by Ted Bader
“What areas of our life does this apply to?” Thomas continued.
“In a marriage, like Mother and Father’s,” Maria said.
“Very good, Maria. Of course.”
The boys and Maria were quiet for awhile, but they could tell Thomas wished more.
An insight touched Georgiana who unconsciously stood and said, “The story also stands for our relationship with God. The moment desire and love enter in, the sense of duty disappears.”
Thomas looked at her and smiled. “Your aunt has said it better than I could.” He closed his book and said, “Enough book work for today. Let us take to our trail.” Turning to Georgiana he asked, “Will Phillip be able to come with you?”
“No, I think not. At eleven years of age, he does not move very fast and seems to prefer to stay inside.”
The group walked out together into the November sunshine. Out the south door, around Pemberley Hall, the trail ran past the lake and into the low lying wooded hills beyond. After a mile, they reached the top of one large hill where they could see the horizon. Several large boulders and logs were present, inviting them to sit down.
Thomas said to Georgiana, “Do you see why I like to come here now? My father always referred to this area as Becker’s point.”
As she looked north, she saw the grounds of Staley Hall. “Is that the roof of Staley Hall in the distance?” she inquired.
“Yes. What you see in the foreground are the Inglenook cottages and the Moorgate tenant farm.”
“This is beautiful and picturesque,” Georgiana replied. “How far is it to Staley Hall?”
Thomas replied, “About half a mile.”
“That makes it much closer than by road. I always traveled to Staley Hall in a carriage as a child. I did not realize it was so close by trail.”
John pulled on Georgiana’s hand and said, “Let me show you the reason I like to come up here.” As soon as Georgiana began to move, John dropped her hand and raced forward with Andrew and Maria. “Follow me,” John shouted. They went down the hill a short distance to a spot behind a large boulder.
“Auntie, see the tree just beyond this boulder?”
“Yes.”
“Look at the hole in it above the third limb. Can you see the entrance to the squirrels’ nest?”
“Yes.”
“We watch to see squirrels bringing in their treasures for the winter.”
Georgiana liked the earnest interest her nephews and niece were showing in their observation. Thomas was truly an exceptional teacher. She wished she had such a tutor while growing up.
As the group returned to the top of Becker’s point, Georgiana asked, “May we walk over to Staley Hall? I have not been there for many years.”
“I am afraid, my lady, it has sadly deteriorated since you last laid eyes on it,” Thomas said.
“It does not matter. I have fond memories of your mother beginning my music lessons there.”
The children declared their wish to go; and, after assuring Thomas they could walk that far, he consented.
They descended the northern aspect of the hill, leaving the view of Pemberley behind them. At the bottom of the hill, they crossed a small bridge and embarked upon a fairly straight and flat trail leading up to the Elizabethan house. Passing the Inglenook cottages, Georgiana noticed they had been boarded up.
As Thomas opened the gate to the yard in front of the “E” shaped building, Georgiana was shocked to see the exterior condition of Staley Hall. Chimney smoke had blackened the walls in some areas, and patches of paint were peeling off in other spots. The gardens on each side, which used to greet visitors with an assortment of colors and fragrances, were now unkempt and overgrown with weeds. A broken down wagon was over to the right of the main building.
Thomas said apologetically, “I am sorry you have to see Staley Hall in such poor condition. My father has only one servant inside and one outside; but even if we had the labor to fix it up, we do not have the money to do so.”
“Oh! Thomas, you should ask my brother for help! He would be happy to assist Staley Hall to regain the beauty I knew as a child!”
“My lady, Father and I appreciate your offer, but we do not wish your charity.”
“Why must it be considered charity, when it is between two gentle families of ancient ties?” She observed that Thomas sighed, so she turned the subject, “When was Staley Hall constructed?”
“It appears this site has had some type of structure since the tenth century. The present building was begun during Queen Elizabeth’s reign and was constructed in an ‘E’ shape in her honor.”
John ran ahead to harass a lone goose wandering the yard. After a few moments of surprise, the goose began chasing John, nipping at his heels. The group began laughing and Maria asked, “May we go inside, Mr. Staley?”
“Of course. If you are disappointed with the outside, you will be dismayed inside; however, whatever hospitality we have, we are happy to offer.”
John was perched on the only safe spot in the yard, the old wagon which listlessly occupied one corner. Thomas went and shooed the bird away and John dismounted, awed at the influence of his tutor.
Entering the front door, a stooped, elderly man greeted them. “Good day, Master Tom. Your father sends his regrets, he will be unable to meet with your group.”
“Why not?”
“His stomach is bothering him and he has taken to bed.”
“Is it serious?”
“I expect not. He says it is his dyspepsia again and not to worry.” Looking at Georgiana, he exclaimed, “Is that you Miss Darcy? What a wonderful surprise! It has been much too long since we have seen you here. How long has it been?”
“Fifteen years, I think.”
The servant continued, “You look very much like your beautiful mother, Lady Anne. I am afraid we have not been able to keep the house up to the standard you remember.”
Thomas said, “I am sorry, Giles, that I have forgotten my manners. You will not know the Darcy children. This is Andrew, John and Maria.”
The boys bowed and Maria curtsied.
Thomas turned to Georgiana and said, “Would you like some tea?”
Georgiana glanced at the children who indicated their approbation. Sitting down in the entrance parlor, awaiting the tea, Georgiana looked around. The furniture was the same as she remembered, but very faded and somewhat dusty. She looked across the room. The pianoforte had a layer of dust. A cobweb dangled from the ceiling above it. Despite the deteriorated condition of the room, she felt voices and music coming from the walls--the laughter and singing of the now gone Lady Marilyn, as she encouraged Georgiana in her music. She recalled her own halting attempts at playing the pianoforte and the love she so desperately needed, and received, from Thomas’ mother after her own mother, Lady Anne, died and the wretched feelings she had three years later when Lady Marilyn died. Her thoughts were bittersweet; but the sweet feelings began to predominate as she sensed what she had felt most in the room as a child. . .a feeling of love. Unconditional love, from a woman who sang from her heart and filled Staley Hall with music.
She saw Thomas talking to her nephews and, for the first time, emotionally connected his mother with him. For some unknown reason, Thomas had not been around during her lessons with his mother; but now, she saw the same kind and gentle spirit in him. This reconnection made her love for him grow all the more.
Finishing the tea, they rose to leave. On the return to Pemberley, Georgiana observed that Thomas appeared sad and, possibly, even ashamed about his home. He was very quiet on the return to Becker’s point, but his spirits seemed to rise to his usual countenance as they descended down the Pemberley side of the hill.
Georgiana was also quiet during the walk. She now feared Thomas would consider the humble state of his father’s
home, and thus his background, to be a barrier between them. She longed to walk next to him, grasp his hand, and tell him she did not care about his family’s wealth or the lack of it.
Chapter Sixteen
Nearly six weeks passed, when, after the morning lessons, Maria took Thomas’ hand and led him away. “I have something to show you, Mr. Staley.” Taking him into the east wing, she opened a door and brought him into a sparsely decorated dressing room. Georgiana was standing on a table one foot high with the dressmaker making adjustments.
“I am sorry, ma’am. Maria brought me here, I did not know you were dressing.”
“Do not leave, Thomas. I am only getting a fitting on this gown.”
“Will your ladyship please be still? I need your cooperation. You have only two days before you leave for London and I must make these final adjustments.”
Thomas looked at the light yellow gown Georgiana was wearing and began to have feelings come to his consciousness that he had not recognized before. Georgiana was made to look the other direction by the dressmaker, allowing Thomas to continue staring at her.
“Is she the most beautiful woman you have ever seen, Mr. Staley?” Maria asked in a whisper.
“Of course,” Thomas replied in a low voice. His continued look made him aware he was more in love with her than he realized. He decided it best to withdraw, lest he say something to betray himself.
Thomas retreated to his workroom off the library and began repairing another book. An hour later, Georgiana knocked at the door and entered. She left the door open, “I hope I did not scare you away.”
Looking at his work, he replied, “Not at all.”
“I wish I were not obliged to go to court in London.”
“Why?”
“The social life and conversation seem so artificial. I would prefer staying at Pemberley.”
Thomas suspected the last statement might be directed at him. Still avoiding eye contact, he asked, “You said you were obliged?”
“Yes, my aunt, Lady Catherine de Bourgh, made me promise to attend court one more time. She is quite concerned I will become an old maid.”
Thomas did not reply to the last statement; instead, he showed her a book that he was nearly finished rebinding.
“Oh, Thomas, this is beautiful.” She turned and cried to Elizabeth in the library, “Lizzy, come here and see the Bible Thomas has finished.”
Elizabeth came. Georgiana pointed to the large book with a new brown leather cover, with gold lettering. “Mr. Staley, this is exquisite.”
“Some of the lettering needs to be finished, but the binding is complete.” Thomas replied.
“May I show it to Mr. Darcy this evening?”
“Yes, of course.”
Georgiana and Elizabeth took the volume into the library. Thomas was not only a scholar who loved books, but an artisan as well. His esteem rose further in the mind of Georgiana. She thought how perfectly matched they were.
As the family began to sit down for dinner that evening, Andrew volunteered, “The wind has been gusting quite strongly this afternoon. Do you think, Mr. Thomas, we might hear the moaning tonight?”
“It is quite probable that we will,” Thomas replied.
“Then, what is your plan for discovering it?” Georgiana inquired.
“Bring the boys and meet me outside my room in the tower at nine o’clock tonight. Hopefully, we can find out more about this sound.”
The boys looked gleefully at each other and at Georgiana.
After supper, in the parlor, Elizabeth and Georgiana showed Mr. Darcy the antique family Bible. He was effusive in his praise.
“Now, you must fill in your names to complete the genealogy,” Thomas said.
Mr. Darcy asked, “And how shall we ever repay you for your kindness?”
“I have an idea, brother,” Georgiana interrupted. “Shall I make a sketch of Thomas? Would that be agreeable?”
Thomas was going to politely object, but Mr. Darcy said, “Excellent idea, my sister. We need a visual record of the man who has helped us so much here at Pemberley House.”
Georgiana seated Thomas in one of the high backed chairs and began sketching his face. She started over two times before becoming satisfied as to its likeness. She had the further pleasure of being able to look at him, while he was forced to look over her shoulder. His face grew more handsome in her mind the longer she drew his likeness. She finished an hour after she began, with the family praising her for the true representation.
As the hour drew near to eight o’clock, Thomas excused himself to return to his room. The boys and Georgiana watched out the parlor window. Dark clouds intermittently covered the full moon. The south garden would change every few moments from being bathed in light to utter darkness. The wind continued to gust strongly.
“Can we go yet, auntie?” John said impatiently.
“No, Thomas said to meet him outside his room at nine o’clock. We must wait a little longer.”
Finally, the hour arrived. The boys took Georgiana’s hands and led her towards the western part of the house. Reaching the base of the turret, the wind began howling again and a loud long moaning was to be heard. The group stopped at the base of the stairs and the boys huddled closer to their aunt.
“John, are you afraid?” Andrew asked.
“Of course not.”
In truth, Georgiana felt uneasy. She thought the sound most unusual. Was it even of this world?
A blast of cold air came down the stairway as they began walking up. When they reached Thomas’ doorway, he was not to be seen. Despite the shawl Georgiana had put on over her dress, she was quite cold.
She knocked at Thomas’ door. With no answer, she pushed the door a little and it opened easily. The room was inviting. A fire roared in the fireplace. Thomas’ desk was illuminated by several candles. The boys jumped on the smaller bed, which they were accustomed to sleeping on when they stayed with Thomas. Georgiana sat at the desk. Waiting a few minutes, she glanced at the papers on his desk and one caught her eye because of her own name. She nudged it out a little and read a poem in the style of Cowper:
Georgiana
I have known you since childhood. You were my
best friend, my confidant, we played our own
games, invented worlds. Now I can only sigh
inwardly. . . I love you. My life’s on loan
now to you. . . You have become everything
to me. When you walk into a room I
can hear your music. . . your playing, singing
transports me to heaven. I can only cry
now--the years have separated us. Wars,
finances, our station in life. . . I dream
of you nightly. . . I see you at the doors
of all the world’s ballrooms. Without you I seem
empty. . . it is cold and silent. I’m
incomplete without you. . . I’m lost in time
unworthy of you, a song without a rhyme.
Can you see how I feel,
or do you care at all?
Georgiana blushed after reading the poem. Her heart swelled with happiness that Thomas reflected the love she had for him. She felt a little guilty about invading his privacy and feared Thomas might discover her at his desk. Would he surmise that she had seen the letter, or did he intentionally leave the poem so that she would see it tonight? Certainly, he could have no assurance that she would see it; however, the idea that he might be somewhat shy to introduce his thoughts helped her feel closer than ever to him.
Why was Thomas late? She thought it best to replace the paper to its former position. She did so, then moved over to another chair.
The wind gusted more fiercely. The eerie moaning began again. The boys got
off the bed and spontaneously came over to her, with a look of mild fright in their eyes.
A few minutes later, they heard boot steps on the stairs. The heavy door to the room opened with a gust of wind, bringing Thomas into the room. “I am sorry, my lady, that I am late for our appointment. The sound stayed constant for a prolonged period and I pursued it, thinking I could detect it easily; however, the direction of sound on the roof can be confused.”
The boys reflected renewed confidence upon the entrance of their tutor. They grabbed his hands. Georgiana rose and Thomas said, “You may become quite cold with just the shawl. Here let me put one of my coats over it, to make sure of your comfort.”
She was warmed by his gallantry, and enjoyed his placement of the coat about her. For a moment she caught his glance and smiled. They proceeded out the door and crept up a dozen stairs. Georgiana felt as though they were hunters pursuing prey. Were they afraid a ghost might see them and flee?
A door was encountered that opened out upon the roof with a long creak. The wind had temporarily died down and the moon had come from behind the clouds, revealing a bright moonlit scene before them.
“The sound seems to be coming from the eastern side of the house. Let us go and position ourselves there.”
They went along a rampart briefly and then started through a series of older rooftops that, being built over centuries, had created a maze. Finally, when they could see the lake on the eastern side of the house, they became certain of their position. Spotting an overlapping roof, which created a lean-to, Thomas guided Georgiana to it and they sat down to wait. In a few moments, the wind began again and the moaning sound, though much more musical now, recurred very loudly.
They all stood up and looked at a short chimney near them. The sound was emanating from it. A few bricks were missing in the side of it, not too far from the top. They walked closer and spotted several wires across the empty space.
“This must be an aeolian harp,” Thomas exclaimed, “I have never seen one, have you?”
