The Persuasion of Miss Jane Brody (17 page)

Jane suddenly began to hope that they now had some chance of forging a life together – until she stopped herself with the realisation that such a thing would require Jonathan’s proposing to her again. She had had no indication that he would. Initially he had proposed to obtain a wife, while saving her and her family from penury. Now there was no reason for him to align himself with her. He needed a wife and almost any lady would serve that purpose. The chances of him choosing her again were next to none.

The last guests were leaving, sweeping Jonathan along with them. He bowed over her hand and told her that how much he had been interested to hear her proposals.

Thanking him Jane ventured, “I hope that in the near future we may hear a talk by you concerning your recently published views. We would be very glad of your support in continuing our cause.”

Jonathan gave Jane a searching look and seemed to hesitate before answering. “I don’t know how much more support I can promise than I have already given.” His face was closed as though he didn’t welcome any further questioning.

“We would be grateful for any.”

Jonathan inclined his head in non-committal acknowledgement of her request. “On a more personal note, as I have not heard from you of any consequences from our indiscretion at Christmas, am I correct in believing that there were none?”

Jane blushed and looked down at her hands clasped tightly at her waist. “You are correct. You may continue to feel relieved that there were no unhappy consequences.”
I feel despair.

He bowed formally and Jane responded.

Then she let him go into the night with Dr Logan and Lady Elizabeth without another word. He didn’t look back. She knew then that he would never offer for her again.

♥ ♥ ♥

Jonathan escorted his sister to her bedchamber door and wished her goodnight as he kissed her on the cheek. Elizabeth looked at him with anxious eyes. He thought she must have sensed his despair.

In his own chamber Jonathan ripped the cravat from around his neck and tossed it to the floor.
Damn you Jane – you care nothing for me, only about my influence for your cause.

His valet entered from the dressing room to assist him, only to be swiftly sent away. Jonathan sat on the four-poster bed to remove his shoes and stockings.

When you knew that I was the anonymous pamphleteer, did you thank me?
He threw his shoes to the floor.
No, instead you said, “I’m shocked
.”
The stockings joined the shoes.
And coolly asked, “What has caused this turn around?”

He stood and began struggling out of his black evening jacket.
Did you show one flicker of emotion in response to me?
He tossed the coat onto a chair. “
No!”
He jerked the buttons of his waistcoat undone.
You asked,
“When did you become a supporter of bluestockings and women’s rights?”

He wrenched his shirt from his trousers.
As if it wasn’t obviously because I love you
. He jerked the shirt over his head before sending it after his other clothes.
Did you say, “I love you too?
”

He undid his trouser buttons and pealed the garment from his long legs before throwing it aside.
No!
What did you say instead?
He dragged his drawers off and kicked them aside.
You asked
me to do more for the cause!

Naked, his anger spent, he sat slumped on the bed.

What more can I do to prove that I love you?

He realised there was only one more thing.

 
Fifteen

William knew that Jonathan had made no attempt to contact Jane during the next week that followed their encounter. Instead Jonathan continued to work on his maiden speech for the House of Lords. Each afternoon before leaving, William made a clean copy of it, thinking it would be the final version, only to find the next morning that Jonathan’s continued re-writing in the evening brought more changes to the script.

As each day passed Jonathan appeared more fixated on his task. Parliament recommenced on the twenty-seventh and he would be making his speech soon afterwards. He seemed determined to have a polished piece of oratory ready.

On the afternoon before his speech was due to be delivered in the House of Lords, Jonathan handed William the final draft of his speech and requested once again that he copy it for the next day. William looked at the previous version in his hand, which now had multiple changes. Black lines deleted whole sections and new paragraphs were inserted.

Inwardly William groaned. More alterations, but at least they would be the last. He had become increasingly concerned by the progressively more radical tone that the speech was taking and hoped it was that particular direction being deleted.

He returned to his desk in the far alcove of Dalton’s study and read the revised speech. It was worse than he had imagined. His employer had strengthened the paper’s tone. If Dalton delivered the oration, William suspected that he would be booed from the House. There was no way in which the members of the House of Lords would accept the argument for the equality of women and their rights. The thought of the furore that would result made William nervous, and he wouldn’t even be present.

William had no doubt that Dalton’s reason for making this statement was at Jane’s behest. He was obviously completely in love with her to be so willing to risk his political reputation in support of her cause.

One sleepless night later, William was resolved to see Jane and request that she see sense and persuade Dalton not to make his speech along such radical lines as he proposed.

With that in mind, William dressed in haste the next morning and called on Jane before going to Dalton House. He found that she had already left for the Welfare League with Joe to spend the morning there. He spoke with his other sisters without telling them the purpose of his visit, then scribbled a note for Jane requesting that she call upon him immediately after her return.

♥ ♥ ♥

Jane arrived home at noon to be greeted by her housekeeper who announced that William had called soon after her departure and had left a note that he
insisted
be handed to her as soon as she stepped in the door. Jane read her brother’s note, mystified as to what could have made him write with such urgency. His missive did no more than urge her to call on him at Dalton House forthwith. Still perplexed as to the nature of the emergency, Jane exited the house without having taken off her cloak, bonnet or gloves, and caught the first hackney she could find.

Jane paid off the carriage outside the imposing Dalton House then rapped on the front door. She was soon shown into Dalton’s study where she found her brother frowning over correspondence and ledgers.

Jane was curious. “William, I have come to you as soon as I read your letter. Whatever has caused you to write such a note?”

William looked at her in disbelief. “Lord Dalton is to give his maiden speech to the House of Lords today.”

“I knew it would happen soon, but how does that concern you or me?”

“Surely you are aware of the topic of the speech that he will be giving?”

“Not at all,” was Jane’s mystified reply. “Ought I to know?”

William looked at her with exasperation. “Did you not ask him to support your cause for women’s rights?”

“You know that I have, but how can that have any bearing on what Jonathan is saying in the House?”

“He means to talk on the rights of women. I have read the speech; indeed, I have read it many times as he has drafted and redrafted it, each time making it more radical in tone. He will be crucified in the House, I’m sure of it.” William was adamant.

“Surely not. That is so out of character for him. He has ever been an arch-conservative.” Jane countered.

“That may have been so, but you are not accounting for his love for you. He will do anything in his power to assist you for that reason now.”

“Good heavens!” Jane exclaimed. She thought for a few moments before coming to a realisation. “I must stop him!”

“You can try!”

“When will he give his speech?”

“He was taking lunch at White’s then going to the House.”

Jane’s face was lined with worry. “I must find him immediately.” She turned and hurried out of the study intending to catch the first hackney that appeared.

William followed her. “Jane, where are you going?”

“To his club to see if he is still there.” She had that determined look.

“You can’t go into White’s.” William scolded in frustration.

“Surely I can send in a note.”

“You should not even be in St James’s Street, let alone call at the door. I will come with you.” Grabbing his beaver hat from the hall table, he raced down the front steps in her wake. He hailed a hackney, handed his sister into it and they set off in a hurry. A short while later, William was entering the lobby of White’s and requesting his employer on a matter of urgency.

The top-lofty concierge informed him that Lord Dalton had left the club about a quarter of an hour ago.

William strode back to the cab and informed his sister they had just missed him.

“We must go to the House then.” She turned to call up to the driver. “Take us to Westminster Palace - make haste, we must hurry.”

The hackney lurched into motion as the driver touched the horse with his whip. Jane clutched her hands in her lap and braced her feet on the floor as the driver attempted to make some speed despite the traffic. Time seemed to slow to an interminable crawl. Curricles and high perch phaetons vied with carts and hackneys for every space that opened on the crowded road. Finally, Jane could see the Houses of Parliament ahead. Then the traffic came to a halt and showed no sign of clearing in front of them. There was an overturned cart ahead. The hackney driver let forth a stream of abuse at the driver of the stationary vehicle in front.

William hauled his fob watch from its pocket. “He is due to speak any time now Jane. We will never get there in time.”

“Stay with the cab William, I will go on foot.” So saying, Jane clambered to the road. She set off half running towards the House, looking about her for any sign of Jonathan.

At last she saw him - he was walking towards the entry. Jane felt her heart lurch. In panic she began running in earnest and calling to him. He was about to take a step inside when he heard her and paused to turn around and look. She called with the last of her breath and waved frantically as she attempted to run the last one hundred feet along the pavement towards him, sidestepping both strolling fashionably dressed and hastening sober-suited pedestrians alike. It appeared that he hadn’t seen her. He turned to go inside and she made one last effort to get his attention with a loud shout.

“Jonathan!”

And then he was striding towards her.

She was bent double gasping for breath when he reached her. Her heart was pounding.

“Jane, what are you doing here?” He made to grasp her elbows and straighten her, but she shook her head signalling for him to let her recover. Instead he bent over her and rubbed her back soothingly.

“Oh, Jonathan.” She gasped. “I thought I would never catch up with you.”

“Why ever did you want to?”

“I had to stop you. You mustn’t speak today.”

His frown deepened. “Why not? It’s my maiden speech.”

“I know. I know, but you mustn’t. William has told me.”

“Told you what? What has William told you?”

“The topic of your speech.” She was recovering quickly now. Jane grasped his arms and looked steadily into his eyes. “You must not talk on the rights of women. It will mean political disgrace for you.”

“Jane, you said you wanted me to support your cause. I will do just that.”

“I implore you, do not!” Jane tugged at his sleeve to emphasise her point.

Looking fascinated by her words, Jonathan challenged, “Why does my political humiliation matter to you?”

Jane became conscious of the surging mass of people side-stepping them on the footpath and staring at the strange tableau they must be forming. “If you will just take me away from here and promise me not to make your speech today,” Jane pleaded, “I will tell you.”

Jonathan pulled his gaze from hers and looked around them, realising, for the first time, that they were exposed in a very public place. “Yes, of course.” He drew her hand through the crook of his arm, repositioned his hat firmly on his head and led Jane in the direction from which she had run.

Jane looked up to see William, still in the hackney, wave to her in farewell as he gave instructions to the driver, probably to return to Dalton House. They walked on towards St James’s Park along Great George Street.

“So, Jane, why do you care whether I give a speech in the House of Lords in favour of women’s rights and become a laughingstock among my peers? Isn’t that what you wanted when you asked me to support your cause back in September? Or even a week ago?” His gaze seemed to search her face for answers.

She glanced away, then back, and drew a breath. “Yes, it was what I wanted then.” She hesitated.

“But not now?” he probed.

“No,” she answered quietly and looked away. “Now I care more about you and your welfare than I do about the cause. That is not to say that I no longer care about women gaining equal rights
,
but that it is not worth sacrificing you and therefore my love for you. For if you were to be labelled a radical and condemned by your peers, eventually you would come to blame me and that would destroy any love you still felt for me.” She glanced back at him to see his response.

His look was arrested. “And that would matter to you?”

“Yes, that would matter more than anything. If you no longer returned the love that I feel for you, even though we are separated, I would be devastated.”

They entered St James’s Park. Jonathan stopped them beneath a stark winter tree and turned to her, his warm brown eyes fixing hers as he asked, “Do we have to be separated?”

She read with wonder his loving gaze and breathed. “No.”

“So you will marry me Jane?” he asked.

“Yes,” she whispered. She smiled then laughed with joy.

“Not a marriage of convenience?”

She laughed. “It was only ever that in name only.”

“Certainly that was true for me,” Jonathan stated, “but what about your reasons for our engagement?”

She fingered a button on his waistcoat. “I thought it was to be a marriage of convenience, but I realised, too late, that I had fallen in love with you despite all my principles and plans.”

He squeezed the hand he held and smiled. “I would never try to dissuade you from your beliefs. I will endeavour to support them.” He was solemn again.

She looked seriously at him. “I know that now, but really there is no need if it causes you harm in society.”

“I’m not sure that it will.” Jonathan smiled. “Come Jane, why are we talking about these things when we should be describing each other’s good points.”

“One more thing must be said before we turn ourselves over to flattery,” Jane said. “I have feared the burden of children because of my mother’s illness and death after so many babies, but now that I love you I understand why she so willingly accepted that fate.”

Jonathan looked earnest. “There is no need for you to suffer her fate Jane. Truly, if you do not wish to have any children, I’m sure the title would go to some distant cousin. I set my solicitor to finding my heir some time ago. When he’s found, if you wish we can get to know him personally.”

“No, that’s not necessary. What I am saying is that I am happy to have your children now that the motivation is love. I understand at last what my mother knew.”

“What say we have as many children as you feel able to cope with?” He questioned her with his look.

Jane nodded her agreement. Relief coursed through her.

“So you will have me, without hesitation?” Jonathan asked.

“Without hesitation.” Jane replied and kissed him eagerly.

Jonathan responded decisively until Jane heard a sharp gasp of disgust from a passerby. It must have made Jonathan conscious of their surroundings because he abruptly stopped kissing her.

“Ah.” Jonathan sighed and looked around. There was a throng of strolling people passing through the park, Jane noticed. “I think we should take ourselves somewhere less public to express our satisfaction about our agreement.” He placed her hand on his arm, holding her close, and they set off for home.

♥ ♥ ♥

Jane led Jonathan into the drawing room at Harley Street. They were in time for afternoon tea and she hoped that there were no callers today. Anna and Charlotte were seated near the fireplace working on their embroideries. This surprised Jane, until she pushed the door further open and noticed Lady Elizabeth who was obviously instructing them on a particular stitch, seated nearby.