Rachel’s return to the room, followed by the maid with the tea tray, put an end to their conversation on the subject. Having conveyed the thanks of Mrs Binns and her daughter-in-law for the hamper, Rachel proceeded to tell her mother about Daniel’s interest in the old village church. “Mr Faulkner is interested in the architecture of old churches,” she explained, and Caroline seemed delighted.
“Is this true? Because if it is, then you must certainly visit the church at Riversleigh. It is a good deal older than the church in the village, and though it is an odd-looking building with its crooked spire, it has a most interesting carved marble altarpiece, which Mr Darcy claims was saved from destruction in the days of King Henry the Eighth by a devout parish priest who, at great risk to himself, worked all night by candlelight to brick it up. Its real beauty was only revealed centuries later when Mr Darcy’s mother, Lady Anne Darcy, found some documents in the Pemberley library and traced them to Riversleigh church. She had the brickwork removed and revealed the altarpiece. If you are interested in old churches, you must see it,” she said, and Daniel was immediately fascinated.
“Where is Riversleigh? No one has mentioned it before. Dr Gardiner told me about the old church in the village here, and I agree it is an interesting building, but a carved marble altarpiece dating back to the Middle Ages must be extraordinary. I should very much like to see it.”
“Riversleigh is on the northern boundary of the Pemberley estate in the foothills of the mountains. It is beautifully situated, but the living is not worth much, being a very small parish and rather isolated, so it has been vacant for quite a while. If you wish to visit, Cassy will give you the keys; she looks after all that for her father now,” said Caroline, pouring out the tea and handing around the cake.
Daniel was very keen. “I must certainly ask her, though I daresay she will be much too busy to accompany me. She appears to have her hands full all day long.”
“She does, but Rachel can take you there,” said Caroline, adding, “She knows Riversleigh well. My husband used to enjoy fishing there, and he often took Rachel along. I must confess it was one of the few pastimes I did not share with him. I have not the patience to sit still for hours for so little reward,” Caroline admitted, and they laughed, as Rachel agreed that if he could get the keys to the church at Riversleigh, she would be quite happy to accompany him.
“It isn’t far, if we take the pony cart and travel up the road that runs along the boundary of the Pemberley estate, we should make it within an hour,” she said, and when he asked if she would consider making the excursion to Riversleigh on the following Saturday, Caroline was too preoccupied to notice how very easily Rachel was persuaded.
Nor did she observe, after Mr Faulkner had left, that Rachel had the look of someone who had but recently discovered an unexpected source of pleasure. It wasn’t often that Rachel was presented with such an opportunity; she had not planned it nor had she foreseen it, but she was quite delighted with the happy way things had turned out that day.
Chapter Nine
After many hours of agonising uncertainty, Caroline had decided that she could not in all conscience let Georgiana Grantley and the Darcys remain in ignorance of what she had learned about Mr Fraser. On the following Saturday, with Rachel and Mr Faulkner conveniently out of the way visiting Riversleigh, Caroline went again to Pemberley. This time she saw Elizabeth and found in her a much more amenable and trusting listener than Georgiana had been. Having already heard some part of Caroline’s information from Mr Darcy, Elizabeth was ready to believe that Georgiana could be wrong about the man who seemed to have attracted her daughter’s attention.
“Is it at all possible that you may be mistaken?” she asked, and Caroline was quite resolute.
“I might be, but what about Daniel Faulkner’s account of him and now all these clandestine goings-on with Rosie Higgins? Rachel is absolutely certain that it was Fraser she saw with Rosie in the woods and then again in the village coming out of the inn, while Georgiana believes he is visiting his respectable relations in Scotland! How does one explain such strange behaviour?”
Elizabeth agreed that it would not be easy and added that Mr Darcy did not believe that Fraser was being candid about his circumstances either.
“Following his conversation with Daniel Faulkner, Darcy believes that he has no reason to doubt the sincerity of his account and is increasingly sceptical about Fraser’s claims. I believe he plans to speak with Georgiana this evening before dinner; we have no other guests tonight, so he will be able to speak freely.”
Caroline was relieved. “Oh Lizzie, I am so pleased to hear that. If anyone can convince Georgiana that Fraser should not be trusted, Mr Darcy can.”
Elizabeth agreed. “Indeed, she has always depended upon his judgment, and since the death of Dr Grantley, she does seem to turn more to her brother again. Poor Georgiana, having always sought the approval of a brother or a husband for almost everything she did, she has never equipped herself for the day when she must make her own decisions.”
Caroline’s eyes filled with tears as she recalled her husband’s advice to her in the months after they had come to understand the seriousness of his condition. “Dearest Caroline,” he had said, “ though I love you dearly and would hate to go and leave you to carry on alone, you know too well that it must happen, do you not?” and when she had nodded, unable to speak for her grief, he had taken her hand and said, “All through our days together, I have sought to teach you everything I know so that when I am gone you will have all the knowledge you need to do whatever you decide is right for you and the children.”
She recalled how she had been too afraid to think it then, but she knew now he had been preparing her for the solitary life that was to come. And when it came, despite the anguish of her loss, she had learned to cope, only because he had taught her so well.
Elizabeth saw her tears and embraced her cousin. “Dear Caroline, I am sorry. I did not mean to wound you, but seeing how you have borne your grief and striven to overcome your difficulties, I grow impatient with Georgiana; I fear she cannot succeed because she will not make the effort.”
Caroline fought back her tears and urged Lizzie not to be too harsh with her sister-in-law. “Her sole dependence upon Dr Grantley must make it difficult for her, and unlike my Rachel, Virginia is no help at all. If only Mr Darcy can persuade her that she must treat Mr Fraser with some caution, it will be a great relief. Georgiana seems unwilling to listen to any other advice,” she said, and Elizabeth promised to do her best as well.
When she left Pemberley, Caroline was feeling less apprehensive. Talking to the Darcys always had that effect upon her. Her cousin Elizabeth had been her confidante since childhood, and the strong bonds of trust and affection that had developed between Mr Darcy and Caroline’s own parents, Mr and Mrs Gardiner, had served to enhance her confidence in him. Her late husband Colonel Fitzwilliam had rarely made a significant decision without consulting his cousin, whose judgment he rated above any others. If Mr Darcy intended to speak with Georgiana, Caroline was convinced all would be well.
* * *
Rachel and Daniel Faulkner had made their way to Riversleigh without mishap, arriving at the water’s edge around midmorning. A bridge spanned the river before its confluence with the stream whose flow had been constrained and directed over a weir to form a small lake. It was a crisp Autumn day, with hardly a breath of wind to ruffle the surface of the water.
The old church stood on the other side of the stream, situated in the green meadows between the lake and the foothills of the mountains to the north. With its rough old exterior and oddly crooked tower, it gave no hint of the treasure it contained.
Rachel had the advantage over her companion in her familiarity with the district, and when he asked a little apprehensively how they were supposed to get over to the other side, she giggled and said, “Now, if you were a true saint, you might have tried walking across,” and was astonished when he looked at her quite shar
ply, with a frown on his countenance like she had not seen before.
“That sounds a little presumptuous, don’t you think?” he asked, and she could not tell if he was being lighthearted or serious. She bit her lip; clearly he had not appreciated the joke. It was the sort of thing her father would have said, and she would have laughed with him. But this time, she didn’t laugh; instead, she said, in a serious voice, “If we walk downstream for a bit, there’s an old crossing place, which brings us out behind the rectory garden. The stream is fordable in this weather, although with the Spring thaw, it would swell to almost double its size and one would be advised to use the bridge. Shall we walk down?”
The change in her tone alerted him; he turned to her and said, “Rachel, I am sorry, I haven’t been very good company, have I?” Before she could say anything, he continued, “I have been distracted and anxious and discourteous, have I not?”
“No, not discourteous,” she said quietly. “Anxious and distracted perhaps, but I suppose you are concerned about Mr Fraser and Virginia? I know my mother is; she was going to Pemberley to see Mr and Mrs Darcy today. If anyone can help, they can.” She saw a sudden smile light up his countenance, and he sighed with relief.
“Thank God, I have been trying all morning to think how I could approach Mrs Grantley to beg her not to trust Fraser. I have known for some time that he has been seeking to marry a young woman of some wealth and consequence, and I was very afraid that he may persuade Mrs Grantley that he is an appropriate suitor for her daughter. He is very persuasive and charming when he wants to be, and ladies like Mrs Grantley, whose lives have been largely sheltered from men like Fraser, may be easily convinced. But if, as you say, your mama has gone to Pemberley today with the intention of revealing what she knows to Mr and Mrs Darcy, then she has done far more than I could hope to do. We must pray that she will be successful,” he said.
Rachel explained, “Mama did not tell me in so many words, but I cannot imagine that she would have any other reason for visiting them again today, especially with Virginia away at Ashford Park. Do you not agree?”
He supposed she was right and said so. Then, with a complete change of tone, he said, “Well, with that problem in such good hands, shall we find this ford and try to get across to the church?”
She nodded, smiling, and led the way.
When they reached the old ford, she was disappointed, for instead of the clear water rippling over the flat stepping stones on the bed of the stream, there were great fronds of fern and water hyacinth smothering its path.
“Oh dear, I haven’t been here in a while, and the poor stream’s choking,” she said, trying to clear some of it away, but he stopped her.
“Let me do it,” he said and, bending down, pulled aside the vegetation; then, standing on the stones in the middle of the stream, he held out his hands to her and, urging her to mind and not slip on the mossy pebbles, helped her across and supported her up the bank onto the other side.
It was all accomplished so easily, with so little fuss, that Rachel was quite surprised to find herself standing on dry ground with hardly a drop of water on her boots.
She looked up at him and said, “Thank you,” adding lightly, “You did that so well, I suppose you must have forded many such streams on the goldfields.”
He laughed then, a very agreeable laugh, and said, “Indeed I have, but there were no ladies there needing to be helped across.” Rachel laughed too, and as they struck out across the overgrown meadows, towards the rectory gate, he took her hand in his and said, “Watch where you put your feet, Rachel; I had no idea this place was so neglected, although Cassy did tell me there had been no incumbent for over a year.”
“Indeed, no one wants it; it’s a very small parish.”
They reached the gate and passed through it into the rectory garden, which showed some signs of being cared for. The fruit was ready for picking, and the rose bushes heavy with scented blooms; the grass had been recently scythed and tied into bundles and the kitchen garden carefully tended.
The rectory itself was locked, and since he had only asked Cassandra for the key to the church, they went round to the front door, opened it, and went within.
The church was cool and filled with light from the two high windows above the choir loft, which streamed down into the nave. Rachel stood back and let Daniel walk up the aisle. He approached the altar and lifted the rough red cloth that covered it, and she heard him catch his breath as he saw the precious, carved marble panel depicting a young Madonna and child. He knelt to look at it closely, and for one moment, Rachel thought he was going to pray, but then, he sat on the chancel steps and gazed at it as if entranced.
She remained seated quietly in one of the pews at the back of the church, until many minutes later, Daniel rose to his feet, bowed before the altar, replaced the covering cloth, and moved away, still seemingly stunned by what he had seen.
He stood silently looking around the old building; nothing else in the church, except perhaps the baptismal font, came even close to matching the exquisite beauty of the altarpiece.
Looking at Daniel, his tall figure caught in the beam of light from the high windows, Rachel found it difficult to associate him with the man who had stood in the middle of the stream and held out his hands to her. Then, it was his laughter that had caught her attention; now, in the quiet church, she was struck by the almost reverent expression on his face.
When they went outside, she stood quietly while he locked the door and placed the key in his pocket before saying, “Rachel, I have no words to thank you for this wonderful experience, which I owe entirely to you. I had no idea what a profoundly beautiful treasure was concealed within the old church, and I am quite enthralled by it. Thank you again, from the bottom of my heart, for bringing me here.” He sounded completely sincere, and there was very little Rachel could say in response. She smiled and said simply that she was very happy he had got so much pleasure from it and she always enjoyed coming to Riversleigh, anyway. It was one of her father’s favourite places.
As they passed through the gate into the meadow, he reached out and took her hand in his, ostensibly to help her through the rough, overgrown grass, before saying, “It is a great pleasure indeed, Rachel, to find something so beautiful and rare, and it will forever be associated in my mind with you and this very lovely place.”
She coloured and said nothing, biting her lips to avoid smiling too readily, but wanting in her heart to say how deeply she appreciated his gracious words. Never before had anyone said anything as sweetly pleasurable to her, and she wanted to hold it very close to her heart. Sufficiently sensible not to allow herself to exaggerate the significance of his words, yet susceptible enough to want to believe that they must mean he held her in some special regard, Rachel wanted only to return home and retreat to the warm comfort of her room, where she could relive the day’s events alone.
Daniel, too, seemed preoccupied and thoughtful as they walked back to the pony cart, but she could not know that his thoughts were somewhat similar to her own. The last young woman he had taken an interest in, some eighteen years or more ago, had been the girl who became his wife. They had both been young; she was not quite seventeen and very pretty when they met, and he, unaccustomed to encountering such beauty in the rough and ready environment of the goldfields of Victoria, had thought she was the loveliest and gentlest person he had ever seen.
Rachel, though older and not conventionally beautiful, had attracted his attention because she retained a similar quality of innocent freshness that he recalled with so much pleasure even after many years. Besides, she was well read and intelligent and sensitive with the kind of quick wit that had delighted him, and he had begun to wonder about the depth of the feelings she seemed to arouse in him, feelings of tenderness and affection that he had not known for years.
Driving home, they spoke only occasionally, and then it was of commonplace things like the way the wind had changed and how much longer it would take to use th
e road that ran across the bridge. Yet their reticence was comfortable and seemed to suit them well.
When they reached the house, he helped her out and, as she thanked him, said, “It was entirely my pleasure, Rachel, thank you.”
She asked him in to take tea, and as he appeared to hesitate, Caroline came into the hall, a letter in her hand.
“Rachel, Mr Faulkner, I am so glad you are back; do come in. I have just had a note from Mrs Higgins, Rosie’s mother, which is most worrying.” They went into the parlour, and Caroline ordered tea. While they waited for the maid to bring in the tea tray, she handed Daniel the note, which he read and passed to Rachel.
Mrs Higgins wrote to say that she had quizzed Rosie about Mr Fraser the previous night and discovered that she had indeed been “walking out” with the gentleman for about a week, but he had quite suddenly declared that he had business in Leicester and would be gone for a few days.
On being cautioned about him by her mother, Rosie had revealed that he had declared that he loved her and wanted her to come away with him to his farm in New South Wales, which poor Rosie, not being educated in geography, had assumed was a place somewhere near Cornwall, where her aunty Ethel lived by the sea.
Daniel shook his head, unable to believe it, as Rachel read on.
Mrs Higgins wrote that as far as she could make out, her daughter, “being a good, well-brought-up, God-fearing girl,” had not succumbed to Fraser’s blandishments and had replied that she must ask her parents first. For which Mrs Higgins gave praise to the Almighty, and thanked Mrs Fitzwilliam for her kindness in warning her of the danger in which her child might have unwittingly placed herself.
Rachel sighed. “You must be so relieved, Mama, and so must Rosie’s mother be,” she said. Caroline was strangely unwilling to declare her relief at the news. “Yes, of course as far as Rosie is concerned, she is safe, but is Virginia? I am concerned that Fraser claimed to have had business in Leicester because that is where Virginia is, at Ashford Park.”
Legacy of Pemberley (The Pemberley Chronicles; Pride and Prejudice Sequel Series) Page 24
