“Here you see the frame and walls limit one's vision of the scene, whilst stepping outdoors, to see it as a whole, surrounding one, immediately enhances the prospect.”
So saying, she took Jessica by the hand and moved to the door that led out into the garden, and it required no further explanation, for there before them was the entire panorama of Colley Dale cradled by the rising hills, a lovely vista that had not been visible from the window.
Jessica listened, fascinated, and agreed that yes, she did really understand better now and was positively excited by the prospect of further conversations along these lines. But it was growing late, and she had to be back at Pemberley before dark.
When she made to leave, both Mrs O'Hare and Kathryn seemed reluctant to let her walk home alone across the common, especially as the sky had clouded over and the evening was drawing in.
Fortuitously, as they were thinking of sending for the carriage, a young gentleman arrived in a hired vehicle and alighted outside the gate. It was Kathryn's brother Stephen, back earlier than expected from Birmingham.
Jessica knew him slightly, having met him at one or two functions in the neighbourhood, and he greeted her cordially. When appealed to by his sister, he was happy to oblige, which meant that both Stephen and Kathryn O'Hare accompanied Jessica as she made her way home, insisting on seeing her safely into the park and within sight of Pemberley House, before turning back.
It was almost dark, and Jessica was grateful for their company. When they parted, she thanked them both and arranged to meet with Kathryn on the following Tuesday, at the library, from where they could proceed to the Pemberley Parish school. It was a meeting both ladies seemed to anticipate with a great deal of pleasure.
For Jessica, holding the copy of Mr Darwin's famous work, it was the beginning of an entirely new and promising friendship.
She knew no other woman like Miss Kathryn O'Hare. Not even her aunt Caroline, whose grasp of matters political and commercial was quite remarkable, could compare in poise and erudition with Miss O'Hare.
The following Tuesday turned out to be not as pleasant a day as one might have wished for in the middle of Summer. Following a week of fine, warm weather, the temperature fell, and though there was as yet no rain, the sun seemed decidedly reluctant to appear and grey clouds hung low over the distant peaks, when Miss O'Hare and her young sister Elena arrived at the library.
Jessica noted that Kathryn was well prepared for inclement weather, being armed with a large umbrella. She was relieved to hear that Elena intended to spend the next hour at the library, before returning home, while her sister accompanied Jessica to the school. She had hoped to enter into a serious conversation with Miss O'Hare and the presence of young Elena may well have interfered with her plans.
Following a quick tour of the library, which Kathryn agreed was very well stocked and organised, they left together to walk the short distance through the park to the parish school at Pemberley.
Arriving at the school, they found everything in readiness for their visit.
Mr Hurst had been forewarned and urged to ensure that Kathryn had an opportunity to see the students at work.
They were duly busy at their lessons, and Mr Hurst was at pains to assure their guest that they were both keen to learn and generally well behaved. She appeared impressed and asked many questions about the work the children did and the way their lessons were planned.
So genuine did her interest seem that Jessica began to believe there was a good chance Kathryn would be interested in a position at the school, if an offer was made. She was, however, unwilling to take the plunge and introduce the subject, until she had consulted Mr Darcy. She wished now that she had arranged for Miss O'Hare to visit Pemberley House as well.
As often happens in these matters, the weather intervened to bring about an unforeseen resolution to the problem. Having spent the best part of an hour at the school, they were about to leave when a cloudburst brought a drenching shower of rain that made it quite impossible for them to return to the library through the park. It was not only very damp underfoot, a stiff breeze blowing from the hills meant it was a lot colder than before.
Waiting until the rain had eased, Jessica suggested that they try to reach Pemberley House, where there would be a welcome cup of tea and the possibility that a carriage would be available to convey Kathryn to Colley Dale. The prospect certainly appealed, and both ladies agreed it was the best thing to do. Setting out under a shared umbrella to walk the short distance, they arrived well before the next downpour.
The housekeeper at Pemberley was surprised to see them, but that did not prevent her producing a repast of tea, cake, and fruit, which she sent into the sitting room, where the fire was stoked up to a lively blaze.
Later Mr and Mrs Darcy joined them, and to Jessica's delight, Miss O'Hare seemed quite at ease, not in the least intimidated by her distinguished host and hostess. Kathryn had heard a great deal about the Darcys and even more about Pemberley. Her mother had spoken with great respect and admiration of the elegant Mrs Darcy and the wealth and influence of her husband.
Determined not to be daunted by these accounts, Kathryn had been prepared for a somewhat more formal reception than she received.
Both Mr and Mrs Darcy were friendly and welcoming.
She noted that Mr Darcy had remained a most distinguished-looking man despite his years, while his wife had lost none of the lively wit and enthusiasm for which she was renowned. There was between them, Kathryn thought, the kind of understanding and warmth that one saw only in couples whose love and esteem for one another had survived the familiarity of a long marriage.
The Darcys too appeared ready to be impressed by their unexpected guest.
She had admired the beauty of the park and the elegance of their home, without resorting to effusive praise or flattery. A short tour of the rooms downstairs, followed by an invitation from Elizabeth to call again and visit the library and picture gallery, was to Jessica a clear sign that Kathryn had made a favourable impression upon Mrs Darcy.
Jessica was very pleased.
During tea, a general discussion about the parish school led to questions from Mrs Darcy about Kathryn's sojourn in Europe and one from Mr Darcy about her present preoccupation.
“Do you maintain a continuing interest in teaching, Miss O'Hare, or have you decided you have spent enough time in the profession?” he asked, and Jessica, meeting his eye, clearly understood the point of his question.
Kathryn was quick to declare that she was still committed to educating the young, but had needed to take a rest after a couple of difficult and tiring years.
“You found teaching at the convent exhausting?” Elizabeth asked.
“Oh no,” replied Kathryn, with a light laugh, “the orphans at the convent school were no trouble at all; in fact, they were absolute angels. No, it was my work at Lindfield Towers I found far more arduous. I was governess to the three children of Lord and Lady Denny, and I regret to say they were the most intractable charges I have ever had to teach. Her Ladyship was keen they should study literature, history, drawing, and music, but none of the children wanted to learn anything at all. Try as I might, I could not interest them in study; they preferred to believe that continued ignorance was a blissful state! Camilla, the youngest, was not so great a problem, except she was easily led and would be drawn into every prank the older pair devised. My efforts to teach them were so wholly unsuccessful, when at last I decided to leave, I felt a great sense of relief.”
Elizabeth appeared to sympathise.
“It must have been very frustrating for you,” she said, and Mr Darcy concurred, “There cannot have been much satisfaction in it, if the children were so difficult. Were not their parents aware of the problem?”
Kathryn did not wish to criticise her former employers directly.
“I believe they were, but then Lord Denny was often away on business or at Westminster, while Lady Denny was frequently indisposed and had neither t
he time nor the inclination to discipline the children. Not, I must say, that it would have made a great deal of difference. I knew that no matter how much effort I put into teaching them, they had decided they did not wish to learn.”
“Which is a pity, because they will most likely grow into stubborn and ignorant adults; hardly a good example to the rest of the populace, especially as the eldest probably expects to sit in the House of Lords one day!” said Mr Darcy, and at this everybody laughed.
Then Elizabeth asked, “And when you decided to leave Lindfield, did you give them a reason?”
Kathryn smiled and cast her eyes down for a moment.
“I did, but it was not the right one. I did write a long letter once, about the children's problems, but I tore it up. My courage deserted me, and I told them my father's condition had worsened and my mother needed me at home, which wasn't untrue. They knew already about his accident, so it served my purpose to exaggerate it a little. I'm sorry, but I had to get away; I could not go on much longer.”
Listening, Jessica felt enormous sympathy and admiration for her new friend. Clearly an educated and intelligent young woman, Kathryn must have endured a good deal of discomfiture, she reckoned, yet she had not lost her interest in teaching. To Jessica, this demonstrated great strength of character and purpose.
Then Elizabeth asked a further question, “Was that the only reason you wished to give up your position at Lindfield Towers?”
Kathryn looked a little surprised at the question, but answered promptly, “No, but it was the chief reason, Mrs Darcy. I had studied to be a teacher and I wasn't enjoying it, nor was I doing any good. But I will admit that I wished also to emancipate myself from the boredom of life at Lindfield. Neither my employers nor any of their visitors appeared to have any interest in life, beyond the most superficial. No one reads or sings or plays an instrument with any enthusiasm. Everyone eats, drinks a great deal more than is good for them, gossips and plays cards, or sleeps! It was a dull life, and I had long wearied of its sameness.”
A wry smile crossed Mr Darcy's face at the candid picture. He recalled his cousin Colonel Fitzwilliam complaining about similar evenings at Rosings, over which their aunt Lady Catherine de Bourgh presided in days gone by.
However, he kept his counsel and asked, “And would you wish to teach again, in a school perhaps?”
Kathryn's eye's brightened. “I certainly would, should the opportunity arise, but I am not hopeful. There are not too many schools requiring teachers in this part of the country, and those that do expect one to live in. I am committed now to looking for work I can do while living at home for a while at least; I have been away too long, my mother and sister need me. My mother in particular has grown very tired these last few years attending upon my father since his accident, and I think I have a duty to do my share.”
Elizabeth smiled approvingly.
Jessica met Mr Darcy's eyes and read his mind directly. She decided it was time to ask the all-important question. “Miss O'Hare, would you consider teaching at our parish school?” she asked tentatively.
As Kathryn turned to answer, a smile lit up her face. “Would I? If there were a position available, I most certainly would. May I ask if there is such a prospect?” She sounded keen and interested.
Jessica looked again at Mr and Mrs Darcy, and this time, drawing courage from their apparent approval, as evidenced by their smiles, she said, “Well, we have been considering the appointment of a lady, who will teach the older girls. Mr Hurst, who joined us some months ago, teaches Maths and History; we wondered if the second position teaching Language and Art may be of interest to you.”
“Thank you, it certainly would, and I should like very much to try,” said Kathryn, and Jessica, delighted by her response, immediately suggested that they could meet again at the school to discuss details of work hours and remuneration. Kathryn appeared pleased to agree, and with the tacit approval of Mr Darcy, matters were soon set in train.
Jessica, who was fascinated by her new acquaintance, was keen to have the consent of Mr and Mrs Darcy, and it seemed to her that, at least on the question of teaching at the parish school, Miss O'Hare's credentials were quite acceptable to them.
Later, a carriage was summoned to convey Kathryn to Colley Dale, and the Darcys, returning to the sitting room, took up the subject again.
Mr Darcy, obviously pleased, turned to Jessica. “Congratulations, Jessica, that was very well done.”
“Do you believe she will suit?” Elizabeth asked, and Mr Darcy had no doubt at all.
“Miss O'Hare seems both well qualified and keen, two essential attributes for a successful teacher. I am confident we shall find her quite satisfactory. But, I am certain also that Jessica will ensure her certificates and references are all in order. Thus far, she has done very well indeed, I think.”
Jessica smiled and thanked him, assuring them that she would do all that was necessary. She was pleased indeed to have the blessing of Mr Darcy for her plan, but was impatient to be gone to her room.
Time was when she would have wanted nothing more than the approbation of Elizabeth and Mr Darcy; now she could not rest until all her thoughts had been set down and despatched to be read by Julian.
I know you will be pleased to hear that I have been making a new and very interesting acquaintance. She is a Miss Kathryn O'Hare, who has returned to live with her parents at Colley Dale after several years away. Miss O'Hare is a most elegant and charming person. In addition, she is also highly educated and has agreed to teach at the parish school. It is most wonderful news for our school and I cannot find words to tell you how delighted I am… she wrote, her pen racing to keep up with her mind, as she thought how much she wanted to have him understand her hopes and aspirations.
When she was satisfied that she had told him everything he needed to know about Miss O'Hare, she paused awhile, thinking of another matter she wished to mention in her letter.
While I know neither of us would indulge in idle gossip, I believe you will enjoy the information that I am about to relate, for it is certainly not malicious rumour.
Our cousin David Fitzwilliam is in love, and the lady, coincidentally, is also a teacher—or aspires to be one and is working to this end. I had best not detail her family name and circumstances, lest this letter should be mislaid and fall into other hands, but I can tell you that Lucy is exceedingly pretty, well read, and accomplished, and David declares she has the disposition of an angel. There, is that not sufficient evidence that he is in love with the lady?
David has not, as yet, told his parents, but I believe his sister Isabella, in whom he has confided, approves of the match.
Suddenly aware that she had filled a paragraph or more on the subject of David's romance, she apologized:
Dear Julian, forgive me if I seem to have run on about it, but I am at this time so very happy, that I seem to want everyone around me to be filled with feelings of delight as I am. Needless to say, I wish my dear cousin David every success with his Lucinda. If they could achieve but half our felicity, they will be happy indeed.
It was unlikely that Julian Darcy, on receiving such an explanation, would censure her for any previous shortcomings in her letter.
Having spent many of the years of his short, troubled marriage to Josie Tate, trying to persuade his wife of the worth of his affection for her and feeling, at its tragic end, that he had failed, Julian was discovering with Jessica the delights of shared love. Her letters conveyed a warmth and generosity of feeling that was entirely new to him and acted like an elixir upon his sense of self worth.
While there was much he wished to say and had perforce, to leave unsaid in his letters to her, there was by now, no doubt in his mind of the absolute rightness of his decision.
On his return to England, he would ask her to marry him, and they would announce their engagement to their families.
END OF PART TWO
THE REFUSAL OF MR Disraeli to call an early election, despite being thwa
rted in the Commons, had consequences well beyond Whitehall and Westminster. There had been considerable agitation from organisations like the Reform League, which irritated the government, and Disraeli had vowed to produce a bill that would “destroy the agitators and extinguish Gladstone and Co.”
To this end, he adopted a series of tactical measures, which stalled the entire process in the Parliament.
For Darcy Gardiner, who had come up to Westminster to help his friend Colin Elliott, MP, campaign for the anticipated election, it meant idleness and frustration. Mr Gladstone, to whose cause he was wholly committed, appeared not to mind the delay, being bent on developing an issue upon which he could unite his party. But for Darcy it was a singularly boring business, and after four weeks, when it was plain that Disraeli was going to tough it out, he returned to Derbyshire for the rest of the year.
He was warmly welcomed by his parents, friends, and grandparents, all of whom had missed him. Likewise, the tenants of the Pemberley estate had wished for the return of the energetic and amiable young man, whose capable management of their affairs had brought a high degree of prosperity and contentment to the community. For himself, Darcy, who had become bored and impatient awaiting political developments in London, found he was enjoying his return to Pemberley more than he had expected. The need to find solutions to the problems on the estate and the knowledge that his grandfather relied upon his judgment provided a very special satisfaction, well beyond the somewhat ephemeral excitement of politics as it was being played.
It was on the third day after his return that Darcy, having spent the morning visiting some of the tenants whose concerns were thought to be most urgent, was returning to Pemberley House shortly before midday.
It was a particularly fine, mild morning, and he, having handed the reins of his horse over to a stable hand, took the path across from the stables into the park. As he emerged from the grove of trees to the right of the drive, he glimpsed an unusual flash of colour and, moments later, encountered a young woman, attired in an ensemble of fine lilac linen and matching hat, standing in the drive, apparently in a state of some bewilderment.
Postscript from Pemberley Page 11
