Chapter 5

Summary

Days past and Hyde Park, Kensington Gardens, Almack's and the Opera became objects of increasing interest to Alixe. Always gay, always unaffected, she was a universal favourite. Among all the different people she saw, none interested her so much as Emily Price. None of the girls she knew were so completely natural, so devoid of envy, so willing to allow all their due share of praise. The little parties at her friend's house became her favourite amusement. Even Almack’s, with all its attractions of dancing and beaux, held but the second plan in her esteem.

One evening when Lady Townley had accompanied them to Mrs Price’s, Emily said with great joy, “Ah, my brother will be here tonight, and we are all so happy. He has been staying there six weeks with a young man, a great friend of his, who broke his arm by a fall when he was hunting.” And Emily slightly coloured as she spoke. Alixe watched with great curiosity.

At last, the door opened and a party of young men entered, some of whom she knew. One of them was remarkably handsome and had his arm in a sling. He advanced immediately to Miss Price, who again blushed and looked so lovely at the moment, that her young friend almost regretted she had not an habitual colour. The last who entered Alixe instantly guessed to be Everard, from his likeness to his sister. But she was not satisfied with the resemblance. He was not the sort of being she had pictured Emily's brother, nor did she think him so handsome for a man as Miss Price for a woman. He had the same paleness of complexion, the same dark hair and high forehead, but his expression was stern almost to harshness and even his smile seemed to imply a conscious superiority that approached to contempt. Altogether, Alixe felt disappointed. She turned to speak to Emily, but she was busily engaged talking to the young man with the broken arm. In a moment, however, she turned and said, “I must introduce Everard to you, Alixe.”

This was accordingly done and the young man seated himself by Alixe; and after conversing for some minutes, he leant back behind her on their ottoman and said to his sister Emily, “Where are the Aimwells? It is very late for young ladies to arrive.”