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“Oh, tush!” Mama smiled at her. “You are one and twenty, years away from such considerations, and who knows what might happen? You may meet someone in London, perhaps. Now that the idea of marriage has been put before you, the prospect may appeal a little more.”
Julia pulled a face. “London! I wish I needn’t go at all.”
“If Mr Plummer is so very disappointed, he may try again,” Angie said happily.
Aunt Madge sniffed in derision, but Mama smiled. “Indeed he may. Perhaps we should invite him to dinner.”
Julia could not endure such nonsense, so she sought refuge in the schoolroom, but even there she found Miss Crabtree, Bella and Dorothea discussing the interesting situation, peppering her with questions about Mr Plummer. Julia took a book and went to hide in the gallery.
~~~~~
James drove back to the Manor not at all disheartened. To be sure, she had turned him down in the most uncompromising of terms.‘I don’t want to marry at all!’Well, he had time. Several weeks yet before she went to London, and he was quite prepared to follow her there. If she preferred a sophisticated London beau to a country rector, then he could show her a different side to his nature. He could be equally at home in town, if he chose.
Only one of her remarks gave him pause.‘I am content with my life just as it is.’That was a poser. Mr Fletcher was a man of great wealth, who could afford to keep any number of unmarried daughters in great comfort. He was an indulgent father, too, and would never press any of his children to marry unwillingly. He had made that quite clear when they had talked that morning.
“Julia’s a sensible girl,” he had said, “and she knows her own mind. It would be a good match for her, I’ll not deny that, and better than we might have expected for her, but I’ll not push her one way or the other. If you can persuade her to marry you, then you’ll have my blessing and the full dowry, but if she won’t have you, she’ll hear no reproach from me. It won’t bother me in the slightest if she never marries, so long as she’s happy.”
So how was he to win her over? She had no need to marry, and no wish for it, either. If he was to succeed, he would have to offer her something she could not find at home. If her own establishment and the prospect of children were not enough, what else could entice her away from her comfortable life? And the only inducement would be himself. He had to make her fall in love with him, and his sanguine spirit was entirely confident he could do it.
The whole family had gathered in the parlour to await his return and hear the outcome. His father merely nodded, his face impassive, but Mother raised her handkerchief from red-rimmed eyes to cry out, “Thank goodness!”
“You disapprove, Mother?” James said politely.
“Every woman of any sensibility must disapprove,” Letitia snapped. “Every feeling revolts at bringing such a creature into the family. She cannot even speak properly, and her manners border on the wilful. Whatever were you thinking, James?”
“I was thinking that she would suit me very well,” he said mildly. “I like her, and I have every intention of bringing her round eventually.”
His mother moaned softly.
~~~~~
One outcome of Julia’s proposal was more positive. Mama had been attempting for some time to return the Plummers’ hospitality by inviting them to dinner, but there had always been some excuse. Lady Plummer was indisposed, or there was something infectious in the nursery, or the weather was too uncertain for them to venture out at night. All their other new acquaintances had enjoyed the bounty of their table and afterwards applauded politely at the young ladies’ performance on the instrument, but the Plummers were the principal family of the neighbourhood, and the greatest prize.
Now, however, a brief note was received by Pa from Sir Owen informing him that a renewal of the invitation would be received with pleasure, in the interests of continuing amity between the two families. An invitation was dispatched within the hour, and a reply received just as promptly, brought by Sir Owen himself and his two sons.
It was the first time Julia had seen James since the proposal, but he was just as usual, his own relaxed self, the only difference being that he didn’t seek her out at once, as he had always done before, but made himself agreeable to Mama and Aunt Madge first. Hewasagreeable, Julia was honest enough to acknowledge. She could not fault his manners, and when he finally made his way to her side, she was comfortable enough to meet him without any awkwardness.
“I shall be so glad to dine here again,” he said, when the preliminary greetings were done. “Mother is dreading it, of course, to see another lady take her place at the head of the table, but Father is adamant that it would be insulting to refuse again. He very much wants to be on good terms with your family, and would regret any issue which might preclude that.”
Was that a veiled reference to Julia? “We would all regret that, Mr Plummer,” she said promptly, and was pleased to see him smile at her words. There was nothing of resentment in his manner towards her.
Mama was in a fever of excitement over the dinner with the Plummers. All of them were to come, and the greatest triumph was to have Lord Charles Heaman in her house.
“A real lord!” she said about twenty times a day. “Everything must be perfect for a real lord.”
“Isn’t it his brother who’s the lord?” Julia said, amused. “Isn’t Lord Charles’s title just a… oh, what is it called?”
“A courtesy title, yes, but he is still alord, Julia. Not a peer of the realm, I grant you that, but a lord is still a lord.”
“I thought you didn’t like him much, since he won’t introduce you to his brother.”
“But perhaps he will, if I feed him well enough,” she said, beaming.
The ladies were informed that they were each to wear one of their new dresses. Julia rolled her eyes at the fuss, but Rosie, Angie and Camilla twittered happily, and spent hours in their rooms, laying out gowns and shoes and brooches and ribands. Julia left it to Mama to choose for her, but when she saw her reflection in the cheval mirror, she could hardly believe what she saw. It was the colour, she decided. Gone were the washed out blues and yellows that made her look ill. Her gown was a vibrant turquoise that shimmered between blue and green in the flickering candlelight. A net over gown sparkled. The bodice was shaped to make her look slimmer and more elegant.
“Oh, Jules, you look so pretty!” Rosie breathed.
“No, no! Not pretty, but… stylish,” she said musingly. “I look surprisingly ladylike. How long will it be, do you suppose, before I tear something, or spill wine onto it?”
