Expectations of Happiness by Rebecca Ann Collins Page B

travel to Weymouth for a fortnight. It should be a pleasant change; Edward is looking forward to meeting with a colleague who was at Oxford with him, which will give us time to see something of the town and the surrounding country. We hope to stay outside the town; our friends Dr and Mrs King have recommended a small hotel and they say there are many historic sites within easy distance…”
    Elinor’s enthusiastic recital of prospective pleasures was interrupted when Marianne said quietly, “That is kind of you, Elinor, and I have no doubt Weymouth will have many delights, but I’m afraid I shall not be free to join your party. I shall be busy entertaining Mr and Mrs Robert Ferrars, who have plans to visit friends in Dawlish and expect to spend a few days with me at Delaford.”
    Elinor was speechless for several minutes. Robert Ferrars, her brother-in-law, had married Lucy Steele, a young woman whose deception of both Elinor and Edward had been quite unpardonable. Lucy had become secretly engaged to a young Edward Ferrars and had pretended to be deeply in love with him for many years, before she had abruptly thrown him over for his brother, Robert, for blatantly mercenary reasons.
    All this was well known to Marianne, yet it appeared she had invited the couple—for whom none of them had any regard—without so much as a word to Elinor. When she could speak, she asked, “And when did this come about?” Marianne replied, “Not very long ago; I had a note from Lucy telling me of their plans to visit us en route to Dawlish, and I invited them to spend a few days at Delaford. I knew Colonel Brandon would be in Ireland and hoped they might be company for me.”
    Elinor was shocked. “Company for you? Marianne, surely you cannot be serious? Since when have you sought the company of Robert and Lucy?” She knew—from her own experience of conversations with Lucy and Robert and from everything that Marianne had said in the past of their superficiality, their complete lack of taste and judgment, except in ensuring their own advancement over all else—that they were the last people in whose company her sister would take any pleasure.
    But Marianne bridled at the suggestion and claimed in her defence that she was certain their company would afford her greater pleasure than being alone at Delaford for several weeks.
    â€œIt is all very well for you, Elinor; Edward is there at your side every day, and you engage with a dozen different groups of people in your parish work—you do not lack company,” Marianne claimed. “My situation is entirely different. I must find company where I can, and besides, Robert is Edward’s brother—I cannot see that it is such a dreadful imposition upon you if I invite them to Delaford. When I did, Lucy wrote almost at once to say they would be delighted—they have not visited in two years or more. I believe they expect to call on Edward and you at the parsonage, too; they are sure to be disappointed to find you gone away to Weymouth.”
    Astonished by her insouciance, Elinor replied, “I doubt their disappointment will be long lived, Marianne; you cannot have forgotten Lucy’s past behaviour to both Edward and me, surely. You may well find them relieved to discover that we are away. I confess, for my part, I am rather glad to be missing them.”
    Marianne’s lighthearted response confounded her sister. “Oh, Elinor, surely it’s a long time ago now. I would have thought that you would be feeling quite charitable towards Lucy for having jilted Edward; after all, it allowed him to come back to you with honour!”
    This remark so discomposed Elinor, she rose, preparing to leave, fighting back tears. She could not comprehend Marianne’s attitude and felt quite unable to deal with the situation. It was not often that Elinor, whose ability to govern her feelings had stood her in good stead for most