local friends were well acquainted with the Enningtons. She could not snub them without causing ripples.
Some of the daughters were tolerable. At least their parents had had the good sense to buy them an aristocratic education. Miss Catherine Ennington knew how to dress, how to walk, how to sit, how to speak, when to be quiet. She could boast a range of accomplishments that Lady Selby’s own daughters would have been jealous of. She was pretty, delicate, and had a kind nature by all accounts (for she was very involved in local charities). She was polite and respectful to everyone Lady Selby saw her interact with, including herself. In short, she was perfection incarnate. And Lady Selby found her incredibly boring.
“They bought an estate above Saltwick. And I suppose their daughters will marry into good families, as their dowries are said to be extravagant.” Of course, that had been the whole point of their rigorous education. The girls were their parents’ way into Mayfair. “As for Miss Catherine Ennington, she’s like most young ladies of her kind: very accomplished, very well-mannered, but with no opinions of her own. I wish I could have paired you with more interesting company, Mr. Du Pont, but I’m afraid I would be thought a bad host if I did not pair a young lady with a dashing bachelor like yourself.” Her eyes lit up. “Ah, here she is now.”
She led Mr. Du Pont to where young Miss Catherine was standing. “Miss Ennington, how are you? May I present Mr. Frank Du Pont?”
Lady Selby wouldn’t mind seeing Mrs. Enningtons ambitions for this pretty little puppet thwarted by scandal.
