“I do not see the purpose of it,” Dulcie said. “There cannot be more than three or four boys in the whole village in want of such learning, and I am sure Mr Burford can easily take care of those.”
Connie nodded. “You may be right, sister, and it would be as well to think carefully before committing a great deal of expense to such a scheme. But as Mr Ambleside has already set up a similar school, we would be well advised to ask his opinion first.”
And on that point, all the ladies were agreed.
~~~~~
Amy had reached no satisfactory conclusion regarding Mr Ambleside. It was gratifying, naturally, for such a gentleman to express his admiration, however unworthy she felt herself to be, but she could not be easy about it, all the same. There was the natural daughter, a subject which made her uncomfortable to think about, especially as Papa had been so upset about it, and he should know more of such matters than she. And then there was Connie to consider. It would be a dreadful thing if she were quite in love with Mr Ambleside, and Amy were to whisk him away from under her very nose. No, that would not do at all! She could not deprive a beloved sister of her chance of happiness.
For herself, she liked Mr Ambleside very well, but she was certainly not in love with him. She was not at all sure what it would feel like, to be in love, but she recalled the housemaid who had fallen in love with the footman and had done nothing but weep in corners, and run out of the room wailing whenever she encountered him about the house. Since Amy could meet with Mr Ambleside without any urge to weep or to wail, she felt her heart was reasonably safe.
Yet when he came to call, as he so often did, she imagined she could detect a difference in his manner towards her, a softer tone and a gentleness that made her blush and stammer whenever he spoke to her. Knowing of his affection for her, and over so many years, made her composure crumble. He was so amiable, and would talk about nothing very much until her equanimity returned. Such an agreeable man! If only— But she could not settle her own state of mind at all. It was too difficult.
Grace lost no time in mentioning her plan for a school to Mr Ambleside. He entered into a discussion of the subject very readily, pointing out all the great advantages to the village of such a proposal.
“Should you like to visit my school, Miss Grace?” he said. “I should be delighted to show it to you — indeed, to all of you — and explain the features I have had installed. There is some expense to be incurred, to be sure, but it is not so great, and the benefits to the estate are such that I am satisfied Lady Sara will readily agree to the expenditure.”
Grace was happy to accept this offer. “But we will not all fit in the carriage. Only four of us may come.”
“And with your Mama from home, Miss Bellows must accompany you,” Mr Ambleside said. “But that need be no obstacle, for I have a carriage, too, which I should be delighted to place at your disposal for the day. If we invite Miss Endercott also to be of the party, then there can be not the slightest objection. I suggest that we set aside a whole day for the project, and I would be most happy to invite you all to Staynlaw House for refreshments. That way we may take as long as required to examine everything, with no need for you to rush away.”
Amy was not quite comfortable with this proposal, but Miss Bellows and Miss Endercott both agreed to it, a day was fixed upon and all was arranged.
“Is it quite proper? Do you not think we should write to Mama for her advice?” she said to Belle, as they set up their instruments for practice one day.
“Amy, how many times have you written to Mama since she went away?”
“Three — no, four times, I believe. No, I mistake, it must be five, because there was the question of whether the remains of the goose could be eaten in the servants’ hall.”
“Just so. And how many replies have you had?”
Amy sat at her harp, and scrunched up a handful of material in the skirt of her gown, eyes cast downwards. She had been worrying over this very point for some days now. “Perhaps my letters have gone astray.”
“Or perhaps Mama is too busy to attend to our domestic affairs. If Miss Bellows and Miss Endercott see no impropriety in the outing, I do not think we need be concerned. We shall be perfectly well chaperoned.”
“But I am persuaded that Papa would not have liked it.”
“Then it is a very good thing he is not here,” Belle said crisply. “I shall like it very well, and so will you, I wager.”
Amy discovered that her sister was quite right — on the appointed day, she found herself looking forward to the outing with keen anticipation. Mr Ambleside’s carriage arrived promptly at the hour set, their own was equally ready, and after no more than a few minutes of argument as to which sisters would ride in which carriage, they set off. Mr Ambleside accompanied them on horseback, to Amy’s relief, for she had been rather afraid of finding herself confined in the carriage with him. Such close quarters would have been too awkward for words! They collected Miss Endercott on the way, and then made their way to Higher Brinford.
Mr Ambleside’s school was a neat stone building, with two rooms for younger and older pupils, and accommodation at the rear and above for the schoolmaster, Mr Watson. They were introduced to him and to Miss Firth, the young lady who taught the younger children.
Mr Watson showed them every room in the house, and every appointment that could conceivably be thought of interest. Amy’s head was spinning long before they had exhausted their tour, but Grace had an endless supply of questions and so they stopped every few yards to discuss some detail in the design of a cupboard, or the type of slate to obtain, or the best hours for teaching.
Eventually, they returned to the larger of the two schoolrooms, where Miss Firth was reading aloud from the Bible to all the children, holding them enthralled in her rendering of the story of the Ark.
“I shall miss Margaret when she leaves,” Mr Watson said quietly to the sisters. “She began her education here, and is now helping me while she looks about for a post as a governess.”
Margaret — where had Amy heard the name before? At that moment, Miss Firth looked up from her reading, glancing across at the visitors, her face still animated by the story, and Amy saw such a resemblance to Mr Ambleside that she almost gasped. For an instant, she was quite overpowered. This must be his daughter! Her eyes flew at once to Mr Ambleside’s face, and saw such anxiety there that her sympathies were immediately aroused. Poor Mr Ambleside! Her heart went out to him. She gave him a smile, and was rewarded by the glimmer of a smile in return.
Eventually, even Grace ran out of questions, and they prepared to depart.
Amy made her farewell to Mr Watson, and then noticed Miss Firth standing unobtrusively out of the way. Amy held out her hand. “Good bye, Miss Firth. I wish you good fortune in your search for a post.”
Miss Firth shook her hand and curtsied composedly. As they stepped outside, Mr Ambleside smiled at Amy with such warmth that she coloured in confusion and turned her head away.
They returned to the road where the carriages waited.
“It is a pleasant day for a walk, and the distance to Staynlaw House is not great,” Mr Ambleside said with his charming smile. “Perhaps some of the Miss Allamonts would care to walk?”
“Excellent idea,” said Miss Endercott in her gruff way. “Good exercise, and it will do us good to take the air after so long indoors.”
“I have not shoes stout enough for such walking,” Hope said. “I will take the carriage.”
In the end, Hope, Grace, Dulcie and Miss Bellows set off in one of the carriages, while Amy, Belle and Connie decided to walk with Miss Endercott. Mr Ambleside left his horse in the charge of the coachmen, and walked beside them, gallantly plucking spring flowers from the hedgerow to make nosegays for the ladies and pointing out each time a bend in the road revealed a new vista of interest. It seemed to Amy that he addressed his remarks to her in particular, but perhaps that was just her fancy.
By the time they approached the gat
es to Staynlaw House, Amy and Mr Ambleside had quite outpaced the others, and stopped to allow them to catch up. The other ladies being hidden by the high hedges and walls bordering the grounds, Amy thus found herself quite alone with Mr Ambleside, for the first time since their conversation in the gardens of Allamont Hall. She blushed and hung her head, having no notion what to say.
She need not have been alarmed, for Mr Ambleside was all civility and said nothing to make her uncomfortable. “You will see, Miss Allamont, how the drive presses close upon the pasture beyond. I am determined to prevail upon Mr Deffin to sell me a portion of his land, so that I may extend the pleasure grounds here. A shrubbery, such as you have at the Hall, would be just the thing, do you not agree? Some winding paths and perhaps I may engage an architect to design me a ruined temple for the small hill at the side of the house. What do you think? Does it not sound delightful?”
“Oh yes! And a hill — there is so much to be done with a hill. A small stream, perhaps, to meander down it, with pools and rocks and bridges to cross from side to side.”
“What a charming picture! I can see it all, and you must help me design it, Miss Allamont. Ah, here is Miss Endercott now, and your sisters. The young Miss Allamont is tiring, I perceive.”
“Connie is not much of a walker. She dislikes even the walk to church, and this is further, I believe.”
“Oh, Connie, of course,” he murmured under his breath, which puzzled Amy. It was almost as if he’d forgotten Connie’s name.
Stepping forward, he said, “Miss Constance, you are finding the distance taxing, I believe. May I offer you my arm? Or should you prefer to wait in the lodge while I send for the carriage? They will hardly have unhitched the horses yet.”
She smiled up at him. “You are so kind! Thank you. I believe your arm will be sufficient.”
“I am happy to be of service to you. My drive is not long, indeed you may see the house as soon as we pass the first stand of trees. And if Miss Allamont would care to walk on my other side, we may continue our discussion. I must tell you, Miss Constance, that your sister is most knowledgeable on the matter of plants and gardens, and I am shamelessly taking advantage of her expertise to help formulate my own plans.”
In this pleasant way they walked slowly, for Connie was not fast, up the drive and soon came to the house itself. Staynlaw House was a delightful building of mellow red stone, and although it had not the character which attended older properties, with their irregularities and quaint old-fashioned charm, its very newness meant that it lacked no modern conveniences. It was well-proportioned, and furnished in the style fashionable some thirty years before, when Mr Ambleside’s father had first purchased the property.
Amy had been there many times before, and knew the house well, but this was the first time she had visited with the idea in mind that perhaps one day she might be mistress of it. Now she looked about her with new eyes, seeing everywhere a happy blend of comfort with good taste. A larger establishment, like Sir Osborne’s property at Brinford Manor, or even her own home, would be terrifying, but here all was orderly and well-managed, with servants who knew their business and could be depended upon to run the household smoothly. Yes, she could see herself living here. She could even begin to like the idea.
Mr Ambleside had arranged a cold collation to be laid out in the dining room, and the ladies ate and drank and chattered merrily until it was time to leave and the carriages were sent for. Amy spent the drive home in a pleasant glow of excitement. All her anxieties about the future were vanished, for Mr Ambleside loved her and wished to marry her! Such a charming and amiable man — would it not be delightful to be his wife, and be always with him? How happy they would be! It was almost too wonderful to contemplate.
As the carriage bounced along the lanes, if she leaned forward she could just catch a glimpse of his coat and boots as he rode alongside them. And once, he turned his head and saw her watching him, and smiled, as if he knew exactly what she was thinking. And she wasn’t embarrassed at all.
This happy state lasted until after dinner, when Miss Bellows retired early to her bed with a sick headache, leaving the sisters alone.
Dulcie cast aside the book of sermons she had been pretending to read. “Was not Mr Ambleside charming today?” she said. “And so attentive to Connie. I am certain you must all have noticed it. She must surely secure him soon.”
All Amy’s pleasure in the day was driven away. She could not say a word, feeling tears begin to prick her eyes, but Belle looked at her with sympathy.
“I am sure I saw no such thing,” she said. “Mr Ambleside’s attentions were all for Amy.”
“Nonsense!” Dulcie cried. “You are just being horrid, Belle. Anyone can see his preference for Connie.”
“I am quite sure of it,” Connie said quietly. “I cannot be mistaken.”
“But you are greatly mistaken,” Belle said crossly. “Mr Ambleside has already told Amy that he loves her and intends to offer for her as soon as it is proper. Is it not so, Amy?”
Thus appealed to, she could not deny it.
Dulcie squealed in indignation, but to Amy’s horror, Connie burst into tears. “No, no, no!” was all she could say in her distress, and then, “Oh, Amy, no, how could you!”
“Amy has done nothing,” Belle said sharply. “You have set yourself up for this disappointment, Connie, by allowing your fancy to overtake all reason.”
“But I love him!” she wailed. “How can I ever be happy again?”
10: The Contessa
Amy cried all night, and woke, red-eyed and exhausted. She could hardly see her Latin text to translate for Sir Matthew, and in the end he very kindly said, “We will stop there, Amy, for you are a little out of sorts today. You may work on the rest of this section at your own speed, and we can discuss it on Friday. Or…” He paused, with a quick glance at her. “Perhaps, Amy, you might consider whether you wish to continue our lessons, now that your sisters no longer attend. You have enough knowledge to work at the subject on your own, you know, and Miss Bellows will help.”
She could not deny it. Gradually all her sisters had drifted away from their lessons, even Belle, so that most of the time she sat in the schoolroom alone. Papa would be horrified to see the frivolous way the others now passed their days. There were whole mornings when they did nothing but sit and chatter, while pretending to work on a piece of embroidery, or else walked into the village to gossip with their acquaintance and buy ribbons to trim bonnets. Amy could not bring herself to abandon her routine entirely, although she was not quite so strict about timings now that she was spending a great deal of time in the garden, supervising the work on extending the shrubbery. But that was unexceptional, for Papa had approved of such healthful exercise.
“Oh. I beg your pardon, Sir Matthew, I am greatly inconveniencing you. That was selfish of me.”
“Not at all, not at all! I enjoy our reading very much. And today I am most happy to be out of the house, for Lady Graham has determined that the weather is suitable for beating the carpets and there is a great raising of dust everywhere. No, you must not think that I wish to end our lessons. If you are minded to continue, then I am more than ready to assist your endeavours, I do assure you.”
“In that case, if you are sure it is no trouble, I should like to continue.”
She liked Sir Matthew very much. He was a pleasant and kindly man, who never berated her for her inadequacies. She tried hard, no one could say she did not, but sometimes it was so very difficult to remember all the declensions.
After Sir Matthew had left, Amy began work on some sums for Miss Bellows. It was hard to concentrate her mind, for thoughts of Connie and Mr Ambleside would intrude, and then the tears would drip onto the page and blot the ink. At length, Amy threw down her pen, and gave way to her misery again.
Poor Connie! She had misunderstood Mr Ambleside, and convinced herself of his affection. Indeed, they had all been convinced of it, had they not? The visit to Monkswood, the flo
wers… how easy to think the attention was for Connie. How fitting, too, for Connie was so good-natured, everything that was amiable. What gentleman could fail to be drawn to her? It was perfectly natural. And Mr Ambleside had singled Connie out at Graham House, and in such a particular way! No wonder she had believed he loved her.
How dreadful to be so desperately in love, and then discover that the object of your affection, the man you believed truly loved you, had in fact bestowed his love on another. How could Amy break her beloved sister’s heart by marrying Mr Ambleside? Connie would wither away to nothing, becoming a dried-up old maid like Miss Endercott. All Amy’s pleasure in being married to such a kind man would be destroyed.
But then what of Mr Ambleside? He had set his heart on Amy, and if she refused him, that would make him unhappy! Was there no way to resolve the tangle without someone being unhappy? It was all too confusing for words. And so the tears fell.
~~~~~
Lady Sara returned after a full month in London, but the visit seemed to have done her good, for she smiled a great deal and had a rosy bloom in her cheek. Everyone complimented her on her appearance.
“She is in such looks, do you not think?” Amy confided in Belle. “She was too pale before — quite overcome with grief. But I do believe she is beginning to miss poor Papa a little less.”
“Oh indeed,” Belle said. “I think we can agree that she is over the worst of her grief. She is very much in spirits just now. Whatever she has been doing in London, it has agreed with her.”
“She has done nothing but visit the warehouses,” Amy protested, “for look how many bales of material she has brought back. I do not see how that would agree with her. I should have been quite worn out, I declare. And poor mama could not have gone out at all, or attended the opera or anything interesting. I daresay it is just the change of air, and the pleasure of seeing Aunt Tilly after so long.”
“Yes, that must be it,” murmured Belle.
But Lady Sara’s revived looks were soon cast aside as a subject for conversation in favour of an even more interesting one. Mr Ambleside, it appeared, had received a visitor he had met during his sojourn in the north.
Amy (The Daughters of Allamont Hall Book 1) Page 9
