The Ironmaster's Tale (71)

[the_comfortable_courtesan]

One day he looked in upon the girls’ lesson and discovered that, most excellent instructive, they were tracing the course of Frank’s voyage to Madras, and the places he would pass, and as he entered Bess and Meg were expressing entire shock and horror at what Miss Netherne had just told 'em of the slave-trade that still went on from the ill-omened Bight of Benin.

But sure, my dears, said Josiah, the Royal Navy patrols against the scoundrels (had he not heard Admiral Knighton expatiate upon that subject: that is fit work for a sailor!).

'Tis so, agreed Miss Netherne, 'tis admirable work. But indeed there are many things that ladies may do to rouse feeling against the dreadful trade, and also more actively, as in refusing to purchase sugar from the West Indies.

O, Papa, I hope we do not have West Indian sugar in the household!

Josiah almost smiled. Eliza had said she would not dare, knowing Lady Jane’s ferocity on the subject. We do not, he said.

Then the boys came home from school, and Mr Morrison sent with them most excellent reports, 'twas most exceeding gratifying to hear how well they did. And although they would declare that they were grown too old themselves for playing bears, they would concede to do so because, they said, they could see little Quintus enjoyed it so.

So he was happy to have such a thriving family about him, business matters going so well, &C. But although Clorinda had laughed and said that she was in Surrey and not in some Gothic castle, she was far enough away, and that horrid creature Gorston was nigh enough unto a villain – sure one suspected that only the necessity of behaving proper to his cloth kept him within bounds – that they must worry almost as much as if she was one of Mrs Radcliffe’s heroines. Still, they were somewhat reassured by the intelligence that MacDonald went spend the Yuletide season with her –

What, said Eliza, he does not go with His Lordship to Ammerpark?

I fancy that His Lordship is obliged to entertain family connexions and county neighbours and is unable to attend to business, so there is no occupation for Mr MacDonald, and a secretary is like a governess, in a betwixt-and-between position, may be a little uncomfortable. He sighed. I fancy, though His Lordship does not complain, that there are still difficulties from the way things used to be in the household in his father’s day, the servants have got into ways.

I apprehend your meaning, said Eliza with a grimace. Docket has made entire clear to me the ways in which servants may show insolent without one can make any definite complaint upon 'em, and she is exceeding fierce in defending my consequence in such matters.

And you do not mind being without her over this season?

Indeed not. She goes visit her old friend that is Mamzelle Bridgette – they were in service together, as giddy girls, she says, in their first place, 'tis somewhat hard to imagine – and sure I am not going about in fine company at this time. Can readily contrive. But sure it will be agreeable for our beloved to have Mr MacDonald’s company.

I take a little concern about this plot she weaves for the parson’s benefit that the sea-captain has not been heard of this very long time and is feared for, and His Lordship, that she gives out his friend, goes about to establish an interest does she turn out a well-provided widow, and Mr MacDonald, that is supposed a friend to them both, takes a suspicion of this undertaking –

Why, I fancy 'tis a device to beguile the tedium of the place, for she will complain considerable of boredom, even does scribbling upon her tale do somewhat to alleviate it.

Sure, when he thought of her life in Town, the amount of society she saw, the friends and acquaintance she had, the contrivances she ever had upon hand for the good of this or that one, she must find her life sadly dull at present.

They wrapped up warmly – for the weather showed some disposition to snow and there was a grim grey sky – and walked up to where the new house would be. 'Twas still largely a matter of foundations being dug and cellars excavated, but the work began to come on. Mayhap this time next year – he said.

Eliza sniffed. Even is the house completed, I am like to think there will be a deal of making it fit for habitation – painting, furnishing, &C. I will not get up my hopes.

Still, he said, turning to look down from the vantage point the situation gave upon the town, once 'tis all finished and in order I fancy 'twill be the finest house in the town.

Why, I fear there will be some emulation now you have led the way.

Mayhap!

They walked hand in hand back to the house nigh unto the ironworks, already decked out with greenery for Yuletide. There were letters come from Town waiting for them, some for him, some for her.

They settled into the family room to read them, as the children played about the floor. But there was one that perhaps they would save until they were more private, sent under Lord Raxdell’s frank. They exchanged titbits of news and gossip from their correspondents, made sure that the children did not play too roughly or brangle with one another.

At last, at night, in their bedchamber, they broke the seal on the letter from their darling. She gave them various news of her household – Prue showed a tiresome tendency to go be exceeding pious and would wish to be ever be running off to prayer-meetings &C – I daresay, said Eliza, 'tis her age, girls of that age may get into that way – and Roberts appeared to be making suit to Seraphine, but it went most exceeding slow. However, he seemed very took with Julius, an excellent sign. She greatly missed her dearest loves, that she might only be with in imagination –

Josiah looked at Eliza to see whether she had reached the end of the page. She nodded, and he turned it.

So I employ the powers of the imagination to imagine what I might do were they here with me –

Josiah gulped and Eliza drew in a breath. For Clorinda drew a most detailed picture in words of what she imagined they might do together.

The letter fluttered to the floor. Spunge? asked Josiah in urgent tones. Eliza nodded.

Some while later, Eliza stirred and said, why, Jos’, when we reply, sure we should say somewhat of what we should do with our darling was we with her –

Why, my love, do you feel moved to write in such fashion I will entire subscribe to it myself!

She kissed him and said, but they should put this letter in some safe place.

Indeed so!

Josiah strolled down to the newspaper office to convoke with Lowndes about one or two matters, and to invite him to come dine upon Christmas Day, for a single fellow that lived in lodgings, must otherwise be a rather mournful time for him, and found Abbott there, handing in a piece upon vaccination.

How now, Abbott! Does your sister come for the season?

Alas, sighed the surgeon, the headmistress has begged her to stay: there are several girls at the school may not go home – parents abroad, in the Indies, or recruiting their health in the Mediterranean sunlight, and so forth – so they try to make an agreeable little holiday for 'em, and cheer their spirits.

Why, is’t so, you must come to us and dine along with Mr Lowndes and Mr Dalgleish.

Abbott looked exceeding cheered at this, and Josiah collected that he had shown attentive to Miss Netherne at the late ball. He hoped that there would not come a rivalry to affect the friendship 'twixt the two young men.

Abbott smiled and said, one would not refuse an invitation to the fine table Mrs Ferraby set! Was most exceeding obliged – that was, providing there was no emergency came to him.

'Tis an understood thing in your profession, said Josiah. And how goes your work for the propagation of vaccination?

Why, said Abbott, there are a deal of the better sort come about to have their offspring scratched with the cowpox, now they hear 'tis an entire fashionable practice, but what one would like to do is put on hand a scheme to provide vaccination for the poor, that are in most particular risque does there come an epidemic.

Well-thought-of, said Josiah, will go consider upon how one might come at that. Mayhap see has any done somewhat similar elsewhere. 

Comments

[nenya_kanadka]

Josiah gulped and Eliza drew in a breath. For Clorinda drew a most detailed picture in words of what she imagined they might do together.

Good lord. That is amazingly, delightfully sexy. And omg Eliza writing back! 😍

[aedifica]

I seem to have become the Miss Netherne Appreciation Society. I like her even more after seeing a bit of one of her lessons!

Also: ooh, that letter.

[rymenhild]

The progressive politics is one of the great delights of this series. I love Miss Netherne teaching antislavery and Abbot planning to vaccinate the poor.

I also love naughty Clorinda and her letter..

!

[kathmandu]

There was a letter?! She actually wrote that down in a letter? And Eliza wrote back?!

I mind me of Miss G coming back from the Antipodes, and catching up on all the things that each of them had considered too dangerous to put in a letter.

...I'm kind of surprised these letters never re-surfaced under untoward circumstances. But glad they didn't!

Re: !

[the_comfortable_courtesan]

Flora's birth and the need for secrecy over her parentage, and everybody rising in society/political circles, significantly increased the need for discretion.
(But that would be a great plot for The Next Generation...)

[entirelydisregardablelout]

Prue showed a tiresome tendency to go be exceeding pious and would wish to be ever be running off to prayer-meetings &C

Wasn't that a short-sighted reaction?

the poor, that are in most particular risque does there come an epidemic

Given how goes the world as I read this, it gives me a shiver down my spine.