5 #2
Archer did not agree but bowed in acknowledgement of the compliment to his grandmother and the party turned to wend its way back along the road towards Deerwood Park.
Jane would have been more than happy to have spoken more with him about the plight of the poor people in the district, but Celeste left the Colonel and slipped her arm through hers, lowering her parasol behind their heads to shut out anyone else from their conversation.
“Jane—oh, you do not mind me calling you Jane, do you, cousin. I am afraid I just took it for granted that you would not be missish about such things.”
“Not at all, Celeste. And may I say how much I admire your command of English which seems to grow more and more each time we speak. I’m afraid my ability with a foreign language is limited to a few words of French.
” She smiled, remembering. “We had a governess, a Miss Jemima Smith, whose job it was to teach us, but I’m afraid my two sisters and myself were not good pupils for the poor woman. I fear we made her life very hard!”
The Italian girl laughed. “Thank you, Jane. Like you, I had a governess, but as there was only me to teach, perhaps I learnt quickly.”
“Are your parents—I do not wish to distress you—are they still alive?”
There was a deep sigh. “Sadly, no. They have both passed away. My mother died when I was born and I was raised by my father until he too died. That is why, because I was all alone in Sicily, I decided to try and make contact with my family over here in England.”
“I am sure everyone will be delighted to make your acquaintance. I will write to my mama and insist you are invited to stay at Pemberley. But are you planning on living in England permanently?”
Celeste giggled and bent her head closer to Jane’s. “Well, dear cousin, the Colonel has told me that I am welcome to stay as long as I please. That is so gallant of him, is it not?”
“Indeed. But then he is one of the most caring gentlemen I have ever known. I am extremely fond of him.”
There was a deep sigh from the other girl. “Yes, I had thought that, too. Which is why I was surprised when you behaved as you did earlier. You upset him so much by putting yourself in danger!”
“There was no need for such alarm. Colonel Fitzwilliam is well used to my brothers and sisters exploring Deerwood Park. They have often been in far more hazardous situations than merely climbing a rocky slope.”
“But Jane, you do not understand, I think. This was you. You have grown very close to him, I can see that. Perhaps too close. He worries about you so much. Why, never a day has gone past since I arrived that he has not shown concern as to your future wellbeing. When your carriage was late arriving he was quite certain you had been attacked by highwaymen! Why, even before you arrived, he seemed quite weighed down with anxiety from a letter he received from your dear mama. Do you think that is quite fair?”
“Fair?” She was confused and upset that her mama must have written to the Colonel, giving details of her doomed love affair with Digby Frobisher.
“Oh forgive me, I am speaking, how you say, out of turn.” Jane glanced behind them but the rest of the party had stopped to try and identify a bird that was singing high up in a tree. There was no chance of them being overheard.
“No, pray go on, Cousin. The last thing I would ever wish is to be a … a burden to my godfather.”
“Ah! I was right to so believe. Indeed, when the Colonel told me how he found it hard to sleep from worrying—” she paused and bit her lip. “But that was a confidence, of course. Forgive me, I should not have said so much.”
Jane shivered, even though the day was still warm.
She was horrified at the other girl’s words; that her actions, her habit of running away to the shelter of Deerwood Park when life became too difficult, had caused the Colonel’s health to suffer.
He had retired from the army having received a bad wound abroad.
She felt ashamed; she should have realised that he was not as strong as her own papa, that he needed a quiet, peaceful existence.
“Thank you for being open and honest with me,” she murmured at last. “I have been very selfish but it is a state of affairs that is easily corrected. I will make sure to do nothing to upset the Colonel for the remainder of my stay. And, indeed, I will arrange to leave earlier than planned.”
“No, no, no. Oh dear no.” Celeste sounded quite alarmed. “That would upset him even more.” There was a long pause; Jane was finding it difficult to find the right words to mend the situation, then Celeste’s fingers on her arm tightened.
“Jane—may I tell you a great secret, in complete confidence, of course.”
There was nothing to do but to nod and give assurances.
“The dear Colonel has made it clear to me … that is, we have discovered that we have mutual feelings of regard for each other! No, no, please, I can imagine what you will say … that I am too young to enter into such a union, that we have only known each other for such a short time, that we are cousins. All is true. That is why it is such a secret. That is why, because of my feelings for him, I took it upon myself to point out that your behaviour was of concern to his health. And now—” thick dark lashes fluttered in embarrassment—“now I fling myself on your mercy. Please do not mention this to anyone, especially your family. I know the Colonel wants to tell the world himself, but only when we are ready.”
If Jane had been speechless before, now she was in such a state of amazement and bewilderment that she hardly knew how to keep walking along the woodland track. She felt as if the very ground was shaking beneath her feet. The Colonel and Celeste! To be married!
She was well aware that women often entered into partnerships with much older men.
If you were not lucky enough to come from an extremely wealthy family, then marriage was a necessity.
And if a gentleman of mature years asked for your hand, then you would be a fool to turn him down.
To have a home, children, a place in society, all of those were a fair return for marrying someone perhaps twenty or thirty years older than yourself.
To become the wife of her cousin would, obviously, be an extremely good match for the Italian girl, but even in the short hours Jane had known Celeste, she was certain she was someone who would enjoy a much more exciting life than that to be had as chatelaine of Deerwood Park.
“You have no reply to give me?”
“Yes, of course. If that is what you both decide, then I wish you joy and, of course, I will respect your wishes and tell no one of your plans.”
“But Jane, you look shocked. Surely you can see that poor Colonel Fitzwilliam has been lonely for so long and you would not begrudge him a few years of happiness? I, for my part, am delighted to grant him that. And Jane, I beg of you, please do not mention this to the Colonel. I am breaking my word in telling you but I thought it was for the best, for his health’s sake. ”
“Ladies! You have been exchanging confidences for too long. Pray let us join in your conversation. We have been discussing the state of unrest in the country and I am sure you have views on the matter.”
Before Jane could form a sensible reply, Andrew and Archer had caught up to them.
Celeste smiled sweetly. “Just girlish chatter, Dr Moore. Indeed, Mr Maitland, Jane was just saying that we are very late for luncheon and that she wishes boring politics will not spoil our pleasant outing.”
“The Darcy girls have not been brought up to get involved in politics.” The Colonel, with Susannah on his arm, reached the group and Jane was relieved to see that the worried frown had vanished and he looked calm and happy.
“Although the way young Bennetta argues a point of view would be challenging to anybody. Jane and Anne, however, prefer pleasanter ways of spending their time.”
Jane started to deny that she was a person who had no opinions, to say that indeed she was deeply concerned about the strife in the country, the plight of the poor, then caught sight of Archer Maitland’s face.
She was sure she could see a look of contempt and fell silent.
Let him believe what he liked; that she was just a frivolous, empty-headed female.
There was no way she was going to justify herself in front of him!