Chapter 1 #2
Later, a cart with the remnants of the late Tilneys’ belongings recovered from the accident arrived, and Henry had them sent to the general’s apartment to be sorted after the burial.
The villagers arrived to pay their respects throughout the day, and Henry and Nate welcomed them warmly, but Catherine and Eleanor stayed in the abbey, as was customary.
After the last of the visitors had gone through, Henry insisted that the small retinue be fed before their journey back to their battalion.
They had a private funeral the next morning, with servants acting as pallbearers to the family crypt, where the gentlemen were laid to rest with Lady Tilney.
A solemn service was held with Henry presiding over the graveside liturgy, as it was only for immediate family.
Eleanor and Catherine were allowed to attend at a distance.
The children were excused to the outdoors in Lady Tilney’s gardens after nuncheon.
It was time for Henry, Catherine, Eleanor, and Nate to meet with the solicitor.
The children were looking forwards to exploring the newly finished boxwood labyrinth that the general had installed recently.
Its verdant green was at its peak for the season, and it boasted additional topiary and flora in the maze.
The library’s new hunter brocade curtains had been pulled back to let in light.
Henry and Nate had already gone through the general’s apartment for pertinent papers and personal effects mentioned in his will, and they sat around the large rectangular walnut table with the aforementioned items covering the end where the solicitor, Reginald Hewes, sat.
“Lord and Lady Tilney and Lord and Lady Marlington, allow me to read the contents of the will, and then I will answer any questions you may have.” They all nodded in assent as he began.
After everything was read, Henry was still in a stupor. Not only had he inherited the abbey, but he also inherited the new barony title, and all of the estate’s entailed property and contents, except where Eleanor and the grandchildren inherited appointed sums of money.
“I’m still at Woodston. I have no plans to leave. I can’t—the people count on me.”
“Henry, you have a duty to take over here. Perhaps the Bishop could allow special circumstances for services at the chapel, so you can still serve, but the abbey needs you to survive.” Eleanor was thinking of other solutions.
“Mayhap one of Catherine’s brothers could take over at Woodston”?
She knew at least one was available for the living.
“Lord Tilney, if you refuse, then your eldest son, Edmund, will inherit the barony title and all property. He is young for the vast responsibility of an estate.” Mr Hewes chimed in.
Henry scrubbed his face as if tortured by the news. “I suppose I have no choice.” He looked towards Catherine. “We should make arrangements immediately for the move.”
“I have sorted through the papers, spoken with the steward, and the estate is sound and in good shape.” Mr Hewes continued with a set of jewellery boxes in front of him.
“These jewels should be considered as part of the estate, and Lady Tilney should be encouraged to wear them at will.” Catherine audibly gasped in shock.
“This is where I have news which will disappoint.” He opened one large velvet-covered box, which was empty of its contents.
“This box housed the diamond and pearl wedding parure of the deceased Lady Tilney, wife of General Tilney. Lord Tilney gave them as a gift to honour their wedding day, and Lady Marlington was to inherit. They appear to be missing.”
Lady Marlington was aghast, holding her lace handkerchief over her mouth to stifle a cry, and again Catherine gasped.
Lord Marlington squeezed his wife’s hand in assurance.
“Are you sure you have searched through all of the late general’s effects to make sure they weren’t misplaced?
” Mr Hewes directed his question to Lords Tilney and Marlington.
“We were quite thorough, though we can look again.” Henry looked at some pawn tickets from Frederick’s belongings, and none matched. “I have no accounting of where they could be, and nothing is listed in these receipts.” Henry passed them to Mr Hewes.
“I see.” Mr Hewes was in deep thought. “Have you checked all of Captain Tilney’s effects, here and his apartment in London?”
“I believe my father had packed it all up before they left on the last trip home.”
“I would suggest either going there to search or I could hire one of the Bow Street Runners on your behalf, discreetly, of course, to search for a pawn ticket or other receipt or the jewels themselves.” Mr Hewes looked purposefully at Henry.
“Otherwise, Lady Marlington will not have the jewels to inherit, I’m afraid to say. ”
His grim face revealed what all of them had feared—the likelihood that Frederick had been desperate for funds, had stolen the parure from the general, and had gambled them away or sold them for rent or drink or worse.
“Is anything else of value missing?” Mr Hewes asked. “Anything else we should be searching for, in addition to the diamond and pearl suite?”
“The pawn tickets have items which belonged to Frederick, but nothing worth much to fret over. The parure is the most valuable, monetarily, and to Eleanor, personally.” Henry looked at her with empathy and patted her hand. “I’m so very sorry, dear sister.”
Eleanor nodded in assent, but her heart was broken.
Father let her wear the jewels on her wedding day, the beautiful necklace with diamond and pearl rosettes in a line, graduated to the middle, with a drop pendant of a large teardrop pearl with a diamond crown.
The rosette earrings matched with pearl and diamond surround, like each station on the necklace, plus a brooch with a larger rosette, and a tiara with four rosettes and a raised teardrop pearl with diamond surround in a centre diamond heart arc.
The suite of jewels had been her mother’s favourite, not as grand as many of their ilk, but special because they were a gift from her beloved husband on her wedding day.
Mama had allowed Eleanor to wear pieces a few times when playing as a child.
Father had let her wear them for her Season, where she met and fell in love with the current earl, then not yet a viscount, but he was a titled lord with only a small income.
Her mama had met the general at her own Season, then a lower officer.
It, too, was a love match, always surprising from such a gruff man, but he was devoted to his wife.
The general had bought Mama many more jewels during their marriage, but she only wore the diamond and pearl parure, her most treasured possession, for social engagements.
Mama had made it clear to everyone that the suite would be Eleanor’s one day; the rest of her jewels could be part of the estate’s property.
Father knew, and when he allowed Eleanor to wear them on her wedding day, he reaffirmed the promise that she would inherit upon his death or her thirty-fifth birthday, whichever came first.
Alas, it appeared she would not. This year, she would have inherited on her birthday in December, and now the jewels were missing or gone forever, most likely at the hands of Frederick.
It was selfish, she knew, to expect the jewels for her birthday; she had even planned to ask her modiste to create a claret-coloured dress to wear with them, and Nate had promised her a party.
Somehow, if the accident were due to Frederick’s action, she would have to find a way to forgive him, but right now, she was angry with him.
Frederick had long been the prodigal son, always forgiven for each transgression and embarrassment, no matter how large or small, and he never seemed to have remorse.
In Father’s eyes, he saw in Frederick a mirror of himself in the military, and he could do no wrong.
Forgiveness would not be easy, but the loss of Frederick and Father was too great, and she must be an example to her family.
The accident was not truly his fault, though his misdeeds led them to be on the road, and the unnecessary speed of return.
Such a sad ending for a life of privilege and promise.
August
It had been nearly a month since the family tragedy, and the Bow Street Runners had found nothing at Frederick’s apartment, nor at the gambling halls, nor the pawn shops he was known to frequent. It appeared the parure was gone forever.
Henry and Catherine had been kind and had offered her any of the other jewels from the estate, but Eleanor assured them it was not necessary.
She had jewels from Nate’s estate, and those were sufficient.
Eleanor didn’t want to begrudge Henry his inheritance, nor take away the pleasure of Catherine wearing the jewels.
Catherine’s brother, George Morland, had taken the living at Woodston, as James had recently taken over their father’s parsonage. He was quite happy, and his wife and children enjoyed the larger parsonage for their family.
Eleanor had spent time with the children this morning, then discussed the plans for their education with the governess. It would be time to start their lessons again in the autumn season, and she wanted to know if she needed to order supplies from London.
Eleanor sat at her glossy-finished, delicately carved rosewood desk, with just a hint of its rose scent lingering, preparing to write to Catherine, her dearest friend and sister. Just as she was about to put pen to the parchment, she heard the thumping sound of her eldest child running in the hall.
“Mummy, Mummy, have you heard the news? I’m going to Eton!” Jerome came barrelling into her small ladies’ parlour, jubilant and flush-faced from running at full speed. He came to an abrupt stop in front of her.
“What news is this? It can’t be so. You’re so young.”