The Spurned Sister: A Regency Romance Novella

by Gloria Masters

  The three women felt rather a sense of excitement as they made the necessary arrangements and sent out advertisements and prospectuses for their school. They made all their friends, family connections, and acquaintances know about their plans and the fact that they were offering their instruction and guidance to the daughters of respectable families.

  It took much less time than they anticipated, far less time, to receive letters from hopeful parents. Mamas and papas were eager to have their delicate daughters educated by the popular Mrs. Hayward and her beautiful and refined daughters, all three women having been continually admired for their manners and address.

  The first pupil that they ’attempted to secure was a young girl called Mary Walter. She was the niece of a lifelong friend of Mrs. Hayward. Mrs. Hayward wrote to Mrs. Walter, explaining her and her daughter’s’ plans and what they could offer to Mary with regard to her education. Days went by in anticipation, but eventually, a letter arrived. And it was good news! The best, in the circumstances. Mary Walter would be arriving in two weeks to be a boarder and pupil at their school.

  Thirteen years old and quite shy, Mary had been met by Mrs. Hayward and her daughters on only one or two occasions. On the day that the young girl arrived, the Haywards were eager to ensure that she would feel welcome and would be pleasantly distracted from feelings of homesickness. With the strictures on their budget they had endured since Mr. Hayward’s death, they had been forced to turn away some of the servants and were now left with only two young maids (only one of whom lived with them) and a cook.

  They, therefore, ventured into the kitchen to tell the cook exactly what they had in mind for the welcome of their new pupil. Letitia and Jane promised that when more pupils arrived and the cooking was too much for just one person, they would lend a hand. The cook was very grateful that two such genteel young ladies were willing to work in this way. Such was their goodness and devotion to their mother and home.

  4

  Mary Walter arrived and her welcome proceeded very smoothly. She was a very shy girl with pretty light brown hair and green eyes, as Letitia remembered. Mary seemed heartened by the delicious, hot food and drink with which she was greeted after her journey. Her mother was with her, too. She chatted for a while with her old friend, Mrs. Hayward, and Letitia and Jane, and then left soon after that. She wanted to give her daughter the chance to settle in and feel comfortable in her new school.

  Letitia was the one to bring Mary to her new room. The young girl was delighted with what she saw. The care taken with the chamber’s decoration and comfort amply demonstrated Letitia’s kindness and consideration for other people. For it was she alone who decided what should be done and directed the arrangements. Jane had been busy helping with some of the many other tasks to be done.

  The new pupil’s room had been newly painted in a delicate hue, and the bed was adorned with simple yet luxuriously soft dressings. There was a cherry-wood dresser, one taken from Letitia’s own room on her direction. How worried and lonely Mary would be, she thought, being away from home for the first time! Letitia herself had been wholly educated by a governess and various masters. She had never been away to a school, and she wanted to be sure that she took all of the girl’s needs into consideration.

  “Thank you ever so much, Miss Hayward!” the girl exclaimed. “You are all so kind. This is even pleasanter than my own chamber at home!”

  Letitia and Jane were clever and quick, and it was very well that they were, as they were now teachers! As can be imagined, this was a situation that they had never expected to encounter. And it must be said, as diligently as they tried to stay cheerful for their mother’s sake and their own, they were often forced to contend with dejected feelings.

  As genteel young ladies from a distinguished family, they had been raised to believe that having to work for money in any capacity, even in an occupation as intrinsically noble as teaching, was a degradation. There could be no doubt: the other young ladies and young gentlemen with whom they had whiled away many pleasant hours during the balls of the London season would now see them in a very different light. They were no longer truly respectable and eligible young ladies. No, they were teachers in a school. This was a fate they had heard others speak of as a terrible one to be avoided at all costs. But avoid it, they could not.

  The weeks passed and two other pupils were found, Anne Fortesque and Margaret Nelson. These 14-year-old girls were from families of distant cousins. Mrs. Hayward and her daughters were feeling and appreciating, more than ever before, the benefit of wealthy and distinguished family connections. But three pupils, of course, would not be enough.

  More effort and advertising were needed, and Mrs. Hayward redoubled her efforts to spread the word in a way as genteel and discreet as possible. She was forced to ignore the subtle looks and comments that made her ashamed. Even friends in the neighborhood that she had treasured for many years suddenly cooled in their manner and seemed distinctly less eager to invite her to social engagements. The poor lady never imagined that people could be so duplicitous. She had always had her daughters’ joyful view of the world. This experience had made her surroundings appear distinctly less friendly.

  5

  The months passed, and the ladies’ little school grew not only in the number of pupils but also in the expertise and confidence of its teachers and headmistress. There were now seven pupils, all sweet and tractable girls. The Hayward ladies had heard terrible stories of governesses’ worn to their bones by the efforts to control uncontrollable children, and they certainly felt their fortune of good-natured students.

  And had Letitia entirely forgotten Robert? Had the difficulties and cares of the school forced him from her mind? While it was true that the necessity of being fully occupied had indeed prevented her from dwelling too much on her misery in love, she still fully recalled the pain and confusion of her rejection.

  It was unfortunate, given her circumstances, that Letitia was a romantic. The shock of how badly Robert had treated her had removed a bit of the luster from her beliefs about the love and constancy of young men, but she hadn’t been able to persuade herself to give up all hope. Not hope of Robert, though. No, that young man was already married to the young heiress he chose instead of her. The hope that she, as yet, couldn’t help but still treasure was that of someone truly loving her in the future. She knew that Robert had never truly loved her, for if he had, he would not have so readily and casually cast her aside.

  But she felt it was foolish to treasure this hope. It was true that she was still a member of a distinguished family and the daughter of a highly respected father, but nothing could change the fact that she was now a schoolteacher. A schoolteacher, she knew, was almost always seen as a confirmed spinster. And confirmed spinsters, especially ones forced to work, were almost always socially invisible. It felt dreadfully selfish of her to dwell on this, as she was also eager to help her family. She, Jane, and her mother seemed destined to fade into obscurity.

  She was still very young and extremely beautiful, but she could not think of anything that could possibly happen over the coming years to change her situation. How could she go to balls? Who would even ask her to dance if she did? She would be someone to ignore, the insignificant schoolteacher in the corner. It made her feel dreadfully weak, but she did shed a few tears when she thought of this. Nevertheless, she knew she must resign herself to her fate and work as hard as she could. She had a duty not only to herself but also to her mother and sister to keep up a cheerful mind and make the best of things. And this is what she did to the best of her ability.

  Soon after they welcomed their first student, Letitia had begun talking a walk on the grounds of the house in the early morning, before lessons started. She loved her ancestral home’s lovely manicured gardens, with neatly trimmed hedges excellent for providing pleasant solitude during moments of contemplation. It was during one of these morning walks that Letitia was startled out of her revelry by the voice of her sister.

>   “Letitia, where are you?” she heard Jane cry.

  Letitia called her to where she was.

  “Oh, Letitia. We have received a letter.”

  “Yes, who is it from? What does it say?” Letitia inquired, extremely curious. Her sister seemed agitated, but not in an alarmed or distressed manner. In fact, she seemed rather excited, as if in a state of anticipation.

  “It is a letter from a solicitor in London, notifying us that our great-aunt left you a very large sum of money. Very large, indeed.” Jane took a breath and gave Letitia a look that increased her sense of anticipation. “Letitia, prepare yourself. It is 10,000 pounds!”

  “Jane, what on earth can you mean? Our poor Aunt Maria died last year. If I had been left anything, we would have been notified then.”

  “The solicitor says that there was some confusion about her will, as part of the document had gone missing and there were other legal matters that had to be resolved. Anyway, we all know that you were by far Aunt Maria’s favorite niece. You spent so much time with her, taking care of her those times that she was ill.”

  “But how could that be possible? Why weren’t we told this?”

  “Come inside, my dear Letitia. I cannot possibly explain it all out here and anyway, it’s rather complicated. Our mother is waiting in the front drawing room for you. We have told the pupils to spend some time away from their studies, walking in the gardens. “

  Letitia and Jane hastened inside and to their mother. Letitia was greeted with an affectionate hug from the kind woman, and the three women sat down. Lovely bright daylight streamed through the windows, as if the heavens knew and approved of the family’s wonderful tidings.

  6

  There was no doubt in Letitia’s mind as to how her newfound fortune would be used. Most of it would be put under the management of the family lawyer and she would be paid investment earnings annually, the whole of which she planned to use to help her mother and sister and improve their school. She imagined all of the improvements she could make to attract more pupils. No mention of amusement or adventure passed her lips, as she was such a generous and selfless young woman. Of course, such dreams could not help but flit through her lively imagination, but she believed that the expense could not be justified.

  Her mother and sister, however, had different ideas in mind. Of course, some of the money would be very usefully spent on the school and house, but they were determined that Letitia should enjoy herself. And Mrs. Hayward had also decided that Jane would partake of many of these adventures, too. Her mind was made up: her daughters were traveling to London for the coming social season, and that was that! They were to have new gowns: Letitia would want blue and Jane pink, she knew.

  Mrs. Hayward quickly wrote to her late husband’s sister, Anna. Anna Pembroke, known to the girls as Aunt Pembroke, was Mr. Hayward’s beloved sister. She had married a wealthy man of a very old family that stretched back to the time of Elizabeth I. They were not titled, yet eminently respectable, both in their family seat in the countryside and their London home in Mayfair, the most fashionable area of the metropolis’s distinguished west end.

  It was no surprise to hear that Aunt Pembroke would be thrilled to host her nieces and was eager to take them to as many balls and arrange as many social functions for them as possible. She had no daughters of her own, only two sons, John and Andrew. While her husband, now dead, had been thrilled to have three male children and no daughters to worry about, she had yearned for daughters. She loved nothing more than dresses, balls, and the excitement of youth.

  Anna Pembroke had been a great beauty in her youth. Jane especially resembled her. Letitia’s looks were more like her mother, whose beauty had been of even greater renown. When the two girls reached their Aunt Pembroke’s townhome in Mayfair two weeks after their mother wrote, they found her looking precisely as they had remembered when seeing her a year or two before. She was now a rather stout but handsome and distinguished-looking woman, with a friendly and energetic countenance. She could seem very proud and perhaps even forbidding to those who were significantly beneath her in social status, but luckily for the girls, she saw their branch of the family as equals, at least. She had been Mr. Hayward’s favorite sister, and she had been wholly as attached to him.

  The Pembroke home in London was in every way as one would expect of a wealthy and well-connected widow. It was among the largest houses in Mayfair, with a gleaming white exterior, impressive columns, and an imposing mahogany door. It was the sort of house that would always attract attraction from passers-by. And the interior was never considered a disappointment by visitors. Quite the opposite, the marble floors and elegantly appointed furnishings were the height of fashion.

  The widow was now in her late forties, and a great deal of white had invaded her once brightly glistening amber strands. Her skin was still remarkably beautiful for her years, however, as befitted the women of her family, who were known for their remarkable complexions. As Jane so much resembled her, she did tend to favor her a little, but she loved Letitia very much, too. She was not the sort of woman to treat any member of her family badly.

  Letitia and Jane had always been fascinated by the Pembroke’s London house, and they found themselves as enchanted as ever on this visit. Their late uncle had been fascinated by stunning treasures from the East, especially hand-made furniture and luxurious carpets. Their aunt had benefited from this and shared in his interests. She certainly had a great many priceless Indian shawls of the finest silk.

  The girls spent the first day of their visit exploring the house. They would never have done this without their aunt’s permission, of course, as that would be quite rude. Luckily, their aunt encouraged them. It must be said that she never tired of people seeing and admiring her beautiful home and possessions. She had acquired several new pieces of decoration and furniture since the Hayward’s last visit, and so there was quite a bit to see, including new carpets and silk curtains. The latter were rather like the old ones, but Aunt Pembroke had lately taken a fancy to green.

  That evening, Aunt Pembroke brought the girls up to her chamber. She wanted to show them jewelry she wished them to wear for the many balls they would attend and tell them about her plans to buy them additional gowns. Hiding their excitement, they offered slight protest at the idea of the expense, but their aunt absolutely insisted. It would be like a second introduction to the world for both of them.

  They had both already had their coming out balls as debutantes in society, Letitia three years ago and Jane very soon after (Letitia had persuaded her parents to let her younger sister join in the excitement and ignore the convention of making the younger sister wait to come out until the elder was married). After all, they were so very close in age, with Jane being only two years younger.

  Letitia secretly knew she had no intention of being rushed into marriage. She was determined that she would marry for love, no matter what current custom dictated. She had once thought she had found that love with Robert Clarke and was disappointed. The young lady had not entirely given up hope, though. And this new adventure in London added even more to the sense of expectation that she dared to allow to develop in defiance of her practical nature.

  7

  Aunt Pembroke took her two nieces shopping the following day on Bond Street, a place fashionable for genteel young ladies to spend a morning finding new hats, shawls, and silks. By the mid-afternoon, the street began to take on rather a different character, certainly one that young ladies would want to avoid if possible. This was why shopping on Bond Street was always a morning expedition.

  They had a charming time of it, with their aunt pointing out every item that would become her beautiful nieces, and there were certainly a great many of them. The kind lady took pleasure in treating her nieces to whatever they pleased, and they had the good manners not to express their admiration for more than they could reasonably expect their aunt to purchase. Aunt Pembroke bought Letitia lovely silks of cornflower and sapphire blue, the y
oung lady’s favorite shades, for new gowns to be made. Jane chose rose pink of light and dark hues.

  The party returned home to the Pembroke house in Mayfair early in the afternoon and spent an hour or two admiring all of their purchases in one of the drawing rooms after enjoying a hasty cup of tea and some refreshments.

  “My dears, I simply do not have the energy of youth. I must sit down!” Aunt Pembroke said, sitting down on one of the room’s plush sofas. “Do you not want any more tea and sandwiches?” their aunt asked, her eyes sparkling with enjoyment at seeing ’the excitement her nieces were trying to contain.

  “Oh, yes, aunt! We are very sorry,” Letitia replied, looking at Jane and motioning for her to sit down. “You must be rather tired.”

  “Yes, Aunt Pembroke. We are sorry,” Jane concurred.

  “Oh, no need to apologize, girls,” the lady said. “You are young ladies. Of course, you are excited about your silks and hats, not to mention your beautiful new shawls! And think, when your silks are brought to my dressmaker later today, it will only be a matter of time before you are fitted out as splendidly as any other young lady in London.”