Cousin Prudence (29 page)

Emma went forward to meet the visitor.  She saw a man of medium height with a pleasant
, rather than a devastatingly handsome, face, neat of manner and sufficiently fashionable without being in any wise a dandy.  He made a beautiful leg to Emma.

“You must be Mrs Knightley; how kind you are to Miss Fairlees!  Might I have the opportunity of a brief word with Miss Fairlees?” he asked.

“Miss Fairlees is desirous that I and my cousin also remain with her,” said Emma.  “Please!” an elegant gesture of the hand invited him forward to speak to Kitty.

Mr Letheridge gave a sad smile.

“Am I such an ogre, Miss Fairlees, that you should quake in terror at me?  In truth I would hate to think that anything I had said or done might have hurt you!  I came to tell you that Lady Katherine has explained that you hold my suit in aversion and that you did not wish to have to refuse any offer I had planned to make.  Naturally if you feel so strongly I shall immediately withdraw my suit; I trust however you may yet look upon me as a friend?”

Kitty lost herself in several half sentences about him being too kind, that she was sorry to have caused him any trouble and that she did not feel herself ready to enter the state of matrimony.  Mr Letheridge listened gravely, kissed her hand with old-worldly grace and took his departure after staying precisely as long as it took for Kitty to manage to say her piece. 

Emma took her leave of him as lady of the house.

“Mr Letheridge, will you not put up at the Crown for a few days?” she suggested “The Marquess of Alverston is giving a ball; my husband is to co-host it that Alverston might have a hostess; I am sure he will be happy to extend an invitation to you.”

Mr Letheridge paled.

“Mrs Knightley are you telling me to stay where the sight of that dear girl is a torture when I know she has rejected me and does not even seem to like me?” he asked.

“Mr Letheridge, I am suggesting that you should not readily give up hope.  Kitty was taken by surprise; she is young for her years and Lady Katherine is a forceful creature.  As, so I understand, is the child’s father.  I would suggest that you indeed, as you suggested, be a friend to her; when there is no pressure to consider matrimony, who knows what feelings might develop!  I do not hold out to you any promise, but I do suggest that you should not give up so tamely.”

How much Emma had learned!  Her desire to matchmake for those of whom she was fond had given way to a more sophisticated understanding of the heart, that could see that this sober and adoring man would make Kitty a kind and loving husband!  And yet she realised that though Kitty might be able to be led it would be the merits of Mr Letheridge himself that must speak to her, not any third party singing his praises!

Mr Letheridge changed colour several times; and he seized Emma’s hand shaking it warmly as though she were a gentleman friend.

“Mrs Knightley you bring me hope and determination!” he cried “And I shall indeed do as you suggest!” he glanced down at
where he held her hand “Oh, I
do
beg your pardon,” he said, letting go and flushing.

“Readily granted, Mr Letheridge; I know what it is to be in love and to fear that one’s regard is not returned
,” said Emma, flushing slightly, “and I hope that all may be resolved between you and Kitty.  But if I may give some advice?”

He nodded.

“If you will please,” he said.  Emma smiled.

“Then as Kitty is to spend some time in Mrs Goddard’s excellent school in the village, whose older pupils will all attend the ball, you should be seen by Kitty to honour your promise to be no more than a friend to her by dancing exactly as often with the other young ladies as with her
,” she said.

“Mrs Knightley, you have the wisdom of the serpent!” declared Mr Letheridge, kissing Emma’s hand with a flourish.

He left with quite a spring in his step.

“Emma are you interfering?” asked George, coming out into the hall.

“Only a little,” said Emma, “he seems such a – a
nice
man; it is an inadequate adjective but so suited to him.  I told him not to give up hope but to stand back and not to single her out; and see if she might learn to love him.  That is not so
very
bad is it George?”

George sighed and laughed and kissed his wife tenderly.

“Ah, my Emma, you are an incurable romantic; but you have I think reached an age of discretion whereby you may be trusted to interfere with out my interference in your interference; and I apologise for doubting you.”

“Is it so wrong, when I am so happy, to wish to see others happy too?” asked Emma.

“Oh not in the least, my dear Mrs Knightley,” said George, “just so long as you do not interrupt the steady flow of romance that may proceed of its own accord with some mad fit and start; or make matches between those who are not, and should not be, already attracted.  To permit Kitty to come to know Mr Letheridge in a more informal fashion and see him outside of the glittering world of the season – or even on a visit to some foundry – will give her a better  idea of whether or not she retains a distaste for Mr Letheridge or whether he distinguishes

himself in her eyes.  You have done all that is necessary; no more is needed.”

“Yes George,” said Emma, “
why
was he such a clunch as to take her to a foundry?”

“I expect
,” said George, “It was Diana’s idea.  And you must admit, Prudence would probably take it as a high treat if Alverston took her.”

“Yes, but Prudence is like that
,” said Emma.  “Why are we talking in a cold hall, George?  I believe I need warming up.”

“Why, Mrs Knightley!” said George “I do believe that your condition has made you more demanding than ever!”

“Why Mr Knightley!” said Emma “I do believe you are correct!”

They retired elsewhere to discuss or at least explore this curious phenomenon.

Mr Letheridge duly
retired to The Crown where he was visited by Gervase whose advice was pithier, earthier, but generally along the same lines as Emma’s save that Gervase presumed upon Mr Letheridge having been in the same Regiment for a year or two as his brother Everard in order  to be forthright.

“I love Kitty dearly when I do not want to strangle her!” declared Gervase
, “no, do not look at me daggers-drawn my dear fellow; she is like a much younger sister to me.  And I should like to see her established with a steady fellow not take one of her flights of fancy and flee with a romantic-seeming idiot with nothing between the ears who will not properly care for and cherish her! She needs a man of the world who will see that she wants for nothing and does not have to experience any of the hardships in life.”

“You are not in love with her yourself?” asked Mr Letheridge suspiciously.

“Good grief, no!” said Gervase, “
my
intended is a young lady who so far from fearing the hardships of life is like to drag me into rescuing others from them!  I have not time to give Kitty the care and attention that she needs; I

need a wife who will work hard beside me to help my tenants and dependants through the hard times that are to be ahead with this abnormal weather and its attendant woes!  I doubt Kitty has even any idea how it may affect life save that she may not have as many peaches to eat; and would not comprehend the hardship it will bring to the poorest!  And she would be too ov
erset by the thought is she
were
enlightened to be of much use to them anyway,” he added, “and whilst I have gone so far as to mention peaches, you should not let her gorge on them; Kitty is a glutton for peaches and has given herself a colick from over-indulgence before.”

“Oh my poor darling!” cried Mr Letheridge.

Gervase considered him a hopeless case; but at least not so unrealistic as to declare that such a thing as Kitty gorging herself into a colick could not be so.

He sighed and left Letheridge to it.

Chapter 36

Since Mr Woodhouse was fully up and about now, Gervase came to call on him formally; and Mr Woodhouse was much impressed by his height and breadth of shoulders.

“My Lord, you are a fine set up young man!  Fine indeed!  Now I perceive more readily that you might dare the risks of contagion that a less fine looking specimen of manhood must eschew!” said Mr Woodhouse.  “Really I am quite filled with envy!  But I hear you have had typhus and yet recovered from it?”

“Indeed sir; and I think that this makes me immune after the fashion of those inoculated by Jenner
,” said Gervase, “though of course I would not come near you until all danger was passed and until you were stronger also; and a sad way for the contagion to be ended in the village.”

“Indeed yes!” said Mr Woodhouse
, “poor Mrs Fellowes! She was my laundress you know; until Emma stopped sending our laundry to her for fear of infection.  Fellowes was sadly unsteady.”

George was heard by his wife to murmur to his brother,

“And the sea is damp.”

Emma frowned at both husband and brother-in-law.

“You are aware of course that I shall be announcing my betrothal to Prudence shortly,” said Gervase.

“Alas! Yes!  Poor Prudence!” said Mr Woodhouse “The sadness of the state of matrimony is a reflection on the misery of the human condition!”

Gervase blinked.

“Papa holds the state of matrimony in aversion
,” said Emma, “I can but wonder how he brought himself to offer for mama!  I however am quite content in the state, and I am sure Prudence will find herself contented too.”

“Oh I have heard all about you from Prudence,
my dear Lord Alverston,” said Mr Woodhouse, “and I could not ask for a finer man to become my nephew save for George and John who have become my sons; but I pray you, let poor Prudence wait before embarking upon a family; it is so sad to hear of a young bride who is swiftly in the family way and tethered to children.”

“Papa I adore my children!” interposed Isabella, for once rebelling against agreeing with her father’s every word. “I would not be without them!”

“And I too agree that children are a blessing!” said Emma firmly.

“Ah! My poor girls! How they put a brave face on it!” said Mr Woodhouse.

Had Gervase not been warned about both the valetudinarian habits of Mr Woodhouse and his insistence on pitying even those who required no pity at all, he would have been much taken aback; but he murmured merely that he would attempt to be a model husband.

“And so understanding!” said Mr Woodhouse “One who is used to the best in life who is prepared to nurture th
e poor waif of a mill hand;
poor
Prudence; I was so relieved that she at least had shoes to her feet when she came to us.”

“But sir! Her father’s a very nabob!” said Alverston, startled.

“Oh my dear sir! You cannot have got that false impression from dear Prudence; she is my sister’s child.  Poor Lizzie, such an unfortunate marriage!”

“I got the impression, Mr Woodhouse
,” said Gervase, “from meeting Mr Blenkinsop, who is an extremely warm man indeed as a wealthy mill owner.”

“As, dear papa, I did try to advise you
,” said George. 

“But…. You mean he has a respectable fortune?” said Mr Woodhouse “Why, poor Prudence! You did not make this clear, George, or I should never have countenanced my poor niece going to London to risk falling in with a fortune hunter!”

“Fortunately, sir, she had already fallen in with me and I determined to seek her out,” said Alverston, “as so far as my fortune is concerned I could take care of her if she
were
a mill wench; but may I say how proper and how delicate is your feeling to realise that a mill hand’s daughter would indeed find supporting the position of a Marchioness a difficult matter.  And for that I do truly appreciate your fondness for your niece.”

Henry Woodhouse was put out to be told by one who had met Mr Blenkinsop that he was far from being as he had imagined; but was mollified by the proper recognition of his motives by the Marquess.

He shook his head.

“Even so it will be hard for her
,” he said gloomily.

Gervase smiled at him with determination.

“That is why I am so pleased that she is such a close friend of my sister Georgiana who will help her through any small trials,” he said, “and I shall be inviting Georgie and her husband and offspring to stay to meet my bride’s family and to come to the ball.  Mrs
George
Knightley has given my sister – who likes her very well indeed –  the enthusiasm to compare notes with Mrs
John
Knightley about their respective offspring; as I understand it her younger children are of an age with your older ones, Mrs Knightley.”