A New War

by John G. Cragg

  Daphne Moorhouse, while not receiving any warning herself, did instruct her servants and farmworkers of the dangers, even though she suspected that they knew as much of the hazards of associating with soldiers as she did

  The soldiers were bivouacked for the time being on Ameschester Common, but their officers were billeted in the inns. The exception was the colonel. Although no one was billeted in private homes, and the Moorhouses would have been in no danger of having unwanted guests in any case, they had invited Colonel Craig and his wife to stay at Dipton Manor while the Lord Mosley’s Regiment was in the area. At first, this produced consternation among the young ladies, since they could hardly send their fathers to welcome the Colonel to their neighborhood in the hopes of meeting young officers to whom they could deliver reciprocal invitations to visit. The problem was that it was unlikely that the target officers would be attending their Colonel at the hours when such calls would be made, so the invitations could only include Colonel and Mrs. Craig for a quite purposeless engagement. Some of the more devious realized that this was not in itself a drawback.

  “Mr. Butler,” said Mrs. William Butler one day, “we must invite Colonel Craig and his wife to dinner to welcome them to the neighborhood.”

  “Very well, Mrs. Butler,” replied Mr. Butler, “but we cannot invite them without also inviting Mr. Moorhouse and Miss Moorhouse. The Craigs are, after all, the guests at Dipton Manor.”

  “True enough, Mr. Butler, but you know how little Mr. Moorhouse likes to go out. Quite possibly the Moorhouses will refuse the invitation on some excuse or other.”

  “I am afraid, my dear, that I still do not see how this can advance your schemes for the girls.”

  “That is the beauty of it, Mr. Butler. When I extend the invitation --- for I can call on Mrs. Craig -- you need not visit the Colonel – I can suggest that the Colonel bring two of his junior officers to make up the numbers. Since Miss Moorhouse is almost certain to be away from home, I can extend the invitation to Mr. Moorhouse himself when I am leaving. I will not be surprised if he refuses it. Even if he does accept, it is only two more people and Miss Moorhouse is no obstacle to our girls meeting the young officers.”

  Mrs. Butler put her scheme in motion as soon as she could. Miss Moorhouse was indeed not home, but Mrs. Craig was and welcomed the invitation. So, regrettably did Mr. Moorhouse who knew that his daughter enjoyed social evenings even though he himself did not. The evening went surprisingly well. Although previous conversations with the Moorhouses could be presumed to have removed the most obvious subject of conversation – an introduction to the Dipton area – talk flowed easily about other matters. Daphne seemed particularly adept at keeping the conversation going and eliciting a great deal of relevant information from the two lieutenants whom the Craigs had brought along to make up the numbers. They indeed seemed highly eligible young men, each embarking on a professional career whose pursuit had been interrupted by the present needs of the Regiment. Lieutenant Srangway was about to become a doctor, and was praised by Colonel Craig as a very useful addition to the medical resources at his disposal; while Lieutenant Barrows was articling with a solicitor’s firm in Bradford. It was only when she overheard Susan quietly arranging for Catherine and Susan to meet the young officers in Ameschester at the tea shop that Mrs. Butler saw the weakness of her strategy. Since the officers had duties in Ameschester that would prevent them making afternoon calls on the gentry of Dipton, girls wanting to further their acquaintance would have to see them in Ameschester, unsupervised by their mothers.

  The effectiveness of Mrs. Butler’s designs was cast into further doubt by the arrival of Captain Bush’s family in Dipton. This had not been expected to occur until work on Dipton Dower Cottage was finished. Neither Mr. Moorhouse nor Daphne had thought it worth mentioning to anyone before the arrival of Captain Bush and his family that they had invited them to lodge at Dipton Manor until the Dower Cottage was ready. Daphne had delayed instructing her housekeeper about the visitors until their arrival was imminent.

  There was no problem in accommodating both the Bushes and the Craigs. Dipton Manor was a large rambling house that had grown over the ages by the addition of many rooms. None was excessively large, but the dining room could seat twenty at a pinch and the drawing room a similar number. Daphne and Mr. Moorhouse normally used only the dining room, the drawing room and Mr. Moorhouse’s library. The first parlor was easily given over to Colonel and Mrs. Craig, while the second parlor could accommodate the Bush family, so each group had their own space if they did not want to meet with the others.

  The change in the attractiveness of the great strategy arose from the additional numbers that would be required of an invitation. Just as the Moorhouses could not be excluded from an invitation to the Craigs, neither could the Bushes. And that invitation would not only have to be extended to Captain and Mrs. Bush, but also to two additional ladies, Bush’s sisters, both of the critical age. Admittedly, these additional young ladies would need to be balanced by two more young officers, However, where the original strategy had only required six guests, and two of them the target of the enterprise, the new situation would require another six guests, only two of whom would add to men before whom the charms of the young ladies could be displayed. A dinner with eighteen people would strain the resources of many of the families. The additional guests would actually provide three more eligible bachelors, since Captain Bush himself was eminently eligible, missing limbs or not, but the Misses Bush might present accomplished alternatives to the prizes whose offering was the whole purpose of the social gathering.

  In making these calculations, the schemers usually left Daphne Moorhouse out of their matrimonial reckonings, since she seemed so singularly not to exhibit those attributes that were believed to be necessary for a young lady to land a suitor. These charms largely were rooted in the ability to dress in a handsome manner, to engage men in shallow conversation that flattered them and that offered no opinions which might drive the hearers away, and to perform music, with reasonable skill, either on the piano forte or by singing. It seemed to be overlooked in considering the benefits and dangers of the invitations that Miss Moorhouse, though she showed no interest in endless discussions of clothes fashions with other women, was, when visiting, as attractively dressed as any of the others. Furthermore, while simpering was no part of Daphne’s repertoire, she seemed to be able to hold conversations with gentlemen, with whom she was not herself bored, a good deal longer than any of the other young ladies. In addition, the belief that she lacked musical ability stemmed from her having no wish to perform in public while others were desirous do to so. When called upon, Daphne performed as well as three-quarters of the others. The failure of the schemers to recognize what a threat Daphne could be arose from their mistaking her doubt about the effectiveness or importance of the required social charms in attaining their purpose for a lack of those attractions herself.

  Mrs. Bush was a rather dumpy woman, with a constant put-upon look as her standard demeanor. Only when reacting to some witticism that tickled her fancy did a smile break out that indicated that she had been less sour at an earlier age. She was, however, agreeable enough, her prime social weakness being to compare things, usually unfavorably, with Harwich, a habit particularly annoying since everyone was aware that she had been most impatient to leave Essex. Bush’s sisters were rather gawky girls, unsure of themselves, and speaking in what some claimed was an Essex-tinged accent. They did seem to be a pleasant pair, though without many airs or accomplishments. They spoke little, and what they did say was unremarkable. The consensus among the Dipton ladies was that they were no particular threat to their own matrimonial endeavors. Bush himself was regarded as a pleasant young man, certainly a very eligible catch, though rather taciturn and with a most regrettable tendency to talk about most abstruse matters of history with Mr. Moorhouse. Possibly the move to the Dower Cottage would cure him of that tendency. Several ladies went out of their way to cultivate Mrs. Bush and h
er two daughters in the hope of thereby gaining in time privileged entrée to the Dower Cottage.

  Bush himself was quite content to accept the hospitality of the Moorhouses. When he wanted to escape his womenfolk, he was always welcome in Mr. Moorhouse’s library where, like Captain Morse and Major Dimwhittle in Ameschester, they would rehash battles, though the battles were separated by millennia from the ones argued over at Dipton and the discussions were based not on personal experience but on accounts found in books. If conversation was not desired by either of them, Mr. Moorhouse’s library provided a treasure trove of books that Bush wanted to consume.

  Bush’s recovery was proceeding apace. He had purchased a gentle horse, chosen on the advice of a friend of Mr. Moorhouse who was said to have a very keen eye for horse-flesh. He had then taken to riding every day. Often these excursions simply took him to Dipton to observe the progress being made on Dipton Hall and the Dower Cottage, but sometimes his outings would take him all the way to Ameschester where he formed an acquaintance with the Major Dimwhittle and Captain Morse. Bush shared the usual, naval contempt for the army where officers bought their commissions, often with no experience commensurate with the rank, but his experiences in Corsica had lessened his prejudice and he was happy to yarn with the two old warhorses and agree with their assessment of the shocking state of the militia.

  Bush had also adopted an extension for the missing part of his arm, fashioned by Jake to a design of Mr. Jackson. He was getting used to it and was surprised how many normal tasks could be accomplished with its aid. He had found it invaluable in mounting and dismounting from his horse and had discovered that he could even use it to hold down his fork so that he could cut his meat with his knife, a vast improvement on having to wait for a footman to do the task for him.

  Bush’s equestrian skills had evolved so far that he could confidently accompany Daphne Moorhouse when she visited parts of the two estates on horseback. He was learning that there was more to living in the country than he, raised in a town before going to sea, had ever realized, and that the rural setting provided more ways to keep himself amused than he had expected.

  Daphne now rode far more often than she had when her duties and interests were largely in areas that were easily reached by foot. To the horror of everyone, she rode astride her horse, wearing a pair of very loose trousers that reached her ankles so that when she was not on horseback, it looked like an ordinary skirt. The complete modesty of the garment did not silence the shocked gossipers about how inappropriate such actions were.

  Mr. Moorhouse noted the growing friendship between Daphne and Bush with pleasure. Mr. Moorhouse was, of course, well aware of Daphne’s claim that one of the reasons that she would not marry was the need to look after her father, a claim in which he saw no merit as he had often told her. Nothing would delight him more than to see her happily married, though he saw no need or advantage to Daphne’s marrying just for the sake of conforming to social expectation. He was pleased that she had a new, solid friend in Bush, but he observed that there was none of that frisson of excitement that surrounds couples who are courting, even unconsciously. He had observed it when Daphne and Giles had been together, but he had no illusions that that attraction would lead anywhere, for which he was deeply sorry and hopeful that Daphne would not be hurt by forming unrealistic hopes about a future with Captain Giles. His fears on that score had recently been raised by Daphne’s suddenly exhibiting a significantly greater interest in practicing the piano-forte and he wondered what the hidden meaning of this change was.

  Neither Mr. Moorhouse, nor Captain Bush, nor Daphne liked to engage in conversation at breakfast while the others who were visiting seemed to think it was the time for lively discourse. Luckily the unsociable ones were usually awake before the others and could enjoy breakfast together in silence. One morning, early in the Bush family’s stay at Dipton Manor, mail had arrived for both Bush and Daphne. As soon as tea was poured and food assembled, each took up their letters. Bush was the first to comment on the content of his, though almost at the same time Daphne had given a little squeak of astonishment.

  “Captain Giles has taken a frigate.”

  “Oh?” queried Mr. Moorhouse, looking up from his newspaper.

  “Yes, with almost no damage to either vessel. A French 32. Crippled with Patroclus’s bow chasers. That will be a handy bit of prize money!”

  “My package is from Captain Giles, too,” said Daphne. “He sent me some sonatas by Herr Mozart which he saw in Falmouth thinking that I might like them. They are for piano-forte and violin, but he says that he thinks that the piano-forte part can be played by itself”

  That is not quite what Giles had written. His words had been, ‘I stopped by a shop in Falmouth that had some music. There were some sonatas for piano-forte and violin by Herr Mozart. I noticed that you had some sonatas by Mozart lying on your piano-forte. There were two copies of the sonatas, so I have kept the other one. I hope to learn the violin part of at least the first sonata on this voyage. Then, perhaps, we can play it together when I am again in Dipton. Looking over the works, I believe that the piano-forte part can, if necessary, stand on its own.”

  It was after this episode that Daphne had shown renewed interest in the piano-forte and it was quite evident that she was working on a new piece. Mr. Moorhouse doubted that it was simply the fascination of a new piece that had Daphne working so hard. Daphne enjoyed playing, but was easily bored by the tedium of getting a piece as perfect as possible and was usually content to take her pieces to the stage where playing them gave her satisfaction, even though the performance might still be sprinkled with wrong notes and dubious emphasis. She seemed to be trying to get the new piece beyond that stage.

  The manifest difficulties of the Dipton schemes to get access to the officers of the militia regiment left but few options to participate in the matrimonial sweepstakes. The most obvious one was led by the Misses Butler and was adopted by several other young ladies from the Ameschester side of Dipton. This was to walk as a group to Ameschester and hope to meet the officers that way. The Misses Butler took the lead because they had been introduced properly to Lieutenants Strangway and Barrows. Their first foray to Ameschester accompanied by the Tisdale sisters had been a success in that they had met in the street, by chance, the two lieutenants. These lieutenants in turn introduced two of their brethren and the now very proper party of eight descended on the tea shop. The lack of chaperoning worried the young ladies much less than it would have bothered their mothers, had they known what was afoot. Other young ladies soon joined their outings. Since the Butler sisters had been in the habit of walking to Ameschester at least once a week before the arrival of Lord Mosley’s Regiment and since it was not unusual for some of their friends to join them, it was not appreciated by their parents that there was now a new and dangerous attraction in the usually sleepy town of Ameschester.

  The only other options that seemed to be available for the young ladies to meet the officers were the balls. These were held in Ameschester and in nearby places quite frequently, sometimes in private houses, but more usually in halls that were attached to inns for just that purpose. Dipton, unfortunately, was ill served in possibilities to host a ball. The Dipton Arms had no rooms anywhere near the size needed for any but the most modest of dancing parties. Dipton Manor was blessed with a very large number of rooms, but none was very large nor were any of them connected in such a way that dancing could be held in several rooms at once. Dipton Manor also lacked any room larger than the dining room to accommodate the supper and the gatherings of older men and women which were such a feature of balls.

  That left only the option of going to as many balls elsewhere in the area as possible. Some were held too far from Dipton, on the Horsmarsh side of Ameschester to be feasible. Otherwise, any ball near Ameschester could expect a larger continent to come from Dipton than was usual. No return calls were made on the ladies of Dipton as a result of these efforts, but some of the officers – and
even of the country gentry – asked some of the ladies for places on their cards more frequently than would indicate simple politeness, but, all in all, the balls did not produce any successes or even any hint that success could be expected.

  One ball, which was particularly memorable for the people living at Dipton Manor, came soon after Bush had received and mastered the device for the end of his arm. The party from Dipton manor consisted of the Craigs, the Bushes and Daphne Moorhouse. Mr. Moorhouse was glad to beg off, with Captain Bush and Colonel Craig able to see to the safety of the ladies. The gentlemen rode their horses, Bush now having enough confidence even to attempt the feat of riding to Ameschester in the dark.

  Daphne was among the five women crowding into the carriage. She loved dancing for itself and she was a very good dancer. She also enjoyed mingling with people from a wider area than just Dipton. At the previous ball which the group had attended, Bush had not yet acquired his arm extension, and had claimed that a one-legged man with an empty sleeve could not possibly dance. This time would be different.

  Daphne approached Bush just before the third dance. “I see, Captain Bush that your name is on my card for the next dance.”