Unfortunate Experience, and at another that she should be advocating usingthis sad circumstance as a weapon in her fight against the bishop. Part of her rejoiced at this piece of intrigue. At Woodfield Park they had always led a very quiet life. Most of the time, Eustacia did not mind. Sometimes, though, she thought of her mother’s exciting and slightly scandalous past, and wanted to have adventures of her own. This scheme of her godmother’s, surely harmless in its way, promised a little intrigue and excitement, if only for the short term.
How strangely things fell out, she thought. Her mother, the former actress, would always be tainted with immorality in many people’s eyes. Yet her mother was a pillar of the local community, a vigorous supporter of the church, and a fierce opponent of falsehood . Lady Agatha’s approach seemed rather entertaining in comparison.
There had been no further visits from the church authorities, and no correspondence from them either. On the other hand, a letter had arrived from another source that very morning which had brought to her ladyship’s face that self-satisfied smile with which Eustacia was beginning to be very familiar. ‘Ashbourne is still hell-raising in Italy,’ she had declared. ‘He will have no interest in my concerns.’
‘What if the bishop writes to him?’ Eustacia had ventured.
‘Ha! If anything arrives for him with the frank paid for by the bishop, he’ll throw it in the fire,’ her godmother had stated positively . ‘We’ll not see him here.’
Throughout this discourse, Miss Warburton had sat quietly in her place, buttering her toast with careful precision and cutting it into small, neat squares.
Now, although she had not finished, she stood up. ‘If you will excuse me, I think I will go to my room,’ she said in even tones.
‘Shall we go for a walk in a little while?’ Eustacia asked her. The two younger ladies had quickly formed the habit of walking together each day.
‘I shall be ready,’ Jessie replied, before leaving the room.
‘Poor Jessie,’ said Lady Agatha shaking her head. ‘I fear she has always had a weakness for my brother, but it would never do. Arake like Ashbourne would never look her way. She’s not the kind of pretty slut that appeals to him at all. In reality, she wouldn’t like it above half if he did pay her any attention, although she’d never believe it if I told her so. Unfortunately, the alternative is no better in my opinion.’
‘What is the alternative?’ asked Eustacia curiously.
‘Henry Lusty, of course,’ her godmother replied scornfully. ‘You don’t think this business with the bishop is the only reason he calls, do you? If I thought he was really interested in her, I would encourage him tomorrow. Unfortunately, I suspect that he believes that by courting her, he will get a foot into this place. If you’ve finished your breakfast, you might as well go and find her. She seems to have taken to you.’
To Eustacia aged 22, Miss Warburton at 30 seemed venerable. The notion that this lady could at one and the same time be smitten by a rake and pursued by a curate was novel indeed. They had talked about all kinds of things as they had strolled about the village together, but their conversations had not encompassed either of these two gentlemen. The truth was that in Miss Warburton, Eustacia had discovered the kind confidante that she had not found in her godmother. Jessie’s gentle sympathy had drawn out the whole sorry story of Morrison’s desertion, and it had been about him and about Eustacia’s own life that they had talked.
Now, Eustacia felt guilty. She had poured all her troubles out to Jessie without ever wondering whether Jessie might have things that she wanted to talk about. Eustacia resolved that she would remedy the situation that very day. The essential thing would be to show herself ready to listen to Jessie’s problems without looking as if she was being vulgarly intrusive.
In
How strangely things fell out, she thought. Her mother, the former actress, would always be tainted with immorality in many people’s eyes. Yet her mother was a pillar of the local community, a vigorous supporter of the church, and a fierce opponent of falsehood . Lady Agatha’s approach seemed rather entertaining in comparison.
There had been no further visits from the church authorities, and no correspondence from them either. On the other hand, a letter had arrived from another source that very morning which had brought to her ladyship’s face that self-satisfied smile with which Eustacia was beginning to be very familiar. ‘Ashbourne is still hell-raising in Italy,’ she had declared. ‘He will have no interest in my concerns.’
‘What if the bishop writes to him?’ Eustacia had ventured.
‘Ha! If anything arrives for him with the frank paid for by the bishop, he’ll throw it in the fire,’ her godmother had stated positively . ‘We’ll not see him here.’
Throughout this discourse, Miss Warburton had sat quietly in her place, buttering her toast with careful precision and cutting it into small, neat squares.
Now, although she had not finished, she stood up. ‘If you will excuse me, I think I will go to my room,’ she said in even tones.
‘Shall we go for a walk in a little while?’ Eustacia asked her. The two younger ladies had quickly formed the habit of walking together each day.
‘I shall be ready,’ Jessie replied, before leaving the room.
‘Poor Jessie,’ said Lady Agatha shaking her head. ‘I fear she has always had a weakness for my brother, but it would never do. Arake like Ashbourne would never look her way. She’s not the kind of pretty slut that appeals to him at all. In reality, she wouldn’t like it above half if he did pay her any attention, although she’d never believe it if I told her so. Unfortunately, the alternative is no better in my opinion.’
‘What is the alternative?’ asked Eustacia curiously.
‘Henry Lusty, of course,’ her godmother replied scornfully. ‘You don’t think this business with the bishop is the only reason he calls, do you? If I thought he was really interested in her, I would encourage him tomorrow. Unfortunately, I suspect that he believes that by courting her, he will get a foot into this place. If you’ve finished your breakfast, you might as well go and find her. She seems to have taken to you.’
To Eustacia aged 22, Miss Warburton at 30 seemed venerable. The notion that this lady could at one and the same time be smitten by a rake and pursued by a curate was novel indeed. They had talked about all kinds of things as they had strolled about the village together, but their conversations had not encompassed either of these two gentlemen. The truth was that in Miss Warburton, Eustacia had discovered the kind confidante that she had not found in her godmother. Jessie’s gentle sympathy had drawn out the whole sorry story of Morrison’s desertion, and it had been about him and about Eustacia’s own life that they had talked.
Now, Eustacia felt guilty. She had poured all her troubles out to Jessie without ever wondering whether Jessie might have things that she wanted to talk about. Eustacia resolved that she would remedy the situation that very day. The essential thing would be to show herself ready to listen to Jessie’s problems without looking as if she was being vulgarly intrusive.
In
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