An Inconvenient Companion

by Audrey Harrison

  Chapter 23

  Martha and Charles arrived to a household that was busy with wedding preparations. Martha’s mother was even asserting herself and leaving her bedroom, something that she had not done for years. The two youngest boys would not be attending the wedding as they were at sea, but Susan was delighted that her sister had joined the party.

  The two sisters slept in the room they had shared since Susan had left the cradle. Martha resumed her duty of brushing out her sister’s hair when they retired to bed.

  “Your gentleman seems a pleasant man,” Martha said, finally glad to be able to speak to her sister alone.

  “He is lovely,” Susan sighed. “We aren’t going to have riches, but I’m sure we are going to be happy.”

  Martha smiled at her sister, it was obvious that both parties adored each other, they barely looked at anyone else when in each other’s company. Martha had only spoken to Mr Horan, her future brother, but he seemed a steady young man. “You don’t need riches to be happy, but surely you will be comfortable?” She asked.

  “Oh yes,” Susan assured her. “Robert is the third son, but his uncle has a title and has promised him a living. He will be a fine clergyman. We hope that one day there may be the opportunity for more than one living, but we are happy to wait.”

  Martha smiled, Susan was romantic about the whole situation. They might not be so patient if the living was small, but she was not going to spoil her sister’s happiness by being the voice of reality. “I’m sure you will be very content and I hope Mr Horan soon receives another living.”

  “It doesn’t matter, I am used to living on virtually nothing,” Susan said, with what sounded like a little bitterness. “At least by marrying, I won’t need to hand over most of my earnings to Thomas. I don’t know how you have done it all these years!”

  “Susan!” Martha said shocked. “We are a family, we all need to contribute,” she chided her sister.

  “Be honest Martha,” Susan said, turning to her sister. “Don’t you think that Thomas has become a little too accustomed to everyone contributing to his income? Yes, mother costs him sometimes when she needs medication, but she has no other expenses, she never leaves the house and buys no clothing. With the dowry that Alice brought to the marriage and the little income that the land brings, he should not be asking for so much from us.”

  “It is sometimes difficult, to send so much” Martha acknowledged, remembering how desperate she felt at Thomas’s request for her savings.

  “Difficult? It has been downright impossible!” Susan exploded. “What is going to happen when we all marry? What will Thomas do then?”

  “I don’t know,” Martha responded, admitting to herself that it was something that she had not considered. There might be no hope that she would marry, but it was highly likely that her brothers would.

  “He’s changed Martha, you will see for yourself,” Susan said.

  Martha was to find that Susan was correct, her amiable brother had changed substantially in the years since she had seen him. He constantly spoke about money, no matter who the audience was, something that mortified Martha when Charles was in earshot. Thomas reminded them incessantly of what burdens he had, and of how he had been held back by the actions of their father. By the end of the second day, Martha was ready to scream at him about them all being affected, but she held her counsel. No one would appreciate her spoiling Susan’s day, so she gritted her teeth and tried to nod sympathetically.

  Susan’s wedding day arrived, bright and clear. Martha dressed carefully in a gown, which although it was not her best, (that still being at Dunham House), was acceptable for the occasion. It was a deep peach that was edged in white lace. The colour suited her, it made her look more olive skinned, whereas the same colour may have drained other complexions. The lace added to the dress’ elegance, rather than adding edging for the sake of it. Susan had insisted on dressing Martha’s hair, making it into a softer style than the practical one she usually wore.

  Martha followed the bride down the aisle, acting as a maid of honour. Susan had dressed in a cream gown, with lilac flowers. Charles stood in one of the pews with the other guests, but if questioned could not have described the bride’s apparel. He was too busy staring at the maid of honour, to notice anything else.

  Martha glowed as she walked down the aisle. She looked younger and softer than she did in her work dresses, with a tight bun on the top of her head. Although Charles had always thought her striking, he thought she was stunning as she smiled at him, when she caught his eye. She blushed a little, which made something inside of him curl. He wanted to jump over the pews and push the bride and groom out of the way, forcing the clergyman to marry the two of them instead. How he wished at that moment, in addition to many others, that she had taken his proposal in the spirit he had offered it.

  The wedding breakfast went off without a hitch and the bride and groom took their leave. They were to take a short break in Wales before moving in to their vicarage. The guests waved off the carriage, before returning to the house.

  Martha noticed that her mother was no longer looking as well as she had done throughout the morning and approached her. “Mama, do you need to rest?” she asked gently, in order not to bring any attention to them both.

  “I need to return to my bed chamber, I can feel the start of something coming on.” came the pained voice that Martha was familiar with.

  “Perhaps it will not take hold,” Martha said, trying to be positive and rouse her parent from accepting that she was heading into a decline. “You have looked so well these last few days.”

  “I did not want to worry Susan,” came the self-pitying reply. “I need to see the apothecary, I need some medication. Can you ask Thomas to send for him? Mr Wood always knows what I need.”

  Martha assured her mother that she would ask her brother to send for the apothecary and helped her into bed. She suspected that being an invalid was now more of a habit than anything else, because she had looked so healthy during the run up to the wedding and been as involved as any of them had been. Martha was not sure of what the solution was, but approached the drawing room to speak to her brother with trepidation.

  The guests had left by the time Martha returned. Thomas was sitting with his wife, Alice, eating some of the fancies that were left over from the breakfast. Martha cleared her throat.

  “Thomas, mother is asking for the apothecary to be sent for.” she started.

  “She usually wants him after exerting herself.” Alice said with a sigh.

  “I’m sure there is still some medication left from last time, ask her maid to give her that,” Thomas said with a dismissive wave of his hand. “She will soon stop asking for him.”

  “How often does he visit?” Martha asked.

  “I’ve started just requesting the medication, it’s cheaper that way,” Thomas responded. “Which brings me on to your contributions,” he said, looking at Martha.

  “What about them?” Martha asked stiffly. She had to admit to understanding Susan’s bitterness when looking at the standard of living that Thomas and Alice shared. Even taking into account the burden of their mother on their finances, they lived very well.

  “Susan is refusing to pay any more towards the upkeep of her home.” Thomas said with disgust.

  “She is married now!” Martha exclaimed. “This is no longer her home and she can hardly ask her husband to support this house, when they will have very little to live on themselves.” Martha was astounded that her brother would even contemplate such a thing. Susan had been correct, he had changed beyond all recognition. Where was the brother who was concerned about condemning his sisters to a life in service? It was as if he had never existed, when looking at the man sat before her.

  “There are only the two of them, they can live very cheaply.” Thomas snapped.

  “And there are only the three of you,” Martha snapped back. “And I seem to recall that Alice brought with her a dowry, while Susan has not had
that benefit.”

  “Anyway, we are digressing,” Thomas said, with yet another dismissive wave of his hand. A habit that Martha was beginning to detest. “Because of Susan’s refusal to continue to support us, I shall need you to increase your contributions.” he said without a flicker of embarrassment or shame.

  Martha stared at her brother in disbelief. “You cannot be serious, surely?”

  “Why not? We need a certain level of income. You are earning, therefore you need to provide more.” Thomas said, choosing another fancy. He was acting as it was as if his request was perfectly reasonable.

  “Thomas I cannot afford any more money.” Martha said, quietly, but firmly.

  “You must,” Thomas insisted. “Why can you not afford it? What else has a woman like you to spend her money on?”

  Martha looked at her brother, tears springing to her eyes. She should be stronger than to have such an extreme reaction to an unkind remark, but whether it was because she had been involved in a wedding, or whether part of her recognised herself all too clearly in Thomas’s words, she did not know. Her instinct was to flee the room and never see her brother again, but of course she could not act so hysterically. So, she sat, trying to fight the overwhelming sadness that threatened to drown her that Thomas’s words had caused.

  Just as she was about to try and respond to the question, she heard a noise from the door and turned to see Charles walking into the room, with a look of anger on his face the likes she had never seen before.

  Charles strode over to Thomas and punched him squarely on the jaw before the other man knew what was happening, let alone what had hit him. Sugar fancies and china plates scattered across the room, as Thomas fell backwards, kicking the occasional table with his feet, as they left the floor.

  “Don’t you ever speak to your sister, the one who has stood by you more than any other person would ever have done, in such a way again. The next time I hear anything like that uttered from your mouth, it won’t just be one punch I issue. Do I make myself clear?” Charles snarled at Thomas, standing over him, like an animal ready to pounce. Anger was pulsing from his body as he waited for Thomas’s response. “Well? Are you only brave in front of someone who is more disadvantaged than you are? I would hate to see how you treat your tenants, you are nothing but a coward, living off the spoils of others.”

  “Charles!” Martha exclaimed, her heart was pounding at the sight of Charles coming to her defence in such a way, but she automatically tried to defend her brother.

  “He has used you for the last time Martha.” Charles said, without looking at her. He was focused too closely on her brother, almost willing him to say the wrong thing again.

  Thomas looked at the man stood over him, while he rubbed his jaw. Charles had guessed right in that Thomas was a coward, but he was in his own house, which gave him some confidence, as all the staff would do as he bid. He struggled to stand, but then tried to square up to Charles, the action did not quite work, as Charles was athletic, trim and fuelled by righteous anger, whilst Thomas was rotund, smaller and not quite able to look at the indignant man with conviction.

  “How dare you come into my home and attack me like this!” He spat at Charles. “I will be sending for the magistrate unless you leave immediately.”

  “I am leaving, not because of your threat, but because I cannot stand to be in the company of such a parasite,” Charles hissed, his face going close to Thomas’s, causing the smaller man to take a step backwards. “I imagine that if your accounts were examined, we would find one of two things. That either you are a man overspending at every opportunity, or even worse, you have a substantial nest egg that has been obtained by draining your sibling’s resources.”

  Martha could not believe Charles’s audacity, and was just about to step in and stop the situation from deteriorating further when she saw Thomas colour at the second accusation and she suddenly felt very, very sick.

  Charles had also noticed the change in Thomas. “So, you have been taking money off them at every opportunity and feathering your own nest? You are worse than I thought.” Charles stepped back shaking his head, he did not want to touch the man before him again. The thought of what worry and hardship he had caused Martha was making him want to forego all reason and find something to pummel the man until he could do no more harm.

  “Thomas?” Martha asked, finally able to speak without tasting the bile that had threatened to rise at the realisation of what her brother had done.

  “What?” Thomas snapped. “Oh, I see you looking at me as if I’m in the wrong! Well before you condemn me, just think what I have had to put up with all these years.”

  “I know selling the land and making the remainder profitable must have been hard,” Martha acknowledged, always fair. “But surely, once you started to make a profit, we could have stopped our contributions?”

  “Oh yes, you would have all liked that wouldn’t you?” Thomas snarled. “Leave me here to look after Mother and you all go off into the world without a care in the world! Do you know what it’s like living here with her? ‘Oh, I need this, oh, I need that, more medicine, Thomas!’ Day in, day out, it’s enough to drive anyone insane!”

  Martha stared at her brother in disbelief. She no longer knew the man before her and more importantly, no longer wanted to know him. “I cannot believe that you have said that we have gone off without a care in the world! Do you have any idea what it is like being in service Thomas? Getting up day after day, knowing that the only time it will end is when you are too old to do it anymore, and hoping against hope that your employer will offer some cottage or room that you can afford to rent until the end. Do you know how insecure that future is Thomas?”

  “It all sounds very dramatic,” Thomas responded with derision.

  Martha had seen Charles move, but placed her hand on his arm, this was her argument. “It is uneventful, rather than dramatic Thomas, I suggest you take some of my hard earned money that you have stashed away and take yourself off to the theatre, in order to experience real drama. I shall take my leave from you and shall not be returning. I suggest you also use your nest egg to pay for mother’s medication in the future, as there will be no other communication from me, monetary or other.”

  “You have responsibilities here, you can’t stop sending money.” Thomas demanded, refusing to admit defeat.

  “I can and I will,” Martha said, standing. “I have given more than enough, including my retirement money, and you will not receive another farthing from me, Thomas! I shall also be writing to our brothers and informing them of what I am doing. I wouldn’t want you writing to them and accusing me of falsehoods, now would I?”

  Thomas lunged at his sister, the thought of losing all the income from all of his siblings too much to bear. Before he reached Martha, he was knocked out of the way by Charles, who bodily charged him.

  “If you ever try to lay a finger on your sister again, I will kill you, do I make myself clear?” Charles snarled at Thomas.

  “Get out!” Thomas hissed, once again on the floor in his own drawing room.

  “Don’t worry, we are going, I dislike the company in this part of the world,” Charles said, offering his arm to Martha.

  They walked through the door and Charles closed it firmly behind him. He gave orders for their bags to be packed immediately and for the carriage to be brought around. Martha did not say a word, but Charles could feel her trembling against his arm. She attempted to remove her hand from him, her sense of propriety overriding her need to feel his strength, but he placed his hand over hers, holding it firmly, but gently on his arm.

  Charles and Martha remained in the hallway until the carriage was brought round and then they alighted. Martha had made no further attempt to be separated from Charles, not even to take leave of her mother. She had felt that if she left the warmth of Charles’s hand, she would collapse in a heap and not have the strength to ever stand again. She had only tried to remove her hand because she felt that she ought
to do so, but the relief that had washed over her when he placed his hand over hers had almost overwhelmed her, finding that she was grateful for his support.

  The carriage finally set off, Martha did not look back at her home. She sat stiffly, looking forward, not really seeing anything and trying to stop herself from feeling as if she was rudderless and adrift.

  Chapter 24

  Charles let Martha be during the day, he realised what a shock Thomas’s revelation and behaviour had been. He had rarely felt so angry, he had wanted to inflict real harm on Thomas from the moment he had heard his callous words. He should not have listened at the doorway, he had not intended doing so, but he had instantly wanted to support Martha and could not walk away. When Thomas’s words had demeaned Martha in such a way, he had acted without thinking, wanting to inflict pain on the person who had caused pain to the one he cared about.

  He cursed himself silently. Martha would probably take him to task when she thought about what he had done. He had acted like a possessive child, but that was how she made him feel, not so much like the child, but far too possessive for his own comfort. He knew that he had no right to those feelings and that she would not welcome his interference, but he could not have stood by and seen her hurt, without doing something. Perhaps knocking her brother to the ground twice was not the best thing to have done though. She would never consider him a gentleman.

  They travelled in almost total silence, only communicating when it was necessary. Martha felt drained, but having Charles with her was comforting. He did not demand any explanations and she was grateful for his tact.

  They eventually stopped at an inn for the evening and after eating a small meal, Martha retired to her bed chamber. She was not sure if she would sleep, but she needed to be alone. She had intended writing to her brothers, but sat in front of a small table, with paper and quill, but unable to write the words.