“Thank you, my love. Have a nice walk, you two.” Harriet and Ash waved as they passed the parlour window and strolled slowly down the lane.
The walk home began very quietly. Ash did not offer Harriet his arm as he had done on previous occasions. Harriet could not account for the change in her friend’s manner, but decided that the best she could do was to try to draw him out.
Harriet knew that the schoolmaster shared her love of architecture, so she began by speaking of the cathedrals she had seen during her travels. Her admiration and passion for these magnificent structures invoked a similar response in him. Soon Ash was sharing recollections from his own visit, and they compared impressions.
Harriet changed the subject to Ash’s cancelled plans to visit Bath that summer. He was reticent at first, but became more effusive when speaking of his sister’s unflagging fortitude in nursing her husband through a long and difficult illness, and of the grateful tears she had shed on learning of the trip to Spain. Ash spoke with rueful humour of the turbulent days when his nieces and nephews first came to stay with his parents, and of his admiration for their patience. Harriet reciprocated by telling him of her sister’s unruly brood, and how her own patience was taxed whenever she visited them.
The walk became more enjoyable as Ash forgot to be aloof with her. Harriet revelled in the comfort she felt in his company, an ease that she had never experienced with the exciting and dangerous Mr. Bell. They had walked up the sidewalk to Harriet’s front door before Ash seemed to recall where he was. He looked at her, and Harriet watched the warmth drain from his eyes while his expression became distant again.
Dismayed by this regression, Harriet blurted out, “Mr. Ash, this has been the happiest day I’ve passed in months.”
Ash’s eyebrows rose and he smiled. “After all the glories you experienced in London, Miss Walters?”
“How can they compare with the glory of Mrs. Higgins’ meat pie and rhubarb chutney?” she said. Ash laughed, and Harriet felt encouraged enough to place one of her hands upon his. He stiffened, and Harriet removed her hand and clasped it with its fellow at her waist.
“Miss Walters,” he said, trying to catch her eye, “I know that you will be occupied with your London visitor, and that we may not see each other again for a while. After that, you may decide to return with him to London, or perhaps even travel abroad? I just want to say how much I’ve enjoyed our friendship, and that I wish you all the best in your new life, whatever that may be.” He waited until she met his eyes, and then bowed and turned to leave.
“Mr. Ash,” Harriet said, taking a step after him, “I have no intention of leaving Rexton.”
“You don’t?” he said, stopping and turning back to her.
Harriet met his eyes. “I have no plans to go anywhere. Why did it sound as if you were saying good-bye to me just now?”
As they stared at each other, Colonel York and Mrs. Walters drove up the street and parked before the house. They laughed together, and then the colonel jumped down to assist Mrs. Walters from his carriage. They were strolling up the sidewalk before Mrs. Walters noticed Harriet and Ash.
“Why Harriet, who is this?” she said with a smile.
“Mother – Colonel York – this is Mr. Joseph Ash,” Harriet said. “Mr. Ash and I have just come from Mrs. Higgins’ house.”
“Of course,” Mrs. Walters said, her smile growing brighter. “I’ve heard all about you, sir. Mrs. Higgins told me how helpful you’ve been since her accident.”
Colonel York bowed to the schoolmaster, who returned the gesture. “I’ve just brought your mother home from her parish visits, Harriet,” the colonel added.
“Yes, Colonel York has been most kind. He thought it too warm for me to walk today, and insisted on driving me in his carriage. He has very patiently sat through three visits.” Mrs. Walters and the colonel exchanged a smile. “Now, Mr. Ash, won’t you come inside and join us in a cool drink? I’m sure that you and Harriet must be warm from helping Mrs. Higgins.”
“That’s very kind of you, Mrs. Walters, but I am hardly fit for company in my current state,” Ash said, looking down at his soiled work clothes.
“Nonsense, sir, we are quite casual in this household,” Mrs. Walters replied.
Harriet thought of her aunt and smiled at this bold-faced lie. “Where is Aunt Edna, Mother?” she said aloud.
“She said that she was going to take a nap in the garden, dear.”
“Your invitation is very gracious, Mrs. Walters,” Ash said, “but perhaps another time?”
“I understand, sir. You would probably like a rest yourself. How would dinner tomorrow night do instead?”
“Tomorrow night?” Ash stammered. He looked at Harriet, who tucked her hand into his arm.
“Mr. Ash, my sister, my daughter, and the late Mrs. Evans have all had the pleasure of your company. I would like the opportunity to get to know you, as well.”
Harriet smiled at her mother’s tenacity, and turned back to her friend. His eyes sought hers before saying, “I would be delighted to accept, Mrs. Walters.”
“Wonderful. I’m afraid that we dine a little early in my sister’s house. Would six o’clock be convenient?”
“That would suit me very well, ma’am.”
“Shall I pick you up in my carriage?” the colonel asked. Harriet beamed at him, and he winked.
“Please don’t bother, sir. I wouldn’t want to inconvenience you,” Ash hastened to say.
“Why, it’s no trouble at all, young man. My animals are getting fat from a lack of exercise. As a matter of fact, you might oblige me by letting me drive you home today. I’m new to Rexton, and you could show me where to pick you up tomorrow. Will you do me the honour, sir?”
Ash nodded. “Thank you, Colonel, you’re very generous.”
“Not at all. It will give us a chance to talk. I understand that you’re the history master at the boy’s school?” He clapped Ash on the shoulder and steered him toward the carriage. Harriet watched until her mother linked arms and turned her toward the house.
“Did you have a nice day, Harriet?” she asked.
“I have now, Mother. Thank you so much,” Harriet replied, kissing her upon the cheek.
“I’m glad, dearest. I look forward to getting to know your young friend. I hear such conflicting reports from my sister and Mrs. Higgins that I don’t know what to believe. Of course, if he is a friend of yours, I’m sure that he’s a good person.”
“He is, Mother. He’s a very good person.”
“I thought as much. Now, let us tell Edna that Mr. Ash is coming to dine tomorrow.”
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Dinner was rather difficult that evening with Aunt Edna’s palpable disapproval of their dinner guest for the following evening. She either stared at her plate, grinding her food between her teeth, or glared at Mrs. Walters and Harriet. Mrs. Walters chose to ignore her sister and chatted with Colonel York instead, while Harriet was lost in her own thoughts. She was both thrilled and terrified to think of Mr. Ash dining with them tomorrow. What would everyone say and do?
After dinner, Harriet pleaded fatigue and went upstairs to bed. Colonel York caught up with her at the top of the stairs.
“Forgot my cigars in my other coat,” he said, walking beside her down the hallway.
Harriet abandoned all pretence of indifference and grabbed his arm. “What do you think of Mr. Ash, Colonel?” she asked.
“I liked him, my dear,” the gentleman said with a smile, “not that we talked for very long. He’s a quiet man, but what he says is sound. I asked him a few questions about his profession, but he soon turned the conversation to your London visit.”
“What did he want to know?”
“In a roundabout way, whether you had any suitors. I take it that you mentioned Mr. Bell to him?”
“I did, yes. I told him that my experience with Mr. Bell had altered my way of thinking.”
“Did you? Well, he wanted to know if Bell ha
d been courting you. I told him that he should ask you that.”
“Thank you, that was very wise,” she said, embracing him. The colonel patted her back.
“I’m glad that I did the right thing, Miss Walters. Relationships between men and women can be tricky.”
“You certainly did. My association with Mr. Bell has to be explained in just the right light. Not that anything improper occurred.”
“No, you made sure of that, my dear.” He grinned and chucked her softly under the chin. “Are you looking forward to tomorrow night?”
Harriet grimaced. “I’m looking forward to Mr. Ash getting to know you and mother, and I’m hoping that Aunt Edna will be in a more reasonable state of mind by then.”
Colonel York escorted Harriet to her door. “She can be rather fierce, your aunt.”
Harriet nodded. “Yes, but I’m determined not to let her bully me or Mr. Ash.”
“Good for you, Miss Walters. Stand your ground. Don’t worry, your mother and I will intervene if she draws blood.”
“Thank you, Colonel. Just don’t get caught in the cross-fire,” Harriet said with a wry grin. The gentleman smiled, saluted, and went back downstairs.
Harriet went into her room and closed the door. She collapsed against it and looked across the room at the window. The evening had turned rainy, and a soft drizzle filmed the glass. She opened it, and drew up a chair to sit beside it. Leaning on the sill, she sniffed the delightful fragrance of damp earth and wet greenery. The scent reminded her of Willoway and of the many times she had looked out her bedroom window over the countryside there. She loved living in the country – the smells, the wide open spaces, and the freedom of going for long walks without ever seeing a soul. City life had its advantages, too – going to the theatre, visiting galleries and museums, admiring the jewels and gowns of elegant ladies – but she felt at peace in the country. If only she could live in both worlds!
Harriet shook her head. The old Harriet would sigh and wish for things that she couldn’t have, but the new Harriet had resources, and made her own decisions. She had organized the move from Willoway all by herself; surely she could figure out what to do in the immediate future. She decided to begin by devising a list of the things she did and did not want.
Harriet retrieved a sheet of paper and a pencil from her writing desk and returned to the window sill. At the top of the page, she wrote, “Mrs. Evans’ house.” Harriet thought hard about that item. She loved the house because it reminded her of her friend, but it would always feel like Mrs. Evans’ house, and not her own. Besides, if she wanted the peace of the country and the excitement of the city, life in Rexton fitted in with neither. She should be practical and sell the house, but if her mother wanted to make a home with her, where would they live?
She wrote “Mother” next on the sheet. Was her mother happy living with Aunt Edna, or did she want to return to Helen and her family? Would she prefer living with Harriet? What her mother needed was a permanent home surrounded by people who loved her, plus a regular income so that she need not ever worry about money again. And it would be better if her mother had control over that income; she would feel more secure if she did not have to rely upon an allowance. Harriet put down her pencil. She had to consult her mother on this. The sun was low in the sky, but hadn’t set yet. She would see if her mother was in her room.
She crossed the hall and knocked her mother’s door. “Come in,” Mrs. Walters answered. Harriet went in. Her mother sat beside the window, repairing a tear in a petticoat.
“Harriet, I thought that you were asleep,” she said, putting down her sewing.
“No, Mother, I’ve been busy thinking. It’s time I made some plans, but I can’t do that without talking to you first. Harriet knelt on the floor and rested her elbows on her mother's chair. “What do you want to do, Mother? Where do you want to live?”
Mrs. Walters stroked her daughter’s hair. “I’ve been thinking about that quite a lot lately, dearest. I’ve been wondering if it’s time to go back to Helen.”
“Were you happy there, Mother?”
Mrs. Walters shrugged. “To be truthful, dear, it’s a little too chaotic with all the children running about. Helen is a very indulgent mother. I did feel that I was making progress with the twins, though.”
“What about Rexton, dear? Do you like living here?”
“Rexton is home to me too, Harriet. My home before I married your father, that is.”
“What about living with Aunt Edna?”
Mrs. Walters smiled. “There’s a trick to living with your aunt, Harriet. You have to know when to be deaf. I’ve been comfortable here, although it can be very quiet with just two old women rattling around the house.”
“Would you rather that we set up housekeeping together, Mother? Some cozy place in the country, maybe? You see, I’ve decided that I don’t want to live in Mrs. Evans’ house. I’m thinking of selling it.”
Mrs. Walters studied Harriet’s face. “Do you really think that you would be happy living with me in the country?”
“To be truthful, Mother, I would also like to travel, but you would be welcome to come with me.”
Mrs. Walters shook her head. “I’m too much of a homebody to enjoy travel, Harriet.”
“Which means that you would be home by yourself if I went away.” Harriet sat back on her heels and took a deep breath. “Mother, I’d like to transfer a third of my bank shares to you for the duration of your lifetime, returning to me on your – when you’re gone. I don’t want you to worry anymore. So, once you have the bank shares, where would you like to live?”
Her mother put a hand over her heart and sat back in her chair. “My, Harriet, that’s very generous of you. I’m sure I won’t need that much money to live on.”
“But I want you to have too much money, Mother. Too much money would make you feel secure.”
Mrs. Walters was silent as she thought. “Well, I suppose that I would prefer to stay here with Edna, if she’ll have me. It would make a difference if I were able to help with the expenses.”
“You mean that she wouldn’t be able to boss you around so much?”
Her mother smiled. “You’ve lived with Edna, Harriet. You know what she’s like. But she’s family, and I love her. Being on a more equal footing would help. But . . . .”
“What is it, dear?” Harriet asked, taking her mother’s hand.
“I do wish that I could do something for the twins. They show such promise, and they get lost in that mob of brothers and sisters.”
Harriet smiled. “Why not ask them here?”
“What?”
Harriet stood up and began pacing the floor. “They’re certainly old enough to leave home. They’ll be young women in a few years. You talked about how quiet it is with just you and Aunt Edna in the house. Wouldn’t it be livelier with the girls here? They are responsible and well-behaved – they’ve been looking after their younger brothers and sisters for years. Aunt Edna grew accustomed to having me in the house quickly enough. Why not ask her? But I should wait until after you’ve talked to her about staying, Mother. Aunt Edna needs time to adjust to change.”
“Harriet, you’ve given me a lot to think about.”
“Well, one thing is settled. I shall drop by to see Mrs. Evans’ solicitor first thing tomorrow morning, and have the bank shares transferred to you. Meanwhile, you can talk to Aunt Edna about living with her. Does that suit you, Mother?”
“Why not? It won’t be such a big change, after all. I’m already living here. I like your plan, my dear. I’ll just have to talk Edna into seeing things our way.”
“I’m so glad,” Harriet said, bending to hug her mother. “It hasn’t been easy for you, losing father and Willoway. You deserve some happiness in your life.”
Mrs. Walters stroked her hair. “You’re a good daughter, Harriet, and a kind woman. Thank you, dearest.”
Harriet kissed her and straightened. “I’m going back to my room now. I have more plann
ing to do. Sweet dreams, Mother.”
“Sweet dreams, Harriet, although I don’t believe that I’ll sleep a wink with all I’ve got to think about.” Harriet smiled and left the room.
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Harriet left the house after breakfast the next morning to see Mr. Burton. She waited while he prepared the legal papers so that she could sign them right away. After that, she visited Mrs. Higgins for several hours before returning home.
She found her mother and Aunt Edna in the sitting room, with Colonel York pretending to read the papers while listening to their conversation.
“I think that would work, Edwina,” Aunt Edna was saying. “I will review the household accounts and come up with a sum. You can pay me annually or semi-annually, depending upon how often the bank shares pay out.” Her aunt looked up. “Hello Harriet. Your mother and I have been discussing her suggestion that we set up house together permanently. I think it could work, but you’re foolish for transferring the bank shares to her.”
Harriet sat on the arm of the sofa and kissed her aunt’s cheek. “Never mind, Aunt, doing so makes me happy. But let’s talk about other things. I have a couple of announcements to make that I’d like you all to hear.” Colonel York put down his papers and listened openly this time.
“Whatever else have you been up to, Niece?”
“Just this. I’m going to sell Mrs. Evans’ house and buy Mrs. Higgins’ cottage. I’m going to live in the cottage as soon as I’ve made some improvements to it.”
Her aunt stared at her. “Are you quite insane, Harriet? Sell Mabel’s beautiful house and move into a puny workman’s cottage?” Her teeth snapped audibly together.
Harriet sat down on the sofa between her mother and her aunt, taking one hand from each. Aunt Edna tried to snatch hers back again, but Harriet wouldn’t let go. “Now listen, Aunt. I love Mrs. Evans’ house, but it’s too grand for me. I want to live in a simple house and I want to live in the country, when I’m not away travelling. Mrs. Higgins’ house is in a perfect location – just far enough outside the village to be in the country, but close enough to walk into the village. A cart comes with the house, too. I shall use that for short jaunts, and buy a carriage for longer trips, such as visiting Helen. I’ll need to buy a pair of horses. You can advise me on that, can’t you, Colonel?”
The Affairs of Harriet Walters, Spinster Page 25