Jonathan sat behind his oak desk fiddling with his steel pen. “You have probably had sufficient time to read my draft speech and think of some ways to improve what I have written. You are to add nothing that you heard discussed this morning with Lord Marchmere.”
William nodded and gave his agreement.
“And you are to treat everything that you hear in the course of your duties, both inside and outside this room and this house, as confidential.”
“Of course, my lord.” William readily agreed.
“That is, excepting what you heard just now about Marchmere’s assumptions about my engagement to Jane.”
“My lord, Jane has told me that your engagement no longer exists. That she has withdrawn from it.”
“Yes, that is true. We have had a disagreement and she has withdrawn her consent to marry me. However, part of the discord related to things that Marchmere spouted – incorrect information about my motivations for wanting to marry your sister.”
“Yes, I’ve heard, but even had you been stupid enough- sorry, misled enough, to believe that and had married, you would have had no hope of silencing or changing one opinion of my sister’s.” William looked as though he thought such an objective was as impossible as a man flying. “She is a force to be reckoned with, make no mistake. Accept her as she is, or give up your hopes of a happy marriage, or any marriage at all.”
Jonathan gave a bark of laughter. “Well, that’s plain speaking. I shall take your advice seriously William. As it’s from someone who has known her most of her life, I don’t think I can go far wrong accepting it!”
He rose from his chair and strode around the desk to clap William to the back affably. “Now, down to business with this speech. Let’s see what your ideas are.”
♥ ♥ ♥
That evening Jane and her sisters were delighted to receive their brother for dinner. He had only returned to London in the last few days and they had scarcely seen him. All were amazed when he told them of his new position and sought every details.
When the topic was exhausted Jane spoke. “Now William, if you can solve our latest mystery for us we would be very grateful.”
“Oh yes,” chimed in Anna. “Who is the latest pamphlet writer for our cause?”
Jane outlined the nature of the pamphlet to her brother, wondering which side of the debate his response would support. “He or she has drawn the wrath of the Church and every conservative in the country. We presume it is a doctor, but Dr Logan swears it is not him, and no-one in our group is admitting to it. The style of writing is not one that I recognise, and nor does anyone else.” Jane went to the sitting room and withdrew a paper from the pile on its round work table, returned with it and handed it to her brother for his perusal. He scanned it quickly and looking up at his sister, said with a laugh, “I can see why it has caused a furore. It’s tantamount to heresy to some I would say!”
The sisters agreed.
“By-the-bye, one mystery I can solve is why Lord Marchmere came to be saying that Dalton was undertaking a political game with your engagement,” William told Jane. “You have it all wrong that Dalton wanted to discredit you and your views. I overheard Dalton and Marchmere have a terrible to-do about it this morning, while they had forgotten about my existence in the library. Seems Marchmere jumps to conclusions and that was one of them. He is also the person who spread the rumour about the nature of your relationship with Dalton.”
Jane asked him for details, so William repeated all that he had heard of the conversation relating to her. At the conclusion, Jane’s sisters were inclined to say, “I told you so,” but Jane was a little more hesitant about taking the words at face value. She needed more proof.
Fourteen
Over the next few days, although William resided in lodgings he was a regular dinner guest of his sisters in Harley Street. It was obvious to all her siblings that Jane was miserable. As everything else in her world was more successful, with less worry attached than she had experienced in the last decade, they surmised that the broken engagement and loss of Lord Dalton in her life was the cause. William said to leave well enough alone; her sisters disagreed and said that something had to be done and Lady Elizabeth might be willing to help.
The next day, after Jane left home for an afternoon’s work at the Welfare League, Charlotte and Anna seized the opportunity to visit Lady Elizabeth at Dalton House. Within minutes of their arrival she sped downstairs to her brother’s study to request that William join her and his sisters for afternoon tea rather than take it with Jonathan or below stairs. Permission granted, Lady Elizabeth approached William as he worked transcribing bills into a cash book for Stevens. Engrossed in his work, William didn’t hear Lady Elizabeth’s quiet approach. She leant over his shoulder for a few moments, meaning to surprise him, and read what he was working on. She commented quietly in his ear. “That is an enormously long list of bills Mr Brody.” He started and quickly closed the book on the accounts.
“Lady Elizabeth, I beg your pardon, I did not hear your approach.” He looked completely discomposed by her interruption.
She laughed the matter away and explained that he had been given permission to have tea with his sisters as they were visiting. They climbed the grand staircase to the first floor drawing room, talking about the forthcoming season, which was only a few months away.
Upon seating themselves, Anna said, “Now that we have captured you William, I can tell you that we are here to discuss how to get Dalton and Elizabeth back together.”
“Oh, so that is the reason for my being invited to a lady’s tea party, is it?” He looked disgusted. “Jane would be furious if she knew we were plotting against her.”
Anna was indignant. “Not against her. For her. For her happiness. She is certainly not happy now! You must agree that is so?”
“You know I do.”
“Then help us devise a plan,” Anna insisted.
They talked about what could be done to at least bring them together. “I know,” said Lady Elizabeth. “Your sister’s talk this evening.”
The siblings looked at her blankly. “Jane can’t cry off from attending, as she is the speaker, and I will somehow persuade my brother to accompany me.”
“Surely if he knows that it is a meeting at our home or, of the women’s rights group, then he will expect Jane to be present and just refuse to attend?” Charlotte asked.
Elizabeth considered this viewpoint. “He may - but I don’t think so. I suspect that he would like an excuse to see Jane again.”
“It’s worth a try, and if it doesn’t work we will devise another plan for getting them together,” said Anna.
“Now that is settled,” Elizabeth began. “Tell me William, what on earth has my brother been getting printed recently that has cost such large sums?”
All three ladies turned their eyes on him, their curiosity piqued.
“I’m sure I cannot say, Lady Elizabeth.”
“But perhaps you can guess?” she pursued.
William answered stiff-faced. “It is not my place to speculate, ma’am.”
“Is he the anonymous pamphleteer William? Is he?” asked Anna excitedly.
“I have no idea,” he answered in a bland tone.
“Oh, he must be!” Charlotte exclaimed. “William, you have no ability to dissemble. Never take up politics!” she advised dryly.
He stood, and answered bitterly. “Well, that’s another career I can’t take up. I am rapidly losing options, especially if any of you mention this notion of yours – I’ll lose my position here. Lord Dalton requires absolute confidentiality and if what you are saying is repeated, I will surely have the finger of blame pointed at me as the culprit. Say nothing!” He glared at his sisters. “Do I make myself clear?”
They nodded.
“Thank you.” He bowed t
o Lady Elizabeth and stalked from the room.
“Poor Mr Brody,” said Lady Elizabeth, “he does have a predicament, but we must at least inform your sister that Dalton has finally begun to work for our cause as we requested so long ago.”
“But what about William, Lady Elizabeth? He must not lose his position with your brother,” Anna said.
“He shall not. I will take entire responsibility for making the information known to Jane. After all, I was the one who saw the amount of the bill listed in Dalton’s account book. I was suspicious at once.”
That evening, numerous candles lit the drawing room as guests at Jane’s salon seated themselves and chatted before her talk. Jane walked to the lectern placed in front the family’s new piano and waited for her guests to come to attention. She looked out across the room of attendees, smiling at old friends and noting new faces. She drew breath to start her brief introduction before launching into her paper upon the need for access to university education for women. As she did so, the rear doors of the room opened quietly to admit a late arrival. She paused to wait for the person to be seated before commencing.
Stunned, she watched Jonathan and his sister enter. Dalton quickly scanned the room for available seats and led his sister to the front directly before Jane. Elizabeth smiled at Jane in greeting and apology for their lateness. Jane’s eyes slid to Jonathan’s face as he took his seat with an air of interested expectation. Their eyes locked and Jane’s body froze. Her mind did not – it raced.
What was he doing here? Had they not agreed to go their separate ways? She had expected never to see him again except across the vast space of a crowded ballroom where they would nod towards each other in distant politeness. Now he was here – in the front row – looking as though he had every reason to be there.
Still their eyes were riveted to each other’s. She couldn’t read his. They were dark pools and she was drowning in them. She consciously pulled her gaze from his to take in the unchanged nature of his face - his curling brown hair swept forward upon his brow, his straight nose and sensual curved mouth and that stubborn chin. His barber had tended him recently, as there wasn’t a shadow of stubble upon his face, but two luxurious sideburns emphasising his prominent cheekbones. As she continued to stare his eyebrows began to crook into querying apostrophes and a quirk of his mouth showed that he was amused by her stunned response to his presence.
She tore her eyes from him and looked around the room, realising that the audience had grown restless from the delay. She glanced down at her notes, trying to bring her focus upon them, then began the talk abruptly with a little stutter. The room quietened again as the guests listened and considered her argument. A few minutes into the talk she made the error of including Jonathan in her survey of the room when making a point and faltered again. Had he taken to tying his cravat in a different way since they had parted? It appeared so. What else had he changed, in his efforts to forget her by obliterating everything in his life that reminded him of her? He looked immaculate in his evening clothes.
Oh, when would this talk be over? She looked around the room again, for a smiling face to focus upon as a lifebuoy while she floundered in the turbulent sea of her disrupted talk. Then she found it, her sister Anna smiling at her from the third row. Then she found her other sister and brother on either side of the audience. At each pause to deliver a point to each part of the room – left and right and centre – she focused on their supportive smiling faces, ignoring all distractions from the front row. With relief she pronounced her concluding sentence, smiled at the room of attendees in an all-encompassing way, and informed the audience, “Ladies and gentleman, supper will be served now and discussion is welcome.” Then she dared to look at him again.
He was getting up from his seat and turning to assist his sister. He looked tall and masculine and authoritative. She yearned to touch his dear face, to feel his soft lips upon hers and his hard arms cradling her body. Her heart ached. The pain of their separation wasn’t over. It appeared it never would be over. Why had she fallen in love with this man - this most incompatible man?
She heard his deep mellow voice. “Well Jane?”
“Lord Dalton, you’re here,” she responded inanely.
“Indeed, I am.” His mouth twitched with suppressed amusement. “Elizabeth would not miss one of your salons for anything but a summons to Carlton House. How could I disappoint her by not playing chaperone?”
“You are a dutiful brother.” Jane responded in a similar manner.
“I haven’t had the opportunity to congratulate you on your recent inheritance and the resultant relief of your financial woes. I am truly pleased that you have prospered and are no longer beholden to others for your family’s fate or fortune.”
He looked sincere, so Jane answered him in kind. “It is a pleasant place to be – with one’s future and that of one’s loved-ones buffered from the vicissitudes of life.”
“But is that all that is necessary for a happy life Jane? Is there not much more that you can envisage for yourself that would give you true contentment?”
“What do you suggest I am missing?”
“Love of a man and your children to go with it?”
Jane scoffed. “How typical of a man to present that rosy picture as the penultimate prize for a woman. And are you suggesting yourself as part of that prize?”
He answered deadpan. “Not at all Miss Brody, I was merely raising the prospect as a discussion point; as you suggested, discussion was the purpose of this evening.”
With the wind taken out of her sails, Jane merely gave a tight smile and inclined her head before turning to her other guests. Curse the man’s assurance.
Jane spent the next hour with her guests discussing the issue of women’s education. Women’s attendance at university seemed as far beyond the scope of possibility as reaching the moon, when most of the female population was illiterate and the majority of the remainder were denied any education approaching that of their brothers.
By the time she caught up with her sisters, only a few close friends remained. Dr Logan had arrived after the talk concluded, with sincere apologies for having been delayed by a birth. Jane then understood what had compelled Lord Dalton to accompany his sister.
Anna asked whether Jane had had time to talk with Lord Dalton this evening. When she answered in the affirmative, Anna replied, “Well?” as though she expected Jane to have learned something out of the ordinary or come to some conclusion.
“What are you implying Anna? What ought I to have gleaned from him?”
“Didn’t you ask him about our mystery pamphlet writer?”
“Why on earth would I have asked him that? He is probably the last person I would expect to know the writer.” Jane scoffed.
Anna appeared incredulous. “By now you must have guessed that Lord Dalton is the anonymous pamphleteer, have you not?” said Anna.
“I have not! How do you know this?” Jane was disbelieving.
“His sister found evidence of large printing costs in his cash book.”
“How can you be sure?”
“Only by asking him I suppose. You should do that. I haven’t the bravery to do so and he wouldn’t tell me.”
“Elizabeth should do it.”
“She already believes she knows, so there is no reason to ask.”
Jane looked across the room at Jonathan lounging on a low chair with his legs thrust in front of him. He was conversing with Dr Logan in an easy manner, which seemed to Jane to bode well for the future harmony of the family. Still shocked by her sister’s revelation, she was torn between dismissing the idea as ludicrous and accepting that Jonathan could easily have written the pamphlet after discussion with Dr Logan. But why? What could have caused such a change in his attitudes in such a short time?
Resolved to take action, Jane watched for the gentl
emen’s conversation to end, and approached Jonathan.
Jane challenged him. “Lord Dalton, I have heard it rumoured that you are the anonymous new writer of pamphlets in support of women’s rights. Is that so?”
“Where could you have got that Banbury tale Miss Brody?”
“My source is your sister. Is it true?”
For a moment he looked dismayed. “Ah. Elizabeth.” He straightened and looked at her closely with his piercing gaze. “I don’t know how she could have come by that information, but it is true,” he admitted.
“I’m shocked,” was Jane stark reply.
“And you look it Jane.”
“What has caused this turn around? When did you become a supporter of bluestockings and women’s rights?”
“I have been thinking deeply about things you have said Jane and find myself agreeing with many of your ideas, although I don’t think the majority of the population will accept them any time soon.” He smiled in commiseration.
Jane didn’t know how to respond to this change in Jonathan. She wondered whether she had really caused this shift in his world view. There was no reward for him doing this – other members of the House of Lords would be horrified if they knew they had a radical amongst them. Her heart swelled with love for him. In her most hopeful dreams of their life together, Jonathan’s changing to a supporter of women’s rights had never been a part of it. Agreeing to differ and taking a neutral stance to each other’s views had been the most she expected.
Jane suddenly began to hope that they now had some chance of forging a life together – until she stopped herself with the realisation that such a thing would require Jonathan’s proposing to her again. She had had no indication that he would. Initially he had proposed to obtain a wife, while saving her and her family from penury. Now there was no reason for him to align himself with her. He needed a wife and almost any lady would serve that purpose. The chances of him choosing her again were next to none.
The Persuasion of Miss Jane Brody Page 17