Cousin Prudence (32 page)

That then was the problem of what maggot was in Diana’s head sorted out; and Prudence explained to Gervase when she had a moment with him.

He laughed.

“And I have discovered the reason for another small mystery and problem; you recall that my secretary Mr Paulson eloped with Miss Bullivant, which event precipitated Arthur into driving here to Highbury?”

“Yes, it seemed odd that they should elope
,” said Prudence.

“Well it seems that Mr Paulson was afraid I should be angry that he had conceived a tendre for the girl who was the object of my nephew’s attentions
; and Miss Bullivant too was afraid of hurting Arthur’s feelings by telling him openly; silly chit,” he added.

“On a par with Kitty after all
,” groaned Prudence, “and is it resolved?”

“Oh indeed; for he wrote to me to beg my pardon and to ask if he was to be turned off.  I have just now been writing to him to tell him to get his silly self back to town and to take such funds as it requires to purchase a small house in my name in which he and his bride may live rent free. I have also directed him to accept a bride gift and to stop having megrims. They are at the girl’s father’s house in a place called Tring, which is distinguished only by having a canal nearby.”

“Well I am glad that is sorted out,” said Prudence, “perhaps you should suggest Arthur should cultivate the next daughter who is said to be a most amiable girl and ready to give time and effort to help her sister be suitably established.”

Gervase sighed.

“I suppose I will assist in the bringing out of the next sister who may be a paragon but who I will not push into Arthur’s arms, your levity in suggesting it despite!  If he meets her and there is any affection that grows that is a different matter; but further than that I will not go; he can make a push to manage his own affairs!”

Prudence laughed.

“Oh I am not a matchmaker like Emma!”

The members of Highbury society were agog to catch a glimpse of Lord Alverston’s sister and wondered at their tea drinking whether or not the bride had travelled with Lady Georgiana and the Grand Old Lady who had accompanied the cavalcade, driving herself in, of all things, a High Perch Phaeton.

Lady Katherine had been, as has been mentioned, a high-spirited young lady and age had not dimmed that spirit.

Indeed Gervase had been heard to remark irreverently that like all spirits she had improved with a bit of aging and was more spirituous than ever.

Aunt Mouser rapped him over the knuckles with her fan for that comment.

She heard all about Mrs Elton; and declared that in her young day such a mushroom would have been crushed merely by leaving her off the guest list but that she supposed Gervase knew what he was doing.

“I am thinking that it is a trifle
TOO much of a set down,” said Prudence, “she is a foolish and spiteful creature who I suspect is the way she is because she is jealous of Emma; for I have learned that Mr Elton offered for Emma before he married Mrs Elton, and so she must feel insecure next to so beautiful, vivacious and well born young lady as my dear cousin.  Alverston, might we not let her down in less public company?  Perhaps if Emma will give a dinner for the Westons before Mr and Mrs Churchill arrive, as they are due to do on Tuesday, and the Coles and the Eltons and Mrs and Miss Bates to introduce Georgie to

them and Georgie and I can let it slip between us.”

“Charitable miss!” grunted Aunt Mouser, “I say give her the cut direct.”

“I would do so, Aunt Mouser
,” said Gervase, “but for the fact that my new cousins must live in the same village.  We shall all go to church tomorrow and if Emma is agreeable issue the invitation for Monday; the ball then is on Thursday and if she wishes to plead a headache she may do so.”

Emma was willing to fall in with this plan; much as she disliked Mrs Elton, a totally public humiliation had preyed a little on her conscience.

Philip Elton was a little taken aback by the large crowd from Donwell who sat firmly in the Donwell closed pew which prevented, as Georgiana said with relief, Diana finding any way of stirring up the neat and prim looking party from Mrs Goddard’s school.

As Diana, in company with Henry and Helen, had already thoughtfully left holly leaves in the choir stalls she looked as though butter would not melt in her mouth.

And after the service – interrupted by a few yelps from the choir –  the Reverend Elton and his wife expressed themselves delighted to come to meet Georgiana, Lady Greyling; and if Mrs Elton suspected that she was only invited because it would have been a solecism not to invite the vicar and his wife she would, under normal circumstances, have been correct.

“We have heard no more of Miss Blenkinsop’s quixotic betrothed though the word is that Kate Fellowes is much improved,” she said in honeyed tones, “one
does
hope that the poor man survived the typhus?  Is the betrothal still on?”

“Oh I can answer in the affirmative to both questions
,” said Emma.  “Prudence is happy with the match.”

“Indeed poo
r thing; if he was at least
born
a gentleman, it is as much as she might expect,” said Mrs Elton, “though I do not think that anyone would permit the nursing of a girl like that at Maple Grove, if I may venture to give you a hint, Mrs Knightley; my brother and sister would never permit
their
outbuildings to be so used.”

“Oh I am sure they would not
,” said Emma stung to incivility, “but then Mr Knightley was born a gentleman and so understands the obligations of one natural to the estate.”

Mrs Elton went white.

“Impolite my dear,” murmured George, “but really, I cannot see that she should expect anything else.”

Chapter 39

The icy civility between Emma and Mrs Elton was palpable.  Mr Elton spoke low to Emma.

“My dear Emma, you must know that you have hurt my wife’s feelings very badly
,” he said.

“Why I can hardly feel in any wise regretful
,” said Emma, “for I consider that spreading lies about my cousin and her betrothed is unbecoming in the wife of a man of the cloth and to further deplore the kindly and charitable actions of both my husband and my cousin’s betrothed shows a distressing lack of Christian feeling.  Mrs Elton has made certain assumptions which she has spread as though fact and could have caused much hurt to my cousin if dear Prudence actually considered such remarks worthy of attention.  Fortunately she is too wise to pay attention to any quidnunc.”

Mr Elton was angry; he was white and his nose was pinched.

“I fear that although loyalty to one of your blood is highly commendable you and your family will suffer from being a laughing stock of the village for going beyond the necessary obligations to a minor member of your family,” he said, “and to put up with her marrying a penniless cashiered army horse doctor seems to go beyond what is pleasing for any family!”

“Why I do not know who might have told you such lies about our new cousin to be
,” said Emma, “he sold out after the war was over; he has never been a horse doctor and he is far from penniless.  Though the last would be the least, of course, since Prudence is possessed of a comfortable competence; and it would merely be in the matter of pride that there would be a bar.  I believe that my new cousin attained the rank of Major.  So I would be careful, Mr Elton, what lies you inadvertently spread.”

Mr Elton was even more angry now; and it was partly at himself and partly at his wife.  Had not Augusta made what seemed reasonable guesses based on what was known he would not have repeated them as facts. He set his teeth and moved on into the room.

Mrs Cole lifted an interrogative eyebrow at Prudence.

“We considered that to reveal all at the ball would be to go too far
,” said Prudence.

“You are wise and kindly
,” said Mrs Cole, “I spoke with the party in question and asked whence the information had come; and she tittered in that irritating way and said that the inferences were plain to draw.  Alas, I fear that this is a case of having to be cruel to be kind; for she is overly fond of drawing inferences, and last year she exerted her influence in her new position and  withdrew a certain family from the charitable gifts list because she declared that the husband was a drunkard. It is no such thing; the poor fellow has the falling sickness. And she would not listen to me and declared that he had me fooled.  I know the falling sickness when I see it; and no man is going to feign it to the extent that he breaks an arm thrashing and bites his tongue.  We do not now contribute to the Christmas charity gift fund, Cole and I; but give gifts instead to those we feel deserving who have been left off the list.”

“You and Mr Cole are excellent people
,” said Prudence, “you will, I feel sure, like my Papa when he arrives; which will be any day, depending on the exigencies of the Post Chaise; for I have his carriage with me.”

“I look forward to meeting him” said Mrs Cole.

Emma had tussled with placings for dinner, placing Georgie next to her father, and Lord Greyling between Georgie and Prudence.  She herself sat on her father’s other hand, with the rest proceeding in couples around the table with Mrs Elton between the worthy Captain Weston and her husband and the deaf Mrs Bates on Mr Elton’s

other side since she was too deaf to be offended by anything that might be said.  Arthur had been included by way of a spare male; Gervase had refused point blank to attend on grounds that he would offend his hostess by losing his temper with that confounded Pharisee and his whited Sepulchre as he referred to Mr and Mrs Elton.  Arthur had been pressed into service in his stead. Prudence found herself next but one  to Miss Bates since Arthur was a prime favourite with the Bates family. Prudence  touched Miss Bates on the arm as they went to sit, and  whispered to that garrulous lady that she should know this evening about a lot of things and that it would be splendid if she might pretend to have known all along.

Miss Bates was eager and agog.

Mr Elton was disappointed not to have been seated next to Lady Georgiana and informed his wife in a low tone that it was doubtless all a piece with Emma Knightley’s spite and childish manners.  Mrs Elton agreed and pointed out that as a vicar he might at least always call on Lady Georgiana and her mother; and at least the old lady was not along.

Aunt Mouser, who would have laughed to be described as Lady Georgiana’s mother, had decided that she wanted none of the business; for the mushroom and her husband were below her notice.

As she had also loudly corrected some of Mr Elton’s Biblical references for the edification of the young Wrexhams she was not to be thought to raise any feelings of warmth in Mr Elton’s breast.  Aunt Mouser’s edict on life was ‘know all the commandments so you can have more fun knowing which of them you are breaking’.

“May I say a welcome to all our guests and to introduce you to Roger, Earl Greyling and  Georgiana, Lady Greyling” Emma said. “We are pleased to announce privately to our friends before Alverston’s ball that we welcome Cousin Roger and Cousin Georgiana as more

than dear friends but as kin to be; and I am sure that you will all join with me in wishing Cousin Prudence happy in her anticipated life as Marchioness Alverston.”

The gasp from Augusta Elton was audible; and two red spots of rage stood upon her cheeks.

Miss Bates quite giggled.

“Well anyone with half an ounce of wit might discern which way the wind was blowing,” said Mr Cole complacently having suffered from having his house compared unfavourably to Selina Suckling’s Maple Grove that her sister Augusta could not leave out of any conversation given the chance, “and Alverston is an excellent man; no fashionable coxcomb, Miss Blenkinsop; and I wish you very happy.  And a brave man.  You’ll pardon me, Mr Alver, for I mean no disparagement; but to my mind a man who will nurse a sick girl with Typhus is a hero perhaps more than one who will pull a child from a burning building; for the latter is a matter of acting without thinking.  To decide to risk life in a decision such as Alverston took is an act of a great hero to me; and that he is accounted a hero many times over on the Peninsula – as so his man Mr Marsh has told me, aye and his man John too – does not surprise me.”

“Thank you Mr Cole
,” said Prudence, “and I know I could not ask for a better man than Gervase – er, Lord Alverston,” she amended. “He is everything any woman might look for in a man, brave and yet courteous and kindly in all that he does.  If Cousin George was the yardstick by which I measured a potential husband, Lord Alverston has measured up.”