Cousin Prudence (30 page)

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 we
eks 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.

Chapter 37

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!”