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“She is attracting some attention from the gentlemen, would you not agree?”
Julia could not deny it, although it puzzled her. “Mama… she is not exactlyeligible, is she? I mean, if a gentleman wished to marry her—”
“Julia, it is not for us to interfere in such matters,” Mama said firmly. “If anyone wished to marry her, then it would be a matter between him and Camilla’s father. But herfriendshipsare certainly of interest to us, for we are responsible for her while she stays with us. I noticed Lord Charles paying her some attention, and that surprised me. Has Camilla mentioned him?”
“No, not at all.”
“Hmm. Still, it is something to watch carefully. Be sure to let me know if anything arises.”
“What sort of thing?” Julia said.
“Oh… well, if Camilla should happen to meet him anywhere… any private talk they may have… anything of that nature,” she said with a vague wave of the hand.
“If the talk is private, I may know nothing of it.”
Mama gave her a strange look. “I suppose so. But anything odd, you know? Keep me informed, for I stand in place of her mama.”
Julia agreed to it, although the request mystified her.
11: Courtship
James’s Sundays had settled into a pattern. He rose and dressed early enough to walk across to the church with Thomas, where they shared the duties of lighting candles in the church and ensuring all was in readiness for the office. Then they sat by the fire in the vestry until the congregation began to arrive.
“How goes your courtship of Mrs Reynell?” James said.
The curate pulled a rueful face. “Courtship might be too strong a word for it. After the great triumph of an hour playing whist beside her, during which time she devoted most of her attention to glowering at your back, a very little to her cards and none at all to me, she abandoned me at the first opportunity. I called yesterday to enquire if she had taken any chill from venturing out on such a cold night, and I swear to you, James, she looked at me as if I had crawled out of a swamp. The chill in that room was deeper than the frost on the ground outside.”
James chuckled. “But you were not serious about her, so you cannot be too disappointed.”
“I had no expectation of success, that is true, for she has always placed herself on a very high form. She would never deign to marry a mere curate on a hundred pounds a year, and with no prospects of a living. But I should very much like to marrysomeone, James. I am forty years old and staring into the not so distant prospect of old age, and a wife would be the greatest comfort to me.”
“I had thought you content with your life,” James said.
“And so I am, very content. I have work that suits my nature, in a position where I can be of some use to my parishioners, and an income that is more than adequate for my modest needs, since you very generously provide me with a roof over my head, and as much good food and excellent wine as I can consume. Your cast off clothes even find their way to me. I want for nothing, at least nothing material. But a wife! How I should love to come home each night to a wife.”
“I imagine there are any number of parish women who would be more than happy to oblige you, if you would but look their way.”
“Oh, certainly. Becky from Mr Grant’s farm, for instance, or Margaret, Mrs Reynell’s parlourmaid. The Manor dairymaid, too. And I would happily take any one of them, or even Molly, the Kelshaw’s scullery maid, for I do not mind the squint in the slightest, but they are all of them penniless.”
“A wife would not be such a great additional expense, would it? Given that the house and food are provided.”
“That is perfectly true, and at a hundred a year, I could provide for awife, just about. But there would be children, any number of children, and I could not bear to raise a family in abject poverty.”
“I had no idea you were so serious about this,” James said thoughtfully. “But the solution is a simple one. I shall increase your salary to—”
“No, no, no! That you must not do,” Thomas cried. “I am more than adequately compensated, I assure you. The tithes are yours, and fitting for your station in life. It is not for you to deprive yourself in order to enable me to marry a scullery maid with a squint. That would be foolishness indeed. If God intends me to marry, he will provide a wealthy woman who will fall violently in love with me, and if he does not… then I shall be content. But let us talk of happier matters, and your own courtship. You have been seeing a great deal of the lady, I hear.”
“How do you hear such things, Thomas?”
“Would it surprise you to know that the good people of St Hilary’s parish take a proprietorial interest in you? In all the great families, to be truthful. Every time you call upon Miss Fletcher at the Park, one of the footmen will happen to mention it to his sister at the Manor, who will tell her mother, who then relates to everyone who passes her gate. Which is, as you may imagine, everyone in the village. So it is widely known that you are paying court to Miss Julia Fletcher, and your brother is unusually attentive to Miss Fletcher. There is great excitement at these promising signs, as you may imagine.”
“The villagers approve, do they?”
“Well…” Thomas scratched his nose thoughtfully. “The ladies are not thought to be quite worthy of the Plummers’ distinguished heritage, but their dowries are mentioned with respect, and there will be great satisfaction in seeing you both settled, especially after that business with Mr Michael.”
James shook his head. “There are no secrets in a village.”
“None whatsoever,” Thomas said cheerfully.
