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Butshedid not sleep. She gazed at him from beneath a slightly squashed bonnet, its feather drooping as if it had been taken out in the rain and resented the insult. And the face below the bonnet was constantly in motion, smiling at his little jokes, falling into solemnity when he made a point of marginal profundity, and sometimes frowning, her head tipped distractingly to one side, if he said something she could not understand. On such occasions, he would repeat the point in simpler terms and then the frown vanished and the smile returned, like sunshine after a shower. It was enchanting.
He walked back to the Rectory afterwards in the highest of spirits.
“That went unusually well, did you not think, Thomas? I was on fire today, and only old Mr Beardmore fell asleep, that I could see.”
“I am surprised you noticed him in his distant pew,” the curate said. “Your eyes were fixed on a subject somewhat closer to the pulpit, I believe. But then she is very much worth looking at.”
“Who can you mean, you old rascal? Who are you matching me to now?”
“Why, the Fletcher girl, of course. The heiress.”
“Heiress? Is she?”
“Really, James! Surely you must know that she has fifty thousand pounds.”
“Ah, I see. You mean MissRoseFletcher.”
“Naturally. Beauty and money in one demure little package. What could be sweeter? But if not the beauty, who was it who caught your eye? The younger one is a dainty miss, too. Miss Angela Fletcher.”
“Not her. The middle one. The one who mistook me for a gamekeeper.”
Thomas stopped dead, and spun round with a crunch of gravel. “Themiddleone? The great tall one with the bonnet that looked as if she had sat on it?”
James chuckled. “Do you know, that is just the sort of thing she would do. Are you going to stand gawking at me all day, my friend? For I should like my breakfast before the sun goes down, and it is rather chilly just standing here in this wind.”
Thomas chuckled and they moved on towards the Rectory, where the sight of smoke rising from several chimneys suggested that a good blaze was to be had within.
“Is that why you were so early to church today?” Thomas said, grinning widely. “I thought you were just keen to see the family who have displaced your father, but perhaps it was something more than that. You must be in love with the girl.”
“In love? Heavens, no! Must a man be in love just because he enjoys a young lady’s company? I should not wish it, I give you my word. Love is for fools, and brings nothing but disaster and grief in its train. Have I not seen enough of the effects of love in my own family? No, no, wish not such a punishment asthatupon me, I beg you. But she amuses me so I might marry her anyway.”
“Excellent,” Thomas said cheerfully. “Then I shall have a try for the heiress, if it will not overset any plans of yours.”
“It is nothing to me, but it might overset Father’s plans. He has the heiress and her fifty thousand pounds marked for Michael.”
“Then in that case, I shall settle for Mrs Reynell, for nobody else wants her, of that I am certain, and her eight hundred a year would be a great addition to my income,” he said gravely.
“And the house,” James said, with a commendably straight face. “Do not forget her house. You would be very comfortable there, Thomas, I am certain, and it is so conveniently placed directly opposite the church. Ideal for a curate, I should have said.”
Chuckling together, they entered the house and made straight for the kitchen, and breakfast.
~~~~~
On Sunday evening, the Fletchers were all invited to dine at Chadwell Manor. This was a signal honour, they were given to understand, for the Plummers never entertained on the Sabbath as a rule, but there was no other day available before Johnny departed for Cambridge, and they wished to offer the hand of friendship to the whole family. Sir Owen was most insistent on the point.
Julia had briefly met the remaining members of the Plummer family at church, but now she was to spend a whole evening in their company and she was not sure just how enjoyable it would be. Angie was in alt to be dining out so soon, but Rosie was a bag of nerves.
“You need only be yourself,” Angie said, as they gathered in Rosie’s room with Sarah, their maid, to put the finishing touches to their ensembles. “Ooh, I cannot wait!” She twirled round happily, her skirt swirling elegantly around her.
Julia stood patiently, jewelled combs in hand, waiting her turn to be titivated. She wished she could twirl about like that, but she would be sure to catch her gown on some protrusion, or knock something over. No matter how hard she tried to stay as still as she could, watch where she walked and keep away from the furniture, it was no use. She never intended to fall or to drop things, but somehow such accidents happened to her all the time.
Sometimes, after yet another disaster, when Pa looked at her sorrowfully and murmured, “Oh dear, Julia,” she wished she were small and dainty like Rosie and Angie. Not when she was striding about the countryside, for then it was delightful to have legs long enough to cover the ground at speed, and she could even keep up with the men. But at balls and dinners away from home, it would be pleasant to be elegant and ladylike, and not mortify her family with her little scrapes. She was never mortified herself, for if one was awkward and clumsy there was not much to be done about it, but it distressed Rosie so. She was a person of the greatest sensibility, and felt all the crushing humiliation of Julia’s disgrace as if she herself had transgressed in some way. Poor Rosie!
They travelled the short distance to Chadwell Manor in two carriages, to be greeted by numerous footmen, a butler who held his head so high that he appeared to look down his nose at them, and all the gentlemen of the family.
“Welcome, welcome!” Sir Owen said. “Mrs Fletcher, may I offer you my arm? Be careful on the steps, one or two flags are a trifle uneven. Do come inside out of the chill wind. The ladies are all in the parlour, where there is a good fire to warm you.”
Mr Michael Plummer stepped forward to offer his arm to Rosie, and then the gamekeeper offered his arm to Julia.
