Miss Jane's Undoing

Miss Jane’s Undoing

Sophia Jiwani

Miss Jane’s Undoing

A Books to Go Now Publication

Copyright
©
Sophia Jiwani
2013

Books to Go Now

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First eBook Edition –February 2013

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Miss Jane’s Undoing

The night was hot and sweaty as Miss Jane Fielding lay in her bed, dreaming about the romance novels she read on the sly.  Her father, a very strict man, disapproved of such frivolous occupations.  He instructed Jane and her sister Mary, to spend their time reading sermons, practicing the pianoforte and doing charity work for the poor in their neighborhood.  Mary  seemed content with this situation and to  never want anything other than to be daddy’s good little girl.  Jane was more like her mother.  She loved beautiful clothes, parties, dancing and, most of all, boys.

  Their father didn’t prohibit their social interaction within the neighborhood, but there were only so many families in their little village.  Jane wished she could get away, go to London and have a season, but her father couldn’t afford that.  Maybe next year, they would make it to Bath, but it was doubtful that they would get to mix in the best circles.  However, from what  she’d heard, the good thing about Bath was that everybody who went there frequented the pump rooms.  So there was a good chance she would catch the eye of a Duke or an Earl.  Or at least a Baron!

She sighed as the warm summer breeze swept over her body.  She’d had trouble sleeping the last few nights, ever since young Thomas Bailey came home from college.  As children, she and Thomas—or Tommy, as she used to refer to him back then—made fast friends.  Much to her father’s chagrin, Jane had been a hoydenish kind of young girl and Tommy her partner in crime.  Together, they played many a prank on unsuspecting villagers when she should have practiced the pianoforte and he was meant to take lessons with a tutor.  Fortunately, none of their antics had been malicious in intent, which made them local favorites rather than outcasts.  Eventually, Tommy went off to college at Oxford while she stayed behind, mended her manners and came out into society.

Before he left for college, though, he confessed to her—in a stable no less—that he loved her.  She laughed in his face, thinking he joked.  However, his hurt expression brought home the truth—he really did care about her.  She felt taken aback for she never suspected Tommy of harboring affections impossible for her to return.  Even back then, she’d read a few romance novels and knew that she could only find true love with a swashbuckling pirate or an evil Duke!  Tommy could only fill the role of the urchin that the hero used to carry notes to and from his beloved; he wasn’t cut out to be a leading man.  At least, that was what she’d thought three years ago, before he went off to Oxford.  The new Tommy was a different animal altogether.  He bowed gracefully, spoke with assurance and hardly ever cracked a smile!

****

Jane first saw him during a walk with her sister Mary, to the house of a sick neighbor.  She went unwillingly, for she would rather have been home reading a romance or dressing her new hat for an upcoming ball.  However, Mary didn’t want to go alone and persisted in her entreaties until Jane relented.  They paused outside the door of the sick neighbor’s house to adjust their bonnets and were about to knock when a voice greeted them from behind.

“Good morning Miss Fielding, Miss Jane.”

The two girls turned around and, with astonishment, gazed upon a young man, his clothes perfectly pressed, his shoes gleaming with polish and his well-brushed hat held in his hand, as he executed an elegant bow.  One look up at his face and Jane nearly threw herself into his arms.  However, his expression stopped her from doing so, throwing her into confusion.  He
looked
like her Tommy but he behaved like a stranger!

“Mr. Bailey, how wonderful to see you again,” said Mary, who recovered faster than Jane.

“It’s wonderful to be back,” said Tommy.  The familiar grin spread across his face, but he soon replaced it with a new one-sided smirk that Jane had never seen before, and that she couldn’t help feeling, mocked her.

“I hope you will do us the honor of calling upon us soon.  I’m sure that Mother and  Father will be very pleased to see you and hear all your tales about Oxford.”

“But of course,” said Tommy.  “I hope that you and your family have been well in my absence?”

“Yes, thank you,” said Mary, elbowing Jane, who still looked at Tommy open-mouthed.  Jane adjusted her expression and drew herself up tall, making an attempt to look demure while still taking in every inch of Tommy’s new and improved appearance.  She couldn’t bring herself to say anything, but she smiled and proffered her hand, which Tommy took in his own.  When they touched, she felt her insides turn to liquid.  Tommy looked at her in such an intent manner, his blue eyes appraising and even appreciative, in the way that a man appreciates a woman and not merely a childhood friend!

“We should be going,” said Mary.  “Mrs. Brown doesn’t feel well and we came to give her a pie and see how she was getting along.”

“I will let you return to your charitable endeavor then,” said Tommy.  He bowed and moved away, his shoes clicking on the pavement.  With a jolt of surprise, Jane realized something that she had never suspected: Tommy was a handsome young man!

****

All through their visit to Mrs. Brown, Jane felt impatient, holding in her excitement at seeing Tommy again, though the Lord knew why.  It was just Tommy, after all.  And yes, he’d  told her, in a fit of adolescent passion, that he loved her.  But that had been three years ago and she was sure he had moved on since then.  She’d also had several flirtations with young men in the neighborhood since he left for college.  None of them had been serious though— at least not on her side.  Her parents approved heartily of the vicar, who courted her, and she thought he was handsome, in a way.  But he seemed even more removed from her ideal of a romantic hero than Tommy  all those years ago.  He spoke so seriously that she had to use every ounce of self-control not to giggle.

Her father, of course, wholeheartedly promoted the match; the vicar was exactly the kind of deserving young man he would choose for either of his daughters.  His fancy had settled on Jane, which was not surprising, considering that she was the prettier of the two sisters.  But Mr. Fielding thought Mary more suitable for a clergyman; she was less frivolous and more sensible than her younger sister.

On a couple of occasions, the vicar seemed perilously close to proposing to her, but Jane  managed to evade him and the onerous task of saying no.   She wasn’t in love with him and she was determined that when she married, her affections would be engaged.  Her father disapproved of her attitude and didn’t hesitate to point out that there weren’t that many options for a young village miss like herself with no fortune.  She knew that he was right but she was only nineteen, after all.  She could afford to wait another year or two before being considered on the shelf.  And a lot could happen in a couple of years.

“Well, what did you think?”  Mary asked Jane as they walked back home from Mrs. Brown’s house.

“What?”  Jane asked, her head in the clouds.

“Young Mr. Bailey.  Isn’t it wonderful how he turned into a mature young man?  When the two of you were children, I was afraid he would never settle down.  Yet here he is, looking like such a gentleman.  I hear he’s been offered the post of Secretary to a prominent Member of Parliament.  A political career can’t be far behind.”

“I never thought Tommy would go into politics,” said Jane.  “He always said he wanted to become a sailor and roam about the world.”

“That was when he was a child,” said Mary.  “He’s grown up now.”

“He sure is,”  Jane agreed, a little chill around her heart.  She wasn’t sure if she was happy or not about the transformation wrought in Tommy by the passage of three years.  She hoped that there was a part of him that was still adventurous, still enthusiastic about the little things in life.  She couldn’t bear it if he also turned into a serious, estimable, respectable young man.  In other words, a bore!

****

Tommy, for his part, experienced similarly conflicted emotions.  Throughout the past three years, he’d deliberately cultivated a blasé attitude regarding women, to hide the pain caused by Jane’s peremptory rejection.  Now that he looked back at it, he wasn’t in the least surprised.  Even though he was only a year older than Jane, she’d matured faster than he, transforming into a beautiful young woman whereas he’d felt little more than a child.   He’d thought news of her impending nuptials would reach him at some point while he was at Oxford and dreaded that day.  He’d even avoided coming home during the summers, choosing to spend the time with some cousins in London instead.  The change had done him good, given him a bit of polish.  Tommy was already a good-looking young man but, with some town bronze, he cut a striking figure in his hometown.  However, the change was only superficial; underneath it all, he was still pining away for Jane.  And he knew that wanting something so badly would be sure to ruin his chances of achieving it.

  Tommy knew his father thought he should wait a while before tying the knot and, possibly, find an heiress or the daughter of a diplomat who could help further his career.  A frivolous chit like Jane wouldn’t make the best politician’s wife.  However, Tommy couldn’t change how he felt and he thought he owed it to himself to find out if he stood a chance with her.  Therefore, he chose to come home for a short period before taking up his post in London.  He’d hoped that seeing Jane again would cure him of his foolish infatuation but all it took was one look from that rosy face, the tendrils of dark hair falling into her eyes, for him to fall in love all over again.  But how could he convince her that she should choose him and not someone else?  He’d made subtle inquiries in the neighborhood and he knew the vicar was the strongest suitor for Jane’s hand.  But he wasn’t the only one.  William Casey, whose father owned a substantial property in the neighborhood, was head over heels in love with her too, even though he didn’t have the guts to own up to it.  In the face of such competition, would she be satisfied with a man who merely had prospects for the future but no present holdings to recommend him?

It was while Tommy was ruminating about all these issues, that his sister Elizabeth came up to his room and started to scold him for spending too much time with his books.  He was half-dressed, staring gloomily at the ceiling when she burst in.

“Jane again?” she asked blithely.

“None of your business, you little chit.  Don’t you have something to do?”

“Not particularly.  We’re going to a dinner party at the Langley’s tonight.  I just came to remind you.  Jane’ll be there.  I’m sure you’re looking forward to that.”

“Is the vicar going to be there too?”

“And our friend William.  You’ll have plenty of stiff competition.  I hope you came prepared.  What’s your plan?”

“What do you mean?” asked Tommy.

“Well, you have to win her over, convince her that she should choose you and not one of them.  You need to have a plan.  Did you think you could just waltz in here and have her swoon all over you?”

“What do you know about it?  You’re barely seventeen!”

“I know a lot more than you,” said Elizabeth.  “Better get your act together before the vicar catches her alone.  He’s been chomping at the bit to pop the question.”

Tommy sighed.  “I don’t have a chance, do I?”

“Now, is that any way to be thinking?”  asked Elizabeth.  “How are you ever going to make it as a politician if you have such a defeatist attitude?  The battle is not yet lost brother dear.  We’ll make an honest man out of you yet.”

Tommy knew that his sister was right; he had to either figure out a way to make Jane his or give up the task altogether and go away.  The only question was, how?  He couldn’t start expressing his feelings right away, given that he hadn’t seen her in three years.  He would have to court her by paying morning calls, taking walks in the shrubbery and standing up with her at dances.  It all felt a bit contrived, given that they had known each other since childhood.  But he could see no other way.

****

Jane found herself growing more and more harried towards the end of dinner.  Mrs. Langley was setting up her music room so that the young people could dance while she played on the pianoforte.  But Jane, who was usually eager for a dance, found herself flushed and irritated.  If only the vicar wouldn’t follow her about so!  And why exactly was Tommy treating her like a stranger?  A chance meeting on the street was one thing.  One couldn’t very well stop everything one was doing and have a long conversation on the street.  But a private party was a different affair; there was nothing wrong with two friends catching up if they hadn’t seen each other in a long time.  Twice, she had sat herself down on an empty sofa, expecting him to take the seat next to her and tell her everything that he had been doing the past few years.  But, to her chagrin, he had studiously avoided her, preferring, it seemed, to talk to the plainest girls in the neighborhood rather than glancing over in her direction!

Finally, it was time to dance and the vicar and William both approached her at the same time.  However, she claimed that she was too warm (as indeed, she was, but due to indignation, not the enclosed room!)   After she got rid of them, she found herself alone in a corner and thoroughly bored, as six young couples danced around the room and the older people sat around gossiping about other older people.  She escaped to the balcony in order to get some fresh air.  The drapes were drawn and no one who was inside the room could look outside.  Fortunately, it was a balmy night, which made it much more pleasant outdoors than indoors.  She took a deep breath and tried to clear her head which was full of Tommy, Tommy, Tommy!  She wasn’t sure if she was just upset about being ignored by a childhood friend or if her feelings were indicative of something more.  She didn’t like being off-balance and she had felt that way ever since Tommy  returned from Oxford.

While she was lost in thought, a shape made itself known in the shadows, startling her.

“It’s only me,” said Tommy, his mouth quirking over to one side.  “Quite a boring affair in there, isn’t it?  Thought I’d escape for a while.  Looks as though you were thinking the same thing.”

“Why have you ignored me all night?” she blurted out, then covered her mouth, mortified.

Tommy laughed.  It wasn’t his open boyhood laugh but a sneering kind of chuckle; Jane  got the distinct feeling that he was laughing
at
her and not
with
her.  At the same time, she was aware of his presence, the warmth radiating from his body.  She didn’t think she had ever been so aware of anyone before.  Being in the enclosed dancing room had made her warm but now, she was warmer than ever.  The blood rose into her cheeks as she blushed at her unladylike question.  However, a part of her defiantly waited for him to provide a reason; what had she done to merit such treatment?

As a blush suffused Jane’s cheeks, Tommy reached a finger up to stroke her face.  “Beautiful,” he said, causing her to blush even more.  She tried to hide her face behind her fan but he moved it aside and, placing his hands on her shoulders, forced her to look at him.  “You’re as beautiful as I remembered,” he said.  Then, as though thinking better of it, he released her and turned away.

Jane was left completely bewildered.  She knew she ought not to be on the balcony alone with a man, accepting his advances.  However, he had turned away and she didn’t believe that he would compromise her in any way, so she didn’t go back into the house.  Instead, she placed one hand on his shoulder.  “How have you been, Tommy?”

He turned around, a quizzical look on his face.  He seemed to have completely recovered from the momentary lapse which had caused him to stroke her face so tenderly earlier.  Jane wasn’t sure if she should be happy or dismayed.  “Not too bad, I guess,” he replied.  “It’s good to see you, even though you haven’t changed one bit.  New gowns and beaux, of course.  But you’re still the same.  I can see that.”

Jane bit her lip.  “And you?” she asked.  “Have you changed?  You seem different.”

“Because I’m not hanging onto your every word?” Tommy asked bitterly.  “No, three years of being away from you cured me of that habit.”

“Is that how you remember it?” asked Jane, taken aback.  “I thought we were friends.”

“We were,” said Tommy, “but I’m sure you have better things to do now than spend time with your old friends, given your plethora of admirers.”

“I would love to spend more time with you, Tommy.  You’re the one who’s been avoiding me.  Tell me the truth.  Do you still hold a grudge against me because I laughed at your declaration to me in the stable before you left?”

At that, he turned around, the now-familiar one-sided smile upon his face.  “Of course not,” he said, “I just did it for a bet with Robert.”  He gestured at one of his friends  dancing inside.  “I was supposed to try and kiss you too, but I lost my nerve.”