Silver, page 22
“Elizabeth!” her aunt called abruptly, barely concealing her dislike of the girl. “Don’t dawdle, dear. Come on.”
Turning on her heel, she disappeared into the house and Elizabeth stalked after her, followed by Cribbs. Leaving the warmth of the day and stepping into the house, Elizabeth tried to take in her surroundings. The dark wood floor was well polished and led up to an impressive first floor galleried landing. The long walls were adorned with elaborately framed oil paintings and each frame contained a similarly seated portrait of a dull-faced man, each possessing a hooked nose of varying proportions. No doubt, these were ancestor’s of the late Sir Fearncott. Glancing at them, Elizabeth thought what good fortune it had been that her aunt had never managed to have a child with him. With her crumpled face and his ugly beak, the poor thing would never have faced daylight! Smiling to herself, she climbed the stairs after the fast receding shape of her aunt.
“I have put you on the second floor above my own bedroom. Our guest will be in the room beside yours.” The old woman turned to see Elizabeth meandering up the stairs behind her and Cribbs still standing in the hallway below.
“You, girl!” Georgina bellowed. “Fetch Miss Greenwood’s bags and follow on!” She turned a cheerless smile on Elizabeth and admonished her on behalf of the dawdling girl. “We haven’t all day, have we, Elizabeth?”
Elizabeth matched the shallow beam of her aunt and nodded her agreement.
“Quite, Aunt Georgina.”
As the old woman turned to proceed along the second floor corridor, Elizabeth poked a tongue at her back. The room, to which she was shown, was twice the size of her own and larger even than Agnes’, the latter point giving her cause to feel somewhat smug. She wandered to the large windows to see what view she had been given. The room was at the back of the house and faced South and Elizabeth could see only the kitchen garden and a sunken walled garden, at the bottom of which there was set a wrought iron gate. Through the thick summer foliage of the trees, she could only just make out the rooves of a handful of houses in the distance. Compared to London, the green space and the beautiful countryside, erupting with colour, should have been refreshing, but Elizabeth saw nothing in the view but a long and dull summer ahead. She turned from the window, her aunt watching her carefully.
“It’s beautiful,” Elizabeth enthused, her eyes staring coldly into Georgina’s. “Thank you for inviting me to spend the summer with you, Aunt Georgina.”
The old woman cocked her head to one side and considered her niece.
“This is no holiday, Elizabeth,” she started. “This is a punishment for your ill-chosen excursions and, though your father may not see what you are about, I certainly do.” She paused, allowing the frankness of her words to sink in. “I, for one, know what you seek, Elizabeth, and you will not find what you are looking for here. I will be keeping a close eye on you, my girl, and if you want to find your way back to London, you had better watch your step. I had forgotten how the country air agrees with me and I may consider staying longer than the summer.”
Elizabeth’s unblinking stare was met by a cold smile from her aunt as she added, ‘And I fancy I may prefer some company, if I intend to stay.’
Elizabeth’s heart sank as the meaning of her aunt’s words sunk in.
“Ah, there you are.” Georgina broke off her stare and stepped to one side, allowing Cribbs to deposit two of Elizabeth’s cases at the foot of the bed. A butler followed close behind with a large trunk.
“I will let you get settled in then.” She turned and bustled out of the room. “Tea on the terrace in one hour, Elizabeth,” she threw over her shoulder. The butler closed the door behind him and Cribbs started to open the cases.
“Well, she don’t get no happier does she?” remarked Cribbs, and the first genuine smile of the day played on Elizabeth’s lips before she sullenly undid her bonnet and flung it at the bed.
“Don’t unpack everything, Cribbs. I don’t intend staying for very long.”
~o~
Just over an hour later, Elizabeth prowled out on to the terrace where Georgina was waiting. The girl’s lateness, albeit slight, had not gone unnoticed by Georgina but for the time being remained unchallenged. Their relationship would be about gaining ground from one another, little by little. For the moment, Georgina was prepared to let Elizabeth win the smaller battles.
“Well, I am pleased to see you are changed into something a little more suitable for tea than the last time.” Now they were equal. “Your father probably told you the reason why you are here, Elizabeth. Accustomed as I am sure you could make yourself to a period of leisure in the country, I need not remind you that this sojourn is not a holiday.” Georgina raised an eyebrow daring Elizabeth to speak or to argue. Elizabeth stared defiantly at her aunt but kept silent. At no sign of any interruption from Elizabeth, Georgina continued.
“Yes, well. Ahem, we have a little job for you. You will recall the widower that I was talking to you of a few months ago, Toby. A fine man. Lost his wife ten years ago. He is a partner in a law firm and is highly regarded and well thought of. Since the death of Walter, I have been quite lonely. This estate is quite large and troublesome. It is not something a woman should manage alone.”
Elizabeth managed not to speak up. Her aunt’s ability to outstrip men half her age in both acuity and wit was widely recognised. The running of this estate was well within her capability.
“Toby is endowed with his own wealth and a proven business man. He is well suited for my needs and it is likely therefore that we shall be wed in the autumn.”
Elizabeth wondered whether the poor unsuspecting Toby was aware of his future with Georgina and if he had yet posed the question. Her eyes twinkled mischievously. She was as amused at her aunt’s portrait of herself as a widow of poor means as she was intrigued by the prospect of a wedding. This had not gone unnoticed by the astute Georgina who immediately added.
“It will be a small affair and unlikely to hold any interest for you.”
Elizabeth enfolded her arms back into the confines of her lap and within her perfect ladylike posture there lurked a sulky child.
“So,” Georgina continued “Have I spoken to you of his daughter?”
Elizabeth feigned interest and considered the question pretending to recollect any such mention.
“I don’t believe you have, Aunt Georgina,” she responded, politely
“Alice Silver? I must have told you of her.”
Elizabeth frowned trying to recall if she had heard mention before of the girl. Her immediate thought was of Avery and she wondered, hopefully, if this girl might be a sibling or a cousin.
“You know her?” Georgina asked.
There was little that got by the old woman who had noticed the flicker of surprise register across the young girl’s face.
“No, Aunt Georgina. The name is merely familiar but I do not know any Alice Silver.”
Satisfied, Georgina continued.
“Who you know, Elizabeth is of no consequence to me. But in this instance, what you know is of great use. Alice, sadly, has been without female influence for many years. She is beyond the brink of womanhood and has very little etiquette. If she is to form part of this family, which of course is my wish,’ she inclined her head towards Elizabeth, it was a gesture that included Elizabeth, ‘she will need to learn to behave in a more refined manner.”
Elizabeth almost choked on her tea. Was she right in thinking that her aunt was asking for her to teach someone else how to behave? Given the conversation of a week ago, this indeed seemed rather farfetched. This girl must desperately require some finishing if she was being engaged for the task. Georgina too, paused to see what effect these words would have on Elizabeth. Consummately educated, the girl merely raised one eyebrow and inclined her head in ascension
“You will find that this is an altogether appropriate situation for both of you. Alice is in great need of the right sort of tutelage if she is to find herself a husband and you,” she raised her voice and glared at Elizabeth pointedly, “are in great need of responsibility and censorship. Of course, much of this I would undertake myself but I have a wedding to organise and an estate to manage. You will find, within these grounds and these walls, Juniper Hall is a perfectly adequate space to undertake this task.”
Having satisfied herself that Elizabeth had not objected to the plan nor had shown any great enthusiasm, Georgina allowed a disdainful smile to creep out across her face. Elizabeth watched in silence, as her aunt then reached across the table and took a slice of cake.
“Aren’t you having any? Quite right, too. I suppose you can ill afford any more weight around your hips.”
Elizabeth flashed her aunt an acidic smile and drained the last of her tea.
~o~
The days that followed blurred into one, as her aunt’s routine dragged each minute into an hour and Elizabeth could find no way to entertain herself. Her aunt had a great many books but all of these were many years out of date, classics whose titles revealed very little interest for the young girl. The History of Tom Jones, A Foundling! Why ever would she wish to entertain herself on the story of a deprived Welsh child? The music room did not want for much by way of instruments but Elizabeth, barely able to force herself to the piano at the best of times was even less inclined to do so in this particular room. An internal space, there were no windows which made the room far more chill than any other in the house. At the peak of the summer, retiring to this dark and cold space was like an exile from all that had made London pleasurable. Her aunt took her meals at certain times and was seemingly glad of the company which Elizabeth afforded but took no pleasure in. Enjoying the opportunity of an audience, Georgina talked incessantly about her first husband and how Toby was superior to him in most ways. After only a few days, Elizabeth was rather looking forward to the arrival of her young charge, if only for a break from the tedium of the routine. She nodded serenely as she and her aunt took yet another tea on the terrace and, is if reading her mind, Georgina brought the subject up.
“I believe we are to expect Miss Silver after lunch tomorrow.”
Despite herself, Elizabeth perked up. Perhaps she and the girl would have much in common. At very least, she would be an ally against her sour old aunt. Cribbs had proved useless in this regard, preferring to place her hands over her ears whenever Elizabeth spoke ill of the old bag, lest she be accused of badmouthing the old woman.
“That is good news, Aunt Georgina. Shall I arrange for some flowers to be cut for her room?”
Georgina smiled at her niece a little more benevolently. She had high hopes for how this summer was to turn out and she praised herself again for her clever plan.
“Why yes, Elizabeth. That would be lovely.”
The following day, Elizabeth was on edge awaiting the arrival of her aunt’s future step-daughter. All through lunch her aunt’s chatter grated most horribly and she was unable to keep her annoyance in check.
“Toby tells me that his daughter is quite unaccustomed to any sort of social scene. Can you imagine Elizabeth?” her aunt scanned her peremptorily before adding. “It doesn’t bear thinking about does it?”
“No, Aunt Georgina.” Elizabeth pulled a face and pushed her plate from her and replaced her napkin over the half eaten lunch. “I am afraid I have rather a poor appetite. The change of air is still rather unsettling; I am going to take a walk on the lawn. Please, will you excuse me Aunt Georgina?”
The older woman waved the younger girl away and smiled to herself smugly. She had no further plan for Elizabeth than to inconvenience her and hope that, between the two of them, they could break down the defences of Alice Silver. Georgina Fearncott was very pleased with how things were going.
A few minutes later, Elizabeth descended from a quick change into some walking shoes and was out of the side door and on to the terrace; a miffed Cribbs scurrying afterwards with a parasol.
“Miss Greenwood?” The young servant caught up with her in several strides and tried to position the shade above her mistress. This proved more difficult at the pace Elizabeth was keeping and, after two close calls with the edge of the parasol and Elizabeth’s head, the mistress stopped dead in her tracks and, rounding on the girl, she snapped. With a quick whip, she held the other girls wrist, tightly in her hand
“For God’s sake, Cribbs. Will you leave me alone?”
The younger girl trembled slightly, a look of panic on her face. She had not expected her good intentions to deliver such a rebuke.
“Miss Elizabeth. You’re hurting me.” She tried to wrest her arm from the tight grip but Elizabeth held firm, her fingers squeezing a little harder.
“Just leave me alone.” She thrust the girl’s arm far from her and, after levelling a warning stare, she stalked off down the sloping lawn away from the gaze of the house. She had been in her Aunt’s charge for little under a week and already she felt her liberty had deserted her forever. The effect of her aunt’s constant attention was like being placed between the pages of a book and pressed like a precious flower. To top it all off, she had dreamed of Silver last night and she had been disconcerted to find in her dream that he and Bateman had been plotting after all. The two had made a gentleman’s bet to see which could woo Elizabeth first. Whilst it was only a dream, it had served to further dampen her mood. It was likely a result of her guilt at not being able to get a message to Silver before she left and she was determined to find a way to send word to him before the week was out. Perhaps the arrival of her step-daughter to be, would divert her aunt long enough to allow Elizabeth to get a letter out somehow.
She walked for over an hour before her mood could be considered improved at all. She was a little embarrassed about how she had spoken to Cribbs and she resolved to speak more kindly to her. As she returned within view of the house, her heart lifted further when she saw the sight of a carriage upon the gravel. So she had finally arrived! Elizabeth did not have many close female friends and, in normal circumstances, she would not have been overjoyed at the prospect of another girl with which to share her time. However, her confinement here and the promise of some more exciting excursions made the arrival of Miss Silver very promising. Her aunt had indicated that this girl was in need of an ‘airing’ in polite society and Elizabeth was determined that she should make this sooner rather than later. If the girl needed manners and a more refined disposition, then she was keen to get started. She picked up her pace and hurried to the terrace where she could now see her aunt’s frame silhouetted against the pale walls. She was taking a seat and another figure had joined her, stepping from the wide open parlour doors and casting another long shadow across the facade of the house. As her feet crunched on the gravel and she climbed the steps, her aunt spun around announcing cheerily.
“Ah, here she is. Elizabeth?” she called out. “We wondered where on earth you had got to. Oh my dear, you will want to change your dress, you have soil upon your hem. I must apologise Miss Silver, my niece had a mind to take a stroll after lunch. You will see we have quite the space for it here. Not quite Hyde Park but at least it is more private.” The old woman’s voice tailed off as she turned around to face Elizabeth.
Elizabeth walked towards the seated figures with the sun at her rear. The figure seated beside her aunt was shielding their eyes, trying to examine the approaching Elizabeth. From what Elizabeth could see of the face beneath the hand, it was clouded not only from the shade but also with something else; it was a look of horror as they recognised each other.
“Elizabeth. This is Alice Silver, my future step daughter.” She attempted a maternal smile which achieved something rather more menacing. “Alice, this is Elizabeth Greenwood, my niece.”
There was a smile of recognition and a flash of white as her eyes grew wide for a moment but otherwise nothing about Elizabeth’s demeanour betrayed the fact that either of them had met before. There was a lengthy pause and Avery could only watch in horror as Elizabeth coolly surveyed him from top to toe.
“I’m delighted to finally meet you, Miss Silver.” Her manner and expression was perfectly neutral, as she offered her hand delicately in the air between them.
Georgina, satisfied with her niece’s start, turned to examine Avery, whose face was somewhat less neutral. His face had fallen and his eyes were flickering, as he tried to gauge what Elizabeth might say, if anything.
After a moment, Georgina brought her hand to her mouth and gently coughed to encourage the introductions along.
“Miss Greenwood,” was all that Avery could muster in his shock.
Evidently, this was enough and, well satisfied but oblivious to any discomfort, Georgina clapped her hands together and continued with her overly loud ambitions for the summer.
“Elizabeth, will you show Miss Silver to her room and then let her settle in to get freshened up from her journey. We shall take tea in an hour in the blue parlour.”
She turned on her heels and, spotting Kate begin to gather the bags at her feet, she clapped her hands at the maid as if she were shooing away a cat.
“You girl! Leave those, Brown will take them. Sally, have Miss Silver’s maid installed in the side room. Where is Brown?” Her voice did not diminish as she bustled off through to the adjoining room but rather seemed to grow louder still.
