Unexpected Friends & Relations

by Jayne Bamber

  After another quarter hour of deliberation, it was agreed between the four of them, for the elderly Mrs. Bates made no contribution to their conversation whatsoever, that Jane Fairfax would accept the role of governess at Hartfield on a temporary basis only. She stipulated as a condition of her acceptance that she might continue residing in the village with her aunt and grandmother two days and nights per week, but would spend the rest of her time caring for the four oldest Knightley children at Hartfield, as the youngest, still an infant, was entirely under the care of her wet nurse.

  Rebecca thought it an unusual plan, but as Miss Fairfax would not be swayed, she accepted on John Knightley’s behalf, and even Emma agreed that the plan was suitable.

  Emma observed that it was rather an odd compromise, as they made their way back to Hartfield. “What, is she to be a servant five days a week, and merely a common acquaintance the other two? Meeting with her as we do now, she is nearly equal to us, despite her genteel poverty, while at Hartfield she shall be a subordinate. Do you not think it will be confusing for our mutual acquaintance?”

  “It seems to me that your mutual acquaintances have known Miss Fairfax all her life, and would never treat her so much like a servant. I am sure she will be greeted with all due civility, whenever Mrs. Weston is visiting at Hartfield, for instance. Mrs. Weston might just as soon visit with Miss Bates and Miss Fairfax on Jane’s off-days as well, and meet with her in equal courtesy. Though she says she will only agree to a temporary arrangement, I believe she will transition well into her new role, and once she is at Hartfield she will not wish to seek a position elsewhere.”

  “It is curious, is it not, that she did not wish to go to Ireland with the Campbells,” Emma mused next. “Perhaps this Mr. Dixon is a little too charming. Poor Miss Campbell! Imagine how dreadful it must have been for her, to have always had Jane about, doing everything so very perfectly, charming even her Mr. Dixon!”

  “After five months in Sanditon, no doubt suffering the tedious company of Mr. Sidney Parker, I am more inclined to say poor Jane Fairfax!”

  ***

  Emma returned to Hartfield with Rebecca, her spirits much relieved. Indeed, it had been nearly six months since she had felt so cheerful, and despite Rebecca’s rather combative remarks about Mr. Knightley, Emma was inclined to thank him for thinking to invite Rebecca to Hartfield.

  He was there, when the two ladies returned – playing battledore and shuttlecock on the lawn with Mary, John, and the children. Upon perceiving them, Mr. Knightley broke away from the others and came forth to greet them, and it occurred to Emma that since Rebecca’s coming amongst them, Mr. Knightley was much more at ease in her company. Gone was the tension that had existed between them over the winter, when she had been so depressed in her spirits that she would not even allow her oldest friend to give her comfort.

  It struck Emma as odd that Rebecca should be so determined to remain aloof to Mr. Knightley, for though Emma looked upon him as a brother, it occurred to her that he was certainly a handsome man, and could even be affable at times, once one got past his rather prickly exterior, not unlike Rebecca herself.

  Of course, Rebecca would quarrel with him. She mentioned their errand in Highbury directly, seeming to demand praise for having such a notion, despite having already told Emma that she expected to receive none. Just as Rebecca predicted, Mr. Knightley could not like the idea.

  “Jane Fairfax to be governess here at Hartfield? How could Miss Bates agree to such a thing? I think it very ill-advised, Emma, though surely Lady Rebecca is not so acquainted with the neighborhood as to understand why – certainly Miss Bates and her niece have fallen on hard times, but it is one thing for Miss Fairfax to entertain the idea of becoming a governess, and quite another thing for her to actually seek employment here in her own neighborhood. It would constitute a degradation, I am sure, for how could anybody pay Miss Fairfax the civility she is due, when she is reduced to the status of a servant here?”

  It was just what Emma had thought, though she had been less concerned with Miss Fairfax receiving her due, and primarily troubled by the confusion her new role might inspire. At any rate, she knew it would be a perverse thing indeed to take Mr. Knightley’s side against Rebecca at such time, and certainly she had her own selfish motives for wishing the plan to move forward, for already the children were beginning to grow rowdy at their uncle’s distraction.

  Emma had little wish to participate in Mr. Knightley and Rebecca’s ensuing squabble, nor did she desire to greet Mr. Elton, who was just coming up the garden path, and so she made haste to approach her niece and nephews and join in their game. Mr. Elton greeted her as she took up her racket and began to play with little Izzy, though he stated his purpose in visiting was to discuss the morrow’s sermon with Miss Mary, as he had found her conversation the previous week to be most inspiring.

  Mary seemed to receive his attentions far more eagerly than Emma had ever done, and so Emma left the two alone, and resumed her game with the children. Knowing that her days of looking after them for hours on end were coming to a close, Emma found she could play with them quite happily, with none of the previous bitterness she had long repined.

  She thought it best to mention Rebecca’s plan to John directly, lest Mr. Knightley intervene before they could secure her brother’s approval. John was initially surprised that Jane should agree to become their governess, even on the unusual terms she had stipulated, but as it relieved him the burden of having to interview any strangers, should there even be new applicants to his most recent advertisement, he was quickly convinced that the idea was a sound one. By the time Mr. Knightley made his inevitable approach to state his opinion on the matter, John was firmly decided in favor of employing Jane Fairfax as his governess for five days out of seven.

  Mr. Knightley seemed weary from his first argument with Rebecca, and pressed the issue no further in the face of John’s determination, taking his leave of them all. Mr. Elton remained another quarter hour, sitting at some remove in the garden with Mary, the two of them poring over one of his notebooks, in which he must have transcribed whatever sermon required Mary’s wisdom and influence.

  Mr. Elton’s attentions to Mary continued a few nights later, when they were all together at Randalls for dinner with the Westons. Jane Fairfax had moved a great many of her things into the governess’s quarters at Hartfield just the previous day, but was nonetheless included in the Westons’ invitation to dinner, as of course Miss Bates was there as well, and Mrs. Weston admitted to Emma that she saw little reason to treat Jane any differently than she ever had.

  Emma could not like it, but just as Rebecca had done, Mrs. Weston appealed to Emma’s tender heart. “Only think if it were Harriet,” said she. “If Harriet had not been discovered to be the daughter of such a very grand family, and had in fact remained here in Highbury, and taken up the position of governess at Hartfield, surely you would wish her to be included in dinner invitations amongst such an intimate party of old friends. I am sure it is little inconvenience for Hartfield’s new housekeeper to attend the sleeping Knightley children on the occasional evening, so that Miss Fairfax might have some society, and it is certainly a comfort to Miss Bates.”

  Emma could only admit that it was so, for certainly Mrs. Weston already knew that it was only Emma’s long-standing jealous dislike of Jane Fairfax that caused her now to resent her inclusion in their party.

  Soon enough, she had reason to forget her vexation with Jane Fairfax, for as they were all at table Mr. Weston mentioned one of his favorite subjects – his son, Frank Churchill. He had been born belonging to Highbury, as much as Emma herself, or even Jane Fairfax, yet his father had been obliged, upon the death of his first wife, to give his young son over to the care of his wife’s sister, Mrs. Churchill, who had for nearly twenty years kept poor Frank Churchill all to herself.

  Mr. Elton had recently been prevailing upon Emma, commending her excellent relations, particularly Mary, upon whom he would lavish such
elegant praise, as though she were not in fact present in the room, seated on his other side. As happy as Emma was to see his attentions directed to a more willing recipient, it was rather an effort to remain civil during the most overpowering period of Mr. Elton’s nonsense, when she was quite certain that at the other end of the table, she had heard Mr. Weston say “Frank” and “my son” several times over.

  It so happened that in spite of Emma’s resolution of never marrying, there was something in the name, in the idea of Mr. Frank Churchill, which always interested her. Particularly now, when the death of her father had necessitated that perhaps she might not always remain at Hartfield, despite her brother’s assurances of her continued welcome there. She would soon go down to half-mourning, and that Mr. Frank Churchill might appear amongst them, at last, at such a time, seemed infinitely fortuitous. She had frequently thought – especially since his father’s marriage with Miss Taylor – that if she were to marry, Frank Churchill was the very person to suit her in age, character, and condition. He seemed by this connection between the families, quite to belong to her. She could not but suppose it to be a match that everybody who knew them must think of. That Mr. and Mrs. Weston did think of it, she was strongly persuaded; and she herself had a great curiosity to see Mr. Frank Churchill, and a decided intention of finding him pleasant, of being liked by him to a certain degree, and a sort of pleasure in the idea of their being coupled in their friends’ imaginations.

  With such sensations, Mr. Elton’s civilities were dreadfully ill-timed, and though she felt very cross, she considered that the rest of the visit could not possibly pass without bringing forward the same information again, or the substance of it, from the open-hearted Mr. Weston. So it proved, for when they all adjourned to the drawing room after supper, Mr. Weston took a seat at her side, apparently aware that she had missed his first telling of the information.

  “He has been wanting to come to us ever since September; every letter has been full of it, but he cannot command his own time. He has those to please who must be pleased, and who, between ourselves, are sometimes to be pleased only by a good many sacrifices. His aunt, Mrs. Churchill, is more comfortable since they have removed to Sanditon, and with the weather growing warmer, her health is much improved. So much so that he means to be among us only the day after tomorrow!”

  Emma was delighted beyond anything – the day after tomorrow! Mrs. Weston soon made her way over to Emma’s side, and Emma rather wished they were not among so much company, for surely in private Mrs. Weston would be far more candid with her than she could do now, regarding the fascinating figure that was Frank Churchill.

  She was struck by the mention of Sanditon, and leaned in toward her old friend Mrs. Weston to whisper, “It is a small curiosity to me that Mr. Frank Churchill should have brought his aunt to Sanditon – just a few days ago we learned that is just where Jane Fairfax has been traveling with the Campbells. What a curious thing, but I have never heard of the place before. I wonder if she is at all acquainted with Mr. Frank Churchill, though I daresay she should never breathe a word of it if she was. Truly, she is far more reserved than I remembered her being, which was very reserved indeed.”

  Mrs. Weston gave Emma a familiar look of patient bemusement. “Now Emma, whether or not Jane Fairfax was at all acquainted with Frank during their months in Sanditon, it can hardly matter, for you shall only have to wait a couple days more to make his acquaintance yourself. At any rate, he will find her in very different circumstances here, as a governess, than when he knew her in Sanditon.”

  Emma screwed up her face. “I am sure Jane Fairfax could be nothing at all to Frank Churchill, anyhow. I did not mean to suggest that they might actually be friends – I have known her all my life, and we are still not friends! I only wished to know whether he is a handsome man, whether he is fond of dancing, whether he is musical, whether he is a great reader, whether he is fond of the outdoors….”

  “These questions you have had answered a hundred times over by my husband and I already, I am sure,” Mrs. Weston replied. “Mr. Weston never received a letter from his son that was not related to you in full, or as fully as may be without boring you, for much of his letters are often filled with the many maladies of his unfortunate aunt. I think it is such a shame he is so forever bound to her fits of caprice, for I am certain that is really all it is. She wishes to exert her influence over her young dependent, and keep him away from his duty to his father.”

  To this Emma had not the opportunity to reply, for Mr. Knightley had moved close enough to overhear them, and begun to laugh at her whimsy.

  ***

  Seated beside Mr. Knightley on the sofa, Rebecca watched as he turned his head a little, listening in on what Mrs. Weston was whispering to Emma.

  He turned back and addressed her thus, “Mr. Frank Churchill!” He leaned in closer to Rebecca, as if confiding a great secret. “No doubt you recall his presence at the Banfields’ ball, the very night we first met. Oh yes, to his father, he is all excuses – his aunt is unwell, his aunt requires his presence, his aunt cannot spare him. His aunt was able to spare him well enough indeed for him to attend a party given by strangers in London last September!”

  Rebecca smiled wryly. “Yes, I certainly recall you taking him to task for it. I found Mr. Churchill a kindred spirit in that regard.”

  “Ha,” was Mr. Knightley’s rejoinder. “I think you rather enjoy thinking yourself most ill-used by me, Lady Rebecca, though you know we are more often than not in agreement on a great many things. Even on the matter of Jane Fairfax, we seem rather reconciled.”

  “Reconciled, no indeed,” Rebecca replied. “You thought the worst of my plan, only three days ago, and yet now that you behold its success, I think you begin to wish it had been your own suggestion. It is just what I told Emma would happen. When the folly you were expecting did not come to pass, you conveniently forgot that you had ever predicted any such thing. It pleases you to see that Jane has adjusted so well, so quickly, and so you begin to propose that you had favored my plan all along.”

  Mr. Knightley gave her an arch look, and shook his head. “Errant nonsense,” said he, before turning back again to Mrs. Weston, to listen to her and Emma, who were still whispering about Mr. Frank Churchill. Laughing with no little sarcasm, he addressed Mrs. Weston, “Duty indeed,” before returning his attention to Rebecca.

  “You will see,” said he, “I am not wrong about Mr. Frank Churchill. It has been more than six months since his father was wed, and it appears he has spent nearly the entire interval in Sanditon with your ridiculous friend Sidney Parker.”

  “My friend,” Rebecca drawled with incredulity. Catching the eye of Jane Fairfax, who sat across the room speaking with her aunt, Rebecca smiled before leaning in close to Mr. Knightley. “Now I will share something with you, sir. Mr. Sidney Parker, who is an acquaintance at best, and perhaps even this famous Mr. Frank Churchill, must be well acquainted indeed with little Jane Fairfax over there. See how she blushes now at the mention of him? And at dinner, when Mr. Weston first announced that his son was to come amongst us, did you not notice how she coughed so unremittingly? I begin to wonder how closely they may be acquainted,” she whispered to her companion.

  Mr. Knightley made a playful grimace at her. “Just the sort of fanciful mischief I would have expected of you six months ago, Lady Rebecca!”

  “Well, I am certainly happy I have not disappointed you,” she retorted.

  Mr. Knightley’s countenance grew earnest. “You have far from disappointed me, in nearly every way,” said he. “Let us not argue about Jane Fairfax, or Frank Churchill. I should be thanking you for accepting my invitation to visit with dear Emma. Truly, your tender compassion has worked wonders on her spirits.” He placed his hand on hers, on the sofa between them.

  Tender. It was one of Rebecca’s least favorite words – how she despised tenderness! Drawing her hand away, she offered Mr. Knightley one of her most wicked smirks and replied, “Certain
ly I do not argue with you – when I am arguing with you, I daresay you shall be well aware of the fact.”

  He laughed again. “How graciously you accept my compliments.”

  “Compliments? That is very nearly praise, I think. Are we to be friends, sir?”

  “Friends indeed!”

  “Very well. However, I shall form my own opinions about Mr. Frank Churchill, and for Mr. and Mrs. Weston’s sake, I intend to like him very much. He was amiable enough at the Banfields’ ball, despite your criticism. And for Emma, too, I am certainly inclined to think well of him, for I believe she does.” Leaning closer, she whispered, “What think you, Mr. Knightley, of Emma falling in love?”

  Mr. Knightley’s countenance darkened. “Emma has no wish to marry,” he whispered back. “I have heard it often enough from her lips. Certainly she has refused her fair share of proposals these last six months. I am certain it is the furthest thing from her mind at present.”

  “I am certain it is not,” Rebecca replied, keeping her voice down and leaning closer still. “In fact, if it is not, I may yet plant the seed myself. She certainly took an interest in the news of his coming to town, and it is plain to see what Mr. and Mrs. Weston think about the matter – I daresay the match has already been made in their minds.”

  “That may be so,” Mr. Knightley countered, “but it does not follow that this should become reality, just because two, or perhaps three, people here wish that it should be so.”

  “No indeed – you are right in that respect, and yet I am right as well, because I believe it very likely will be so. Everything points to it being exactly as I imagine. Emma, at such a time when her own future is by no means certain, has long nurtured a curiosity regarding Mr. Frank Churchill – I even saw her look upon his portrait in the hall when first we entered the house – and now, when she is beginning to come out of full mourning and blossom amidst such long-desired female companionship, I daresay she is quite ready to be fallen in love with. Truly, in such a state of mind as she is in, I predict she should be engaged to Mr. Frank Churchill by the end of summer.”