The Imaginary Gentleman (10 page)

E
LSPETH ROUSED HERSELF THE NEXT
day to accompany her brother and sister on their promised visit to the Woodruffs. The carriage pulled up before a square-set house, in the Palladian style. It was Edward's first visit there in several years.

“I am glad our cousin has ceased to mourn the pulling down of the old house,” he said.

“I am sure he grieves still,” said Elspeth. “Mercifully he keeps his objections to himself.”

“The old house was built in the Devonshire tradition,” said Laura.

“Richard has no concept of the benefits of modernising,” said Elspeth. “Although I must say that the proportions of this house are ridiculously wrong for the style.”

She descended from the carriage, to congratulate the colonel and his lady on the perfect loveliness of their home.

Mrs. Woodruff was excessively disappointed at the absence of the baronet, who had sent the excuse of parish business.

“Sir Richard certainly spends a great deal of time on these matters,” she said.

“He is a responsible landowner, indeed,” said Edward. “There is a quarrel in the village over the appointment of the new constable, it seems.”

“The entire parish can hardly make a decision without his advice,” said Elspeth.

“He busies himself with his estate, too,” said the colonel. “I wonder he takes the trouble for I believe he has an excellent steward.”

“Indeed he does. However, my cousin believes that no one can take the interests of his tenant farmers as keenly as their landlord.”

“I suppose he is right, too.” The colonel took Edward under his wing and they went on a tour of the estate in his chaise.

The Woodruff ladies took Elspeth and Laura on a gentler excursion,
showing them the principal rooms of the house. They then returned to the drawing room.

“An inspiration came to me, Miss Morrison!” said Mrs. Woodruff. “I picture Evalina against a background of the yellow curtains, looking dreamily into the air …”

“Is it not a very original conception, Miss Morrison?” asked Evalina.

“I am sure you will appear to great advantage against the yellow silk,” said Laura, not altogether to the point. “The light will be very flattering.”

“Can we begin today?” said Evalina.

“I thought I would take a sketch today,” said Laura.

“I do not wish to have Jeremy in the room, Mama, for he is certain to say something witty and devastating.”

“Devastating perhaps,” said Jane. “I could not be certain of his wit.”

Laura laughed inwardly. Then she said, “It is a matter of only half an hour for me to take a first impression.”

It was by no means easy to settle the young lady into the languid pose desired by her parent for more than five minutes: Mrs Woodruff happened to be speaking of the captain. “He is such an interesting object to the colonel,” Mrs Woodruff said.

Evalina turned her head to hear the answer.

“My brother attracts attention wherever he goes,” said Elspeth. “Of course, his reputation often precedes him.”

“Miss Evalina, please turn your head this way,” said Laura.

The young lady obliged.

Mrs. Woodruff continued, “Let us not forget that Captain Morrison is a fine-looking gentleman, with a manly air.”

“You cannot ask his sister to disagree,” said Elspeth, with a coy look.

“Naturally, I do favour military men,” said Mrs. Woodruff.

“I could not agree with you more,” said Elspeth.

Evalina's eyes widened and she pursed her lips.

“Miss Woodruff?” said Laura.

Evalina turned and favoured her with a delightful smile. “Yes, Miss Morrison?”

“Will you try to hold the same position?”

Evalina drew herself up as though preparing to salute, and gazed sternly at the wall.

Laura laughed. “No, no, looking towards the flowers behind me, as before.” She put down her pencil and went to re-arrange her subject. “Try to remember to keep your chin just so, smiling very slightly—now you are laughing.”

“Pay Miss Morrison the courtesy of cooperation, Evalina!” said her mother.

“I'm sorry, Mama.”

Her mother returned to her conversation with Mrs. Evans.

“Captain Morrison is well-rewarded in prize money, the colonel tells me, and in retirement will have nothing else to do but establish a home.”

“Indeed, I know not how he will occupy himself.”

“I suppose he has spent so much time at sea. Does he hunt at all?”

“He was fond of the sport—in former times.”

“Of course—so indelicate of me.”

“Not at all,” said Elspeth. “It was a very natural question. My brother has recommenced riding and is determined to return to such of his old pursuits as he may.”

Laura said quietly, “Pray close your lips just as before, Miss Woodruff.”

The young lady complied and her mother continued, “I daresay the captain will soon marry … Evalina! Why are you looking this way?”

Evalina blushed and turned back to her previous position. Mrs. Woodruff saw that the portrait would be a slow business if any distractions remained.

“Mrs. Evans, would you like to come to the music room?” she said. “My dear Jane, leave that work for now. You might play that delightful new song for Mrs. Evans.”

Left alone with her artist, Miss Evalina sank into a dreamy state that boded well for the portrait that her mother had in mind. Her lips
scarcely moved as she murmured, “Oh, Miss Morrison, how your heart must break every time you look upon your brother!”

“I would be dead by this time, were my heart so frail.”

“I wonder that you did not pine away.”

“The loss of a sister would scarcely compensate my brother for the loss of his arm. Besides, pining away is not as easy as people often seem to imagine. I rather believe that only the most determined woman could do it, and, if she has sufficient stubbornness for that, she ought simply to endure.”

“When I imagine my brother so used by fate—oh! He is a figure of tragedy!”

“I had thought Mr. Woodruff to be remarkably sanguine, but I do not know him. Perhaps he conceals a tortured soul.”

“I did not mean
my
brother, Miss Morrison! If Jeremy were to so injure himself, it would be in doing something foolish, like racing his curricle along a winding lane, and upsetting some poor farmer's cart.”

“I daresay his family's grief would be no different for all that.”

“But … oh … how noble your brother is to be so maimed in saving his country.”

“I see your meaning. My brother did win the war all of his own accord; the dispatching of an entire navy against the French was quite superfluous,” said Laura, with a smile.

“The papers were full of his bravery. With so serious a wound, he continued to fight. Papa says he dealt several sword cuts before he collapsed from loss of blood.”

The topic could hardly be pleasant for Laura, but Evalina was too engrossed to perceive this.

“They say that when he returned to port, he stood to attention on the deck and took the salute of the crowd, when he was all but fainting with pain.”

“Edward would put that down to his stubborn temperament. Although it is more likely to be the madness of fever.”

“Of fever!”

“Yes indeed. He was already burning from the contagion in the wound. He was at death's door for many days.”

“You helped nurse him?”

“Of course—it is best to do what one can.” Unlike Elspeth, she thought, who had moaned more about her own sufferings than she had of Edward's.

“Well, I am very sorry for him indeed.”

“He would not thank you for your pity,” said Laura.

The image of him, in those painful days, so readily came to her mind. The endless task of trying to cool the patient, to keep him from thrashing about, disturbing the horrible wound, had left a strong enough impression. And through it all, he cried out for Charlotte, not knowing she had visited him already. She had seen him delirious, the side of his body swollen up with infection, the blood seeping into the bandages. She had turned away in disgust, and Laura had come close, very close, to hatred.

Evalina looked at Laura, curious, a little awed. Laura caught her glance and smiled.

“Enough for today, don't you think?”

 

The entire party assembled to take tea, and Evalina chose a place next to Mrs. Evans, whom she longed to know better. The captain was seated across the room from her, between Jane and her mother.

The colonel's yawning heir appeared, his cravat arranged to perfection.

“Out of your bed, at last, young sir!” said his father. “You have missed a fine airing with the captain.”

“You never go at a fast enough clip to satisfy me, sir.” He smirked at Elspeth, and drew a little jewelled box from his pocket.

“What's that you have there?” said the colonel.

“Why, Father, it's a toothpick case. Have you never heard of them?” He turned to Elspeth, handing her the box.

“It is very elegant,” said Elspeth.

“You see how cunningly the corals are set into the top, Mrs. Evans. Some fellows go for flashier cases—diamonds and so forth—but I like to be more subtle.”

The colonel snorted something about the subtlety of his son's
allowance, and his wife said, “Do sit down next to Mrs. Evans, Jeremy.” He seemed happy to oblige.

As soon as her brother's mouth was stopped up with plum cake, Evalina put her hand upon Elspeth's arm and said quietly, “Mrs. Evans, I spoke to your sister about your poor brother's tragic wounding but she would only laugh at me.”

Elspeth could see that Laura was in conversation with the colonel, and she patted the girl's hand, saying, “My sister's grief was excessive, most painful to behold. One needs to know her a very long time to understand a fraction of her tender feelings.”

“Oh!” Evalina looked at Laura, thinking,
a veil of secrecy drawn over her heart
. Recently these words in a novel had struck her as very fine. Yet, the reality for Evalina was that, for all her secret veils, Miss Morrison was rather dry and clever when compared with her pretty and charming sister.

Elspeth put a hand on the place where her own heart could be presumed to dwell. “As for me, I believe I fainted away. It was as though I lost a part of him.”

Miss Evalina's lovely eyes glowed in sympathy; she saw no accidental humour in this statement. She sneaked a look at the captain, seemingly engaged in an engrossing conversation. What could Jane possibly have to say that would make him lean towards her, with that expression of interest? Evalina saw how her mother shifted her own chair slightly, making almost a threesome of their seats, cutting them off a little from the rest of the company. How very ill things are turning out, Evalina thought.

With an effort, she turned back to hear what her brother, Jeremy, was saying to Mrs. Evans.

“Why, I can go that way with no trouble at all, Ma'am!” he said. “I am more than happy to oblige you.”

“I am grateful, sir,” she said.

“Where are you going, Jeremy?” asked Evalina.

“Nowhere that concerns you, Evvy,” he replied.

Just then, a momentary silence fell, and Mrs. Woodruff could be heard to say, in a humorous manner, “Captain, you must tell the
baronet how displeased Miss Evalina is at his failure to appear this morning. She is looking quite cross.”

“Mama!”

“I am jesting, child!”

“You are to say no such thing, sir!” said Evalina. Her cheeks flushed, rather prettily, and her father roared with laughter.

“Do not fear,” said Edward. “I will carry no such tale of you to Oakmont. My cousin would not believe me if I did, for he is the most modest man in the kingdom.”

“That he is!” cried Elspeth. “Miss Evalina, I could tell you tales of him that would melt any young lady's heart.”

She was aware of Laura looking a little cross with her. What ails her now? she thought. Can she be jealous? The very idea brought a smile to her lips.

 

As Jeremy handed Mrs. Evans into the carriage, Laura looked up in admiration at the loveliness of a flight of birds set against a delicate stream of cloud. The colonel followed her gaze, and pointed them out to Edward. “We'll have plenty of sport, sir,” he said. “There's been no shooting here for these five years at least.”

Thus only the Woodruff ladies saw that Elspeth handed Jeremy something through the window. It was a letter, folded small, half-concealed by her hand.

“You save me some anxiety, sir.”

“It does no harm to involve a friend in these matters,” he said.

He handed Laura into the carriage, and stepped aside for the captain, who seized the door-frame and swung himself up easily on his good leg. The footman put the steps up and closed the door.

“Good day to you all,” the captain said, and knocked his cane against the roof. “Drive on!” he called.

 

The visitors' carriage was scarcely out of the drive, before Mrs. Woodruff said, “Jeremy, what is that letter that Mrs. Evans gave you?”

“Fear not, Mother, it ain't a billet doux! It's just a letter to
Mrs. Evans's housekeeper, but I flatter myself that it was an honour to be entrusted with it.”

“But Jerry, you are not going near St Austell,” said Jane.

“I am now. Ha! Ha! I shall have to leave tomorrow, Mother.”

“This is an extravagant gesture, Jeremy. I cannot understand Mrs. Evans putting you to such inconvenience!”

“I told her I was passing through St Austell. I'll get a look at her estate when I deliver it.” He tapped the side of his nose. “She is worth a journey, I think.”

“Where did you learn so vulgar a gesture, Jerry?” said Jane.

“Ah! In places I wouldn't take my sisters to!” He linked arms with his mother, as they all turned back indoors.