Charlotte: The Practical Education of a Distressed Gentlewoman (6 page)

“
Nay, not at all. Most of their
needs were very small, a new plow blade might be ten pounds. If you
don't have ten pounds when you need it then it might as well be a
hundred or a thousand. I was also wondering if some form of
insurance would be useful.”

Mrs. Talbot beamed, “That's my
George, always thinking of how to make money work.”

“
Insurance?”

“
Thinking of organizing a pool or
a farmer's bank, so if the crops fail, there's something for them.
Wouldn't take much capital to start and it could make their lives a
great deal easier.”

Looking at the clock on the
mantelpiece and realizing that he'd outstayed a social call, the
vicar rose and started to make his excuses.

“
Dr. Answorth, please stay and try
the sherry. I'm no connoisseur and if the mountain wine is better
I'd like to know why.”

Finally, freed from the garrulous
and tenacious Mr. Talbot, Dr. Answorth found his gig and headed
back to the rectory. It was his opinion that the Talbot family,
senior, was definitely best endured in small doses. At least the
man could learn to appreciate the difference between that dreadful
London plonk and Mountain Malaga, even the relatively cheap and
nasty Malaga Lord Staverton stocked in his cellar.

Back at the rectory, Charlotte was
also finding that the younger Talbot's were best kept at a
distance. As she and her maid unpacked the dresses, they came upon
the 100 pound note Freddy had secreted. Immediately she knew what
happened, or thought she did. There was simply no possible way her
father would either have given her a ton or have forgotten about it
if he had.

“
That Elizabeth Talbot! Thinking
she can buy my favor with a bribe. I'll give her a piece of my mind
when I see her next.”

Charlotte didn't have long to wait
for her chance. There was a loud knocking at the front door, which
penetrated even to her upstairs room, and shortly afterwards a maid
came up and asked, “Miss De Vere, Miss Talbot was here and
wondering if you would like to converse with her.”

“
Yes,” Charlotte fumed, “Dearly.”
She strode downstairs, banknote in hand, and confronted Miss
Talbot.

“
What is this!”

“
It's a banknote, a hundred pounds
from the look of it. I wouldn't wave it about like that. You might
lose it.”

“
That's right. What was it doing
in my dresses?”

“
Didn't you forget it in your
dress and just find it?”

“
I've never had this much money in
my hands at once, and my father would never have given it to me if
he had it.”

“
Oh,” Lizzy smiled, “I'm sorry,
that was the idea.”

“
Whose idea?”

“
Freddy's. He said you would look
pretty if you were dressed in a fashionable gown, and that this
might help you get one.”

Charlotte paused, Elizabeth's
directness and naivety about things was shocking. “Don't you
understand why I can't accept this?”

“
No, not at all. It's not like
it's that much money. Please accept it as a gift.”

Charlotte was speechless with
anger. Lizzy, completely puzzled with her reaction, continued, “I'm
deeply sorry if you're offended. It was meant for the best. I
thought you'd rather have the chance to pick out your own gown than
if I offered you one of mine.”

“
One of your castoffs? I'd
never.”

Miss Talbot sounded lonely,
slightly shy and sad as she said,“I'd hoped we could be close
friends, like sisters. I've never had a sister and always wanted
one. You'd accept it from your sister, wouldn't you?”

Charlotte noted the dismay on
Elizabeth's face. “Are you really that lonely?”

Lizzy sniffed, “I know we're vulgar
and parvenus, encroaching mushrooms that stink of the shop. I'm not
daft. In London I was only accepted socially because I am a rich
heiress. The men at Bootle's were making book on who I'd marry.
Freddy had it a little better. He had some friends from school.
Even then I think most of them tried to touch him for a loan when
they were scrapping bottom. It only stopped when he made it clear
that he didn't loan money without security. I can't fake it like
Freddy can.”

“
So, here?”

“
Here, I hoped I might just have
some friends, normal friends.” She paused and sniffed, “I'm sorry
if I bothered you.” She turned and started to walk to the front
door. The footman called for “Miss Talbot's carriage.” Soon after,
the noise of the carriage crunching its way down the vicarage drive
could be heard.

Charlotte was left behind, sitting
in the parlor, unsure of what she should feel, and equally unsure
of what she did feel. Anger at being 'bribed', but shame at not
recognizing it as a genuine gesture of friendship. She said to the
clock on the parlor mantelpiece, “I suppose this is what vicars are
for.”

Charlotte's
ambivalent feelings continued, despite a long discussion with Dr.
and Mrs. Answorth in the evening. It wasn't until the next day,
when she quietly slipped out for a visit to Staverton that they
resolved themselves. There in front of the King's Arms, happily
chatting with a couple of other young women, including that
dreadfully common Lucy Smith, was Elizabeth. She was clearly
recovered from whatever mental anguish she had from yesterday's
chat with Charlotte. If she was lonely she was doing an excellent
job of hiding it as she chatted with her new acquaintances.
Elizabeth was still dressed in her stylish London clothes, although
Charlotte thought that today's dress was possibly just slightly
less ostentatious than yesterdays.

Charlotte stood there, undecided
whether to pass them by close enough to be noticed without saying
anything, to turn on her heels and go back to the vicarage, or to
introduce herself, when Elizabeth noticed her.

“
Charlotte! Why don't you come and
join us. We were just discussing Thursday's ball.” Miss Smith and
her friends joined in the request. Charlotte pointedly ignored it
and started to walk past them. Lucy, a prosperous farmer's daughter
whose social aspirations could never climb higher than the squire's
son, told the group in a loud enough voice for Charlotte to
overhear, “That's the Staverton family for you, poorer than church
mice, too foolish to hold on to their inheritance, and too proud to
talk to decent folk.” Elizabeth told her, quietly, “That was
unkind. We can't choose our parents.” Then she ran to Charlotte and
started to lead her to back. On the way she asked her, “Charlotte
what is the matter?”

“
You seem to be fitting
in.”

“
What do you expect me to do,
silly? Stay in the hall and mope all day? Don't be so high in the
instep.”

Charlotte let herself be led back
to the women. Elizabeth asked them, “Who is a good
seamstress?”

“
Why? You wear such elegant
dresses?”

“
They are fine for London, but not
at all suitable for here.”

Charlotte asked in a misleadingly
innocent voice, “Slumming Miss Talbot?”

Elizabeth narrowed her eyes, her
face stiffened and she replied, “No, Miss De Vere. Finding suitable
clothes for the mistress of Staverton Hall to wear. London clothes
for London, country clothes for the country.”

Charlotte tried to get a further
rise by asking, “I hope the coarse cloth won't harm your soft skin.
You should stick to your London clothes. Not being from around here
or anything.”

“
I could say something about how
gauche your dress is and how I would never been seen wearing
something in such poor taste, but I won't. Instead, Miss De Vere I
will bid you adieu.”

As Elizabeth started to leave,
Charlotte continued, “At least I don't smell of the
shop.”

Elizabeth stopped, and shot back,
“I may smell of the shop, but at least I can afford to pay for my
lavender water.”

While Charlotte tried to think of a
more cutting riposte, or at least one she could say in public, Mr.
Talbot came out of the Kings Arms and called. “Elizabeth, would you
please come and join us inside?” Then seeing Charlotte he added,
“Miss De Vere? You as well, this concerns you.”

“
Sir!, I'd much rather not. Surely
Mr. Cruise can handle any matter of business.”

Dr. Answorth joined Mr. Talbot at
the door, “Miss Charlotte, it is important.” Charlotte and
Elizabeth shot mutually venomous glances at each other, but
complied with the requests.

Upon entering the inn they were
greeted by a group of the more prosperous farmers and merchants of
the parish, including the town's solicitor Mr. Cruise. The men rose
from their coffee when the two women entered. Elizabeth was the
first to speak, “So father? What is this about?”

Not to be outdone, Charlotte added,
“Yes, Mr. Talbot, what pearl of city wisdom are you prepared to
impart to us?”

Dr. Answorth shushed her.
“Charlotte, quiet. This is not a matter for wit, no matter how
diverting you think it is. I am beginning to think that the
Talbot's are a blessing for the parish.”

“
If so, it's in a blessing in a
good disguise as a very rude package.”

“
Please.”

Once the women were seated,
followed by the men, Mr. Talbot rose. He addressed them, “Gentlemen
and, ahem, Ladies, I am pleased that we have come to an agreement,
a charter.” He paused for breath, only to be interrupted by
Elizabeth. “Fa-ahter? Not again, you said you were going to stop
with business once you moved out of the city. Leave it to
Freddy.”

“
Lizzy, my dear, please. As I was
saying, an agreement to form a cooperative bank for the merchants
and the grange.” Elizabeth rolled her eyes and pursed her lips,
which didn't go unnoticed by Charlotte. As Mr. Talbot long-windily
continued with his oration announcing a mercantile creation,
Charlotte whispered to Elizabeth, “Miss Talbot, I'm sorry for what
I said just now, you're embarrassed too, aren't you?” Elizabeth
quietly replied, “A little, I wish he'd just get on with it. All
this puffery for what is a very simple thing in the
end.”

“
And so,” Mr. Talbot approached
the end of his oration, “I ask you to cheer the Staverton and Holt
mercantile trust.”

There was a general mummer of
approval. Mr. Cruise produced the charter document, which they
signed. Finally, Mr. Talbot addressed Miss De Vere, “Miss De Vere,
as you are the last of the Staverton line, and this is your
family's ancestral fief, would you please sign?”

Charlotte shot a panicked glance at
Dr. Answorth and Elizabeth. Elizabeth nudged her and whispered,
“Don't worry, he wouldn't ask you to do anything dishonorable.”
Charlotte carefully stood and looked at the charter. It seemed
fine, an agreement to form a bank. “Mr. Talbot, what am I
signing?”

“
The charter for our new bank, to
help finance the farming and industry in the parish.”

“
Does it involve money from me? I
don't have much.”

“
Not at all. It's just that we
felt, as the representative of the local nobility, it would be good
if you signed. Most of these gentlemen are your
tenants.”

She signed the
parchment.

The morning's business concluded,
most of the men went to get on with the rest of the day's work.
This left Dr. Answorth, Mr. Talbot, Elizabeth and Charlotte. Mr.
Talbot chortled, “Capital, capital, capital. That will get things
moving around here.” He then turned to Charlotte, and asked, “Miss
De Vere, I somehow feel we may have gotten off on the wrong foot
with each other. Dr. Answorth said something to me about a hundred
pound note and some dresses. Couldn't quite see what he was getting
at.” Dr. Answorth started to explain, but Mr. Talbot continued,
“The details don't matter. What does is that we upset you. Can't
have that, can we?”

“
No.”

“
Elizabeth,” he continued, “I
heard some heated, unladylike words outside. Didn't I?”

“
Yes father.” Elizabeth paused,
then looked at Charlotte and said, “Miss De Vere, I'm sorry for
what I said and pray you will forgive me.”

Charlotte found it impossible to
say anything other than, “Yes, I do, and I hope you will do
likewise.”

“
Good! Now I would like to invite
you to the hall for supper.”

“
But -”

“
You and the Answorths. Please say
yes. We need to become better acquainted.”

“
Mr. Talbot won't be there, will
he?”

“
You mean Freddy? No, not tonight.
He's due back tomorrow.”

“
Thank you, yes we will
attend.”

As she and Dr. Answorth walked back
to the vicarage, Charlotte asked him, “I hope that you're not upset
I accepted that invitation.”

“
Mr. Talbot? I must admit he is
best experienced in small doses, but no. For all his faults, he is
a decent Christian man, who is trying to make life better for the
less fortunate.”

“
I just wish he were less
trying.”

“
Are you still upset with Miss
Talbot?”