‘None at all, ma’am, I thank you,’ I said, for I was resolved to protect Eliza’s reputation as far as I was able. ‘It was merely a letter of business.’
‘But how came the hand to discompose you so much, if it was only a letter of business?’ she asked eagerly. ‘Come, come, this won’t do, Colonel; so let us hear the truth of it.’
‘My dear madam,’ said her daughter, ‘recollect what you are saying.’
‘Perhaps it is to tell you that your cousin is married?’ said Mrs Jennings, without attending to her daughter’s reproof.
‘No, indeed, it is not.’
‘Well, then, I know who it is from, Colonel. And I hope she is well.’
‘Whom do you mean, ma’am? ’ I asked, colouring a little.
‘Oh! you know who I mean.’
I ignored her remark and said briskly to Mary, ‘I am particularly sorry that I should receive this letter today, for it is on business which requires my immediate attendance in town.’
‘In town!’ cried Mrs Jennings. ‘What can you have to do in town at this time of year?’
‘My own loss is great in being obliged to leave so agreeable a party; but I am the more concerned, as I fear my presence is necessary to gain your admittance at Whitwell,’ I said.
I saw their disappointed faces, but it could not be helped.
‘But if you write a note to the housekeeper, will it not be sufficient?’ said Miss Marianne.
I did not like to disappoint her, but I said, ‘I am afraid not.’
‘We must go,’ said Sir John good-humouredly. ‘It shall not be put off when we are so near it. You cannot go to town till tomorrow, Brandon, that is all.’
‘I wish it could be so easily settled. But it is not in my power to delay my journey for one day!’
‘If you would but let us know what your business is,’ said Mrs Jennings, ‘we might see whether it could be put off or not.’
‘You would not be six hours later,’ said Willoughby, ‘if you were to defer your journey till our return.’
‘I cannot afford to lose one hour.’
I heard Willoughby say in a low voice to Miss Marianne, ‘There are some people who cannot bear a party of pleasure. Brandon is one of them. He was afraid of catching cold, I dare say, and invented this trick for getting out of it. I would lay fifty guineas the letter was of his own writing.’
‘I have no doubt of it,’ came her mocking reply.
I was annoyed, because his influence on her was not a good one, but I let them think what they would, for I had to go.
‘There is no persuading you to change your mind, Brandon, I know of old, when once you are determined on anything, ’ said Sir John. ‘But, however, I hope you will think better of it. Consider, here are the two Misses Carey come over from Newton, the three Misses Dashwood walked up from the cottage, and Mr Willoughby got up two hours before his usual time, on purpose to go to Whitwell.’
‘I am sorry to disappoint you all, but I am afraid it is unavoidable. ’
‘Well then, when will you come back again?’
I was about to reply when I was spared the necessity by Mary’s intervention, and I was grateful for her good breeding, which made my going easier.
‘I hope we shall see you at Barton as soon as you can conveniently leave town,’ she said, ‘and we must put off the party to Whitwell till you return.’
I silently thanked her for her kindness, but said that, as I did not know when I would have the power to return, I could not engage for it.
‘Oh! he must and shall come back,’ cried Sir John, with ill-timed jocularity. ‘If he is not here by the end of the week, I shall go after him.’
‘Ay, so do, Sir John,’ cried Mrs Jennings, ‘and then perhaps you may find out what his business is.’
‘I do not want to pry into other men’s concerns. I suppose it is something he is ashamed of,’ he said with a wink.
To my relief, my horse was announced.
‘You do not go to town on horseback, do you?’ asked Sir John in surprise.
‘No, only to Honiton. I shall then go post.’
‘Well, as you are resolved to go, I wish you a good journey. ’
I took my leave, saying to Miss Dashwood, ‘Is there no chance of my seeing you and your sisters in town this winter? ’
‘I am afraid, none at all,’ she replied.
‘Then I must bid you farewell for a longer time than I should wish to do.’
I bowed to Miss Marianne and left the room. As the door closed behind me, I heard Mrs Jennings saying to Miss Dashwood in a low voice, ‘I can guess what his business is, however. It is about Miss Williams, I am sure. She is his natural daughter. ’
I was not surprised to hear her say so, for she had intimated her belief to me in the past, but I wished she would have kept quiet, all the same, the more so because she was wrong in her conjecture.
But I had no more time to waste on thoughts of Mrs Jennings. My horse was ready, and I was soon away.
Thursday 27 October
As soon as I arrived in London, I went immediately to the address Eliza had given me in her letter. I was relieved to see that, although nothing grand, it was at least respectable. A maid-servant let me in, and when I asked for Eliza, a woman came bustling from the back of the house. She was clean and homely, and said to me, ‘Did I hear you say you’d come for Eliza? Mrs Williams? ’
I started at the use of Mrs, and I wondered if she was, after all, married, but then I realized that she would not have used her own surname if that had been the case.
However, her landlady thought she was married, and I did not wish to disabuse her of the notion.
‘Yes, I have.’
‘At last! I’ve been expecting someone to come for weeks past.’ She turned to the maid. ‘I’ll take care of this,’ she said.
‘Yes, Mrs Hill.’
The maid departed.
‘ “Write to them,” I said to her,’ continued Mrs Hill, leading me into the house. “Your family’ll help you. You shouldn’t be on your own, not in a state like this.” But, “I don’t like to trouble them,” she said. “Where’s the trouble?” I said, but you know how women are in her condition. You’ve come with news of Mr Williams, I hope? Have you found him.’
‘I regret to say that I have not.’
She shook her head and clucked her tongue.
‘It’s a bad business. I said to my sister, “What’s the world coming to when fine young gentlemen abandon their wives?” and she said, “He could be dead,” and I said, “I’m sure I hope he is, for at least that would explain it, only he seemed too young to die.” And then she said, “Maybe he’s got the smallpox,” but as I said to her, “I hope it’s not the smallpox. Just think of my sheets,” so then she said he probably dropped off his horse, as gentlemen have a habit of doing.’
By this time we had reached a set of rooms at the back of the house and she knocked on the door.
‘Mrs Williams. Mrs Williams, my dear. Here’s your cousin come to help you.’ She turned to me. ‘I’ll fetch you some tea,’ she said to me, as she opened the door. ‘I’m sure you could do with some, and her, too, poor mite.’
I thanked her and entered the room. It was shabbily furnished and the paper was peeling off the walls at the corners, but it was clean, and to my relief, there on the sofa was Eliza.
She sprang up on seeing me, her face a mixture of misery, shame, joy and despair. Her flowing gown rested on her front and I saw that her time was near. She put her hand to her back to support herself and I moved forward quickly, helping her to sit down again, but not before she had thrown her arms round my neck and wept great hot tears.
‘There, now, there is nothing to cry about,’ I said. ‘Every thing will be all right. You may depend on me. I am here.’