Charlotte: The Practical Education of a Distressed Gentlewoman (5 page)

“
Are you hurt?”

The woman looked up at her and gave
her a sheepish smile with her mud-streaked face. The bits of grass
and weeds stuck to her hair only added to her comic appearance. Her
fashionable blue velvet riding dress was ruined with mud and more
than a few tears.

“
No, I'm not hurt. Just a bit
ashamed of myself. I thought I knew how to ride well. Henry was
right. The countryside isn't like Hyde park.”

“
Henry?” That name was familiar,
unfortunately. Charlotte looked carefully at the woman. “You're not
from around here, are you?”

“
Not yet.”

“
But you look familiar. You are
one of the Talbot's, aren't you?”

The woman carefully stood up,
straightened her skirts and brushed off what she could of the muck
and grass that adhered to them. She held out her hand. “I'm Miss
Elizabeth Talbot, you can call me Lizzy if you like, everybody
does.”

“
I know your brother.”

“
Freddy? How droll, isn't he a
riot? He can keep a straight face and tell the most outrageous
whoppers.”

“
I hadn't noticed. By the way I'm
Miss Charlotte De Vere.”

“
Oh, you're the woman sold us the
hall, aren't you?”

Charlotte rather tersely replied,
“Yes.” Meeting Freddy earlier in the week was enough of the Talbot
family for her tastes. She was decidedly not enthusiastic about
meeting any more of them.

“
Freddy's last letter talked about
you. You're much prettier and nicer than he described.”

“
What?”

“
You must have made some sort of
impression on him. His letters are usually full of business deals,
interest rates, and boring things like that. You'd never think he
could be any fun if you read them.”

“
You think he can be
fun?”

“
I wouldn't want to go up against
him in a business deal, but yes, when he's not cooking up some
complicated financial scheme he's a blast, a great gun.”

Charlotte was momentarily lost in
thought. This was an aspect of that man's character she hadn't
considered. No one could be totally rude, boorish and ill-mannered,
though so far Mr. Frederick Talbot had done a thoroughly effective
job of appearing that way. His sister seemed to be decent and
well-mannered enough.

“
Miss De Vere?”

“
Yes?”

“
Do you know which way is back to
the hall? I should get back there soon or they will be worried
about me.”

“
It's too far to walk, especially
if you've been thrown from your horse.”

“
I wasn't thrown off it. I just
sort of slid off the front.”

“
That's what I mean by thrown from
your horse. If you can walk to the far side of that field, there's
a lane.”

“
Yes, I see it.”

“
Wait there, and I'll be along in
the Vicar's gig to take you home. We can chat on the
way.”

Lizzy smiled, “That would be top of
the trees. I was hoping to make some friends quickly, and we could
get started.”

Elizabeth cornered her brother the
next morning. “Is it true that you wouldn't let Char- Miss De Vere
take her clothes from the hall?”

“
Yes, they're part of the contents
of the house. If she'd wanted them, she only had to say so before
we drew up the contract.”

“
Freddy! That's incredibly rude
and vulgar.”

“
Is it? I thought you might want
them.”

“
Me? Are you out of your mind?
There isn't a gown there that is even vaguely in fashion. Maybe
they were in fashion in the '90's, but they aren't now. As if I'd
ever wear second hand clothing. I know mother and father did, once
back when they were young and poor, but not any longer.”

“
Then we'll sell them to the rag
merchants.”

“
What do you think you'd get for
them?”

“
I don't know, ten, at most twenty
pounds. They probably have some value on the resale
market.”

Liza reached into her reticle and
pulled out a banknote. “Here's twenty. They're mine
now.”

“
I thought you didn't want
them.”

“
I don't, but I know someone who
does.”

Freddy tried to return the note to
his sister, “No, please not her.”

“
Sorry, yes. Charlotte's a sweet,
well-mannered and gentle young lady. I like her and think we'll
soon be close friends.”

Freddy pushed the note back into
Lizzy's hand. “Lizzy, I'm not going to do business over this with
you. It's not as if these clothes are worth much. Take them to that
woman, if you want, but please do not involve me in it.”

“
Did you know there's going to be
a ball in Staverton, Thursday next week, before the Answorths go to
Bath?”

“
No. Should I?”

“
If you're going to be the new
land owner, I would think so.”

“
Did you plan on attending
it?”

“
Yes.”

“
Is Miss De Vere?”

“
Probably, it's to see off her
friends the Answorths. I'd be very surprised if she's not
there.”

“
We haven't been invited. So I'm
not sure we can.”

“
I'll bet we get
invited.”

Freddy laughed, “Twenty pounds we
don't?”

“
I never gamble, especially not
with you, you know that.”

Lizzy went in search of her maid,
and eventually found her upstairs unpacking Miss Elizabeth's
wardrobe.

“
Martha?”

“
Yes Miss?”

“
I need to you help me pack Miss
De Vere's gowns and things.”

“
But Miss Elizabeth, I should like
to finish with your clothes.”

“
They're not going anywhere are
they?”

“
No.”

“
I have things ready that I can
wear for the next few days, don't I?”

“
Yes.”

“
Then you can help me with hers
first. That way we have space for mine.”

“
Miss, I'd rather get these
done.”

“
Martha.” Despite her cheerful and
well-mannered surface, Elizabeth Talbot was fully capable of being
just as demanding and iron-willed as any other member of her
family. Martha knew that dangerous tone of voice and was well aware
that it implied an order rather than her usual pleasant
request.

“
Yes, Miss.”

“
Thank you.”

In what had been Miss De Vere's
room, as they started taking the dresses and gowns down from their
hangers and carefully folding them into a traveling case, Elizabeth
commented, “Martha, I'm not sure that Freddy wasn't right to just
sell these. They're all so out of date and frumpy. I'd be ashamed
to wear one as a masquerade costume, let alone to a
ball.”

Martha agreed. Elizabeth continued,
“But if Miss De Vere wants them, then she'd best get
them.”

They were about half-way through
the clothes when Freddy joined them for a few minutes. “I heard
what you said about these clothes. You're right, even a mere male
like me can see that they're so gauche as to be only suited for a
dowd or a frump. It's almost a sartorial solecism to be in the same
room with them.”

“
It's a shame because Charlotte
would look much nicer if she were well-dressed. She needs to catch
a husband if she can.”

“
Not me.”

“
I didn't mean that.”

“
Good. I hope that's clear. But
you're right, she would look much better in a fashionable gown.”
Freddy quietly pulled out an old and worn hundred-pound note and
slipped into a sleeve on one of the dresses lying on the top of the
pile. It would look like it had been misplaced a while ago and was
just now found. Lizzy noticed. “Freddy, that's so sweet of
you.”

“
No it's not sweet. It's a
speculative investment. If she gets married, then maybe I can deal
with a rational man about the farms. Failing that, it won't be so
evil when I foreclose on them. Not if she has somewhere else to
live.”

“
Freddy, it's still
sweet.”

“
If you get the chance, make sure
she's decently clothed. Take her to Bath and find a stylish mantua
maker if you can. You can practice your matchmaking on her, as long
as you leave me out of it.”

“
A ton won't go far at any good
dressmakers.”

“
I can give you another note if
you need it. Please don't tell her where the note came
from.”

“
Why not?”

“
She'd just send it back and I'd
have to find another way to shift her.”

Once the clothes were packed, Lizzy
wrote a short note and had the village carrier take them to Miss De
Vere.

The reason the invitation to the
ball had not arrived was that Dr. Answorth was going to deliver it
when he called on the Talbot's to welcome them to his parish. He
and his groom pulled his gig up in front of the house, and were
directed to the stable-yard. There was a knot of farmers sitting
and discussing something. Most of the farmers stood up and touched
their foreheads in salute when he climbed down from the gig. One
man didn't. While he was dressed much the same as most of his
companions, he was older than most of them and far less sunburned.
Dr. Answorth walked to him and asked, “I'm looking for Mr. Talbot.
Have you seen him?”

“
Yes.”

Dr. Answorth stumbled a second at
this apparently unhelpful answer. “Where?”

“
Unless you're looking for my son
Frederick, here. I'm George Talbot, and you're?”

“
I'm sorry. I'm Dr. James
Answorth, the vicar.”

“
I was wondering when we'd meet.
I'd heard about you.” He turned to the farmers and suggested that
they continue discussions later. “You've given me much to consider.
I'd best entertain this gentleman.”

Joyfully pumping Dr. Answorth's
hand, Mr. Talbot asked, “What can I do for you? There's some decent
sherry in the hall, and I'm sure you're thirsty.”

“
I wouldn't say no to
it.”

Mr. Talbot led his guest into the
house and sat him in the main parlor. He rang and when his butler
arrived asked, “Bring us some sherry please, and if you would
please, the good sherry I brought from London.”

“
The sherry from London?” The
butler waited, hoping to have that part of the order
rescinded.

“
I suppose Lord Staverton's was
saving his blunt on his sherry. Awful stuff.”

“
It is Mountain Malaga sherry. He
selected a very fine vintage.”

“
Really?” He turned to his butler,
who hadn't left, “Why don't you bring us a glass of both? That way
we can see. Also, can you see if Mrs. Talbot is free?”

While the butler was on his errand,
Mr. Talbot asked, “So what brings you to the hall?”

“
To welcome you to the parish, and
to pass on this invitation to a ball at the parish hall next
week.”

“
A ball? Lizzy will like that.
When?”

“
Thursday evening.”

“
Good, Freddy will be back from
London by then.”

“
He's in London?”

“
Business. There were pressing
issues that required his presence.”

“
I was curious, is he intending to
settle here?”

“
Freddy, no, at least not yet. Me,
yes.”

“
Can I ask what your plans
are?”

“
Martha and I started poor and
worked damned hard to make something of ourselves. Well, we've done
it and raised two fine children on the way. Too many of my friends
worked until the day they dropped and never did anything good or
had any pleasure with the money they raised. That's avarice for
you, money for money's sake.”

“
So are you planning to retire to
the countryside?”

“
Not quite. Freddy's sharp so I'm
letting him spread his wings in our London house. I'll still keep
an eye on things, of course. Meanwhile, thought we'd see what we
can do in the country.”

“
I don't understand.”

His wife silently came in, and
curtsied to the rector, “Vicar, so pleased to meet you.”

The vicar rose, somewhat belatedly,
and bowed in return. “Mrs Talbot, I'm pleased to make your
acquaintance.”

“
Martha,” Mr. Talbot continued, “I
was just telling the Reverend about our plans.”

“
We want to give some poor
children a chance. Make life a little easier for them.”

“
Was that what you were discussing
with the farmers?”

“
Not directly, I asked about the
parish school, but mostly how their farms worked.”

“
Farms worked?”

“
How did they make money, what
banking did they do. The business of farming.”

“
How dull.”