Chapter 70 mentions Althorp Manor and...
When it comes to Althorp House and the Spencer family, Mary's strongest impression is of Princess Diana, but as for the current Earl, besides being the uncle of the current Duke of Devonshire, the Spencer jacket named after him is also memorable to Mary.
When Mary entered Althorp Manor with her aunt and uncle, her gaze swept calmly over the other attendees, showing no signs of stage fright whatsoever. This was quite different from her sister Fanny, Sir Thomas thought.
Besides the nobles and celebrities they had never met before, there were also some Northamptonshire gentry walking around the hall. Mary listened as Sir Thomas kept exchanging pleasantries with people he knew.
Mary had only entered the social scene this year and had never spent much time in Mansfield. Sir Thomas, on the other hand, did not like socializing with outsiders and had rarely held parties in Mansfield in recent years, so she knew almost none of these people.
Compared to the balls she had attended before, tonight's event was much more glamorous and grand. Men and women, dressed in exquisite and beautiful gowns, chatted and strolled around the banquet hall. The host prepared a sumptuous feast for the guests, enough to keep everyone entertained until dawn.
Sir Thomas encountered an acquaintance and quickly began a lively conversation. Lady Bertram, however, disliked socializing with outsiders, and she led her niece to a nearby corner. Mary, not wanting to chat with strangers, stood leisurely in that corner.
As she was observing the others, a handsome young man approached. This young man was Lord Frederick Spencer, the second son of the estate's owner.
Frederick had just graduated from Trinity College, Cambridge last year. As the second son in his family, he was not as steady as his older brother, Lord Althorp. His privileged family background gave him a good education, but it also made him suffer from many of the common problems of rich young masters.
When Mary walked into the ballroom in her champagne-colored gown, he was immediately drawn to the beautiful young woman. However, it seemed that no one at the ball recognized her, and no one would act as an intermediary to introduce her to him.
Her demeanor was so elegant and graceful; she must be a lady of high status. Just as Frederick was pondering how to make her acquaintance, his cousin also walked over.
"Miss Price, it's an honor to meet you here."
“Your Highness, I should be saying that to you.” Mary looked at the only familiar person she knew and instantly became lively.
She immediately introduced His Highness the Duke to her aunt. Upon seeing this important figure, Aunt Bertram was overjoyed, but fortunately, her naturally slow-paced nature allowed her to maintain her composure.
So she was Miss Price. She really should have gone to the ball in Grosvenor Square. By the time Frederick snapped out of his reverie, he had already overheard his cousin William making plans to dance the first round with Mary.
He was in a bad mood. Margaret had been waiting for her cousin to invite her to dance, and not only did he not intend to invite her, but he also invited Miss Price instead.
He quickly went to the group and asked his cousin to introduce them. The Duke then introduced Mary and the others to his cousin.
“I think I just heard you mention dancing, William. I remember how beautiful you were when Marigold was eighteen. I really hope to see you dancing with her again at today’s ball.” Frederick hoped this suggestion would work.
"Then you'll have to wait quite a while. I've already arranged to dance the first round with Miss Price. There will be many gentlemen at today's ball, and I don't think Margaret will lack a dance partner. She doesn't need to dance with me. That's what makes this ball meaningful, isn't it?"
Frederick didn't have the courage to continue persuading his cousin; he felt he had already done his best. Besides, Miss Price was so beautiful that he couldn't help but want to dance with her, but he wanted to wait out of consideration for his sister.
The music soon began, and Mary, the Duke of Devonshire, and other male and female dance partners began to dance the salon dance. When they were exchanging partners, Mary clearly felt that a beautiful noble lady seemed to glare at her.
Poor Miss Margaret Spencer, today's ball was destined to make her unhappy, and when she stepped off the dance floor and learned that the beautiful girl who had danced with the Duke of Devonshire in the first round was Miss Price, she was even more uncomfortable.
She glanced around the hall and saw Frederick chatting and laughing with some close friends, while his other brother, John, was talking with several members of the House of Commons. She then walked over to Miss Price herself.
“Miss Price, I suppose this is your first time attending such a grand occasion? My father, Earl Spencer, has invited you to Althorp Manor, which will surely be a pleasant surprise for you.”
When Mary saw the pretty lady who had glared at her on the dance floor walking towards her, she already had a bad feeling.
“Hello, Miss Spencer, apart from the more luxurious decorations, the ball at Althorp Manor doesn’t seem to be much better than the other balls I’ve attended. I think most people are the same.”
"The same? You can't possibly think that a baron and a priest are the same. I think this is the first time you've met so many people of high status. After all, your uncle and godfather were only knights, weren't they? By the way, what did your deceased father do?"
"He used to be a naval officer, miss."
“I remember my father was once the First Lord of the Navy, but I’m not sure if he knew Mr. Price, or perhaps he had heard of your godfather.”
Mary said sarcastically, "That's quite a coincidence, Miss Spencer. My father used to talk about the officers in the Admiralty a lot when he was alive. I wonder if your father was in office at the time."
The Earl of Spencer clearly didn't understand. Ignoring the question, she continued, "Don't you have an older brother who does business on Bond Street? I heard he's actually claiming to be a friend of my cousin, the Duke of Devonshire. I hope he'll behave himself and stop flaunting the Cavendish name."
As she said this, the Countess looked at Mary. What she really meant to say was not Richard Price, but Miss Price.
Such sarcasm did not hurt Mary: "What I know is different from what you have heard. As far as I know, my brother did not try to curry favor with him; it was the Duke who took the initiative to call him a friend."
Margaret grew anxious: "Miss Price, I think you should admit that everyone is born into a different place, and forcing yourself to stay in an unsuitable position will only harm yourself and others."
"If your theory is correct, the Spencer family should have been content with running a wool business from the start. Why did they have to pursue a higher title, esteemed lady?"
Just as the two young ladies were about to start arguing, William Cavendish, who had been watching Mary closely, and Frederick Spencer, who had just witnessed everything, came over.
Fearing his sister would anger her cousin, Frederick spoke first: "Ladies, instead of dancing, you're hiding here chatting. Isn't that a bit disrespectful to the gentlemen here today? Miss Price, would you do me the honor of dancing with me?"
Seeing that Mary had accepted Lord Spencer's invitation and the two were about to go to the dance floor, Margaret couldn't wait for her cousin's invitation. Standing to the side, she was extremely ashamed and indignant, so she crossed the dance floor and went to the other side.
After Margaret left, Frederick said to Mary, "I'm sorry, Miss Price, I apologize on behalf of my sister. She's not usually like this; it's just that her deep affection for her cousin affected her emotions."
“Lord Spencer, you should go and comfort your sister instead of staying here chatting with the daughter of a naval officer.” Mary smiled. “That noble lady is mocking my brother’s business dealings, as if he has completely forgotten the origins of his family’s wealth.”
Frederick was taken aback. Having not heard the whole thing, he hadn't expected Miss Price to be so sharp-tongued, which was quite different from her beautiful and elegant image.
The Duke of Devonshire was finally relieved. As expected, Miss Price was not the type to compromise herself in front of nobles, and Margaret would not get the better of her.
After Mary and Frederick went dancing, Lord Althorp, who had just learned of the situation from his sister, approached his cousin: "William, admit it, your trip to Northampton was entirely because of Miss Price. She is indeed a beauty, and was it not unexpected that my father invited her to the ball?"
Seeing that William remained silent, he continued, "I've heard that many people want to pursue this young lady. There are rumors that her assets may be more than 60,000. And since she doesn't have a powerful background, she's perfect as a wife for some people."
Upon hearing this, William's eyes immediately sharpened. He knew what his cousin meant: for those who were short of money, marrying a wealthy wife was the most convenient way to pay off their debts. As for how the husband would react after the wife's dowry was completely drained, that depended on the man's conscience.
The lord continued, "From Miss Price's perspective, wouldn't it be better for her to marry a country gentleman? It would be more comfortable for her. Being the wife of a nobleman is no simple matter, and Miss Price hasn't received that kind of training. Just look at Althorp Manor—how could an ordinary person understand the manpower and resources required to run it?"
William felt uncomfortable with these words. He had always regarded Miss Price as a friend, but when he thought about her getting married in the future, he felt that his cousin's words made no sense.
A country gentleman? If Miss Price gets married, does she expect to live in a country estate from then on? She's secretly involved in her brother's company; would she really want to live that idyllic, pastoral life forever?
Besides, if she married a country gentleman, would her husband be willing to let his wife travel to Europe for her studies? In his opinion, Miss Price should choose a nobleman who is clean-living, honest, wealthy, and who loves to travel but not socializing.
He tried hard to find a suitable marriage partner for this "friend" in his mind, but after thinking it over, he felt that there was really no suitable candidate among the nobles around him. His cousin John was too old, his cousin Frederick was too frivolous, and the other nobles were either already married or he did not trust their character.
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