Napoleon’s interest was piqued. He had not contemplated attending the ball and exhibiting himself for the titillation of the locals. There would be no one worthy to partner, he believed, except the two ladies of his own court. However, although a colonial governor’s daughter was far beneath him, perhaps if she was very pretty . . . He asked Betsy to describe Miss Wilks, saying that ‘Gourgaud spoke in raptures of her, and sketched her portrait from memory’. He produced the drawing and asked if it was a good likeness. Betsy replied that Miss Wilks ‘was infinitely more lovely, and that it bore no trace of resemblance to her. I mentioned also that she was very clever and amiable. Napoleon said I was very enthusiastic in her favour, and had made him quite long to see her.’18

That opportunity presented itself at the admiral’s ball. As the day drew closer, Betsy’s own excitement could barely be contained. She had been in boarding school for years and had never attended such a grand occasion. She would need a new dress and chattered about fabrics and designs. However, her father ruled that she was too young; Jane could go, but Betsy must wait for at least a year before coming out into society. She resolved to change his mind.

Written invitations from the castle duly arrived for Napoleon and all his French companions except the domestics. But there was a major problem with the wording. On 14 November, which happened to be his birthday, Gourgaud made a glum entry in his journal: ‘We receive invitations to the Admiral’s Ball. There is one for “General Bonaparte”.’ Napoleon promptly refused it. He said he did not know of such a person on the island. ‘Send this card to General Buonaparte,’ he told Bertrand. ‘The last news I heard of him was at the Battle of the Pyramids.’19

Betsy was still desperate to go, and pleaded with Napoleon to intercede with her father. He surprised her by arguing her case, and Balcombe relented. Soon she and Jane were paying a visit to Solomons’ store with their mother to choose silks, muslins and ribbons and to pore over the London fashions in The Lady’s Magazine. Betsy was entranced with the design for her dress, which was to be appliquéd with delicate paper roses.

One evening, as was their frequent habit, Napoleon and Las Cases came to The Briars’ house after dinner for a game of whist, with sugar plums as stakes. The senior Balcombes were unaccountably absent—Mrs Balcombe, who suffered from recurrent hepatitis, may have retired early—but the little card table was set up in the parlour. Napoleon and Jane were to play together against the ill-matched partnership of Betsy and the count.

The cards were muddled and Las Cases was instructed to sort them into suits. While his former chamberlain was occupied with this fiddly task, Napoleon asked Betsy about her robe de bal. She was inordinately proud of the new gown, her first, and had him to thank that she would be wearing it to the castle. She ran upstairs and fetched it, showing off the fine needlework and appliquéd paper roses.