CONTENTS
Chapter One - A Scene of Anticipation
Chapter Two - A Most Congenial Place
Chapter Three - Pretty as a Picture
Chapter Four - Romantic Notions
Chapter Five - A Difficult Social Whirl
Chapter Six - Emerging Heartache
Chapter Seven - And so our Tale Ends
About Elizabeth Downton
Other Regency Tales
CHAPTER ONE
A Scene of Anticipation
It is said that there is nothing more congenial than an English village in the early summer, when the birds are singing, and the warm sun shines upon the fields, with the church bell pealing and the people about their daily work.
If one could have appeared in the village of Springside on that June morning when our tale begins, I have no doubt that agreement to this statement would be readily given.
Springside and its adjoining estate were the domain of Lord and Lady Treblinger, but perhaps domain is too strong a word to use for the benevolent and kindly manner in which these two good people cared for the inhabitants of that happy place. The Treblingers had been its custodians for the past twenty years, ever since his Lordship’s father had met with a most unpleasant accident during the hunting season.
If truth be told, Lord Treblinger preferred the excitement of town to the genteel ways of the countryside; nevertheless, he and his good wife had accepted their duties and had these past years ensured the prosperity and good fortune of their estate.
Among their tenants was the Mills family, who lived in a cottage by the brook just before the church yard. Mr. Ernest Mills was a solicitor by trade, having worked his way up from the position of article clerk. But his location in the countryside meant that his services were rarely called upon, and he spent most of his days engrossed in his books, whilst his wife, Harriet Mills saw to the domestic matters of the house, ably assisted by young Mary Hetworth from the village.
But it is not to be the Mills family itself which will provide the source of interest for our tale, but rather the adventures of their daughters, of which there were five: Daisy, the eldest; Susan, the second; Sara, who has just turned seventeen; Ellen, and her twin sister Beth, who at fifteen were still about their lessons, ably taught in the schoolhouse by Miss Handsworth, the local school teacher, who also lodged with the Mills.
The cottage by the brook was certainly a lively place, and Mr. Mills was often heard to remark that he was unsure why the good Lord had surrounded him with so many women, for he felt certain that at times they all conspired against him. But if truth be told this was one of the happiest homes in Springside, and a place where much laughter and merriment was had, often at the expense of one or other of the daughters who took their turns as the bearer of a joke in all good humour.
The Treblingers were not like other aristocrats, or rather they did not match the typical perception of aristocrats. They chose not to occupy their own pew in church, sitting among the congregation, and delighting in the mischief of the village children during Mr. Hardbottom, the curate’s, interminably dull sermons. Rarely did they entertain members of their own class, preferring instead the company of the local people; and if ever a tenant had trouble with debt or was to go without the necessities of life, it was Lord Treblinger who would be first upon the scene to assist.
Mr. Ernest Mills had, over the years, built a considerable friendship with his Lordship and whilst his class was not that of gentry, he was sufficiently educated and well-read to be an able companion to the Treblingers. Thus, the couple were regular visitors to the cottage by the brook, particularly on a Sunday after church when they would often visit to pass a little time before returning home for lunch. And it is on just such an occasion that our tale begins.
~
‘Oh, he is so dull, he’d lost me at the bit about the difference between the Greek for whatever that was, and the translation of this.’
‘Mr. Hardbottom is a very learned man, Sara,’ Mr. Mills said, as the ladies removed their bonnets and hung them upon the hat stand after church that morning.
‘You can still be dull, even if you’re learned, Papa; isn’t that right, Mother?’
‘I’m having nothing to do with it,’ her mother said, ‘Into the parlour now, all of you, Lord and Lady Treblinger will be here in a moment.’
The parlour was reserved for such occasions, and was usually off limits even to Mr. Mills himself who often complained about paying for a house he couldn’t fully inhabit. A complaint which fell on deaf ears, Mrs. Mills being meticulous about the parlour’s sanctity and cleanliness.
The company assembled now to await the knock at the door which would signal the arrival of the Treblingers, and momentarily it came.
‘Hello Mary,’ Lord Treblinger could be heard to say, ‘Are they in their usual positions?’
‘They are, sir,’
‘Very good, we shall go through.’
The couple appeared at the door of the parlour and Mr. Mills rose to welcome them, whilst the ladies sat in silent expectation. The same ritual was enacted each time, and everyone knew that in a few moments the atmosphere would change from formality to joviality. Nevertheless, social custom still had to be observed.
‘Won’t you sit down,’ Mr, Mills said as chairs were pulled forward for the couple.
‘Thank you. Now then, I want total honesty from you all,’ Lord Treblinger began in a most solemn voice.
‘Who here fell asleep during Mr. Hardbottom’s sermon?’
The twins erupted into peals of laughter, and were uncontrollable for the next five minutes whilst the rest of the company admitted, amidst their own mirth, that they too had at least closed their eyes on one occasion.
‘Can’t something be done about him?’ Mrs. Mills said, ‘I swear he is now just repeating the sermons I heard as a child.’
‘Alas, I fear unless an act of God should see to it, we have dear Mr. Hardbottom’s company for many years to come,’ Lord Treblinger said.
‘Oh, bless him, he is a kindly old soul though,’ Lady Treblinger said, ‘there’s not a heart kinder in this village.’
‘I think we are all agreed on that,’ his Lordship said, ‘though if only his dear mouth might be made to cease a little sooner.’
Once again the twins almost fell off their chairs, and Miss Handsworth must have wondered what ever was going on in the parlour as she came in from the garden where she had been picking fresh lavender to dry for her room.
‘Now, onto more serious business,’ his Lordship said, ‘Lady Treblinger and I have a proposal to put to you, and I am sorry Ernest not to have discussed this matter with you beforehand, but Elizabeth and I (his name was George), wanted this to be a surprise for you too. You know how we have viewed you all as an extension of our own family, and since our sons departed for the foreign climes upon the business of the empire we have looked to you five fine young ladies as our children, not wishing to detract from the wonderful example of your parents of course. Nevertheless, we have decided to invite you, or at least the three eldest ladies’, at this the twins looked askance, ‘to join us for a period in Bath, where we intend to spend the summer months and take the waters.’
A collective cry of joy went up from the older three Mills girls, as Mrs. Mills clapped her hands together in delight.
‘Well what a truly wonderful surprise on such a beautiful day,’ she said as the girls jumped around the room in delight, ‘Children, come now. Compose yourselves in front of Lord and Lady Treblinger.’
‘That is, of course,’ Lord Treblinger continued, ‘if their father agrees to the proposal, I can assure you they would be well looked after, and Bath is not a great distance from here, though perh
aps they have duties to attend to that would prevent it?’
Mr. Mills smiled at his Lordship, for the other had often heard the solicitor’s complaint that he was constantly surrounded by the cares of women. Although he loved his daughters dearly, the chance to see them happily in Bath for a few weeks was not one he would pass up.
‘My Lord,’ he said, in his most formal tone, ‘it would be my honour to give my permission to you for this most gracious offer. Are you sure you know what you’re letting yourself in for?’
The room once more erupted into laughter, though by now the twins were sulking and had turned their heads towards the fireplace, forcing Mrs. Mills to tell them to stop being so rude.
‘Oh Papa,’ Sara said, ‘how wonderfully exciting.’
‘You will love Bath,’ Lady Treblinger said, and turning to the twins, ‘Don’t worry you two, your sisters can test the waters, and then in a few years’ time you’ll be old enough to come yourselves.’
‘I’m sure we can find plenty for them to do here,’ Mr. Mills said, ‘Two has got to be easier than five.’
It was a merry party which broke for lunch that day. The Treblingers returned to Springside Hall, the ancestral home of the district and home to their family for six generations, whilst the Mills sat down to a late Sunday dinner at which the only topic of discussion was the impending season in Bath.
‘Do you think there will be balls to attend?’ Susan said.
‘Balls, parties, dinners, it will be a never ending social whirl,’ Daisy said as she handed down the plates of sliced roast beef to her sisters.
‘And we shall take walks in the parks and visit the baths, no doubt,’ Sara said.
‘The last time I was in Bath,’ Mr. Mills said,’ ‘was for your aunt Hetty’s funeral. Do you remember it, Harriet?’
‘I remember the carriage ride,’ his wife said, ‘it took the best part of a day, and then we lodged with that peculiar couple, the Wexfords.’
‘Yes, they were what you might call professional funeral attendees. They claimed to have known her and have a claim on the will. Unfortunately for them, I’d written it for her,’ he said, laughing.
The twins were still rather miserable at the prospect of being left at home while their three older sisters went off to adventure in Bath. But they were consoled once again by the promise of future exploits there, though less cheered by Mr. Mills’ further promise that he would find plenty for them to do at home, beginning with a course on butterfly collecting, something which had become a passion for him in his later years.
And so it was that the Sunday upon which our tale began, ended most merrily with the forthcoming adventure foremost in everyone’s minds.
~
For the next week, little else was talked of at the cottage by the brook besides the impending visit to Bath. With such short notice, there was little time to prepare and so the whole household was set to in washing and sorting, packing and unpacking, and arguing over what to take and what not to take.
It was to be the first time that Sara and Susan had been away from home for any length of time. Daisy, eldest, but not necessarily wisest of the sisters, had travelled with her father to London the year previously, staying in a most grand house belonging to a distant cousin. But apart from that the family had largely consigned their lives to Springside and its surrounding environs; the woods and fields, copses and dells of the countryside providing a most perfect setting in which to grow and mature.
But the excitement at the prospect of seeing somewhere new and so different was palpable, and Sara, whom the reader should know is the heroine of our story, could not wait for the coming Saturday when they would depart with Lord and Lady Treblinger for the city of Bath, where much joy and pleasure surely awaited them.
~
Mrs. Mills was not a natural worrier and, though she loved her daughters dearly, the thought of losing three of them to the care of the Treblingers for a few weeks did not fill her with the motherly pangs of sorrow to which some women might be prone.
She was looking forward to a little less work about the house and a chance to visit friends in the district as well as attend to her duties in the Springside Ladies Guild, of which she had recently been elected secretary. On the day of her daughters’ departure, she had risen early to check that all was prepared, though of course all had been prepared some days before, such was the excitement of the young ladies in their preparation.
It was not long until the sounds of her daughters rousing could be heard, though Lord and Lady Treblinger were not due to collect them until ten o’clock. Resigning herself to an excitable morning, Mrs. Mills put a loaf of bread out on the table while Mary stoked the fire to boil water for the tea.
‘Mother, I still don’t think I have everything I need,’ Susan said, appearing in the kitchen.
‘I’m sure you’ll have everything you need. Besides, Lady Treblinger will not see you go without, I’m sure,’ her mother said as the three girls sat down to breakfast.
‘What time will we arrive in Bath tonight?’ Daisy said.
‘Well I was speaking to Tom in the Blacksmith’s yard the other day,’ Sara said, ‘He told me it took around seven hours in the trap; he ended up sleeping under a tree last August on the way back from there, or so he said.’
‘Well we shan’t have to sleep under a tree, shall we?’ Daisy said, looking worried.
‘Don’t be silly, Daisy,’ Mrs. Mills said, ‘you’ll be there by nightfall, and I have no doubt that Lord and Lady Treblinger have secured much finer lodgings than the boughs of a tree.’
At length Mr. Mills appeared in the kitchen, followed by the twins who proceeded to hack such large slices from the loaf of bread that they were sent outside in disgrace to watch for the carriage which ‘wouldn’t be taking them anywhere,’ as their mother pointedly said.
As the grandfather clock in the hallway struck ten o’clock, their cry rang out from the front garden that the carriage of the Treblingers had been sighted. Hearing the call, the whole household erupted into such a state of excitement that it caused Mary to upset a pan of boiling water over the fire, filling the kitchen with steam and causing a mass exodus into the front garden.
‘Good morning,’ Lord Treblinger said, as he and his wife stepped from the carriage, ‘I wasn’t expecting a welcome party.’
‘They’ve been ready for the past three days,’ Mr. Mills said.
‘Good to be prepared. Come now, let’s have these trunks loaded onto the carriage. Having sons makes one forget just how much a lady is inclined to pack.’
‘I’m sure every item is essential,’ Lady Treblinger said, ‘Isn’t that right, girls?’
The chorus of agreement put the two men suitably in their place, and with the trunks loaded and the farewells given, the time for departure had come.
‘Good bye Mama, goodbye Father, goodbye Twins, goodbye Mary’ Daisy, Susan and Sara called from the window of the carriage as the family stood in the garden of the cottage by the brook and waved them off.
‘Good bye girls,’ Mr. Mills shouted as he watched them depart. Turning to the twins, he said ‘Now you two, come this way and I’ll show you how to catch a perfect specimen down in the woods.’
The carriage now made its way through the country surrounding Springside, the estate of Lord Treblinger passing by the windows. A happier scene of anticipation could not be imagined than that found in the carriage that morning, as the Treblingers and the Mills set out for Bath and the adventures which awaited them.
CHAPTER TWO
A Most Congenial Place
Carriage rides invariably take longer than one anticipates and the same was true for this one. While Sara had been informed that a seven-hour ride awaited them, it was closer on nine hours since their departure from Springside that the Treblinger carriage rolled into Bath.
‘Isn’t it wonderful?’ Susan said, quite forgetting herself and straining her neck out of the window to catch a glimpse of the Royal C
rescent as they passed by.
Sara pulled at her sister’s dress and the other recomposed herself and apologised.
‘Nothing to apologise for, my dear,’ Lord Treblinger said, ‘The excitement on your face brings us great joy. See now we are passing the baths and their fashionable houses and beautiful churches. Why, Bath is a magnificent town, if ever there was one.’
‘It’s just so wonderful,’ Susan said, ‘Are we to stay quite centrally? I should love to walk here in the coming days.’
‘Indeed we are,’ Lady Treblinger said, ‘Just here, in fact.’
The carriage drew up in front of a large and impressive house on a broad street in the centre of the town. It was early evening now and the summer sun was casting a warm glow across the sandstone walls; the house was covered in wisteria and looked like something a child might draw if asked to sketch a house. The large windows and black front door with its polished brass knocker looking just as Sara and her sisters had imagined it might do.
‘It’s perfect,’ Sara whispered as they halted and the footman opened the door.
‘Come now dears, let’s go inside,’ Lady Treblinger said, stepping down from the carriage while his Lordship assisted the ladies.
‘Welcome to Springside House,’ Lord Treblinger said, ‘My family have long had a connection to Bath and it’s a great pleasure for us to now welcome you here to be a part of the connection.’
The footman began to unload the trunks from the carriage as the door of the house opened and a lady in a black dress, who looked somewhat imposing, appeared to greet them.
‘Good evening, your Lordship,’ she said, ‘We were not expecting you this evening. We felt certain you would break for the night.’
‘No, no, Sybil, we pressed on,’ Lord Treblinger said, ‘Once you get going, why stop? These are the young ladies I mentioned in my letter. Girls, this is Mrs. Killingdon, my housekeeper.’
A Most Congenial Lady Page 1