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‘He is an old friend of Mark’s, Mama, so why not?’
‘Andrew Ashton,’ Isabel murmured. ‘Didn’t he come and stay at Broadacres years ago?’
‘I believe he did.’ Jane said. ‘He is much changed, having come back from India after making his fortune there.’
‘India! Mark has said we may go there for our wedding trip. I shall enjoy asking Mr Ashton all about it. Mama, what shall we wear for this supper party? Is it to be formal?’
‘No, dear, Lady Wyndham says informal on her invitation and there is to be music and cards.’
‘Then we must contrive to keep Teddy away from the card table,’ Jane said, a remark upon which they all agreed.
* * *
The interior of Broadacres was as imposing as the exterior. It had a grand entrance hall where the cantilevered staircase of the outside was repeated with the addition of a wrought-iron balustrade. There was a long gallery lined on one side with paintings, not only of the family, but of landscapes and seascapes, horses, dogs and cattle. There were long windows on the other side, which looked out over the sweep of the carriage drive. Chairs and sofas were placed at intervals and a long Turkish carpet laid down the centre covered the stone flags. Off this gallery were several beautifully furnished reception rooms, a book room, a formal dining room and at the far end, occupying the whole of the ground floor of one wing, a magnificent ball room. Upstairs the bedchambers were equally spacious and well equipped.
‘To think this will be your home,’ Jane whispered to Isabel as they were conducted down the gallery and along a corridor to the family withdrawing room. Ahead of them marched Sir Edward and Lady Cavenhurst and an unusually subdued Teddy. ‘You will one day be mistress of it.’
‘Oh, don’t say that. It terrifies me. I wish we could have our own place, something smaller and less grand, but Mark will not hear of it. He says it is so big we need never come across his parents if we do not wish to.’
‘I am sure you will manage very well.’
The footman who was conducting them opened the door of the withdrawing room and announced them one by one as they entered. As Lady Wyndham came forward to greet Sir Edward and his wife, Jane looked about her. Although it was a grand room, it had a comfortable feel about it, as if real people lived in it and used it, unlike the public rooms at the front of the building which seemed cold and impersonal.
She came out of her reverie when she heard Lady Wyndham introducing Drew to her father and mother and Sir Edward’s response. ‘I believe we have met, sir.’
‘Indeed, you have,’ Mark put in. ‘Mr Ashton stayed with us for a few weeks when we left Cambridge. That was... How long ago, Drew?’
‘I do believe it was all of ten years,’ Drew responded. ‘So long that I am not at all surprised that Sir Edward has forgot me. I was but a stripling with pockets to let.’
‘Now he is a nabob.’ Mark laughed. ‘As rich as Golden Ball and certainly no stripling.’
‘That much is evident,’ Sir Edward said. Jane knew he was remembering and wondering if he had come to renew his suit. She had wondered about that herself, but dismissed the idea. Too much water had flowed under the bridge in those years.
Lady Wyndham turned to Jane. ‘Do I need to introduce you to our guest, Jane?’
‘No, for I remember him very well, but I doubt Isabel and Sophie do.’
‘No, I don’t,’ Sophie said. ‘I never met a nabob either. What does a nabob do?’ She addressed her last remark to Drew, who was bowing in front of her.
‘He trades in India, Miss Sophie,’ he said. ‘He sends Indian artefacts, spices and jewels back to these islands in fast ships and they return with items of English manufacture, furniture, ornaments, gowns, those sorts of things, and thereby he makes a profit.’
‘And have you made a good profit, Mr Ashton?’ This came from Isabel, who had been standing beside her sister, staring at Drew in fascination.
He bowed to her. ‘Tolerable, Miss Isabel. You see, I do remember you, though you were still at your lessons at the time.’
‘Let us sit down until supper is served,’ Lady Wyndham said, ushering them towards chairs and sofas.
They arranged themselves about the room and Isabel contrived to be sitting next to Drew. ‘Do tell me about India,’ she said. ‘Mark has promised to take me there after we are married and I would like to learn all I can before we go. Tell me, is it necessary to speak the language and wear... What do they call those gowns the natives wear?’
‘Saris, Miss Isabel. They are more intricate than they look, but they are very cool in the heat and the fabrics are superb. I have known European women take to them when the heat has become too much.’
‘Oh, I should dearly like to try one.’
‘I am sure you would look charming,’ he said.
‘And what about the language? Is it difficult to learn?’
‘There are several languages in India, but you would not need to learn any of them. The native servants speak a kind of pidgin English and, apart from visits to the bazaar, you would not need to communicate with other natives. And you would never go to the bazaar unless accompanied by someone familiar with the language and customs.’
Jane watched this exchange with some misgiving. It was not polite of her sister to monopolise the gentleman, certainly not at the expense of Mark, who was standing by the window watching them. On the pretence of looking out at the terrace and formal gardens beyond it, she went over to stand beside him.
‘She means no harm, Mark,’ she whispered. ‘She is simply interested because you said you would take her to India.’
‘I know.’
A footman came to tell them supper was served and they made their way into the dining room. They were silent while the servants waited on them, but the conversation began again when they stood aside, this time led by Lord Wyndham and Sir Edward, who began a discussion about the dire state of the nation’s economy. The year before had been miserable, with no summer to speak of, the crops failing and labourers and returning soldiers out of work. There was unrest among them everywhere. At the end of the year there had been a mass meeting at Spa Fields, addressed by Henry Hunt, who had a gift for rabble-rousing, and the whole thing had got out of hand and had to be quelled by the militia. Revolutionary plots were being uncovered everywhere, which had led the Government to suspend habeas corpus and outlaw seditious meetings.
‘It is a mercy we have escaped here in Hadlea,’ his lordship said. ‘I have managed to keep all my men employed and even take on one or two more. No doubt it is the same with you, Cavenhurst?’
‘Indeed,’ Sir Edward said, though he did not elaborate. Jane knew he had not taken on any men for some time, not even when old Crabtree retired at the age of eighty and one of the younger men went off to pastures new.
‘At least there is some good news,’ Lady Wyndham put in. ‘Princess Charlotte is with child again and there are high hopes that she will carry this one to full term.’
‘Let us hope so,’ Lord Wyndham said. ‘A new heir to the throne will divert people from their dislike of the Regent.’ An attempt on the Prince Regent’s life had been made in January when an unknown assailant fired at his carriage on the way back from opening Parliament, but fortunately he had been unhurt.
‘I am concerned for the soldiers’ orphans,’ Jane said. ‘They are living on the streets, learning nothing but to be beggars and thieves. They need homes and a little education to fit them for work when they are old enough.’
‘Yes, it is sad,’ her mother said. ‘But, Jane, I am sure Lord and Lady Wyndham do not want to hear of your project.’
‘On the contrary,’ Lord Wyndham said. ‘I, for one, am interested and should like to hear about it.’ He was a very big man, both in height and breadth, with a round red face, but he smiled a lot and was easy to talk to.
Given a ready listener, Jane launched into an explanation of what she hoped to do, while his lordship and the rest of the company listened intently. She was glad of the audience, it gave her the opportunity to test her persuasive skills. ‘I intend to start with something small, taking local children,’ she said. ‘But even a small home will be costly to run properly. We have to find sponsors.’
‘Jane!’ Her mother was shocked by this talk of money over the supper table.
Lord Wyndham laughed. ‘You daughter is undoubtedly passionate about the subject. I like that and you may count on me for a donation, Miss Cavenhurst.’
‘Thank you, my lord, I am indeed grateful.’
‘I, too, will add to your funds,’ Drew said. ‘What about you, Mark?’
‘Miss Cavendish explained her plans to me some time ago,’ Mark said. ‘I have already promised my contribution.’
‘Everyone is being very free with their blunt,’ Teddy murmured to Jane.
‘Yes, isn’t it wonderful?’ she whispered back. ‘It’s better than gambling it away.’
Annoyed by this barb, he turned away and concentrated on eating.
‘Now let us talk of more pleasant matters,’ Lady Wyndham said. She was an excellent hostess and had seen, if not heard, the exchange between Jane and her brother. ‘How are the wedding plans coming along, Grace?’
Lady Cavenhurst was glad to answer and the meal ended pleasantly and was followed in the drawing room with the girls taking it in turns to play the pianoforte and sing, while a card table was set up for those who wished to play. It was late when the party broke up and Sir Edward’s carriage was brought to the door to take them home.
Chapter Three
‘Mr Ashton is a fascinating man, don’t you think?’ Isabel asked Jane. ‘He has been everywhere and done everything and is so interesting to talk to.’
It was the day after the supper party and the girls and their mother were sitting in the small parlour. Jane was sewing tiny beads on to the skirt of the wedding gown, while Lady Cavenhurst and Isabel sat at the table, writing the invitations on cards.
‘So he may be,’ Jane said, ‘but I think it ill of you to monopolise him in conversation and ignore poor Mark.’
‘Oh, Mark did not mind it. He knows how much I want to travel.’ She picked up one of the invitations. ‘There, I have made a blot on that one. Pass me another, Mama, please.’
‘How many have you crossed off the list?’ Jane queried.
‘About a quarter. We could not take any more off without giving offence and we don’t want Papa to look a pinchcommons, do we?’
‘I do not think catering for fifty is mean, Issie. Papa is worried about the cost. You know what he said this morning.’
Earlier that day Sir Edward had come in from going round the estate with his steward and found his wife and daughters in the morning room, talking about the wedding. Seizing the opportunity of finding them all together, he had delivered a homily on the need to economise. It was a word unknown to Lady Cavenhurst and Isabel. Jane had produced the list she had made, beginning with the notion that they could all spend less on clothes, bonnets and shoes, which had raised a cry of protest from Isabel and Sophie. A second suggestion was that they often wasted food and that Cook should be instructed not to buy exotic produce like lemons and pineapples and only to use fruit and vegetables grown in their own kitchen gardens and to cook no more than was needed for the numbers sitting down to eat. Her ladyship had said that Cook would not like that at all and the provisions for the wedding feast had already been ordered.
‘Unfortunately, even that will not be enough,’ Sir Edward had said. ‘I am afraid there will have to be serious retrenchment.’
Jane had consulted her list again. ‘Then we could cut down on the number of servants. We do not really need three chambermaids and three parlourmaids, and if we helped in the garden ourselves we would not need so many gardeners. I, for one, would not mind doing that. And we could do without the carriage if we had to.’
‘Do without the carriage!’ her mother protested. ‘How are we to go about without one? Tell me that.’
‘We could keep the pony and trap,’ Jane said. ‘One pony is cheaper to keep than four horses and then we would not need more than one groom; Daniel can manage on his own. If we needed to travel further afield, we could go by stage.’
‘Go by stage!’ Her mother was affronted. ‘Impossible.’
‘Perhaps I could take paid employment to help,’ Jane went on, ignoring her mother’s exclamation. She wondered if her mother really understood the gravity of the situation or was simply shutting her eyes to it.
‘Heaven forbid!’ her ladyship exclaimed. ‘You have not been brought up to work, Jane. And what can you do in any case?’
‘I can sew.’
‘Like Miss Smith, I suppose.’
‘No, not like Miss Smith, though there is nothing wrong with what she does. I meant designing and making high-class gowns. Or I could teach. I think I should find that rewarding.’
‘Bless you, Jane,’ Sir Edward said. ‘I hope it will not come to that.’
‘Well, I will not hear of it,’ his wife said. ‘You will make paupers of us.’
‘There is no question of that,’ he said, trying to smile. ‘But we do have to find ways of making substantial savings and the longer we put off doing so, the harder it will be.’
‘What about my wedding?’ Isabel had wailed.
‘I am not proposing to curtail your wedding, Isabel,’ her father told her. ‘But please limit the guests to fifty and try not to be extravagant over the banquet.’
‘We will postpone any decision about savings until after the wedding,’ her ladyship said firmly. ‘Once Isabel is married, no doubt Sophie will follow shortly afterwards and our expenses will not be so great. We may come about without all these measures.’
Sir Edward gave up and left them. No one had mentioned Teddy’s problems, but he was going to have to mend his ways whether he liked it or not. There was no question in Jane’s mind that her inheritance would have to go.
She set the gown aside on a nearby chair. ‘Let me look at the list.’
‘No,’ Isabel said. ‘You will cross everyone off and Mama has approved it. You shall not spoil my wedding, Jane.’
‘Will it spoil it if you have only fifty guests?’
‘Of course it will. I want everyone to see me in my wedding gown, marrying the most eligible bachelor for miles around.’
‘The wedding is not the be-all and end-all of a marriage, Issie. It is only the beginning.’
‘I know that. Do you take me for a fool? And what do you know of it?’
‘Girls, do stop brangling,’ her ladyship put in. ‘It is not becoming and I cannot see how a handful of guests can make you so up in the boughs, Jane dear. It is so unlike you.’
The arrival of a maid to tell them that Mr Wyndham and Mr Ashton had arrived and were asking if the ladies were at home put an end to the conversation and set Isabel in a panic. ‘Mark mustn’t see the dress, Jane. It is unlucky before the day. Put it away quickly.’ She jumped up from her seat and knocked over the ink bottle. Its contents ran across the table and over the chair on which Jane had put the dress. Isabel’s terrible shriek brought the two gentlemen running into the room.
‘What has happened?’ Mark demanded. ‘Are you hurt, Isabel?’
‘Go away. Go away,’ she shouted in a paroxysm of angry tears.
‘But, my dear, you are distressed.’
‘We have had a little accident with the wedding dress,’ Jane told him. She was trying to be calm, but the sight of that black stain on the skirt of the dress had made her heart sink. The beautiful fabric and all those hours of work were ruined. She could have cried herself, but one sobbing woman was enough. ‘I will calm my sister, if you will excuse us for a few minutes.’
‘Of course, we will go away and come back later.’
‘That would be best,’ Lady Cavenhurst said, as she put her arm about her younger daughter to comfort her.
As they bowed their way out Jane rang the bell for a maid to come and clean the table, then she spread the gown out to inspect the damage. ‘It might wash out if we are quick,’ she said.
‘No, it is ruined,’ Isabel cried. ‘How can I go to my wedding in a gown that has been washed? It is a bad omen, a very bad omen.’
‘Do not be so melodramatic, Issie,’ Jane scolded. ‘I will see if there is enough material left over to replace that panel.’ She doubted if there was, but she had to console Isabel somehow.
‘There,’ her ladyship said. ‘Jane does not think it is irretrievable. Do dry your eyes and go up to your room to wash your face, while Jane sees what can be done.’
‘It was her fault,’ Isabel said with an angry pout. ‘She should not have been sitting so close to the table where I was writing.’
Jane was taken aback and opened her mouth to protest, then shut it again. Isabel was in no mood to be reasonable.
‘I do not know what is the matter with you girls today,’ their mother said. ‘I have not heard you quarrel so much since you were tiny children. This wedding is setting everyone at odds with each other.’
A servant arrived to clean up the table and the carpet where some of the ink had spilled and her ladyship helped Isabel from the room, leaving Jane to gather up the gown, being careful not to smear the ink on any other part of it. She carried it up to Miss Smith’s workroom, to find the leftover material.
