What they had not at all anticipated

Flora and Hannah were quite in agreement that Mr Thornton seemed an entirely eligible prospect as tutor – had not shown at all discomposed by their medley of orphans, was a promising sign, had shown very proper respect to darling Verrie –

Really, said Flora, that is a very good set of young men, who would have anticipated the like around Saythingport’s son?

Hannah gave a little wistful sigh. Perchance 'tis the like case to Milord – for thus, among themselves, they spoke of Gervase Reveley, the late Lord Raxdell, Beatrice’s father – that Lord Peregrine observes his father and wishes to take an opposite course?

You may be right, my love! What a pity that he is not the heir, rather than that inebriate lout.

That might come with irksome responsibilities, not that they seem to bother young Talshaw –

Flora groaned. Would that dear Beauf was not so conscientious filial in the matter, one sees that he finds it exceeding tiresome and yearns for Nitherholme. Sure one is glad that Bobbie Wallace now follows in his father’s footsteps and is no longer a trifling idler, but one could have wished he had remained His Grace’s secretary.

Hannah smirked and remarked that even so, she fancied that Beauf and Flora had found some compensations in his presence in Town.

Flora blushed, reaching to take Hannah’s hand. You do not mind, dearest?

Oh, poo! Here we are nearly at Attervale – she glanced out of the train window – and I hope you will not mind do I manifest a certain affection towards Lady Emily.

For somewhat to her amazement, what had begun as rather in the way of a passing flirtation, had become an enduring devotion that ran happily alongside their other loves. Indeed, Hannah was like to suppose, was best thus: could not quite imagine living with Em, that rose extreme early of the morn to tend to hawks and horses – was mostly preoccupied about those and the estate business of Attervale – entirely accepted within local county society –

Whereas Hannah was a creature of Town to her very bones.

So here they were at last at Attervale – so that Flora could convoke with Lalage Fenster over village education, and Hannah, besides having the opportunity to see Em, intended to go visit Sir Hobday Perram in her capacity at Bibliophilia, to write up his collections for The Speculum.

What they had not at all anticipated was that Bella would also be a guest at Attervale. Hannah bit her lip – doubtless the girl would be hanging out after Em in positive heroine-worship, exceeding ennuyant.

Though seemed curiously subdued: one heard she had been smitten with a chill after that matter of being bolted with by a skittish mare during a visit to Hackwold, but seemed in perfect health now – no worrying matter of coughing or sniffling –

But although she rode out on their morning ride – for Em was quite able to mount her guests – and tended to The Gascon on their return as had been well-trained in doing by Belinda Penkarding – instead of hanging about the stables and the mews all day, after breakfast – and one observed she made a hearty breakfast! – went recline upon a sopha with a deal of reading matter.  Most odd.

After Em had showed off her hawks, along with the owl and the raven, all in excellent good health, to Hannah, they went take coffee in Em’s room that was part office and part sitting-room and part study. For Em, that would claim that she had been brought up an entire ignorant miss – Milly was a darling, but we were sad inattentive pupils – came about to be considered quite the authority upon horseflesh and its ailments and quite the savant concerning hawks, and had a deal of correspondence upon those matters.

So, said Hannah, putting her feet up upon a convenient footstool, what is ado with Bella? Surely no young woman that eats as much as she does can be in a decline.

Law, said Em, looking up from sorting the post that had just arrived, for they were old enough friends not to stand upon ceremony, 'tis give out that she was badly shook up by that business at Hackwold. Sure Leah and Inez go make a deal of a sensational melodrama out of it, alleging that there was some plot afoot to make Thessaly, that was well-known a skittish creature, bolt, so that Blatchett could effect a daring rescue – as if Bella was not entire capable of rescuing herself, indeed she kept her head, found herself in familiar country and ended up at Jupp’s farm, where The Lady and Gertie Jupp were in residence.

Hannah put down her cup a little too hard and coffee splashed into the saucer. Blatchett, you say?

Had been showing marked interest in Bella. But although she came off unharmed from this adventure, Quintus Ferraby apprehends that there was some shock to the nervous system and that she would be better for recruiting a little out of the whirl of the Season.

Hannah said Good Lord, that was not what one anticipated at a Hackwold party –

Em responded that she heard that Sir Antony and Lady Mary had been called away – some matter of a sick relative – leaving the party with an aged spinster aunt and that awful creature Mr Mortimer Chellow to host.

O, one might expect some tragedy like unto The Mistletoe Bough in that case, or perchance some scandal involving cards, mayhap billiards!

O, quite. The old hen collapsed in spasms and went demanding a physician: those naughty nieces of mine will enact her. Em sighed. Really, that pair. First they go acquire most respectable, though one must admit, exceeding dull, suitors – entirely enviable partis I daresay – well, I should not care to have that tittering imbecile Lady Gabrielle as a sister-in-law, but who knows but that she may marry herself? – and appear to go sober down remarkably. Positively unnatural – and then Lord Gilbert comes back trailing a romantic history of duels and love-affairs with opera-singers in Vienna and Buda-Pesth &C&C and they both go yearning after a younger son that is, one hears, entirely dedicated to his career in the Diplomatic and has no intention of marrying. O, one dares say that did he have a wish to wed, there is some Mulcaster estate or other he might look after – mayhap go into politics – but would be very tame for one that has, one hears, ridden with Cossacks, gone wolf-hunting and a deal of other adventures.

Hannah responded that Lord Gilbert certainly had a touch of the brooding Byronic strain about him but one did not hear that he emulated the late poet in other particulars.

Why, she wondered, had she – and Flora – not known about this incident at Hackwold? She could not suppose that Clorinda, Flora’s beloved Tiger, had not known the all almost before it happened. There had been time and occasion for her to communicate the matter to Flora.

One had to ponder whether there was more behind than the tale put about by the young ladies: and knowing what she and Flora did of Blatchett, she wondered whether the plot had had more to it than performing a mere daring rescue.

She had no immediate opportunity to convoke with Flora – went to pay what she anticipated would be a first call, leaving her card, at Perram Place, but was received with great enthusiasm by Sir Hobday, that declared having heard so much about Miss Roberts from Her Grace and Mr Davison would not stand upon ceremony and convention –

'Twas all entire fascinating, and would, she fancied, work up into a deal of possibilities beyond a staid account of his library and collections for The Speculum – one might pass on a few hints to Sybil Vernall as seeds for tales!

But the upshot was that by the time she returned to Attervale Flora was already about dressing for dinner, that they took at country hours.

La, my love, I may bustle into a very suitable gown! Do not fret.

Flora sat at the dressing-table, brushing her unruly curls into some degree of order. She looked over her shoulder with a grin, saying, she did not really suppose that Sir Hobday had kidnapped Hannah to be an odalisque in his hareem!

And how did you pass the day?

Flora made a moue. O, Lady Isabella takes a sudden whim to be interested in politics, and has been interrogating me about various matters in Aspasia’s columns – sure there are a deal of allusions that one needs to be informed to make sense of.

Really? Hannah shook out the skirts of her gown, and looked in the pier-glass, wondering mayhap her corals, since they would be in company? To relieve the severity? She did not say aught about the Hackwold business or Blatchett?

Flora twisted right round. What?

Hannah disclosed what she had learnt from Em.

Flora growled. Hah. I am very like to suppose there was a good deal more behind – but I had heard nothing. Tiger has been entirely mute upon the subject except to mention that Bella had been rather knocked-up by her wild gallop in a chilly sleety night.

Oh! She stood up, clenching her fists. She has no confidence in my discretion – I know I was a foolish careless creature who did not reckon with the consequences of speaking out about free love and preventive checks and how that would affect my ability to work for other causes –

She sighed. Hannah went over to put an arm around her. It was a grief to Flora that her work for village education and certain other causes had to be conducted by informal convocation by way of conversation with friends, as there were those would not wish to be associated with that scandalous Miss Ferraby.

Did she suppose I would immediately be about publishing denunciations of Blatchett? And mayhap being sued for libel? No, these days I am good sensible prudent Flora, even would I desire to eat his heart in the marketplace and would at the very least consult Mr Geoffrey Merrett upon the state of the law in the question.

And Beauf has kept this secret too! she cried.

The important thing, Hannah pointed out, has been to protect Bella’s reputation – have you not spoke of the wicked fragility of female reputation?

Flora gave a little sob. ‘Tis so, and one sees the reason, but meanwhile that monster roams free.

Free, but these days somewhat shunned of the herd, one hears.

They looked at one another. Flora gave a gulp, and straightened up, and managed a little grin. Is’t not possible that Tiger herself has some device in play? Sure I should not wish to blunder in.