Beginning, Previous Section, Section III
Jump to new as of May 22, 2011It must not be supposed that Mr Alver was not also subject to the gossip of the village; because he was. So youthful and friendly a young man however – for he had carried bags for Miss Bates among other small kindnesses – received only the most kindly of gossip; and it was generally supposed that he was some protégé of Mr Knightley, staying with him as a favour to a father or, as he had mentioned an uncle, some other guardian. Indeed Mr Alver had endeared himself entirely when he had taken groceries in his phaeton, which was worthy of gossip itself, to Mr Weston's old nurse just because Mr Weston had mentioned in his hearing that she was feeling a little low in this weather and should have such delivered for her. And Mr Alver had offered straight away to deliver anything that was needed and claimed that his horses needed the exercise in any case. Everyone knew that Mr Weston would have cheerfully undertaken this small chore himself; but that Mr Alver was so ready to do so spoke well of his sweetness of character, just like Mr Frank Churchill!
And George said cynically that far from being like Frank Churchill, Arthur really was a sweet natured and kindly youth, since he had never known Churchill to do a kindness that was not public, whereas he also knew that Arthur was secretly leaving the results of the shooting he was enjoying to pass the time on the doorsteps of the poorest in the neighbourhood with a note that it was with permission and no poached game, implying that it was at the behest of either William Larkins or Mr Knightley himself; and though it was with permission it had been Arthur's idea entirely.
Arthur did draw the line at nursing a typhus ridden girl; and explained as much, with some trepidation, to Gervase.
Gervase had smiled – relieving Arthur's mind no end – and said,
"Oh it is an insane venture, dear boy, and had I not had the disease I might think twice also! Perhaps you will be my messenger boy however and assist Marsh with fetching and carrying?"
Arthur was happy to help out his uncle's imperturbable valet, who had been his batman during the wars and who might be even more of a stickler for sartorial proprieties than his master but who was also capable of showing well in a mill and could drop the accents of an upper class servant to bawl out a footman in the language of the military. Marsh assisted Mrs Hodges with the laundering of the extra clothes and proved – that worthy declared – almost the equal of a woman. He showed her enough deference to soon be a prime favourite. Marsh knew how to handle women; on the Peninsular he had been considered equal to any baggage train in his usefulness for his ability to charm billets and good meals out of the women of any village, however unwilling and sullen. His greatest feat was whispered to have been in France, to get the men of the –th Rifle Brigade settled and cared for in a village whose men they had been shooting at the day before by trading the medicines they carried to be used impartially on French and English wounded.
Alverston certainly considered Marsh invaluable; he was capable of procuring anything his master wanted at any time and had never yet been seen to fail. Alverston just preferred not to ask by what methods he came by some of his more dubious acquisitions since he strongly suspected Marsh of having the ability to apply the larcenous tendencies of his pre-war profession as a poacher.
Marsh had been due to be hung for being caught poaching on the lands that marched with Alverton, under the tenure of Sir Richard Fairlees; and he had been offered the chance to join up instead on a plea by the young Gervase Alver, second legitimate son of the then Marquess. He had remained devoted to Gervase's interests ever since. Marsh indeed did not mind taking a turn sitting with Kate to give both Gervase and Prudence a rest; and, as he said, some time to be lovebirds out of the sick chamber.
Gervase damned his impudence in the sort of way that was plainly, Prudence thought, a matter of form and almost a standing joke between the men. She thanked Marsh prettily for his kindness and won a devoted admirer in him by telling him to be sure and not let his master overdo things and wear himself to a rag.
Marsh was also not one to gossip but as he was undertaking to purchase such as was needed to nurse the girl Kate he passed on to Gervase and Prudence what he thought were the more hilarious stories that he had heard.
"And if you ask me, My Lord, which I know you won't but I'm going to tell you anyway" he said "That Vicar's wife is as Unchristian a soul as ever stepped that wasn't a candidate for the Papacy. Right wicked tongue she has; and I could have put her right, but I though to myself, ho, NO Marsh, his Lordship is going to enjoy giving her a put-down and give her the cut-direct when this wretched girl is off his hands, and serve the evil baggage right too, making such assumptions about our Miss Prudence. And she ain't so well born herself that she can afford to cast aspersions on others; her father's a cit and her uncle's some kind of glorified solicitor's clerk and her sister is married to a knight of industry as you might say; or rather one who'd like to be knighted for the industry of his workers."
"Marsh, how you manage to come out with a sentence so full of such top-lofty derision and then finish with a sentence that almost smacks of revolutionary egalitarianism is quite remarkable" said Gervase.
Marsh grinned.
"It's practice, My Lord" he said. "And a right bumblebroth the old besom has made of second guessing; and if you'll take my advice, My Lord, Miss Prudence, you won't be seen being too obviously My Lord Alverston if you be wishful of squiring Miss Blenkinsop around outside; until you gets the opportunity to get the last laugh and make a fool of that woman in public."
"Marsh" said Gervase "You have a reprehensible sense of humour."
"Yes My Lord. You said much the same when we booby-trapped that cavalry colonel's thunderbox to detonate when he lifted the lid" said Marsh.
"WE?" said Gervase.
"Well My Lord, we couldn't of done it if you'd not had that friend in the artillery as let us have the equipment" said Marsh.
Gervase grinned.
"Well I suppose not….. a wretched man, Prudence, that we should startle him with a loud but I assure you non harmful detonation of his close stool; he thought as senior officer he had the right to order my Rifles about and Cavalry ways and Rifle ways are a lot different. We laid him low with good syrup of figs and on the day he was to be invalided out, Marsh here came up with an idea to speed him on his way. It was hilarious" he added.
Sustained by Gervase' love, Marsh's sense of humour, and the calm good sense of Emma and George, even though she might not approach Emma too closely, Prudence felt able to cope with a situation in which she was avoided by some villagers if she walked down the street or treated warily by others.
Miss Bates called her in to take tea with her and her mother.
"William Larkins – he is such a good friend to us! – tells me that there is a lot of foolishness spoken about the contagion of typhus when if good precautions are taken it might be entirely avoided!" said Miss Bates.
"I should certainly say that the chance of contracting it might be significantly reduced by good hygiene practices" said Prudence "And Mr Perry has said that if none of us who are involved in the nursing of poor Kate have contracted the illness within a week – which expires tomorrow – then we are unlikely to succumb. And I have no signs of illness whatsoever" she added "So it does look as though removing the poor girl's lice ridden clothing and burning it and making sure to wash our own clothes immediately on leaving the sick room has been effective. The theory has been advanced, you understand, by a friend of my betrothed, that the disease is carried on the bodies of lice; and that poor girl was crawling."
"Oh my dear! How KIND of you to deal with such disgusting creatures! I was saying to mother only this morning that the Fellowes family are a DISGRACE! And three of the children down with it now, and Mrs Fellowes coughing too, and even Hod Dodderidge won't let Fellowes into the Bull and Basket, which is where low types like him go for their heavy wet, on account – so I heard – that the others who drink there threatened to string up Dod and Harry Fellowes both if he brought his Typhus into the inn! Though I must say, calling it an INN is a bit of aggrandisement, for the place is a hovel scarce bigger than an ordinary kitchen and hardly any cleaner than Fellowes place, they say. And you are still perfectly fit? And your young man? Will we get to meet him when Kate is either better or succumbs? Mrs Elton is most disparaging but I say that a man who will put himself out for a girl most will tell you is of no account is a gentleman, whatever his birth! Is it true that he was a horse doctor in the army?"
Prudence laughed.
"Oh you will, I am certain, meet him" she said "And he is a gentleman by birth whatever Mrs Elton might imagine; and she seems to have IMAGINED quite a lot! He has served on the Peninsular as an officer but not in the capacity of horse doctor. He was in the Rifle Brigade; they are a foot regiment. It is the same regiment as Sir Harry Smith, who was responsible for the relief of Badahos; it is not a fashionable regiment, but probably the one most responsible for putting Boney on the run. Though I am biased!" she added. "I gather that all who served in Spain have learned something of how to physick each other though; it was an unhealthy place."
"So you will be introducing him? Excellent!" cried Miss Bates "MISS BLENKINSOP WILL INTRODUCE US TO HER BETROTHED WHEN KATE IS EITHER WELL OR DEAD, MOTHER!" she bellowed. "Tell me, as you are in outbuildings of Donwell, do you see anything of the Marquess? Or does he avoid the sick room and any from it for fear of the typhus?"
Prudence smiled.
"His Lordship is all that is amiable" she said. "As one might expect of a friend of my Cousin George."
"He is a FRIEND then of Mr Knightley? MOTHER, MISS BLENKINSOP SAYS THAT THE NOBLE LORD IS A FRIEND OF MR KNIGHTLEY!" she informed the old woman, who smiled.
"They became good friends in London discussing how best to save what might be of their respective crops and alleviate suffering on their lands" said Prudence. "His Lordship came here after having returned to Lincolnshire to communicate some of the ideas he and Cousin George discussed to his own Bailiff."
"Oh, he sounds a very upright and proper landlord!" said Miss Bates "One hears such stories of the aristocracy, and not always to their credit you know; it is very exciting that he chooses to visit! Does he hope to buy Donwell Abbey if Mr Knightley and Mrs Emma continue to live at Hartfield?"
"I do not believe the subject has been discussed at all" said Prudence. "What an excellent cup of tea you make!"
"Oh I am glad you think so! Black tea is not to the liking of all, I believe it is fashionable to take a dish of GREEN tea and mother and I would not like to get used to that, it is not to our liking. Moreover black tea STORES better; I have heard that green tea QUITE loses its flavour within a year!"
"I have only had green tea in London when it was all that was offered but most fashionable hostesses there also offer black tea and indeed I believe it is the more popular kind" said Prudence. "There seems little point in a beverage that has but little flavour that is quite drowned by the addition of the milk. Though I fear we shall be drinking our black tea black if the milk yields are down this year for the bad weather, even as we must do through the winter months. This bad weather seems quite endless."
"Indeed yes!" said Miss Bates "And poor Mother suffers from the cold at her age; I do not know how she will go on if the weather does not improve!"
"And she will not be the only one" said Prudence. "Miss Bates; I have an errand to perform; will you think me rude if I hasten off upon it? I should like to come again another time if you will have me."
"Oh Miss Blenkinsop, you could never offend; it is I who must apologise for keeping you from your errand! I trust that you will continue to keep well…." And talking volubly all the way the good woman saw Prudence out.
Prudence took herself to the Ironmonger's which stood out along Church Lane and sold, in addition to such useful things as harness fitments, garden implements, timber and nails, such things as candles; and, too, coal, which was stored in the big yard behind the shop. The name over the shop was Saunders, and the shop lay as far as it was physically possible for it to do from the Blacksmith's forge with whom Mr Saunders had a running rivalry; and which bone of contention was the greatest was that White, the smith, had to purchase coal from Saunders' or pay to have it carted in when he wanted a hotter fire than might be obtained from local timber.
Most people burned wood of course; but the coal was supplemental for those of greater means and there were standing orders for the large houses in the neighbourhood. Prudence entered under a jangling bell into that curious and yet attractive odour that typifies an ironmonger, redolent with the grease on locks, candlewax, sawn wood and the curious metallic smell that is hard to define.
"I wish to purchase a half ton of coal for Mrs Bates" said Prudence "And too three hundredweight sacks of coal to be delivered to each of the needy families in the neighbourhood. You will bill me? I am staying at Hartfield."
"Oh yes, you be Miss Blenkinsop" said the proprietor with respect. This would be a substantial sale, and a welcome one with everyone pulling in their belts over anticipated poor harvests.
"That is quite correct" said Prudence. "There is no need to mention my name however; just explain that it is a gift."
"You are right good, Miss Blenkinsop" said Saunders. "Many will bless their unknown benefactress. I dare to suggest your gift might save lives."
"I will pay for an extra sack where there are small children too on the understanding that the heat is used to permit frequent hot baths to avoid the typhus" said Prudence.
"Washing can help Miss? They do say you are betrothed to an expert in the disease as worked among the soldiers in the wars" he said.
Prudence laughed.
"Oh not at all" she said "My betrothed has some little knowledge of it for having fought in the wars; and having had it himself and recovered. He is of the opinion that it is carried on body lice, and washing the body and the clothes thoroughly keeps them at bay and so does not permit the disease to spread; and ironing the seams kills the eggs."
Saunders considered.
"Well, Miss Blenkinsop, thank you for the clear explanation; that I will spread when I deliver coal and explain what it is to be used for as well as warmth." Said Saunders. "I will also loan out an iron to such as do not possess one. If we may keep clear of infection – save for those hem Fellowes as are a disgrace to the community – then we shall be doing well."
"Thank you Mr Saunders" said Prudence.
It all helped. And as he sold flatirons he might readily loan one; and doubtless would hope that the difference it made would prompt others to purchase one too!
Posted on: 2011-05-07
It might not be supposed that Arthur, though not disposed to help damsels in distress to the extent of having Typhus, would entirely manage to be able to avoid feminine entanglements.
The girls of Mrs Goddard's excellent school were firmly chased out for healthful walks in all but the most inclement weather; which was to say when the fog had receded for once to a light haze, and the sun might be perceived to be blushing in shame at its inability to dissipate the mist.
Upon two of such girls did Mr Arthur Alver come, most unexpectedly, the one standing and wringing her hands, the other sat on the ground, white of face and clutching her ankle, which was several times larger than any ankle had the right to be.
"I say!" said Arthur "Are you hurt?" he considered and added "Stupid sort of question; I can see that you are hurt. May I be of assistance?"
The injured girl was of the rather bouncing type of girl whom Arthur normally avoided; this accident however had rendered her somewhat more than harmless and she murmured a shy
"Oh if you please!"
"Emily – Miss Rawlinson – placed her foot awkwardly in a rabbit scrape" explained the other maiden, who looked to be of the kind who end up scrawny and either – in Arthur's opinion – marry vicars because nobody else would want them, or end up acidulated old maids as companions to demanding dowagers or governesses to someone else's prodigies.
"Well the best thing to do is to bandage it" said Arthur "And then take her to Mr Perry. Let me see; I do not think a kerchief will do; it will have to be my cravat. Is there a stream nearby Miss….?" He asked the other. She simpered.
"Miss Potts" she said "Miss Henrietta Potts. I think there is one down by the stile."
"Then I shall just go and wet the bandage" said Arthur heading off to do so as he tore the cravat from about his neck.
Neither of the girls made him in any way wish to foreswear his vow of eschewing women; indeed he was glad that they came as a matched pair as one might say or avoiding an entanglement might have been hard!
He carried back his wetted cravat and proceeded to bind Miss Rawlinson's foot. It was no expert piece of work; but the cold water and the relief of the pressure made her give a little cry of sheer relief.
"Can you stand on it if we help you Em?" asked Miss Potts.
The idea of half carrying a young female for the time it would take her to hobble to the high street filled Arthur with horror.
"No need, Miss Rawlinson; I am sure you are quite light enough for me to manage" he declared firmly.
Miss Rawlinson gave a little squeak; but was glad enough to be swept up in strong arms. Arthur might not yet possess such fine shoulders as his uncle; but he was an athletic youth and his shoulders and arms were strong. Miss Rawlinson might be rather an armful but Arthur had no difficulty.
And her obviously bandaged foot also meant that nobody should get the wrong idea.
He was glad to leave the girls at Mr Perry's and stopped politely to explain what had happened when called upon by Miss Bates to come in for a dish of tea and do so.
"Upon my word, Mr Alver, you are the SOUL of courtesy; so STRONG too!" declared Miss Bates "And how lucky for Miss Rawlinson that you happened along; for I am sure Miss Potts would never think of anything practical to do! Pray, Mr Alver tell me – I have been meaning to ask – your name is so like that of the Noble Lord one cannot but wonder……"
Miss Bates had been wondering whether Mr Alver were a natural child of the Marquess, partially acknowledged.
"Eh?" said Arthur "Oh, Alver is our family name; my uncle's full name is Gervase William Marcus Alexander Alver, Marquess of Alverston; I'm the son of the by-blow and black sheep of the family. All my other uncles died respectably in battle. But my father and I were always permitted the name. He only loaded me with a couple of names though; Arthur Selwyn. Selwyn was the name of an uncle of my mother's you see, from whom my father had expectations on my behalf, but the old man remarried in his seventies and sired half a dozen hopeful children after making it clear he wanted nothing to do with my father or me, so I do not really trouble to use it."
"Dear me!" said Miss Bates, who was planning out how to write all this delicious information to dear Jane. "How VERY interesting!"
"Oh do you think so?" said Arthur "It is a little more convenient to have a surname close to one's title I should think; my Aunt Georgiana is Georgiana, Lady Greyling, because her husband is Viscount Greyling but the family name is Wrexham and there was the most obnoxious woman that she met in Brighton who insisted on calling her 'Mrs Greyling' and asked if she was a remarried widow or if her children were illegitimate; fortunately Georgie – she refuses to be aunt, you know – has a sense of humour and saw the funny side. She and Uncle Roger – her husband – took the children to the seaside you know, but Georgie said that Brighton is sadly overrated. They go normally to Cromer which I understand is delightful."
"Why yes; Mr Perry recommends Cromer also" said Miss Bates "It is said to have excellent beaches and a superior kind of air. Very bracing I believe."
Arthur laughed.
"For BRACING I could recommend no more than Wethertop at Alverston; I do not believe that the wind ever stops blowing there. It is capital for flying kites! Uncle Gervase always took Cousin Kitty and me there when we were small; by jove, he made a capital kite for us; I wonder if it is still at Alver House? I must go and see next time I'm up there! Miss Bates, is there anything I can get you at the shops while I am here? I must call in to the haberdasher for a pair of gloves; I tore these ones on a thorn while I was reaching to dip my cravat in the water to bind Miss er……the young lady's foot" Arthur having forgotten her name already "And I doubt it will mend."
"Why, Mr Alver! If you will leave it with me, I feel sure I can mend so trifling a tear…. But if you would be KIND enough to get me a peck of dried peas from the grocer I should be much obliged; I THOUGHT I had plenty, but when I came to look I discovered I was QUITE out; I was about to step out when I saw you come by."
"I'd be delighted" said Arthur who quite enjoyed Miss Bates' artless prattle.
It may be said that Miss Bates made so fine a mend to the small tear that Arthur was constrained to plant a kiss on her cheek 'as one might do to the dear friend of so fine a fellow as George without causing offence' as he said. Miss Bates was very far from offended and thought wistfully how pleasant it might have been to have met so nice a young man as Mr Alver some twenty years previously!
Arthur was quite pleased to have given Miss Bates plenty to talk about without telling her anything; and left the peas with Patty, the maid, and went on his way whistling.
The barouche that bowled down the street had him starting in shock losing all desire to whistle any further; or rather one of its occupants did
"JUPITER!" said Arthur "What the DEVIL is Kitty doing here?"
Arthur considered a barouche a very slow sort of vehicle to drive; if one wanted a big heavy vehicle, a chaise provided space and relative comfort for the passengers for being enclosed; the idea of a vehicle that had a folding top and not much room for luggage when one might, in his own words, dodge the raindrops with a decent sporting vehicle like a phaeton or a curricle, struck him as insane. However, on perceiving that the equipage was driven by that sober young man Mr Penrose he could perceive that so understated a vehicle would suit that youth's personality. His sober personality extended to the driving coat that was presently wrapped around Kitty.
Mr Penrose pulled his vehicle to a stop.
"Showy horses you have there Penrose" said Arthur critically "But I wouldn't like to wager that the driver isn't throwing out a splint. What are you doing with my cousin?"
"Throwing out a splint? Are you certain? I thought the gait was becoming uneven; I was exceedingly glad we were almost here. We are here, aren't we? Only Kitty wanted to come and find you and Mrs Knightley and Miss Blenkinsop so I agreed, and here we are."
"As Aunt Mouser would say, Gadzooks!" said Arthur "Here, Kitty, why are you being a watering pot? Have some control do or you'll spoil Penrose's driving coat and it ain't entirely the thing at the best of times!"
"Never mind my coat!" said Mr Penrose "Miss Fairlees has run away from her Aunt er Katherine and I need to know where we're going."
"Here, you climb up with Kit and I'll take you" said Arthur. "And then you and I had better retire to Donwell – it's a stone's throw from Hartfield where we're going – and stay with Uncle Gervase; no point us hanging on Cousin Emma's sleeve. If you don't stop crying Kitty I'll put you out and make you walk."
"You can't do that, Alver, it's my barouche after all!" said Mr Penrose.
"Well make her stop or I might just show you how well I can" said Arthur. "WHY does Uncle Gervase have to be engaged in a whimsical fit of charity when we need him to sort out whatever bumblebroth of a Cheltenham Tragedy Kitty has got herself into now! Oh stop bridling, Penrose; she's embroiled ME in enough of her fits of the vapours and it usually turns out to be a complete hum! Here we are; and Cowley can see to organising the baggage. If you remembered to bring any. Cowley, Miss Kitty Fairless, who is my cousin, will be staying; Mr Penrose and I will go to stay with my Uncle at Donwell."
"Very good, Mr Alver" said Cowley in what he hoped was a colourless voice. Mrs Emma would be wanting to know about THIS.
"Oh Prudence!" wailed Kitty "I've run away from Aunt Mouser because she wants me to marry someone I don't want to marry!"
Prudence, returning from Donwell to find Kitty being ensconced in the parlour by Cowley sat down beside her.
"Kitty, somehow I doubt that Aunt Mouser is going to force you into marriage if you are against the idea. Have you TOLD her that you are against the idea?"
Kitty sobbed more.
"No; she was so KEEN on the idea and I do not like to go against the wishes of others in case their feelings are hurt!"
"You are a goose, Kitty" said Prudence "Aunt Mouser's feelings are going to be hurt a good deal more for you running out on her like that! Do you want to marry Mr Penrose?"
"No! I mean, he is perfectly amiable but I have not the least tendre for him, nor yet for anyone!" declared Kitty. "But he was good enough to offer his aid when he saw me crying."
"Then Mr Penrose, who does not in the least wish to be stuck in the country, shall return to London when his horses are rested… or you shall borrow Arthur's…. And will go to Aunt Mouser with a letter I shall write to her explaining that you are safe at Hartfield and shall remain here until you get over your megrims."
"Will Alver let me borrow his team?" asked Mr Penrose doubtfully.
"To get rid of one more extraneous person I shall so long as you take them to Aunt Mouser and leave them in the care of her chief groom!" said Arthur "Abel knows what he is about! And if that driver of yours IS throwing out a splint, no way you can work the poor creature! Ask Abel to have someone bring them down to me; there's a likely boy who can stay and help in the stables here. You'll just have to hire job horses until yours are healed; and that's a long business. Whoever sold them to you saw you coming!"
"I wondered if they were a little young for heavy work" admitted Mr Penrose.
"Well come and see Alison; she's an obliging sort of girl, will rustle you up something to eat before you leave" said Arthur "leave the ladies in peace. Tactful you know."
"I had no idea you knew what tact was" Mr Penrose was saying as they withdrew.
"Very well Kitty; what is so bad about this suitor that throws you into a pother?" demanded Prudence. Emma came tripping in and sat down on the other side of the weeping girl.
"His name is Mr Letheridge" said Kitty "And he's OLD! Why he must be as old as Cousin Gervase!"
"Gervase is not old!" said Prudence "He is two-and-thirty; a most excellent age in a man!"
"A little too young even" said Emma, smugly contemplating the thought of her George.
"Well I think it old!" said Kitty "And he is- is not in the least bit dashing or romantic; he is interested in STEAM ENGINES and he took me as a day out to the Soho Foundry with Diana and Helen – Helen is eight – and they enjoyed it well enough, well Diana asked enough questions, and I did not."
"Why how civil of him to include your little cousins in a day out and find something that they enjoyed!" said Prudence "Did you not suggest Astley's Amphitheatre or a balloon ascension at Vauxhall?"
"We did got to Astley's and that was vastly diverting" admitted Kitty. "Oh but Pru! His first name is MELEAGER!"
"That is a distinct fault in any man" agreed Prudence "But scarcely one that is his fault; not one that he can remedy. Do not his most intimate friends have a shortening or a nickname?"
"I do not know" said Kitty crossly "But Aunt Mouser seems to think it a frivolous reason for making any complaint about him; she laughed at me, so how could I tell her that I did not wish to receive him to make me an offer?"
"Good grief you dear but silly little pea-goose!" said Prudence "Just because she has agreed to permit him to make you an offer does not mean that she necessarily expects you to accept it! When was he to come?"
"This afternoon!" cried Kitty.
"Then he will have found you absent; did you leave a note?"
"Oh yes!" said Kitty.
"So Aunt Mouser knows where you were bound?" asked Prudence and groaned as Kitty shook her head.
"I said I was going to One who would protect me!" she said.
"You silly girl!" said Emma "That sounds as though you have eloped with someone you foolish child!"
Kitty gasped and fainted.
Emma and Prudence caught each other's eyes and sighed. Prudence arranged Kitty comfortably on the day bed while Emma went for a vinaigrette to arouse Kitty with its pungent scent.
Kitty coughed, moaned and sat up.
"I shall write to Aunt Mouser straight away" said Prudence. "WHAT a to do; well I doubt that Mr Letheridge will offer for you now, Kitty; such hoydenish behaviour will surely give him a distaste for you…bless the girl she's off again!"
Mr Penrose left in short order bearing a note for Aunt Mouser couched in Prudence's forthright style to the effect that Kitty was safe, chaperoned, wishful to wed nobody, and now she had stopped fainting as sensible as she ever was which was not saying a great deal.
Prudence explained that the child had developed the idea that Aunt Mouser would force her into marriage and suggested that if Aunt Mouser had the chance to do an ill turn to the girl's father it would be a good idea, since his seeming treatment of her as goods to be sold must surely have induced this foolish maggot in her head.
Arthur went over to Donwell to tell Gervase.
Both Gervase and Prudence were much more sanguine about Kate at least by this time since the fever had broken in the night – Gervase was exhausted and Marsh was with the now sleeping girl - and she seemed likely to live. Once the fever broke there was no likelihood that she was in the least infectious; and Prudence had stripped and changed her sweat-sodden nightdress and she was to sleep from now on indoors under the care of Mrs Hodges overnight. Which being so, Gervase was more inclined to sardonic amusement over Kitty's latest flight and called it 'another flight of fancy'.
Arthur moved in, and declared himself willing to bear a part of checking up on a girl that was no longer infectious, and by jove even if she was, it was less dangerous than the toils of one of Kitty's embroglios.
Gervase was inclined to agree.
Kate should need nothing more than aid with her physical requirements – which Mrs Hodges was more than equal to deal with – and feeding up; and Gervase was ready to step aside from her care and interest himself in the limited social life of Highbury.
"There's a whist club at the 'Crown' volunteered Arthur on hearing his uncle's resolve "I joined it. Mind, I did say that it was as well that my uncle was too busy to come along or there'd be no point anyone else turning up except that Captain Lord Hornblower fellow."
"Hornblower plays a very sound game" said Gervase. "Remarkably cautious though when one considers how reckless his actions often were in his younger days; some have compared him to Nelson."
"He was a friend of Uncle Percy, wasn't he?" asked Arthur.
"Yes; a good friend" said Gervase. "Took care of young Percy when he was a midshipman. I don't care what they say about the scandal; he has had plenty of trouble in his life but he's a kindly man and his wife stands by him. And he needs the whist for his pride because no man on half-pay wants to live on his wife."
"I can see that" said Arthur "I'm no end grateful that grandfather left enough for father that I have a comfortable competence; and that you invested it wisely for me and pay me a handsome allowance."
"WHICH I shall cut off if you get rusticated again" said Gervase. "And you may spend some of your leisure in George's excellent library to make sure that your studies do not suffer."
Arthur pulled a face; but did not bother to protest. Uncle Gervase could be a capital fellow when he was being unbending but he was also not to be crossed in his strictures. He gave a shy grin.
"I say, Uncle Gervase, when you gave me those driving lessons, it has helped me to appreciate you as a person not just a stern guardian; and though I'd not wish to disobey you, I'm no longer scared of you."
"I am only sorry that you were afraid of me, Arthur" said Gervase. "I have been very stern with you; partly it was a nervousness about the responsibility of taking on a stripling; and partly because I feared you might be as sadly unsteady as your father. I loved my big brother Laurence but he was the saddest trial to papa!"
"THAT was why you were in such boughs when Kitty persuaded me to run of with her – because papa eloped with mama, did he not?" said Arthur.
"He did" said Gervase. "And your papa left his legacy well entailed to pass to you for he was an inveterate gambler; which tendency I am glad to say you appear not to have inherited."
"To be honest sir, I find it slow" said Arthur. "I prefer to be doing something active. I have enjoyed walking the Donwell estate with William Larkins; do you suppose I might train to take over from our own Clitheroe when he retires?"
"Well if you would like to do that I cannot think of anyone I had rather have to take care of my interests" said Gervase "But you would not be able to gallivant off to town."
Arthur laughed.
"Oh town is well enough; and it pleases me to show off how well you have taught me to drive; but I am most awfully contented here, and too I miss Alverston most dreadfully; I do too when I am up at Oxford. I am not cut out to study history and law. Should you mind if I withdrew?"
"Yes I should" said Gervase "George has a good degree; education is never wasted. If you truly love the land, you should concentrate more on the classics to be able to read old documents about land tenancy and changing use of the land; we have a huge amount of unsorted records in the muniment room that I have never got around to sorting."
"Well if it is to be for a purpose I suppose it is worth working on" said Arthur. "Classics for the sake of the classics has always been dull."
"Look in the library for the plays of Aristophanes" said Gervase "Or ,more particularly the works of Catullus; look where there are several dirty pages together which is where they have been most opened. That will be the most er interesting part to a juvenile male."
"By jove sir, I believe I shall look!" said Arthur.
A/N; Tribute here to C.S. Forester and his hero Horatio Hornblower, first and still the best Napoleonic naval hero. And by the way the trick of looking for the dirty edged pages also apparently works for things like Lady Chatterley's Lover; I have it on excellent authority of someone who's checked.
Posted on: 2011-05-11
Gervase woke to the orange glow that penetrated the mist.
FIRE!
He leaped out of bed, pulling on his buckskins over his nightshirt and forcing bare feet into his walking boots; and pulled on his dressing gown for greater warmth than a jacket. Marsh roused in an instant at his master's stirring; glanced at the window and whistled.
"Fellowes place if I'm not mistaken My Lord" he said.
"As I too thought" said Gervase curtly "If some misguided fools have tried to burn them out for fear of sickness…."
"It would scarcely be surprising" said Marsh, scrambling on clothes himself.
The usually immaculate Marquess of Alverston was joined at the scene of the fire by George and John Knightley who had also been roused by it; and Gervase and Marsh had been followed in short order by Arthur.
There were other villagers, pulling the rush thatching from the blazing roof and forming a chain gang to bring water.
There was movement at the door and Arthur ran forward first, almost driven back by the heat, snatching and carrying out a small figure.
Gervase pulled off his dressing gown to beat out the flames that had spontaneously erupted from Arthur's coat; pushing him and his burden to the ground. And then he was ripping the charred clothing from the child, a little girl of perhaps five summers.
No lice would have survived that; but by a miracle, and the thicknesses of the many layers of the missmatched clothing that the child had been wearing, her clothing had burned leaving her skin untouched! Her hair was burned away, and there were burns on her hands and face, but they might be dressed. And for now cooled in water.
"Arthur! Are you all right?" Gervase demanded.
Arthur managed a rather scorched grin.
"Singed about the edges dear uncle" he said "Like a good rare steak that has just looked at the flame."
"Fool" said Gervase ascertaining that Arthur's burns too were minor.
"Nobody could go in there" said Arthur "It was a furnace; she was under something, it fell with the flames but it had protected her."
"I was under ve vash tub betause I vos naughty" said the infant. "It blowed away."
"I have seen a fire where the flames suddenly flash overhead and then furniture may be bowled away in the blast from it" said Gervase "It happened in Spain…. A stable block; a horse was blown quite clear out, unburned but dead of the shock. The washtub has saved this little one's life. What is your name, child?"
"If it please it is Becky" said the child. "My hands do hurt!"
"Keep them in this water" said Gervase, hustling to help see if the house might be saved, if there were any other living occupants.
William Larkins shook his head.
"We are too late, My Lord" he said. "If you ask me it has been smouldering long and this sudden storm of fire caused by Fellowes opening the door and creating a draught" he indicated a charred thing on the ground in front of the hovel.
"Was it set deliberately?" asked Gervase.
William Larkins shrugged.
"I think not, My Lord; Fellowes was a man who was careless with all things when he was in drink, fire included. He smoked a pipe. No one here would burn their neighbour alive; even the Fellowes family."
"I am most glad to hear that" said Gervase. "There is nothing we can do here then, is there, bar damp the fire to prevent sparks spreading it?"
"That is all we can hope to do, My Lord" said William Larkins "And thank the Good Lord that your nevvy was able to save one poor soul from the inferno. Though there's plenty as will say that Harry Fellowes is now facing a hotter inferno by far."
The villagers, mostly Donwell labourers, worked with a will; and it did not do the noble lord's reputation any harm that he had turned out to help. As to Arthur's rescue of small Becky, all were agreed it was of a piece with his known impetuous kindness but that nonetheless he was a hero who needed to be drunk to.
This was plainly in order of being a hint; and Gervase was glad to provide a few of the new sovereigns to suggest knocking up the landlady of the Crown to drown the smoke in the throats of all who helped if Mr Knightley as Magistrate would lend his support to the endeavour as Mrs Stokes would respect him enough to agree.
The Marquess was accounted a fine fellow and had his health toasted almost as much as Arthur in their absence.
George and John too left the villagers to it,, returning to Hartfield to report to their respective wives, having warned the company to behave in an orderly fashion and thanking Mrs Stokes for her indulgence.
Gervase, Arthur and Marsh took Becky to Mrs Hodges, who had awoken but who would not leave Kate and had merely dressed; and Mrs Hodges found soothing oils for the burns and dressed them with clean linen and wrapped the child up to sleep after washing her pitifully thin and bruised little body.
"Mrs Fellowes traps the little ones under the washtub if they've misbehaved because then they're out of sight of Fellowes" she explained "As well as it being a frightening punishment. She props it up on a faggot of wood since one of the older ones suffocated under it and she was warned by Mr Knightley."
"That would be how the blast of heat flipped it then" said Gervase, explaining what had happened.
"Poor little mite" said Mrs Hodges "Only Kate left in the world; and she'd not have her big sister but for you, My Lord, and Miss Prudence and Mr Marsh. And at that if I rear them here to be good maidservants they'll doubtless have a better life than at that stinking hovel they called home" she added with a sniff.
The inquest was held after the debris had been cleared up and any remains identifiably human decently encoffined.
The inquest was held at 'The Crown' and the entire of Highbury turned out to be packed into the hall like herrings in boxes, not so much in the spirit of enquiry into the deaths of a family not likely to be much missed, but more out of curiosity to see the famous Marquess for the first time, since word had spread that he had loaned his aid and would be giving evidence.
The description from the men who had already seen him had not been satisfactory; Billie Bates the gamekeeper had said to his wife, agog with curiosity,
"Adone do, woman! He was a man with the correct number of limbs that he put to good use; now make me a dish of tea!"
About the best that might be had by the collected wives of the labourers and servants of Donwell Abbey and Hartfield, these being those in a position to see the fire and respond, was that he was a tall and strong man with a taste for colourful dressing gowns, since Gervase's dressing gown was of patchwork carefully pieced by Diana with aid from Georgiana, onto a piece of blanketing, each piece cunningly set by each other and a riot of colours gleaned from Georgie's and Aunt Mouser's scrap bags. Mrs Hodges was sighing over the removal of oily soot from some of the brocades that had been left over from Aunt Mouser's grandmother's gowns and was employing warm white wine carefully and ruthlessly in the exercise of the cleansing; and lecturing a mostly conscious Kate on the same as the girl would never have learned such refinements of laundering materials of such quality from her mother. Kate was in shock over the news, and her sister Becky's burns; and Mrs Hodges intended to keep her from brooding! She would set the girl to setting patches on the inside of the garment where it had scorched for putting out flames; Mrs Hodges could recognise a garment made with love when she saw it and had every intention of doing her best to save it!
The Marquess, when he appeared at The Crown, did not disappoint, though some of the more vulgar were heard to exclaim in disappointment that he dressed so plainly!
The more discerning noted the fineness of the quality of his sober clothes – and who would expect him to dress like a fribble to an inquest in any case – for Gervase had donned for the formality of the occasion black satin smallclothes and black silk stockings with buckled shoes as one might wear for Almack's; though he eschewed a tail coat for morning wear. His waistcoat was a sober grey brocade, a masterpiece in understatement. And his unruly black locks he had had Marsh cut short to the Brutus cut, well aware that the careful disorder of the Titus might offend the locals and in no wise expecting his thick thatch to behave itself even if smoothed to an acceptable style.
Mr George Knightley as Magistrate ruled the inquest and heard various neighbours of the Fellowes on the habits of Harry Fellowes and what they had seen in the night; and brought up himself the warning that he had given to Mrs Fellowes on the dangers of the use of imprisonment under the wash tub as a punishment. He also heard the Marquess on the effects he had observed in Spain and on how the hut was well alight by the time he had arrived; and how his nephew's sharp eyes had perceived movement and he had darted in to save little Becky before the heat snuffed out her fragile life. George gave an official commendation to The Honourable Mr Arthur Alver – there was much stirring to discover that he was an honourable – who was, George explained, sleeping off both his exertions and the laudanum drops he had been given for the burns he had sustained during his heroic rescue.
That the Noble Lord had a bandaged hand and singed eyebrows was also noted.
The jury brought in a verdict of death by misadventure.
George spoke out.
"I hear some whispers of some of you that you do not follow what happened. Permit me to reconstruct as far as I might; Harry Fellowes liked to smoke a pipe and was not always careful with his tinderbox. It appears that, drunk as usual, he lit a pipe and some spark ignited something – the rushes of the roof perhaps, or some rags on the floor. This smouldered and filled the room with smoke. The sick members of the household – his wife, three of the children – would quickly have been unconscious and too the little ones who are more vulnerable. Becky, under the wash tub, had clean air to breath, after the manner of a diving bell; and what new air circulated came from beneath, and as smoke rises, she breathed but little in. It is fairly safe to say that all the Fellowes family bar Harry were dead or unconscious before that horrific fire swept through the cottage. Some of you saw the start of flames as the smouldering reached the roof; it was that which roused us at Hartfield and the party from Donwell. Maybe the crackling in the roof roused Harry; maybe he merely sought to answer a call of nature. He opened the door for some reason and that sudden draught of air fed the fire, even as a bellows might; and it flared up. We have heard from Lord Alverston how there may be a blast from a violent fire in such case. That blast enabled Becky to escape because the heavy tub was blown away from her and dazed and frightened she stumbled towards the door. We can thank God for the saving of one life in this tragic occurrence."
There were murmurs of assent.
The funeral was to be on the morrow; and the bodies were to be buried on the parish as none of the family could have afforded it even before all their possessions were consumed by fire.
"And" said Prudence to Gervase when he had escaped firmly from the crowd and returned to Donwell "Let us NOT subscribe to a tombstone; for all the epitaph I can imagine is,
"Harry Fellowes lies here, that was an awful soak
Desirous of his pipe sent all his family up in smoke"
"Or" said Gervase
"For want of care lies Harry Fellowes and his kin as well
He burned them in their beds and now burns hotter yet in Hell."
"It is the children I pity" sighed Prudence.
"Indeed" agreed Gervase. "But Kate and Becky will yet pursue better lives I suspect!
Gervase had always planned to hold a ball when Kate was well; and consulted George over whether the villagers would consider it in poor taste to do so, in short order after an inquest.
"It is hardly likely to cause any comment" said George "The inquest of a man like Harry Fellowes will have no impact on the lives of those of the village you are likely to be asking to a ball; who will you have as your hostess? Scarcely Prudence."
"I was hoping, since Donwell is your home, that you and Cousin Emma would be good enough to be co-host and hostess with me" said Gervase. "Nobody could be a more charming hostess than Cousin Emma; and it will show Prudence by being associated with her, how she might go on when she is arranging balls at Alverston or at my town house."
George nodded.
"That would suit nicely" he said. "Have you heard from Lady Katherine regarding Kitty yet?"
"Yes; she wrote to me that the silly chit is too young for a season and that she will chaperone her again next year. It is very good of her; and I am regretting having promised Kitty that I would arrange it, for she seems in many ways younger than Diana. I know Letheridge, who was fool enough to be desirous of offering for her; a sound man, and a kind one, and I should have thought he would make Kitty an excellent husband, able to calm her fits of gooseishness but not likely to cow her and crush her pretty and lively ways out of her. For she CAN be lively when she is not falling into a megrim over some imagined terror" said Gervase.
"She is certainly lively enough to engage the aid of various young men in order to flee at various times" agreed George, dryly.
"If I had the same control over her that I do of Arthur, who is my ward, I should threaten to spank her and cut off her allowance" said Gervase "She needs a firm hand! And George, my dear fellow, what I shall do is to place her for a month or two in that seminary in the village."
"Mrs Goddard's school? It is an excellent establishment" said George "Emma attended it; Mrs Goddard believes in teaching real lessons and giving an education, not encouraging girls in vanity and other such missishness. I believe you are right; it will do her the world of good. And she shall board there too – not because we are not happy to have her at Hartfield but so she might enjoy the camaraderie of girls her own age."
"Splendid" said Gervase. "Will I arrange it or would it come better from you?"
"Emma will delight in making the arrangements" said George "And in persuading Kitty that it is the thing she most wants in the world; I fear Emma is very good at manipulating persuadable young women."
Gervase laughed.
"Why am I somehow not surprised!" he said.
With tales of the fun to be had at Mrs Goddard's, and Emma's careful mourning that she herself did not stay as a boarder, Kitty was intrigued; and Emma also went with her to call on the injured Miss Rawlinson to carry Arthur's best wishes – since it was improper for Arthur himself to visit but his cousin Kitty might do as a surrogate said Emma – and left the unquenchable Miss Rawlinson to explain what fun school was.
With such careful handling, Emma had to promise Kitty that she would speak to Alverston and see if he would pay for her to attend school for the summer and settle up with her father later.
The oldest schoolgirls were to attend the ball in any case, so Kitty would not lose out on that piece of fun!
Kitty was preparing herself for school when Cowley announced,
"Mr Letheridge"
"Oh Emma! Pru! Pray do not leave me!" squeaked Kitty, half fainting.
Emma went forward to meet the visitor. She saw a man of medium height with a pleasant rather than a devastatingly handsome face, neat of manner and sufficiently fashionable without being in any wise a dandy. He made a beautiful leg to Emma.
"You must be Mrs Knightley; how kind you are to Miss Fairlees! Might I have the opportunity of a brief word with Miss Fairlees?" he asked.
"Miss Fairlees is desirous that I and my cousin also remain with her" said Emma. "Please!" an elegant gesture of the hand invited him forward to speak to Kitty.
Mr Letheridge gave a sad smile.
"Am I such an ogre, Miss Fairlees, that you should quake in terror at me? In truth I would hate to think that anything I had said or done might have hurt you! I came to tell you that Lady Katherine has explained that you hold my suit in aversion and that you did not wish to have to refuse any offer I had planned to make. Naturally if you feel so strongly I shall immediately withdraw my suit; I trust however you may yet look upon me as a friend?"
Kitty lost herself in several half sentences about him being too kind, that she was sorry to have caused him any trouble and that she did not feel herself ready to enter the state of matrimony. Mr Letheridge listened gravely, kissed her hand with old-worldly grace and took his departure after staying precisely as long as it took for Kitty to manage to say her piece.
Emma took her leave of him as lady of the house.
"Mr Letheridge, will you not put up at the Crown for a few days?" she suggested "The Marquess of Alverston is giving a ball; my husband is to co-host it that Alverston might have a hostess; I am sure he will be happy to extend an invitation to you."
Mr Letheridge paled.
"Mrs Knightley are you telling me to stay where the sight of that dear girl is a torture when I know she has rejected me and does not even seem to like me?" he asked.
"Mr Letheridge, I am suggesting that you should not readily give up hope. Kitty was taken by surprise; she is young for her years and Lady Katherine is a forceful creature. As, I understand, is the child's father. I would suggest that you indeed, as you suggested, be a friend to her; when there is no pressure to consider matrimony, who knows what feelings might develop! I do not hold out to you any promise, but I do suggest that you should not give up so tamely."
How much Emma had learned! Her desire to matchmake for those of whom she was fond had given way to a more sophisticated understanding of the heart, that could see that this sober and adoring man would make Kitty a kind and loving husband! And yet she realised that though Kitty might be able to be led it would be the merits of Mr Letheridge himself that must speak to her, not any third party singing his praises!
Mr Letheridge changed colour several times; and he seized Emma's hand shaking it warmly as though she were a gentleman friend.
"Mrs Knightley you bring me hope and determination!" he cried "And I shall indeed do as you suggest!" he glanced down at where he held her hand "Oh, I DO beg your pardon" he said, letting go and flushing.
"Readily granted, Mr Letheridge; I know what it is to be in love and to fear that one's regard is not returned" said Emma, flushing slightly "And I hope that all may be resolved between you and Kitty. But if I may give some advice?"
He nodded.
"If you will please" he said. Emma smiled.
"Then as Kitty is to spend some time in Mrs Goddard's excellent school in the village, whose older pupils will all attend the ball, you should be seen by Kitty to honour your promise to be no more than a friend to her by dancing exactly as often with the other young ladies as with her" she said.
"Mrs Knightley, you have the wisdom of the serpent!" declared Mr Letheridge, kissing Emma's hand with a flourish.
He left with quite a spring in his step.
"Emma are you interfering?" asked George, coming out into the hall.
"Only a little" said Emma "He seems such a – a NICE man; it is an inadequate adjective but so suited to him. I told him not to give up hope but to stand back and not to single her out; and see if she might learn to love him. That is not so VERY bad is it George?"
George sighed and laughed and kissed his wife tenderly.
"Ah, my Emma, you are an incurable romantic; but you have I think reached an age of discretion whereby you may be trusted to interfere with out my interference in your interference; and I apologise for doubting you."
"Is it so wrong, when I am so happy, to wish to see others happy too?" asked Emma.
"Oh not in the least, my dear Mrs Knightley" said George "Just so long as you do not interrupt the steady flow of romance that may proceed of its own accord with some mad fit and start; or make matches between those who are not, and should not be, already attracted. To permit Kitty to come to know Mr Letheridge in a more informal fashion and see him outside of the glittering world of the season – or even on a visit to the Soho Foundry – will give her a better idea of whether or not she retains a distaste for Mr Letheridge or whether he distinguishes himself in her eyes. You have done all that is necessary; no more is needed."
"Yes George" said Emma "WHY was he such a clunch as to take her to the Soho Foundry?"
"I expect" said George "It was Diana's idea. And you must admit, Prudence would probably take it as a high treat if Alverston took her."
"Yes, but Prudence is like that" said Emma. "Why are we talking in a cold hall, George? I believe I need warming up."
"Why, Mrs Knightley!" said George "I do believe that your condition has made you more demanding than ever!"
"Why Mr Knightley!" said Emma "I do believe you are correct!"
They retired elsewhere to discuss or at least explore this curious phenomenon.
Mr Letheridge indeed retired to The Crown where he was visited by Gervase whose advice was pithier, earthier, but generally along the same lines as Emma's save that Gervase presumed upon Mr Letheridge having been in the same Regiment for a year or two as his brother Everard in order to be forthright.
"I love Kitty dearly when I do not want to strangle her!" declared Gervase "No do not look at me daggers-drawn my dear fellow; she is like a much younger sister to me. And I should like to see her established with a steady fellow not take one of her flights of fancy and flee with a romantic-seeming idiot with nothing between the ears who will not properly care for and cherish her! She needs a man of the world who will see that she wants for nothing and does not have to experience any of the hardships in life."
"You are not in love with her yourself?" asked Mr Letheridge suspiciously.
"Good grief, no!" said Gervase "MY intended is a young lady who so far from fearing the hardships of life is like to drag me into rescuing others from them! I have not time to give Kitty the care and attention that she needs; I need a wife who will work hard beside me to help my tenants and dependants through the hard times that are to be ahead with this abnormal weather and its attendant woes! I doubt Kitty has even any idea how it may affect life save that she may not have as many peaches to eat; and would not comprehend the hardship it will bring to the poorest! And she would be too overset by the thought is she WERE enlightened to be of much use to them anyway" he added "And whilst I have gone so far as to mention peaches, you should not let her gorge on them; Kitty is a glutton for peaches and has given herself a colick from over-indulgence before."
"Oh my poor darling!" cried Mr Letheridge.
Gervase considered him a hopeless case; but at least not so unrealistic as to declare that such a thing as Kitty gorging herself into a colick could not be so.
He sighed and left Letheridge to it.
A/N Whilst there is no suggestion in canon that Emma attended Mrs Goddard's school since she had a governess I think it probably that she attended certain classes there to take advantage of its social advantages; dancing classes for example are more fun with more people, and if there were any subjects offered by Mrs Goddard that were not specialities of Mrs Weston's, I cannot see that Mrs G would turn down a pro rata pupil
Posted on: 2011-05-15
Since Mr Woodhouse was fully up and about now, Gervase came to call on him formally; and Mr Woodhouse was much impressed by his height and breadth of shoulders.
"My Lord, you are a fine set up young man! Fine indeed! Now I perceive more readily that you might dare the risks of contagion that a less fine looking specimen of manhood must eschew!" said Mr Woodhouse. "Really I am quite filled with envy! But I hear you have had typhus and yet recovered from it?"
"Indeed sir; and I think that this makes me immune after the fashion of those inoculated by Jenner" said Gervase. "Though of course I would not come near you until all danger was passed and until you were stronger also; and a sad way for the contagion to be ended in the village."
"Indeed yes!" said Mr Woodhouse "Poor Mrs Fellowes! She was my laundress you know; until Emma stopped sending our laundry to her for fear of infection. Fellowes was sadly unsteady."
George was heard by his wife to murmur to his brother,
"And the sea is damp."
Emma frowned at both husband and brother-in-law.
"You are aware of course that I shall be announcing my betrothal to Prudence shortly" said Gervase.
"Alas! Yes! Poor Prudence!" said Mr Woodhouse "The sadness of the state of matrimony is a reflection on the misery of the human condition!"
Gervase blinked.
"Papa holds the state of matrimony in aversion" said Emma "I can but wonder how he brought himself to offer for mama! I however am quite content in the state, and I am sure Prudence will find herself contented too."
"Oh I have heard all about you from Prudence, Lord Alverston" said Mr Woodhouse "And I could not ask for a finer man to become my nephew save for George and John who have become my sons; but I pray you, let poor Prudence wait before embarking upon a family; it is so sad to hear of a young bride who is swiftly in the family way and tethered to children."
"Papa I adore my children!" interposed Isabella, for once rebelling against agreeing with her father's every word. "I would not be without them!"
"And I too agree that children are a blessing!" said Emma firmly.
"Ah! My poor girls! How they put a brave face on it!" said Mr Woodhouse.
Had Gervase not been warned about both the valetudinarian habits of Mr Woodhouse and his insistence on pitying even those who required no pity at all, he would have been much taken aback; but he murmured merely that he would attempt to be a model husband.
"And so understanding!" said Mr Woodhouse "One who is used to the best in life who is prepared to nurture the poor waif of a mill hand; POOR Prudence; I was so relieved that she at least had shoes to her feet when she came to us."
"But sir! Her father's a very nabob!" said Alverston, startled.
"Oh my dear sir! You cannot have got that false impression from dear Prudence; she is my sister's child. Poor Lizzie, such an unfortunate marriage!"
"I got the impression, Mr Woodhouse" said Gervase "From meeting Mr Blenkinsop who is an extremely warm man indeed as a wealthy mill owner."
"As, dear papa, I did try to advise you" said George.
"But…. You mean he has a respectable fortune?" said Mr Woodhouse "Why, poor Prudence! You did not make this clear, George, or I should never have countenanced my poor niece going to London to risk falling in with a fortune hunter!"
"Fortunately, sir, she had already fallen in with me and I determined to seek her out" said Alverston "As so far as my fortune is concerned I could take care of her if she WERE a mill wench; but may I say how proper and how delicate is your feeling to realise that a mill hand's daughter would indeed find supporting the position of a Marchioness a difficult matter. And for that I do truly appreciate your fondness for your niece."
Henry Woodhouse was put out to be told by one who had met Mr Blenkinsop that he was far from being as he had imagined; but was mollified by the proper recognition of his motives by the Marquess.
He shook his head.
"Even so it will be hard for her" he said gloomily.
Gervase smiled at him with determination.
"That is why I am so pleased that she is such a close friend of my sister Georgiana who will help her through any small trials" he said "And I shall be inviting Georgie and her husband and offspring to stay to meet my bride's family and to come to the ball. Mrs GEORGE Knightley has given my sister – who likes her very well indeed – the enthusiasm to compare notes with Mrs JOHN Knightley about their respective offspring; as I understand it her younger children are of an age with your older ones, Mrs Knightley."
Isabella looked pleased.
"Oh, then that sounds quite delightful!" she said "There are so few others ready to enter into the feelings of a mother; George plays sometimes rather ROUGHLY with the children; though perhaps now he is to be a father himself he will be tenderer with his own."
"I should think I do not intend to mollycoddle any children Emma and I have" said George firmly. "They like to be thrown up; it does them no harm."
"Why indeed; so too do I throw up my nieces and nephews, at least those small enough to enjoy it" said Gervase "But I have fallen into eclipse with Diana I fear."
"What, you would not take her on Trevithick's circular railway?" asked George.
"I never thought of that…it's an idea. No, she wanted me to teach her to drive unicorn of all things. She wrote and asked and I returned a letter that I would not and she has accused me of being an unnatural uncle. Unicorn indeed!"
"I pray you, Cousin Gervase, what is that?" asked Emma.
"It is to drive with three horses; one ahead and two behind, the second one behind not harnessed to the shaft but by traces only. It is a prodigiously difficult skill; one of which I am capable but NOT one for a maiden of just twelve summers; nor even, as I have told my nephew Arthur one for a youth of just nineteen years."
"I should rather think not!" said Emma. "She is teasing you Cousin Gervase; and wants you to tempt her out of the sullens with what she REALLY wants."
"Oh do you think so?" asked Gervase.
"Well it is what I used to do to wheedle things out of George when he was a family friend and I was just a little girl" said Emma, peeping sideways at George.
"And I fell for it every time" said George.
On due consideration, Gervase decided to announce the ball as his engagement ball; and wrote to Georgiana and Aunt Mouser to repair to Donwell and to Mr Blenkinsop, who might post down rapidly if he wished to attend. The matter would be out soon enough; and it was as well to make it official.
On further consideration he also wrote to his other sisters who would be less likely to abandon their families to attend a ball and who would write him almost identical letters scolding him for not giving them any intimation of his intent earlier, demanding to know all about the girl he wanted to marry and managing, doubtless in one sentence, to applaud the fact that he was doing his duty by his family and deplore the fact that it was in what they would describe as a hole-in-the-corner fashion.
He intended to reply, when those letters came, recommending that they ask Georgie about it.
They would do so in any case and it would save him the trouble.
That the Ball, two weeks hence, was to be a BETROTHAL ball set the village by its ears! That the Marquess should wish to introduce his bride HERE seemed odd, but very exciting! There was much speculation about who she might be, and what she might look like; Miss Bates had a field day!
Mr Weston, who had taken to Gervase more than he had expected when Gervase began to lend his presence to the Whist Club, asked tentatively if there would be the possibility that his son and daughter-in-law, who were to be anticipated visitors at Randalls, might come to the ball; and Gervase promised that he would see to issuing them invitations.
George declared cynically to Gervase that Mr Frank Weston Churchill's interest in visiting his father and stepmother probably stemmed from the moment a letter arrived telling them that a Marquess was staying at Donwell.
"Jane Churchill however is a very pretty behaved young woman of considerable accomplishment" he said "Although a little reserved. You will not regret inviting her; and Frank Churchill is an excellent guest at any function; perfectly charming and able to be readily at ease in any society."
"George, you REALLY dislike him" said Gervase.
"I have never liked him" said George "I consider him affected and able to use charm to get his own way; and he has learned to manipulate from his aunt, who raised him, who used her illness to control both her husband and her nephew. He also used Emma, leading her to believe he had a partiality for her when he was hiding his secret betrothal to Jane. I cannot like him in any way; he is devious."
"Ah well, at least he is safely married and not likely therefore to try to fix an interest with Kitty" said Gervase.
"I will say this for him; he is not a fortune hunter" said George "Jane was quite penniless; and expecting to have to be a governess. He was attracted to her for her cleverness and musical ability I believe; though I doubt the attraction would have been so strong had he not been well enough off from his aunt's and uncle's fortune."
The society of Highbury were not about to let a Noble Lord pass through their midst without some other means to try to get to know him before this famous ball should come about; and George Knightley was much bombarded with questions about Lord Alverston that he mostly answered with a laugh and a light comment to the effect that their shared interests were farming and any man of knowledge of such might readily engage His Lordship in conversation.
Mr Cole, who knew nothing of farming, felt it behoved him to call upon His Lordship and shyly asked if it would be presumptuous to invite Lord Alverston to dine.
In the city it would have been presumptuous; though Gervase, being rag mannered in the superficial sense but full of fine courtesy in such matters as were important, would have discouraged the presumption but gently. At Highbury, the Coles were at least half-gentlefolk for their manner of living and acceptance by society; and Gervase replied that he would be delighted to attend any dinner that Mr Cole was kind enough to invite him to.
Mr Cole, delighted, also asked the Hartfield residents assuring Mr Woodhouse that the screen that he had procured from London would ensure that Mr Woodhouse would suffer no draughts and that the evening would not be late to keep him out in the fog.
Mr Woodhouse, who was better enough to feel that a change of scene might be pleasant, despite the dangers of going out initially demurred with the usual comments that to leave the safety of his own fireside might be dangerous to his health. Mr Woodhouse had refused the previous invitation in spite of the screen the Coles had sent to London for; but George prevailed upon him this time to accept, promising to see that he have a hot brick at his feet to drive over to the Coles, because to drive even so short a distance would be safer for him; and that George would see to it that the brick was kept warm by the Coles' servants to see Mr Woodhouse back home safely.
"DEAR George, you are as good to me as if you were my son" said Mr Woodhouse, moved too by George's comment that as the Coles had gone to the trouble and expense of getting a screen just for Mr Woodhouse' comfort it would be unmannerly to turn down a second invitation.
"Cole is a good man" said John "And a generous one to extend a second invitation."
"Ah, but the poor man is bilious; he understands what it is to be under the weather" said Mr Woodhouse "Poor Mr Cole! and it will be a nice party to be together as a family with friends; after this ball when poor Prudence is irrevocably betrothed to Lord Alverston I cannot help thinking that we shall be on the brink of losing her to the distressing state of matrimony! How wise is Miss Fairlees to wish to eschew it!"
"Now papa, I am very happy in the state of matrimony" said Emma.
Mr Woodhouse sighed.
"But look what it has led to!" he declared "Poor Emma, with child, and not married a year!"
And nothing would shift him from this opinion.
Mr Alver had been invited to dine at the Cole's as well since it would have been impolite to include his lordship and not his nephew; and moreover Mr Cole liked Arthur very well, for Arthur was a witty and friendly young man who had quickly become popular at the whist club. Emma and George had been to dine before, before they were married; Isabella and John had not, nor Prudence and as Kitty was boarding at Mrs Goddard's there was no need to feel that a young girl must be catered to.
Dinner was to be at five; an early hour but this was, explained Mr Cole to Gervase when he brought a written invitation to him, for the convenience of Mr Woodhouse, for it would be discourteous to an old friend to accommodate the town habits of a new acquaintance.
Mr Cole was more than amply rewarded for his insistence on this when Gervase clapped him on the shoulder and said,
"And I like you the better for it, and for your refusal to be flummeried by a title; you are more a gentleman, Mr Cole, than some of those born of generations of landowning. I like an honest man with honest courtesy."
Mr Cole was much overcome and was able to tell his wife who had ventured to suggest that they should cater to His Lordship's tastes exactly what His Lordship had said.
John and George were ruthlessly careful of both Mr Woodhouse and Isabella in getting them safely to the Coles' fine big house where the Coles were at pains to be the perfect host and hostess. It pleased Lord Alverston to show country courtesy rather than fashionable town lateness and to arrive in good time, looking utterly immaculate in evening clothes and a showier waistcoat than the striped cream and snuff-coloured one he generally wore to whist; for he wore a burgundy coloured silk waistcoat embroidered in self colour and black; sober but rich. The Coles were pleased to note that both he and Mr Alver had laid off all bandages and Mr Alver's eyebrows were regrowing nicely. Arthur had cropped his own curls shorter to deal with the exigencies of having singed hair at the front and Gervase had told Marsh to make the boy look respectable. The shorter hair made Arthur look older though, as Prudence remarked with the straightforwardness only an old friend may be permitted, it did not yet loan him any air of gravitas.
As his Lordship and nephew and the Hartfield party were clearly old friends, the constraint of a less comfortable friendship only between Gervase and John and Isabella and Mr Woodhouse, it was easy to go in to dinner without any unease. Mr Cole had hired in footmen from London to make the serving fast and efficient; and felt easier in his mind for having done so, that he not be embarrassed in front of Lord Alverston!
The evening went well; and after dinner, without jealousy over Jane Fairfax to mar the evening, Emma played more willingly upon the pianoforte and admitted frankly to being less accomplished than many but well enough if nobody minded to entertain with well known pieces. She suggested that the oldest Cole girl might like to show the company what she had learned; and when that small maiden was summoned to be brought down by a nursery maid, and turned as shy as a seven year old may, Emma whispered to her that she had a chance to boast at Mrs Goddard's that she had played for a real lord and that as he was tone deaf – a mendacious calumny on Gervase for the sake of the mite – he would not mind if she struck a wrong note and would think her prodigious clever.
With which encouragement the mite played with accuracy and much counting under her breath and what she lacked yet in feeling she made up for in a beautiful bow to her audience. And Emma was able to genuinely congratulate her, and remark that any subsequent performance in public would not be such an ordeal for one who had done it before.
Miss Cole retired upstairs feeling as though she could not have had more acclaim had she been Mr Beethoven himself playing one of his sonatas at an orchestral recital!
Naturally the subject of Lord Alverston's betrothal arose; Mrs Cole asked if his betrothed was at all familiar with Highbury and would she be staying at Hartfield.
Gervase laughed.
"Oh I have a mind to play my cards close to my chest" he said "Which I hope will not offend you; let us just say that my sisters all tell me that I have a most reprehensible sense of humour!"
Mrs Cole looked at Prudence and said,
"Oh! I am sure that My Lord will not be too unkind in making slight game of those who have caused some offence!"
Gervase nodded to her.
"I shall do nothing but reveal the truth; and be as polite as any occasion warrants" he said "I pray that you keep your perspicacity to yourself."
"Will you mind if I give anybody the chance to retract any uncharitable statements that have been made by asking how sure they might be?" asked Mrs Cole.
"You are a kindly body Mrs Cole" said Gervase "And no-one could fault such good and charitable motives; though I pray you not hint too much!"
"My Lord; my husband and I made our pile the hard way, and in no wise does one make a fortune without learning discretion" said Mrs Cole.
Gervase bowed to her from the waist where he was sat.
"I apologise, Mrs Cole" he said. "I should have thought."
Mr Woodhouse and Isabella were talking of being conveyed back to Hartfield; and though Mr Woodhouse admitted to being fatigued, he also declared that he had enjoyed himself heartily and would not fear to go again to so comfortable a home with such fine yet digestible meals.
"For" he said "Hartfield does suffer from the draughts of having been built in an earlier age; so fine and modern a building as the Coles have had built for them is full of every modern convenience; and the screen is an excellent one. John, you shall procure a similar for me when you have returned to London."
"Why Mr Woodfield, if you will not mind it being a trifle old fashioned, I fancy I have just the screen for you at Alverston" said Gervase "It was my dear mother's; decorated after the Chinese fashion and it will suit marvellously I do believe with the furnishings you have in the parlour – it will match most excellently with the lacquered knee desk."
"You are very good, Lord Alverston!" declared Mr Woodhouse, gratified.
"I wish you will drop the 'Lord' Mr Woodhouse" said Gervase "In time I may be just your nephew Gervase too; and I shall then be calling you Uncle Henry if you will permit the liberty!"
"Why I think that would be most excellent!" said Mr Woodhouse. "I shall lose a dear niece when I have just found her, but perhaps you may visit often enough to an old man that I may feel I have gained a nephew!"
"Donwell will always be at your disposal" said George "To stay in whenever you feel so inclined."
"And I thank you for that" said Gervase "It is largely Tudor, is it not? All those fine big oriel windows of the frontage of red brick; the large forward sweeping wings and the brick gothic porch with its rising finials are quite characteristic. And those magnificent chimneys! They always make me think of twisted sugar sticks such as one might find at fairs."
"The main frontage was built new when the Abbey was dissolved by Henry VIII" said George "Though I believe it was completed in Edward VI's time, which accounts for the fancy and entirely unnecessary chimney-like finials on the porch. There is allegedly a secret panel in the room over the porch; John and I used to spend long hours looking for it when it was wet outside."
"The panels are amusing in being painted as scenes of the classics, are they not?" said Gervase "And unlike the linenfold panelling over the rest of the building."
"I believe they were taken from an earlier building" said George "And most of the rear of the building is in the stone from the old Abbey building, partly made use of as it stood and partly robbed out to rebuild. I like the way the history of the building may be gained by walking through it, the most modern era with the porch, and going back in time to the great medieval refectory and kitchen that is the province of the servants."
"It is most fascinating to consider it in those terms – a walk through time" said Gervase "I shall traverse its history when I return and reflect upon it."
"The Tudors did a great deal with brickwork" said Mr Cole "But for me the elegant simplicity of Hartfield is preferable; it is Queen Anne, is it not, Mr Woodhouse?"
"Part of the original structure was begun in the reign of James II, replacing the earlier timber house" said Mr Woodhouse proudly "And I reject the claims of my grandfather, who wrote a history of the house, that it was build on the proceeds of piracy from an ancestor who was transported rather than executed by Judge Jeffreys for being involved with the Monmouth uprising; dear me no, Woodhouses have never been involved in anything so irregular! My grandfather was a fanciful man. I daresay that the money came from ventures backing the colonies in Jamaica and nothing more out of the way than that!"
"Oh I don't know" said George "It might explain why small Henry gets into so many scrapes."
"Henry does NOT get into scrapes!" Isabella ruffled up at this comment like a protective mother hen ruffling her feathers.
George opened his mouth and shut it again.
He had already taken his slipper to Henry for leading his brother John into playing a complex game that involved capturing one of the smallest boarders at Mrs Goddard's and tying her up as a princess to be rescued from a dragon – John did a manful job as a dragon draped in an old olive baize coat – which, as George had said to Henry, would not have been a problem if only his princess had been a willing participant in the game and why had he not involved Bella. As the explanation was that Bella did not want to be a princess and was liable to bite if tied up George read Henry a homily on gentleness to ladies and asking first. Henry had minded the second part of George's imposed punishment most, the writing of a letter of apology to his princess, taking the slippering as fair enough punishment for upsetting the silly girl.
Still, the punishment had been given and there was no point dragging it up and having poor Henry having to listen to his mother being disappointed in him. John's look suggested that George's brother would have the story out of him at some point; but John would accept that the incident was done with and let it lie.
"No chance then of pirate gold buried on your lands?" asked Mr Cole jovially.
"Oh NO indeed!" said Mr Woodhouse.
"Splendid way to keep the children occupied though" said George, thoughtfully "If I draw a treasure map for them to find, it will also improve their understanding of geography no end."
"But George, they will be disappointed to find nothing!" cried Isabella.
"Do you think me so cruel?" said George "I shall bury them a treasure; some coins that they can spend and a few tawdry pieces of jewellery that they can make up stories about, and if Emma will paint one for me, a portrait of a bold, bad pirate ancestor."
"But we have no pirate ancestor!" cried Mr Woodhouse.
"And when they are old enough to recognise the style of their Aunt Emma's painting they will realise that for themselves"
said George "Even as Henry probably will for having coins of today; he's a sharp lad. But they will have the fun of the hunt and some reward for their diligence in pursuing it, and a little bit of pretence in their play. Do you recall, John, how we turned the punt into a pirate ship? It was that hot summer and we took turns to walk the plank. We must NOT tell them about that" he added as John grinned in recollection "For this summer is too inclement and it would rightly worry poor Isabella."
"Indeed yes! Or at any time!" cried Isabella "They would drown for sure!"
"Nonsense my dear" said John "We sailed the seas of the Langley Walk Pond which is no more than two feet deep. But George is right; they would likely catch a chill" he added regretfully, for John was not one to wrap his children up in cotton.
The dinner party broke up regretfully and the Hartfield party were tenderly ensconced with their hot bricks and blankets and an assurance from Mr Woodhouse that he had much enjoyed himself and would certainly come again now he was certain that he had taken no ill from the excursion. As they were conveyed back with no mishap and Emma made him a thin gruel for supper with her own hands he continued in this train of mind and went to bed quite heartened.
A/N One of the modern conveniences at the Cole house would almost certainly have been one or more Bramah water closets though I strongly suspect that Henry Woodhouse would also have had one installed, probably under the stairs, so that he and his family – and being a kindly man, the servants – need not go down the garden to a privy in inclement weather. He is wealthy or Emma would not be the heiress that she is; so possibly he has had two fitted, one under the back stairs for the servants to use. I think he would not trouble to have such upstairs but would rely on the servants emptying chamber pots into the patent flushing device after carrying them down. They were probably the only houses in the neighborhood to have such conveniences however as country folk are resistant to change. I was born in an old manse in a town comparable in size to Highbury and the indoor toilet was fitted by my parents not long before I was born in the early 1960's. Several of the cottages in the lane still shared a 'double dweller'. EEEW!
Posted on: 2011-05-17
The next excitement in Highbury was the arrival of a whole cavalcade of coaches coming to Donwell. Gervase had asked Georgiana to arrange servants to help out to make sure the ball went smoothly; the few servants George kept would be sadly overworked otherwise. He had asked Georgiana to be sure and bring servants who would not take offence at being under Mrs Hodges as he would not insult that good woman by taking away her authority; but he had asked Mrs Hodges to be in charge of running the house and all over matters and resign her place in the kitchen to a cook and his undercooks who were used to catering for great numbers, and who might therefore release Mrs Hodges for the other essential tasks.
Mrs Hodges, who had half expected him to bring in his own comptroller to run the house for so extensive a ball as seemed proposed, was much flattered to be trusted with the task and intended that all would go smoothly! Having of a sudden a dozen footmen to aid poor clumsy Harry and as many girls, and instructions to hire as many from the village and surroundings as maids of all work almost flustered her; but the good Mrs Hodges rose to the occasion.
And Lady Greyling seemed as pleasant a young woman as Mrs Emma herself, and her husband amiable too and if the children could be young limbs, why that was the nature of children and they were obedient enough to their governess, an excellent woman named Miss Henderson who ruled them with a mix of kindness and a rod of iron and welcomed the Knightley children to join in with lessons and play both with her charges. And in the Honourable Helen Wrexham, a sturdy maiden of eight, Henry Knightley found a kindred spirit quite ready to engage in playing at being a princess and complaining merely that princesses ought to be allowed to fight with swords too. Roger was permitted to join John, his senior by almost a year, in minor roles in the play; Hermione, the same age as small George and a year younger than Bella, was happy to be relegated to less boisterous nursery games under the firm control of Miss Henderson and a veritable army of nursery maids.
Diana was above such games of course though sometimes she interfered enough to tell the younger ones what to do; and privately confessed that if William had not been at school they would very likely have joined in.
Searching for treasure occupied most of the efforts of these intrepid infants however, Gervase having also contributed towards the treasure and having managed to ingeniously age the treasure map by soaking it in tea and singeing the edges and helping George to write rhyming clues.
"Really Gervase, I don't know who is enjoying this the more, the children or you and Cousin George" said Georgiana indulgently "I may call you Cousin George may I not? I hate unnecessary ceremony."
"I should be honoured, Cousin Georgiana" said George. "I fancy Gervase and I are having the best fun now you come to mention it."
"It keeps them from inconveniencing Mrs Hodges" Gervase made excuse; then grinned. "And it is fun."
Prudence had been taken firmly for a walk by Diana or she too would have helped with the clues; but there was something on Diana's mind.
"Would you be offended, Aunt Pru, if I did not much want to be a bridesmaid for you and Uncle Gervase?" asked Diana "I am afraid I should be very out of place; I am what Aunt Mouser calls gawky and I am never going to be a beauty and I would be most embarrassed."
"Why Diana, I should not be offended" said Prudence "I should however be much disappointed; because one's friends are the people one wants at one's wedding, and you are one of my dear friends!"
Diana blushed.
"Truly? Although you are a grown up lady?"
"Oh yes, Diana; because when you are yourself a grown up lady you will see that there is very little difference between us in age by then. If you really do not wish to be a bridesmaid then I will accept that; but I do not believe you will look anything but lovely, because you will be happy for us; and happy people are more beautiful than those with perfect features who are discontented. And I have always been gawky you know; it is only in the last year that I have learned to move with elegance. So if you are not sure where your feet are, be certain that I shall not regard it in the least."
Diana flung her arms round Prudence.
"You are the BEST aunt in the world!" she declared "And I shall then by your bridesmaid and I won't fall over my own feet or if I do, if you don't mind I shall not either!"
"And you will not because you do not have to worry about it" assured Prudence.
"I shall not then have to continue to pester Uncle Gervase to teach me to drive Unicorn then" said Diana with a sigh of relief "Because Mama said he would not permit me to cry off so I thought I might negotiate that if I gave up the idea of wanting to drive unicorn he would give up the idea of having me as a bridesmaid."
"Darling, Gervase would not make you be a bridesmaid if he thought it would make you unhappy in any case!" said Prudence. "But it will be splendid if you are. What colour would you like to wear?"
Diana gasped.
"You will not make me wear white muslin?"
"I will be happy for you to wear any colour you like" said Prudence recklessly.
"Oooh! Then may I wear red? Deep red?"
"Oh, in velvet; that will be quite charming!" said Prudence. "And it will suit Bella too and Helen and Hermione; or shall they have white trimmed with red and you as chief bridesmaid in red with white ribbon roses that I shall make?"
"Oh YES!" cried Diana.
That then was the problem of what maggot was in Diana's head sorted out; and Prudence explained to Gervase when she had a moment with him.
He laughed.
"And I have discovered the reason for another small mystery and problem; you recall that my secretary Mr Paulson eloped with Miss Bullivant, which event precipitated Arthur into driving here to Highbury?"
"Yes, it seemed odd that they should elope" said Prudence.
"Well it seems that Mr Paulson was afraid I should be angry that he had conceived a tendre for the girl who was the object of my nephew's attentions and Miss Bullivant too was afraid of hurting Arthur's feelings by telling him openly; silly chit" he added.
"On a par with Kitty after all" groaned Prudence "And is it resolved?"
"Oh indeed; for he wrote to me to beg my pardon and to ask if he was to be turned off. I have just now been writing to him to tell him to get his silly self back to town and to take such funds as it requires to purchase a small house in my name in which he and his bride may live rent free. I have also directed him to accept a bride gift and to stop having megrims. They are at the girl's father's house in a place called Tring, which is distinguished only by having a canal nearby."
"Well I am glad that is sorted out" said Prudence "Perhaps you should suggest Arthur should cultivate the next daughter who is said to be a most amiable girl and ready to give time and effort to help her sister be suitably established."
Gervase sighed.
"I suppose I will assist in the bringing out of the next sister who may be a paragon but who I will not push into Arthur's arms, your levity in suggesting it despite! If he meets her and there is any affection that grows that is a different matter; but further than that I will not go; he can make a push to manage his own affairs!"
Prudence laughed.
"Oh I am not a matchmaker like Emma!"
The members of Highbury society were agog to catch a glimpse of Lord Alverston's sister and wondered at their tea drinking whether or not the bride had travelled with Lady Georgiana and the Grand Old Lady who had accompanied the cavalcade, driving herself in, of all things, a High Perch Phaeton.
Lady Katherine had been, as has been mentioned, a high-spirited young lady and age had not dimmed that spirit.
Indeed Gervase had been heard to remark irreverently that like all spirits she had improved with a bit of aging and was more spirituous than ever.
Aunt Mouser rapped him over the knuckles with her fan for that comment.
She heard all about Mrs Elton; and declared that in her young day such a mushroom would have been crushed merely by leaving her off the guest list but that she supposed Gervase knew what he was doing.
"I am thinking that it is a trifle TOO much of a set down" said Prudence "She is a foolish and spiteful creature who I suspect is the way she is because she is jealous of Emma; for I have learned that Mr Elton offered for Emma before he married Mrs Elton, and so she must feel insecure next to so beautiful, vivacious and well born young lady as my dear cousin. Alverston, might we not let her down in less public company? Perhaps if Emma will give a dinner for the Westons before Mr and Mrs Churchill arrive, as they are due to do on Tuesday, and the Coles and the Eltons and Mrs and Miss Bates to introduce Georgie to them and Georgie and I can let it slip between us."
"Charitable miss!" grunted Aunt Mouser "I say give her the cut direct."
"I would do so, Aunt Mouser" said Gervase "But for the fact that my new cousins must live in the same village. We shall all go to church tomorrow and if Emma is agreeable issue the invitation for Monday; the ball then is on Thursday and if she wishes to plead a headache she may do so."
Emma was willing to fall in with this plan; much as she disliked Mrs Elton, a totally public humiliation had preyed a little on her conscience.
Philip Elton was a little taken aback by the large crowd from Donwell who sat firmly in the Donwell closed pew which prevented, as Georgiana said with relief, Diana finding any way of stirring up the neat and prim looking party from Mrs Goddard's school.
As Diana, in company with Henry and Helen, had already thoughtfully left holly leaves in the choir stalls she looked as though butter would not melt in her mouth.
And after the service – interrupted by a few yelps from the choir – the Reverend Elton and his wife expressed themselves delighted to come to meet Georgiana, Lady Greyling; and if Mrs Elton suspected that she was only invited because it would have been a solecism not to invite the vicar and his wife she would, under normal circumstances, have been correct.
"We have heard no more of Miss Blenkinsop's quixotic betrothed though the word is that Kate Fellowes is much improved" she said in honeyed tones "One DOES hope that the poor man survived the typhus? Is the betrothal still on?"
"Oh I can answer in the affirmative to both questions" said Emma. "Prudence is happy with the match."
"Indeed poor thing; if he was at least BORN a gentleman, it is as much as she might expect" said Mrs Elton "Though I do not think that anyone would permit the nursing of a girl like that at Maple Grove, if I may venture to give you a hint, Mrs Knightley; my brother and sister would never permit THEIR outbuildings to be so used."
"Oh I am sure they would not" said Emma stung to incivility "But then Mr Knightley was born a gentleman and so understands the obligations of one natural to the estate."
Mrs Elton went white.
"Impolite my dear" murmured George "But really, I cannot see that she should expect anything else."
The icy civility between Emma and Mrs Elton was palpable when they came to the dinner. Mr Elton spoke low to Emma.
"My dear Emma, you must know that you have hurt my wife's feelings very badly" he said.
"Why I can hardly feel in any wise regretful" said Emma "For I consider that spreading lies about my cousin and her betrothed is unbecoming in the wife of a man of the cloth and to further deplore the kindly and charitable actions of both my husband and my cousin's betrothed shows a distressing lack of Christian feeling. Mrs Elton has made certain assumptions which she has spread as though fact and could have caused much hurt to my cousin if dear Prudence actually considered such remarks worthy of attention. Fortunately she is too wise to pay attention to any quidnunc."
Mr Elton was angry; he was white and his nose was pinched.
"I fear that although loyalty to one of your blood is highly commendable you and your family will suffer from being a laughing stock of the village for going beyond the necessary obligations to a minor member of your family" he said. "And to put up with her marrying a penniless cashiered army horse doctor seems to go beyond what is pleasing for any family!"
"Why I do not know who might have told you such lies about our new cousin to be" said Emma "He sold out after the war was over; he has never been a horse doctor and he is far from penniless. Though the last would be the least of course since Prudence is possessed of a comfortable competence; and it would merely be in the matter of pride that there would be a bar. I believe that my new cousin attained the rank of Major. So I would be careful, Mr Elton, what lies you inadvertently spread."
Mr Elton was even more angry now; and it was partly at himself and partly at his wife. Had not Augusta made what seemed reasonable guesses based on what was known he would not have repeated them as facts. He set his teeth and moved on into the room.
Mrs Cole lifted an interrogative eyebrow at Prudence.
"We considered that to reveal all at the ball would be to go too far" said Prudence.
"You are wise and kindly" said Mrs Cole "I spoke with the party in question and asked whence the information had come; and she tittered in that irritating way and said that the inferences were plain to draw. Alas, I fear that this is a case of having to be cruel to be kind; for she is overly fond of drawing inferences, and last year she exerted her influence in her new position and withdrew a certain family from the charitable gifts list because she declared that the husband was a drunkard. It is no such thing; the poor fellow has the falling sickness. And she would not listen to me and declared that he had me fooled. I know the falling sickness when I see it; and no man is going to feign it to the extent that he breaks an arm thrashing and bites his tongue. We do not now contribute to the Christmas charity gift fund, Cole and I; but give gifts instead to those we feel deserving who have been left off the list."
"You and Mr Cole are excellent people" said Prudence "You will, I feel sure, like my Papa when he arrives; which will be any day, depending on the exigencies of the Post Chaise; for I have his carriage with me."
"I look forward to meeting him" said Mrs Cole.
Emma had tussled with placings for dinner, placing Georgie next to her father, and Lord Greyling between Georgie and Prudence. She herself sat on her father's other hand, with the rest proceeding in couples around the table with Mrs Elton between the worthy Captain Weston and her husband and the deaf Mrs Bates on Mr Elton's other side since she was too deaf to be offended by anything that might be said.
Arthur had been included by way of a spare male; Gervase had refused point blank to attend on grounds that he would offend his hostess by losing his temper with that confounded Pharisee and his whited Sepulchre as he referred to Mr and Mrs Elton. Arthur had been pressed into service in his stead. Prudence found herself next but one to Miss Bates since Arthur was a prime favourite with the Bates family. Prudence touched Miss Bates on the arm as they went to sit, and whispered to that garrulous lady that she should know this evening about a lot of things and that it would be splendid if she might pretend to have known all along.
Miss Bates was eager and agog.
Mr Elton was disappointed not to have been seated next to Lady Georgiana and informed his wife in a low tone that it was doubtless all a piece with Emma Knightley's spite and childish manners. Mrs Elton agreed and pointed out that as a vicar he might at least always call on Lady Georgiana and her mother; and at least the old lady was not along.
Aunt Mouser, who would have laughed to be described as Lady Georgiana's mother, had decided that she wanted none of the business; for the mushroom and her husband were below her notice.
As she had also loudly corrected some of Mr Elton's Biblical references for the edification of the young Wrexhams she was not to be thought to raise any feelings of warmth in Mr Elton's breast. Aunt Mouser's edict on life was 'know all the commandments so you can have more fun knowing which of them you are breaking'.
"May I say a welcome to all our guests and to introduce you to Roger, Earl Greyling and Georgiana, Lady Greyling" Emma said. "We are pleased to announce privately to our friends before Alverston's ball that we welcome Cousin Roger and Cousin Georgiana as more than dear friends but as kin to be; and I am sure that you will all join with me in wishing Cousin Prudence happy in her anticipated life as Marchioness Alverston."
The gasp from Augusta Elton was audible; and two red spots of rage stood upon her cheeks.
Miss Bates quite giggled.
"Well anyone with half an ounce of wit might discern which way the wind was blowing" said Mr Cole complacently having suffered from having his house compared unfavourably to Selina Suckling's Maple Grove that her sister Augusta could not leave out of any conversation given the chance. "And Alverston is an excellent man; no fashionable coxcomb, Miss Blenkinsop; and I wish you very happy. And a brave man. You'll pardon me, Mr Alver, for I mean no disparagement; but to my mind a man who will nurse a sick girl with Typhus is a hero perhaps more than one who will pull a child from a burning building; for the latter is a matter of acting without thinking. To decide to risk life in a decision such as Alverston took is an act of a great hero to me; and that he is accounted a hero many times over on the Peninsula – as so his man Mr Marsh has told me, aye and his man John too – does not surprise me."
"Thank you Mr Cole" said Prudence "And I know I could not ask for a better man than Gervase – er, Lord Alverston" she amended. "He is everything any woman might look for in a man, brave and yet courteous and kindly in all that he does. If Cousin George was the yardstick by which I measured a potential husband, Lord Alverston has measured up."
"More than measured up" said Mrs Elton with an angry little titter "Since he also has a title"
"Oh but Mrs Elton, just because my father is in trade does not mean that I should be so ill bred or vulgar as to regard that in the least" said Prudence. "It is fortunate that the majority of his land runs sheep for that and the mills that I will inherit might thereby enrich each other and such must be the consideration for any considering future generations; but my father has brought me up to consider that titles may often be hollow things."
"Bravo my dear sister" said Roger. "Personally I hold pride in my title and so does Gervase; but it is not of itself any kind of measure. Why, that fellow Paget was created Marquess of Anglesey and he's a dashed loose fish. Nosey can't stick him."
"Roger!" said Georgie
"Eh? Oh sorry my dear, apologies for the expression" said Roger.
"Oh if you please, Lord Roger" said Miss Bates committing the social solecism of miscalling the Earl "Who is Nosey?"
"Nosey? Arthur Wellesley, Duke of Wellington" said Roger.
Arthur was busy whispering to Miss Bates who flushed.
"Lord Greyling, I apologise for misunderstanding how to name you" said Miss Bates, flustered.
"Oh, don't consider it my dear lady; not in the least" said Roger courteously. At least these provincials mostly tried hard and meant well; not like that wretched woman who had so insulted Georgie in Brighton! "Devil of an awkward business when the old man died while I was at Eton; went from being Wrexham to Grayling overnight; took six for forgetting to answer rollcall because I used to daydream through the first half of the alphabet."
"Oh how cruel!" cried Miss Bates.
"It taught me to pay attention I suppose" said Roger "And as a young officer that saved my life; so a cruelty with a point. My boy William is much impressed by the current headmaster, Dr Keate; they call him the flogging head, but in my day discipline was erratic so at least you know where you are with a stern man. And William says that the fellows reckon him a great scholar and look forward to being seniors to be taught by him. And William has managed to avoid doing anything to be flogged for; or at least he hasn't been caught!"
"Oh, I could never send my precious boys away!" cried Isabella.
"They get more opportunities at school with masters who are accomplished each in his own field" said Georgiana. "Diana has often complained that there are not comparable schools for girls; I went to a place where one might learn music and painting and dancing and I fear very little else."
"Oh what a shame you did not enter somewhere like Mrs Goddard's establishment" said Mr Woodhouse "It is an altogether superior school; French, Music, Dancing, Writing, Accounts and Sewing and Laundry are taught as standard subjects with Italian, Geography with globes and Drawing offered as extras. There are three teachers besides Mrs Goddard herself and the curriculum is very advanced I believe. Debating is encouraged as an activity and poetry and prose of the highest quality read for the edification of the young ladies."
"Not that Mrs Knightley required any encouragement to debate any subject" George whispered to Emma. She smiled lovingly upon him.
"You are most wicked to tease me Mr Knightley" she said demurely. Emma was, after all, in an excellent mood; for Augusta Elton had been put down most successfully and was looking quite defeated.
And Philip Elton was hoping to find another living far away from this place where he might be able to put this behind him and learn to forgive his wife for making a fool of him and of all people in front of and by Emma Knightley. She had planned it all the wretched woman; planned to have Augusta shown as a fool to make such ready conjectures! He hardly knew how to choke down the rest of his meal; and when he got her home, Augusta was going to receive a piece of his mind!
Prudence smiled to herself.
A man willing to nurse a sick child was, to her mind, a hero in any case; and had her Gervase been the very cashiered horse doctor that Augusta Elton had supposed and was still so kindly she must have loved him in any wise; and to hear him disparaged by that woman would have been hurtful. That he held the sort of position that could be a rebuke just in itself was to Prudence's mind just that Augusta Elton's assumed air of superiority should be defeated by being socially nothing next to one whom she would ridicule!
Posted on: 2011-05-22
Prudence was delighted that next morning William Larkins drove up to Hartfield with a passenger in the Donwell dogcart, and that passenger was her father!
"Papa!" she cried "How splendid! Oh Mr Larkins, thank you kindly for bringing my father and his baggage!"
"You are right welcome, Miss Prudence" said William Larkins "I was collecting extra candles from Saunders' shop for His Lordship and seeing Mr Blenkinsop set down at the Crown from the Post Chaise I made so bold as to ask if he was your father and it seemed the thing to do to offer him a ride."
"Oh you are very good!" said Prudence who could never see why Emma should feel nervous of William Larkins for a degree of taciturnity; she found most of the people here in Surrey more effusive than those to whom she was accustomed. And her unaffected manners found William Larkins quite ready to pass the time of day with her and to be ready to put himself out; as too did her idea about growing crops under glass. For that idea, Mr Larkins would have put himself out every day for the way it would save at least some crops. And the big orangery at the back of Donwell was filled with strawberry plants, growing on tiers that Mr Larkins had, with the aid of the hands, hastily knocked together.
"Eh up lass! You do look gradely!" said Mr Blenkinsop "From what Mr Larkins tells me you've turned farmer, lass! Aye, singing your praises he has, sithee!"
Prudence blushed.
"Oh I but had a little idea to help with this cold that Cousin George and Gervase were able to refine upon; and doubtless Mr Larkin too has made clever improvements" she said.
"But, Miss Blenkinsop, without the initial idea – simple and obvious when pointed out but not to those of us hidebound by the ways we are used to – we should not have been able to implement any refinements" said William Larkins. "And Mr Knightley is a great man to see at once how to make the most of the crop by saving the Donwell strawberries which are famed far and wide. They go into Kingston and Brentford; we even send strawberries to Strawberry Hill" and he gave a shy smile, this being as close as he tended to come to venturing a sally.
"Oh that I like!" said Prudence laughing. "You are a wit, Mr Larkins; we ought to have a crier crying the srawberries – oh…
Of our strawberries eat your fill
We even send them to Strawberry Hill"
"Eh lass, that's not a bad rhyme" said Mr Blenkinsop "What d'ye think, Mr Larkins?"
"I think that your daughter is a very clever young lady and a fine match for his Lordship, who besides Mr Knightley is the finest man who ever stepped" said William Larkins.
Gervase had spent several convivial hours inspecting the flocks and asking sensible questions since there were differences between the breed that was run here in Surrey and those he kept in Lincolnshire. The sheep he ran, Lincolns, were large creatures, hornless and with a thick long coat with a high lustre to the wool. The sheep in Surrey were short staple, also hornless; though the wool was very fine and soft, and according to the estate histories had been bred with Spanish merino sheep to improve the stock and the fineness of the wool. Gervase had commented that from what little he knew of weaving – which he admitted was not a lot – the combination of the wool from HIS sheep spun as a warp, combined with a weft spun from Donwell's sheep should make a very fine and soft wool indeed and suggested to William Larkins that if Mr Blenkinsop would give his opinion there might be the possibility of some very exciting accommodations to be made for the enrichment of all parties.
William Larkins was delighted to find a noble lord not above considering the practicalities of life.
Mr Blenkinsop was duly introduced to Mr Woodhouse.
"Eh, my brother Henry; it's reet gradely to meet you at long last!" he said, wringing Mr Woodhouse's hand "My daughter writes to me that you suffer reet indifferent health and have been badly wi' t'dowly old mist and fog, ee and I be right sorry t'hear that!"
"Prudence is a sweet girl and very kind to an old man" sighed Mr Woodhouse hoping he had translated the greeting correctly. "And it's a sad day to see so lively and fine a girl waste herself on matrimony! Though Alverston seems a fine man indeed; but what's that to the purpose? Women should not tie themselves to any man!"
"Eh, Henry lad, there'd be no future generations then, think on!" said Mr Blenkinsop. Prudence had warned him by letter of her Uncle Henry's valetudinarian habits and strange ideas; and Mr Blenkinsop had decided that the best measure was to meet such sad pronouncements with unquenchable good cheer and a comment that neither directly contradicted nor agreed with such.
It might be said that Mr Woodhouse found Mr Blenkinsop a trifle too hearty for his liking, though appreciating that the man loved his daughter and would be losing her. He said so.
"Poor er Ephraim, that you will lose an only daughter; I have lost my Isabella though my dear Emma is with me still."
Ephraim Blenkinsop reflected wryly that had Pru not warned him of the way this mardy old gaga spoke, he would have assumed that his niece Isabella was dead and Emma scarcely fit enough to crawl out of bed; instead of the one being a young matron with five hopeful children and the other a young married woman who was in the family way and by all accounts thriving.
"Eh lad, tha'lt not tell me that I be losing a bairn when happen I be gaining a son; aye and a canny one too, sithee; knows his wool does Gervase Alver of Alverston, and no fool about steam power either. T'lad is ready to go into business with me too, and expand t'portion that will be Pru's. It's reet relieved I am that she's someone t'care for her when I turn up my toes, aye and to have childer no doubt to pass t'mill on to."
Mr Woodhouse murmured all that was proper about what a fine man Alverston was, and not too high in the instep to pass the time of day even with those engaged in trade.
"What Cousin Gervase dislikes is hypocrites" said Emma "For he is as ready to be civil to a labourer as a duchess so long as there is no falseness and pushing ways. That is why he so dislikes the Eltons; for Mrs Elton, though at pains to tell all how much she hates pretension might make a cat laugh for claiming gentility for her brother-in-law for having been a land owner for quite eleven years not two like the neighbours of his she disapproves of. Cousin Gervase says it is the manner in which one behaves that may or may not stink of shop; for the Coles, whom I was foolish enough to despise, have learned to behave with gentility by watching rather than by thrusting themselves forward. And I have learned to appreciate that; having someone of so much more socially advanced estate than we as Alverston in our midst has been educating from the way that he treats others. He has described you as a fine man Uncle Ephraim; and he is too both sufficiently well connected and, too, wealthy enough that he may marry as he chooses without having to care for the censure of others. I do not, however, believe that he typifies those who are of high society."
"I should say he is a reet unusual man, aye, and long-thinking, and there's precious few that are of any degree of birth" said Mr Blenkinsop. "Them gormless lumps who do nothing but dance and gamble, if you ask me there's nowt in their heads but throwster's waste; more brass than brains, and so I warned my Pru. Indeed, I was hopeful, Henry, that she'd marry a man of your own estate; and I confess that Alverston threw me all into a flummox; but he's gradely, nowt better."
George rescued Mr Woodhouse from the hearty Mr Blenkinsop and engaged him in a conversation he wanted to have in any case concerning wool and weaving, and Gervase's ideas about combining the two different wools.
"The difficulty there, George lad, will be in t' carrying of yon wool" said Mr Blenkinsop. "Less difficulty for Alverston; eh, but without seeing your sheep, lad, I can't make a reasoned comment. Art busy right now?"
"Let's walk over to Donwell" said George readily "And Cousin Gervase will doubtless feed us too; we'll be out for dinner, papa and maybe late back."
"Oh George!" said Mr Woodhouse "You must not risk yourself in the cold of the night!"
"I shall put on my brogues to protect my feet, for Cousin Gervase will doubtless forgive me; though I might well take pumps in my pocket, and then dry my brogues while we eat" said George "And I will wear a muffler; I expect that Uncle Ephraim has a muffler too and will take all due care."
"Ee lad, will he want me t'change ma shoes?" Mr Blenkinsop was startled.
"It would be well, if we are to sit down to eat with him" said George.
Mr Blenkinsop considered; then nodded and went meekly to find his baggage. If his daughter was to marry into Quality he would do well not to let them look down on him by ways he thought a trifle finicking.
They had much to discuss over the sheep and later with Gervase; and Mr Blenkinsop was introduced to Arthur – whom he declared he felt he knew from Prudence's letters – and Georgiana and her Roger. Roger endeared himself to Mr Blenkinsop by declaring that he knew nothing of mills or milling and did not want to any more than he would wager that Mr Blenkinsop cared greatly about dairy cattle or cabbages. Mr Blenkinsop laughed and said to each their own. Georgiana admitted that her interest also extended only as far as quality of cloth and how well it draped; and when later she and her spouse discussed Prudence's father, decided that though his manner was a little rough and definitely of the mill, his instincts of courtesy and good humour without brazen vulgarity must make him quite acceptable as a relative.
"And you must forbid Diana to speak in his awful accent just to irritate" said the Viscount "Because the dratted girl is bound to try to do so else."
Georgiana had to admit that this was a perfectly fair assessment of her firstborn.
And Georgiana spoke severely to Diana and told her that if she wished to join the company for dinner she might listen to the tones of Yorkshire providing nothing of it ever crossed her lips.
Diana agreed readily!
She did however ask Mr Blenkinsop for translations of such words as 'gradely' in a way that would have shocked Miss Henderson to have her charge speak without being spoken to. Mr Blenkinsop however asked a slightly scandalised Georgiana to excuse the lass when Georgie would have censured her daughter; and patiently explained.
Aunt Mouser fortunately took to Mr Blenkinsop after she had given him a set-down over a minor solecism and he said
"Ee ma'am, happen in thy youth all the young lads ran half flaysome – scared you'd say – and half ready to throw their caps over t'windmill for a fine fettlesome lass as you must have been."
It pleased Aunt Mouser to take the compliment in good part and in the spirit in which it was intended. She had, after all, learned much about the nature of Mr Blenkinsop by speaking with his daughter.
Georgiana, Roger, Diana, Lady Katherine and Arthur withdrew after dinner to permit more discussion about sheep, Diana hustled away before she might protest. Since the conversation was becoming technical with questions about the weight of shear from a hogget of each type as compared to a dinmont of each there was nothing that any of those not interested in sheep might add to the conversation in any case.
Mr Blenkinsop was enthusiastic about the blend of wools – he knew the fleece of the Lincoln sheep intimately enough to know its properties – and the matter of transport was considered. George said that he must investigate the canals; but as he believed, if he might have fleeces carted to Guildford they might travel by river to join the Grand Union Canal and thence go north all the way, with only one short length of narrow canal to traverse and the rest wide all the way to York. As Mr Blenkinsop's mill was located in a small settlement called Whingate between York and Harrogate this would suit very well.
They sat and talked until late until George, overcome by a fit of sudden conscience, noticed the time. He and Mr Blenkinsop walked back in companionable silence and let themselves in by the back door that had been left unbarred for them; and George saw Mr Blenkinsop to his room.
Emma was awake, reading desultorily in bed by candlelight.
"I have read further into this novel than you thought I would" she said "For I was bored waiting for you."
"I am sorry, Emma" said George "But this might mean a very great deal to Donwell and therefore to Hartfield too."
"Oh! You mistake me; there was no reproach in my comment" said Emma "For I was extremely eager that you should discuss this matter while you and Alverston and Uncle Ephraim – WHAT a name, though not, I agree with Kitty as bad as Meleager – what was I saying? Oh yes, while the three of you may actually have the chance to speak together. I merely mentioned that I was bored and so got further into it than has been entirely comfortable; it is Leonora by Maria Edgeworth and I fear I too nearly resemble the irritating Olivia with her excess of sensibility and my jealousy for Jane Fairfax enhanced by the prudent good sense of the eponymous Leonora."
"My very dear Emma, for all the faults in your younger self of being a trifle spoiled nobody could ever accuse you of being a narcissist like Olivia" said George. "Lay the wretched book aside and let me in; my feet are cold."
"I thought they would very likely be so walking in the damp after dark; there is a hot brick well wrapped in a blanket to put your feet upon" said Emma, blowing out her candle.
"Ah, I should say that you were thoughtful, Mrs Knightley, save that I suspect it was merely to stop me placing my cold feet upon you!"
"Oh Mr Knightley I confess that thought was in my mind! However, so long as your HANDS are not cold I do not mind……"
A number of other house guests arrived at Donwell on the morning of the Ball; notably a number of one-time members of the Rifle Brigade who had been friends and colleagues of Gervase. Some of them brought wives and some did not but all were ready to tease their one time colleague that he was at last to fall into the parson's mousetrap after having avoided all the lures thrown out by fond mamas convinced he was an eligible parti for their daughter any time the last ten years.
"And there was I thinking you were too top-lofty to marry at all" declared Captain the Honourable Fabian Devereaux.
"I am only top lofty to those who bore me" said Gervase "Which as my betrothed began our acquaintance by ringing a peal over me for driving dangerously and accused me of being a dandy was the last emotion in my thoughts. Besides she's a handsome woman and her eyes spark green fire when she is angered."
"Jupiter! A dandy? I'd have said anyone who called you a dandy AND accused YOU of bad driving must be dicked in the nob – no offence meant" said the Honourable Fabian.
"Oh technically the Corinthian movement comes under the understanding most have of dandyism" said Gervase who never took offence from this old school friend "And I WAS driving recklessly if not dangerously; and my nephew HAD tipped her into a ditch; but I pray you do not mention it to him, Aesop old fellow, because all is forgiven and it is not to be mentioned again."
"Oh quite so – not a word" said the Honourable Fabian. "Damnably provincial here, isn't it?"
"Most of my guests are provincials and you will be polite to them unless they are rude first" said Gervase "My bride springs from provincial gentry and they have perforce to accept those we are not used to including in society for the sake of having some sort of society; and frankly, bar a couple of exceptions, they are pleasanter and more natural people than many I am used to associating with; and far from trying to pick an acquaintance with me they either want to stare as though I were some menagerie animal or treat me with straightforward civility such as they would show any of their neighbours whilst trying to hide that my title awes them a little. I do believe I have enjoyed myself here so far, more than I do in a comparable length of time at the season where the main enjoyment is finding cynical and ironic comments to make to irritate as many people as possible. Apart from one couple I have not, I assure you, wanted to irritate anybody here at all!"
"Doing it too brown!" Mr Devereaux protested.
"No old man; perfectly true!" said Gervase.
"Uncle Gervase, why do you call him Aesop?" demanded Diana who had been – predictably – eavesdropping, having been curled up behind a sofa with a book.
"Because his name is Fabian; when we were at Eton, that became Fables, and Fables became Aesop" said Gervase "It made a lot of sense when we were your age."
"Oh I SEE; thank you!" said Diana skipping off across the fields to impart this information to Prudence and to collect Henry, if she might extract him, to see if they might not catch a mouse or two to put in the room of the military wife who had made disparaging remarks in Diana's hearing about whichever provincial poor Lord Alverston had been entrapped by. Diana was certain that the mice would be able to escape so foolish a woman quite easily and would not be harmed.
"Begging your pardon, My Lord" said William Larkins "But this hem rain has wrought havoc; part of the ha-ha wall has subsided and slumped down into the ha-ha; and the sheep are in it."
Gervase groaned.
"What do we do, Mr Larkins? It's not a problem I've ever come across."
"Well My Lord, I was hoping I might borrow some of your military friends to shoo the wretched beasts round to where they got in, where the shepherds will help me get them out; and then I'll see to having a few hurdles put up to stop them getting back down again until I can get the labourers to dig and shore it up again."
"Very good, Mr Larkins; you are the expert after all. I expect my guests will consider it a lark."
"Yes My Lord; I confess I was relying on that, My Lord" said William Larkins dryly. Gervase laughed and clapped him on the shoulder.
"Some of us do manage to grow up you know" he said; and went in search of an enthusiastic party of young riflemen to herd sheep with the unaccustomed – to the sheep – cries of 'Tally ho!'.
Fortunately the sheep were soon rounded up since, as the Honourable Fabian put it, it would otherwise be cutting it fine to dress for the ball as a minimum of four hours were required to dress.
"Bartholomew Baby" said Gervase affectionately.
"Here I say, Alverston, if you're telling me you take less to dress, and end up looking so elegant I shall call it a bouncer!" said the Honourable Fabian.
"Sorry Aesop; I just happen to possess natural elegance" said Gervase. "I have better things to do with my life than spend it in front of the looking glass; and I should have thought you ought to be able to manage a bit better than THAT having had to get ready for parade in no time flat in our greens."
"THAT was in the army" said his friend "Don't tell me you can scramble into your rigs in half an hour flat!"
"Not quite" said Gervase "Though I have done so at a pinch… I reckon forty minutes. But then, old man, I DO have more facility tying a neck tie than you; nothing bores me as much as wasting a dozen in retying new ones because it does not go right."
"A dozen? TWO dozen I assure you!" declared Mr Devereaux.
"Well no wonder you take so long if you can't tie a neckcloth without making a bumblebroth of it" said Gervase rudely "If you'd taken so long in the morning at Eton, old Shanky would have had you standing for your meals for a month! I prefer to have practised to make the action one of perfection from the first fold."
"There are several not very pretty words for people like you" said Mr Devereaux darkly.
Gervase laughed and slapped him on the shoulder.
"And you have a hot bath waiting because I hired an army of villagers just to run hot water up and down stairs for my guests" he said. "I expect they'll take every opportunity to stare at you; they're staying all night. There'll be plenty of utensils to empty over the evening; I wish that George had fitted Bramah's patent water closets as Mr Woodhouse has done. I must speak to him about it if I am to make this a house I spend much time in."
"You have an unwholesome interest in drains Ger" said Mr Devereaux "Always have had. I remember nearly getting stuck in that culvert when we were escaping after scrumping."
"Well you did NOT end up stuck; it had to be better than a beating" said Gervase "Damn, I'm not surprised we resorted to scrumping; the food was awful and never quite enough. I gather that's improved."
"Had need" said Mr Devereaux gloomily "And then you would talk to those sappers in the Peninsular!"
"It isn't only water that flows down hill" said Gervase "And if I hadn't known how to construct a covered drain I wager we'd have had more down with disease after Badajos in our unit than we did; the bad miasmas of the smell from open drains carry diseases."
"Well I concede that you put your unnatural interests to good use" said Mr Devereaux "Though I've never actually figured out why you joined the Light Bobs in the first place; I mean, I wanted to join up but £800 was a bit of a squeeze for m'parents to buy me a pair of colours in the hussars, with m'sister coming out too; so the Rifles it was. And it's the same sort of story for most of the chaps, though Beetle's been left a fortune by his black sheep nabob uncle in India. But you, you're a regular Croesus!"
"I don't like gaudy uniforms" said Gervase "And I did like the idea of promotion on merit rather than purchasing a promotion. The Rifle Brigade is the only regiment that trains the men to individual initiative, rather than trying to crush it out of them; and I had heard this enthusiastic rifle officer on the subject while I was considering joining up. When I took on Marsh that confirmed my decision; an ex poacher was just perfect. I ride too heavy for the cavalry in any case so I had rather do something interesting. Besides, I've always been a good shot; and as a clincher you and Beetle had fixed on it; so there you are."
"Marsh was brilliant out there in the field" said Mr Devereaux "Though I lost count of the number of times he was promoted to sergeant and then demoted again for doing something outrageous! DO you remember how he and half the platoon were caught comforting the lightskirts the frogs had brought with them and then left behind when we rompéd them?"
"Only too well" said Gervase. "I also recall that he wrote new and scurrilous words to the tune of Ca Ira and taught them to sing them."
"By jove yes… filthy lyrics!" said Mr Devereaux in awed recollection "WHAT he suggested happened to the Colonel of the time and his wife was quite er original!"
"I thrashed him for that" said Gervase "Respect to a lady and all that; even if she was an asset to Boney for her misuse of the troops to do her chores."
"He didn't last long though" said Mr Devereaux "The Colonel I mean; I think he thought if he transferred to a less prestigious regiment but with a promotion he'd be able to swan about like any other colonel, not actually be expected to fight. Mind, I never asked if the ball he died off came from in front or behind."
"None of us quite cared to" said Gervase. "He was a poltroon; one of those who in normal line regiments relies on an adjutant to make him look good by having the mathematical eye to judge the square. You could have gone that route, Aesop; become an adjutant and relied on making your Colonel look good enough that he rewarded you by giving you promotion without having to buy it. It happens all the time; which means that the poor but able at least end up as mid rank officers and are therefore the ones who do all the work."
"Cynic" said Mr Devereaux "Don't say you're wrong mind. Why did you never buy yourself up to Colonel?"
"All that paperwork? I can have enough of that running my own estates, thank you" said Gervase "I was in it for the fun, not to push paper around AND have to do a job of soldiering. You're letting your bath water get cold."
"So I am" said Mr Devereaux cheerfully and left to begin the serious business of preparing for the ball, his valet waiting for him with thirty ironed neckcloths ready in case his primary efforts should fail him.
Gervase chuckled and went to write the formal letter necessary to the papers to announce his betrothal; and when that was published then the arrangement became legally binding.
He walked over to Hartfield to snatch a moment with his betrothed before posting the letter, hoping that she was not yet engaged in dressing.
Prudence was available; she had no expectation of taking more than an hour to dress.
"I was about to post the announcement of out betrothal" he said abruptly "And I thought I ought to give you the option to have last minute nerves and back out."
"I want to ask about a prenuptial agreement" said Prudence "I am wealthy; I have no objection to that being available to you to use on your lands but I would wish you to set up a legal agreement whereby I have control of some at least of my own money and the ability to draw on the bank at need. I am no society widgeon with more hair than wit likely to run up fantastic debts. Papa taught me to keep accounts as soon as I could read and write fluently. And the same goes for my inheritance when papa does die."
Gervase nodded.
"It is an excellent notion; and no less than I would expect of you, my love. I do not wish to treat you in any respect as a chattel; after all, one of my ancestress ran the estates and made hard headed business deals whilst her husband was away in France during the hundred years war; medieval women had a lot more expected of them. It's said that after the wars she actually managed to cut a wheedle of some kind to flim-flam Edward IV over his harsh wool duties."
"What an excellent woman!" said Prudence "Let us name our first daughter after her."
Posted on: 2011-05-29
The Ball promised to be the most glittering occasion that Highbury had ever seen.
All the local notables were there; indeed half the gentry of the downs of Surrey had travelled to be a part of it. Those normally staying for the season in London were already there, 'Aesop' Devereaux foremost of Gervase's friends, along with Charles Bugge, familiarly known as Beetle, great-grandson of a duke and who had had very few expectations until left a fortune by an uncle who had been packed off to India for unspecified indiscretions and who had put his nephew in his will as 'the only member of my family who was civil to me'. Mr Bugge had gone from hanging out for a wife with a decent competence to running from mamas with beautiful but impoverished daughters which he took with cheerful philosophy since at least he could muster out without having to wonder where the next meal was coming from rather than blessing even half-pay as a guaranteed income.
Mr Bugge had been the instigator, it may be said, of most of the mischief the three lifelong friends had got into; and found a natural ally in young Diana who listened awestruck to tales of their schooldays. It was perhaps just as well that Miss Henderson thought that Diana was with her mother, watching her dress; and Georgiana was under the impression that Diana was in the schoolroom with Miss Henderson. That she was handing neckties to a gentleman and listening with bated breath to tales of his, and her uncle's childhood exploits would have horrified both, Miss Henderson over Diana being in a man's bedroom and Georgiana that she was gaining too much knowledge about Gervase's schooldays that might be put to use.
Since both were in blissful ignorance and Mr Bugge innocently entertaining the niece of a friend who was unfortunate enough to have been born a girl, nobody took any immediate harm from the occurrence; though it may be said that Diana had enough ideas for mischief to keep her plotting for a very long time.
The Hartfield party came early; Emma as duenna for Prudence and hostess, George as co-host, Ephraim Blenkinsop as father of the bride-to-be and Prudence to be presented as the betrothed wife of the Marquess of Alverston.
Mr Woodhouse had pleaded his health for so strenuous an activity of a ball and was to stay at home. John and Isabella were there however, because tempting as Isabella may have found it to cry off, a ball at Donwell was more of an attraction than a quiet night at home.
There was a room for the visiting ladies to retire to, in order to leave pelisses and smarten up their appearance, which they might feel the need to do during the evening; there were an abundance of mirrors for this purpose. An antechamber had convenient screens surrounding close-stools for other comforts and bowls of water, changed continuously by servants to wash hands and faces, hot water in one bowl, cold in another to cool the face. No convenience had been neglected!
Prudence slipped a vail to the serving girl who took her pelisse and showed her the antechamber; the hirelings for this night might reasonably be expected to make three times as much as they were being paid in vails and gratuities for the small services they offered if they were astute enough. And Prudence was looking forward to what was, essentially, her own ball! She kissed Aunt Mouser on the cheek when she went down and found her, and Georgie too and settled down to look forward to enjoying herself!
She knew that she was looking her best; she wore the gold muslin that she had bought in Bond street that had been made up by now, cut very simply and hanging from a white silk bodice embroidered in white and gold, with puff sleeves matching the bodice over long sleeves cut from the muslin. The same silk formed an underskirt and white silk ribbon roses ran all around the bottom of the skirt. She wore her pearls with it and the betrothal ring that Gervase had given her when he had met her at Hartfield; and she smiled to herself over his lack of social graces when he was moved, for he had but thrust a box into her hand before he strode away, leaving her to discover the beautiful emerald ring and the scrawled note 'it matches your eyes'. She felt very self conscious wearing it, and kept glancing down to where it glittered over her white glove.
Prudence was to greet the guests alongside Gervase with George and Emma next; and she felt a trifle nervous. She was somewhat angered when the wife of one of the officers invited by Gervase said,
"Why, I am agreeably surprised; for a provincial, you manage a high degree of alamodality!"
"Why thank you" said Prudence "For a vulgarian your voice is remarkably cultured."
The woman gasped; and Prudence smiled brightly. Gervase was greeting the woman's husband; neither of the men had noticed the little exchange.
"Well you are a virago" said the woman.
"Thank you" said Prudence for all the world as though she had been offered a high compliment. "I am given to understand that officers of the 95th prefer their women to be cultured, spirited and intelligent; I take it that your husband was not a Rifleman?"
"No; MY husband is of the –th Hussars" said she.
It was only after she had finished greeting everyone and had been procured a glass of lemonade by her husband that the woman actually realised just exactly how much Prudence had insulted her.
Prudence saw the gasp and the moment of revelation and was satisfied.
There was no point insulting someone if they never realised after all.
The Westons arrived quite early, with Frank and Jane Churchill to introduce. Prudence though Jane Churchill looked low in spirits; but there was little she might do at a ball. George looked cynical; and Prudence recalled that he did not like Mr Frank Churchill. Well, if it was the case that Miss Fairfax had chosen to love too well and unwisely there was nothing that might be done about it.
Save perhaps to invite her to stay from time to time as a holiday from her husband.
She would cultivate Mrs Churchill for Cousin George described her as amiable and cultured and accomplished.
Mr and Mrs Robert Martin also arrived in good time and Emma introduced Prudence to her dear friend Harriet, who professed herself honoured.
"Oh the honour is all mine to meet a friend of Cousin Emma's" said Prudence "I believe you are the couple that Cousin George has mentioned as using the summerhouse to grow strawberries as he is; Gervase had had to run around procuring glass for his crops. My dear Mrs Martin, let us get acquainted and discuss literary matters, for Emma tells me you love books as much as I do; for our menfolk will doubtless be shortly engaged in farming talk!"
In this guess she was not far out; but Harriet Martin was very pleased to have another woman who was as well read as she!
It might be mentioned that Robert Martin later said to his wife that Miss Blenkinsop was a sensible sort of girl and His Lordship every inch a real gentleman with no unnecessary starch to him, and a knowledgeable farmer too.
Kitty Fairlees was attempting, having had part of a London season, to look as though such things as balls filled her with fashionable ennui; she was not entirely succeeding. Cousin Gervase was famed for the lavish and complete nature of the few entertainments that he gave; and though flowers were somewhat in abeyance in this cold summer, there was ample greenery, and the flowers that there were flowering out of season, graceful narcissi that grew in abundance about the grassy banks of Donwell. The pale gold and green was a graceful theme and suitably romantic, thought Kitty, for a betrothal assembly. She hid the fact that she had turned to stare at a particularly graceful flower arrangement to seem to be turning to hide a yawn behind her hand.
One did not wish the likes of Miss Emily Rawlinson and Miss Henrietta Potts to think that she was entranced like a county girl.
She stared to see Mr Letheridge come in and bow to his host; and turned a little pale. His eyes swept the room and passed over Kitty. Kitty was hardly sure if she were relieved or piqued! She told herself firmly that she was relieved; it would be embarrassing to turn him down if he asked her to dance. It might also have been nice to have had that option.
He was chatting now to Emma Knightley, who was bringing him towards the group from Mrs Goddard's school; surely Emma would not ask him to dance with her? She could hardly refuse it if Emma suggested it! Kitty was pale. But Emma merely smiled and nodded to her, presenting him to one of her fellows.
"This is, Mr Letheridge, Miss Potts; I believe Miss Rawlinson has already engaged herself a partner for the first dance so perhaps I may present you to each other? Miss Potts, Mr Letheridge; Mr Letheridge, Miss Potts" Emma effected the introduction and turned to Kitty. "Kitty I wish you will stand up with Arthur for the first dance; he's eschewing women and dancing with his cousin emphasises that he's not looking for any matrimonial hopes."
"Arthur eschewing women? Emma, that's nonsensical! He's always falling in love!" said Kitty.
"Apparently he has seen the error of his ways and plans to live a bachelor life" said Emma "And you know he will surely change his mind as well as I do; but I pray you to indulge his whim for the nonce. And try to persuade him not to grow his hair again; whoever heard of anyone with such pretty curls being Byronesque?"
Kitty giggled.
"Is that his ambition?" she asked.
"Well he has been inspired by our entirely spurious pirate ancestor, with whom dear Mr Knightley and Cousin Gervase have been amusing the children with outrageous stories and an equally spurious treasure map, to write a poem after the style of the Corsair. Apparently it is George's fault for encouraging him to write poetry in the first place and Arthur liking the imagery of Byron's line 'There was a laughing devil in his sneer' which he says suits Cousin Gervase to a 'T' but which he would like to emulate, and you bad girl you are NOT to laugh at the poor boy!"
"I'm s-s-sorry" spluttered Kitty. "Arthur as the Corsair! Doing it TOO brown!"
"Well yes, so thought I; but I am kind enough to be tactful about it" said Emma. "He is struggling in the toils of heroic quatrains in iambic pentameter; and one day he shall read it to his children as humorous verse no doubt. And unless he volunteers to tell you about it, my girl, you have never heard about it!"
"Oh I shan't say a word!" said Kitty "I should be afraid of giggling if I did" she added honestly.
"Good girl" said Emma who had endured having to remain straight faced while Arthur read to one he still admired more than any woman he had ever known, even though it was perhaps more the admiration for a much beloved aunt now, than the adoring lover.
And when she bethought the lines –
"The pirate stood upon the wooden deck
he waved his sword and gave an awful snarl
he cried 'I'm going to chop you at the neck
you are a cowardly cur you sniv'lling carl!"
– She found it hard not to laugh out loud. Really, Arthur was more like little Henry in his excitement over pirates than in any way like Lord Byron, who was for all his supposed romantic appeal so deeply in debt that he had, like Beau Brummell, been forced to flee the country though certain other scandals of a most particularly unpleasant nature had probably contributed to his choice to leave. Moreover Lord Byron was outspoken against mechanisation; and Prudence considered him a silly little man.
The couples formed up for the first country dance; Gervase and Prudence were to lead off, and though strict precedence decreed Lord Greyling and Georgiana next, the precedence went to Emma and George as hostess and secondary host. It would be quite a long set with the number of couples to traverse the length of it; but it would give the couples a chance to chat to their partners to break the ice; for which reason a simple figure had been chosen. Next was to be an Allemand which required much more passing of hand to hand and concentration; and Gervase handed Prudence to George and solicited the honour of a dance with Emma for, as he said to George, an Allemand with too much disparity of height left the gentleman in a cursed embarrassing position getting stuck going under his lady's arm and afraid of tripping into her décolletage. The evening was going very well; though not all those invited had turned up.
For some reason the Eltons had seen fit to not come to the Ball; though they had not sent any regrets concerning their inability to attend.
Aunt Mouser was of the opinion when she heard of that solecism that they were quite as pushing and vulgar as she had at first opined and instructed Gervase and Prudence that they would be quite correct to give the 'demmed mushrooms' the cut direct should they have the mischance to meet them in the village.
"You missed a treat in town old boy" said Mr Bugge to Gervase "The incomparable Parisienne acrobat Madame Saqui did tightrope walking AND dancing at Vauxhall; all covered with spangles and feathers; delightful!
"Why do I somehow think that the parts between the spangles and feathers are what elicits that remark of delight more than the acrobatics?" said Gervase dryly. "I know you appear to be a great gun with my niece Diana but I wish you will not tell her about that; the idea that she might borrow a washing line to attempt such feats herself has to present itself to mind. The child is unwholesomely like her mother."
Mr Bugge chuckled.
"Too late old boy" he said "I also told her how we borrowed the parson's mule to undertake our own version of Astley's Amphitheatre for the rest of the chaps. Lord, the bruises we got when that wretched nag threw us were worse than the beating!"
"And I wager Diana told you off and said she was surprised at me for upsetting the poor beast" said Gervase "A great animal lover my niece."
"Well yes, actually she did! But if you ask me putting mice in that….no, forget I spoke" said Mr Bugge.
"Oh it WAS Diana was it? The mice I am sure will thrive as the wretched creatures always seem to; and I have no liking for Gerry's wife anyway. Trust a hussar to marry for looks not personality!" said Gervase.
Kitty was feeling decidedly miffed.
Mr Letheridge, far from feeling any undying passion blighted by her rejection of him appeared to be enjoying himself very well indeed dancing with a number of people from one of her school-fellows, the bird-witted and also decidedly dowdy Henrietta Potts, to the incomparable Emma Knightley. And he had not even done more than nod to her!
It was true that it had been fun twitting Arthur over his incipient Byronesque gestures; but less fun that he had grinned and said that perhaps he could not carry it off after all, but a provincial ball was the place to make a cake of one's self to see if it made a good impression or not; and added that he had already been sent to redo his neckcloth by Uncle Gervase who refused to permit him to dance in something he referred to a 'farmer boy's neckerchief'.
Arthur actually seemed to be intending to settle down to work at Oxford and declared that though he was writing poems about pirates it would be his last kick over the traces.
Which fact meant that the evening was generally rather flat; since most of the men there were as old as Mr Letheridge, save Mr Churchill; and he was a married man though one might not think it for the fulsome compliments he bestowed. Kitty found that Mr Churchill was a trifle unnerving; because she was not sure how to reply to his well-turned compliments; and his poor wife did not know where to look for the fact that Kitty could not refrain from blushing.
She might have been more gratified to have known that her cousin Gervase had stopped Mr Letheridge from offering to knock Mr Churchill down.
However, when Mr Letheridge came up to her and murmured,
"Will you do me the honour of a dance, Miss Fairlees?" then Kitty forgot her resolve to turn him down flat and the little speech of rejection quite flew out of her head and she said,
"Oh yes please, Mr Letheridge."
He drew her into the figures of the cotillion; which Kitty danced well. It was too complex a dance to exchange pleasantries, but as Mr Letheridge offered to procure her a glass of lemonade and then stayed to chat politely she blurted out,
"Do you LIKE foundries and things, Mr Letheridge?"
"Oh not in the least" said Mr Letheridge "It was I suppose of some interest though I think I should have preferred to have read about it to seeing it. Still, Diana and Helena enjoyed it, did they not? And it was Diana I was fool –er, impetuous enough to ask what you might all like to do."
Kitty chuckled.
"Diana is a law unto herself" she said "HOW she gets away with it I am never quite sure; and she is a most disconcerting child. Sometimes she has MICE in her pockets!"
"How extremely unpleasant!" Said Mr Letheridge obediently.
"Oh yes! And Prudence does not enter into my feelings on the matter at all, and I suspect that Emma considers me to be making a fuss!" said Kitty.
"Mice should NOT be forced upon young ladies" said Mr Letheridge gravely "Even with an introduction; they are not a respectable part of the ton."
Kitty managed a giggle.
"Oh pray, Mr Letheridge, might I ask a personal and – and quite impudent question?" she asked.
"Well, Miss Fairlees, I do not guarantee not to swoon if it is TOO personal or shocking" said Mr Letheridge with a straight face.
She giggled again.
"You really are a complete hand! I did not realise! But pray tell me, are you always called Meleager?"
"It is an appalling name, is it not?" he said. "I was named after a man who had saved my father's life; so I always use it to sign documents to honour him and I would never change it by Deed Pole for that reason. My family pick the middle part and call me Lee; far less of an encumbrance, would you not say?"
"Lee?" she tested the feel of it. "Why that is quite…..dashing!"
He laughed.
"I fear I cannot live up to DASHING; but I believe I am not such a chawbacon that a name like Meleager makes me sound."
"I believe, Mr Letheridge" said Kitty "If you were to wish to go for a walk at the weekend it might be pleasant to get to know Mr LEE Letheridge."
"I believe, Miss Fairlees" said Mr Letheridge "I should like that very well."
The waltz was for strictly married or betrothed couples; and Gervase and Prudence led the dance. Emma and George always enjoyed a waltz, and Gervase had arranged to have a couple of waltzes just for them. Mr Blenkinsop informed Aunt Mouser that he did not know the steps but that he would have asked her to dance if he had.
She whacked him lightly on the knuckles with her fan.
"Rake!" she admonished, snapping open her fan to flirt it at him. "You may procure for me instead a glass of Negus if there is any to be had to warm me up on this chill night."
Mr Blenkinsop bowed and set forth on his mission to see if Mrs Hodges would mull some spiced and sugared port and water for Lady Katherine. She was, after all, the most interesting person here bar his late wife's relatives and her racy and often outmoded speech amused him. They had begun a game whereby he spoke of steam powered looms to her, and she spoke about the scandals at court in her youth to him; it was reet amusing.
Lady Katherine also found the game vastly diverting and considered happily how scandalised her husband's family would be to see her flirting with a mill owner. She was fond enough of her husband; they were on friendly terms. His family however she loathed and despised. WHAT a pity none of them would hear about this!
Arthur was spending the evening avoiding the attentions of Miss Rawlinson; who was quite recovered from her turned foot, that had not turned out to be a sprain, which, as she remarked laughing a little too loudly, was good news or she would not have been able to dance here tonight! She appealed to Mr Perry to confirm that though it had been a nasty wrench and in need of her being carried to have it tied up, her ankle was QUITE back to normal! Here she extended the offending member to show off more of a trim ankle and calf than was strictly seemly. Mr Perry remarked dryly that the injury had fortunately been quite trivial.
"But so KIND of Mr Alver to carry me!" declared Miss Rawlinson casting sheep's eyes on Arthur. She was quite back to her normal self; which was to say what she would have described as corky and what Arthur considered vulgarly hoydenish.
Her dowdy friend Miss Potts clearly admired Miss Rawlinson's daring manner. Arthur waited for Miss Rawlinson to turn to invite the opinion of Emma upon how kind Mr Alver was and asked Miss Potts if she would favour him with the next dance.
Miss Potts flushed violently and lost herself in a series of half sentences which Arthur decided to take as assent and whirled her into the next country dance measure.
"I say, Miss Potts! Do you mind be being frank with you?" he asked.
"Oh please, Mr Alver! You must say whatever you wish!" said Miss Potts.
"Well I will then; because you seem a nice ladylike girl" said Arthur "And I cannot think that your parents would much like your friendship with Miss Rawlinson; she's not quite the thing you know!"
Miss Potts flushed.
"Oh, but she is so brave; she dares to speak out what she thinks!" she said.
"And that's not very becoming in a young girl not yet out" said Arthur "Within the family that is one thing; to have straightforward manners is pleasing; but Miss Rawlinson seems to set out to attract attention and to be….. well, rather vulgar. I do not think, if I were your brother, I should be at all happy about you knowing her too well."
"Oh!" said Miss Potts with another flush; since she had no desire to have Mr Alver as a brother and would prefer to know him in a different fashion. "You do not wish to court her then?"
"Such is definitely not my desire" said Arthur. "Ah; I conjecture that she has boasted that she can land the Honourable Arthur Alver?" he added with enough worldly wise cynicism to almost look Byronesque.
"Oh Mr Alver! How did you guess? She used almost those exact same words!" said Miss Potts.
"I guessed, Miss Potts, because I have seen girls of her kind before" said Arthur "And my Uncle Gervase warned me what a young man of tolerable fortune should be ready to avoid. And when I carried her to Mr Perry, by the time I set her down the pain was fading in her eyes and a calculating and marrying look was replacing it. I am not such a cynic as my uncle but I am no flat, and I did not cut my eye teeth yesterday!"
"I have wanted to be more like her" said Miss Potts wistfully "She always seems to have such fun."
"If you should wish to be vulgar and coming that is how I see her I fear" said Arthur "It is uncivil of me to disparage your friend I know; but I should hate her to drag you into any exploits which get you hurt, or discredited. I would consider it proper if you let the friendship drop; Miss Rawlinson is the type to easily attract followers of her own kind and I suspect she envies you your air of gentility without really understanding what makes you a lady where she is not."
"You think SHE envies ME?" Miss Potts was disbelieving.
"Deep down, yes I do" said Arthur "Because…… well you are everything she cannot be. I suggest you cultivate instead a friendship with my cousin, Kitty Fairlees."
"Oh thank you, Mr Alver; I shall endeavour to take your advice!" cried Miss Potts. Why Mr Alver was wonderful; and how kind of him to give her a discreet hint instead of looking on her in the same way as he looked on Em!
Posted on: 2011-06-01
The company went into supper later than most of the Highbury notables were accustomed to dine, Mr Cole murmuring that he hoped so late an hour would not disagree with him.
Gervase overheard and leaned over.
"I have been careful to instruct my cook to produce dishes that are readily digestible by a man with dietary difficulties, Mr Cole; and a footman has been assigned to you specially to find you the most digestible dishes."
"Your Lordship" said Mr Cole "Is one of the most considerate men – nay THE most considerate man – that I have ever met!"
"Oh I like to be able to see my friends happy; that is all" said Gervase.
Mr Cole was delighted to find that the dishes singled out for him were not only digestible but also tasty and pleasant; and thanked the footman for his kindness too, a solecism but one the footman had been warned to expect so he merely smiled and nodded acceptance. The vail for his kindness more than covered being treated too familiarly by one of the guests.
There were richer dishes too; one did not bring a cook from London and then spurn his genius. It may be said that the Hartfield party tended to partake largely of the same dishes as Mr Cole, not being used to rich food; and Miss Bates recklessly ate lobster because she would be unlikely, as she said to Mrs Weston, ever to have the chance to do so again and if she suffered for it, it would be worth it. There was no 'r' in the month; but Gervase in consultation with the chef had decided that the inclement weather made risking the shellfish eligible.
The meal was a leisurely affair not to cause any problems to the digestion of the guests; who then resumed the dance floor, though some preferred to sit and listen to the music and watch more hardy folks whilst their own digestion proceeded.
Mrs Goddard ushered her girls out to return to the school at midnight; giving them a chance to meet others at a formal social occasion was excellent training for them; but she had no intention of permitting them to become over tired. She thanked Gervase kindly for the invitation to her oldest brood.
"Why, Mrs Goddard, I am happy to give them the chance to learn how to go on in social situations" said Gervase "Hopefully it will help them avoid committing social solecisms when they come out. But I should like to drop a word in your ear concerning one of your charges….."
Mrs Goddard was too much of a lady to grimace.
"I take it that you are referring to Miss Rawlinson's rather high spirited manner" she said guardedly.
"It cannot ever please; for I should say that it goes beyond high spirits" said Gervase. Mrs Goddard coloured slightly.
"It is to be hoped that if I tell her that a word of censure was passed by the Marquess of Alverston YOUR disapprobation might sound louder in that young lady's ears than mine" she said. "The child has been reared in slightly unfortunate circumstances with an aunt; her mother, finding herself in a better situation now to see to her daughter's future wishes her educated."
"And not in the same household as might annoy a new husband?" asked Gervase.
"You understand the situation perfectly" said Mrs Goddard. "But it is hard for Miss Rawlinson to adapt from the rather vulgar behaviour she has been accustomed to indulge in with her cousins."
Gervase nodded.
"Then my severe censure might in the long run be a kindness to her" he said. "and to continue in that vein, should she suggest making amends in writing an apology say, I will greet her if I meet her in the street; otherwise I shall continue her education by cutting her."
Mrs Goddard suppressed a wince. It might, after all, answer very well indeed in bringing Emily to heel.
"Thank you again, Your Lordship" she said sincerely.
Most of the Highbury notables started considering leaving once Mrs Goddard left; though the ensemble was still playing merrily and Lord Alverston still seemed quite ready to continue dancing. Miss Bates whispered to Emma,
"DEAR Mrs Knightley, at what hour do these assemblies generally break up? One would not like to outstay one's welcome!"
"Oh in London such balls can go on until quite five in the morning" said Emma "But as we are in the country I fancy that Lord Alverston will encourage most to leave at about two."
"Oh Mrs Knightley! Did it not exhaust you in your delicate condition?" asked Miss Bates.
"Oh we seldom saw a ball to its end" said Emma "Prudence is no more keen on late hours than am I; it was a pleasant diversion but I believe the hours they are said to keep in Bath, finishing at midnight, would do well enough for me. Alverston is adequately supported; so when you desire to leave, Miss Bates, let us know and Mr Knightley and I will see you home."
"Oh Mrs Knightley! Would it be FORWARD of me to watch it all? It is so VERY exciting!" said Miss Bates.
"Then see it to the end by all means!" said Emma.
She reflected that this was probably just about the most exciting thing that had ever happened in Miss Bates' humdrum little life; and it would be unkind to spoil the poor woman's pleasure. Frank Churchill certainly looked set to continue to the end; however ill it might make poor Jane. Emma sighed. What was the good of being so accomplished at so many things if one but wasted it being married to a man who did not even seem to pay her any attention? Emma had watched throughout the evening to see whether the lack of attention Frank bestowed upon Jane was more of a piece with their seeming distance when hiding their betrothal; but in truth he seemed bored by her, and wont, if addressing her, to do so roughly and without care for her feelings, almost as though she were a servant in his eyes. And yet George would not speak thus to a servant; nor Cousin Gervase. Frank Churchill was, Emma noted, courteous to social equals and superiors and those whose good opinion he required; but he was now quite offhand with poor little Miss Bates and peremptory with the servants.
It was an interesting insight on his character; and one that Emma suspected that George had recognised all along.
Emma spoke to Prudence about Jane.
"She does look tired and ill" said Emma. "She has always had a weak constitution."
"I'll ask Georgie to put her to bed in one of the guest rooms; and see Mrs Hodges to prepare her one with a hot brick" said Prudence "Mr Frank Churchill, who to my mind is a coxcomb, can just leave without her and either he can come to escort her home on the morrow or Gervase will drive her back to Randalls and the world shall wonder why her husband cannot stir himself to collect her."
Emma giggled.
"You were born to be a Marchioness, dear Pru; you are so very good at ordering people about and organising things."
"Well that is because I have watched you and learned, dear Emma" said Prudence.
Mrs Hodges was more than willing to see Jane Churchill accommodated; and hustled Kate out of bed to sleep in the truckle on the same room as Jane's dresser and to be a witness to Mrs Churchill's good character, for though Georgiana was staying at Donwell such as would loan Jane countenance, the world is wicked enough, said Mrs Hodges, for their to be whispers about Lord Alverston's military friends if Mr Churchill chose to take any such seriously.
Prudence asked Emma, once Jane was ensconced protesting faintly but still gratefully into bed,
"Why did he marry her? It seems that he does not treat her well; and if she had been possessed of fortune one might suspect his motives in that light. But she has no portion at all."
"I do not know; but we shall ask George" said Emma.
The question posed, George frowned in thought.
"I suspect that the answer is twofold" he said "Firstly, since the late Mrs Churchill was so domineering in her ways it may be that Frank wished for a slightly downtrodden girl who would be grateful for his attentions and on whom he might take out his feelings towards his aunt by putting her down instead of being himself put down; and second because to rise in his profession – nominal as it may be – a married man is generally taken as a more steady character than an unmarried man. Her connection too to Colonel and Mrs Campbell give good connections; and Frank needs good connections I suspect. He is deceitful and manipulative; the way he treated Jane during their secret betrothal is to my mind disgraceful. Though one sympathises with her desire to avoid being a governess I fancy even so she might not have been so hardly used."
The party finally broke up with the ensemble packing away its instruments and Gervase saying 'goodnight' very firmly; at which point Frank Churchill missed his wife.
Georgiana confronted him.
"I have put Mrs Churchill to bed with a maid to be on hand, Mr Churchill; she is plainly unwell" she said.
Frank exerted all his charm and smiled.
"Oh poor Jane has these megrims; I fancy she feels that they make her more interesting. I am so sorry you have been put unnecessarily to trouble, Lady Georgiana. I can rouse her if you will show me…."
They he got the terms of address wrong Georgiana might have forgiven; it was a breach of etiquette to be expected of a provincial. It was his attitude to his wife that angered her.
"Mr Churchill, your wife is unwell; and I will on no account have her disturbed" said Georgiana, sounding much like Aunt Mouser. "And if she is brought to bed before her time I fancy it will be through travelling too far and then staying out too late at night. I will have Mr Perry up to see her on the morrow; and if all is well I shall have a message sent to you so that if she wishes she may return to your father's home; but on NO account are you to drag her back to London! If you do, I shall ask my brother and Mr John Knightley to see that your name is dragged in the mud. Do I make myself pellucidly clear?"
"Why er, quite, Lady Georgiana" stammered Frank Churchill who had never encountered before any female apart from his aunt who was not only so immune to his charm but also so dictatorial in the extreme.
He retired abashed.
The village of Highbury was unwontedly quiet for a Friday; Mr Perry had withdrawn from the ball early – as he had said, one never knew when a physician might be needed – but many had stayed on out of curiosity if nothing else. And Miss Bates left everything in the house in the hands of her little maid of all work and slept blissfully on into the afternoon dreaming of glittering ballrooms and – in her dreams she dared to dream it – handsome lords to sweep a much younger version of herself off her feet.
Gervase was forced to rise relatively early when his man of affairs arrived from London; and Mr Blenkinsop was roused also to help draw up an agreement leaving the greater part of Prudence's fortune and anticipated inheritance in her own hands.
Mr Peabody the man of affairs made protest that this was unwise, to trust a female with money, as they did not know how to spend wisely ,and moreover a girl of suddenly elevated social estate would doubtless let it go to her head.
"Gammon" said Gervase "My affianced bride has more sense and a better idea of the value of money than nine out of ten of the young men who are technically old enough to administer their own affairs. And if I am in Lincolnshire and she in London – or indeed vice versa – and a situation arises that requires the outlay of the ready, I need her to be able to do so without cavil or interference."
"Why what might she do in London that I could not do on her behalf?" asked Mr Peabody huffily.
"Oh hire rooms and houses for any of my tenants burned out in an accidental fire" said Gervase "As you quibbled over doing when my secretary suggested it while I was in Spain. He did the sensible thing and borrowed from my Aunt Katherine; and were you not long in my family employ you would have had your congé for that piece of flummery. But you see, I trust my WIFE to be to do as I would do; not as keeps my fortune intact without reference to my moral obligations."
Mr Peabody went a dull scarlet; he recalled still the tongue-lashing he had received on the return of the Marquess from Spain, still in a uniform that had seen better days – he did not know but that had been the Major's best uniform at the time – hotfoot from speaking to Mr Paulson.
"He's an irritating man" said Gervase to Prudence "But he was my father's factor and his father was our family man of affairs before him and if he's inclined to be a little cheeseparing, he's honest and scrupulous. I could scarcely turn him off for doing his job – as he sees it – to the best of his ability."
"No; it would be most improper and cruel" said Prudence. "I shall try not to fratch with him."
"Do WHAT?" said Gervase.
"Argue; I beg your pardon, it is a term from Yorkshire."
"It is descriptive" said Gervase. "And most inappropriate; so for a forfeit you must give me a kiss."
Prudence drew readily close to him.
"And that My Lord is no forfeit" she murmured as he gathered her into his arms.
"No; but it was a good excuse" said Gervase, unrepentantly.
The sheep in the field through which they were walking cared not about the antics of humans; and if Mrs Elton walking by was offended neither of the lovers cared, and would have laughed to hear her describe their embrace to her caro sposo as
"Quite a vulgar display; why I should not be surprised to find out that he is no such thing as a Marquess and that it is all some kind of elaborate hoax!"
Unaware of Mrs Elton's opprobrium the lovers finally fell apart remaining handlocked as they walked on aimlessly; and if the day was chill and damp, for them it was warm spring.
"Will we get married in Yorkshire or Lincolnshire, Gervase?" asked Prudence "And when may we do so?"
"Neither; we shall be married in St George's Hanover square" said Gervase. "It is the proper thing to do; and though I should rather marry you out of my seat in Lincolnshire so all the servants, labourers and tenants might attend I shall not do so because it is entirely likely that someone will start the on-dit that I have married you in a hole-in-the-corner way because I am ashamed of you and of your relations."
"Fustian" said Prudence.
"Fustian it may be; even gammon; or even as one of my tenants would put it, all tripes and trollibags" said Gervase "And now I am avenged for dialect. But the point is, I will NOT court unnecessary gossip about my wife – or about your family. I am perfectly happy to welcome all your cousins to the wedding – though I fancy getting Mr Woodhouse to stir himself is unlikely. He is too likely to take a fit of the blue devils just at the idea of travelling."
"Uncle Henry is indeed much addicted to the megrims" said Prudence. "But he will wish me well, even if he will doubtless believe that something terrible is going to befall me through being wed."
Gervase grinned.
"MOST fond mamas warn their daughters that it is something terrible but that they must put up with their husband's bedroom behaviour and be complacent about their little liaisons with those kinds of women who do not mind such bedroom antics" he said.
Prudence flushed.
"I may be a green girl but I am more than seven; and I can see further than the end of my nose" she said. "I know where lambs come from and why you put a tup in with ewes. Well that is to say, I have some idea" she amended. "DO you plan to have liaisons?"
"No" said Gervase "Which is not to say I have not; and as you know, Elvira was one of them. Generally I have stuck to paphians and opera dances and this is not a conversation I should be having with you, you wretched girl."
"As I recall you brought the subject up in delicately hinting about a er physical side of marriage" Prudence was scarlet. "Well if you do not intend to have liaisons, Lord Alverston, I think then it is entirely your responsibility to make sure that your wife is able to fulfil the function of such er paphians in learning to enjoy the function that they fulfil."
"Do you know, Miss Blenkinsop, I was planning on just such an education for my bride" said Gervase "Why are we being formal?"
"Because I have noticed that Emma and George do it when they are exchanging their most intimate looks" said Prudence.
"Why so they do! Miss Blenkinsop; you are quite correct. So I should look forward in instructing Lady Alverston…."
Further conversation was curtailed for a further long kiss.
Gervase had to return to London to finalise the details of the wedding, arranging a time that St George's would be available and sending out invitations once the date in July was finalised; because Gervase wished to be back on his lands for such harvest as there might be.
Obtaining a licence was necessary since the date was drawing near and calling the banns in their own parishes immaterial as neither belonged to St George's; but it posed no real problem.
And Prudence was occupied in making the ribbon roses to trim the bridal gown that Hesther was making for her, and too the bridesmaids' dresses; and Emma was to be her matron of honour.
And Diana was delighted to be having a gown of red velvet made up for her!
Prudence received congratulations all round, save from the Eltons who did not call; though the last word has to be left to Henry Woodhouse.
"POOR Prudence! To enter the state of matrimony is bad enough but to have to live in the northerly part of England, with hills everywhere ruining your health…… oh it does not bear thinking about, my poor dear niece!"