Miss Price's Decision

by Eliza Shearer

  “I was so delighted to receive your note, your ladyship! London in the summer is an odd place. The best company leaves town, yet it is also rather pleasant to see the crowds thin, for a change. The theatre and concert halls would be uncomfortable in the extreme in this canicule, were there the usual numbers of people in attendance. At least, the heat is not as bad as last year, when the smells from the river forced everyone to shut their doors and windows, lest the unsavoury effluvia stick to their curtains and bedcovers for the remainder of the year! But tell me, how have you been? You look very well.”

  Lady Bertram replied that she felt much improved, and after some polite enquiries about the health of Mr Allen, whose gouty spell appeared to have been much relieved thanks to the Bath waters, the conversation moved on to the location, circumstances and latest news concerning a number of common acquaintances. I sharpened my ears when Harriet’s name was mentioned.

  “Miss Morland, you will remember, is getting married at the end of September.”

  “Oh, yes. Is she pleased with her choice?”

  “Very much so, Lady Bertram. It took her a good while to pick him, too, and I was not sure which way it would go for a number of weeks! Between London, Bath and London again, I believe she must have been in love with at least half a dozen chaps altogether.”

  “You surely exaggerate, Mrs Allen,” I said with a smile.

  “Only just. Remember that poor Mr Bingley? He was pleasant enough, and very wealthy, but I do not think he was ever aware of the havoc his presence created in dear Harriet’s heart every time he was near her.”

  “Mr Bingley? Is that not Miss Bingley’s brother, Susan? I get confused with all the young people. They are from a good family, are they not?”

  “Indeed. Like so many wealthy families these days, their money comes from trade,” explained Mrs Allen, “but they have plenty of it. Miss Bingley will certainly be well provided for. I would be surprised if she had less than 20,000 pounds.

  “I think Miss Bingley very pretty. She has a graceful figure and very even features, as well as extremely good taste in clothes,” said Lady Bertram.

  “I know exactly who you mean, and could not agree more. She has an excellent sense for fashion and an exquisite eye for detail.”

  Both women nodded their approval, as if Miss Bingley’s ability to discern the style of gown that suited her best and would be deemed most stylish was one of the most desirable traits a young lady might possess.

  “In any case, Mr Allen tells me he saw his friend, Mr Darcy, only yesterday at his club. According to Mr Allen, he was in extremely good spirits. I was surprised to hear that Mr Darcy was in town, for does he not have a sizeable property up north?”

  “He does. In fact, Julia said that Miss Bingley and a small party of friends were due to stay there for a few weeks, but he left immediately after their arrival on a mysterious and urgent business.”

  “It is very intriguing, but despair not: if you wish to know Mr Darcy’s reasons, you can ask him yourself. Mr Allen invited him to dine here on Thursday and it would be a delight to have you join us. Mr and Mrs Yates should come, too, if he is feeling better. And I almost forgot, Miss Price: Mr Gartner will be there as well.”

  I felt a jolt at the mention of Jamie’s name.

  “What a coincidence,” I managed to say, clasping my hands together so they would not shake.

  “Mr Allen thinks him a very fine young man with a very promising future. I really thought Mr Gartner would ask Miss Morland to marry him at one point, but she tells me that she never cared for him half as much as for Mr Gill, which is just as well. In any case, I always suspected that Mrs Robinson wants Mr Gartner to herself. She certainly has the looks, means and fortune to entice him.”

  “I gather he must be readying himself for his departure for the East Indies next month,” I said, pushing aside any thoughts of the seductive Mrs Robinson.

  “Not next month, Miss Price. He leaves in just a few days. There has been a change of plans, I believe.”

  Something cold and sticky spread inside of me. I had not yet seen Jamie and he was already being taken away from me. This time, it would not be a distance of a few hundred miles, either, but a journey to another continent.

  To my immense relief, Lady Bertram graciously accepted Mrs Allen’s invitation. That evening, I went to bed with the bittersweet thought that I would get to say farewell to the only man I had ever loved, knowing that it was very likely that our paths would never cross again.

  The day before the dinner at the Allens, my blood froze when from the drawing room window I saw a Mr Cole’s phaeton approach the Berkeley Square house. He descended in his usual agile fashion and entered the house as if he owned it. I waited in silence until the footman opened the door to let him in.

  Sir Thomas was not at home and Mr Yates was having a nap, so it was down to Julia and Lady Bertram to carry most of the conversation, as I was rather unequal to it. Julia was amiable enough with Mr Cole, but Lady Bertram was a different story. I suspected my aunt never liked him very much, although I cannot say that it was whether she suspected his real character or because she despised men who wore too low breaches and whose cravats were permanently off-centre.

  Mr Cole was particularly attentive towards me, but I was barely civil in return. Slowly, I could see his face darken with anger.

  “So, Miss Price, are you looking forward to returning to Mansfield Park?”

  “I am, Mr Cole, very much.”

  “Miss Price sees Mansfield Park as her home,” said Lady Bertram with a smile.

  “Does she?” asked Mr Cole with a grin. “Imagine if you were not welcome there.”

  “Whatever makes you say that, Mr Cole?” asked Julia raising an eyebrow.

  “I do not know, dear Mrs Yates. Sometimes things happen. Word gets out, rumours begin to circulate.”

  “I cannot imagine what kind of rumours you could be referring to, Mr Cole,” said Lady Bertram in a baffled voice. “Susan is always with me.”

  “Perhaps things are not as you imagine, your ladyship.”

  “Perhaps Mr Cole has a very active imagination,” I retorted. He looked at me with incensed eyes, sending shivers down my spine, but I did not look away.

  My uncle arrived from his club at that moment, and appeared pleased to see Mr Cole, directing a few enquiring looks in my direction, which I courteously overlooked. After a few moments of social pleasantries, Mr Cole, whose mood had visibly soured, stood up and asked to speak to Sir Thomas in private.

  I felt my insides churn. I had no doubt that Mr Cole was about to tell my uncle his side of the story of our first encounter, and I fell silent. Lady Bertram and Julia continued with their chat, until Sir Thomas returned to the drawing room some time later, his face as pale as paper, his knuckles white.

  “Susan, I must speak to you. Please come with me.”

  “Whatever you must say, I beg you to say it in front of my aunt.”

  No matter what Mr Cole had said about me, it would be too painful to retell the scene to Lady Bertram. My hands felt clammy as I steadily ignored Julia’s puzzled look.

  “Very well,” said my uncle, clearing his throat. “Mr Cole has just made some very serious accusations against you. He says you were spying on Mr Yates and his friends on the night of the ball at his house last spring.”

  “Is that true, Fanny?” asked Lady Bertram with a horrified look in her face.

  I took a deep breath.

  “Mr Cole found me hiding in Mr Yates’ study after he and his friends had been there for some time; that is correct.”

  “Susan!” exclaimed Julia.

  “I cannot believe my ears,” said my aunt, clutching her hands to her chest.

  “However, what he inferred from my situation is a far cry from reality. I only came downstairs to see the dance because Lady Bertram was sleeping contentedly, and I so longed to see a ball! My behaviour was reprehensible, but completely innocent.”

  “That does not expl
ain how you came to be in a room alone with five men,” said Sir Thomas, his voice hard as steel.

  “As I was watching the scene I saw the gentlemen leave the room. My mistake was to assume they were headed for the card room, when in reality they were going to Mr Yates’ study. I had the unhappy idea of hiding in the place where they, unbeknownst to me, were retreating. Once there, I dared not make myself known, until my bad luck meant that Mr Cole saw me.”

  At that point I stopped. I was shaking. The memory of Mr Cole’s advances, and what might have happened had I not stopped him, was still haunting me.

  “Do you speak the truth, Susan?” asked Sir Thomas.

  “I believe she does,” said Lady Bertram softly, after a long pause. “Susan loves a ball, and it is partly my fault that she has had such few chances to attend one since she has been with us.”

  “Why did you not tell Mr Yates or Papa about this? Why allow him to find out through someone outside of the family?”

  Julia’s indignation was palpable.

  “I knew he would think my escapade inappropriate,” I replied, shaking my head. “I am afraid I made everything much worse than it would have been.”

  Sir Thomas set his hawk-like eyes on mine, and for an instant I understood why Fanny lived in fear of him for years. However, I never looked away, and to my relief he seemed to accept my bold stance as proof of the veracity of my affirmations.

  “Very well. I believe you, but I do not wish to hear of anything similar again. Needless to say, Mr Cole made it very clear that he no longer has any interest in courting you.”

  “Mr Cole wanted to court Susan? I cannot believe it!” exclaimed Julia.

  “I thank you from the bottom of my heart, sir, but there is something more I must tell you.”

  Sir Thomas’ brow furrowed, and his cheeks had a red tinge that did not bode well. Meanwhile, my aunt and my cousin were enraptured by this new turn in the conversation.

  “What is it, child?”

  I took a deep breath.

  “I know how little value my word must have in your eyes at this very moment, but I believe Mr Cole is not an honourable man. His behaviour towards women, at least, is not what it ought to be.”

  “Those are grave accusations, Susan,” mused Sir Thomas. “May I remind you that Mr Cole is an old friend of both my son and my son-in-law?”

  “My reproach of one does not taint the others, sir, for Tom and Mr Yates have not seen Mr Cole in years.”

  “I do not see why you bring up Mr Cole’s virtue just as he is to represent Papa in the sale of the Antigua estate,” said Julia with a shrug. “Many suspect him of unsavoury tendencies, but they do not affect his knowledge and experience.”

  Sir Thomas looked at his daughter with some surprise.

  “I was not aware that there were some dubious aspects to Mr Cole’s conduct.”

  “I know how much value honour in a man, sir. You need to be aware of Mr Cole’s true nature before engaging him further.”

  “Very well.” Sir Thomas cleared his throat. “What proof do you have against him, Susan?”

  “His manner towards me when he did not know I was your niece was ungentlemanly.”

  My cheeks were burning, for I could not bring myself to say anything more.

  “So he did not address you properly,” said Julia with contempt. “What is the harm in that?”

  “Ask Murphy,” I said, lowering my gaze. My whole face was burning.

  “Murphy?” exclaimed Lady Bertram. “Why would she know anything about Mr Cole? She is a good girl and keeps herself out of trouble.”

  Sir Thomas’ expression subtly changed.

  “Do you imply that Mr Cole has attempted any kind of unwelcome familiarities towards an honest, hard-working member of my household? This is a grave allegation.”

  “I beg you to speak to Murphy, then, sir, but please understand that she was only the victim of his rage after I rejected his advances.”

  “Oh, Susan. I am sorry,” whispered Lady Bertram as Julia gasped.

  “Very well,” said Sir Thomas, crossing his arms. “I shall investigate the matter further, but I cannot be expected to rely only on the words of two young women. I shall make my enquiries to assert if the kind of man I can trust to represent me in the business of the sale of the Antigua estate. In the meantime, Susan, I am afraid you have lost your only suitor, and quite foolishly, too.”

  Perhaps he thought his harsh words would hurt me, but knowing that Mr Cole thought I was no longer deemed a woman worthy of his time and attention was a godsend.

  Chapter 18

  Although I never thought of myself as coquettish, the night of the dinner at the Allens I dressed with care. As I was brushing my hair and looking at my reflection on the large mirror above the dressing table, I considered what the encounter with Jamie might deliver. I was sure that he was fond of me. I had no doubt that our games and the long afternoons spent together playing hide-and-seek with my brothers in the back streets of Portsmouth had indelibly etched their mark on his heart, and that I would forever be a treasured part of his childhood. However, I was not sure about his plans for the future, and the role that the mysterious Mrs Robinson was to play in them.

  Lady Bertram sent Murphy to help me, a rare gesture that I appreciated very much. The girl’s abilities were far from Chapman’s masterful domain of all skills required of a lady’s maid, but she had learnt much in the last few months. I made sure to tell her I was very pleased with her work when she finished, and through the looking glass I saw her beam with satisfaction.

  Downstairs, Lady Bertram greeted me with a smile.

  “You look radiant, Susan. But there is something missing from your ensemble.”

  She turned to speak to Murphy, who nodded and promptly returned with my aunt’s agate necklace. It was one of her favourites, and she had stopped wearing it when the swelling on her neck turned it into little more than a choker.

  “Please take this and keep it. I am no fool, and know that it will never fit me again the way it once did, so I part from it with no sorrow, only gratefulness at having had the opportunity to wear it for so many years.”

  “But my cousin…”

  “Julia has never shown any interest in it. As for Maria…” Lady Bertram shook her head, insisting, “It is yours now, Susan.”

  The piece of jewellery was stunning, the perfect adornment for my muslin gown. I was very pleased with the result and felt powerful, as if I could now face whatever the destiny had planned for me. Sir Thomas also seemed to approve and, once Julia and a limping Mr Yates had joined us, we finally set off for the Allens.

  The address was suitably fashionable, and the house had little to envy to the Yates’ residence. Located in the middle of a row of recently built dwellings, it had large windows that allowed passers-by to marvel at the chandelier in the front room, where I counted at least a dozen silhouettes. I feared that we were the last to arrive, and a servant showed us to the drawing room.

  Mr and Mrs Allen promptly welcomed us to their home, Mr Allen with his usual bonhomie, Mrs Allen with evident delight at having us look so refined.

  “Oh, your ladyship, that blue shade really suits you, you look a dozen years younger! Mr Yates, Mrs Yates, it is a pleasure to finally meet you. And Miss Price, you should always wear your hair like that, it is most becoming. Now, allow me to acquaint you with the rest of the guests…”

  Mrs Allen introduced us to an elderly yet energetic couple from Fullerton, who looked more like brother and sister than anything else; a business partner of Mr Allen’s and his wife, he as dark as night, the women as fair as can be; and a judge and his son, who had recently passed the bar and was evidently thought of as an eligible young man, in spite of his crooked teeth and distant manner. As my companions engaged in conversation with the rest of the guests I looked around the room, searching for Jamie. He was nowhere to be seen, but I spotted Mr Darcy in the corner. He recognised me and greeted me with a courteous bow.

&
nbsp; “Miss Price,” said he with a smile. “I trust you are well.”

  “I am, I thank you.” Encouraged by his apparent good humour, so different from the melancholy air I had seen him sport in our last encounter, I probed further. “You seem to be in good spirits.”

  “Much has happened since I last saw you, and all for the better. It has been no easy endeavour but all is well if it ends well.”

  “I often tell myself those precise same words, sir. They help me remember that dark times are often followed by happier events. And you are at that juncture just now, I dare say.”

  “I honestly do not know if I am, but my heart is content, for I have nothing to reproach myself. After much soul-searching, I have made amends where my conduct did not meet the high standard I endeavour to adhere to, and so far I have only seen happiness as a result. You may have heard that Mr Bingley is engaged to be married.”

  “I did not know. Kindly offer him my congratulations. Who is the lady?”

  “A Miss Bennet of Longbourn, a village near Mr Bingley’s country estate of Netherfield Park in Hertfordshire. Before you ask me, for I know all ladies must ask, she has very little money, but she is as beautiful as she is kind, and that is what matters.”

  “As a woman with no settlement to speak of, I am in no position to object to an alliance that is not driven by mercenary interests,” I smiled. “I wish them a very happy life together.”

  “I will express your best wishes to Mr Bingley and his bride-to-be. I am due to return to Netherfield tomorrow, and I cannot express how eager I am to be back.”

  Mr Darcy bit his lip, as if there was something momentous occupying his thoughts, and for an instant I thought he might tell me what it was. Instead, he changed the subject.

  “May I enquire after your art? Have you been sketching much of late?”

  “I have been practising the skills my tutor taught me in Bath, and my uncle thinks my technique much improved. Following your recommendation, I also made sure to admire some more of Mrs Merian’s works in Bath. I thank you for your suggestion, for they were very remarkable.”