inexpensive bottle of port, and after a supper of chicken, potatoes, minted peas, and gingerbread with fresh cream, he and Judith toasted each other and their endeavor.
“Did you find your way to Hatchards, Judith?”
“Yes, and I found Miss Austen’s latest ... and a long-lost friend, Barbara Stanley.”
Stephen was delighted to hear the details of their meeting. The one worry he had about their arrangement was that Judith would be deprived of any companionship of her own age and interests. He had the opportunity to socialize with his fellow workers, but Judith was on her own in a rather ambivalent social position. Although they were both the children of a gentleman, the vicar having been the younger son of a baronet, Stephen’s place in society was much clearer. It was expected he would follow a profession, since there was no chance of him succeeding to the title, there being four male cousins ahead of him.
Although he would therefore not be moving in the first circles of society, he did have the opportunity to socialize with gentlemen of his class. For Judith, it was more complicated. Aside from marriage, she had had no choice three years ago. Working as a governess had been preferable to accepting her only offer, from the local squire, twenty years older than she, and in need of a mother for his four children. Now that Stephen could support her, she was freer, but fit no place. Unless Judith found one of the wives of his fellow barristers a kindred spirit, she was again betwixt and between. Stephen trusted her resourcefulness, and knew that between her art and the house she would be kept busy enough. But busyness could not make up for the lack of companionship.
“Lady Barbara Stanley ... I remember meeting her when we once picked you up from school. Did she ever stop growing, or is she as tall and weedy-looking as she was then?”
“She is no weed, my dear brother. She is now a goddess-like, lovely young woman, and I was rather overawed at first by her fashionableness. But she was genuinely happy to see me and invited me to call at the first opportunity.”
“And will you?” Stephen asked.
“Yes. She is sending a chaise for me on Tuesday. I am ashamed to confess I thought she had quite forgotten me. She never answered my last letter, you know. But I found out today she had never received it.”
“Ahem,” Stephen said with pointed emphasis and looking questioningly at his sister.
“Yes, I know, I know. You deplore my tendencies toward humility. I suspect it isn’t humility, Stephen, but my feeling of insecurity is quite real, nonetheless. Do you remember that Barbara had a brother who was a captain? Robin?”
“Yes, I remember you mentioning him after one of your visits. Is he still in the army?”
“Yes. He was not wounded in the last campaign, thank God, for I remember him as quite active.”
“He was lucky, then, Judith. I see soldiers begging in the streets who are in pitiable states, lacking eyes or limbs.”
“I am glad that you did not choose the army,” said his sister. “I do not think I could have survived these last three years had I known that you were in constant danger.”
“I was never interested in that kind of action. I would far rather put my energy to work in the courtroom. It was necessary to stop Bonaparte, but I do not wish to see us forgetting what led to his ascendance in the first place. We can’t turn our backs on Europe now that we are at last the victors. Well, enough politics for tonight! Let’s sit in front of the fire and enjoy Emma .”
Chapter 2
Barbara returned home after her meeting with Judith feeling that something very valuable had been returned to her. Her intimacy with Judith had eased her loneliness at school and helped make up for the lack of a warm and responsive mother. The countess, by no means a neglectful parent, was, however, like many women in her position, rather removed from her children. Barbara relied mainly on her brother,
“Did you find your way to Hatchards, Judith?”
“Yes, and I found Miss Austen’s latest ... and a long-lost friend, Barbara Stanley.”
Stephen was delighted to hear the details of their meeting. The one worry he had about their arrangement was that Judith would be deprived of any companionship of her own age and interests. He had the opportunity to socialize with his fellow workers, but Judith was on her own in a rather ambivalent social position. Although they were both the children of a gentleman, the vicar having been the younger son of a baronet, Stephen’s place in society was much clearer. It was expected he would follow a profession, since there was no chance of him succeeding to the title, there being four male cousins ahead of him.
Although he would therefore not be moving in the first circles of society, he did have the opportunity to socialize with gentlemen of his class. For Judith, it was more complicated. Aside from marriage, she had had no choice three years ago. Working as a governess had been preferable to accepting her only offer, from the local squire, twenty years older than she, and in need of a mother for his four children. Now that Stephen could support her, she was freer, but fit no place. Unless Judith found one of the wives of his fellow barristers a kindred spirit, she was again betwixt and between. Stephen trusted her resourcefulness, and knew that between her art and the house she would be kept busy enough. But busyness could not make up for the lack of companionship.
“Lady Barbara Stanley ... I remember meeting her when we once picked you up from school. Did she ever stop growing, or is she as tall and weedy-looking as she was then?”
“She is no weed, my dear brother. She is now a goddess-like, lovely young woman, and I was rather overawed at first by her fashionableness. But she was genuinely happy to see me and invited me to call at the first opportunity.”
“And will you?” Stephen asked.
“Yes. She is sending a chaise for me on Tuesday. I am ashamed to confess I thought she had quite forgotten me. She never answered my last letter, you know. But I found out today she had never received it.”
“Ahem,” Stephen said with pointed emphasis and looking questioningly at his sister.
“Yes, I know, I know. You deplore my tendencies toward humility. I suspect it isn’t humility, Stephen, but my feeling of insecurity is quite real, nonetheless. Do you remember that Barbara had a brother who was a captain? Robin?”
“Yes, I remember you mentioning him after one of your visits. Is he still in the army?”
“Yes. He was not wounded in the last campaign, thank God, for I remember him as quite active.”
“He was lucky, then, Judith. I see soldiers begging in the streets who are in pitiable states, lacking eyes or limbs.”
“I am glad that you did not choose the army,” said his sister. “I do not think I could have survived these last three years had I known that you were in constant danger.”
“I was never interested in that kind of action. I would far rather put my energy to work in the courtroom. It was necessary to stop Bonaparte, but I do not wish to see us forgetting what led to his ascendance in the first place. We can’t turn our backs on Europe now that we are at last the victors. Well, enough politics for tonight! Let’s sit in front of the fire and enjoy Emma .”
Chapter 2
Barbara returned home after her meeting with Judith feeling that something very valuable had been returned to her. Her intimacy with Judith had eased her loneliness at school and helped make up for the lack of a warm and responsive mother. The countess, by no means a neglectful parent, was, however, like many women in her position, rather removed from her children. Barbara relied mainly on her brother,
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