A Most Congenial Lady

by Elizabeth Downton

  ‘What utter nonsense,’ Cameron cried, ‘does it matter if she has no money in all the world? For surely you have all the money she would need and if money is all that drives us then may the Lord save us.’

  ‘Sara is gone with her too, only Susan remains,’ Bart continued.

  But this revelation made Cameron cry out in anguish.

  ‘And so your father has destroyed both our happiness,’ he cried, ‘why of all the wickedness, to rob us both of love in order to satisfy his own misguided pride.’

  Their discussion continued long into the afternoon, but at length neither could reconcile the other, and both now slumped into the depth of gloom. It was only later that their sister, for Cameron considered Mary to be a sister to him just as Bart was a brother, entered the room.

  ‘I have not seen such dejection since Father lost our mother,’ she said.

  ‘Well one would think that Father would understand the pain of love lost, and not inflict it upon others then,’ Bart said.

  ‘I have just seen Susan Mills on the High Street and she tells me they are departed for Springside and will arrive there by nightfall.’

  ‘All is lost then,’ Bart said, ‘You, Cameron could still engage the youngest lady, you are not bound by my father’s attitude to class.’

  ‘True,’ Cameron said, ‘but if she has left so suddenly, I fear that her thoughts towards me may have turned sour since my association with your father has caused this unhappy affair to come to light.’

  Mary stood silently watching the two brothers whom she loved with such affection, in their spiral of agony. They didn’t notice her leave, so lost in their own thoughts and sadness.

  She went at once to her father’s study, where she found the Duke poring over his papers, his own mind quite content that the situation had been resolved. No amount of brandy was going to change his mind as to what constituted an appropriate match.

  ‘Mary, dear,’ he said as she knocked and entered the room.

  ‘Father, have you noticed what agony you have placed upon Bart?’

  ‘Whatever do you mean, girl?’

  ‘By forbidding him to seek Daisy’s hand, he is in anguish, as is Cameron.’

  ‘Well why is Cameron behaving like that, too? What nonsense. Have I bred a pack of weak willed men?’

  ‘He is in love with Sara, but she has gone with her sister back to Springside to console her in her grief.’

  ‘Grief?’ the Duke said.

  ‘Yes, Father, grief. The grief of those in love who are separated, a feeling that can be as profound for a moment of love as for a lifetime.’

  The Duke sat silently for a moment and then looked up at his daughter.

  ‘And why do you come to tell me this?’

  ‘Because if you cannot desire the happiness of your children, then what can you desire? You’re terrified that we will leave you, that we shall marry and that you shall be alone.’

  ‘Nonsense.’

  ‘No, Father, the truth.’

  But at that moment, an extraordinary thing happened. The Duke began to cry.

  The Duke of Mantelhurst: statesman, hero of battle, womaniser, gruff and to the point, sobbing uncontrollably. For all that Mary had said was true, and he knew it.

  She put her arms around him and embraced him to her.

  ‘Father, we shall never leave you on your own, we shall not desert you, but you must allow our happiness too, so that we can desire yours also.’

  It took a while before the Duke could respond, so heavy was the sorrow he now felt. Since his wife had died, he had indeed been terrified of being left alone, his children his only consolation behind the gruff exterior he presented. How dearly he would have loved the companionship of a woman, but perhaps that might happen if only he could see that placing barriers against the happiness of others only made him less attractive.

  ‘Very well,’ he said, ‘come with me.’

  Mary followed him as he strode from the study towards the chamber where both Bart and Cameron remained seated in their dejected grief; throwing open the doors, he stood before them.

  ‘Now, boys,’ he said, ‘there is a further matter to discuss.’

  But Bart had had enough of his father for that day.

  ‘There is nothing more to discuss, Father, you have destroyed both our happiness and I wish you nothing but the same fate.’

  ‘Now listen to me, boy,’ his father said, causing Mary to think that perhaps it had all been an act.

  ‘You are to go at once to Springside. You too, Cameron.’

  The two men looked up.

  ‘At once, do you hear me? You are to follow your hearts but only promise that you will not forget an old man when your hearts desires have been fulfilled.’

  Bartholomew and Cameron leapt from their chairs, looks of ecstasy spread across their faces.

  ‘Father, by what wonderful providence has your mind been changed?’ Bart said.

  ‘Only by the wisdom of one who is kinder and gentler than us all combined,’ the Duke said, as Mary stood at his side.

  It did not take long for a carriage to be ordered and both men set off at once for Springside, having embraced their father warmly in forgiveness, imploring the driver to make all haste towards the destination in question.

  But it was mid-afternoon before they had set off, and were it not for the height of the summer sun they would have arrived in darkness. But let us leave them to their carriage ride and return to the two sisters who by now were fast approaching home.

  ~

  ‘Listen Daisy,’ Sara said, breaking the silence, ‘I can hear the gush of the Spring brook, that means we are just three miles from home, it comes up here does it not, yes look there it is.’

  Daisy looked dejected, but secretly she was pleased to be close to home. Their mother would think it very odd that they had returned without word, but no doubt she and their father would be pleased to see them.

  As the carriage entered the district of the Treblinger estate, they began to pass familiar figures: there was Mr. Hardbottom, the curate, out on his daily rounds and he gave them a cheery wave of welcome as they passed. None but they knew the sorrow which they carried in their hearts, but very soon they would have to reveal what had transpired in the city of Bath and the reasons for their sudden return.

  It was now late afternoon and Mr. Mills had just emerged from his study to find a plate of hot pikelets and butter awaiting him, the twins were out in the garden helping their mother with the laundry, and all seemed peaceful.

  The last few weeks had been a gentle time for those who remained in Springside. The daily round punctuated only by the excitement of the arrival of a new litter of puppies at the big house, a fact which Lord and Lady Treblinger had been informed of, sending instructions that they were to be distributed around the village.

  Thus it was that the Mills had acquired a little dog, which they had named Jasper, and upon whom the twins doted. Mr. Mills had attempted to educate them in the art of butterfly collecting but to no avail, and he had resigned himself to the fact that his daughters did as they pleased, and nothing would change them.

  As he was about to tuck into his first pikelet, spread liberally with butter and topped with his wife’s own damson jam, he heard a collective exclamation of surprise from the family outside. Reluctantly laying down the sweet treat, he went out into the garden where he saw a sight which caused him to utter an exclamation of disbelief.

  The carriage bearing Daisy and Sara had just drawn up, and the two women were disembarking, much to the surprise of their mother who was fussing around them, and asking what in heaven was going on.

  ‘We had no word you were coming. Where are the Treblingers? Is Susan not with you?’ Mrs. Mills said.

  ‘May we go inside, Mother? It has been a long journey, and see Daisy is so very tired,’ Sara said.

  ‘Well whatever is wrong with her? Is she ill?’

  Mrs. Mills qu
estions continued as the family went inside, Mr. Mills quickly stuffing the pikelet into his mouth before the twins caught site of it and demanded their own.

  At length and after insisting upon a fresh cup of tea, Sara explained why they had returned from Bath without word and why Daisy was so lost in a deep despair, and that she herself also had cause for sorrow. The events of the previous weeks were recounted up until the point of their tragic return, and then Sara fell silent.

  ‘Well,’ Mr. Mills said, ‘never trust a Duke, I’m sure you have both learnt valuable lessons from this episode, but a broken heart can be mended, particularly when one is young. Do not fret too much, girls, these things are sent to try us, and now at least you are home.’

  Mrs. Mills took a more maternal approach and embraced both her daughters with the assurance that other men would prove more suitable to them in due course, for both were only young, and could not expect to find happiness so instantly, particularly in a place like Bath.

  ‘I have no doubt that Springside will provide the most complementary match for you all,’ she said, though she rather doubted her own words for Springside was not blessed with a high calibre of breeding stock, its men folk gentle but lacking in much else of merit.

  But Daisy and Sara were glad to be home, and their sprits began to lift a little, particularly when the twins introduced them to Jasper over whom they all declared their undying love; for who could not love a puppy?

  Later that evening the family sat down to supper. With no prior warning of their impending return, the larder was rather sparse but between them, Mrs. Mills and little Mary produced a fine feast of soup and bread, with a little cheese and fruit from the orchards. The company was happy, though in want of Susan (who in fact was having a jolly enough time with the Treblingers).

  Sara and Daisy were about to turn in for the night, their rooms fortunately having been prepared by little Mary while the family were at dinner. Saying goodnight to their parents, the sounds of horses’ hooves and a carriage came from the road outside.

  Bart and Cameron had stopped to enquire from a local farmhand as to the location of the cottage by the brook, and having directed the driver they had now arrived just before ten o’clock.

  ‘A carriage at this time?’ Mr. Mills said, ‘What a day this has turned out to be; surely it can’t be the Treblingers returning with Susan at such a late hour.’

  The sound of footsteps on the path signalled that the occupants of the carriage had business at the house and Mr. Mills reluctantly prepared for visitors. When the knock came, he forbade little Mary from answering, lest it be troublemakers.

  Upon opening the door, Mr. Mills was confronted by two men whom he had never set eyes upon before. The reason for their presence was so garbled as to be inaudible and Mr. Mills had cause to ask them to stop talking in unison, and for one alone to explain the purpose of their visit.

  ‘I am Bartholomew Dinkster,’ Bart said, giving a small bow, ‘and this is my friend Mr. Cameron Styles. Please forgive out intrusion at such a late hour, but we are friends of your daughters, Sara and Daisy, and we come to speak to them about a matter of much urgency.’

  Mr. Mills now realised who the strangers at the door were for he had heard their tale recounted just a few hours previously. He had of course heard the name of Dinkster before, for it was a famous one in town, and indeed throughout the land, the Mantelhurst title being amongst the most prestigious at court.

  ‘My daughters have suffered enough upset at the hands of the Mantelhurst estate,’ Mr. Mills said sceptically, ‘Why do you come here now if your father has already forbidden the match? Indeed, I have not yet given my approval either.’

  But at that point both Sara and Daisy appeared in the hallway, and met the eyes of the two men whom they had fallen so deeply in love with, whose feelings were reciprocated fully.

  ‘Cameron?’ Sara said.

  ‘Bart?’ Daisy said.

  ‘We are come,’ Bart said, ‘Father’s heart has been softened by dear Mary. He will no longer stand in our way and has assented to our happiness together, if only it will be permitted here.’

  ‘And Sara,’ Cameron said, ‘I thought perhaps you would no longer wish my attentions, but truly my feelings for you are stronger now than ever before, else I would not have made this journey to beseech you in your affections for me.’

  Mr. Mills realised that he was standing in the middle of the two sets of lovebirds, but it was still he who would ultimately pronounce approval upon any union, and thus he spoke.

  ‘Well who am I to stand in the way of love? Daisy, if you should wish to marry this young man of such fine standing, then let that be your choice. If on your part, sir you promise only ever to treat her with honour. And Sara, you are still young, but a young heart is not necessarily a foolish one, and if Mr. Styles should still have your affections then I say again, who am I to stand in the way of love?’

  By now the rest of the family had gathered in the hallway, and as Mr. Mills stood back, the two couples ran towards each other and embraced.

  ‘Dear Daisy, may I ask that question which has so provoked my heart? Would you do me the honour of being my wife?’

  ‘I shall, sir,’ Daisy replied.

  ‘And Sara,’ Cameron said, ‘will you do me that pleasure which I have felt the need to ask you since the very day we met?’

  ‘I shall,’ Sara said, ‘I will say a thousand times, I shall.’

  And as the two couples embraced, the gathered family let out a cheer and applauded wildly, as Jasper barked and ran around the hallway.

  ~

  As was right and proper, the two men spent the night in the haybarn of the neighbouring farm, and passed a restless night given the excitement of the evening’s events.

  The next morning, Sara and Daisy, accompanied by the twins, came to wake them bearing a fresh quart of milk, bread and fruit to break their fast.

  It was a bright sunny day in Springside and around them the estate was beginning to wake up, the farmhands going to their labours and the Treblinger estate coming alive with activity.

  ‘It’s as perfect as your described, Sara,’ Cameron said, as the two walked arm in arm over the brook towards the cottage a little later on.

  Bart and Daisy were following on behind; and they too were delighting in the natural scenery of the estate.

  That day they showed them all over Springside, the beautiful house of the Treblingers, and the pretty parish church with its neatly kept graveyard, the little inn, known as the Treblinger Arms, and the fields and meadows, the woods and dells of the surrounding countryside, so that both Bart and Cameron declared it to be the most beautiful place they had ever set foot in, perhaps biased by the presence of the two women they loved most in the world.

  That afternoon they discussed their future plans with Mr. Mills who decreed that all should be done properly. He would himself write to the Duke of Mantelhurst and explain that he had given his permission for the marriage of Daisy to Bart, and assure the Duke that he could hold his own in any social gathering.

  ‘I may not have a title,’ he said, ‘but I do have the knowledge necessary to move in such circles.’

  But the letter was never written for, at around four o’clock that day, just as little Mary had finished readying the beds in Susan’s room for the gentleman to remain another night before returning to Bath, the sounds of horses’ hooves signalled the arrival of another carriage at the cottage by the brook.

  ‘We shall be the talk of Springside if we are not already,’ Mr. Mills said as he went out to investigate who these newcomers were.

  The carriage was instantly recognisable as belonging to the Treblingers themselves. They had decided to return from Bath that day in order to repair any damage which had been done in their relations with the Mills, though of course such anxieties were unwarranted.

  And they had brought with them another who desired to repair the damage he had done.

  �
�Ernest,’ Lord Treblinger said as he dismounted the carriage, ‘how the devil are you? It’s good to be back in Springside, I do miss the estate when we are away.’

  ‘Do you have my other daughter there, George, or has she run off with the Lord Mayor of Bath?’ Mr. Mills said, laughing.

  ‘No, I’m here, Father,’ Susan said, poking her head out of the carriage door, ‘we’re all here.’

  By now the rest of the household had appeared in the garden, Mrs. Mills and the twins standing at the doorway and the two couples standing arm in arm on the grass.

  From the carriage emerged Lord and Lady Treblinger, followed by Susan, but then came a most unexpected sight, the Duke of Mantelhurst, looking resplendent in his best dress outfit, and finally Mary Dinkster.

  ‘Why, what a jolly surprise this is,’ Sara said.

  ‘Father,’ Bart exclaimed, ‘we were not expecting you.’

  ‘Expected or not, I have come,’ the Duke said, ‘I have always enjoyed my visits to Springfield, though of course usually I travel straight to the big house.’

  ‘Your Grace,’ Mr. Mills said, ‘may I introduce myself as the man you thought too inadequately endowed to provide a daughter suitable for your son.’

  The Duke stepped down from the carriage.

  ‘I see now sir that I was mistaken, a mistake for which I ask forgiveness.’

  ‘You shall have it, sir,’ Mr. Mills said, ‘would you please all come in.’

  The party entered the house, and sat in a rather cramped manner in the parlour while Mrs. Mills worried herself over refreshments.

  It was a most happy scene which saw the families united in Springside that day, and any who might have observed would surely have said that the Duke of Mantelhurst looked far happier than he had done in a long time; his face no longer weighed down by the worry of loneliness, but cheered by the prospect that he had gained a far greater family than he could have hoped for.