Unexpected Friends & Relations

by Jayne Bamber

  Emma’s vexation began to rise again. Was every scheme for happiness to be dampened by the inclusion of Mrs. Elton, and was every encounter with Mrs. Elton to include Miss Fairfax’s superiority constantly thrown in her face? Emma remained silent, while Mr. Knightley answered with forbearance. “As I am sure to invite my brother, whose children are dear to me, I am sure Miss Fairfax will be coming along with them. And, as you take such an eager interest in her comfort, I am sure you shall manage to bestow your company upon her as she supervises all the little Knightleys.”

  Satisfied with his own response, Mr. Knightley cast a glance of amusement at Emma and Rebecca. Mrs. Elton saw nothing amiss with his reply, and continued to press her own opinions into the scheme. “Oh yes, leave it all to me. Only give me carte blanche. I am Lady Patroness, you know. It is my party. I will bring all my friends with me.”

  “I hope you will bring Elton,” Mr. Knightley said, “but I will not trouble you to give any other invitations.”

  “Oh! Now you are looking very sly. But consider – you needn’t be afraid of delegating power to me. Married women, you know, may safely be authorized in such a thing. Leave it all to me, I will invite your guests.”

  “No,” Mr. Knightley calmly replied. “There is but one married woman in the world I can ever allow to invite what guest she pleases to Donwell….”

  “Mrs. Weston, I suppose,” interrupted Mrs. Elton, looking rather mortified.

  “No – Mrs. Knightley, and until she is in being, I will manage such matters myself.”

  Emma was obliged to feign coughing to cover her laughter; Rebecca, positioned beyond Mrs. Elton’s vision, beamed brightly at Mr. Knightley for his speech, her eyes sparkling with mirth. If Mrs. Elton was displeased with Mr. Knightley’s position on the matter, she did not betray it. Her discourse continued a little while longer, describing her great pleasure in the scheme, the basket she would carry, adorned with a pink ribbon, the possibility of perhaps riding thither on a donkey – they were at last spared her speculations when she caught sight of Jane playing outdoors with the children, and she stepped out onto the lawn to continue her effusions with a more willing recipient of her nonsense.

  ***

  Despite Mrs. Elton’s presumptuous intrusion, Rebecca was confident that Emma took as much pleasure in the Donwell excursion as she herself did, and Rebecca was in high spirits on the day of their strawberry party. Mr. Knightley was so often coming to Hartfield – nearly every day – that Rebecca had never actually been to Donwell. She was eager to see it, believing it would render her understanding of its master complete.

  It was discovered to be a very fine house – larger, older, and grander than Hartfield, nearly grander than Pemberley and Matlock, in her opinion, and the tour of the house Mr. Knightley gave her was no less enjoyable for Mrs. Elton’s inclusion in it. Mr. Knightley clearly took a great deal of pride in his home. It was quite endearing – so youthful, so energetic was he in going over all the public rooms of the ground floor and first story. Family portraits were explained, scenic views from every window pointed out, and the advantage of every space displayed to an extent that Rebecca could only wonder at Mr. Knightley’s never desiring to entertain at Donwell before.

  “It is certainly a fine house. I rather wonder that as my opinion of Donwell rises,” she teased him, “my estimation of its master must be called into question, for never giving such a beautiful place a time to truly shine. You certainly needn’t wait for the mythical Mrs. Knightley to come into being! Were I the mistress of such a house, I think it would be full of guests very often.”

  Here Mr. Knightley laughed, giving her a wide smile as the Eltons moved away. “I should very much wish to see such a thing – Lady Rebecca as mistress of Donwell! After all you have accomplished at Hartfield, I rather wonder what you could do with such a place as Donwell at your disposal.”

  “Oh, a great many things, I am sure. Though I must own, I have done very little at Hartfield, beyond the acquisition of some rather crucial members of the staff.”

  “I suppose it is what you have done for the heart and spirit of the principal residents of the place that is so significant an accomplishment – that is what I meant to suggest.”

  “Oh – well, on that score I daresay I have far more to accomplish still, if Mrs. Elton’s intuition is to be trusted!”

  “Not that again! I daresay Mrs. Elton shall be the first to let it rest, long before you do. But I would beg you not to give too much credence to her assertion, or she will only continue to speak of it.”

  “Well, we cannot have that – I daresay poor John could not bear it. He would be very much to be pitied, with such a wife! But let us walk through the gardens – I have exclaimed over everything else, and I am quite wishing to see your gardens, and say everything that is proper and expected. Let Mrs. Elton speculate about what that may portend, if she likes – she will make me the mistress of Donwell, and then you shall have every cause to repine!”

  Rebecca laughed at her own jest, but Mr. Knightley did not. He grew quite serious for a moment, and she began to fear she had offended him with her teasing, but he merely offered her his arm, and said, “One day, Rebecca, you may yet find yourself forced to take something seriously.”

  Rebecca shook her head as he led her out into the garden. “If I do, it will have little to do with Mrs. Elton! Heaven forfend!”

  After a quarter-hour walking through the garden and chatting very amiably together, Rebecca and Mr. Knightley joined the rest of their party, and the picking of strawberries was begun in earnest. John was obliged to attend his own children, and appeared quite eager that Jane might be given some opportunity to amuse herself at leisure. Mrs. Elton, of course, would insist that Jane accompany her, as her particular friend, while Rebecca and Emma amused themselves first in speculating on the imminent return of Frank Churchill, and then in spying on Mrs. Elton, to see if they could catch her at such speculations as she had given voice to at Hartfield, regarding Miss Fairfax’s future.

  In this they were not disappointed – Rebecca was delighted to overhear Mrs. Elton broach the subject once more, pressing Miss Fairfax to consider moving on from her position at Hartfield. Mrs. Elton had already written to some acquaintances of hers from Bath, and was quite confident that she could find Miss Fairfax a vastly superior position. “A fine, talented creature like yourself is quite wasted on a family that never goes to London, you know,” she began, “and boys at that! Oh no, Jane, you are so accomplished – I am well acquainted with your reputation here in Highbury, you see – you should do far better in a family of girls, for there you might really shine. I know of just such a family, who reside in Shropshire, and are very often in Town, with two girls just a few years from coming out, who must be in need of one such as yourself, who can teach them so much about music, and other refinements. There you might be of some real use. Lady Rebecca will see to everything at Hartfield – I have never encountered such commanding confidence in anybody, I am sure.”

  As Miss Fairfax began to demur once more, Rebecca was obliged to move away and give in to her private hilarity at length. She required some minutes of privacy, standing behind a hedge where she might laugh as indecorously as she chose, and ere long Mrs. Elton and Miss Fairfax also moved that way, on the other side of the hedge. Miss Fairfax sounded quite distressed by all of Mrs. Elton’s speculation, so much so that she began to claim a headache, and declared she would speak to John directly – she was really feeling quite ill.

  Rebecca remained hidden from view a little while longer – there was a pretty copse of trees nearby, beyond which was the road that led to the front drive of the house, and she walked that way to enjoy a moment of solitude before returning to the rest of the party, as Mr. Knightley would no doubt insist on her behaving more civilly than she had any wish to. After several minutes more, she caught sight of Miss Fairfax walking down the little lane, away from Donwell, and Rebecca called out to her. Miss Fairfax stopped, a look of great distress
on her countenance as Rebecca approached.

  “I have spoken to John – Mr. Knightley – he has given me leave to return to Hartfield and rest a little while. Would you be so kind,” said she, “when I am missed by the others, to say that I am gone? I have said nothing about it to anybody else. Some are going to the pond, and some to the lime walk. Until they all come in, I shall not be missed – when they do, will you be so good as to say that I am gone?”

  Rebecca could easily understand the wish to escape Mrs. Elton’s tiresome company, but that Miss Fairfax should desire to quit the party entirely was quite astonishing. “Certainly I shall say so, if you wish it, but surely you are not going to walk all that way alone?”

  “Of course – I walk fast. I shall be at Hartfield in twenty minutes.”

  “But it is too far to be walking alone. Let one of my cousins go with you. Let me order the carriage. It can be round in five minutes.”

  “Thank you, but that is not necessary. I would rather walk.”

  Poor Miss Fairfax! Between Emma’s dislike of her, and Mrs. Elton’s obsessive interest in the poor girl, Rebecca felt no little sympathy. With feeling, she replied, “There can be no reason for you to be exposed to danger. Even the heat would be a danger – you are fatigued already.”

  “I am,” she answered. “I am fatigued, but it is not the sort of fatigue – a quick walk shall refresh me. Lady Rebecca, we all know, at times, what it is to be wearied in spirits. Mine, I confess, are exhausted. The greatest kindness you can show me will be to let me have my own way, and only say that I am gone when it is necessary.”

  If John had approved of Miss Fairfax’s departure, Rebecca could not oppose it. She consented to let Miss Fairfax have her own way, and promised to look in on her at Hartfield when they all returned.

  Miss Fairfax’s parting look was grateful, and her parting words, “Oh, Lady Rebecca, the comfort of sometimes being alone!” It seemed to burst from an overcharged heart, and to describe somewhat of the continual endurance she must practice, even toward some of those who loved her best.

  Feeling really worried for the girl, Rebecca stood in the copse of trees by the road, determined to watch her go, to keep her in sight as long as she could, in hope that Miss Fairfax would make it safely back to Hartfield, and get what solace she could. Just before Miss Fairfax disappeared from view, she was met by two riders on horseback. She stopped in the road to speak with them for a few minutes – one of them dismounted, seemed to approach her and even take her by the hand, but in the end Miss Fairfax withdrew from them and made her way down the lane with no further encumbrance before she disappeared from view entirely.

  The two riders made their approach to Donwell – as they came closer, Rebecca perceived them to be Mr. Churchill and Mr. Parker! Mr. Churchill was not expected for another two days, and she knew his early appearance would only give pleasure to all of their party. That Mr. Parker had accompanied him again was unexpected, and Rebecca could not imagine what sort of reception he would receive – or which of them Emma would be happier to be reunited with.

  They made their way up the lane, brought their horses alongside Rebecca, and called out their friendly greetings. Mr. Parker actually dismounted, and handed the reins of his horse over to Mr. Churchill, who tipped his hat before leading both horses away toward the house. Mr. Parker watched his companion go with a curious look – it was several minutes before he finally addressed Rebecca, and as he did so, she began to perceive that he was, for the first time in all of her acquaintance with him, oddly out of spirits.

  “Well,” he said, as he tore his gaze away from Mr. Churchill. “Someone at least is pleased with this turn of events today. I was not sure we would come at all, not sure we could be spared from Sanditon, either by his keeper or mine. I speak of his aunt, Mrs. Churchill, and my friend Lady Denham. What a fine to-do it was, getting away from them – they would plague us to stay longer, despite our evident desire to be away, to be here. And then to arrive, in such a state, and such heat – it is madness to be assembled all together out of doors in such heat!”

  Rebecca did not know what to make of his ill-humor – he was an odd enough companion when he was in good cheer, but in such discontent now, he was so strange that she could scarcely form any reply. “I wonder that you chose to come at all.”

  “As do I, I am sure. We met with one of your party on the road – Miss Fairfax must be the only sensible one of the party, to be going away from it. She could not be prevailed upon to remain, not even among such happy companions as Frank assures me await us. Madness in this weather, madness!”

  “Perhaps you ought not to have left Sanditon. I cannot imagine you ever being keen to be away from your beloved home.”

  “Then you suppose wrong,” he snapped, before his expression softened. “Forgive me – I should not speak so harshly, it is only – you cannot imagine, Lady Rebecca, having not the freedom to come and go as you please – to be obliged to cater to the whims of others.”

  Rebecca arched her eyebrow at him. “I am a woman, Mr. Parker – of course I must know what that is like.”

  “Even so, you still have a greater share of independence than I. You are not at the near-constant disposal of Lady Denham – you have no idea what I suffer – what control she has over me. I am near enough the end of it; I want only a couple of months to see the completion of my improvement projects in Sanditon, for her to be placated, and then I might do as I choose.”

  Rebecca knew not what to say, for she had never imagined him to be so limited in his movements – he had certainly never appeared thus to her before. “Is Lady Denham quite a tyrant?”

  “I am sure you must not believe me,” said he. “I know you were ever suspicious of me, but you cannot know how I have suffered. Every time you have seen me, in Somerset, in London, I must have appeared quite at leisure, when really I was on some errand or other for her Ladyship. Only when I came upon you last, here in Surrey, was I truly at my own leisure, and of course Lady Denham could not allow it for long. She invented some errands for me, to call me home and reassert her authority over me, while she still could.”

  “Well, you are here now. I see no point in spoiling what pleasure is to be had in our little party, by lamenting on your previous grievances. Let us join the others; there is a little path around the hedge here, and then we should be back in the strawberry beds. We will find our friends, and then perhaps you will be in better humor.”

  Mr. Parker paced wildly. “I am sure I shall not – I cannot imagine how anyone can be in good humor in such heat!”

  “Perhaps it is because they make an effort to be agreeable,” Rebecca replied drily. “Or perhaps they do not suffer what you do with Lady Denham.”

  “Very well, I shall go with you, so long as you do not abandon me – I scarcely know what I might say, or how I might give offence. With you, I am sure I am quite safe. I have already given as much offense as I might ever do.”

  “No indeed! You may have annoyed me, at times, but you have never given me any true offense, I am sure.”

  “And yet we are never to be friends, are we?”

  Rebecca smiled to herself – she rather liked this petulant side of Mr. Parker – it was almost superior to his every attempt to be charming. At least it was honest. “Perhaps it is best,” said she, “as we make our way back, that you vent all of your displeasure to me, and once it is entirely spent, you may yet find your spirits lifted with some cold drink and the company of others. Do enlighten me, Mr. Parker, of Lady Denham’s many wrongs against you.”

  What Mr. Parker had to say on that subject was astonishing indeed. The picture he painted of Lady Denham brought to mind her Aunt Catherine, an indomitable dowager who must have everything her own way, and was constantly meddling in the lives of others. In addition to taking an eager interest in the betterment of Sanditon and the rise in its popularity, which must result in no little profitability to herself and the investors of the Parker family, Lady Denham took her position a
s the foremost person of the place as sanction to interfere in the personal lives of all her neighbors. In this she had found Mrs. Churchill, Frank’s aunt, a most formidable ally, for Mrs. Churchill was quite fixed there.

  “She was sincere,” said he, “in her desire for me to go to London and distribute some pamphlets about Sanditon, so that we might draw a sufficient amount of visitors this summer – it is to be our premier season, once the improvements are complete, and word about the place must be spread somehow. My sisters, whom you met at Cleveland, have gone to Bath on a similar errand, and Lady Denham’s nephew, Sir Edward, has done likewise in Brighton. Afterward, I was recalled to Sanditon, along with Mr. Churchill, for our compliance is required in all things, not only our Sanditon projects. Lady Denham, you see, has a niece, an heiress of considerable fortune, and in marrying her, either of us might bring that fortune to Sanditon, where Lady Denham might consider it at her own disposal.”

  “I see,” Rebecca said cautiously, walking slowly at Mr. Parker’s side as they strolled along the hedge and through the strawberry beds, in search of their friends. Her thoughts were all for Georgiana and Emma – if Lady Denham desired Mr. Parker to seek an alliance with an heiress, she could well account for his interest in those of her family whom he had taken an interest in.

  He looked earnestly at her, and saw what she must be thinking. “Such mercenary behavior completely goes against my nature. I was born to a family of considerable means, but as a second son I am the heir to nothing at all – my success has been entirely my own, and I take pride in being a self-reliant man. Indeed, there was a time when I thought to thwart all of Lady Denham’s plans for me, and marry a lady of no means whatsoever. However, until my projects in Sanditon are complete, I must bide my time, and give her Ladyship as little offense as possible.”