Chapter 5

"WEREN'T THEY SUPPOSED TO BE here for business? It seems quite odd that they'd stay for the fair," Lady Diana Beaumont observed the following morning as they reflected on the past events.

"They are trying to secure our interest," Lady Alicia Kirkpatrick murmured a little faintly, as she sipped her tea. "Or at least—Lord Buxton is. Yours, I mean." 

Diana furrowed her brows. "He wasn't the one to suggest—" 

"Maybe he asked Lord Algernon to inquire on his behalf," Alicia interrupted, setting her half finished tea cup aside. "We cannot really know, can we?"

"Alicia, are you alright?" Diana observed her cousin's dismissive manner, her flitting eyes, and discomforted shifts with worry. 

Alicia sighed, before slowly meeting her cousin's eyes in defeat. "I just—I'm worried things are changing. Rebecca will be married soon, hopefully. And that is completely alright, I am happy for her, but then these gentlemen show up? Lord Buxton, of the notorious Buxtons, is now trying to secure your interest?" 

"When you danced with him, I thought nothing of it. But goodness Diana, he sought us out with his friend on our ride in town, and then they ask to escort us to the fair?" Alicia brought her voice to a whisper, being conscious of the presence of our cousins and aunts in the background of where we had laid our scene—the east drawing room of the Mansfield estate. "I only just met Lord Algernon yesterday, but they are very forward men. If our parents hear of this, you are as good as engaged." 

"I believe what I'm trying to say is," Alicia closed her eyes and reopened them again. "I do not want to lose you just yet. In Paris I missed you so much, I could not wait to return. And now I feel like everything will just change quickly whether I like it or not." 

Lady Diana Beaumont listened to her cousin's predicament, a frown on her face as she leaned in to embrace her friend.

"Don't be silly," She spoke softly, separating from the hug. "Nothing is going to change between us, alright? And as for Lord Buxton, you're absolutely silly to assume, Alicia. Just because he is forward does not mean I would fall for it. I don't even know him. We were wrong to assume what we did about him, but other than that, he is just a stranger." 

Alicia nodded, trying to silently convince herself. 

"And besides," Diana mused, leaning for a biscuit on the tray. "Did we not make a pact to marry brothers one day, so we could see each other always?" 

Lady Alicia Beaumont laughed, her initial predicament taking the curtain call as she helped herself to the biscuits too. 

A loud off key music note sounded then and the ladies looked towards their little cousins in the far end of the drawing room. Frances and little Fanny were in the middle of their music lessons with their music tutor, Mr Humbert.

Frances had quite gotten hold of her piano lessons; she was able to play five precise compositions, a handful of notes from each, on the instrument with ease. Little Fanny however was having all the fun she could with her little golden harp. The mismatched tunes she stringed bounced off of the walls of the room. Mr Humbert tried as hard as he could to get the little girl to co-operate, but Fanny really did really have a heart and mind of her own.

"Lady Beaumont, there's a letter arrived for you," A maid spoke as she came in the drawing room. She had a silver tray in her hand, on which lay the letter. Diana nodded and smiled, gesturing for the maid to bring her the letter.

As she leaned in to take it from the tray, she read the sender's information and a smile spread across her face.

"It's from Jessie Churchill," Diana spoke, and then she opened the letter.

"She is back from Portsmouth and has invited us to the rectory for tea," She summed up the contents of the letter and lifted her head to look at Alicia. The letter was lengthy, aside from the invitation, having borne vague news of an incident that happened upon Jessie Churchill's arrival, which involved a tabby cat's infiltration in the rectory pantry, a piece of news that was amusing yet completely uninteresting and of no particular intrigue to Diana at present with her thoughts still edging uncomfortably on Lord Buxton. 

"Tea at the rectory seems quite unorthodox," Alicia observed, looking at her cousin as they exchanged debating glances.

"I am sure we can convince her to have supper outside in the rectory gardens, besides I dare say, it's been such a while since we've seen her," Diana reasoned.

Jessie Churchill, no matter how equally unorthodox, was their friend. 

"Yes, then I am afraid I have no reason to object," Alicia shrugged.

It was half past two in the afternoon and Mansfield estate was quieter and more pleasant than usual. Miles and Henrietta were at their school, which was a ten minute carriage ride away from the Mansfield estate, taking their usual law, history and geography classes for the day. They were to return at six pm. Mary Ann and Judith were in the middle of their Latin lessons by a hired tutor in a room upstairs. The girls, one being thirteen and the other ten, weren't old enough to go to a public school just yet and this was the traditional way of getting their education started before that endeavor. Lady Kirkpatrick was upstairs too as she liked to watch her nieces in their baby steps towards mastering the language. 

The mismatched harp strings quietened down and glancing towards her little cousins amidst their music lessons, Diana noticed little Fanny's droopy eyes as the little girl yawned a small yawn. Diana smiled.

"I think that is enough harp lessons for Fanny today, Mr Humbert," Diana said, nodding her head towards the tutor as she made her way to Fanny in a sofa chair, cuddling the little harp in her lap. Putting the harp aside, Diana picked her little cousin up, and the girl immediately wrapped her tiny arms around Diana's neck and made herself comfortable as she closed her eyes.

"Martha," Diana called and minutes later, a maid rushed into the drawing room. "Take Fanny and put her to bed." The maid was instructed and Diana helped the maid take Fanny in her arms. "After that, please ask Lady Rebecca Seymour to the drawing room and inform the chauffeur to prepare the carriage." Diana further instructed, and the maid quickly nodded in response. Then with a curtsy, she turned around and took her leave.

"I am sure Rebecca can watch Frances during the reminder of her lesson," Diana said as she looked towards Alicia, who nodded in response. It was improper to leave a child, as young as Frances, alone with a tutor. The family always took turns with that sort of responsibility.

"Frances dear, Alicia and I are going out for a while alright? Rebecca will be here to watch you play," Diana called to Frances, who turned to look at her cousins and uttered a cheerful, "Alright," as she bobbed her head to the sound of the piano rhythm she played.

Soon, Lady Rebecca Seymour entered the drawing room and Alicia and Diana informed her that the two would be heading out for supper at a friend's and that they needed her to chaperone Frances during her lessons.

With Rebecca happily obliging, Diana and Alicia made their way into the front drawing room, which was the bigger and the more glamorous one of the Mansfield estate. It was also the more formal one, where the guests were mostly received. The aunts and uncles were undoubtedly there this afternoon.

Entering the drawing room in question, the ladies informed their parents of their invitation for tea at the rectory by their friend Jessie Churchill. There were a little concerns arising from the fact that the ladies were to have tea at the rectory, and how unorthodox it seemed. After explaining the concerned that they will be having tea in the gardens instead of inside the rectory itself, the parents, aunts and uncles were successfully convinced.

Oscar Seymour, who had business that was taking him towards the rectory's path, asked if he could escort Diana and Alicia along, and the ladies willingly obliged.

"Miss Churchill was in an engagement last year, if I recall correctly," Oscar recalled as the carriage made its way to the rectory on the sunny afternoon. There was news of the sort unravelling in the county last year, and since the vicar, Mr Churchill, was a respected member of the Southampton society, the matter did not take much time to indulge everyone's interest.

"It was only a courtship, I don't think they were engaged," Diana replied, then she continued, "And, it is impolite to bring up such a matter, Oscar."

Oscar shrugged nonchalantly. "Such idle connections are unnecessary and time consuming," he uttered, disregarding Diana's remark, "Either get engaged or not, all this dilly dallying is not befitting someone from our parish rectory." 

Dilly dallying. Diana wondered if that was what Oscar would call the encounters she has been having with Lord Buxton.

Alicia rolled her eyes at her cousin's ignorance. "And what, may I ask, do you know about honest connections, dear cousin?"

Oscar's smug expression changed to that of confusion at being cornered like that. His eyebrows did a little dance as he struggled to find the words to defend his honor, "I-I know plenty, you seem to forget that I, being older than you ladies, have acquired much experience in these sort of things."

It was Diana's turn now to roll her eyes at her older cousin's observations.

"Oscar, being a year older than us, does not make you more experienced," Diana stated sternly, and then her expression changed to that of a mischievous one as she exchanged glances with Alicia and continued, "Poor Miss Fisher has been telling the county all about your admirable courting qualities."

Oscar scoffed in disregard, "I'd rather court a duck."

Alicia and Diana laughed at Oscar's response. Being as full of himself as he was, it was enticing to aggravate him, and Miss Fisher's mere mention always seemed to do just that. It wasn't that she wasn't an accomplished girl; in fact she was more accomplished than it would do good to be. She was of Alicia and Diana's age, and even though she had the ability to be a regarded lady like them, her fortunes had held her back. Diana and Alicia had, on occasion, tired to take the lady under their wing, but she had turned out to be exactly the Mrs Hart kind of company their family frowned upon. 

Shaking the thought of the girl off her mind, Diana noticed that they had arrived at the rectory. Mr Churchill and his daughter Jessie Churchill stood at the gates to welcome their guests.

Mr Churchill quickly scurried towards the carriage as it came to a halt, with the intention of helping the ladies off. Oscar Seymour, who had noticed the vicar's intentions, quickly jumped off the carriage himself and before the old vicar could approach, Oscar was already helping his cousins off as he took their gloved hands one by one and lead them down the small steps to the ground.

"Ah," The vicar uttered the disappointed sigh, then putting a broad smile on his face, he continued, "I must say how delightful it is to have such delicate company at the rectory this evening."

Diana and Alicia smiled and did a little curtsy towards the vicar before approaching Jessie. They embraced Jessie in a hug.

"Jessie dear, it is so wonderful to see you," Diana gushed as he hugged her friend. "Yes," Alicia agreed, "Thank you for inviting us."

"No, Thank you for coming," Jessie responded, equally as happy to see her friends.

Jessie Churchill had been a friend to Diana and Alicia ever since they were little. Meeting on every Sunday at the church as little girls, friendship hadn't taken much time to blossom. Being older as they were now, they hardly ever got time to spend with each other, with all their lives getting as intricate as they were.

As Jessie led the ladies inside, Mr Churchill turned to Oscar, who was getting ready to climb into the carriage.

"Ah, Lord Oscar Seymour," Mr Churchill called, "Won't you stay? My daughter, Jessie, made excellent pastries for the evening. You know how good of a cook she is, I dare say, God has blessed her hands so."

Oscar closed his eyes tightly in annoyance at the vicar's emphasized plea. This wasn't the first time the vicar had done this, hinted at his want for Oscar to find interest in his daughter. In fact, the vicar seemed to do this every single time Oscar crossed his path. It seemed to Oscar that the vicar did not entirely approve of his daughter's previous courtship and was bent on trying to find her a suitable suitor himself. 

Oscar remembered last Sunday at church when Mr Churchill had stopped him after the prayers, to talk about how his daughter was feeling under the weather and how she liked to walk in the country side at such times. Oscar had rolled his eyes inwardly at the fact that the vicar was hoping Oscar would take a coincidental walk in the country side too. In fact, to rid himself of such a notion even, Oscar preferred to stay home entirely the rest of that day.

At first he had had fun playing along and trying to see what lengths the vicar could go to just to see his daughter engaged to Oscar, but now all of it was just getting on his nerves. He cringed to think what people, or even his family and cousins, might make out if rumors got out.

He had no interest in the vicar's daughter whatsoever and to be associated with her in a scandal and get his reputation tarnished was the last thing on his mind.

"I am afraid I can't, I only eat pastries the chef at my estate makes and occasionally Diana's if she makes them," Oscar stated, with a polite frown on his face to make his refusal convincing, "And besides, please do not take this the wrong way Mr Churchill, for god bless you and your family for what you do for our parish, but I'd rather be doing anything else than having pastries at a rectory."

Mr Churchill uttered a slight gasp as his lips parted in shock.

"Now, I must be on my way," Oscar let out, smiling a satisfied smile as he took off his black top hat and did a bow of the head towards the shocked vicar in curtsy, "Pip pip cheerio."

As the words left Oscar's mouth, the chauffeur pulled the reins and the carriage started moving, quickening its pace until the distance between it and the rectory grew.

The vicar stood there, stunned and glued to the spot. He stared after the disappearing figure of the black carriage. Aligning the thoughts that were in his head and comparing them with the righteous ways of God, he suddenly smiled.

"Nay, he's just modest. He'll come around," The vicar smiled excitedly as he clutched a little book of prayers he held in his hand to his chest and scurried off.





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"It is such a lovely day today, isn't it?" Miss Jessie Churchill smiled as she opened the curtains in the rectory's drawing room window.

"Yes it is and we were wondering," Alicia started as she looked at Diana, "That whether we could have tea outside in the gardens? It seems such a waste to not take advantage of this day."

Jessie's eyebrows rose in agreement as she seemed delighted with the idea. "Oh, of course! I'll tell the maid to arrange tea outside," Jessie exclaimed as she rushed out of the drawing room.

Minutes later, she returned, with the same bright smile on her face. "Let us go outside and take a walk until the maid sets tea up in the garden," Jessie proposed, to which, Diana and Alicia delightfully obliged.

"So, how did you find Portsmouth?" Alicia asked as the girls walked side by side in the well maintained rectory gardens.

"Oh, I thought it was quite dreadful," Jessie uttered with a chuckle, causing Diana and Alicia to look at her and debate whether she was being honest.

"Really, it is such a shift of air," Jessie continued, shrugging, "If my poor aunt wasn't there, I'd never have any reason to go and honestly I would have liked it better that way."

"Did you have occasion to call on our Aunt Frederica?" Alicia asked, a sudden want of a recent account on how her uncle's family were doing. 

"Yes I did, actually," Jessie responded brightly, "They were preparing to head off for Southampton for the fair. They are all doing very well, I think. They will get such a fresh change of air here I dare say, I'm quite excited to see how they fare here. I should hate to be living in Portsmouth on the daily. I suppose they should long for color." 

Diana felt her heart sink at the image that started to form of Portsmouth in her head. Her only uncle, her mother's brother, lived there with his family. It was his work that had kept him tied there. No matter how much his sisters and his brothers in law tried to convince him to come and live in Southampton, he just would not. Even with his brothers in law's connections in the Southampton society, he was at a benefit for securing a profitable job, but Mr Arthur Fleming was too independent to depend on anyone. 

She exchanged sad glances with Alicia, as they both clung to the same thought. Their uncle had two little boys, one was already ten years of age and the other was close to Fanny's age. Another little one was on the way as their aunt, his wife, was pregnant. It pained both Alicia and Diana to think that their little cousins were growing up in such a place.

Happy letters from the family here went to Portsmouth to their uncle every single week, and happy letters would return. But Diana felt as though she would only be convinced of her uncle and his family's well being once she saw them happy in person. They were coming in a day for the Southampton fair the coming weekend and Diana and Alicia both, were looking forward to see them.

"You both are going to the fair, are you not?" Jessie asked, changing the heavy subject.

"Of course we are," Alicia smiled. 

"I have a feeling this year's fair is going to be different than the rest, in a good way," Jessie mused as she took in the fresh evening air, "Oh; the maid is done setting up. Come, let us have tea."




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"Poor Uncle Arthur won't even get a day to rest before the fair tomorrow, he and his family must be exhausted from their journey," Lady Diana Beaumont sighed as she looked at herself in the mirror. 

It was eight in the morning and everyone had just woken up. It took about half past nine for the ladies of the house especially, to get themselves dressed for the day and come downstairs for breakfast and thus the men, in order to have a family breakfast, had to wait till everyone was down.

Diana was getting her hair done in an elegant do by her lady's maid when Alicia had entered her room. The girls liked to start their mornings together at the Mansfield estate by having a quick private or sometimes detailed conversation about the agendas for the day.

"If you ask me, I don't think he'll be able to stay long after the fair too," Alicia stated as her lady's maid helped her fit her dress properly. "I will never understand why he would not move out here and let our fathers help him secure a position in society."

Diana sighed, "You know how Uncle Arthur is, he would never ask or take any help for his family and work."

Alicia sighed in agreement.  

"Alicia, I was thinking something and I ought to discuss it with you," Diana suddenly remembered and turned to look at her cousin who now sat on the bed, admiring her face and hair in a intricate golden hand mirror that she held up.

"Is it about Aunt Frederica?" Alicia sighed as she looked at the anxious face of her cousin's nodding at her.

Putting the mirror aside, Alicia let out a deep breath. Diana had brought up the matter quite a few times before, without any solution. But at this moment, Alicia believed her cousin had finally thought of a solution to the matter, but what was bothering her was the dreaded notion that Diana might've settled on something rather fearful.

"I have thought about this and I just can't bear it. I just can't bear for Aunt Frederica being alone and not tended to, at the birth of her third child. You know how she has continuously refused to have a maid by her side, complaining how expensive and tedious the arrangement would be," Diana started, building up to her proposal, "I hoped she was due around the time of the fair so we could be by her side and she could have the child here, but that seems highly unlikely according to her physician. I have decided that I will go to Portsmouth with Uncle Arthur and Aunt Frederica, to be there for them as help."

Alicia's brows raised in shock as Diana suggested the very notion she had been dreading, but expecting, none the least.

"Go to Portsmouth? That dreadful place?" Alicia exclaimed, hoping and praying that Diana would be joking, but her cousin's expressions were as firm and determined as she knew them to be in matters of importance.

"I have to. Aunt Frederica will not accept any maid that we may try to send with her. She cannot care for Michael and Theodore while she's due soon, you know how much of a handful those little boys are, and Uncle Arthur is barely home," Diana finished with a sigh.

Alicia could not find words to say what she was feeling. Diana was right, Aunt Frederica will have it extremely rough if she did not get the help she ought to. She felt a pang in her heart and she closed her eyes and thought about them. Diana and Alicia were little girls when their Uncle Arthur married Aunt Frederica. He had met her in Portsmouth, she was the daughter of a well known trade merchant and thus Uncle Arthur's interest in her had shocked Alicia and Diana's parents very much.

Uncle Arthur's sisters were strictly against the match, they tried all they could to introduce Uncle Arthur to eligible young ladies in Southampton at that time. They brought him along to every ball and made him pay calls to ladies they found to be a perfect match. But despite being the younger brother of four, rather opinionated, sisters, Uncle Arthur had always had a strong will and mind set of his own.

Their mothers and aunts had later warmed up to Aunt Frederica and the wedding was the most beautiful affair Southampton had ever seen. Diana, Alicia and the rest of the children in the family, loved their new aunt, she was beautiful, witty and had quite a way with words, but she too, was as strong willed as her husband.

Alicia could not seem to find a away to disagree with all that Diana has proposed, she too wanted to help with this ordeal, but she was hesitant about Portsmouth. Anywhere else in the world would be completely fine with her, but Portsmouth?

"Fine," Alicia sighed at last, she too had settled on something and the fact was annoying her greatly. But then again, she would very soon give up her own comfort for someone she loved. "If you go, I go too," Alicia stated firmly as she got up and left Diana's room.

Diana looked after her and smiled. She hadn't thought that Alicia would ever agree to going to Portsmouth for the world, if it was only her required to tend Aunt Frederica, then yes. But since Diana was going, Alicia had no need to come along, the fact that she had decided to, and now Diana would have her most cherished companion and family by her side, was filling her heart with joy. 

She inhaled a breath, the thought of leaving her life here behind for a while was frightening but it had to be done. 

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