the assembly rooms

On a misty Autumn night in 1816...
From across the room Eliza could see her lovely brother Henry, his dark curls bouncing as he danced with their youngest sister Victoria, she was the most creative in the family in Eliza's eye. When Eliza looked over to her mother who was sitting to the side of the hall with Henry's captains wife, Henry had been working at sea from a very early age and every time the siblings come together for a short wile there was a tremendous amount of embracing and tears of joy- occasionally of relief he had survived the journey. She saw a very handsome man talking to them, he had a captain's uniform on and very distinctive features, the group seemed to be talking about the dangers that life at sea could produce for him. Suddenly she recognized him; he was the man that had helped her when her stagecoach was attacked by highwaymen, he had nursed her and found her family, she was coming back from rather a pleasant visit to friends in bath, she had danced with him once at the assembly halls as they discussed the madness that is bath in an improper manner.

As the music stopped she glided across the floor ,in the most elegant pose possible, to captain Charles Thomas. She tried her best to use the 'language of the fan' that her french cousin taught her, she attempted a 'you were missed' in a very dramatic manner before he kissed her gloved hand, she was overjoyed when, after dancing four dances together, he took her to the balcony. They discussed many things of great importance before he asked for the permission to call on her in the morning to go for a picnic on a hill over looking a magnificent lake, they went back in to ask her mothers permission they found Eliza's father coming out of the card rooms with a very smug expression. When they were all in the parlor after the dance her sisters and parents teased her about the captain in a friendly manner. After the rain had finished and the captain had dried off in front of the fire in the parlor they left, several blankets at hand and finding shade under a tree made their picnic rather enjoyable, but bad news was to come; their time together was restricted and his sailors need him at sea.

The last visit to the house was with the family in the parlor, finally he took her hand and her bonnet and her coat in his other hand and lead her to a dry path behind her house, they talked for a bit about the sea before he stopped and started talking about love, then he asked her if she would be his wife, she accepted and they kissed for a wile before he left to ask for her fathers consent, she rushed into her room were she found her sister doing needle work, she told her the news and there was lots of discussion of the event before they heard the captain coming up the stairs and telling them the father gave his consent!

In the next year, when he would return to land for three years they were to be wed in a church, after much complaint from Eliza and move into an estate that Captain Charles Thomas has inherited from his god parents; Mr Chedford left the estate to him the previous year When his only son and Wife died of a very sudden and severe illness, deadly and contagious he was told to not see his family or leave the house, he was told that the illness will spread to him very soon, he was told to write a will and in it he gives all his possessions and land to the Captain before Mr Chedford died three months later.

In the months leading up to the big day there was lots of talk about pink flowers and a very long train on her dress between Eliza and her sister Alice whom she shared a room with. They were also deciding to get a landscape gardener for the garden on the estate to look practically perfect when they move in, Eliza had discussed with the Captain over letter that she was to continue her writing and reading in between holding dinner parties and possibly caring for some children with a nanny that will be hired when necessary.

His income is a massive sum of money and added with what was left to him by Mr Chedford She could afford many things and give her family some to live on and more, such as paying for brothers to go to University. When Captain Charles Thomas returned just before the wedding the whole family acted like real family towards him, especially Eliza's mother who knew him well and insisted of fussing about him, she insisted on letting him stay in the room next to Eliza and Alice's. Every morning they walked down the path were he had proposed so gently it made her have goosebumps on the back of her neck.

Her fear was growing with every step as the music played and her father walked her down the aisle, she felt faint and was leaning on him gently, still trying to look as graceful as possible. The rest of the wedding was a blur to Eliza, She remembered getting into an open top carriage With Captain Charles Thomas, her Eliza Thomas and going to the estate, organizing the Honeymoon; they planned to spend it in bath, going to the Assembly rooms were they first met every night and shopping every day, oh how she adored the assembly rooms! True love had reached her at last.

"You are lucky not to have suffered as i have." said her good friend Cassandra, her betrothed was fighting overseas when he died. When she received the letter she was in floods of tears. She said she would never feel the happiness that is love ever again. When the time for departure came once more there was allot of sadness but they needed an income, love is desirable, Money is necessary. In several months the Captain returned and left as a father. Little John was born on a summer evening in 1820.

After he left with sadness and she had hired a nanny recommended to her by a friend she was expected to entertain a small group of lady companions, she did not care much for these events and usually found these guests less than desirable as friends. she would much more enjoy an evening of reading to a half asleep baby. the main reason for her detest of these gatherings was a rather young lady called Felicity who distracted attention away from anyone else in the room, Eliza found her most disagreeable.